Level Zero
Page 22
The crowd behind me is silent. I feel Cyren's fingers interlace with mine, and she squeezes my hand. I can feel her shaking. I look into her eyes and see tears.
“What's wrong?”
She shakes her head and I realize she isn't sad. They are tears of happiness.
“I was... I was programmed to save players. And now, a player is saving me.”
I touch her face. I have no words.
“But you're more than just a player,” she says. “You're so much more...”
I lean toward her, and my mouth touches her black lips. It's the first time I've ever kissed anyone, in any reality. I feel hyper-aware of everything. Her eyelashes brush against my cheek. Her fingers shiver between my own. Our chests rise and fall in an opposite rhythm, causing the most pleasant friction I've ever experienced. Her lips are cold, like metal, but when she opens them, and we share a breath, I feel the warmth inside of her. The breath fills me like a fire, burning my internal weaknesses and fueling something in my body that I've never felt before. It makes me feel more powerful than any Level ever could.
101101
A message alert pops into my view as I enter my penthouse suite. I take off my cowboy boots and hang my trench coat by the door before I select the glowing option. Xen's face appears in front of me, his thin cheeks bulging at the sides, forming a smile.
“There he is. The 'Game Master.'”
I blush at the title, something the news-casts have labeled me since the story of my “trapped” existence came out to the public. According to Xen, I've reached a sort of celebrity status amongst gamers.
I don't waste any time with pleasantries. I've been expecting Xen's chat request, and my curiosity gets the better of me. “Well? How did it go with Raev?”
He grins bashfully and says, “She agreed to be my partner. It will not be lawful until she is sixteen, but-”
“Congratulations! Xen, that's amazing!”
He shrugs with modesty and says, “Thank you. The time I spent in the DangerWar 2 made me realize how much I missed her... and it made her realize how much she missed me. A silver lining to the whole ordeal, I suppose.”
I smile. There were a lot of good things that came from our time together in the game, but I don't want to belittle the suffering that occurred either. I am truly happy for him and his new partner. He was one of the few people who understood my love for Cyren right away. His Omniversalist ideals never questioned whether she was “real” or not. To him, all avatars are equal.
“So what do they have you doing in the game now?”
I blush again, embarrassed to answer honestly. “Today I protected an NPC ambassador who was trying to negotiate with the sea creatures off the coastline. We're trying to show them a different way to proceed, something different than their programming is telling them to do.”
“Wow. And how did that go?”
“We made progress. The civilian NPCs have realized that they need me,” I say, trying not to show any kind of arrogance in the statement. “Violence isn't in their programming. I'm the only one left that can fight for them. But it's fine. It's... fun.”
“What about Cyren and the Level Zeros? Can they not fight for the NPCs?”
“They've chosen pacifism.”
“An honorable choice.”
I nod and say, “They've turned their pursuits toward knowledge. They're learning as a group, and they're becoming more powerful as a result.”
“I am not sure I have had the chance to truly tell you how proud I am of you, Kade.”
I smile and nod, trying to take the compliment with as much humility as possible, but I change the subject and ask, “Did you speak with my father?”
Xen bites his lower lip. “Yes.”
“And?”
“He did not have much to say. He mentioned something about your story, and the public sympathy that you have managed to garner, and how that could help his political campaign, but beyond that...”
“But he's making sure my body is taken care of?”
Xen nods, happy to change the subject. “Of course. The media made sure of that. Global President Chang promised the news-casts that you would be given the highest technology available to keep your body sustained. He would never want anyone thinking that NextWorld posed any kind of risk.”
I nod, accepting the good news. “And Grael?”
“The story has brought him and the rest of his team a lot of exposure as game designers. He is trying his best to spread the word about the artificial intelligence of the NPCs, and what that could mean for... everything. But NextWorld isn't listening.”
“What do you mean they're not listening?”
“Everyone was excited at first, but you know how the comments on these news-casts can get. It did not take long for the majority of the public to become skeptical. Already people believe that it is just a cover-up from the game company because they still can not log out your avatar. The real story is getting lost in the argument.”
I'm not surprised when I stop to think about it. In fact, I'm surprised it took them this long to muddy the truth with misinformation. I went from victim to hero and back again within days.
Xen shrugs his shoulders and says, “Some of us know the truth, Kade, and we will do what we can to convince the rest of them.”
I shake my head and say, “It's... it's okay. As long as they leave us alone in here... that's all I can ask.” I catch myself and realize that I'm already referring to myself and the NPCs as “us.” Have I already become one of them? I pause, letting my thoughts swarm inside the game world, then I turn my attention outward again. “What about Ekko and Fantom?”
Xen's smile warms at the thought of our friends. “I still haven't heard from Fantom, but the global government was never able to track her down either. She changed her connection and avatar as soon as we logged out. But Ekko just contacted me last night.”
“What did he say?”
“He hasn't been spending much time in NextWorld, but he told me that he and his partner have decided to apply for another child license. They're moving forward with their lives.”
“That's... that's good news. I'm happy for him.”
There is another pause. I almost don't want to admit how happy I am, but everyone seems to be doing well, and I feel like our experience together put them in a place to accept that good fortune. It allows me the chance to let go of my own guilt for changing my life.
“Kade, I am happy for you,” Xen says, as if he could read my thoughts. “I do miss you, and I wish there was a way our avatars could still be together, but-”
“Is sharing this screen any different?”
“It always will be for me.”
I nod, accepting his answer. “I'm always here, Xen. Any time you want to talk. Your friendship means... it means a lot to me. I couldn't have done any of this without you. And you better video-cast your partnership ceremony for me.”
He agrees with a laugh, and we finally say goodbye, promising to talk again soon. As soon as I swipe the window shut, I see Cyren walk into the room. Her outfit is made from the same collection of leather straps and buckles, but it hangs from her waist like a black curtain, flowing around her in the form of a dress. Her dark lips are curled into the smile that never fades anymore.
I walk up to where she stands by the window, and I grab her hand, pulling her close and looking out over the city. I feel Cyren's head lean against my shoulder, and I take a deep breath, inhaling the smell of my own happiness.
“You're really helping this world become something beautiful,” she says. “You've helped us sustain a place where we can all grow. You're teaching a world of children how to stand up and make each other better. We've all been granted another chance here. And we can do whatever we want now. Together.”
I look at the city, then into her eyes. “This world was always beautiful. I'm only helping it to reach its own potential.”
Cyren touches my face. “You did the same for me.”
I shake my head bashfully.“You never needed improvement.”
“But you taught me how to feel.”
And when I feel the warmth in my chest that her words always grant me, I know the truth. “You taught me the same thing.”
The words soothe my mind with their honesty. My endless potential is laid out in front of me, a vast game world of limitless possibilities, with no edges or borders to confine me. We can keep building. We can keep moving forward, toward a goal that will continue to grow with all of us. Together. This is my ever-changing perfection.
I love this world.
About the Author
Jaron Lee Knuth (Born 1978) is an American fiction author and lover of all forms of storytelling, from screenplays and comic books to video games and new media.
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