Four years later.
Garai’s breathing was level as he sprinted across the first section of the Field he knew so well. Beside him, Osaze matched his pace stride for stride. The two boys were taller than they had been when they had first attempted the Field, so when they reached the first wall they were able to vault up with ease. As Garai moved to drop down the other side, he half considered attempting the leap. He knew it was a potential shortcut for those brave enough to risk it. “Another time,” he thought, slipping off the edge of the platform.
Fifteen feet was a long way to fall, so Garai tucked and rolled as his feet touched the ground to reduce the impact. Without breaking pace, he took three strong strides and slid completely flat on the floor. The smooth metal surface allowed him to travel far under the overhang but not quite far enough. “Almost had it that time.” He shimmied his way until he could grip the lip of the wall on the far side and then pulled himself out. Osaze was not as nimble as Garai and had lost time getting under the overhang. Compensating for his loss, Garai pressed forward and scaled the cargo net deftly. He knew that Osaze was as familiar with their strategies as he was and would be exactly where he needed to be.
When Garai reached the top of the net, he paused to time the next portion of his run. The slightest mistake here would throw them off their time. As soon as the first platform extended, Garai bolted forward, his footsteps light and calculated. “One, two, three, four, five,” he counted as his feet tapped the extended platforms. On the fifth stride he leapt through the air to the next platform waiting down below. He landed softly and immediately spun to face the rope hanging on his left. Osaze was right on time, reaching the bottom of the rope as Garai reached the top. By working the rope together, Osaze made short work of the wall.
Next was the challenge; it seemed as if the last section of the Field was meant specifically to waste time. Garai and Osaze had spent countless hours studying it and had finally developed a strategy, albeit a risky one. The pillars on the far right side tended to have larger gaps between them and were extended further than the rest, creating a tentative pathway across the forest of metal. The trouble was getting up to them. Neither Garai nor Osaze were tall enough to reach the first pillar they needed to alone, however together they stood a chance.
“Here we go!” Garai shouted to Osaze. They ran forward and found the pillar they were looking for. Osaze knelt down and allowed Garai to step up onto his shoulders before standing himself. With Osaze’s added height, Garai was able to grab the top of the pillar and hoist himself up. Then it was Osaze’s turn.
When he was secure, Garai flipped over onto his stomach and extended his hand down. Osaze took a running start, planted a foot near the base of the pillar and ran as far up the side as he could. When he reached his peak, he extended his arm and grabbed Garai by the wrist. Garai’s own grip clamped down on Osaze’s wrist as he struggled to hold his friend’s weight. His shoulder burning from the effort, Garai yelled and lifted as far as he could, allowing Osaze to grab the lip of the platform. Once both of Osaze’s hands were firmly in place Garai leapt from the first pillar to the next one, freeing up space for Osaze to clamber onto the top himself.
Garai stifled his excitement. His plan had worked! All they needed to do was cross the finish line and they would be home free. As quickly as they could physically manage, Garai and Osaze traversed the last section of the Field, bounding from pillar to pillar. Garai finished first, followed immediately by Osaze. Out of reflex they both spun to see their time. The hologram showed numbers that neither boy had ever seen on the Field time leaderboard.
Garai - 2:28
Osaze - 2:29
Osaze let out a whoop and grabbed Garai by the waist, lifting him into the air. Garai grinned widely, his elation at their accomplishment unfettered. The next closest student had a time of 5:42, giving Garai and Osaze more than a three minute lead. It would be a long time before they would have to challenge that record again.
Their celebration was cut short, however. Both boys started as the Field suddenly and rapidly reset itself, seemingly of its own accord. The metallic thud of pillars and platforms retracting into the flush surfaces they were extended from resounded throughout the chamber.
“Sarai, was that you?” Osaze asked the AI curiously.
“Yes, Osaze,” Sarai replied tersely. “Garai, you have a visitor.”
As if on cue, the door to the facility opened and a tall, broad shouldered man strode briskly onto the Field. The man was dressed in a deep maroon military jacket that was secured around the waist by a black belt. His jacket was studded with burnished silver buttons that descended in a vertical line down the left side. A pair of black slacks extended from beneath the hem of the jacket. Heavy boots echoed off of the polished metal floor in rhythm as he walked.
“Instructor Toth,” Garai murmured to Osaze as they watched him approach. “Class is over for the day, I wonder what he wants.”
Toth was a rigid man, both in stature and in manner. His background as an Enforcer made him a capable Instructor, however he was strict and tolerated little deviation from the methods he taught. Garai gave him the respect he deserved in the classroom but truthfully he wasn't overly fond of the man.
As Toth approached, Garai noticed that his expression was grim. Reflexively Osaze and Garai snapped to attention in the presence of an Instructor.
“At ease, students.”
Toth inhaled deeply. The silence and anticipation of what he said next were strikingly similar to the calm before the storm. The words that followed were the gentlest spoken that Garai had ever heard Toth use, but they struck like a thunderclap and sent Garai’s thoughts spinning with worry and fear.
“Garai, I need you to come quickly. It’s about Nerani.”
● ● ●
Hello everyone!
I have good news and bad news, so let's start with the bad news and get it out of the way.
The bad news is, this is the last installment of Incorruptible I will be posting to the blockchain, for the safety of my hopes of publishing eventually. Thank you all for the feedback you've given me so far.
The good news is this:
I picked up a phenomenal group of editors over at 
Thanks to their feedback, I'm currently in the process of re-writing and re-structuring some of the early parts of the book, so I'll have more to share with you eventually. Without posting here on the blockchain, I wouldn't have found these people and I'd likely be publishing a less-polished version than I would be able to.
I'll definitely be around, so thank you all for your continued support!
Until next time, MakoLinks to the full series:
The Incorruptible Saga
Prologue - Part 1
Prologue - Part 2
Chapter 1 - Part 1
Chapter 1 - Part 2
Anthology Works
#1 - "I Wasn't There"
#2 - "A Class Project"
#3 - "Aryth"
#4 - "The Catalyst of Unification"
#5 - "Becoming Literate"
#6 - “Sikari’s Tale”