by Terry Schott
“You already know the answer to that.”
“Maybe, but I’d like to hear your opinion.”
“I’ve brought religion to Tygon,” Danielle said with a frown.
“Judging from the look on your face, you aren’t happy with that.”
“Of course I am. Maybe not. I’m not entirely sure, yet.”
“You sound like a reluctant spiritual leader who is worried that it could lead to more than your followers intend.” The old man’s eyes sparkled.
She smoothed the material on one arm of her purple robe. “I think that’s exactly what I am.”
“Good! History has proven countless times that reluctant leaders are often the best.”
“History of Earth, or Tygon?”
He made a swirling motion with his hand. “Both, and more.”
Danielle took a sip of water. “What reality do you come from?”
He shook his head. “Boring question.”
“Not to me.”
“What does it matter?”
“I don’t know.”
“Which makes it a boring question.” He put the lid on the empty bottle and tossed it over his shoulder. It flew through the air and landed with a soft thump into the trash bucket.
“How long are you here?”
“Also boring.” He let his head roll until it rested on his shoulder, looking out the window.
“What are you doing here?”
The old man rolled his head back and straightened it, smiling as his eyes met hers. “There we go. A less boring question.”
“Is it one you will answer?”
“Sure.” He reached down and tugged one glove. Danielle thought it was a gesture announcing he was ready to get down to business. “I’m here because I need your help.”
“With what?”
“You are the Prophet because you lead the new religion of Tygon. You lead the new religion of Tygon for another, very key reason.”
“Because I am Trew’s wife.”
“No.” The old man shook his head. “Although that doesn’t hurt.” He stood and walked to the window. “You are able to speak with Him.”
“He speaks to others as well.”
“Not like He speaks to you.”
“Trew has a better relationship with Him than I do.”
“Maybe, but I doubt it.” The old man ran a hand through his hair once more. “That’s irrelevant. For my purposes, you will serve better than Trew.”
“Why?”
“The discussion I want you to have with Him is about Trew. It’s important that Trew be kept in the dark about this.”
Danielle joined him at the window. She looked down at the busy streets hundreds of feet below them. “You want me to talk to Tygon’s god about Trew?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t keep secrets from my husband.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to.”
“You will make me forget about this?”
“Yes. Until you meet with your god. Then you will remember.”
Danielle sighed. “Why do I trust you, old man?”
He grinned. “Beats me, girl, but I’m glad that you do.”
Danielle rolled her eyes. “Give me the message. I will make certain it is delivered.”
10
“No.”
“Come on, Danni, think about it for just a minute.” Trew reached across the table to touch her hand but she pulled back and placed it on her lap.
“I have.”
“How could you? I just brought it up now.”
“Come on.” She laughed. “I know you as well as I know myself. Better, sometimes. When you made the announcement, I knew exactly what you intended.”
Trew grinned. “If you know me so well then you gotta admit that it’s a good idea.”
“I will admit that my husband is still the same teenager I married ten years ago.”
“Thank you.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“Of course it was. As if you want me to turn into some old man.”
Danielle sighed and shook her head. “That will never happen if you do this, Trew. We both know the outcome of entering the Game as an adult. You will die.”
Trew looked at his fingernails. “We’re all going to die eventually, Danni.”
“You know what I mean. If you enter the Game now, as an adult, you won’t come out alive.”
Trew was silent.
“The new Game was supposed to be for older players. For seniors and sick people who are close to death. You sold it to the world as a ‘second life’ for people who were close to the end of this one.”
“That’s what it will be. Primarily.”
“It won’t work. They aren’t interested. Old people have never truly understood the Game. Anyone older than forty never got a chance to play as a kid, but they did get to watch. To them, the Game is a frightening life full of the same trials and challenges that they faced during a lifetime on Tygon. The truth is that most of them are tired and ready to die.”
“They shouldn’t be ready to die. They should be afraid of it. Senior citizens should jump at the chance to live another life rather than face an eternity of nothingness.”
“Who says that’s what they’re facing?”
“Uh-oh.” Trew looked at his drink and swirled it. “Am I now speaking to the Prophet? Are we about to enter a discussion about the afterlife?”
“If you like.”
Trew chuckled. “No, that’s okay.”
“Do you really believe we will cease to exist when we die?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know.”
“I didn’t ask what you know. I asked what you believe.”
“I’m not sure what I believe, Danni. We’ve seen a lot of crazy things during our lives. Sometimes it gets overwhelming.”
Danielle moved to sit beside Trew, leaning into him and resting her head on his shoulder. He lay his head against hers. “I miss the Game.”
“I know.”
“You don’t?”
Danielle sighed. “Not yet. On my last play, I lived a long time without you. It’s been ten years, but I still feel like we’ve just been reunited.”
“I agree. Plus it seems like we spend so much time living for others that we get little for us. I’m the richest man in the world and you’re the spiritual leader for the planet.”
“And we are parents.” Danni smiled. “That’s the best part of it all.”
“I agree. And we’ve managed to spend so much time with Addisyn.”
“And you would leave her.”
“No. I couldn’t bear to leave her.” Trew stroked Danni’s hair. “If push came to shove, I wouldn’t enter the Game at this point in my life. I guess I’m nothing more than talk and dumb ideas.”
I’m not sure I believe you, husband, or that I blame you. “There is lots of work for us out here. Stay and enjoy this reality a while longer.”
“You’re right, of course.” Trew closed his eyes and soaked up his wife’s energy. “Maybe in forty or fifty years, both of us will be ready to head back in. Who knows. It could be a whole different program by then. Perhaps Addisyn will join us too.”
“Who knows.”
11
To anyone passing by, it appeared that the man was standing on the sidewalk and watching the electronics display through the store window. He wasn’t looking at the display, though. He was gazing at his reflection.
“Kevin?” His eyes shifted to view the reflection of a smiling girl standing behind him.
She’s talking to me. Why is it so difficult to remember that my name is Kevin? He turned around. Probably because it isn’t my name.
“Hey —” he searched his memory — the memory in this body — for the name of the pretty woman standing in front of him. Nope. I have no idea who she is. “How are you doing?”
The woman laughed and gave him a hug, rubbing his back with a gesture that conveyed familiarity. “I’m doing okay, all things considered.” Sh
e released him from the embrace and wiped a tear from her eye. “How are you doing? I haven’t seen you since, well, since the return.”
“Tawny!” he exclaimed as the woman’s name came to him.
“Yes . . .”
Damn it, I’ve hurt her feelings. I guess that makes sense, since we used to date. Kevin and her. “I’m sorry, hun. Since the Return, my brain has been scrambled. I can’t remember the simplest things some days.”
Her look changed from disappointment to concern. “Oh you poor thing. I’ve heard of that happening to some people. Don’t you worry about it. I’m sure it will pass.”
Another save for me. “So, are you back to work at the bank?”
“Yes.” She looked at the computer display in the window and bit her lower lip. “It’s not very fun. I remember being a pilot. You know, on Earth.”
“Ah, that sucks.” This was common. Millions of lives had been saved, but most had returned to this reality with disappointing existences compared to the ones they had left behind. Most people felt trapped, having fresh memories of being more while now finding themselves living in a reality of less.
“Yeah.” She shrugged.
“Did you look into transferring your skills? I’ve heard that some people are able to use their memories and skills from the Sim to do those things here.”
“I tried, but I didn’t retain enough.”
“Did you have any other memories? Of other lives?”
“No.” She sighed. “Which means that I am stuck here living as a bank teller while, in my head, I am someone else. Missing a better life that I can never return to.”
I should say something, but I don’t know how to cheer her up. He remained silent.
“I had a family. Two kids, great husband. All gone. Back to the real world, huh? The single, lonely life for me.”
“You’re young and pretty. You have plenty of time for kids and a husband here.”
“I guess.”
Kevin gave her a reassuring hug. Seems like the thing to do.
“Thanks, Kev, you were always a sweetheart. Why did we ever break up?”
Because you wanted to settle down and have a family and Kevin wasn’t ready. “If I couldn’t remember your name, I definitely don’t remember why we broke up.”
She laughed. “I guess not. How about you? Are you still a lawyer?”
He shook his head. “No. With my scrambled brains I would be no good as a lawyer.”
“What are you up to, then?” She looked at him appraisingly. Like I’m a car and she’s looking to make a purchase.
“Just trying to find my way. Moving from shelter to shelter, mostly.”
Tawny frowned. “Have you gone home yet? I’m sure your parents would be happy to know that you’re safe.”
“I can’t remember where home is.”
She opened her purse and took out a small notebook. “I remember.” She wrote something down, then ripped the page out and handed it to him. “Here you go, sweetie. It’s your parents’ address. Go home and get better.”
“Thank you, Tawny, I really appreciate it.”
“My pleasure, Kevin.” She hugged him again, this time pulling him closer and holding the embrace longer. “I also wrote my phone number on the bottom of the page.” Her breath was warm and her lips brushed his ear. “When you’re feeling more like yourself, give me a call and let’s meet up, okay? I’ll buy dinner.”
“I would like that.”
Tawny walked away and Kevin looked at the paper before glancing one last time at the computer display, then turning to walk away.
I have no real plans. Might as well meet Kevin’s parents and see where that leads.
He crossed the street and raised his arm to hail a cab. It still feels so weird to be the only consciousness inside a body.
“Remember, your name is Kevin,” he mumbled. “No one here is going to call you Sparx, so stop thinking of yourself that way.”
Sparx opened the cab door and gave the address to the driver.
12
General Donovan entered Thorn’s office and smiled at the secretary.
“Go on in, General.”
“Thank you, Cheryl.” He crossed the room, knocked, and entered.
Samson Thorn sat with a phone pressed against his ear. He looked up and smiled, inviting the General to sit with a motion of his hand. “That’s right. Send me the numbers before the end of today, please.” He hung up and exhaled. “Well, things are moving along nicely, General. I am happy to report that the power is back up on the entire eastern seaboard, and we can expect water and sewage plants to be fully operational in those areas by the end of this week.”
“That’s excellent news, Mr. Thorn.” The General reached for the stainless coffeepot on Thorn’s desk and poured some into an empty mug. “We have enough military personnel in the region to assist civilians with re-settlement.” He withdrew a notebook and flipped through the pages. “This will bring . . . three quarters of the country back online with the basics.”
“Sickness is threatening to overwhelm the refugee camps.” Thorn took a drink from his own cup.
“We will get more antibiotics to the affected locations. I have seen no reports that concern me. Stomach infections from bad water and malnutrition, pretty standard stuff when dealing with situations like this.”
Thorn nodded. “I’m glad to have your considerable field experience available in these matters, General. We would be lost without you.
“The same is true for your expertise with computers. The power grids are back up faster than I could have hoped for. How about the Net? Have you been able to bring it back online as well?”
“No.” Thorn’s brows conveyed his frustration. “With the power grid up and flowing between the cities, reinitiating it should have been a simple thing, but we experienced surprise complications.”
“That’s a serious setback.”
“It is.” Thorn turned the monitor to face the General. The display showed an intricate schematic of lines and squares representing the old computer network. “The old Net was a mess.”
“In what way?”
“In every way, really. It was comprised of new layers built on top of older, weaker, simpler foundations. It was never possible to shut it down to clean it up; the impact of such a thing would have been crippling to society. As a result, new technology was developed and then attached by piling it on top of the older and less stable framework. After decades of this, the result was a very cumbersome and inefficient product.”
“I understand. I’m guessing there were portions — key components of the foundation — that could not be revived?”
“Exactly. It worked while it worked, but to use a vehicle analogy, there were some parts that just don’t exist anymore and could not be rebuilt.”
The General tapped the military ring on his finger against the desk. “Is it easier to build a new one?”
“No, but it’s the only viable option we have.” With the press of a button, the graphic on Thorn’s monitor dissolved and a less chaotic looking diagram appeared. “I want to create this to replace the old Net.”
“How much will it cost?”
Thorn knew that he wasn’t being asked about money. At the moment, their most precious currency was time. “The time required to build it is an uncertain variable which depends on our ability to acquire talent. Every programmer and software designer that we can snap up.”
“That will be a challenge. You know as well as I do that the economic and business landscapes of the country — of the world — have collapsed. Those with past success in the field of business are rushing to occupy the void left by the collapse of, well, everything.”
“I’m surprised to hear that kind of attitude coming from you, General. I always assumed that the military, specifically you, controlled big business and determined how things proceeded.”
“I wish. Bombs, guns, tanks, yes. Running the military has always been expensive, but the masters were always
the banks and corporations. The best I can do is support those who helped the military most and were manageable. Don’t worry, Mr. Thorn, I am very involved in the power struggles going on across the globe.”
“Good. If you can exert any influence to help us to acquire any of the talent on my list, I would be most grateful.” He reached for a sheet of paper and slid it across the desk.
The General barely glanced at it. “Of course. If all you need is a couple hundred specialists, then there should be no problems.”
“Check the number one and three names on my list.”
The General’s expression darkened as he read them. “That will never happen. You might get one, but definitely not both; they hate each other too much to work together.”
“I know they were bitter enemies before this happened, and that now they are both fighting strong and hard to come out on top in this new environment.”
“One of them will succeed. The other will perish. It will be impossible to get them to work together.”
Thorn raised one eyebrow. “Then you must do the impossible, General.”
The General laughed. “You have heart, Thorn, I can’t deny that. How soon can you build a new network and make it live?”
“There are one hundred names on that list. Without number one and three, I estimate four years.”
“What? That’s unacceptable.”
“With number one and three on board, three months.”
The General sat back and ran one hand over his forehead. “Damn.”
“Exactly.”
“Fine.” General Donovan stood and picked up the list. “I don’t know how, but we will get them on board.”
Thorn smiled. “I knew that I could count on you, General.”
13
Raphael chose to land far from the village and walk the rest of the way. There’s already enough panic here. Seeing a man land from the sky will not help.
He approached by way of the single lane dirt road which ran through the village centre. He stopped in front of the door to the largest of the buildings, a whitewashed board shack that had a liquor sign on it. There was a smashing sound as glass was thrown against the wall inside. “It’s me.” Raphael spoke loud enough to be heard from inside. “I’m coming in.”
