GU Pettit stood and surveyed the rough, gray field. There were several small impact craters to his left and straight ahead, but nothing that should affect his strategy. On most of the field the orange lines-sidelines, hash marks, and yard lines-rippled here and there as they followed the irregular but gentle contours. On the right side, however, just where the "10" was projected, there was so much ice rubble that the number was largely obscured. Now that would be difficult ground to negotiate quickly, and he might want to call a play away from that area. On the other hand, GU Lee would be thinking the same thing.
Across the line of scrimmage, Lee was giving her defense their play. Pettit had never felt the urge to cheat before, but he had also never been down fourteen points early in the first quarter. It would be so helpful to switch to channel two and hear what Lee was saying ... But he couldn't. Even given the opportunity, he probably wouldn't do it, not really, but if he even attempted to switch channels now, OpsMan would detect the change and blow the whistle. Unauthorized frequency changes fell under the unsportsmanlike conduct rule: fifteen yards.
Behind the defense rose the goal posts, projections of orange light just like the field markings, and behind the goal posts were the unwavering stars.
"Come on, Pettit," said GU Burnett, his center. "The play clock is down to twenty."
GU Pettit nodded his brushed metal head. It was first down deep in his opponent's territory, thanks to a recovered fumble. This kind of situation was likely to unnerve GU Lee, especially early in the game because she'd be frantic to protect her lead. And when Lee was unnerved, she had a tendency to blitz. Probably, she'd be especially inclined to blitz her left side linebacker, relying on the rough field to discourage an offensive attack from that side.
"Here it is," Pettit said. His team wasn't huddled. There was no need, since the defense couldn't hear their transmissions. In fact, there was no reason not to face the defense while calling the play, since Ganymede Units had no lips to read. "Screen pass to Ibby, right side. Kayle and Walker go long. On two. Break."
"Ten seconds," said Burnett.
Pettit switched to channel three, the common frequency for both teams, to call the signals. "Down!"
Lee's left and middle linebackers moved toward the line of scrimmage. If Pettit had been equipped with a mouth, he would have smiled. "Set!"
But then both linebackers backpedaled. Damn, Pettit thought. It was too late for an audible to change the play. Maybe something would open up long...
"Hut! Hut!"
Burnett shoved the ball of carved Ganymede ice into Pettit's hands, and Pettit took a three-step drop. As the pulling linemen slid to his right, Pettit pumped once, twice to GU Kayle, who sprinted along the left sideline. But Lee herself was covering Kayle step for step. GU Walker might have been open, but Pettit had no time to try and find her. The offensive line had melted. Two linemen reached for Pettit. He spun, threw the ball to a waiting GU Ibarguengoitia.
Ibby caught it. The blockers took out the linebackers, but then the safety came up to grab Ibby at the ankles. The running back came down hard on the gray ice. At least he managed to hang on to the ball.
He hadn't made it to the line of scrimmage.
"Second down and eleven," announced OpsMan.
"All right," said a female voice. "Have I got your number or what, Pettit?"
It was Lee, of course. She was standing with her hands on her titanium hips. Even without the "GU LEE" stenciled across her flat chest, Pettit would have been able to pick her out by her stance. Well, let her have her moment or two of crowing. In the three previous games Pettit had captained against her, she had lost every time. Of course, her heart may not have been in those games. Lee hadn't liked the idea of playing football at first.
"It's not over 'til it's over," Pettit said.
Lee cocked her metal head. "That may be sooner than you think, Pettit."
)
