Part 10

"Yeah," Kyle eased a bit higher up the hillside and studied the walls. "Yeah I see."

"Some of these aren't even walls," Owen added. "This one's just a big column. And that one over there... I'm betting it's just a big wedge. Look at the paths going in on either side... with angles like that, they have to intersect after only a few yards. These aren't walls; their more like building blocks. Geometric shapes-"

"Which is useful how, exactly?" said Maurice. He was still on the flat ground below, looking up at them.

"It's a maze."

"You said that already, kid."

"Well do you KNOW anybody that just happens to have a maze in their backyard?"

"It's one of those... you know... garden things. Labrinth. Rich people build weird stuff like that just for fun."

"With hundred foot stone walls and a custom sky?" Owen pointed up, but didn't look himself. No one did, although the point was understood.

"So what's the fucking POINT!" Maurice snapped.

"The point is we don't know where we are, so we don't need to go wandering at random. Next time you might get your head smashed OPEN instead of just bruised. There could be traps-"

"Yeah, yeah, I saw that movie!" Bradley blurted. "About a giant cube, right? With these people trapped in it? They did a sequal? Hello...? Anybody listening?"

No one was.

"Hell, we might not even be on EARTH for all we know!"

"Oh hell, NOW the kid's crazy," Vince said, turning away. "Alien bitches kidnapped us and beamed us up to Scotty, right?"

"When does the anal probing start?" Steve chuckled.

"That's not what I meant-"

"So what DID ya mean, kid? Something a lot less ridiculous than aliens, I hope."

"First of all, I'm not a kid.... and I'm not just saying that just to say it; I'm making a point. Look around you. ALL of us are in the same age bracket, roughly. There's probably not fifteen years difference between any two of us. And we're all healthy. At least on the surface. Nobody's walking around on crutches or in a wheelchair. A couple of us even look like athletes. Kevin, Vince... that black guy Jones, maybe. To ME, that looks like a test. Test subjects. That's what we are."

"What kind of test?"

"That's ONE of the things we need to find out. But more important than that are the rules."

"Yeah, like never split up..." Bradley offered. He was ignored.

"Nobody had any metal on them. We checked earlier... not so much as a coin or a ball-point pen."

"Not exactly," said Kyle. "I've got fillings in my teeth. I'm sure most of us do-"

"The amount of metal in fillings these days is minimal," said Steve. "Unless you've got some kind of extensive bridgework-"

"The fact that they took all the metal means something. Not just weapons... metal."

"Maybe it means they just emptied our pockets and took whatever we had?" said Frank.

"Belt buckles, too?" said Owen. "Maybe ONE of us had a belt buckle worth taking, but what kind of thief would even bother taking all of them? I think it's a threat. Metal, I mean. It's a threat to whatever test they're running here. And THAT implies-"

"I've had enough." Maurice shook his head and raised his left hand in mock surrender. "You're one of those conspiracy nuts right, kid? Or at least you will be when you grow up. Well I say-"

"What YOU said almost got you knocked unconsious just now."

"I slipped!"

"And that could have been avoided if you just slowed down and thought first: Hey, maybe the guy with NO SHOES doesn't need to be walking IN FRONT on unfamiliar terrain. What happens the next time you slip? What happens if there really ARE traps?"

"Then we find who set 'em and kick their ass," said Vince. "Talk time's over; I'm feeling the need to break some stuff. And I got my ass-kickin shoes on. Come if yer comin'; stay if yer stayin. Makes me no difference."

Vince started toward the nearest gap between the massive walls. It was a good distance away, but Kevin, Frank and Steve followed. Kyle, Bradley and Owen stood on the hillside, with Maurice on the flat ground below, smiling smugly up at them.

"Looks like you're finished talking, kid. C'mon. Or not.. .up to you."

He walked away, but made no attempt to take the lead.

"Yeah, I don't wanna get lost," Bradley started down. Then Kyle.

"I just hope this isn't a test of intelligence," said Owen as he joined them. "If it is, we're screwed."

"Hey, where'd the black guy go?"

"Jones? He went the other way."

"By himself?"

"Yeah." Owen shrugged.

"Aww man, doesn't he know the black guy always dies first in these things?"