180 seconds to glory...

What follows is the series of events that take place in 180 seconds in the virtual world of de_dust 2 where some of the most skillful souls battle for supremacy, honor and glory, while the aficionados look on . . . . . .


0:10 - 0:00 ( Freeze Time)



An echo of a series of successive strokes on keyboard breaks through the reticence engulfing the room
------------- B-4-6-O-2-O-3-O-3-O-4-O-5-O-7 ---------------

Headphones come to life with a crackling noise; the strategy is spelled out by the prudent mortal within the squad. For the next 180 seconds, this is to be followed like the 'Bible'. With a sigh that seems to last forever, I pass a fleeting glance to my fingers ensuring they are well placed on W-A-S-D; keys that have been left with no trace of these alphabets on them. As a passing thought, I wonder if my keyboard has antiquated or if it has become an evidence of my passion. Then, with a black Logitech WMD (weapon of mass destruction) gripped firmly under my right hand, I get ready to put an end to life of the unlucky souls among the 5 'enemies'.
Let what the people call a 'game' begin....

3:00-2:00 (Stealth)

Press '1' - Knife. I race towards my right. Next 10 seconds may decide the course of the game. I stand at the acutest angle possible and aim towards T-spawn through the central double doors (DD); click-click - double zoom. Smoke waiting for me - expected - not a trace of bloody T's. I try hard to concentrate in the stentorian chatter piercing my ears - these status updates on 4 different areas in the arena will decide my next movement in about 30 seconds. Acknowledgment is a must - C1

15 seconds up. A macabre silence is on. All I can hear is my own tense and heavy breathing. Time for sneak-a-peek! Call in to fellow positioned at B double doors (he shall be called 'M' from now on). In about 7 seconds, he squats at an angle of about 30 degrees from Centrall DD - Press 'Space' - 'Cntrl' - m on his back. Click-Click. Someone is gonna die in next few seconds. I can feel it!

A flash is hurtled through the doors; I respond by turning around - virtually as well as in person.
Exposure time - Now! I am quick to regain my aim in a second - another smoke. (I have double zoom - remember?? Yes..show yourself asshole!) The following split second witnesses these events concurrently - A shadow moves , my eyes flutter, and time freezes. Click - Boom. The noise echoes across the arena and 2 names appear in the upper right corner with the deadly Awp symbol between them.

Encomiums pour in..but I am too busy revelling in the ecstasy of the moment.

2:00 - 1:00 (Bloodshed)

Next 30 seconds pass in what seems like an eternity. Not a single sound to be heard. Headphone is buzzing with the cacophony of Z3 - Hold your Position! I am stranded at CT spot, trying to predict the Kurukshetra of battle - Bombsite 'A' or 'B'. With seconds passing like hours and dearth of quality action, my mind begins to wander - 'Riya was looking hot today...'

And then..terror strikes! My screen flashes red and I see a countdown timer running in bottom left corner. Wtf! I am freezed in the gunfire from across the central DD and I cant even spot the Satan! Spamming. Shit!
I take a clumsy shot at bottom right corner of the door. Firing stops. In a fraction of a second, my Index finger rises - presses '4': O-4 - HG; aim - throw. Boom! I hear receding footsteps into B-tunnel. Bloody T must have got his arse fried. In addition to fucking my health down to 56.
I take cover in the 'safe' and dark haven of CT spawn. This bloodshed was uncalled for.

Meanwhile , somewhere near A DD, battle ensues between AK 47 and Maverick M4A1 carbine. Loud roar of the former and squeaky silencer of the latter can be distinctly heard. 10 seconds later, my fellow m8's name occupies the column on the top right..1 Down...

1:00 -0:10 (Triumph)

4 vs 4 now. If there is something known as a blitzkrieg of wits and instincts, I am gonna be an active witness in the next 60 seconds.

'B Storm' - A shriek extreme enough to cause an aneurysm penetrates my ears.

5 seconds and 3 flashbangs later, we are ready to engage in the bloodbath, which utopian logic says, should be one-sided affair -blind enemy at our crosshairs. However, like always, not everything happens as expected. T's hold back the storm in B tunnel, till the whiteness blurs. I crouch at an oblique position outside B Dbl Doors. Click - Click - Zoom at tunnel entrance. My fellows braving the odds with Maverick M4 A1 take positions - one behind the last box on the raised platform, other in the perforation above bomb-site. Minimum exposure with Maximum visibility angle - strategy is supposed to be fool-proof and we have spent 'hours' - oops! sorry - '2 years' perfecting it.

And then it happens - they jump out of tunnel in what seems like a somersault. I was ready. Exactly 1 second later, one jump and 1 click happens in unison and dusty wall on the other side gets splattered in red. I think it went right between his eyes. Another follows - miss - 16 health - fck!

I take a step aside - still shielded from full view by the Double Doors. Mr. M is next to make it to the deceased list. 2 flamboyant headshots from Mr. J follow: sealing the stamp of our victory in enemies coffin. Now all that was needed was to nail it hard.

What happens next left my legs numb. 2 sniper shots pastes 2 of my teamm8s name in the top right corner. Both of them at gap of what I think - a microsecond? I start feeling dizzy recalling the events of past few seconds:
T's were being protected of the back attack by Mr. Vassili Zaitsev. And just now he hasblown apart our back attack strategy to shards, in a split second.

1 on 1. Believe me, no one likes this! With 20 seconds left, my mind races. Bomb has dropped right in front of my eyes. He needs it , he has nowwhere to go - and he needs it fast. I race to take advantage by taking zoom right into the mouth of B-tunnel entry, but he knows that - it is a battle of nerves rather than strategy now.

My palms are dripping with sweat and my toes are digging inside my slippers.
It happens far earlier then I expected - both of us expose ourselves, vulnerable, our proximity defying all logic, ready to kill or die in vain. Click - click -zoom. Boom!

The shot must have left everybody numb in both the camps. I feel like something has hit me in reality.

And then he drops down on floor - dead. Apparently, this last 'Click - click - zoom' was the sound at his end. I had done it without the right click.

My room felt hazy now. This bliss is eternal.....

PS: A bit long post and obviously not enjoying universal readership. Dedicated to the splendid
players I have played with in my college. Not as good as I expected it to be. But still a worthy memorabilia. Thanks to all your overwhelming responses to my last post.