Squad Tsadi

We were using laser guns. Basically laser tag. Except this would decide how long we’d last on this island.

The rules were well explained in the app.

[Capturing the enemy flag wins your team 20 points.

Submitting the enemy flag wins your team 40 points.

Whichever team submits first wins an additional 10 points.

Submission is unavailable during active engagement.

Every kill wins your team 20 points. ]

The flags weren’t a physical thing. The training suits would detect the flag within a proximity of 2 meters, no physical engagement required.

There was a catch, of course.

[Killing the specific enemy who submitted your flag wins your squad 50 points, instead of the standard 20 points. ]

I sighed after reading that. I hadn’t put much thought into it when I was reading it before.

‘We really need to think this through.’

“Nobody moves alone. We’ll split ourselves into a search and support element.” Alicia said.

Flora tilted her head.

“Meaning?”

“Two people search, the other three remain close enough to reinforce. We don’t know whether they’ll also try to get our flag, or try defending theirs. Remember they’re one game more experienced than us.”

She traced several routes on the map on her phone.

“We’re not trying to get their flag before they get ours.”

“Why not?” Lucas asked.

“The match ends at a 100 points. A flag is worth 20, a kill is worth 20. If we start feeding them isolated players, the match is over before the flags even begin to matter. We need formation. If we capture their flag first, fine as well.”

It all made sense, but we remained silent.

‘Whose head are we placing the 50 point bounty on?’

That’s what we wanted to hear, and she answered before anyone asked out loud.

“Caspian showed the best performance during the Squad Echo match, so I think we can all agree he should submit the enemy flag.”

I first looked at the others. Garnet was nodding in approval. Flora was on her phone, re-reading the rules. Lucas was fixated on the map. He caught the eye and gave an approving brow-raise.

[The flag is automatically submitted if the flag holder is killed before submitting. No points are awarded for submission. ]

‘Okay.’

“Hmm, hey Alicia, how about we base our movements on the center of the maze? Notice how the shortest route to any part of the maze is by passing near the center.” Lucas suggested.

‘Designed to encourage direct confrontations in that area. Even the paths are slightly wider as you near the center.’

“What’s on your mind?”

“We use this,” he said. There were three branches into the maze from our starting point. He was pointing at the left one, the widest one. “We’ll make them come to us. We need to be sure what they’re doing, attacking or defending.”

“How will we do that?” Garnet asked.

Lucas was onto something.

“Because it’s so easy to attack there. No one will ignore 20 free points wandering in the open, unless they’re planning something…” He paused to let it sink. “If we control the center, every reinforcement is faster.”

‘And so is every retreat.’

Five minutes later, Garnet was running down the wide left path, which he’d already nicknamed the ‘highway’, headed North, noisily enough to be noticed, quiet enough to avoid suspicion. I ran parallel to him, one steel wall between us. Flora and Alicia pushed the middle corridor together, Lucas took the right.

The plan was simple. Garnet draws attention, while I shadow him. Whoever Tsadi sends to intercept walks into open ground thinking they’ve found an easy target.

That’s what we expected to happen, and that’s what happened, just not the way we thought.

I heard footsteps change direction before I saw Lance spawn from the corner ahead. He hadn’t gone for Garnet, he came for me directly.

‘They know.’

Seven meters between us. The laser guns only registered shots taken at that exact distance or closer. In as much as I’d have wanted to avoid confrontation… I ran straight at him.

The shot echoed across the hall. Everyone now knew where we were. First shot of the match: Lance Racer. And he missed.

I was closing distance instead of retreating, which wasn’t what he expected. The second shot clipped my shoulder, prompting a flash notification on my visor:

[Partial hit on the shoulder.

Three seconds to penalty. ]

I got to him in the second, and fired once at point blank.

[Lance has been eliminated.

Squad Zayin +20

Squad Zayin: 20 Squad Tsadi: 0 ]

My penalty timer started. I literally felt the suit stiffen near my shoulder, slowing down movement.

‘Three minutes? Oh come on.’

Lance’s suit hardened as he fell, and kept him frozen. He was now prohibited from talking, and his visor switched to observer mode. He would be watching from his squadmates’ visors, able to switch perspective.

I started advancing towards the center of the maze.

Suddenly, gunshots, a few walls to my right.

“Caspian, we’ve encountered Jake and Layla. They’ve split up. Layla went left and is probably headed your way, we’ll pursue Jake before I circle back to you.” Alicia said through comms.

I immediately opened the tactical map. It only showed my location.

‘She’ll probably emerge from the intersection ahead.’

I hid in the junction immediately to my right. I heard footsteps coming. Slow steady steps.

‘Randall or Jake, not Layla. She’d already be talking.’

They stopped. The silence spanned too long. They knew someone was close. I was considering whether to jump them or wait when the notification came.

[Garnet has captured the Squad Tsadi’s flag.

Zayin +20

Zayin: 40 Tsadi: 0 ]

The footsteps started, stopped for a while, then turned into running, towards the South West side of the map.

‘He’s tall. Probably Randall.’

I checked the map. The flag was captured at the far right North.

‘Where’s Randall going? And where’s Reisha?’

Now, the real plan begins…

Flashback_

During the pep talk.

“I have an idea,” I said. “The system announces who captured the flag, but doesn’t announce flag transfers.”

Before submitting, the flag can be transferred to teammates through proximity transfer within 2 meters of each other.

“So the real person who has the flag stays invisible,” Alicia replied, realising what I was pointing at.

“The moment the capture alert goes out, they stop watching everyone else. They chase one name, even if the name is empty handed.”

Silence. Everyone looked at Garnet. Garnet looked at everyone looking at him.

“Fine…” he sighed. “That only works if I make it through the left corridor though.”

“Don’t worry, you will. Caspian’s going with you.” Alicia said.

I met Alicia once inside the maze. We didn’t talk. It was protocol. Her movements were supposed to be circling me. She was doing it well enough. That was the biggest mistake we made in the entire session.

[Garnet has been eliminated.

Squad Tsadi +20

Squad Zayin: 40 Squad Tsadi: 20 ]

‘Lucas already has the flag. Time to go.’

“Caspian…”

“On it.”

We would meet near the center of the maze. On the left, one wall away from the ‘highway’. Either Flora or Alicia would get there first and check who’s close by, possibly draw attention to the right. The other would back Lucas.

[Layla has captured Squad Zayin’s flag.

Squad Tsadi +20

Squad Zayin: 40 Squad Tsadi: 40 ]

Alicia had placed the flag on the spot where Garnet started his sprint in the beginning of the match.

‘She’s not too far away from where we’re meeting. We’ll run into her.’

I saw Lucas the moment I turned the corner.

[Accept flag transfer? Yes_ No_ ]

We had originally planned to do the transfer when we had 60 points, then I could immediately submit, and we would win.

But given how unpredictably Squad Tsadi were moving, Lucas just wanted to get the flag off himself.

‘The pressure’s getting to him.’

I accepted. Suddenly, a gunshot.

[Jake has been eliminated.

Squad Zayin +20

Squad Zayin: 60 Squad Tsadi: 40 ]

“Well, there’s our 60 points.” Lucas said, almost laughing.

[Submit the flag? Yes_ No_ ]

‘Obvious choice.’

Alicia popped up from the South, running as fast as she could.

“Wait, don’t submit yet. He’s coming.”

“Who? Randall?” I asked, impatient.

Lucas smiled.

“20 free points. Easy pickings.”

Randall emerged from the corner, clearly out of shooting range. It was 3 vs 1. No way he was beating us.

“One more kill, then you submit. If he runs, just submit. Win-win situation.” That’s what Garnet would have said if he was here.

Lucas and Alicia charged at him.

[The number of points each squad completes the session holding shall be used to determine rankings. ]

The thought flashed through my mind.

‘A 130 point win hits better than a 110 point win, and surely comes with bigger rewards.’

It was sensible at the time. I hate that it was. Because the decision wasn’t obvious anymore.

Submit now. Guaranteed victory.

Or wait, a few more seconds.

‘Only problem is, why is Randall smiling?’

A confident, unmistakable smile.

// This is Herald Island. There’s no such thing as easy pickings. //

It was the second time Tsadi was giving us something free. First Jake, now Randall.

One kill, then submit.

Something was wrong.

// Submit now //

I instantly slammed submit on my phone.

Nothing happened.

Something red shone on the screen.

[SUBMISSION UNAVAILABLE DURING ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT ]

My eyes narrowed.

‘Active engagement refers to any situation where an armed enemy is within 7 meters of an agent, within which shots taken shall be registered.’

“Caspian! Get out of there…” Flora literally screamed through comms. That’s when I snapped from my trance.

My body was screaming… behind you. I saw her from the corner of my eye. It was Layla. She hit my right leg. I jumped left, into a branching path, just before the penalty started.

I didn’t stop. Neither would Layla. I had 50 points on my head. Next thing I knew, I was exactly where they wanted me.

I saw her the moment I stepped onto the highway.

Reisha.

Precisely a meter from where I was. The exact spot Garnet began his sprint at the beginning of the session. Where Alicia had placed our flag, to make it easy to defend, since it was so close to the center. Where this all began.

My stomach dropped. They never cared about the chase, about the center, about the score. They only cared about one thing. Timing. The moment we reached 60 points, they knew. If I were the one holding the flag, I would wait.

// This is Herald Island. //

Reisha had been standing in wait, hand stretched out, aiming exactly where my head would be the moment I would appear.

“Gotcha.”

The gum in her mouth popped as she pulled the trigger.

‘No…’

The shot resounded across the whole hall. My suit went stiff. One by one, the notifications covered my visor.

One:

[Squad Zayin’s Flag Holder has been eliminated.

Squad Tsadi +50

Squad Zayin: 60 Squad Tsadi: 90 ]

Two:

[Reisha has submitted Squad Zayin’s flag.

Squad Tsadi +40

Squad Zayin: 60 Squad Tsadi: 130 ]

Three:

[Squad Tsadi has submitted Squad Zayin’s flag first.

Squad Tsadi +10

Squad Zayin: 60 Squad Tsadi: 140 ]

Four:

[Squad Tsadi’s flag has been automatically submitted. No points awarded for submission. ]

They won 100 points in one move. From -20 point difference between us to +80. In a single play.

By the time the notifications finished coming, the walls to the maze were down. Nobody spoke. Tsadi players lowered their weapons. My eyes met Lucas’.

I ran it all back in my mind. Same moment, same button.

[Submit. ]

I still wouldn't have pressed it. Not because I couldn't. Because Alicia was right there. Because Lucas was right there. You don't just press a button and leave people behind like that.

Something wanted me to press it. I could feel it.

That's why I didn't.

And I still wouldn't press it if given the chance again…

At least, that’s what I wanted to believe.