by Randy Thao
Dee stood up looking at Keeper and then Mara. Who was this girl with fists clenched tight? The adrenaline flowing through her body and into her cheeks now a slight rose pink? She had undergone such a change since the day they met and so did he. The experience these last few days had taught her how to survive and find the confidence within. She turned to him breathing hard as their eyes met. Her body gesture relaxed, and she was able give him a "Hey" smile. Not losing focus, she returned her attention to Keeper.
"You little rat!" squirmed Keeper in pain. She got up leaning to one side with her hand still on her face. "I'll kill you! All of you!"
"Is that so?" questioned Bu, and the rest of the raid stood firm behind him.
Keeper's jagged smile had returned. As she placed both her hand on the ground, her shattered face unrecognizable. A deeper opening revealed a threatening empty space with no end. Staggering, she stood up slightly hunched. Something was coming and they all felt it as they all embraced themselves.
"Ha ha ha ha, I'll make sure I take you all down with me!" shouting Keeper hysterically. The cracks on her face started to spread rapidly down her neck and all across her white suit. The look in her face went still and lifeless like an ancient china doll with a past.
"What's going on?" Derma asked.
"We have to get out of here, now!" said Nye panicking. He lifted his wrist to his mouth. There was a thin grey wrist band with a small blue LED light that blinked when he spoke. "Code red, activate all systems. Bring them all back online immediately. Get the power on as fast as you can! Everyone to the Transport Portal."
The pieces of Keepers body broke, and they started to sink within. Self-destruct had initiated. Confusion fell on the raid as they observed the horror in front of them. It started slow and small from the face of keeper, but it grew as the pieces from what was left of her body fell in. It then took full shape forming into a large hole swallowing everything in sight. The ground, street lamps, signs, everything near was being sucked in.
"A black hole! Run towards the portal everyone, go!" shouted Dee.
They all ran as fast as they could towards the transport station. It lay desolate with no sign of life. The black hole was gaining on them and growing in size. Shouting and screaming came from everyone running for their lives as they tried to help each other. When they finally reached the glass platform of the portal, the power had not yet returned leaving everyone looking to Nye for an update.
"What's the status Nye?!" Dee asked as he stared at the darkness behind them. They could feel the ground starting to give away beneath them. Mara clung tightly on to his arm as if it were her last.
"Dee," Mara spoke as she paused for a second. "I'm sorry. I...I love you."
"I love you too," replied Dee.
"Receiving power in 5, 4, 3, 2.." counted the voice coming from the wrist of Nye.
"Guys, it was great knowing you all," Bu sighed.
Bvvrrroooooonnnhh! Hummed the portal as the spinning gears rotated. The lights lit up, and the control panel buttons began beeping. Everyone's heads shot up in desperation. The transport station suddenly shifted to one side causing clinks and clunks from below. By this time, the black hole was now towering in size.
"Why aren't we going?" Mara questioned as they all stood looking at each other.
"Nye, what's wrong?" Derma asked.
"As expected. The transport station is either controlled from the other end or..." Nye trailed off.
"Or what?" Dee demanded.
"Or set here from the control panel," Nye sighed as he pointed to over to the beeping panel.
Commotion fell upon everyone. Members of the raid started sobbing that they would never see their loved ones again. Some refusing to budge and turned the other way in shame and others were trying to come up with ways to randomly choose their fate by drawing straws. Arguments broke out with finger pointing and physical pushing.
"I'll do it," Dee spoke out. It fell silent all around.
"No Dee. You can't!" Mara blurted out with tears in her eyes.
"There's no one back home that's waiting for me. It was great meeting everyone. Especially you Mara. I mean I got to experience more than I could ever imagine. What more can I ask for?" laughed Dee.
"But there's me?" whispered Mara.
"Let him go! He has decided already. Unless we all want to end up with the same fate. Do you not see that black thing over there?" exclaimed Gen with eagerness.
Not wasting any time, Nye stepped off the glass platform and lead Dee off to the blinking panel filled with latches and buttons. Mara gripped his hand, but Dee had already made up his mind. It only held him back for only a second before it slipped away forever. She quickly ran out after him, but Bu restrained her. She cried out his name, but he just seemed so far away. He looked at Mara and smiled accepting his fate. Jessie came to comfort her as they held each other in tears.
They both stood before an overwhelming panel filled with red, yellow and white lit buttons of all shapes and sizes. Black bold words printed above some and others none at all as if it were going to help make it easier somehow. Dee took a deep breath. He was happy to see within his final moments giving no greater love than laying his life down for his friends.
"Press this red button here. It will start the launch sequence. When this light turns green, it will have enough power to send us through. There will be a few seconds delay before the energy shield kicks in. This is to prevent anything from entering on and off the platform that may cause any unexpected damages while in its last phase to send. It's highly concentrated, so anything that touches it will be vaporized. Yes, even you and me. Then, lift the cover for the send lever and pull down." explained Nye. "Got it?"
"Right. Red button, then green light, then lever. Easy peasy," smiled Dee nervously.
Nye walked back to the platform and waited for Dee. He gave him the thumbs up for the red button. Dee pressed it and another humming from somewhere below started. He walked over to where Nye was standing, everyone waiting to return home. They gave Dee an honorable salute, but Mara was torn. Tears streamed down her face as she placed her hands over her mouth trying to hold back. She couldn't bear to look as they were leaving without him. Dee blew her a kiss goodbye. She burrowed her face into Jessie's shoulder. She too was filled with emotions. Lifting a hand, she signed, "Goodbye D-E-E".
Nye held out his hand, and Dee reached back to give a firm handshake.
"Goodbye Dee. It was a pleasure."
Nye turned Dee around and with all he had, sucker punched him across his face. It sent Dee flying back and tumbling onto the glass platform just in time before the energy shield turned on.
"That's for defeating me," murmured Nye.
"Wait, Nye! No!" shouted Dee as he got to his feet.
Nye gave him a long look. A look that meant to say, "Thank you". The light had turned green. He raced over and lifted the clear cover. Gripping the lever, he pulled it down. Right before the bright lights could blind their view, the black hole tore the Transport Station into pieces. The lights went out like a quick flicker during a storm.
The shield had appeared once again surrounding them. They were back. Back in Albertville. The room was filled with police officials, medics, players and employees of Adrenaline Corp. still scurrying around trying to figure out what was going on. As Dee and the remaining players appeared on the platform, shouts of "Look! Somethings coming through" and "Is that Mr. Montgomery?" along with much commotion filling the entire room. Medics came rushing to their aid with duffle bags in hand.
They tried to fight off the generous amount of help coming from all the officials as they made their way down the platform.
"Out of the way!" exclaimed Bu and the crowd gave way to a path.
They all ran out of the station with everyone following behind wondering what was going on and some followed just because everyone else was going. Up in the vast open sky, the sun had already set, now barely peaking over the horizon. Against the dark blue sky, Adrenaline Co
rp. sat among the stars. At the center was the growing black hole. Right before their eyes the RT2 Nano-bots shape shifted the moons landscape in an attempt to survive. Like a vacuum, the five moons gravitated together and eventually slammed into each other. Adrenaline Corp. employees cried out and gasped at the scene. Adrenaline was no more along with the billions of RT2 Nano-bots. The black hole suddenly closed in on itself as weird as it may sound and shrunk instantly disappearing out of sight.
"Nye Montgomery,' whispered Dee. He watched as the world's leading gaming company fell to literally nothing in a matter of minutes. It took Nye, the self-made trillionaire, over twenty years. The crowd began to disperse. There was nothing left to see.
"What do we do now?" asked Mara.
As Dee turned around, he felt a slight vibration coming from his right pocket. He reached down and instantly knew what it was. It spun in his palm.
"We live on," replied Dee. "We live on."
