by Tony Corden
“Add a timer and a list of the top one-hundred news worlds around the globe. Oh, and Gèng, this is not a bluff. If she doesn’t walk out then send the clip and then send the rest sixty-seconds later.”
“4: Are you sure?”
“Yes, I need her to lose credibility if there is going to be anyway to slow down the anger in the negative-tax areas. For what’s planned in the next few days, I need them to start doing what I tell them to. Also send the sample clip to the six people they met up with in Ascendent. Encrypt their copy and set it to open in twenty-four hours. Copy Nathan in so he knows what you’ve sent them.”
“4: Your language is very inflammatory.”
“I also want them too mad to think properly.”
“4: You know what their next move is most likely to be.”
“Yes. I was hoping that wasn’t going to happen for another day or so. Three, can you see if Gianna can move up the meeting with Ivan and the others?”
“3: Done.”
“4: I’ve just sent the message.”
In the UMSE studios, Erol had just finished answering Gaspard’s rather vague first general question. Gaspard waited for a moment then said, “Erol, Dunyanin has a reputation for working hard to give people a playing experience where bullying isn’t rewarded. Is it fair to suggest that what we’ve seen over the last twenty-four hours is bullying on a massive scale?”
Erol blew out through his lips and said, “I can only comment as far as your question relates to Dunyanin and not to the entire multiverse. If we take Dunyanin as an isolated example and just look at what happened in our world, the answer is ‘no’. What has happened to Merideath’s character is one of the minor conflicts of the last twenty-four hours. All-in-all, a total of eight-hundred and ten players attacked various property or associates of Merideath and Clan Y’Haul. In the last twelve hours alone there were eight clan wars with ten times that number of combatants on each side. In the same twelve hour period, twenty-three clans with a membership of over five-hundred have been completely destroyed. As a part of the game over twenty-eight thousand players are descending on Atherleah to kill her. Now,…”
Halfway through Gaspard’s question Meredith had sat upright and stared straight ahead. By the time Erol had mentioned what had happened to Meredith her face had turned white, either with shock or fury. When Erol mentioned Atherleah, Meredith stood and without saying a word walked toward the exit and even before she reached it she disappeared.
Leah had stopped listening to the interview and said, “Three, could you transcribe the rest of the interview and send it to me on a braille reader? I need to set some things in motion.”
Gèng stood and led the way from the room. As they left the dungeon they were back in the main part of the Tower. Leah said, “Can you take me to the highest point? I want to see the whole valley.”
“4: Instantaneously or via the stairs?”
“It’s only seems right to climb the stairs.”
Gèng led the way to a concealed door. Inside was a spiral staircase that climbed up through the middle of the Tower. Together, the two friends climbed for about ten minutes without talking. When they reached the top, Leah proceeded past Gèng and out onto a small balcony where she turned to face the valley. She slowly turned in a full circle and felt the vista rotate across her body. When she stopped, Gèng said, “4: What do you see?”
“Not far enough Gèng, we need to step higher. All I can see from here is war.”
—End of Book 7—
Excerpt from Book 8 - War
As Leah moved toward the doorway to leave the observation point, Three said, “3: John, Marie, Joel and your mum and dad have all asked to see you. I’m not sure if it was the correct thing as I didn’t want to disturb you or Gèng, but I’ve asked them to be ready to come as soon as your free.”
“Thank you Three, I think what you did makes sense. I needed the time to think through what was about to happen. Please transfer me to the garden and tell them all they can come when they are available.”
Leah’s dad was the first person to arrive. He walked over to her and even though she knew his anger wasn’t directed at her, her natural reaction was to tense her muscles. With an effort, she relaxed and stepped forward to give him a hug. He ignored the gesture for a moment then carefully hugged her back.
“3: D with a slight burning sensation,
