The next day Honey stands in front of a map kiosk in the Summit Community Hotel’s lobby, getting information for the Summit City Gym. She has Thor-Ton strapped to her back, and a small pack clipped to her hip with the letter of recommendation inside.

  After getting the exact gym location, Honey looks up the location for the Academy of Irregular Defense Recruitment Office and sees that it is a bit further away and located at a plaza near a large park. And it closes at 8pm. Plenty of time if nothing goes wrong!

  Honey prints the map with the routes to both locations highlighted, and she makes her way outside. The morning sunlight burns her eyes, and the air is thick from post-rain humidity.

  It feels like she is walking through water as she travels to her destination. And since Eqos gravity and atmosphere is different from Lillian’s, her body and her enhancements are putting extra exertion.

  There's no rain now, so she can see the scenery even though it fills her lungs with watery air. There are decorative DNA strand lamps and Late Baroque styled buildings, along with statues of scientists, explorers, soldiers, and workers. It's a beauty Honey has never seen on Lillian.

  The walk to the Summit City Gym is quick, and when she reaches the gym, she is expecting something remarkable. Like a coliseum, or something towering to exert its dominance. Instead, it looks like a ball made of bricks being born from the mountain. It hangs over the edge, and the backend is secured by pillars that penetrate the mountainside. The entrance is a line of glass doors, and a simple sign saying Summit City Gym sits out on its small lawn.

  The doors automatically open for Honey, and she is greeted with cool air, the scent of industrial soap and disinfectant, and an eight-foot-tall man with biceps the size of a head and a shirt that looks like it’s about to tear from mere flexing. His name tag says “Steve”.

  Honey swallows as she approaches Steve, and he watches her intently with beautiful hazel eyes and a face that is perfectly portioned on a blocky head and kingly jaw. His hair dark blows magnificently from the cool air from the vents, and when Honey is at the counter, she coolly leans against it and puts on her best sensual smile while running her finger on the countertop.

  “Hey… I’m new in town, and I was supposed to meet a couple of people here for a duel. I’m sure you’ve seen them around. One is a creepy ballerina and the other is a… guy…who might be an overcooked marine crustacean with hair that looks like mud. Seen anybody like that around?”

  Honey finishes with a sweet smile, and the big guy stares at her for a few seconds.

  “Are you Honey Thornton?” asks Steve in a deep, rough voice.

  “I am,” says Honey proudly.

  “Yeah, the creepy ballerina said to keep an eye out for a blonde bimbo with your description. Your crustacean didn’t speak much, though.”

  Honey sneers. “Bimbo?”

  Steve nods, and Honey pulls away from the counter and rubs her face.

  “Bimbo…” repeats Honey.

  “They’re waiting for you in Dueling Chamber 3,” says Steve. He is now typing on his computer.

  “How much?”

  Steve prints out a guest badge and clips it to a lanyard.

  “It’s free,” says Steve. He gives Honey the badge “Here. Wear this and return it to me or whoever is operating this desk when you’re done.”

  Honey slips the badge over her neck. “Is this place really free, or is there some hidden fee?”

  “It's fully free due to it being state funded. By the way, Dueling Chamber 3 is on the right.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Yep. Good luck with your duel. Those two weirdos rubbed me the wrong way.”

  Honey smirks. “Don’t worry. I’ll make Rocky suffer for you.”

  Steve smirks, and Honey waves farewell to him as she heads to her location.

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  Honey enters a brightly lit hallway with thin carpet and camera orbs spaced evenly around. She continues walking until she sees a map on the wall. It is of the building’s layout, and after taking a short time to study it, she is able to figure out where Dueling Chamber 3 is.

  When she gets to the Dueling Chamber in a quick amount of time, she is greeted by cool air, bright lights, and two egg shaped pods with various tubes and wires connected to a computer tower in between them. The pods are also connected to a system of monitors that are currently depicting a screen saver of colorful pipes snaking around the screen at random paths. When the screen is full, the pipes dissolve, and the random paths begin again. The pods have blue paint with “Arx Corporation Simulation Pod m.v. 3382951” marking their sides in white paint. The room also has two dressing room on opposite sides.

  Then there’s Rocky and Emma waiting by a dressing room, talking casually among themselves. Nearby is a technician doing inspections on the pods, and a young man in blue scrubs reading some paperwork.

  He sees Honey, and she approaches him while giving an unkind glare to Rocky and Emma. Rocky returns the expression, but Emma smiles thinly. When Honey gets to the nurse, she offers him a friendly smile.

  “Hi there. The name’s Honey Thornton. I’m here to duel that jack wagon over there,” says Honey, jabbing a thumb toward Rocky.

  The nurse, whose name tag says “Frank” nods and turns on a communicator strapped to his wrist.

  “Dr. Neda Oorschot, everyone is here,” says Frank.

  “I’ll be over in a few minutes,” says a female voice over the speaker.

  “Copy that.” Frank lowers his communicator and looks at Honey and Rocky. “The doctor will be here shortly.”

  Rocky nods, and Emma stands behind him and rubs his shoulders.

  “Today is the day you show the Thorntons how strong the Rochefort family is," she says into his ear while smiling thinly at Honey. "Make her regret challenging you to a duel."

  "I will," says Rocky.

  "I'm going to make this quick for us," says Honey. “We need to get to the recruitment office before it closes.”

  “It doesn’t close until eight,” says Rocky.

  “So?” snaps Honey, her hand brushing against the pouch on her belt for a brief moment.

  “Oh, are you worried?” says Emma.

  Emma giggles and skips next to Honey, and she leans forward, inspecting her intently. Her eyes go up and down and side to side, then zig and zag all over Honey’s body, which really gets Honey nervous.

  “Maybe you should forget about the duel and just go to the recruitment office. After all, this duel could end badly for you. Or worse, make you late,” asks Emma.

  “I'm doing this duel, and you acting like a creep is not going to stop me,” says Honey.

  “Well, the thing is…” Emma glides around Honey, brushing her arm and hip, which leads to Honey slapping her hand away. “The thing is that Rocky is just better than you, as am I. You have your enhancements, but you haven’t lived through what we’ve lived through.”

  Emma circles around Honey, tracing her shoulder and Thor-Ton with the tip of her finger, and speaks into Honey’s ear.

  “You’re pampered. We’re not,” says Emma.

  The hot air from Emma’s mouth makes Honey shiver uncomfortably, and she turns her head to glare at the demented ballerina, but as she moves her head, Emma slides again, forcing Honey to go in a circle.

  “We have experience, you don’t,” continues Emma.

  Emma continues guiding Honey in another circular path, and by the time they are done moving, Emma is standing in front of Honey, smirking with her hands clamped behind her back, and her body rocking back and forth on her feet.

  “You will lose, and embarrass yourself, because unlike you, we lived in the real world with real struggles. All you have are silver spoons and daddy's money,” says Emma.

  Honey frowns and leans towards Emma, throat tight, heart racing and eyes struggling to keep the mist out.

  “If you want an actual physical fight, just say so. I have no problem breaking your nose,” says Honey.

  “Sounds like fun,” says Emma with a grin.

  Rocky steps forward and puts himself between the two females, and nudges Emma back while keeping one hand raised towards Honey.

  “That’s enough,” says Rocky sternly. “If there is any physical confrontation then that would jeopardize your chances of admission to the Academy. Go back to the hotel and wait for me there.”

  “But I want to see the simulation results,” pouts Emma.

  “Go back,” orders Rocky in a heavier voice.

  Emma sighs and with a roll of her eyes, she strolls away without a word. Frank, the technician, Honey, and Rocky watch her leave, and after she is out of sight, Frank and the technician go back to work, and Honey and Rocky look at each other. The silence between them is heavy, and their lips remain sealed.

  Neither of them attempts to speak, and when the door opens again, they see a tanned skin female twice their age walking in, wearing her dark hair in a bun, a white lab coat over her blue blouse and jeans, and carrying a tablet. Behind her is a cart with sensor orbs on its corners and digital screen bands surrounding it. The cart has a case perched on it.

  “Good afternoon. I hope you got your problems sorted out, because I would like to get this dueling data taken care of,” says the doctor. “I am Dr. Neda Oorschot. I’ll be overseeing this duel. Please read and sign the waiver affirming that we are not responsible for brain damage or mental trauma caused by the dueling parties.”

  Neda gives the tablet to them, and Rocky signs it right off the bat and gives it to Honey.

  Honey carefully reads through it. There is a lot of legal jargon that absolves the gym from physical and mental injury from the duel and affirms that both parties want said duel. She rereads it, and reluctantly signs it, and returns it to Neda. The doctor signs it, submits it, and smiles at the pair.

  “Excellent! Before we put in the machines, we’re going to have to do some tests on your equipment and physical capabilities, and vitals, and so on. Once this information is stored, you won’t have to go through it again, unless something changes,” says Neda.

  “And how long will this analyzing thing take?” asks Honey.

  Neda opens the case on top of the cart and pulls out packets full of colorful sicky sensors. “Oh, not long at all. Just a few minutes.”