The Starter (42 page)
Scarborough passed out again.
Denver started to shake. “CoachHokortheHookchest thinks I am unfit to catch the holy passes of QuentinBarnes?”
“No! No, Denver, you are totally fit to catch my holy... uh... to be a key receiver for us. Hokor doesn’t hate you, and anyway, he’s not making the decision alone.”
She trembled. She stared at him with four sad eyes that had never looked more Human. “Then... you... you also want to trade us?”
He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then nodded. “It’s also my decision, Denver. It’s what’s best for the team.”
“But... what have I done to bring about the wrath of QuentinBarnes?”
“Nothing,” Quentin said quickly, shaking his head. “No, Denver, you and Scarborough both, you are
amazing
receivers. It’s just that we have that hole at right guard and if we make this trade—”
“My life is over!” Denver screamed. She shook violently, every inch of her clear skin shivering. “I am not worthy of catching the holy passes! Oh my QuentinBarnes why have you abandoned me!”
“Denver, it’s not like that, really, you...”
His words trailed off as Denver started sprinting and jumping around the room, throwing herself into walls and furniture. Scarborough rose again, briefly, looked at Quentin with her four eyestalks, seemed to register his presence, then fell flat a third time.
“Quentin Barnes Quentin Barnes Quentin Barnes!” Denver screamed, sprinting around the room at top speed. “Quentin Barnes Quentin Barnes!”
They were devastated. He had done this to them. They would both flourish in the Jupiter Jacks’ pass-happy system, yet Quentin had never felt so low in all his life.
The apartment door opened. The other Sklorno members of the Krakens rushed into the room, running to Scarborough, catching Denver and dragging her down, holding her still. There was much screaming, squealing, and crying. It reminded Quentin of a funeral back on Micovi, of blue-clad mothers wailing in anguish over lost sons and daughters.
He felt a tug at his left sleeve. He looked down to see Coach Hokor.
“Hawick called me down here,” Hokor said. “She knew what was happening when you sent the rest of them out of the room.”
Quentin looked back at the wailing pile of Sklorno. “Coach, what do I do? This is
crazy
.”
“Just leave, Barnes. The Sklorno have to grieve.”
“
Grieve
? But... but it’s just a trade, they still get to play.”
“Barnes, do you believe in your High One?”
He nodded, unable to take his eyes off Denver and Scarborough. “Yes, of course.”
“What if your imaginary friend... excuse me, what if your
god
came down from the sky and told you he was ashamed of you, he was banishing you to some other galaxy so he would never have to see you again.”
“But Coach... you and I are not
gods
.”
Hokor pointed a pedipalp at the Sklorno. “To them, we are.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Defining it as crazy doesn’t make it any less true, Barnes. Now come on, leave them be.”
Quentin took one more look at his teammates, both current and newly former. No, it didn’t look like the grief of a funeral... it looked
worse
than that.
Heart heavy with regret, he followed Hokor out of the apartment. Maybe they shouldn’t have made the trade. Football was the most important thing, and the franchise was the focal point of all things football, but such
anguish
, such
heartbreak
.
Denver and Scarborough would never fully recover, and for that, Quentin had no one to blame but himself.
• • •
QUENTIN STOOD
in the docking bay, waiting for the visiting shuttle to open its side door. The orange-and-black Krakens shuttle had left, ferrying Denver and Scarborough out to the Jupiter Jacks team bus just a click away. Parked in its place was the gold-, silver-, and copper-colored Jacks shuttle.
As with any event welcoming a new player, most of the team stood in the docking bay. This time there were more Ki than normal; the entire offensive line writhed in a big ball some twenty feet to Quentin’s right. Yassoud walked up and stood next to Quentin.
“Sorry to see Denver and Scars go,” he said. “But I ain’t gonna lie to you, Q, it’s about time we got some blocking.”
Quentin sighed and nodded. While Yassoud was correct — the blocking had been horrible on the right side — sometimes a running back had to create, had to make something out of nothing. If that was a talent Yassoud had, he had yet to show it.
The shuttle’s side door lowered slowly to rest on the docking bay deck. Moments later, Quentin saw a man walk out.
“Whoa,” Yassoud said. “I mean...
whoa
.”
Quentin played professional football, and as such, he had ample experience being around some of the biggest sentients in existence. Aleksander Michnik and Ibrahim Khomeni, the Krakens starting defensive ends, were both giant blocks of flesh at 525 pounds and nearly seven feet tall. Those two were big even by HeavyG standards, but this man? Quentin had trouble even getting his head around what he saw.
Michael Kimberlin had to duck a little to step out of the shuttle, and when his huge feet
clonked
down the ramp the sound echoed through the landing bay. His feet were the size of Quentin’s whole foreleg, and his forelegs were the size of Quentin’s thighs. Kimberlin reached the deck and just stood there. He wore a satiny Jupiter Jacks team jacket: copper-colored body, sleeves in silver with gold piping. On his right breast, the Jacks logo: a black-lined, eight-pointed, gold-and-silver star with a black letter “J” in the middle. He had a big silver and gold duffel slung over his shoulder.
“Hey, Q,” Yassoud whispered. “Fifty bucks says that guy is over six hundred pounds.”
“No bet,” Quentin said. “I know you looked it up.”
“And how would you know I did that?”
“Because if you don’t know the answer, you bet twenty. If you know it, you bet fifty.”
Yassoud looked at him. “I have a tell?”
Quentin nodded.
“Damn. Kimberlin weighs six-fifteen.”
Quentin stepped forward and had to look up. This man, this massive, HeavyG man, was a full
foot
taller. Quentin actually felt small. He extended his hand. “I’m Quentin Barnes.”
Kimberlin adjusted the duffel bag and shook Quentin’s hand. “Ah, the boy wonder. You ready to get some work done?”
“I’m ready to be able to stand up and throw the ball.”
“You just make sure that when I give you that time, and I will, that you complete those passes.”
Quentin looked down at his hand, which had vanished inside Kimberlin’s, and wondered:
Is this what normal people feel like when they meet me?
He looked up again. “I have to say, you are the biggest Human being I’ve ever seen.”
Kimberlin’s eyes narrowed. “How about you watch what you call me, Quentin,” he said quietly. “We Homo pondus are
not
Human.’
“Sorry,” Quentin said. The HeavyG were always so sensitive about their race.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“After you meet the team, I’m happy to show you to your quarters.”
Kimberlin smiled. “I’m offensive line, Quentin. I sleep where the offensive line sleeps.”
The big man stepped past Quentin. Kimberlin quickly and politely met all that wanted to greet him, nothing more than a smile, a handshake, and a nod. When he finished, he walked to the pile of Ki offensive linemen. Most people, including Quentin, would have stopped about three feet from the pile. Kimberlin did not stop. He dropped his bag and walked
into
the pile, letting his body lean up against the Ki. Quentin saw a few limbs touch Kimberlin, then heard a strange, unified grunting from the masses of vocal tubes. The Ki ball broke up into individuals that scuttled out of the docking bay, Kimberlin walking with them.
“Nasty,” Yassoud said. “He’s going to sleep in the Ki jungle? That is
disgusting
.”
“That’s unity,” Quentin said. “It’s what we need, ’Soud.”
“Maybe that’s what you need. Me? I need a beer.”
“No, what you need is to practice. I’m going to the VR room to run routes with the Awa sisters. Halawa’s our new number-three receiver, and I have to get her up to speed. Come and join us.”
Yassoud stared at him. “We just finished team practice, man, and you want to go work out some more? Forget it.” Yassoud walked out of the docking bay.
Quentin waved at the Awa sisters. They ran to him, not as crazily and dutifully as Denver would have been, but Quentin had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before they exhibited similar behavior.
“Are you ladies ready?”
Neither sister shivered or shook, but twitching eyestalks betrayed their excitement.
The three of them headed for the VR room.
GFL WEEK FOUR ROUNDUP
(Courtesy of Galaxy Sports Network)
With the season one-third complete, the To Pirates are making a bold statement that this is the year for their sixth GFL championship. The Pirates (4-0) doubled up on the Ionath Krakens (1-3) 42-21 to remain undefeated.
But the Pirates aren’t alone in lossless land — D’Kow moved to 4-0 with a win over the Jang Atom Smashers (1-3) and the Isis Ice Storm (3-0) stayed perfect coming out of their bye week thanks to a 31-0 drubbing of the Themala Dreadnaughts (1-3).
New Rodina (3-1) suffered its first loss at the hands of the Yall Criminals (2-2). The Lu Juggernauts (2-1) also put their first in the loss column, falling 17-14 in overtime to Coranadillana (2-2).
At the bottom of the Solar Division, only two winless teams remain — the Vik Vanguard (0-3) and the Chillich Spider-Bears (0-3).
Deaths
Chillich Spider-Bears quarterbacks
Jason Houghton
and
Nelson McClintok
, both of whom died on clean hits from Sala Intrigue defensive tackle
Gum-Aw-Pin
. This is the first time in the history of the GFL that one player has killed two members of another team.
Ionath Krakens offensive right guard
Aka-Na-Tak
, killed on a clean hit from To Pirates linebacker Bob Merrell.
More news out of Ionath, GFL Commissioner Rob Froese ruled that Shorah Warlords cornerback
Huntertown’s
death was a clean hit delivered by Krakens wide receiver
Halawa
.
Offensive Player of the Week
Cloud Killers kicker
Shi-Ki-Kill
, who was 5-for-5 in field goal attempts hitting from 54, 53, 48, 37 and 14.
Defensive Player of the Week
Ryan Nossek
, defensive end for the Isis Ice Storm, who had three sacks on Themala quarterback
Gavin Warren
.
PLANET DIVISION
4-0 To Pirates
3-0 Isis Ice Storm
2-1 Lu Juggernauts
2-1 Wabash Wolfpack (bye)
2-2 Coranadillana Cloud Killers
2-2 Yall Criminals
2-2 Hittoni Hullwalkers
2-2 Mars Planets