The checkmate was flawless. The bloody aftermath was more of a mess. Raven Spassky's body lay in a puddle of its own fluids, most of which had leaked from multiple holes in her flimsy aluminum armor. Whoever had said plasma was a source of clean energy had never fired a shot in anger. I'm glad I don't have to shovel this crap.
When I arrived on the scene, Doveanna Lasker was still pressing the trigger, even though the argon gas cartridge had been expended in the first ten seconds. A quick check for sparkling eyeballs confirmed that Lasker was still under the influence of rogue nanobots – neither player had sought appropriate protection. Ironically, Raven Spassky was known for her slash and burn tactics, while Lasker had a vast opening repertoire of invasive siege warfare.
I will rule that the Galactic Chess Championship be awarded posthumously to Spassky. After all, it's not her fault that Lasker's king was not a regulation Staunton piece. That frosted titanium is nice and hefty. It is all the rage in these new-fangled sets and contestants are always sneaking them into tournament play. Still, I wonder why no one else complained in the early rounds. Oh, duh! Lasker was undefeated until the end.
Flickr image courtesy of aussiegall
Copyright © 2013 by Mitchell Allen
Originally appeared on CreativeCopyChallenge #297.