1 The Master Cartographer

The midday Nairobi sun had nearly beaten Kenyatta Njoroge into submission before he finally made it into the bustling Moi Avenue mall. A man of average height with a lean, athletic build, Ken aimlessly wondered through the mall, trying to shed a bit of the stress he'd been carrying lately. His freelance graphic design work had been scarce and his stagnant career was one of the heavier weights on his shoulders. "No way I'm turning into a damn freepik.com raider just for a quick buck!" Sigh. "Am I being too proud over this?" he wondered as he strolled around the mall. He found himself longing for the simpler times, like afternoons spent huddled over his late father's PC, the keyboard clicking rhythmically as he tackled the same mission on repeat - Halo's Silent Cartographer demo from a forgotten PC Format magazine his mother had gifted him years ago.

He'd been a teenager back then, reeling from the loss of his father. The demo, a single slice of the epic Halo universe, became his refuge. It started as a way to vent his anger, he had no shame admitting that. The rhythmic bursts of virtual gunfire became a cathartic release for him. But over time, it morphed into a cherished memory, a connection to his mother who had passed away a year later. He became a master, finding creative ways to complete the map and exploit the physics to speedrun it or laboriously explore every nook and cranny of the map at every difficulty level. He'd even dabbled in Halo lore online, his heart swelling with curiosity after a friend had told him Halo 2 had a location called "New Mombasa" after his childhood hometown. He hadn't played the demo much recently, but maybe it would have done a better job of relaxing him than a walk through a crowded mall.

Suddenly, a glint in a shop window caught his eye. Nestled amongst dusty figurines, old consoles and a stack of old DVD's was a sight that made him do a double take - the original Halo: Combat Evolved CD! What were the odds? Memories flooded back, warm and bittersweet. All these years and he'd only ever played the demo. "Maybe it's time to finally play the full game and have the whole experience before I try and get my life in order" he thought.

His work wasn't his only source of stress. His aunts had been on his case lately about getting married. His recent breakup hadn't helped much either. Ken exhaled as he made a wry smile, "Well, none of that is going away anytime soon. Might as well 'Finish the Fight', heh heh heh" He was pretty pleased with himself for pulling out that reference in conversation, even if that conversation was in his head! It didn't take him too long to purchase the disc. He made a beeline for the supermarket on that level of the mall to pick some Mountain Dew and Doritos, for the full authentic gaming experience, of course. He could actually feel the anticipation building, this was going to be a good weekend! 

He'd only taken a few steps towards the supermarket when suddenly, the air was shattered by a cacophony of automatic gunfire erupting from the mall entrance. A second of shocked silence fell over the mall until "BOOM! BOOM!" The shockwaves from the consecutive explosions were like a primal signal! Screams ripped through the air as people scattered in panic, running away from the main entrance! "Shit! A terrorist attack?!" Ken's heart hammered against his ribs, his dark skin glistening with the sheen of sweat. Instinct took over. He dove into the nearest store, a building supply store from the look of it, the weight of the Halo CD long forgotten in his pocket. He didn't even notice as the store staff, under cover of the counter, quickly left out the back. He wasn't ready for this!

The screams grew distant while the gunfire got closer. That little detail shook him as he came to a realisation. People were getting out through the rear of the mall! It was normally a restricted area so he hadn't thought of it! "Damn, I need to get out of here before they box me in!" Ken knew he didn't have too much time left. He collected himself, drawing a deep breath, and peeked through the display glass. What he saw unfolding terrified him.

A gunman, his body festooned with ammunition, grenades and a machete was gleefully stalking a terrified family hiding in the store across the aisle. Ken knew for certain that the gunman was toying with the woman and two children, intentionally firing in their general direction but not at them. He must have had something else planned for them! "Shit! Shit! Shit!!!" He'd caught the woman's desperate and terrified look as she briefly broke cover to take a peek. He couldn't let this happen. "Mama help me!" Ken was going to do something stupid.

He carefully grabbed a hammer from a display stand, the best weapon he could find on short notice and waited, hidden behind the glass shop door, obscured from the outside by a printed full length contra vision sticker. His vision was hardly affected but he knew from experience anyone would be hard pressed to see anything from the outside. The gunman, fixated on the family, didn't take any notice of the hardware storefront. Ken was counting on that. He waited for another burst of fire, and sprinted out the shop, his foot falls masked by the AK-47 firing. He channelled his high-school rugby self and speared the gunman from behind, sending them both to the floor! The terrorist, briefly stunned, struggled to get turned around so he could bring his rifle to bear but Ken instinctively struck the man in his head with the hammer with a brutal strike! 'Scrunch!' Absurdly, Ken thought it sounded like a melon being crushed and instantly wanted to heave but there was no time!

"Go! Get out of here!" he yelled to the woman in the store, pointing towards the back of the mall, his voice hoarse. They scrambled past him, the mother clutching her terrified children close. He knew he couldn't stay. More gunmen would be coming. He also couldn't draw fire in the same direction the woman and the others had left in. "Basement level it is then" he thought as he took the unconscious, or is it dead gunman's rifle and a spare magazine and took position partially down the stairway. He'd have to bait the gunmen into following him down to give everyone the best chance to fall back. It wasn't even 2 minutes later before 3 more men cautiously came up on their downed compatriot. This was it! Ken fired off a three round burst, a subconscious habit from Halo and bolted down the stairs! It wasn't a moment too soon as a burst of fire cracked just over his head! They'd taken the bait! He sprinted down the stairs, taking the doorway to parking just in time as fragmented concrete peppered his feet and back. They were close!

He weaved through a maze of parked cars, keeping low as adrenaline coursed through his veins. He soon found a seemingly deserted corner, his chest heaving, and fumbled for his phone. "Gotta let the..." huhh, huhh, huhh, "...police know" he thought as his trembling hand came up from his pocket, covered in blood! "What?! When did I…" Ken was suddenly dazed. He'd been fine before, but now that he knew he'd been injured, his strength almost left him at once. As he looked down to pinpoint his wound, his dazed mind suddenly came back into focus as he took a sharp gasp, a sense of crisis grasping him by the neck! "I must have left a trail!" Just as he was mustering the strength to move, he heard a dense, metallic clattering at his feet. A grenade! Ken's world went blinding white, then black as he thought, "Ha! The bastards cooked it off!"