Game World

by George Ivanoff

  He was in a run-down laneway. Brick walls towered on either side of him, a couple of floodlights creating harsh spots of brightness in the gloom. There was a mound of garbage between the walls of the alley, fallen bins along the edges. Behind that was a high chain-link fence, with another wall beyond. The stink was incredible.

  Stink?

  VR didn’t usually come with smells. Although he had read an article about a sense of smell being added to some new programs. Maybe this was one of them?

  Hall turned. In the opposite direction, he could see the lights and tall buildings of a city. Tilting his face up, he felt the drizzle on his skin.

  Pitch black.

  No stars.

  No moon.

  Something moved in the shadows.

  Hall began to sweat.

  This didn’t feel like a game. Suddenly, he realised he was no longer using his avatar. He examined his hands. He was himself. No longer HallsOfAwesome … just plain, ordinary Hall. How did that happen? He had a momentary spike of panic.

  Hall reached up to remove the VR helmet. But there was none. He patted at his face and head, becoming more agitated. How could it disappear?

  ‘What are you doing?’

  The voice came from the shadows.

  A figure moved forward tentatively, still remaining in the gloom. It appeared to be a boy, younger than Hall, dressed in a blue uniform. Then the figure stepped into the light and Hall saw it wasn’t a boy – at least, not a real one. This boy was …

  A robot!

  His face and hands were a patchwork of metal plates with little rivets, his glass eyes a startling green.

  ‘Are you okay?’ asked the robot boy.

  ‘Um … yeah … I guess,’ Hall answered, feeling strange talking to what he assumed must be a NPC – a non-player character; a game construct. ‘It’s just that … well … I was trying to get my VR helmet off.’

  ‘You’re not wearing one,’ said the boy. ‘This world is not what you think it is.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘You’re in danger here.’

  ‘I am?’

  Hall was about to ask him to explain, when he heard approaching footsteps. Heavy stomping feet.

  ‘Get out … if you can,’ advised the boy, stepping back into the shadows. ‘Go home. Before it’s too late.’

  ‘What? Why?’ Hall was utterly confused. He felt for the helmet again, but it wasn’t there. Maybe this isn’t a game? ‘I don’t know how to get home.’

  But the robot boy was gone.

  Another figure was now marching down the alleyway towards him, long grey trench coat flapping dramatically about it.

  The figure came to a halt right in front of Hall.

  It was a woman. Tall and thin, with dark skin and a mass of spiky red hair that stuck out all over the place. She wore a dark red uniform under the coat, with chunky boots that looked like they could do some serious damage. An array of medals and ribbons dangled from her chest.

  ‘We’ve been waiting for you, soldier.’ The voice was cold, crisp and measured.

  Hall shut his eyes and stuck out his hands, waving them around.

  ‘What are you doing?’ demanded the woman.

  ‘Just testing a theory,’ he said, walking forward.

  If I’m still at PlayTime, reasoned Hall, I’ll walk into the table or Max or something.

  Instead, he walked straight into the woman.

  ‘Keep your hands to yourself, soldier,’ she barked, slapping him.

  ‘Ow!’ Hall opened his eyes. ‘Who … who are you? Where am I?’

  ‘I am Field Marshal Maheera,’ she said. ‘And this is Megatropolis.’

  ‘Megatropolis,’ repeated Hall. It didn’t sound like a real place. It sounded made-up.

  ‘Am I still in a game?’ asked Hall, hoping he was.

  ‘Game,’ said Maheera. ‘This is no game. This is war!’

  ‘What do –’

  Three drones zoomed down from the darkness above, their propellers whining. Fluorescent-blue stripes lit up their under-carriages.

  Maheera reached into her trench coat and pulled out a metal ball. ‘Duck!’ she commanded, hefting it into the air.

  Hall watched the ball soar up towards the drones.

  KA-BLAM!

  It exploded, smashing the drones out of the sky. The shockwave knocked Hall off his feet and into a puddle.

  The feel of water on his face confused him. Even though he had felt the drizzle earlier, it didn’t occur to him until now.

  This isn’t a game. It must be real. I’ve stepped into another world – just like that website said.

  ‘I ordered you to duck,’ barked Maheera. ‘If you want to survive in this world, soldier, you must do as I tell you. Now … run as if your life depended on it. Because it does.’

  She took off down the alley.

  Hall scrambled to his feet. What did she mean, his life depended on it? He glanced down at the scattered remains of the drones. Are there more of those things? he wondered.

  He watched Maheera reach the entrance to the alley and disappear around the corner. And then he heard the distant whine of more drones.

  With a sudden surge of adrenaline, he ran after her.

  Slipping and stumbling, Hall finally made it to the end of the alley. Maheera was already half a block away.

  ‘Hurry!’ he heard her shout.

  But Hall stopped dead in his tracks, mouth agape as he stared at the city.

  ‘This is unbelievable,’ he whispered.

  Massive skyscrapers stretched into the darkness, their upper storeys out of sight, many of them connected with walkways and tracks. Random windows were lit on every floor, making the sides of the towering buildings resemble massive glowing game boards. Neon signs lit up the street. Video screens several storeys high were embedded into some of the buildings. They seemed to be showing live gaming feeds.

  Zipping this way and that, through the air around the buildings, were drones of all shapes and sizes.

  Lowering his gaze, Hall realised something was missing – people. The street was empty, except for the retreating form of Field Marshal Maheera.

  With little choice, Hall chased after her, his feet splashing through the puddles. It was impossible to keep up. She was really fast. He was not.

  When Maheera turned a corner, Hall tried to run faster for fear of losing her. He was out of breath by the time he reached the end of the street. And she was now several blocks away and turning another corner. The chances of getting lost were increasing by the second, but he had to catch his breath. Bending over, he rested his forearms on his thighs and took a few gulping lung-fulls.

  That’s when he heard it. Glancing up, he saw a gold-coloured drone, again with blue stripes, zipping towards him. Straightening, he resumed his pursuit of Maheera. But up ahead, he saw more drones, lowering from the sky, all hovering with their lenses pointed in his direction.

  Hall was astonished to see streaks of blue light blaze from the shadows. The drones exploded.

  A figure darted into the light. It was the robot boy.

  ‘They’re trying to find you,’ he said. ‘The robots will come after you. The humans will come after you. Return to your own world before it is too late.’

  ‘I don’t know how to,’ said Hall. He frantically patted at his face and head. ‘The VR stuff’s gone.’ Hall stopped, his arms dropping limp by his side. ‘This isn’t a game. This is some other world.’

  ‘Yes.’ The boy took a step forward. ‘This is a world of danger. Of robots and humans fighting each other. Of deadly games. Of deceit and manipulation. It is not what it appears to be.’

  ‘So, what is it then?’ asked Hall.

  ‘I can’t tell you,’ said the robot boy. ‘You need to work it out for yourself.’

  ‘That’s just great!’ Hall threw his hands up in the air and turned away from the robot.

  ‘But I’ll help you when I can.’ The boy put a metallic hand on Hall’s shoulder.


  A noise drew Hall’s attention skyward. It was a deep, loud thrumming.

  From above, a vehicle was descending. Steel-blue and menacing. A large drone? A mini-helicopter? Hall wasn’t sure.

  ‘They’re coming,’ said the boy, fading into the shadows. ‘I can’t be seen with you. Don’t tell anyone about me. Now … RUN!’

  Hall took off. Up ahead, he saw Maheera come back around the corner.

  With a whoosh of air and the thrum of propellers, the grey vehicle landed on the street between Hall and Maheera.

  Hall slowed to a jog, his eyes on the contraption.

  As he passed by, its roof slid open, releasing half-a-dozen small robots. Square little blue heads on squat rectangular bodies with hinged legs made them rather comical. Their odd appearance was topped off by arms ending in tubes.

  One of the robots lifted an arm, and with a hiss of compressed air, a dart shot out at Hall!

  ‘RUN FASTER, SOLDIER!’ Maheera’s voice echoed down the street, as she closed in on him.

  Hall did his best.

  The robots gave chase.

  Heart pounding, the sound of blood rushing in his ears, he ran.

  Darts whizzed past him. Hall ignored the burn in his muscles and pushed his legs harder.

  Up ahead he saw Maheera fling open her trench coat and draw futuristic-looking pistols. She bolted towards him.

  And then he felt a sting on the back of his neck.

  His vision swam.

  His muscles trembled.

  His legs gave out.

  As Hall toppled, he saw Field Marshal Maheera charging in his direction, deadly red flashes blasting from her pistols.

  Is she coming to save me? hoped Hall.

  There was an explosion behind him.

  He hit the pavement, and blackness swallowed him.

  Black.

  Awareness returned to Hall.

  There was nothing around him. Nothing at all. No colour. No light.

  Where’s Maheera? he wondered.

  He couldn’t feel anything. Trying to move his hands, he realised they weren’t there. Not only that, he didn’t know whether he was lying down, sitting up or standing. He couldn’t even tell if he was breathing.

  What’s happening?

  Fear rose within him. But his breath didn’t quicken and his heart didn’t race.

  It was as if he was made of pure thought.

  Mega-weird!

  Light flickered into existence. Glowing green lines forming a grid.

  And then he was there.

  Hall gulped in a breath of air, feeling his chest expanding.

  His heart thumped.

  He blinked his eyes.

  He flexed his muscles.

  Hall’s body felt different. He was taller, leaner, stronger. He had muscles. Like … BIG muscles. Really big muscles.

  He gasped. Hall was a living, breathing version of his game avatar, HallsOfAwesome.

  What’s going on? he thought. I must be in a game after all.

  In his left hand he held a shield. In his right, a sword.

  He gave the weapon an experimental swing.

  Lightning crackled from its point, arcing through the darkness, across the light grid.

  ‘Whoa!’ Hall jumped back.

  Up ahead, light flared and a form took shape. A man made of metal. It didn’t look like a robot, so much as a bronze statue, arms by its side, standing to attention.

  More light. Flash after flash, as an army of statues appeared.

  The first statue moved. It stepped forward and drew its sword. Raising the weapon, it charged.

  It took Hall a few moments to react. Once he overcame his astonishment, his gamer instincts kicked in. He swung his sword with the precision of an avid gamer as the metal man bore down on him. A slash and a crackle of energy and his attacker fell, neatly sliced in two. Light engulfed it, and it disappeared.

  Yes! thought Hall. This is a game.

  He was in his element.

  Another statue came to life, drew its sword and charged.

  This time, Hall was ready. He swung his blade, lightning discharged and the metal man blew apart, its pieces disappearing in little bursts of light.

  The next soldier attacked.

  Hall slashed his sword.

  Energy crackled.

  The metal man fell.

  But then, slowly, it began to get up.

  Hall swung his sword again. This time his opponent blew apart.

  The next metal man was even harder to defeat.

  They’re getting stronger, he thought. Adapting to my attacks.

  As the next soldier stepped forward, Hall rushed at it, swinging his sword before it could draw its own weapon. It went down with one strike.

  That’s it, thought Hall. I’ve got to get them early.

  He took a deep breath and charged, slashing and swinging. Lightning arced as his blade cleaved its way through his opponents before they had the chance to take their first steps.

  With the final swing of his sword, Hall thrust it high above his head and shouted, ‘YES!’

  Then everything was gone.

  Black.

  Again, awareness returned to Hall. If felt like seconds since his victory over the metal men. But it could have been hours? Days? He had no way of knowing.

  The grid flickered into existence and again he was in his avatar guise.

  Another game? How many levels are there?

  Hall looked at his hands. He was wearing gloves. But no armour.

  Out of nowhere, a ball of ice the size of his fist zoomed towards him. It hit him on the shoulder almost knocking him off his feet.

  ‘What the –’

  He ducked as a ball of fire shot past.

  Another ball of ice. He ducked.

  A ball of fire. He sidestepped … straight into the path of another iceball.

  He didn’t have time to avoid it, so Hall swatted it with his hand. It disintegrated.

  As the next ball of fire approached, he wondered if he should try the same way of dealing with it. Holding up his hand, he hit it. It too disintegrated.

  An iceball and a fireball came in quick succession. He ducked one and blocked the other.

  Hall spent what seemed like an eternity ducking, swatting, sidestepping and blocking alternating balls of ice and fire. Until …

  He misjudged and was hit in the leg by a fireball. His pants caught fire, flames dancing over the material. On pure instinct, he reached out and caught the next iceball, using it to smother the flames.

  The assault of alternating flames and frozen water resumed. Except that Hall now caught as many of the iceballs as he could, flinging them at the oncoming fireballs.

  Miniature explosions of fire and ice filled the air, droplets of water dancing around him.

  Hall felt like he was being tested. Reflexes, speed, agility, resilience, all coming together.

  ‘How am I doing?’ he called out.

  But he couldn’t last forever.

  Jumping from the path of an oncoming fireball, he slipped on a patch of ice. As he crashed to the ground, fireball after iceball after fireball smashed into him. Freezing cold and unbearable heat engulfed him simultaneously, as he was relentlessly pelted.

  Suddenly it stopped.

  ‘You are being tested,’ said a familiar voice.

  Hall saw the robot boy, standing amid a scene of fire and ice frozen in midair.

  ‘Who are you?’ asked Hall. ‘If this is a game … are you real? What’s going on?’

  ‘My name is Sigmund. If I had friends, they’d probably call me Siggy.’ He gave a wan metallic smile and Hall felt sorry for him.

  ‘You are in a game now,’ continued Siggy. ‘You are being assessed for your ability to play and adapt … your ability to use your imagination. Games! That’s what is going on in this world. That is what this place is all about. Playing games is a great way to distract yourself from what’s really going on … isn’t it?’

  Hall thought a
bout his online games at home. They were fun. But they were also a way to escape from everyday things he didn’t like dealing with.

  ‘So, are you playing this game too?’ Hall asked.

  ‘Not this one. I have a bigger game,’ said Siggy enigmatically. ‘Be careful. There are more games to come. Don’t let them distract you from what’s important.’

  A ball of fire exploded next to Hall.

  ‘I can’t keep this paused any longer,’ said Siggy.

  The fire and ice burst into action.

  Hall lifted his arms to shield himself.

  But it was all gone.

  Black.

  Awareness returned. He wondered how many times he’d have to do this.

  The light grid appeared.

  Hall, in his avatar guise, took his place.

  Everything glitched. It was like the entire universe hiccuped.

  A horizontal laser beam glowed a bright menacing white-hot, as it moved towards him. At knee height, it was like a deadly limbo stick held too low. It extended beyond sight in either direction, so there was no going around.

  Hall jumped and it passed below him.

  Another beam, this time at shoulder height. He ducked and it passed over him.

  And then it was on. Beam after beam, at various heights, with increasing speed. Hall jumped and ducked, ducked and jumped, silently thankful his avatar was way fitter than the real-life Hall.

  The real-life Hall?

  Is there a difference?

  The onslaught of lasers soon had his mind back on the matter at hand.

  As he jumped one beam, another raced towards him at a greater speed. It was ankle height. There was no way he could jump again in time. He was about to get a radical height reduction.

  Everything glitched. And the beam was gone.

  But others came.

  Jump.

  Duck.

  Jump.

  Jump.

  Jump.

  Duck.

  Now two beams headed for him simultaneously, one at head height, the other aiming for his knees.

  He jumped and stretched out horizontally, twisting in midair. One beam passed below him, the other passed overhead. It felt like a magic, slow-mo, action-movie scene.

  Whoa! I am so cool!

  Hall crashed to the ground, ending his movie-star moment.

  A mouse-high laser sizzled towards him. He tried rolling away from it, but it was faster.