Authors: Terry Schott
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Trew
Trew looked up as the door slid open. Cooper sauntered in, looking comfortable — he always appeared comfortable and relaxed — but Trew had seen him spring into action enough times to know that this was how he lulled opponents into underestimating him.
“Slight concern,” Cooper announced as he sat down.
“I can’t wait to hear it,” Trew said. “The feeds have been live for a few hours and I expected problems to be pouring in by now.”
“I’m sure you’ll get your wish sooner or later.”
Trew shook his head. “It’s a realistic expectation under the circumstances.”
“Maybe,” Cooper said. “I think this one will keep us busy for a while on its own.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What is it?”
“Brandon has disappeared.”
Trew frowned. “How?”
“His signal should have fed into channel 445. That channel is showing another player.”
“Are you certain?” Trew asked. “It’s a private channel. Only two terminals will view that channel; the viewer in Angelica’s apartment, which now belongs to you, and here in Sylvia’s office.”
“It’s not appearing correctly in my apartment,” Cooper said.
“Sylvia, can you bring up that feed on this monitor, please?”
“Certainly, Trew,” Sylvia answered.
The view materialized and Trew watched it for a few moments before nodding in agreement with Cooper. “Okay, I see what you mean. This definitely isn’t Brandon.”
“Of course it is,” Sylvia said.
“If it were Brandon, we should be seeing the first person view of a newborn baby,” Trew said.
“Why would you assume that?” she asked.
“Because that’s how you enter the Game.”
“No,” the men could hear the amusement in Sylvia’s tone. “That’s how players enter the Game. I think we all know Brandon well enough to know he wouldn’t waste time inside the Game as a young child.”
“He came back to Tygon that way,” Trew said.
“Because he had to,” Cooper explained. “When entering this Sim from the Dream, you come in at the same age you are in real life. That’s why you see me as I am and not younger.”
“You enter the Game by being born as an infant... unless he went in as a Timeless?” Trew guessed.
“Good guess,” Sylvia said, “but not quite right either. Brandon designed the simulation. He can enter at whatever age he desires.”
“Have you been monitoring him, Sylvia?” Cooper asked.
“Yes.”
“Give us a quick update, please.”
“He entered as a twenty-year-old man. He looks the same as he did at that age on Tygon.” In the corner of the screen a picture appeared of a good looking young man with an athletic build, sandy brown hair and brown eyes.
“Crisis averted,” Trew said. “Brandon is found; right where we expected him to be.”
“It looks like he found Melissa already,” Sylvia said.
Trew looked back to the monitor and saw Melissa in his view. Brandon was observing her, unseen, from a distance. “Brandon told me to keep a close eye on Melissa.” He looked over at a second monitor that was showing the Game from Melissa’s point of view. Watching through her eyes, Trew saw Brandon approaching her from an inconspicuous angle.
“It looks like this might be an interesting feed to observe for the next few minutes,” Cooper said.
“How long has he been near Melissa, Sylvia?” Trew asked.
“Twenty-six minutes.”
Trew turned the monitor so Cooper could see it as well. “Let’s watch the feed for a few moments. If nothing develops, then you can go back to your apartment to observe for a few hours, until my next address to the nation.”
Cooper nodded and watched the monitor.
===
Melissa
I’m walking through a small village, inspecting the produce for sale at one of the stalls. They usually have delicious apples, so I stop by whenever I’m in the area.
A voice speaks up from behind me. “I remember you from before the Day,” it says. “You’re the flying girl, right? Melissa?”
I turn around and see a young man standing close to me. He looks to be nineteen or twenty, with the athletic build of a rugby or lacrosse player. Lacrosse has become popular again in most of the small settlements, likely because it’s easy to gear up for and play on an open field. This kid must play; he looks sharp and quick. I can’t see his face, because he’s wearing a light black hoodie with the hood pulled up to cover his features. I can see his eyes, though, and they almost glow. It must be a trick of the light at this hour of the day.
I glance around to see if anyone else has noticed me. There are no other eyes lingering or suddenly looking away from me. I look back at the young man and nod. “Yeah, I’m Melissa,” I say. “What’s your name, kid?”
He walks towards me and raises both hands, lowering the hood so that I can get a better look at him. Wow, he’s an attractive young man. His hair is dirty blonde, with sharp, angular features, yet soft enough to be attractive. His smile reveals perfect, white teeth, and the rest of him looks... angelic. His eyes are striking; they’re brown, but they still appear to glow, with a silvery tint to them, almost like Danni’s.
“My name is Azrael,” he extends his hand and we shake.
“Like the archangel?” I ask.
He releases my hand and shrugs as he looks around casually. “I guess,” he says.
“He’s the archangel of death,” I say. “I’m sure people must have mentioned that to you before?”
The smile on his face transfers to immediately to his eyes. The silvery colour makes them look like they’re sparkling. “I’ve heard that from time to time,” he admits. “I prefer to think of him as the angel who guides souls back to their homes.”
“What home would that be?” I ask.
“Their original home.” He looks around and raises his hand. “This is just a place we visit for a while. I think he helps them return to where they truly reside.”
“Sounds cryptic,” I say.
His eyes lock onto mine and touch me deeply. I feel the glow begin to emanate from my core, like a light bulb being lit from proximity to powerful electricity.
“You don’t belong here anymore, Melissa,” he says.
I try to take a step backwards, but I can’t move. I’ve never felt the glow like this before, not even when I’m flying; it’s intense. “What are you doing?” I manage to ask in a whisper.
“I’m helping you,” his voice is gentle and soothing, like a parent would speak to a frightened child. I realize that I am frightened.
I feel myself sitting down on the ground. The people around us begin to shimmer and fade. The entire scene begins to flicker, at first slowly, and then more quickly. “What’s happening?” I ask again.
“Close your eyes and calm your mind,” he says. “I want to show you something.”
I feel very strange, but my instincts tell me that he’s trying to help me. I close my eyes and take deep breaths. I can move again, and I cross my legs and rest my hands on my knees. I enter a light meditative state, which is something I’ve become very good at over the years. “Show me what?” I ask.
“Where you really come from,” I hear his voice say. “Time is running out, Melissa, and I need you to wake up soon. In a moment you will see the real world. Please don’t panic when you do.”
The clear darkness melts away to be replaced with a golden, pulsing glow — the common view for me when I’m meditating. I can feel another presence in the glow; I think it’s the young man. Instinct tells me to open my eyes, and although I’m not sure what that means at first, I open my inner eyes for the first time to view deeper into my meditation.
The glow disappears and I see a world around me. It’s different from Tygon. I’m lying on my back, and there isn’t much that I can see, so I turn my head slowly from side to side. After a few moments it becomes tiring to look around and I close my eyes again.
The glow returns, and I again hear Azrael’s voice.
“That’s long enough, Melissa,” he says. “Slowly open your eyes and come out of your meditation.”
I open my eyes. I’m sitting on the hard dirt ground in the middle of the small village again. It feels strange to be here. Before I closed my eyes it felt like home, but now it feels as if I’m a stranger visiting a foreign land.
I look at Azrael, who nods. “Very good,” he says. “I knew you could do it.”
“Where did I just go?”
“You went to your reality, Melissa,”
“It felt like a dream,” I say.
“It will, at first,” Azrael nods.
“At first?” I ask. “I’m going back there again?”
“Oh, yes,” he assures me. “Soon you will be going back there for good.”
“How?”
He smiles and offers me his hand to help me stand. “Simple,” he says. “You’ll wake up. You already know how to do it. I just have to help you with the final part.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“Game fans pulled themselves away from their monitors briefly to listen to Trew address the world. He kept his address brief and thanked us all for our positive thoughts and efforts, which he assures us caused the feeds to come back online. Trew also counseled everyone to watch the Game more closely than ever before; he reminded us that the Game mirrors our own world in every way.
“Does that mean we will soon see Tygon citizens flying around the skies? Or healing each other with mysterious and invisible energy such as Reiki? Trew assures us that all of these things are possible, and more...
“Trew then caused a major buzz by ending his speech with an announcement.
“For the next three months, no players will reenter the Game. This has evoked an outcry of protest from fans and players around the world.
“What is Trew up to, and why has he made this decision?
“We continue to watch the Game in hopes of learning answers to these questions and more.”
Lisa Rohansen reporting
Danielle - 70
Raphael and the others have spent years carving a detailed cave system into the bluff.
I spent the first couple of days reuniting with the others and learning where all the entrances were and how to find them.
Our numbers are few. Less than two hundred retreated to the caves to wait for my return.
Now that I’m here, they all look at me as if I know what to do, but I don’t.
I’m trying my best to catch up on the seven years that I missed, making certain to speak with everyone, discussing their ideas and thoughts, trying to figure out if anyone has any insight that might help me decide on a course of action.
One hundred eighty-five humans and fifteen Eternals. Our options are limited, and I can think of only one scenario that will work. I stand before the group in the main eating hall. I doubt anyone will like what I’m about to say.
“I walk up to the front gates and deal with Stephanie,” I say.
They wait for me to expand on the plan. After a few moments I nod my head. “That’s it,” I say. “That’s the strategy.”
Carl speaks first. “I like it,” he nods.
“Really?” I ask.
“It could use some fine tuning,” he admits. “Rather than approach through the front gates, instead you sneak in and slide a blade into her eye, but I think the general idea is sound. You face her and take the Colony back.”
“She doesn’t need to die,” I shake my head.
“Oops,” Carl folds his arms and leans against the rough wall behind him. “You just lost me.”
“I agree with Carl,” Raphael says. “Her death would result in chaos for the Infernals. They would begin to fight each other to select a new leader.”
“We put her there,” I say.
“To do a job,” Carl snarls. “Which she failed to do, and seems to have no intention of completing. She’s useless to us. Worse than useless, because she’s in our way.”
“We need the Thirteen,” Samantha says.
“What for?” I ask.
Samantha frowns, then looks at Raphael with a puzzled look on her face. “Did she suffer from memory loss while she was away?”
I look at Raphael and catch the worried look on his face before he manages to hide it. “We need the power back on, Danni, that’s still our main goal.”
I nod and close my eyes. I can almost hear Shane laughing from wherever he’s hiding. How long will it take the world to realize the power is back on? I wonder silently. Will they even bother to check the generators? I realize that this power outage could go on for another decade because of false assumptions. Perhaps the Thirteen will be able to ascertain that the power is working and fast track things back to normal.
“Okay, then,” I say. “We need to get the Thirteen so they can help us bring the power back online.”
Raphael nods grimly. “We need to do it soon, Danni. Time is running out.”
“I understand,” I say.
“I don’t think you do.” He looks at the Timeless, and they each nod in turn.
“You need to come with me,” Raphael says. “There’s something you must see.”
The meeting concludes and I follow Raphael. Carl joins us, silently assuming a position at my right side. I find it comforting; I’ve missed him.
We go down a long stone hallway that slopes downwards. After a few minutes the air becomes colder and damper than normal. Eventually we stop at a narrow doorway cut into the end of the hall. Water trickles down the sides of the walls like tears.
There’s a small pile of two-foot-long sticks lying to one side. Raphael grabs one and wraps some dry cloth around it. He focuses his will on the end and a small, bright flame appears.
“We found this about a year ago,” Raphael says. “I’ve been a Timeless for over four thousand years, Danni, and I’ve never seen anything like it inside the Game.”
That gets my attention. I feel a mixture of fear and excitement as I ask him, “What is it?”
“Things are more complicated in the Game than the average person can understand,” he says. “I won’t overwhelm you with the details, but Timeless know with absolute certainty that we are living in a computer construct. Your faith and belief have led you to form the same conclusions, but after you see what lies beyond this door, you will never again doubt that we are living inside a computer simulation. You must be prepared to accept this, Danni. I have not asked this of a mortal before, but time is running out.”
I consider his words seriously because it feels like the proper thing to do. I have no clue what he’s about to show me, but I can’t wait to see it. Finally I nod. “I am prepared, Raphael. Show me what’s in there.”
His lips purse together firmly and he glances at Carl who shrugs his shoulders and nods.
He hands me the torch and takes a step backwards. “Do not go more than five steps in,” he warns me. “Do not step off the path. You will be tempted to stay in there, but you must come back out, Danni. Please do as I have instructed.”
I look at the two men one more time. Both refuse to meet my eyes. I shrug and duck down as I stick the torch into the hole and step through...
Immediately I feel strong winds and loud, jarring sounds all around me. I have no idea how, but my torch remains lit, guttering slightly without seeming to feel the major effects of the winds buffeting me. I look at the ground first to make sure of my footing. I’m standing on a narrow ledge, no wider than three feet. Below is pure blackness; I begin to feel vertigo and force my eyes back to the stone pathway to resist the urge to jump into the great void below. A quick glance behind confirms that a doorway remains, but I can’t see Raph or Carl on the other side. Raph said no more than five steps, and so I take only three. I look around and my breath catches in my throat.
I’m in a tremendously large cavern. The walls aren’t made out of stone; portions are, but the majority of it is... what is this?
Everywhere I look, there is a great lattice of energy. Strings of purple, and green, and blue, and red, and gold. Great beams of energy in crisscrossing lines, with intersecting colours. The strings are various sizes and diameters, ranging in thickness from the size of wool string to the thickness of my arm.
It’s a giant grid of colourful energy strings, and it’s absolutely beautiful!
I take a few moments to stare at the centre of the cavern in wonder, marveling at how the lines vary in size and how they intersect with each other. As I begin to look at the lines nearer to me, I can hear them making buzzing and hissing noises where they intersect. Along the edges closest to me, I can see that matter is attached to the lines, like cement stuck to rebar as it clings to give a structure form and shape.
I stand gaping in awe at the sights before me.
After only a few moments, something nags at me, and I wonder if I should go check with Raph. He said that I must return to him, and I decide to go out and ask for clarification about how long I can stay in here. Only a few minutes have passed, but I don’t want to overdo it.
I turn around and exit the cavern, smiling as I see Carl and Raphael standing right where I left them.
“See, told you she would be back,” Carl says.
Raphael takes the torch gently from my hands and hugs me tightly.
I laugh and hug him back. “You look so relieved, Raph. What’s the big deal? I was only in there for a couple of minutes. I came back out to ask if I could stay in for a bit longer.”
Raph nods and touches my face fondly. “You were in there for over three hours, Danni,” he says.
“What? That’s not possible.”
“It’s true,” Carl confirms. “What did you think of the view in there?”
“It was magnificent,” I say. “What is it?”
“It’s trouble,” Raphael says. “This world is built on the framework of a supercomputer matrix. There shouldn’t be a cavern in there, it should be solid rock.”
“It’s a huge cavern, full of amazing colours and lines.”
“Yes,” Raph says. “Matter is disappearing. What you saw in there is the simulation unravelling. Matter and form are coming undone from the inside out.”
“The Game we live in is shutting down, Danni,” Carl says.
“How?” I ask. “Why?”
“Excellent questions,” Raphael says. “More reasons why we need the Thirteen. Maybe they can help us understand it, and reverse or at least slow down the process.”