Dark envoy v1.012/21/2023 He heard his own heart beat, and the ebb and flow of his breath. He could hear distant, muffled noises, sense vibrations from the ground. 'You are dead,' a crisp little voice told him. He felt numb from the neck down and crumpled to the ground. She staggered, but brought the gun round fountains of dust burst around the second missile as it turned to face them again, its red pulses lighting up his suit and filling his visor with darkness. Gurgeh turned awkwardly to fire at it, accidentally scattering fire over Yay's suit as he did so. The other missile swung between them she lashed out with her foot, trying to kick it. One of the missiles flashed once and disintegrated Yay shouted, exulting. The two machines darted for the space between him and Yay. Gurgeh saw the machines coming, but the gun sang wildly in his hands, and seemed always to be aiming at where the missiles had just been. She swivelled on one knee as two of the small missiles swung suddenly at their section of the group, sensing that was where it was weakest. 'Wake up, Gurgeh!' Yay laughed, alongside him. The suit shook and his right leg went suddenly numb. His suit chimed over the distant noise of firing and the shouts of the other people lights winked inside the helmet, detailing the damage. He tried to aim at one of the small machines, but they moved startlingly quickly, and the gun felt large and awkward in his hands. Dust puffed around his feet as shots fell close. The missiles swerved again, turning all at once and then splitting up to take different directions. Some dived to the dusty desert floor, others dropped to one knee. He raised his gun to fire back the other suited figures in the group had already started firing. When they did start firing it was signalled by strobing red pulses of light. The flight dipped and swung together, like a flock of birds. He thought the missiles had already started firing, but it was only the sunlight reflecting on their sleek bodies. He saw them late because of the damaged visor. ![]() The flight of missiles cleared the nearest ridge in a glittering arc. The last time they'd been attacked had been a kilometre back, and now they were nearly out of range. One edge of the helmet visor was dark, where it had taken a hit, and the right leg flexed awkwardly, also damaged, making him limp, but otherwise he'd been lucky. It was bright and hot and dry outside, but inside the suit he was shielded from the sun and the baking air cosseted and cool. Somehow he had survived he had not expected to. They were approaching a tall dune, from which they ought to be able to see the coast. They must be nearly there the noise of distant surf boomed through the helmet soundfield. ![]() He limped across the desert, following the suited figure in front. The story starts with a battle that is not a battle, and ends with a game that is not a game.ĭust drifted with each footstep. The man is a game-player called 'Gurgeh'. This is the story of a man who went far away for a long time, just to play a game. Mocked, blackmailed, almost murdered, Gurgeh accepts the game, and with it the challenge of his life - and very possibly his death. Master of every board, computer and strategy.īored with success, Gurgeh travels to the Empire of Azad, cruel and incredibly wealthy, to try their fabulous game … a game so complex, so like life itself, that the winner becomes emperor. The Culture - a human/machine symbiotic society - has thrown up many great Game Players, and one of the greatest is Gurgeh. Banks - The Player of Games (1988) v1.0 : Scanned by HugHug Iain M.
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