‘Zombies,’ said Hope.
‘Would you stop it!’ Zyra slammed her spoon down on the table. ‘We are stuck with each other. So let’s just make the best of it.’
Hope looked down at her bowl of ice-cream without answering.
‘Like it or not,’ Zyra continued, ‘I’m your mother.’
‘You are not!’ Hope growled through gritted teeth, violet eyes flaring with rage.
Zyra stared into those eyes - Tark’s eyes - andcalmed herself. ‘I am. And I’m not. It’s weird, I know. Let’s just accept that we need each other. Okay?’
Hope’s anger subsided and she let out a long breath. ‘Okay.’ She had another spoonful of the chocolate and looked up. ‘So, why this environment?’
‘It’s peaceful,’ said Zyra. ‘It’s nice. No one trying to kill us. No one to steal from. It was a chance for us to not be us - to be Tina Burrows andJohn Hayes, instead.’
‘You became different people?’
‘Avatars.’ Zyra thoughtfully tugged at one of her earrings. ‘We looked different. We spoke differently. I guess we became who we really wanted to be.’
‘Hmmm.’ Hope finished off the chocolate ice- cream, eyeing the other two flavours suspiciously.
‘You still look like you, now. But you’re speaking normally. You’ve lost that stupid gutter speak.’ She loaded up a spoonful of strawberry. ‘How come?’
‘Oh! Well.’ Zyra looked down at her own ice cream. ‘This is how people speak here. It’s how I speak when I’m here.’ She quickly put a spoonful of vanilla ice-cream into her mouth.
‘Yeah,’ said Hope. ‘But we’re not playing the game. No one can see or hear us. So, why the change?’
‘I dunno,’ said Zyra, reverting to her usual way of speaking. “Cause I wants ta.’
‘Oh, great.’ Hope dropped her spoon into the bowl. ‘You know, it sounds really dumb when you talk like that. You sound like you’re stupid.’ She looked away from Zyra. ‘And you’re not.’
They sat in silence for a while, eating their ice cream, their black and red leather outfits incongruous amongst the pastel dreaminess of the Suburban cafe.
Zyra finished her ice-cream and sighed. ‘So, whatare we going to do now that we’re here?’
Hope pushed her bowl away, the vanilla uneaten.
‘We start our mission.’
‘We have a mission?’ asked Zyra.
‘Didn’t my father tell you anything?’ Hope snorted.
‘No, I suppose he didn’t have time. We need to find the Ultimate Gamer.’
‘I barely even met your father before the VIs started chasing us around,’ Zyra explained. ‘I don’t know very much at all.’
‘What a surprise,’ sniped Hope.
‘Don’t get all smartypants with me,’ said Zyra. Just explain this mission and who the Ultimate Gamer is.’
‘Sorry.’ Hope glanced down at the yellow tabletop, then back up at Zyra. ‘Here it is in a nutshell. There’s a legend. It’s been passed down from Outer to Outer in another cheat code. There’s supposed to be this gamer who is outside the control of the Designers. He plays whatever he wants in whatever environment he chooses and he doesn’t have to play by the rules. The Ultimate Gamer makes up his own rules.’
‘Wow.’
‘There’s more. This is the main bit. The reason my father wants us to find him.’ Hope paused.
‘According to the legend, the Ultimate Gamer hasthe ultimate cheat code - the ability to leave the game environments and go into the real world.’
‘Double wow.’
‘I always thought that it was just a story.’ Hope shrugged. ‘But then, I thought the motherI daughter cheat code was a load of crock as well.’
‘So how do we find this Ultimate Gamer?’ asked
Zyra.
‘I don’t know,’ admitted Hope.
‘You’re kidding?’
Hope slowly shook her head, a little embarrassed under Zyra’s glare.
The door behind the counter banged open anda waitress walked through. She wore a pale blue dress with a white apron and a name tag that said
‘Heidi’. She placed another cup of coffee in front of the man sitting at the counter. The man didn’t even acknowledge her. He just pushed his old cup aside and picked up the new one, sipping loudly. The waitress continued around the counter and walked straight towards Zyra and Hope’s table. She took an order booklet from her apron pocket as she stopped at their table.
Zyra and Hope glanced at each other and then back at the waitress. She tore a page out of the booklet and placed it on the table between Zyra and Hope. Then she put the booklet away, turned around and walked off.
‘Hey!’ shouted Zyra, after her. ‘Can you see us?’
The waitress gave no sign of having heard her as she made her way behind the counter and through the door.
Zyra looked back at Hope and then at the paper face down on the table. She reached forward and turned it over, then snatched her hand back.
I’ll find you.
The two of them stared at the paper and the words, written in bold red, looking almost like blood. There was something ominous about the simple statement. Zyra shivered and looked over at Hope.
‘So,’ said Zyra, breaking the silence. ‘We just sit here and wait for this Ultimate Gamer to show up.’
‘No,’ said Hope, alarm in her voice as she pointed out the window.
Zyra looked out to see a VI heading down the street. She reached for the crossbow on her belt.
‘No,’ Hope said again. ‘It might not have seen us.
It could just be looking for us. Best if we just quietly
J.ump agam. . ‘
‘Back to the Temple of Paths?’ asked Zyra.
‘No,’ said Hope. ‘Try another environment.’
‘Suburbia is where Tark and I always came. It’s the only one I can picture in my mind.’
‘You never went anywhere else?’ asked Hope.
‘We were forced into a space battle once,’ she explained. ‘And there was the Maintainers’ Control Centre. Other than that, we only ever went into another environment one time.’
‘Take us there,’ demanded Hope.
‘It was a long time ago,’ said Zyra. ‘I can’t really picture it very well.’
‘Well, you’d better try,’ said Hope. ‘I think we’vebeen spotted.’
Zyra glanced out the window again. The VI was speeding towards them, another two VIs in the distance coming to join the first.
Zyra took hold of Hope’s face and closed her eyes.
The man in the shabby suit looked up. And they were gone.
11: Left Behind
The red-robed monk strode back through the doorway, the rest of the monks streaming in after him. He approached the altar, put his robe back on and knelt down.
‘Let us pray,’ his voice boomed through the
Temple. ‘And give praise to the Designers.’
The monks all knelt in their places and resumed chanting as if nothing had happened.
Tark tentatively approached the doorway and peered out. The vestry was completely gone. He stepped out. There wasn’t a VI in sight.
‘Wot’s ‘appened?’ he asked.
‘They’re gone,’ said Tee, following Tark outside.
‘We’re obviously not important.’
‘So where has they gone?’ Tark looked at Tee with worried eyes, fearing the answer.
‘They’re probably after Zyra and Hope,’ said Tee.
‘Which means we’re on the right track. Zyra and
Hope, and their ability to travel, must be a threat.’
‘Zyra! Ya’ve puts her in danger! We’ve gotta do sumthin’,’ demanded Tark, a hint o
f desperation in his voice. ‘Can we gets her back?’
Tee looked steadily at Tark. ‘Where she and Hope go is up to them. We have no way of contacting them or getting them back. They’ll return once they complete their mission.’
‘They has a mission?’ Tark’s eyes widened. ‘Wot mission?’ He took a step towards Tee, eyes narrowing.
‘Why didn’t ya tells us?’
‘Well, I haven’t really had the time to fill you in on everything,’ explained Tee. ‘Things have been moving pretty quickly. I had intended to explain everything to you and Zyra bit by bit, so as not to overload you with information. I suppose I should just tell you everything, now.’
‘No,’ said Tark. ‘Ya can tells me later. Right now, we needs ta gets ‘em static balls back ‘ere.’ He paced back and forth in front of Tee. ‘We need ta distract
‘em. Keeps ‘em away from Zyra.’
‘Well,’ said Tee. ‘There may be a way. Professor Palimpsest has been working on a little something that might help.’
‘Somethin’ else ya haven’t told us about?’ growled
Tark. ‘Maybe Zyra wuz rights not ta trust ya?’
‘Oh, Tark.’ There was a sadness in Tee’s eyes.
‘How can you not trust me? I’m the closest thing you have to family. In a way, I am you.’
‘Ya is not me!’ Tarkjabbed a finger at Tee’s chest.
‘I is not ya. Ya is ya. And I is me.’ Tark lowered his hand. ‘Ya said it before - I is not a copy of ya no more.’
Tee stared back silently.
‘Zyra didn’t trusts ya,’ Tark continued. ‘But I has no choice. Ya is me only link ta her. Ya is me only chance ta keeps her safe. So comes on, let’s see wot yar professor’s been workin’ on.’
Tark walked off. nd it’s betta be good,’ he muttered under his breath.
12: Now What?
‘Keeps yaself close behinds me,’ said Zyra.
‘Oh, you’re not going to start that again,’ said
Hope. Just because we’re no longer in Suburbia does not mean you have to start talking like an idiotagam0 .’
Zyra grunted and pushed forward.
‘What is this place, anyway?’ Hope struggled through thick undergrowth, branches catching at her clothes, scratching her hands and face.
‘The only otha place we has eva-’ Zyra stopped herself and tried again. ‘The only other game environment Tark and I ever visited.’
‘Quite a contrast to Suburbia,’ said Hope.
‘Yep,’ Zyra agreed. ‘That’s why we never came back to this place. That’s why we just stuck to Suburbia.’
‘So you don’t like jungles?’
‘It’s not that.’ The jungle thinned, taking less effort to move through. ‘It’s just that Suburbia was safe.’
‘And this place isn’t?’ asked Hope, as she followed
Zyra out into a clearing.
‘Not if you’re playing the game.’ Now that they were out in the open, Zyra pointed up towards the treetops in the distance. Hope’s eyes widened as she saw the gigantic creature.
‘That’s a Tyrannosaurus Rex,’ said Zyra. ‘T-Rexfor short. We studied them at school in Suburbia. One of the most dangerous dinosaurs.’
A herd of smaller creatures came running out ofthe jungle to their left. They were about half Zyra’s height, with green scaly skin and a sparse covering of orange feathers across their backs. They stopped in the clearing, sniffing the air and looking around. The T-Rex let out an ear-splitting roar. The new arrivals took off, making panicked yelping cries, heading for Zyra and Hope. They split into two groups and ran to either side of the girls, disappearing into the jungle behind them.
The T-Rex charged. The ground shook with every step it took. Zyra and Hope ducked for cover, even though they knew it could not see them. The massive dinosaur crashed through the jungle, flattening trees as it went. It burst into the clearing. With another roar, it continued its pursuit. Hope screamed as the creature’s foot thundered down within arm’s length of her. And then it was gone. Zyra and Hope peered out from their hiding places and staggered into the clearing. They collapsed onto the grass.
‘Okay,’ panted Hope. ‘I can see why you didn’t want to come back here.’
There was another roar, more distant this time, and they looked up to see the dinosaur’s head rear up above the jungle canopy as it devoured one of the smaller creatures. And then it was gone again.
‘I is so glad -’ Zyra closed her eyes momentarily. ‘Iam so glad I’m not a gamer anymore.’
‘I’m glad I never was,’ said Hope.
The girls lay on the grass for a minute longer, calming themselves. Finally, Zyra sat up and lifted her sleeve to check her patch. ‘I think this thing is empty.’
Hope checked her own patch. ‘Mine too.’
‘How long to do you think we have?’ asked Zyra.
‘Before the VIs find us again?’
‘Your guess is as good as mine,’ admitted Hope.
‘But I think we should be ready to jump at a moment’s notice.’
‘So where do you want to go when we jump next?’ asked Zyra. ‘Suburbia, the control centre, the space battle environment or home? That’s all I know. I can’t visualise anywhere else.’
‘None of those,’ said Hope. ‘The VIs found us pretty quick in Suburbia and I think it’s because they expected us to go there. If you’ve only been in this Dinosaur land once, then it may take them longer to find us.’ She grinned. ‘But if we go somewhere you’ve never been? Well, there are hundreds of environments for them to search through.’
‘Yeah, great,’ said Zyra. ‘How do we get there?’ Hope sat up. ‘How about you just try and thinkof something that could be associated with an environment?’
Zyra frowned.
‘Come on,’ said Hope. ‘You’re the one who got this world-jumping happening in the first place by simply trying it. So try this. Think of something.’
‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know.’ Hope looked around. ‘Think of the absence of jungle.’ She laughed, and looked up at the sky where grey storm clouds were gathering.
‘Think of blue skies and sunny days.’
A white horse came galloping out from the jungle on the opposite side of the clearing. It stopped to munch on some grass.
‘Horses,’ said Hope. ‘This environment hashorses?’
Zyra gaped at the animal. ‘Urn ... I don’t think that’s a horse.’
The creature looked up from its feeding and stared directly at them. Protruding from its forehead was a long, white, spiralling horn.
‘That’s a unicorn,’ whispered Zyra. ‘In a dinosaur environment? Odd. And I think it can see us.’
‘Impossible,’ said Hope. ‘We’re not part of thegame. It doesn’t know we’re here.’
‘Then why’s it looking straight at us?’
‘It’s not,’ said Hope. ‘It must be looking at the jungle behind us.’
She twisted around to look behind them, searching the vegetation for something that might have attracted the unicorn’s attention.
‘I dunno,’ said Zyra, nervously glancing over hershoulder. ‘It appears to be looking at us. Maybe we should jump now, just in case.’
‘Okay,’ said Zyra. ‘Start thinking.’
‘Maybe I should try and think about the Ultimate Gamer,’ suggested Zyra, the unicorn momentarily forgotten. ‘Then maybe we’ll go to wherever he is?’
‘Great idea!’ said Hope.
‘Except, I don’t know what he looks like. Or even if he is a he.’ Zyra paused. ‘Maybe I should just try and think of garners in general? Or playing the game? Or, I dunno.’
‘Whatever you think of, better do it fast,’ said
Hope. ‘
We’ve got company.’
Zyra looked up to see two VIs zooming over the treetops.
‘That was quick,’ said Zyra. ‘I thought you said itwould take them longer.’
‘What do I know?’ said Hope. ‘I was just guessing. And hoping.’
‘Right.’ Zyra took hold of Hope’s face and closed her eyes. Hope closed her eyes and put her hands on Zyra’s face.
‘Garners,’ whispered Zyra. They jumped.
13: The Thing in the Cave
‘Soya thinks this Ultimate Gamer can gets ya out of the game?’ said Tark to Tee, as they walked through the Forest.
‘If he even exists,’ said Tee.
Tark stopped dead. ‘Ya means he mights not?’
‘Well, yes,’ admitted Tee. ‘It’s a legend. It may well just be a story. Hope certainly doesn’t believe there’s any such person.’
Tark’s expression turned dark. ‘So all this danger that ya’ve puts us through mights be for nuthin’? And whats about Zyra?’
‘I’m hoping that the Ultimate Gamer exists,’ said
Tee. ‘And given that the VIs seem intent on keeping Zyra and Hope apart, I think there’s a pretty good chance he does.’
‘Rights,’ said Tark, taking a deep breath and looking away. ‘So whats da we do now?’
‘I want to show you something.’ Tee loaded his crossbow and started off through the Forest again.
‘It’s just over here.’
‘I thoughts we wuz gonna see the professor?’ Tark loaded his own weapon and followed.
Just a short detour.’
‘Nuthin’ is eva straightforwards with ya.’
Tee huffed. ‘It’s not even a proper dialect, you know. That gutter speak of yours. It’s really rather poorly designed. It has little consistency and no purpose other than to designate you as street trash.’
Tark ignored him.
They walked for another few minutes before emerging from the trees. They stepped out into a clearing, beyond which was a cliff face with a cave. A VI hovered in front of the cave opening. Tee shot it. Tark automatically followed suit with a second bolt, dispatching it completely.
‘In there.’ Tee pointed at the mouth of the cave.
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