Page 88 of On a Rogue Planet
After a few hushed whispers, the crowd erupted in applause.
Forge shushed them, patting his hands in the air. “For those who might covet my new possession, it is well protected in the greatest of mazes. The Technomaze.”
Music swelled around them. On the screens, images whirled. It showed different views of Forge’s maze.
Mal gasped. It was completely unreal. She’d never imagined such a crazy place was even possible.
The maze walls were made of junk stacked, welded, and fused together. The walls didn’t run in anything like straight lines but twists and turns with crossroads, junctions, and dead ends. Robots like those on show in the ballroom marched around, others stood still at attention. In some places, she saw giant vents spewing flames, huge cranes picking up clawfuls of junk before dropping it down, and huge presses slamming together and leaving junk pressed into tiny cubes.
She leaned into Xander. “More like technohell.”
He smoothed a hand down her arm, his gaze still documenting everything on the screens.
“Looks like a junkyard to me,” some enterprising—and by the sounds of his slurred voice, inebriated—guest yelled out.
Forge frowned, his gaze running over the crowd, searching for the one who dared spoil his show.
A few more in the crowd muttered their agreement, or made scoffing noises.
“Doesn’t look so scary to me.” The drunk was obviously enjoying his moment of fame.
Forge’s fluid stance was now stiff. “You want proof of how dangerous my maze can be?”
“Yeah!”
A scary smile crossed the Technomancer’s face. “So be it.” He slashed an arm down through the air.
There was a clank and a whirr. The crowd gasped and like the other guests, Mal looked up.
A huge metal claw swung through the air, and before she could work out what was happening, the claw swooped down and picked up the dissenter.
The man let out a scream as he sailed into the air, his arms and legs thrashing wildly.
The claw retracted, then swung over the crowd.
Mal’s fingers dug into Xander’s arm.
Doors retracted into the wall, and the claw and the man disappeared.
Seconds later, the holo-screens showed the man being dropped in the middle of the Technomaze.
Xander watchedthe ball-guest-turned-mazerunner push himself up from his ungainly sprawl. His mouth was slack with terror and he swiveled his head in all directions, taking in the giant walls of metal surrounding him.
Xander saw the man relax a little.
And knew it was a big mistake.
Forge whirled to face his shocked crowd. “Now, I am not an unfair man. There is a way to the center of the maze.” He turned to the screens. “And, my friend, if you make it there, I’ll give you the Antikythera.”
Malin shook her head and whispered, “It can’t be that easy.”
Xander knew she was right.
“So here it is. The clue, the riddle, the key—” Forge paused for effect “—flames are your friends and never take theeasy road. Find the point and become the master. Reach the treasure.”
“That’s crazy!” The man in the maze wiped a shaky hand across his mouth. “It makes no sense.”
A robot, hidden amongst the junk wall, pulled itself free. Xander heard Malin gasp.
