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- Signature Author
- 06/04/2017
- 487 Words
- 1,863 Views
- 19 Comments
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Dribbles - 32. My Champion
I opened the front door and found a champion. I stared, shocked, but then I remembered I had a hardhat and hammer from the last time I had to do some remodeling. It wouldn’t be much, but I might be able to make it work. “I am your champion in the games,” he announced. Like I didn’t understand what his presence meant.
Well, they didn’t make the champions so they’d be smart. “Come in,” I said.
The champion stepped inside my door, closing it behind him. I’d bribed my way into the pool to sponsor a champion, but I couldn’t believe they’d sent me the reigning victor of the games—he’d won for more cycles than any other champion.
“I hope this will fit you.” Champions were rather larger than the average man, and I’d bought the hardhat to protect my head when I had to replace some ceiling tiles. Good thing too; one had fallen on me and cracked right in two, sparks flying. At least electronic panels were cheap and the ship had a ton of them in stock.
“Hopefully this year’s games will be less violent than last year’s, but I created this hammer from an old-fashioned history book I found. This end is used to hit things, and this side can pry stuff out. It’s sharp too.” I’d given him a form of armor and a weapon. The terms of the games, that I outfit him with items from my quarters, were satisfied.
He plunked the yellow hardhat on his head and hefted the hammer, swinging it back and forth with ease. I suddenly remembered what else I’d seen in that history book, its glossy pages showing off bodies in ways that just weren’t seemly anymore. I eyed the champion’s bulk. If he didn’t have that stretch-suit on, he’d be completely bare.
“Maybe I can make you a belt.” The guys in the book had a belt they carried the hammer on, slung low over one hip. The champion had a narrow waist, the taper sharp from his broad shoulders and wide chest. It wouldn’t take much.
“I thank you, sponsor. What are your orders?”
The champion was my responsibility and my plaything until the end of the games, then they’d put him back in his tank. I didn’t know much about the engineered beings. Were they as basic as the company who owned the spacing guild said? As unaware? The champion’s eyes followed my every motion.
Were they really not human? Not deserving of the same rights and protections spacers had on the ship? This was my chance to find out. But I couldn’t do what I was thinking, no matter how tempting he was. “Rest, for now.”
He bowed low, then went and stood against the wall by the door, his arms crossed over his chest, one hand still holding the hammer.
This was going to be a very long month.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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