"FWLS23" - читать интересную книгу автора (A Future We'd Like to See)

"Here, I'll ring in four credits worth," one of the techs
said, playing with the haphazard jumble of buttons and wires that
led out of the machine. "Alright. Pick your fighters and
begin."

I took hold of the joystick, as I quelled my suspicion down.
The stick vibrated slightly and was cool to the touch. I wiggled
it experimentally... odd, it didn't move at all. How were they
expecting us to play? I tapped the screen on Jim Bob's face, as
the 1P box lit up around his tiny wallet-sized photo. I already
knew who #1 would play, as I had been working off an on all month
to unseat him from that vaulted slot : The Evil Ken. Sort of
like Ken from Spatula Fighter One, except with a cheesy little
goatee beard and more of a sneer. I hated EK.

"G'luck, dude," the shrimp of a player said, secret-
handshaking me.

"Yeah. So, how do we start--"

--on the dock in EK's stage. Boats floating in the
background. Thoughts quicker. EK in front of me. Spatulas in
hand. Fight time.

"ROUND... ONE. FIGHT!"

Jump forward, kick. EK blocks. Wind Spatula, blocked.
Stupid, stupid. Jump back, block SpiritBall thrown by EK. EK
performs Cyclone Punch. Duck. Punch, knock EK out of air.
Duck, kick, slide as EK gets up. EK blocks. Burger Flip, EK
flies through the air, thud. Jump in with punch.

EK Chimera Punch, double hit. Throws another SpiritBall,
which hits. Down to 60% health, he's at 40%. Think fast. 56
seconds left. EK jumps in. Block, Wind Spatula. Four hits, got
him, down to 10% health and dizzy. Walk in. Throw.

"YOU... WIN."

Perform standard victory spatula cross. Fade to black.
Fade back in, back to normal fighting positions.

"ROUND... TWO. FIGHT!"

EK panics and Cyclone Punches. Jump, hop off head, bounce
off side of screen and hop off head again. Dizzy. Bad move on
his behalf. Take pity. Just throw, no Touch of Death. Bad move
on my behalf. Two SpiritBalls hit. Block. Ducking roundhouse,
I go down.