You're crouching in the dark, sweaty bowels of a battleship and the clock is ticking. One false move could betray your presence. Terrorists have seized control and are patrolling the upper decks. A nuclear warhead is pointing at Tehran and only you can disarm it, saving millions. Your hands shake. Codes and passwords jangle in your head. Laser trip wires and hidden cameras lurk around every corner. Consoles flash and machinery hums. "Go, go, go," cries your mission leader. You're up and over, scrambling across bulkheads...
Phew! Take a deep breath. You're actually in a game. Si5 is a new LARP experience that opened a stone's throw from the Victoria Centre (or should that be a grenade's throw?). Find yourself on the beleaguered UNS Steadfast, an imaginary cruiser created out of a labyrinth of cabins and corridors. Every mission varies, but within moments of entering you may be piloting an army chopper, crawling through tunnels, defusing bombs or firing a electromagnetic pulse rifle. In other words, fun with a capital F. It's M.I. High meets James Bond by way of Under Siege.
Si5 is the brainchild of Bob Richardson, inspired by the games he used to play with his kids. It began with treasure hidden around the house. Over time the ideas and the fantasy expanded. He'd set up fake bombs in nearby woods for his kids to discover. One game involved Mum being kidnapped and a flight from the local airport to find her. Sounds like the Richardson tribe had a childhood many of us might envy.
Fame spread as the scenarios grew ever more inventive and adventurous. Inevitably, perhaps, Bob was asked to share his skills. And so S15 was born, with four centres across the Midlands and plans for more. His grown up sons are still involved, now contributing to the design and software angles. Even Mum, thankfully rescued from the international kidnappers, does PR.
The inspiration that has gone into building the scenery is breathtaking. The challenges, the special effects and the back story all make for an unforgettable trip. It's open to teams of all ages and sizes, with a variety of packages. So, you won't see it all in a single visit. Every team is led by a mission guide, a fully trained employee at Si5. It's his or her job to accompany you, setting up the tasks, motivating, explaining and generally keeping you one step ahead of those cutthroat terrorists.
Make no mistake, there is a moderate amount of climbing, kneeling, crawling and nail-biting as deadlines loom. But it is suitable for everyone. Special needs visitors are welcome and Bob describes wheelchair users who were thrilled to participate. Call the centre in advance, they are very happy to put together a package for those with impaired mobility.
LeftLion sent along a crack team of SAS commandos. Where 'SAS commandos' means a ten-year-old schoolboy, a fifteen-year-old exchange student and a middle aged dad. They tumbled out of UNS Steadfast after an hour and a half session, with smiles plastered on their faces. “It's awesome” said the ten-year-old. “C'est tres amusant” said the student. “They'll sleep well tonight”, said Dad.
Si5 Spy Mission, Rick Street, NG1 3LS.
Nottingham's Si5 website
Ian Douglas' website
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