game slaves by gard skinner excerpt

7/30/2019 Game Slaves by Gard Skinner Excerpt

1/16

BLACKSTAR 2060 gardskinner

FreedOM is neVer Free

aLL readers

ARCOnTenT raTed BY

HMHCO

blackstar

live

aDVaNcEREaDING cPY

r

N FR SaLE


2/16

cpyigh 2013 by Gd Skinne

all ighs eseved. F inmin b pemissin

epde seleins m his bk, wie Pemissins,

Hghn Miin H Pblishing cmpny, 215

Pk avene Sh, New Yk, New Yk 10003

H childens Bks is n impin Hghn

Miin H Pblishing cmpny.

www.hmhbks.m

tex se in adbe Gmnd

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

cIP d tK

ISBN: 978-0-547-97259-6

Mned in he unied Ses amei

tK 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

45xxxxxxxx


3/16

TAG: DAKOTA

LEVEL: 60+

CONFIRMED KILLS: 2635445

ACCURACY: 63%

HEADSHOTS: 28%

PREFERRED LOAD: SNIPER,COMBAT RIFLE

UNIT AGE: UNKNOWN

TAG: PHOENIX

LEVEL: 60+


ACCURACY: 67%

HEADSHOTS: 22%

PREFERRED LOAD: SHOTGUN,

MACHINE PISTOL

UNIT AGE: CLASSIFIED

TAG: RENO

LEVEL: 60+


ACCURACY: 68%

HEADSHOTS: 37%

PREFERRED LOAD: LASER MA-

CHETE, SNIPER CANNON



4/16

TAG: MI [ME]

LEVEL: 60+


ACCURACY: 74%

HEADSHOTS: 39%

PREFERRED LOAD: RANGED

WEAPONS, EXPLOSIVE ORD-

NANCE


TAG: YORK

LEVEL: 60+


ACCURACY: 59%

HEADSHOTS: 21%

PREFERRED LOAD: ROCKETLAUNCHER, KNIVES


TAG: JEVO

LEVEL: 60+


ACCURACY: 48%

HEADSHOTS: 44%

PREFERRED LOAD: MELEE,

FISTS, TEETH



5/16


6/16

Level 1

o s w wih Dk she ws weing he pns, pinned dwn

by lse-mhine-gn e, explsins eveywhee, missiles sem-

ing, s ghes diving, nnns hmping . . . the gil ws ei-

ed, sping gibbeish, b, oK, n reallyndiin yellw.

Se, she ws edlining. We ll wee. I ws n inen hee.

B be i, he my-isse ses wee n pee-sined. o w-sined.

Ws she bve h dy? N bi. all hddled in bll, eddy-

be lh n he wepn, inging evey bls s Plne LB-427

ws eded sh.

a seven-h ble. She didn e single sh he enemy.

B les she ld sill mve nd spek, whih ns sme-hing when ye dpped ded ene in he ms inense egh

eve spwned by bldsking lien invdes.

In he disne hme skyspe eped in mes nd p-

pled ve, shing hl egimen. tw biing s desyes

llided nd ined z-shp hnks in xhle. Smke bil-

lwed m shed p wle while mnss spide-bls hee legs nd lled n is bk, sqiming, helpless, js

ndwn wy m is mi e ging -des.


7/16

. . . 2 . . .

I wsn lly nsl siin nhe dy n he n

lines, nhe hpeless ble. o side ws deending he ls bidge

he Li ulime Dm s he enemy dvned n psi-

in nd ied wipe s . Bee nigh ell, hey hped smhe ess ges nd hve i wih bss, King Nemid.

typil inegli w. the nise. the smke. the bn. the

deh.

Pe slghe. Bld sed he ins. Seveed bdy ps en-

ngled ee s we sggled mve. thee wee js ew

dzen s le, ll weing he slime-geen Ne nim, medwih single-bs blses, nd while we hd he nmbes, he gme

hee ws mwing s dwn like he ws ing gss. this ne

ws gd sh. Qik wih his wepn swihes. Flwless mm

mngemen. relenless pwe-ps.

ove my igh, by he nee bies, thid Pln gh

ll wve Die e. they wee slied nely in w, ll igh he wis. a med-b ied evive he p hlves b ls bh

ms g gende he ef. all he dying bdies sqimed,

bled, nd nlly wen sill.

B h dy, Dkmn, she ws notwih he pgm.

I dn wnn die! she semed, dling he ld ie, ll

led p in sp whee he gme hd n ngle snipe he in hehelme ss bey in he lp.

Is yjob die! I ged. Nw ge hee, expse y-

sel, e f ew ndm shs, nd le he enemy ip y piees!

a les we n se y s disin he es s ke him

!

Why n we reason wih him? Im se hes js nml pe-sn like he es s! Les wve whie g nd si dwn disss

pee ey!


8/16

. . . 3 . . .

KABOOOOOOM!the gme blew p e eld gene-

wih Qsi-Bs rke Lnhe. thse bbies e lehl.

Dwnside: hey ke eve eld.

Dk jmped he ee. o hee in he leing, he gmews ehing nhe shell his QBrL. She hd mmen

d somehing.Anyhing. She migh hve even ken him wih

he wepn, b insed, she wved nd semed, Hey! Y!

the gme lked p. Ww, hey neve lk p. N even when

ne s emis ly beil deh hwl dying sem sme

kind gnized shiek. Gmes ese py enin he NPchdes. they js kill s ve nd ve nd ve gin.

B his ne did pse. He spped lding. He lked igh

Dk s she hpped ve he lw wll, ssing he wepn side.

Im n ging h y! she pmised, emving he ble

helme, blnd lks mbling . relly! ts me! I js wn

lk. Y lk like esnble pesn . . .the gme shgged.

She mbled n. S hve y eve spped sk yselwhy

we hve gh nd whywe hve die nd whs hepoint

the gme hlseed he ke lnhe nd qikly dew

pi hnd nnns. KERPOWWWWW!they lked be he

.46-libe pgdes. Bh glwed gld nd pked m-pieingmm. Bd sp Dk be in, b she dve qikly in

bmb e, he hnds sill sehed p in sende.

Y dn hve kill me! she yelled. and we dn hve

kill y eihe! thee n bepeacebeween speies!

Snge mmen. the gme psed. Why wld he pse? He

hd l wk d bee nlly ehing Nemids whmbe. these gys dn sp nyhing when bss ble is s

lse hey n smell i n hei pgess b.


9/16

. . . 4 . . .

B Dk ws hving n efe. thee ws n db. the

gme lied his wepns, king hmless im blnk wll in he

disne.

Dk peeked he hed ve he edge he e. relizinghe gme ws n ging sizzle i f, she lmbeed ss he

bldsined di.

Wh e y? she sked him. Whs y nme?

the gme pined ed ve his hed. His g, Gd_

_Deskin glwed geen.

then she le him hve i, like dzen qesins ll ne.S, hw ld e y? Whee e y m? Hw did y ge hee?

and wh m I? Hw did I ge hee? Wh ime is i? Wh dy is i?

Wh ye is i? Wh is his ple? Why ll he nge nd hsiliy?

Wh did Ieve d you?

Gd__Deskiniled his hed. He lked nsed.

Hevy mel m shgged gin, he dens nd ss mving likeskin ve mssive me. His emsk, dk s sih helme, be-

gn pn nd.

He sensed smehing. I mde him nevs. B he wsn se

wh i ws.

Dk pessed, mving wd bi, relly, ell me, wh am

I? she pleded. Why m I here? P his mdness? Help me,G-o-D,please. . .

B smehing se Gd__Deskin f. He jmped bk

sep, b kes ppping n, pling him dzen yds wy

m he pphing gil. a p! th ms be i! He seemed

pzzle i vey qikly . . . Hd he NPcs in his level sen

pey gil s . . .Suicide bomber, I hed him me ve he di. Nie

wk. cleve gme.


10/16

. . . 5 . . .

Yes. th hd be why his enemy sldie hd pphed

him. unmed. S gges. S vlneble . . .

Dk ze, nd I whed he whle hing nld. Hnesly,

Id neve seen nyhing like i in ll my yes in he mk. Nhingeven lse. and Ive sen millions die. Mybe he gme ws igh

be id. Wh i Dk ws sme kind sel-des bmb?

Id nly me he h mning while geing sied p. F ll I

knew, she migh be he nex genein NPc sldie.

Gd__Deskin wsn king ny hnes. He wned

live js s bd s Dk.the gy plled sin gende nd slpped i siky pd

nhe nie mve. I ld see wh ws ming. th gy knew

w hen he hew he hing nely Dk in lng . thee

ws SPLAT!

She ned lk bk s, he blinking devie sk sqely

he ehed; ne ge ss, i y sk me.the gme dve behind ve. Wh ld he es s d?

We ll dve . ren, Yk, Mi, Jev, ll s.

Dk eped in shwe ed mis nd eleil bklsh.

When he ble esmed, hee wsn piee he le h

ws lge hn indp.


11/16

Level 2

oooooooWWWWWWW! Dk mned. I ld ell he

essimilin ws hing, b hs slly he wy i ges he s

ew imes. Sme sldies n ke i. ohes hve le y knw

hey dn like pin. th send kind is ls pne ll ss

he whining. Ill ge bk h le.

She ws lying n he peing ble, he ms nd bems mhe gin mhine qikly kniing he bk gehe. a hee.

a leg hee. tw hnds. the gns nd glnds nd bld vessels.

aeies wee sng, seled, nd pesse-esed. Veins wee lled

wih esh bld. Eyeblls plpped in skes, synpi wnd

sbbing in he side nd nely sihing he nens he bln-

g.oH, mn, his HURTS! she ied.

o se i des, I geed, gbbing he le nges see i

he eeling hd ened. Y k sin gende he e-

hed, dmmy. I isn sppsed eelgood.

they didn ell me b h in ining, she sp, bvisly

ngy h he dill segen hd le ew key s.they ssme y ndesnd h geing sh blwn p

n ve disineged ll he ime isn ging be wlk in


12/16

. . . 7 . . .

he ekin pk. the wds me my mh lile men.

N se why I lshed like h; I elly didn hve esn. I

kind liked he s . She ms pk difeen kind gs e

gme wih wepn like h.I nied I ws sill hlding he wis. N se why b h,

eihe. I lked difeen. Sng, gh, b . . . difeen.

Ye Phenix. She sid i , like epeing es.

a he sme ime I sw he s mssging he ink nd he hnd.

N ne ld me I ws geing nhe bdy.

and wh bdy . Y n imgine. Sme is plled ll he sps his ne. Bil w. Js plin bil.

Shed ken he pw wy, ws mking s. I wned i bk.

Smehing lng he plm . . .

Dk sneeed. I d n pln end p n his ble. N ever

gin.

I like he ide, Dk. Sying live ishe gme. Y sndlike winne.

I js dn like geing plveized.

Nne s d. Hp p, kid, le me shw y nd.

the mhine nished sewing he bk gehe. She zipped he

jmpe b ws wbbly s bh bs hi he . typil. Sme-

hing b he s ew imes y g dble-z. as in 00, when ydie, n hi pins helh le. Y eqilibim ges ll messed p

while. anywy, she smbled in me. Mn, she ws sked,

w, pinp phs, y nme i. Hed e, n msle

blge ple.

I ld see he weving s we wlked. Didn mind when she

lened gins me, n ne lile bi. Js ding my dy myem, igh?

the inside cenl ops ws, y gessed i, nsed js


13/16


14/16

. . . 9 . . .

hed . Yes-wise, we wee yng. B i ws ll b mb

expeiene, igh? My sqd ws en imes s ble-hdened s ny

pss gy-hied genel n ny plne. Wed seen me, sh me,

nd sfeed me hn enie mies. Sme dys, we were eniemies.

o whle egimen ws he sme wy. Yve seen s in gmes,

in miswee he bigges he big nd he bes he bes.

Lking semlle in mb bs? a k in pns? a

weking bll weing my-geen?

Y nd s.Andy nd wld h.B Dk, he lse I g he, he me ime we spen

gehe, hee ws smehing else. Smehing ex. a blkened

e in hse dk eyes. a gze h mde y shke bi.

Sng, yes. cnden, bslely.

B n ne wld ge he n he bleeld elie. She se

hdn shwn mh in he wy mmn sense when h melbegn eing hgh s esh.

S I ld he whee nd hings. the mess, whee she ld

gb wheve she wned e. the gym, whee she ld wk

i she el like i, le he bwebs wheve. We hd liby

nd gme m nd bnh he sps ghe ding f-

hs, b inees in hse elly me nd wen.up hed, my bddies, whd been hee lms s lng s Id

been co, wee js ming he sein lnge. Dinks,

gmes, he. I hd mni he les ging missins,

smehing we heked ll he ime. Like ny miliy, we lived

lives n ll. Lng peids bedm pned by inense m-

mens shee e.Whs he dill? I shed ren. the by js shk his

big hed, nek endns ippling. He ws lwys s hek


15/16

. . . 10 . . .

in. Fis g ve hill hgh d. I sed him wih

my lie evey single dy my lie.

Nhin.

Nhin, Yk ehed. He ws lwys ding h. Ging wihhe w. Neve mplin. Dde ws mnse, skin dk s

shdw, he kind bld bes y dn wn n in nless

yve g l iends nd he ne.

Mi ll nme Mimiws igh behind hem. o se i

hd ed s ll lng g h wed eh been nmed e

sme iy se smehing in he unied Znes whevehey wee lling i hese dys. Wh elly knew wh ws ging

n side co? o inmin me sigh hgh he p-

pgnd hnnels. and even he lile sf we ld glen m

enemies, m hei he, m hei hbis . . . well, les

wehd se ple sleep evey nigh. Didn seem like h ws

mmn lxy hese dys.Y migh hve seen Mi nd. She ws hie. B in m-

plee-ppsie---wek-spemdel kind wy. Bdy, bins,

nd bwn. N menin hse eyes. I y n in he n he

n lines, s me, y didn ge. Smehing b when y

mix diive geen peeing hgh l-blk lks. He gze

ws he ls hing, he vey ls hing, l gmes eve sw.S, me b nmes: I ws pbbly m aizn igi-

nlly, Mi m he onge Se . . . New Yk, Nevd, Sjev,

nd s n. Yd hve be mplee mn n hve piked

h p igh wy.

S se he nex qesin is, why n js g by el

nmes?and h ws he hing. the enl pin. Nne s ld

emembe el nme. Nne s hd ny slid memies ll


16/16

. . . 11 . . .

whee we wee bee we jined p. th p liveshw

we g hee, why we wee hee, whee we me m i ws ll

big blnk in heds. I ws s i smene hd kidnpped s,

pened sklls, nd meln-blled ll he memy sf. thenly hings heyd le behind wee he ining nd he enyped

s. We g blnk sles, seil des n hnds, nd he bil-

iy ge blwn millin bis in insne bles dy in nd dy

. then hey gheed p he debis nd pieed s gehe gin.

Wh lie.

o ws i even lie?I migh hve been deh. Nne s elly hd le. Nne

s elly ed, eihe.

N nil Dk sed sking hd qesins.

game slaves by gard skinner excerpt

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