Overdrive Read Online Free PDF Page B

opposition. His AI, graphically displaying player
dispositions under one eyelid, reported that one of his team mates was open.
Without looking, Tarquin fired the Snareball in that direction, sent Bob in a
somersault and fired a barrage of wild stun shots at the charging Wombats. A
stun bolt slammed into Bob in midspin, hitting him on his forepaw and narrowly
missing Tarquin’s head. The Kangaroo, unable to compensate with the additional
spin, landed awkwardly, face planted and then toppled over onto its side.
Tarquin, struggling to remove himself from his pouch harness, watched
helplessly as a Wombat charged up.
    “Oh fuck."
    The Wombat came to
a halt, stomping on Bob’s hind leg for punctuation. There was a audible
cracking sound and the hapless Kangaroo roared in consternation. In
retribution, Bob bit back, chomping on the rear leg of the monstrous Wombat
standing above it. The Wombat replied by stamping down again on Bob’s leg.
Thankfully, any response by Bob was silenced by a stun bolt hitting him directly
in the head. The TT player leant over his saddle and looked casually down at
Tarquin.
    “Hello there.
Looks like you’re out of the game, Choco nuts."
    “That’s Mr. Choco
nuts to you," replied Tarquin surreptitiously trying to slide his stun
cannon into some form of shooting position.
    “Whatever. Good
night," the player said, pointing his weapon in the direction of Tarquin’s
head.  Instead of shooting, the player toppled off the back of his Wombat and
lay prone next to Tarquin. A Kangaroo bounded up containing Trev, the Rampant
Exterminator.
    “Thought you might
need a hand," he said, smirking down at Tarquin.
    “No, no. Had it
all under control." Tarquin finally succeeded in popping the straps of his
harness and clambered out of his slowly reviving Kangaroo. Even now a recovery
team was heading towards them to remove the injured animal. A group of naked
fans, somehow getting over the arena’s barriers and hotly pursued by security
were running around the recovery team. Two naked fans were carrying what looked
like a large beer dispenser between them.
    “Thanks anyway.
Can you give us a hand for a sec?," Tarquin asked, indicating the
stationary Wombat. Trev ordered his Kangaroo to bend over, whilst Tarquin used
it to get on the back of the large furry mammal.
    “What are you
gonna do?," inquired Trev.
    Tarquin looked
around the field. The Skips were still attacking, despite being one man down.
The action seemed to be centered around the TT’s goal.
    “Not sure yet.
Help me turn this Wombat around."
    Trev used his
Kangaroo to slowly push the Wombat in a full circle so that it was facing in
the direction of the TT’s goal. Tarquin climbed up to the Wombat’s neck and
placing his weapons on the mammal’s back, searched around for the animal’s AI
surgical interface. Finding it, he picked up his Stun cannon and switching it
to its lowest setting, placed the barrel of the weapon against the interface.
Discarding his Field gun, Tarquin used his other hand to get a firm grip on the
Wombat’s fur.
    “See you soon Bob,"
he said, looking down at his slowly reviving Kangaroo,
    “Right," he
said, turning to Trev, “you provide us with some covering fire while I kick
start this beast."
    Trev nodded, and
Tarquin, turning back to his gun, fired it directly into the interface on the
Wombat’s neck. The response was immediate and explosive.
    The Wombat, its AI
control programs disrupted and in a state of shock, disorientation and no small
amount of anger, charged back towards its on goal line with Tarquin riding
shotgun and griping on for dear life. The recovery team for Bob, a few naked
fans and their attendant security guards, scattered as they rapidly moved to
avoid getting trampled. Trev kept pace, ready to employ his stun cannon.
    Two of the TT’s,
pre-occupied with defending their own goal, were dropped off the back’s of
their Wombat’s before they knew what hit them. Tarquin and Trev were