«I’m not an ordinary child,» she stubbornly repeats, «and I’m capable of much more than many of those people.»
«I don’t even doubt it. But how did you cope with the flight? I mean…»
«The plane crash? You may not look for the right words. I am older than you think, and endured it better than all of you. Because I can disconnect from the outside world when something bad happens. This may seem strange to some, others call it „autism.“ As for me, I consider it as a protective reaction against external irritants.»
I can’t believe I’m hearing these words from a little girl.
В«How old are you?В»
В«IВ just turned 10. ByВ the way, my name is Leeloo.В»
Before she can say anything, IВ know who she reminds me of! Leeloo is the character ofВ Mila Jovovich from the famous film В«The Fifth ElementВ».
В«IВ really like this movie! The main character is brave and innocent, and yet so longs for love,В» my little friend adds quietly.
«That name really suits you. What’s your real name?»
«It doesn’t matter. Just like our real life hasn’t the slightest relation to this place.» She utters the phrase «to this place» so hostile that I get goosebumps.
В«Listen, we still have 20В minutes. Would you like toВ come in?В» IВ suggest carefully.
В«Why not.В» Leeloo looks around the room and notices:
В«My cell looks exactly the same.В»
IВ try toВ ask her aВ couple more questions, but she answers everything extremely evasively. IВ am amazed at her wisdom and calmness. Leeloo is indeed much older inВ her head than her age. The clock shows 20:45. My new friend gets up and says:
«I don’t trust anyone and prefer to stay aloof. A modest invisibility, a dull shadow. But I like you and we could be friends. Please do not discuss our conversation with anyone! You know, I have plans to win,» she gives me her charming smile again.
My heart is melting. Suddenly IВ feel happy because this girl is here on the island. She stands and waits for an answer.
В«You agree?В»
В«Sure. But what about Alex? It seems that this guy can be trusted, although sometimes IВ want toВ kill him.В»
Leeloo thinks it over for aВ minute and answers:
В«Maybe. But not right now.В»
With these words, she goes toВ her cell. IВ go toВ bed and start taking notes. Leeloo never leaves my head. She is strange, but IВ feel comfortable and calm inВ her presence. IВ will definitely find out more about her secret when the time comes. The clock shows 20:59В and the lights goВ out.
В«Great,В» IВ sigh, В«now IВ have toВ lie all night inВ the dark, alone with my thoughts.В»
But, obviously, all recent events, experiences, fears and worries have tired me so much that IВ almost instantly plunge into aВ deep restful sleep.
TheВ Game
DayВ one
When IВ wake up, first ofВ all IВ look at the digital clock on the bedside table. It shows 9:00В a.m.В IВ have been sleeping for exactly 12В hours, which surprises me aВ lot: never inВ my life have IВ slept for so long and been so punctual.
Despite the long rest, the head is still buzzing, and the same unpleasant metallic taste is felt on the tongue. I was probably lying in the same position through the whole night, because my neck and shoulder muscles are terribly numb. As I begin to stretch the shoulders, a chair catches my attention. In surprise I jump out of bed: it no longer has my yesterday’s clothes on! Instead, there is a white suit made of soft dense material: tight long pants with elastic bands in the calf muscles, a tight jacket with a zipper and long sleeves ending at the wrists with the same elastic bands. Under the chair there is a pair of white high boots with thick soles and lacing. This costume wasn’t here yesterday! I feel uncomfortable with the idea that someone was in the room while I slept in the dark.
Tormented by thirst and hunger, I dress quickly. No wonder, I haven’t had a crumb in my mouth since yesterday. It is unknown if the tap water can be drunk, so I decide not to risk it. Instead, I head to the gathering place – the Platform – hoping to get breakfast and find out how the first Game Day will be.
Outside, the sun is already shining inВ the blue cloudless sky, flooding this paradise with its dazzling light. Our Bungalow is made ofВ snow-white textured bricks, drown inВ lush tropical greenery. It is surrounded byВ tall, wild-growing palms. The playful vines hang along the perimeter ofВ the clearing, as if inviting you toВ swing. The ocean is visible aВ few meters from the Bungalow.
Cheerful waves rush onto the shiny sandy shore, crash noisily against it and roll back like white lambs toВ return again. Every now and then aВ motley bird breaks down from one ofВ the branches and, waving light fans ofВ its wings, hovers toВ the next one toВ hide again inВ the dense crown ofВ aВ tree. Despite the fact that the tropical air is humid and stuffy, IВ enjoy breathing it inВ with my lungs tainted byВ the urban environment.
Directly in front of the Bungalow, a round area has been cleared, in the middle of which there is a massive wooden table, oddly enough, only on three legs. The same solid benches stand around it. Most of the players have already gathered at the table. On the wall of the Bungalow, facing the Platform, there is a wide monitor – apparently, a means of communication between the organizers and the players.
I come to the table and greet everyone present. The players salute me in return. They are all dressed the same as me. The design of the table itself is also impressive: the symbol of Antakarana, striking in its beauty, is engraved on its entire surface – three volumetric sevens, which, as if form the edges of the cube, diverge from the center and shape three legs of the table.
Gradually other players join us. IВ think ofВ Leeloo as she walks out ofВ the Bungalow. Instead ofВ going toВ the negotiating table, she heads inВ the opposite direction, sits down under aВ branchy tree at aВ distance and begins toВ take apart her chess pieces. The large leaves provide aВ perfect hiding place, so you need toВ look closely toВ see her there. The girl, inВ turn, does not even look inВ our direction. InВ my mind, IВ decide toВ talk toВ her later.
«I think it’s time to get to know each other better and eat something,» Alex interrupts the awkward silence.
«We’d have eaten something long ago if there was something edible here,» the athlete answers tartly, «there is not a damn thing here. It looks like the organizers are planning to starve us.»
I don’t like the tone he has chosen. The guy’s appearance scares me: he personifies strength and aggression, as if a silent threat comes from him.
«What about the tap water?» the blonde girl complains, «I’m just dying of thirst.»
«You can safely drink tap water,» Planck replies, «judging by the temperature and low pressure, water does not come directly from a natural source, but through a desalination system. Heating occurs naturally from the sun’s energy. By the evening the water cools down, and in the afternoon, judging by the morning heat, boiling water will run from the tap. This water can be drunk without any harm to health.»
«They aren’t very hospitable here,» the southern woman sighs.
At this moment, the screen lights up, and we see already familiar Maestro. His expression and tone are still calm and friendly. Like the rest of the players, I’m just dying of curiosity. Almost the same as of hunger and thirst.
«I welcome you to the Location and congratulate you on the first game day in the Great Game «Antakarana. Quest in reality»! I hope you are well rested after a tiring journey and ready to start the challenge. Some of you are professionals in the hidden object genre, others are good at logic puzzles. Today you will join forces to find provisions for the upcoming game week. I will give you the hints every day. It is extremely important to listen carefully and memorize them. Indeed, they contain not only the key to the correct decision, but also, often, to life itself. So today’s tip goes like this:
The mysterious number seven:
Life starts with seven grounds:
Earth, Fire, Water,В Air
Are filled with Light and Sounds,
And aВ bright Thought is there.
ByВ finding germs ofВ life
And merging them together,
You’ll get a little clever
Feed hunger through awareness.
So, seek for nature’s voices:
Where the harmony reigns
Unnatural darkness appears
To misinterpret the view —
There you’ll find the clue.
Happy Game start, Players! The Corporation trusts inВ you!В»
Maestro disappears. Instead, four red arrows show up, guiding towards the interior of the island – the projections of light from the same screen. Silence reigns for a while. We can barely hide our disappointment. Angel breaks the hush first with a common thought out loud:
«And this should be the promise: we’ll be provided with everything we need? How will I complete tasks if I’m just starving?»
«What are you whining like a girl?» The athlete growls contemptuously at him. «As soon as this damn plane flew upside down, it became clear that they wouldn’t pat us on the head.»
«Your disputes and differences are useless,» Planck interrupts them, «there is not a minute to waste. In the tropics it gets dark quickly, and we don’t even have the slightest idea in which direction to move.»
He’s right of course. We all understand this, so we immediately start discussing the action plan.
First, we write down the Maestro’s hint. Then we spend 20 minutes to briefly introduce ourselves. Everyone knows Planck, thanks to his courtesy on the plane. Nevertheless, he repeats his name, then makes a short pause and adds: «My real name is also Max Karl» and laughs good-naturedly. We look at each other in confusion, not having the slightest idea what he is hinting at. From the expressions on our faces, Planck understands that his joke doesn’t fit this audience, and briefly introduces us the outstanding German physicist Max Karl Planck, known for his works in the field of thermodynamics, quantum physics and thermal radiation. The blonde calls herself Blonda, which makes many players smile.
The woman with a southern appearance turns out to be that mysterious BeBe – short for the full name of Beatrice Bianchi. The name of the athlete sounds like Runner, that is, «runner» in translation from English. A thin woman in glasses in her 50s introduces herself as Martha. Then follows Angel with an angelic face, Joleo, who named himself after the satellite of Saturn that he discovered, and Alex and I. The last one appears to be the Chinese woman – a miniature girl with thick black hair that reaches down to fragile shoulders and with too bulky frames of glasses for her neat little face. The Asian woman’s name is simply Yu, an abbreviated form for Yuming. Nobody asks for the name of the little red-haired girl, and I don’t bring it up.
We decide not to waste time on further discussions and to start searching immediately. Judging by the direction of the sun, our Platform is located in the west part of the land. The arrows on the screen clearly show directions: north, south, southeast and northeast. We make a general decision to split into four teams: Alex and I choose the northeast direction. Runner volunteers to accompany Blonda and looks frowning when Angel joins them. However, he doesn’t mind out loud, and this team gets the southeast. Joleo and BeBe take a southerly direction along the coastline. Planck and Martha remain to explore the area around the Platform, because of the age they are inferior to the others in physical parameters. Yu insists on heading north alone, also along the ocean line.
В«IВ grew up byВ the sea,В» she firmly denies all objections, В«this is my element, nothing can happen toВ me.В»
Now we have a vague idea of what exactly we are looking for. It’s only clear that you need to pay attention to some unnatural objects or phenomena in nature. Or, as Alex quoted the Russian fairy tale: «Look for that – I don’t know what.»
Before leaving, IВ ask Alex toВ wait aВ couple ofВ minutes. We have absolutely nothing toВ fill water inВ and take it with us. It remains toВ hope for aВ fresh source on the way. IВ drink aВ lot and greedily and then immediately head toВ Leeloo.
She is still sitting under the tree. I have never had any particular knowledge of botany, so I have no idea what kind of plant it is. Nevertheless, I definitely like it – the branches covered with large leaves hang down almost to the very ground, giving a healing coolness in the midday heat and shielding from the outside world.
В«Leeloo, do you want toВ come with us?В» IВ ask, sitting down next toВ her. The tree immediately envelops me with its hospitable aura. We seem toВ be cut off from everything that happens outside inВ this secluded leafy hut. IВ even feel aВ slight euphoria from our В«hideВ».
«No, I’d better stay here and try to find something,» the girl replies. After a pause, she adds: «Be careful and come back before dark. It gets dark terribly quickly in such places. I don’t want you to get lost and spend the night in the jungle.»
Her voice is full ofВ alarm.
«Don’t be afraid, Leeloo, we’ll be back in time. The sooner the better. My stomach is already cramping with hunger. We’ll have a feast tonight, I promise.»
We exchange smiles and aВ sudden urge toВ hug Leeloo seizes me, but IВ hesitate. Instead, IВ get toВ my feet and run toВ Alex. He is already waiting for me toВ leave the Platform and go towards adventure.
***
For 10 minutes we’ve been moving forward in silence.
Just a few meters from the Platform, the thickets become unexpectedly dense. Our legs get tangled in intricate grassy plexuses, every now and then some impudent liana grabs the face or sleeve. From this angle, we no longer see the soothing blue of the ocean or hints of civilization, so the heart gets filled with anxiety. There is something mesmerizing about the sounds of the jungle. Multi-toned cries of birds. The buzz of insects. The rustle of trees. Whistling tops in the wind. They seem alive and pierce through – they frighten, surprise, delight, but do not leave you indifferent.
If inВ the morning aВ white tight-fitting suit seemed toВ me unsuitable for such aВ hot tropical place, now it would be difficult toВ imagine the best clothes. Tall fern with unknown inhabitants, tropical and often unfamiliar shrubs and the ubiquitous dense clumps ofВ lianas are definitely not suitable for close contact with my northern skin. InВ addition, the sun beats down so mercilessly from the blue sky that IВ could be burned toВ the crust inВ aВ matter ofВ minutes.
Alex walks inВ front, wearing his suit more loosely, which gives him aВ bit ofВ the look ofВ aВ factory worker. Finally, IВ break the silence and address Alex inВ Russian:
«Looking for objects in this jungle is the same as looking for a needle in a haystack…»
As soon as IВ utter the phrase toВ the end, suddenly aВ piercing ringing begins inВ my ears. The sound is so intense it feels like my head is about toВ explode. It causes such unbearable pain that IВ fall toВ the ground and hold my ears tightly with the hands. Through the veil inВ front ofВ my eyes, IВ see Alex, with aВ frightened expression on his face, run up toВ me and say something. At this moment, he also grabs his head, and his face distorts aВ grimace ofВ pain.
«… is happening here?!» the end of the phrase reaches me, after which he screams loudly and falls to the ground.
В«How damn painful it is!В» Alex rolls on the ground, and blood runs out inВ aВ thin stream from his right ear. AВ guess comes toВ my dull consciousness, and IВ scream with all my might inВ English, hoping that Alex will hear:
В«Shut up! Not aВ word inВ Russian! Shut up! Quiet, quiet, quiet!!!В»
IВ crawl up toВ him, look into his eyes and take my hands from my head.
В«Can you hear me? ShutВ up!В»
He nods, still wearing the same haggard expression. We sit side byВ side under aВ palm tree and try toВ come toВ our senses. The ringing inВ my ears gradually dies down and IВ can think more clearly. It takes about twenty minutes before IВ can move my tongue again:
«Alex, we violated rule number three: «The language of communication of the Players is exclusively English» and the rule number eleven was applied to us: «Players will be punished for violating the rules of the Game, and eliminated from the Game for significant violations». First, this deafening ringing in the ears. I don’t know what happened after your second sentence. But your eardrum seems to be hurt.
«I’ll tell you what. It was as if thousand needles had pierced eyes, ears and brains at the same time. But, of course, it seemed to me not enough,» he jokes sadly, «for the third time I felt a small explosion in my head. I guess I should throw away my right ear as it is hopelessly damaged.»
«At least you don’t lose courage,» I grin, «but just in case, from now on, not a word in Russian on this damned island.»
«After this I’m afraid, not a word for the rest of my life.»
В«But how do they do such cruel things toВ us?В»
We look at each other and understand at the same time. The answer is so elementary and terrible that we begin toВ laugh nervously:
«Coordinators! We are not just figures with the built-in navigators, we are puppets in the hands of the organizers. They can punish players, control every step, every word…»
