Start the Game (Galactogon: Book #1)

by Vasily Mahanenko

  “Am I allowed to receive guests?” I asked puzzled, understanding very well that Stan was not exactly the right person to ask.

  “No, but the visitor has full law enforcement clearance. However, I am not authorized to open the door. You will have to do it yourself, Master. The visitor has provided you with the option of choosing.”

  “I’ll open it,” I replied, getting up. Taking into account that I was under close guard—and that Stan had not noticed anything out of the ordinary—there was no threat to me. My mind could benefit from going outside and talking to a living person, considering that I’d been locked away behind four walls like some criminal.

  But I was mistaken in thinking so. No sooner had I opened the door and seen who had come to visit me than my good mood evaporated like a puddle of ether. It was too bad and I regretted it and couldn’t do anything about it…

  “Good day, Alexis,” said my guest, the old man whom I had already had the pleasure of meeting by vidphone. And who, basically, was the reason for my confinement. “May I come in? We need to have a chat.”

  “Please do,” I stepped aside, not comprehending at all why he’d even asked for permission. Given his rank, if this geezer had wanted to chat with me in person, he could’ve just as easily ordered me hogtied, placed in a flyer and brought to him. “Would you like some tea or coffee?”

  “Water, if I may,” replied my guest, taking a seat. Stan instantly cooked up a glass of water, while I took a seat across from the old man and began to nervously wait for him to start the conversation. Waiting I could do—my gaming career had taught me that well.

  “I have two piece of news for you,” the old man got to it, still without having officially introduced himself. Perhaps he had assumed that I would know his name. “The first is that we still have not managed to establish who is eliminating the contestants. The prize money is large enough to justify murdering all other competitors. According to the terms of the agreement, the search would still be on even if only one contestant remained. Consequently, you are still one of our suspects and are prohibited to leave these premises. That’s number one.”

  The old man fell silent, returning to his glass of water and giving me the chance to process this news, which, of course, wasn’t really news to me at all. If I wasn’t still under suspicion, then I wouldn’t have been sitting in a cage like a hamster—so all I could do now was to stay sitting there and await the second piece of news. It wasn’t likely that a person of this caliber would decide to visit me in person in order to tell me that I was still in time out.

  “I like your composure,” smiled the old man, scooting the glass aside. “No unnecessary emotions, no yelling, no demanding I respect your rights. You’re not even interested in who I am—as if you already know.”

  “Yelling, as I understand it, would be pointless. You’re still not going to release me. My rights have been limited by the court’s decision—I’ve already received the judgment text. As for who you are…Why would I care? The only thing I wouldn’t mind knowing is your name—since, it’d be nice to know how to address you. I don’t imagine you’d like me to call you ‘old man’ or ‘grandpa,’” I replied, holding my voice in check. I could not afford to let any implication or irony or some other emotion sneak into it—I had to simply assert facts at the moment. I didn’t much feel like letting someone see that I was uncomfortable.

  “Colonel Walters,” smiled the guest. “You can call me by that name. Well, well. In that case, let’s get to the second bit of news. Tell me, are you familiar with our government’s children’s policy?”

  “Excuse me, I didn’t quite hear you right,” I asked shocked, discarding my neutral demeanor. “What children?”

  “Just, you know, children. Kids, tykes, toddlers. Smalls who scurry about and try to crawl into various nooks and crannies and make a big stink about eating their veggies. You know—children.”

  “I’m sorry but I can’t say I know much about them,” I replied, trying to regain my composure and squelch my emotions. What did kids and government policy have anything to do with anything?

  “That’s what I figured. In that case, if you indulge me, I’d like to read you a short lecture. As you are aware, in recent years the national birthrate has been plummeting in relation to the mortality rate. As a result, the government has taken a close interest in any and all pregnancies and even begun to take them under its oversight…”

  Col. Walters went on detailing what I already knew, by and large. Following the mass automation of human labor by robots and machines, our planet experienced a demographic boom—the rapid economic growth spurring a growth in family size. It became normal for a family to have three or four children. However, this did not last for a long time—that is, it lasted until the invention of somatic immersion and video games that could exploit that technology. Despite the fact that the elites own and control these games (Galactogon is no exception), it was simply impossible to overlook the drastic drop in the birthrate. In a mere twenty years, the population’s desire to have three or four children gave way to an utter refusal to have children whatsoever. I could say for myself that I simply couldn’t even imagine living with a little monster who would dash around my home, make a mess all over the place, yank the cables out of my gaming capsule and demand I spend time with it.

  In time, the government took notice of this negative trend and initiated programs to contravene it. There was nothing they could do about the games, but they did introduce enormous benefits for new parents and their children, effectively making the second and third child the family’s breadwinners. Abortions were banned. Public awareness campaigns were launched. Maternity leave began to kick in in the first month of pregnancy and was fully paid for by the state. Basically, they created a machine that would use various incentives to combat populace’s gradual migration into virtual reality—and currently, this machine was going at full steam. The only thing I didn’t understand in all this was…

  “That’s all very well, but I still don’t understand: What does any of this have to do with me?” I asked Col. Walters as soon as his lecture drew to a close. It was nice to learn new things and all, but it’s also good to know what the point of learning it is. At the moment, I didn’t understand.

  “That’s the second piece of news. You’re going to be a father soon…”

  WHAT?!

  “What the hell are you talking about?” All my cool popped like a soap bubble, unleashing all my feelings. This was simply unacceptable! I couldn’t care less who this geezer was—I wasn’t about to sit around and watch him lie to my face just to see what kind of reaction he could get from me. After all, I could have been the murderer of six people! “You’re losing your mind from all your suspicions. I haven’t left my cocoon in about five years! You know, Colonel Walters, it was a pleasure speaking with you and listening to your lovely story about how the government cares about our children, but I think I’d like it if you were on your way now. I have a patched Galactogon waiting for me. As you yourself pointed out, the search goes on even if only one of the contestants remains. So basically, you’re bugging me now.”

  “Here’s the paternity test,” smirked the geezer, producing some sheets from his briefcase and not even thinking of getting up from his chair. “According to these, a certain Alexis Panzer is the biological father of a child that is about to be born to a Eunice Dormouse. You are free to request an independent test (even a DNA one, if it so strikes you) whenever you like. Eunice is in her second month of pregnancy and the government will do anything it can to ensure that she gives birth to a healthy baby. Regardless of whether you recognize the child as your own or not, the fact remains that you, Mr. Panzer, are the father.”

  “Eunice?” My rage vanished in a flash, replaced by the lovely memory of our first meeting—the night’s drinking that had led to something greater. Had I really done it?

  “I can see that it’s starting to come back to you,” the old man smiled again. “One of the contesta
nts is in the second month of pregnancy and that, in combination with the current situation, brings us to a dead end. Which is precisely why I’m here.”

  “I don’t understand anything anymore,” I muttered, reclining in my chair and staring at the wall. Eunice was pregnant? Pregnant from me? I was going to be a father?

  “According to the contest’s rules, the contestants are not allowed to cooperate with one another. However, under the law, a father is required to take part in the raising of his child, beginning with the moment of conception. On the face of it, this is a conflict of interests and the contest organizers don’t know what to do.”

  “You didn’t come here without having figured out a way out of this situation,” I ventured despite my confusion. This was easily the last thing I had expected.

  “It’s true, I have certain ideas about what could be done,” my guest assured me. “You two need to move in together and start a family.”

  “WHAT?!”

  “Why the outburst?” Col. Walters jerked up his eyebrows, evidently reveling in the situation. “I see nothing bad in two young people, who will have a child in short order, forming a family—a building block of this great society. That is the only way that both of you will be able to continue your search for the check without infringing on any laws or contracts. Otherwise, both you and Eunice will be disqualified. No one is allowed to break the law, even the President.”

  “I’m not sure I understand. How are we supposed to avoid violating the contract where it clearly states that there can be no cooperation between the participants?”

  “That’s precisely where the loophole lies. You will continue searching for the check as before—but instead of participating as Alexis Panzer, you will be participating as the Panzer Family. Eunice Dormouse will be officially suspended from the contest, since, according to the law, it is unlawful for her to work or perform any contractual obligations. However, Eunice Panzer, as a spouse, is allowed to help her husband in his own pursuit of the check. With that said, no one is even thinking of deleting her character or account configuration. She will still be a contestant, albeit under a different alias. There is no other way to ensure that both of you can continue in the contest. It’s either form a family or we force you to terminate your contract. The choice is yours.”

  “Why only mine? There’s also Eunice, who would never agree to something like that…”

  “Like I said, the choice is yours and your alone. Are you willing to continue your search or shall I terminate your account configuration?”

  “That’s the second time I hear you mention the account configuration. Am I correct in assuming that we are being tracked?”

  “Every step,” the old man nodded. “I was just reading a report about how your coordinator was unhappy with your hasty decision to leave the planet you discovered without exploring it to its utmost.”

  “But…” I cut myself short, trying to let this obvious hint that there were still more goodies to be found pass by without unnecessary comment. If I started to argue, they could simply take them away. Instead, I chose to go with the typical phrase one resorts to in atypical situations. “How much time do I have to think this over?”

  “About five minutes, no more,” my guest replied, shrugging. “I can appreciate your current frame of mind, but you need to make this choice immediately—do you wish to go on with your search or is this where you get off? If you choose the former, then the Panzer family will continue the search. If you choose the latter, as soon as your home has been repaired, you will be returned to it. You will keep your current character and everything you’ve acquired so far, but you will be unable to get that check—even if you somehow find the planet that it’s on. You can think about it and weigh the pros and cons, but you have to arrive at a decision before I leave here. Otherwise, a decision will be made for you, and that will be disqualification.”

  A family…

  A vacuum…dishes…diapers…real pacifiers…rows and tantrums arising from misplaced socks…nerve damage arising from constant nagging…

  There was such a load of nonsense rushing through my mind that I was even taken aback with myself—did I really believe all this about having a family? Theoretically, I wasn’t losing anything at all—after the contest was over, we could easily get a divorce. No one had prohibited us from doing so as long as I spent time with the child and took part in his upbringing. But the very fact that I was suddenly being forced to make a decision like this stressed me out—no one seemed to be taking our feelings into account. Neither mine, nor Eunice’s. Well then the devil could take them and their damn contest to the deepest deeps! I could survive fine without all this crap!

  “Thanks for the heads up,” I said, getting up from my chair and letting my demeanor show that there was nothing further to discuss. “I will try to be a good father, but I must reject your offer. You don’t make a decision to form a family on your own. If I’m going to do this, then I’d only do it after meeting with Eunice personally. If I only have five minutes, then I must wish the remaining contestants well. Thanks for stopping by!”

  “No, thank you for not disenchanting an old man,” said Col. Walters, also rising to his feet. “You will have the chance to talk it over with Eunice in two hours. I will have someone pick you up. If either of you had answered otherwise, you would have both been disqualified from the contest. This was precisely why I came to you in person. I wanted to personally witness your reaction. You can go get ready now. You have an important meeting ahead of you. I’ll see myself out. Goodbye…”

  “So this is where you live now, huh hubby?” Eunice asked, glancing around my apartment. “It’s not much, but I see possibilities. Oh! That’s a Darlik guard circuit, isn’t it? Why haven’t you turned it on yet?”

  “Because I have absolutely no idea what a guard circuit even is or why someone put it in here, I answered sincerely. “And we agreed—when we’re alone together, we’re partners—not spouses.”

  “Are you sure we’re alone right now? I wouldn’t express myself in such absolute terms if I were you.”

  Our rendezvous at the restaurant—which the cops drove me to—was pretty relaxed. We were sitting across from each other, not knowing what to say, until the girl came out with the key phrase: “I want to go on looking for that check.” After that, it was like a dam breaking. We spent the next hour talking over everything that we could—yes, we’d get married, but there would be no family in actual fact—at least for now. And by “family,” we meant sex. There had been more than enough of that when we first met two months ago. I would recognize the child as my own and take an active part in its upbringing. The doctors gave Eunice permission to stay in the game for another four months—as long as she remained under their close supervision. But there was an advantage here too—from here on out, Eunice would play in my game mode—that is, she would no longer have a limit on her playing time. Though, she couldn’t pump money into the game either.

  “That’s no problem,” Eunice assured me. “I already have a scout that I’ve pumped up to A-class and equipped with all the best equipment I could find. So I’m ready to go explore. The main thing for me right now is to get out of the Training Sector. I still have about fifty game days left in there.”

  After our meeting, the detectives whisked Eunice and me to a very quick civil ceremony, issued us documents attesting our marriage and dropped us off back at my place, where some engineers were already installing the second gaming capsule. It really was very strange to see a stranger in my house, even if this was just a temporary state of affairs. But I was ready to make some sacrifices for that check. And anyway, as much as I didn’t like it, the fact was that I’d have to have a relationship with Eunice for at least the next twelve years while the child grew up. So showing my dislike of the situation wouldn’t do any good. I mean, I was still a kid myself…

  “What kind of system do you have installed?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you cont
rol your home yourself or do you use software?”

  “Oh! You’re talking about the smart home. I have a Daphne-2130 with expanded functionality. Stan’s the name.”

  “Excuse me, Master,” Stan butted in. “My system version was updated to Daphne-2135. You personally approved the upgrade.”

  “Master?” Eunice rolled her eyes. “I can see that humility might not be your strong suit.”

  “Yup,” I nodded, barely keeping myself from cracking up. I liked to watch the way guests reacted to Stan calling me Master—that’s the way people were after all…

  “Stan, scan this address.” Eunice scribbled a series of digits on a sheet of paper and held it up to one of the cameras. “You can find my Daphne—she’s a 2135 too—at this address. I need her here. Grant her full access and let her have 50% of the system resources.”

  “Do it, Stan,” I told my assistant when no confirmation followed Eunice’s command. “Give Eunice full access rights too. User category: family.”

  “Master, allotting 50% of system resources to another system will impair my communications bandwidth with this residence. I should also point out that certain modules do not support multiuser mode…”

  “You can retain control of those,” I quickly decided, but, upon seeing Eunice’s eyes narrow, added, “although, on second thought, let’s assign those as they come up. For now, go invite our new guest and make sure she’s accommodated.”

  “Yes, Master,” Stan said with such melancholy in his voice that for a second I forgot he was just a piece of software.

  “Did you configure the interaction module yourself?” Euncie asked, taking a seat. “Your Daphne’s pretty particular. I get the impression that you’ve rewritten her entirely to suit yourself. Or added something to her.”

  “There’re some additions,” I agreed. “But we can talk about that some other time. Stan orders my food for me. By the way, what’s your Daphne’s name? Does she even have one?”