Actualsis and her Arena, Chapter Three

Yells and entreaties and palms slapping frantically on the forcefield’s unyielding wall proved not to be the way ahead. Already the fast-filling froth was soaking both victims under their tunics, waist-high, chest-high, armpit-high. Mini-Flash Phytolith was shrieking aloud that he’d always known it would be the second gender, and at least he was going to die hating them and that much remained for him. To Flashslip it was little more than noise, but even so it wasn’t conducive to formulating an escape-plan, and as the gushing waters thrashed into his mouth and he floundered, going under, all he could think of was the darkness of the depths and that shimmery silver circle which for the life of him he hadn’t been able to –

And.

Then.

It all just…stopped.

Flashslip, surrounded by blessed cool and blissful silence, looked on an ocean-blue tableau in which everything had become motionless.

Mini-Flash Phytolith, mid-flailing, held at peace. Beyond the barrier, Actualsis’s smirk was now fixed tranquilly on the middle distance. Even the splashes and eddies overhead were still.

It was Flashslip’s power.

For the first time in his life, he’d phased successfully. He’d slipped to the sidelines of the time-space continuum while retaining autonomy and self-control.

Actualsis had talked about incentives.

Without meaning to, she’d supplied the very one he’d been waiting for.

Happily Flashslip gazed at his hands, mere movement of which whirled cosmic mandalas out of whatever fabric it was that now encompassed him. To think of ever having been embarrassed by this ability, to have dismissed it as useless! He could do anything, go anywhere. Meanwhile every irritant, from the temperatures within the forcefield to the tantalizing girl without, were left behind in that other realm. Flashslip was still aware there were such things as heat, indignation and mortal fear, but they were all at one remove.

Freed from them, the answer he’d sought was suddenly plain as a starburst.

Actualsis’s range.

When they’d filmed the advertisement, she’d been dull and opinionated and had mindlessly obeyed her director. Today, she’d evinced at least a dozen emotions she hadn’t then.

That pointed to new software, some of which was apparently disagreeing with her.

There’d been no more perilous threat here than a simple technical glitch. A feedback-loop, which might be resolved the same way as any other.

Just let Actualsis complete her programming directive, and she’d shut down to reboot.

Flashslip took a step which slid him smoothly out of his clothes. Probably that always happened, then. Ah well. It was nothing Actualsis hadn’t seen before.

Nice, feeling as relaxed as this. Pity it couldn’t last.

Oh, yes. That reminded him. Mini-Flash Phytolith’s flapping arms had shifted a degree, and Flashslip’s own garments were sagging slightly in the water’s prism. Knowing Phytolith, he was going to want this over and done with the sooner the better.

Through the forcefield wall Flashslip strolled, ruminating mildly on how important it used to be. Retracing the journey, he knew, would stuff out his vacant tunic again and swing Mini-Flash Phytolith’s contortions back to where they’d been. What it was, to be master at last of these everlasting seconds his power afforded him!

Flashslip hoped that when next it happened, he wouldn’t have to rush.

For now, he positioned himself directly behind Actualsis. Just in time. Although when you thought about it, it wasn’t like he could have been anything else.

He held his hands ready by the silver skirt, which hung with barely a twitch or a shimmy.

Three…

Two…

Even abstracted as he was, Flashslip had to admit, he was looking forward to this.

One.

The universe was back as foil pleats flew high amid glorious technicolour and stereophonic sound. Actualsis whirled, throwing her auburn tresses away from eyes that gazed in disbelief and lips which had dropped wide open.

“Bright green spotty ones,” Flashslip said to her with a smile.

There were klaxons and confetti and showers of sparks as the forcefield disappeared, loosing a tide which all but bowled Flashslip and Actualsis from their feet. Mini-Flash Phytolith staggered out amid the last of the roils, drenched and gasping for air. The boisterous theme tune began to boom again for the closing credits, and above this chaos someone was shouting upbeat valedictions and pronouncements on what a moment it had been. In spite of everything, Flashslip was impressed. Not every girl could have kept the show going to the last.

With a climactic final chord the music died away. All across the sodden studio the cameras were tucking in their wings.

“And that’s a wrap!” beamed Actualsis.

Then her eyes rolled back in her head, and she thudded insensible to the floor.

Rescue-ships had already set off for the destination Flashslip logged, so it wasn’t long before he and Mini-Flash Phytolith were Headquarters-bound. Actualsis was stowed below, on her way to a vigorous debugging. She’d set up no satellite link or feed as far as The Flash Club were able to determine, so it looked as if the delusional girl had merely believed she was going out live on-air.

Flashslip guessed Mini-Flash Phytolith was as thankful for that as he was. They sat facing each other on the passenger-deck, snug in special thermal tunics and sipping warm drinks.

“Your film night?” were Flashslip’s words.

He was surveying Mini-Flash Phytolith with a stern kind of interest.

“The one you told me earlier you don’t run?” Flashslip went on.

Phytolith’s sudden invitation to attend had been the last surprise of the day, and Flashslip was still at a loss as to what it might mean. Progress, perhaps? He’d heard of it happening to others who’d faced adversity together, and although the morning seemed a long time ago now, he remembered feeling as recently as then the absence of friends in his life. Not that either Phytolith’s lie, or his shiftiness now, seemed the ingredients for a promising beginning. But at least a beginning it was.

“Your honesty with your seniors might need a little work,” said Flashslip. “But now that we’ve established there is a film night, I’ll do my best to stop by. What’s on?”

“Something you’ll like,” replied the ever-evasive one.

Flashslip was trying not to smile.

“I must still think we’re on television,” he explained. “Because didn’t that feel to you like the part where I say I hope we’ll only be watching the drama this time, instead of living it? And then we’d both laugh? And that would be the end?”

“We’re in for a much better ending than that,” promised Mini-Flash Phytolith.

THE END