Check and mate. Who: Vivian Yahni, Alexander Renshaw What: Playing chess. When: Tuesday afternoon. Where: A park. Rating: PG. Status: Complete.
The park was cold, but after twelve hours spent perusing reports, security feeds and personnel files, she welcomed the harsh wind beating across her face. It was strange to be out, like freedom from a long interment. Not quite a rebirth, not quite an awakening. Nothing much, after all, moved on the outside.
Bag slung over her shoulder, she made her way from the 'do not feed the birds' sign to the benches with 'do not step on the grass' signs to gravel earth and stone benches. It was Stonehenge. A vestige of modernity in full view of the elements - that was to say, if chess was still modern. Maybe not.
Through neat rows of tables (six) and chairs (twelve), Vivian made a mental note of the games started and left in suspense by players who had left the scene. Maybe the cold had driven them away. Two of them she could win within six moves. The rest would take a bit of work. Only one was largely open-ended, with most of the pieces on the board. It was the one she picked, sliding onto cold stone, the white pieces on her side, the black on the other.