Through the Wires

by Amy English

  Peter closed his eyes as 8:45 neared and then watched as the room went dark before he emerged in City mode a few seconds later. Peter slowly looked around at the people, cars, building and skyscrapers in amazement. The electric city was cool, unlike anything he could have ever imagined. He stood there for a minute watching as cars drone by with simulated people in them. Some cars filled with families, diving down the street. He even stared in amazement as cars stopped at the street lights as they turned from green to red.

  Peter walked along the street, with the crowds of people, as the city reminded him of the hustle and bustle of New York City with its constant pedestrian traffic coming and going. He decided to go into one of the tall buildings and explore. He walked through the automatic doors as a guard waved at him and a group of men with suitcases waved as they walked by. Peter walked up to a simulated desk and was in awe at the detail. Everything around him was exact in its detail. He was thrilled. It was better than he imagined.

  He stepped on the elevator and pushed the number five and rode up to the fifth floor. He got off and walked past people who appeared to be working. He walked to an empty office and sat down. He role played, pretending to be the boss. Soon, he saw that the employees were treating him differently. As if he was the owner of the company. A secretary carried a cup of coffee into his office and sat it down. She smiled and turned to walk away. Peter wanted to see what would happen if he kissed her.

  He jumped up from his chair and shut the door before she could exit. He watched as her demeanor changed. She stood in front of him motionless. He grabbed the virtual woman and kissed her. She felt limp in his arms but otherwise had no reaction. Peter stopped kissing her and pulled back. The virtual woman stepped back then walked around him and opened the door. She left out and walked back to her desk. Peter was puzzled. It would have been a nice touch if she had seemed interested in him.

  He wondered if one played city long enough could they meet and engage in a relationship. Would the woman appear interested? Smile when she saw him. Engage more with him. Peter remembered Dylan telling him that the more you played and interacted, the more the environment responded. Peter looked back at her. She looked over at him. He wished she had pupils so he could see deep into her eyes. It would make her feel more real. Peter left the building. When he looked back the woman had walked to the door and watched as he walked away. He knew it was her. Even though you only saw outlines, they people were still distinct. Different clothing, hairstyles, heights, weight and behaviors made some of them unique and stand out.

  He walked around the city and eventually boarded a bus to see more of the area. He looked at all the tall building as they passed by. He liked the city mode. He could see himself wanting to spend more time there. A place he could be an adult in. Do adult things. Be whoever he wanted to be. And see how far the system would go.

  As Peter rode the bus, he continued taking in the scenery. Something bright caught his eye as he passed a side street. He stood up and the bus automatically slowed until it came to a stop. Peter got off and walked to the end of the block and looked down the street. He could see the brightly lit outline of a man that shone brighter than all the other people. He began walking towards the man as the man stood motionless. As he got closer, he could see that the man looked different than the simulated people around him. He had pupils and looked enraged. Peter walked backward, away from the man as he could sense danger.

  Suddenly the man took off running towards him. Peter turned around and ran, looking back and trying to think of a place to hide. He ran fast. It was obvious that he was a much better runner than the man. Peter ran down the street, bending the corner and never letting up until the man was far out of range. He ran into a building and got on the elevator and rode up to the tenth floor. He got off the elevator and walked over to the window and looked down. He seemed out of breath. His chest moved in and out rapidly. He could see the brightly lit man, looking around and still running down the street trying to locate him. He stayed in the building then a few seconds later, the room went dark.

  “What was that?” Peter said, as he tried to catch his breath. He removed the headphones and tried to calm down. He tried to make sense of what had just happened. Dylan hadn’t said anything about elements of danger included in the game. And Peter feared Dylan taking the game from him. Nothing had happened and part of him wondered if that weren’t part of the game. Designed to engage you. Scare you. And ultimately, give you an overall experience. He could see how incorporating such tactics would have the gamer thrilled. Elements of danger could be exciting so long as the player didn’t really get hurt.

  He soon imagined a war option. “I wonder if Dylan’s dad would make a section called War. Similar to Call of Duty. That would be so cool,” he said, as he sat on his bed. I’m not going to mention anything until he mentions it to me.

  Dylan and Emily chilled out for a few days. They were afraid to go into the game and so they spent the next few days relaxed and playing regular games like Xbox. “Hey son. How’s Espanys? You still like the game? I haven’t seen you play with your Xbox since I gave that system to you. Something wrong?” he asked. Dylan panicked for a second. He didn’t realize his father was paying such close attention. “No. I love that game. Just taking a break from it. It’s all good pop,” he replied, and continued playing Call of Duty while he talked to Peter on the phone. His father sat back on the couch and picked up the newspaper. Dylan closed the game out and got up. “I’m tired pop. I’m going to my room until mom is finished cooking,” he said.

  Peter told Dylan that he had been in just about every mode the game had to offer. That he was hooked on it and was locked in his room most the time logging hours of time in each mode. He didn’t mention the chase and just gave basic journey and experiences. But he did mention kissing a woman. Dylan chuckled. It was just like Peter. Always pushing the envelope.

  Dylan could tell, that in just a short time, Peter had logged just as much time as he had. Dylan couldn’t play as much because of his responsibilities at home, practice and the fact that he couldn’t lock his door, His father told him he could only play a short time daily and so he wasn’t allowed to be in the game as much. Peter’s family worked nights and he was home alone with his little brother and had a lot more time to log into the game.

  “Man, that game has capabilities that are just too much to figure out in a short period of time. It would take years to learn all the different possibilities. Each time I go in I learn something new,” Peter said. “It’s truly amazing. How much longer can I keep it?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking that same thing. The units have been out too long. I’m starting to get nervous. I know you haven’t had it long but you’ve had more time inside. Emily and I don’t go in as much. I can’t and she’s afraid to go in alone. My father rarely goes into our storage closet and we keep it locked cause a lot of his inventions and prototypes are in there. But I probably should put them back. Just for a week or two. Let’s go in tonight as a group. You, Emily and I. We’ll play around and then I’ll get them tomorrow. But I do need to ask you something. Have you been chased by anything or has anything weird happened in any of your log ins?” he asked. Peter paused briefly then decided to come clean and tell what had happened.

  “You know what, I have been chased. There was a lion chasing me in Safari mode. I thought it was my mind making the animal chase me because you can control the animals to a certain point. But then a shark chased me in Ocean mode and then a man when I was logged into City. So, I decided not to go in those modes. I’ve been mostly in Mountain, Space and Rural. My favorite is City though. I like the idea of what you could do in that mode. Pass as an adult. Go to work. Drive a car. Get married. Or have a bunch of girlfriends. I really want to go back there. It was cool. The first time I went into City, it seemed boring and basic. But then the people slowly started to respond to me. There’s a bunch of tall buildings. You can actually enter the houses and buildings and the
y’re set up like real life with furniture and everything. Then, I thought I saw something. I was inside one of the skyscrapers and there’s all these people walking around. One of them glowed bright. It threw me off because nothing else glowed like that except me. But then the other day, I got chased by that same bright man,” he remarked.

  “What! Emily and I were chased by a Rhinoceros that glowed really bright. I’ve got to find out what’s going on. I don’t think it’s us or our imaginations. It happened twice in one week. But nothing lately. I don’t know man…I believe someone else has access. At first, I thought it was a glitch. But now I’m not so sure. All I know is my father’s going to take the games and never give them back if he finds out,” Dylan warned.

  “Just be careful. We’ll go in tonight as a group. But this may be getting to dangerous. What if we’re caught by these things that are chasing us? Can we get hurt or killed? Like, we don’t know. Can you die there? And if you did, what does that mean. Will you wake up?” Peter questioned. Dylan had wondered the same things, But the things he was experiencing had subsided. Peter and Dylan made plans to go to Safari with Emily for one last trip before he would talk to his father. He hoped he could keep the units. It was a long shot. His father didn’t mention elements of danger so he was sure he would take the game.

  Frank was spending more time at the office. He was working late hours every night and several of his employees had noticed. Mr. Stallings had been informed of the excessive hours Frank was logging. They were used to him working late some nights to finish a project or attend a meeting. But his consistent work hours, that went well into the wee hours of the following mornings, caused concern.

  “Frank,” Mr. Stallings said as he entered Laboratory B18. “Yes sir,” Frank replied, as he turned his attention back to his prototype for Espanys AVM. His new unit made specifically for adults. Frank usually gave the schematics to the engineers and let them build it. But this was a secret project. One he was unwilling to talk about or share until it was complete. He was working on the motherboard so he felt no need to hide it from Mr. Stallings. Just the motherboard alone was not enough to get suspicious. He was an engineer. Working on equipment was part of his job.

  “Can I have a word with you in my office?” Mr. Stallings asked. Frank looked up. He instantly wondered what Mr. Stallings wanted. It was one o’clock in the morning. He had never seen him there that late. “Is something wrong?” Frank asked. “No. Just want to talk before I head home.”

  Mr. Stallings turned and walked out. Frank sat his mini screwdriver down slowly. It was hard to read the owner of Silverfish. A man he admired and who paved the way for scientist such as himself, to create freely. A working relationship built on trust and respect. And so being there, this late, was a concern. Mr. Stallings had a wife and ever-present grandkids that he adored. He hated to work late. He didn’t have to. Silverfish had made him one of the wealthiest men in America. So why was he there.

  What’s this about? Why is he here so late? he thought, as he stood up. He placed the equipment in his personal safe and closed the door. He pushed his code ensuring no one could gain access and went to Mr. Stallings office.

  “Sit down Frank,” he said. Frank sat and crossed his legs. Mr. Stallings sat back and smiled. “You are a very valuable part of this team. If you were to suddenly suffer from weak performances due to exhaustion, we would suffer. I am concerned about your hours lately. Your body cannot work at its best on exhaustion,” he said. “I’m not exhausted sir. I have several projects going on at once. I’m just trying to get them to phase III, so I can present them and then launch.”

  George worried about his star employee. The man who never missed a day and whose work already garnered them awards and wealth. “What are you working on that is so urgent? You have been in the lab for weeks. We have engineers for that. You give them specs and they build what you designed. I haven’t seen you build your own machine since Espany’s.”

  Frank uncrossed his legs. “This is bigger than that. That’s all I can say for now,” he said. “Frank come on. I say nothing about your projects. But I don’t expect you to keep secrets either,” he huffed. Frank shook his head. “You have always trusted me and I have never let you down. It seems someone has your ear. Suddenly you doubt me. The trust has dwindled. I am working as I always have. On my own, until the project has run through enough tests to be considered ready to present. I ask you to trust me again. I will come to you first, as soon as I have the kinks worked out. Trust me George.”

  Five

  Play at Your Own Risk

  D

  ylan came downstairs after his mother called to him for dinner. He was ready to dig into her delicious roast and potatoes. He sat at the table munching away and looking at text messages on his phone. “Dylan. Not at the table,” she cautioned. Dylan sighed and put his phone down as he continued eating his food. “Honey. I keep forgetting to tell you to call the electric company,” she said to Frank. “Why?” he asked.

  “Well, the power flickered on and off for about five minutes the other night. It did that same thing last Saturday. Then when I was carrying the groceries in the house, I noticed the same flashing lights happening over at Peggy Temple’s house and down at the Douglas’ home. It was weird. I’ve never seen lights flicker at just three houses. We should all be on the same power lines. Every house should have flickered,” she noted.

  Dylan stopped chewing and stared at his plate. He swallowed hard then chocked and his mother pat his back. “Are you ok honey,” she said, as she continued hitting his back. “Yeah Mom. I’m fine. May I be excused. I just remembered I have to study for an exam.”

  Claire looked at Dylan and then at her husband. She always liked him to finish his food but realized he wasn’t a baby anymore. “Sure honey,” she replied. Dylan jumped up from the table and rushed upstairs, He grabbed his phone and called Peter and when he got no answer, he called Emily. “Em. I know who it is!” he blurted, but quieted after he realized he was too loud and calmed his voice. “What? Who?” she asked. “It’s Josh across the street,” he replied. “What! The boy in the wheelchair. No way Dylan. He can’t walk,” she said. Dylan sat down and pondered what she had just said. She was right. He couldn’t walk so he wouldn’t be able to run. Dylan rubbed his head and noticed that his finger had sensation. He looked at his hand. He balled his hand into a fist and the finger rolled in tightly like the others. He rubbed it lightly then with more pressure.

  “Dylan! Dylan! Why are you not answering me?” she yelled. “Oh sorry. I just realized something. Something’s that I hadn’t really noticed before. You know my finger. The one I almost severed when I was a kid and it has no feeling and limited movement,” he said. “Yeah. What?” she asked. “Well. It has feeling now. And I can ball it up like the rest of my fingers. Somethings happening to me.” Dylan said as he sat there thinking. He paused and then stood up. “It is him. This system is reparative,” he said. “What?” she replied. “It’s reparative. The electrical impulses are connecting. The connections are starting to work. The system heals. Oh my God!” he said, pausing and realizing the magnitude of the discovery.

  “This is huge. This could change the world as we know Emily,” he said. “Dylan. We have to say something. You have to tell your father.” Dylan shook his head yes as his mind raced. “Yes. But first things first. I have to get my father’s system away from him. He’s going to ruin everything. This will cause Espanys to get shelved forever. He’s using it in a bad way. Until my father can work out the kinks so that no one can use it in this manner, I have to get it out of his hands.” Dylan continued pacing his floor then stopped. “Oh no. What if Peter’s in? I called him but he didn’t answer. We got to go in. He may be in danger,” he blurted. Dylan and Emily set the start time and added six minutes to allow them time to search through the Safari mode to locate Peter.

  Dylan and Emily went in. They looked around and looked at each other. The saw vast fields, tress and animal roaming about but
nothing unusual. Dylan looked in her eyes then pointed and used his index and middle finger to simulate walking. They walked towards the plains, making their way through the tall grass watching the herd graze. They looked on as tigers, hyena’s, elephants, gazelle and muskrats walked around.

  They searched for what felt like an hour but in real life had only been a few minutes. Emily slowed and stared off then pointed. Just beyond the tree glowed a bright image. The pair didn’t run because they weren’t sure if it was Peter or not. The glowing image was too far away to distinguish but appeared to be standing there motionless. All of a sudden, the bright figure came charging toward them with such aggression that they knew it couldn’t be Peter. The pair ran and Emily turned into a zebra while at the same time Dylan turned into the faster animal, the cheetah. He darted past her with great speed and agility. He looked back at Emily and saw she wasn’t running fast enough.

  Dylan ran back in order to fight the gaining form that he now could see was a huge lion approaching. Dylan knew he didn’t have time to change so he braced for the fight that he was sure he would lose. The lion slowed and walked menacingly towards them. Emily looked at Dylan with fear. He could see the fear in her Zebra eyes and prepared for battle.