Jetball

The following is a fictional story based in the video game 'Firefall' by Red 5 Studios. All portrayed stunts are conducted by gamers professionals; do not attempt them at home.

It was indeed a proud moment for me as I was hailed as the top scorer for my team. All the time spent training has finally paid off as I scored the winning goal, securing a spot for my team in the finals. It was my first amateur tournament, and getting so far was not a walk in the park.

The year is 2233. It marked the advent of personal flight propulsion systems, more commonly known as jump jets. Also a time when teleportation was at its infancy. It was developed to replace jump jets by instantly transporting one’s physical body from one place to another in an instant. However, the process isn’t exactly appealing nor comfortable, so it didn’t garner the attention of the general public. Instead, it found a home in competitive sports, namely Jetball, my personal favourite. My grandfather calls it a blend of basketball and rugby with a sprinkle of jump jets and guns on top. Well, non-lethal guns of course.

I first got into Jetball at the tender age of 16, the age when one is legally allowed to pilot jump jets. It was my father, a professional player, who introduced me to Jetball the moment I earned my license. The game is played in an indoor arena, which is symmetrical down the middle. The centerpiece, suspended in mid air, is a glowing metal sphere surrounded by holographic orbits. Three corridors on opposite sides of the ball room lead to the goal rooms on the far ends of the arena. A huge ring attached to the ceiling of the goal room demands attention as the goal hoop. Adjacent to each goal room is the respective team’s preparation room.

Two teams of five compete for possession of the ball to score as many points as possible. Throwing the ball through the opposing team’s goal counts for one point whereas flying through the hoop with the ball in hand scored 3 points. This is easier said than done because jump jets have limited energy and every player is armed with a concussive firearm. To ensure safety, every player has to suit up in a protective exo-frame. When the suit’s integrity falls below a certain threshold, the player will be rendered immobile for 10 seconds before being teleported back to the preparation room. Players can choose between three types of exo-frames to fill in different roles during the game.

My first Jetball match was with my father against my uncle and his friend. My father wanted me to learn the ropes by actually experiencing the game. When the match was over I fell in love with the ball carrier suit, which was designed with mobility in mind to score goals as efficiently as possible. The defender suit was too boring for me because I had to stay and guard the goal room. I also did poorly in the escort suit because I often failed to defend the ball carrier. Needless to say my first match wasn’t very pleasant. I was often left pondering about the importance of teamwork for 10 seconds before a ‘bumpy’ ride back to the preparation room.

Without a doubt, I was addicted to Jetball, but playing competitively was way out of my league. Thus, the training started with my father as coach. Since Jetball is a team game, the first step was to find team mates. Fortunately I was able to convince 4 of my friends to join me. Once each of us have mastered our suit of choice, my father coached us on advanced strategies and tactics. One of my favourites as a ball carrier was to use the afterburners on my jump jets when approaching the goal hoop. The immediate speed boost was a guaranteed 3 points against an unprepared opponent. Several months of training later, my team and I started playing casually against other teams and before we knew it, we were eligible to participate in the annual Amateur Jetball Tournament.

I donned the regulation equipment, feeling excited and nervous at the same time. The portable reactor on my back hummed reassuringly as a surge of power traveled through the suit. The rocket boot thrusters locked snugly into place right behind my calves as a helmet wrapped around my head. I was the only ball carrier on my team, so I did feel the pressure. “We've got your back,” said my team mates. I nodded at them and picked up a gun. “I know,” I replied, “We trained for this.” The preparation timer struck zero and a horn blared, signalling the start of the round. I fired up my jump jets and sped towards the ball, determined to have fun and win the tournament.


P.S. Here's a little video that I recorded in-game where I almost managed to score two goals in a row.




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