Sifu Blackirish
SOC-14 1K
Carol Souza Ex-Athlete, Sector Level B898B9 Age 34 4 Terms
Position-5, Acrobatics-2, Instruction-2, Admin-2, Sport-1
2 High Psg, Cr160,000
<Stock holovid footage of Luna domes, shuffling tourists in cheap vacsuits, automated or teleoperated mining equipment>
"...It is proven that Lunar retirement adds forty active years to your life. You are still valuable--let your mind work while your body rests here on Luna. Talk to a Selenite Life representative today about modifying your retirement account."
<Fluttering papers in the wind blowing off a desk reveal the flatscreen displaying...>
"OFF THE GRID WITH WALT MYIRAMAZ RETURNS!"
<Holovid of a person in powerball gear, bright red hair trailing from helmet, emitting a high pitched scream while running at full speed. Body impacts holocamera stand, sudden static>
"Yes, you ultimate holofantasy fans remember her very well. She is still in the top five of every sector powerball first round draft picks for all-stars. This despite not playing a down in ten years. I made a trip in person to Paradine's World to visit Carol "The Screamer" Souza at her facility, Olde Worlde Gym."
<Stock footage of Paradine's World tourist traps, beaches, bloodik trees, glimpse of a pair of jakkers>
"Most people who come to this world are here for a vacation. Outsiders who arrive on business are here to hire talented natives. Some are here to find cannon fodder for a mercenary outfit. Others have heard about a relatively new training facility. Not hitek, not even close. If you go here, you are definitely...
<1960s football training camp footage>
"Going old school."
<Footage of #23 evading defenders that cannot even be seen clearly, as hard to grasp as an oiled python>
"In the 2215 season, Carol Souza seemed to appear out of nowhere. From a Rio de Janiero suburb pickup game that was reported in the outgoing newspacket by lottery, she was selected for an Terran amateur team that won a trip to Darwin. Their shocking defeat of then quadrant champion Bayern by a 52-17 score made a lot of big league scouts pay attention.
"By 2217 Souza was already a bona-fide celebrity. She was the number one rusher in Sol quadrant and appeared to be unstoppable...
<Close up holovid of a jarring helmet-to-helmet collision, reversing slowly as #23 falls face down and is completely motionless in an awkward tangle of limbs>
"2218 Sol Quadrant Championship. Souza had broken a long run and was mere meters from scoring when she was blind-sided by Bayern safety Derion "Assassin" Hicks. Extensive replays showed that it was a perfectly legal tackle, but Souza was unable to appreciate it. On field medscan showed three shattered vertebra in her neck.
"It was one of those stories that hold your attention for a few days, until another wave of scores arrive in the next newspacket. Then our victim of the moment fades into obscurity. An average urbanite goes in for an automed scan to cure himself of a minor ailment. Rural planets have a more personal touch, but it is usually lotek and unsophisticated. In fact, there is no clear consensus as to how it happened, but somehow...when we thought it was over...
<Holovid of #23, obviously slower but much more powerful, running through and over defenders with no attempt to evade>
"She has obviously lost a step. It doesn't seem to make any difference, since even though defenders can reach her, they cannot stop her. They are no more than minor and temporary obstacles.
"As a player/coach, she could call her own number, and she did. Still, with only 70% of the playing time from last season, she led her quadrant division in rushing again. She had something to prove, and did so very effectively, as many battered and bruised defenders can attest. Now it seemed that same instinctive quality that made her so elusive before was now helping her keep balance and momentum, even with multiple defenders in opposition. After another spectacular success of a season, she announced her player retirement. Perhaps now she will fade away into genteel poverty?
"Not even close.
"Souza never forgot her roots, and spent the next four years scouring Sol subsector for talent. Evidently she had never heard the ancient adage that 'those that cannot do, teach' because not only did she demand outstanding performance, she would demonstrate desired techniques. Not many candidates met her stringent performance criteria.
"Memories of individual players fade fast, especially in a league that spans multiple sectors. So at first no one noticed that Souza was the new offensive coordinator for an unheralded expansion team, the Rheingold Thrashers. Who expected them to even have a winning season?
"Well, people started paying attention immediately. An opportunistic, gambling defense that had an astonishing ability to outguess their opposition, and Souza's combination of elusive instinctive runners like she used to be and power runners like she became, either left defenses flat footed or flat on their backs.
"Turnover ratio, time of possession and points scored were at end of season levels after their homestand. Their visitors' tour was even more impressive, since they seemed to tune out hostile crowd noises and threats at will.
"Souza even survived an attempt on her life during the sector playoffs..."
<...if you don't roll over, there will be trouble.'
Souza slowly stood up from her workstation and walked over to where the fixer sat.
'Get out.'
With a casual hand wave, a rather large, silent man moved into grappling range.
'You can roll over and make a lot of mercreds and good will or...'
'Your trained pet looks tough. Too bad I don't scare easy.'
'I guess you need a lesson in cooperation. Bruno?'
Bruno looked at Souza's halo of flaming red hair.
'Pretty.'
He growled and tried to engage in a bear hug. It was the last coherent sound he ever made>
"Souza's bare hand strangling of Bruno V made newspackets throughout the sector, and guaranteed an overflow crowd along with extensive holocoverage for their championship game against Shadow.
It could not be called a fair fight. A score of 73-0 in a championship game with two talented teams indicates consummate on field skill, impeccable coaching, or someone'sluck has run out. This time it was all three.
<Holovid of intense weightlifting with real metal plates and bars, blocking drills with lotek equipment, wind sprints while wearing weight vests, formations running the same play twenty to thirty times until every participant performs their task perfectly>
"This is punishment added to training. Souza likes it that way."
<Souza roams over the entire training area, her flame red hair still a wild halo, occasionally grabbing a recruit and yelling "you're wrong!" then resetting the procedure and demonstrating correct technique. Stances, blocking, cutbacks--she demonstrates it all.
<Souza's voice overlays training camp footage>
"Sensie rooms are a waste of time. They won't be worthwhile for another fifty years. Besides, an expert system can't look into a recruit's face and tell she needs to give ten percent extra on blocking drills to have a chance to make the team, or know when it's time to put the shake-and-bake on a free safety who thinks you have no Stealth skill."
<Holovid of an older Souza screaming as she runs full speed into another holocamera operator, then static>
"Some things never change.
"Back with a preview of our next program after these important messages..."
Position-5, Acrobatics-2, Instruction-2, Admin-2, Sport-1
2 High Psg, Cr160,000
<Stock holovid footage of Luna domes, shuffling tourists in cheap vacsuits, automated or teleoperated mining equipment>
"...It is proven that Lunar retirement adds forty active years to your life. You are still valuable--let your mind work while your body rests here on Luna. Talk to a Selenite Life representative today about modifying your retirement account."
<Fluttering papers in the wind blowing off a desk reveal the flatscreen displaying...>
"OFF THE GRID WITH WALT MYIRAMAZ RETURNS!"
<Holovid of a person in powerball gear, bright red hair trailing from helmet, emitting a high pitched scream while running at full speed. Body impacts holocamera stand, sudden static>
"Yes, you ultimate holofantasy fans remember her very well. She is still in the top five of every sector powerball first round draft picks for all-stars. This despite not playing a down in ten years. I made a trip in person to Paradine's World to visit Carol "The Screamer" Souza at her facility, Olde Worlde Gym."
<Stock footage of Paradine's World tourist traps, beaches, bloodik trees, glimpse of a pair of jakkers>
"Most people who come to this world are here for a vacation. Outsiders who arrive on business are here to hire talented natives. Some are here to find cannon fodder for a mercenary outfit. Others have heard about a relatively new training facility. Not hitek, not even close. If you go here, you are definitely...
<1960s football training camp footage>
"Going old school."
<Footage of #23 evading defenders that cannot even be seen clearly, as hard to grasp as an oiled python>
"In the 2215 season, Carol Souza seemed to appear out of nowhere. From a Rio de Janiero suburb pickup game that was reported in the outgoing newspacket by lottery, she was selected for an Terran amateur team that won a trip to Darwin. Their shocking defeat of then quadrant champion Bayern by a 52-17 score made a lot of big league scouts pay attention.
"By 2217 Souza was already a bona-fide celebrity. She was the number one rusher in Sol quadrant and appeared to be unstoppable...
<Close up holovid of a jarring helmet-to-helmet collision, reversing slowly as #23 falls face down and is completely motionless in an awkward tangle of limbs>
"2218 Sol Quadrant Championship. Souza had broken a long run and was mere meters from scoring when she was blind-sided by Bayern safety Derion "Assassin" Hicks. Extensive replays showed that it was a perfectly legal tackle, but Souza was unable to appreciate it. On field medscan showed three shattered vertebra in her neck.
"It was one of those stories that hold your attention for a few days, until another wave of scores arrive in the next newspacket. Then our victim of the moment fades into obscurity. An average urbanite goes in for an automed scan to cure himself of a minor ailment. Rural planets have a more personal touch, but it is usually lotek and unsophisticated. In fact, there is no clear consensus as to how it happened, but somehow...when we thought it was over...
<Holovid of #23, obviously slower but much more powerful, running through and over defenders with no attempt to evade>
"She has obviously lost a step. It doesn't seem to make any difference, since even though defenders can reach her, they cannot stop her. They are no more than minor and temporary obstacles.
"As a player/coach, she could call her own number, and she did. Still, with only 70% of the playing time from last season, she led her quadrant division in rushing again. She had something to prove, and did so very effectively, as many battered and bruised defenders can attest. Now it seemed that same instinctive quality that made her so elusive before was now helping her keep balance and momentum, even with multiple defenders in opposition. After another spectacular success of a season, she announced her player retirement. Perhaps now she will fade away into genteel poverty?
"Not even close.
"Souza never forgot her roots, and spent the next four years scouring Sol subsector for talent. Evidently she had never heard the ancient adage that 'those that cannot do, teach' because not only did she demand outstanding performance, she would demonstrate desired techniques. Not many candidates met her stringent performance criteria.
"Memories of individual players fade fast, especially in a league that spans multiple sectors. So at first no one noticed that Souza was the new offensive coordinator for an unheralded expansion team, the Rheingold Thrashers. Who expected them to even have a winning season?
"Well, people started paying attention immediately. An opportunistic, gambling defense that had an astonishing ability to outguess their opposition, and Souza's combination of elusive instinctive runners like she used to be and power runners like she became, either left defenses flat footed or flat on their backs.
"Turnover ratio, time of possession and points scored were at end of season levels after their homestand. Their visitors' tour was even more impressive, since they seemed to tune out hostile crowd noises and threats at will.
"Souza even survived an attempt on her life during the sector playoffs..."
<...if you don't roll over, there will be trouble.'
Souza slowly stood up from her workstation and walked over to where the fixer sat.
'Get out.'
With a casual hand wave, a rather large, silent man moved into grappling range.
'You can roll over and make a lot of mercreds and good will or...'
'Your trained pet looks tough. Too bad I don't scare easy.'
'I guess you need a lesson in cooperation. Bruno?'
Bruno looked at Souza's halo of flaming red hair.
'Pretty.'
He growled and tried to engage in a bear hug. It was the last coherent sound he ever made>
"Souza's bare hand strangling of Bruno V made newspackets throughout the sector, and guaranteed an overflow crowd along with extensive holocoverage for their championship game against Shadow.
It could not be called a fair fight. A score of 73-0 in a championship game with two talented teams indicates consummate on field skill, impeccable coaching, or someone'sluck has run out. This time it was all three.
<Holovid of intense weightlifting with real metal plates and bars, blocking drills with lotek equipment, wind sprints while wearing weight vests, formations running the same play twenty to thirty times until every participant performs their task perfectly>
"This is punishment added to training. Souza likes it that way."
<Souza roams over the entire training area, her flame red hair still a wild halo, occasionally grabbing a recruit and yelling "you're wrong!" then resetting the procedure and demonstrating correct technique. Stances, blocking, cutbacks--she demonstrates it all.
<Souza's voice overlays training camp footage>
"Sensie rooms are a waste of time. They won't be worthwhile for another fifty years. Besides, an expert system can't look into a recruit's face and tell she needs to give ten percent extra on blocking drills to have a chance to make the team, or know when it's time to put the shake-and-bake on a free safety who thinks you have no Stealth skill."
<Holovid of an older Souza screaming as she runs full speed into another holocamera operator, then static>
"Some things never change.
"Back with a preview of our next program after these important messages..."
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