Danni and Trew smiled. “We both feel lucky to have been a part of history, Lisa. Thank you for the great coverage; I think without you talking about us all the time, we wouldn’t have become so famous.”
Lisa blushed and shook her head modestly, tears of happiness welling up in her eyes.
“I’m certain discussions will rage about the events of yesterday for weeks to come. Remember what you heard here today, everyone. Big things did happen yesterday; it’s up to you to decide what those big things were. I’m Lisa Rohansen with Danni and Trew at Game Centre channel one.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
“Things seem to have returned to normal here.”
Brandon didn’t look up from his reading. “You’re more stealthy than usual,” he said.
“Perhaps you’re just distracted by what you’re reading.”
Brandon smiled and glanced in the direction of his visitor. “That must be it. Hello, Father; how are things?”
Thorn smiled and sat down beside Brandon. “Things are excellent,” he said. “You did it, son; you got them home.”
Brandon nodded. “The majority of them made it safely?”
“Yes,” Thorn said. “The next little while will be challenging for us as we scramble to locate them and make sure they get food and water. They’ve have been lying motionless for so long that most can barely move, but we know a little exercise will fix that.”
Brandon smiled at the memory of coming out of long games and having to subject himself to weeks of physiotherapy to restore muscle mass and function to his atrophied limbs. “How have the groups of Thirteen been performing?”
“Like the military aces that they are,” Thorn said. “Brilliant idea to find and send them back to pave the way for the others.”
“That was Shane’s idea.”
“Easton,” Thorn said.
“Yeah.”
Thorn looked around. They sat on one of the elevated stages that the Chosen had used during the mass meditation gatherings only a few weeks ago. The enormous field was bare. The only evidence that there had been a crowd lay in the subtle clues left behind; the trampled grass, the stray bits of refuse such as plastic water bottles and rogue clumps of paper that blew and tumbled randomly in the otherwise empty fields. “Where did everyone go?” he asked.
Brandon smiled wearily. “They went back to their lives,” he said. “Once the meditation was successful, the Dreamers exited their avatar bodies. When Sylvia switched the avatars over to act like true NPCs, she made them forget what had happened so they could resume normal lives.”
“Very clever,” Thorn said. “Billions of people stood up and returned to their previous paths in life?”
“Exactly,” Brandon nodded. “In their minds, this event didn’t even happen. They will make their way back to where they came from before the event and continue to move forward in this new society that is growing from the ashes of the Day.”
“What about the Chosen?”
“Same thing,” Brandon replied. “The resonance that made others follow them was disabled. A quick adjustment from Sylvia turned that off and false memories kicked in. They are regular children with parents that, as far as they recall, encouraged them to learn arts like meditation and eastern spirituality.”
“The world has returned to normal, then?”
“Very much so. No one in the Game will remember this event.”
Thorn looked around and silently considered the scope of power that Brandon exercised in this computer simulation. “Quite the playground you set up here, son,” he said.
“It sure is,” Brandon agreed. The two men sat thoughtfully for a few minutes.
“I had planned to end the Tygon simulation and bring you out if you succeeded.”
“I figured you would,” Brandon said.
“Is that why you came back in?”
Brandon looked at Thorn and shook his head. “I came back in because I was needed. If I’d stayed out, then our chance for success would have been slim, Father. I knew my body would likely die if I came back, but there was no choice.”
“You play to win,” Thorn said.
“That’s the only reason to play.”
“Sometimes, you can play to learn from your failures,” Thorn offered.
“Not this time, we couldn’t.”
Thorn looked frustrated. “I haven’t figured out how to transfer your consciousness to another body in the Dream. If you stay here for a while, I’ll work on it, and perhaps...”
“No.”
“There are people whose minds didn’t make it back to their bodies. I can find you a suitable body. I’m sure I can figure out how to do it.”
Brandon stood up and walked to the edge of the stage. He looked out at the world he had created and smiled. Then he looked back at Thorn and his smile softened. “I want to stay here, Father.”
Thorn looked confused. “In the Game?”
“I have a body on Tygon,” Brandon said. “I could live here and there, back and forth, for a long time. If you leave the simulation running.”
“Earlier I said that I had planned to shut it down. After what they have done for us, the billions of NPCs living on Tygon, there’s no way I can shut it off. Computer programs saved our lives; they saved our race and ensured our continued existence. While there is one ounce of power available in the Dream, I will make certain Tygon stays online.”
“It really is the least you can do for them,” Brandon agreed. “I’ve spoken to my Hand. All of them want to stay, too.”
“That is acceptable.”
“We can keep the communication lines open between us, right?”
Thorn walked over to his son and put his hand on his shoulder. “Of course we can. I might even stop in from time to time to visit.”
“That would be great,” Brandon said, “but I want to make sure you let no one else enter this Sim. I will put sensors in place and if anyone comes here, they will be destroyed. I understand why you brought Lohkam and the other teams to Tygon, and if they want to stay I will allow it, but that’s it.”
“I have no problem with that,” Thorn said. “What will you do with the Game now that it has served its purpose?”
Brandon shook his head. “I don’t know. I have to think about it for a while. Maybe a long while.”
Thorn chuckled and looked out across the empty field. “You definitely have time to think about it, son. You’ve earned that luxury.”
Brandon smiled. “I think I have.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
Brandon woke up and looked around in the darkness.
It was the middle of the night, pitch black, but for some reason he was fully awake and alert. Sometimes it was difficult to know what reality he was in; and this was one of those times.
His vision sharpened as the tiny bits of light entered his expanding pupils. He knew where this was, but it made no sense for him to be here.
He swung his legs over the edge of his cot and stood up, the hard floor cold against his bare feet. He walked slowly towards the far wall, passing the bunks filled with sleeping children as he made his way quietly to the faint source of light coming from the bathroom.
Brandon stopped and looked over his shoulder; he recognized dozens of familiar faces. They were all between the ages of ten and twelve, and Brandon was the youngest of them. Somehow, he was back where it had all started; the Game Facility in the Dream.
A golden light began to glow from the bathroom to his right, and Brandon headed quietly for the far wall, nodding as it disappeared to reveal a dense green jungle. Brandon stepped over the ledge and into the tropical setting, feeling the moist warmth and cloying heat cover him like a heavy blanket against his skin.
He knew which tree to look for, but it was empty this time.
Brandon looked around and called out. “Sloth? Are you here? Owl?”
There was no answer.
Brandon ventured further into the jungle, calling out occasionally, but there was no resp
onse.
A large tree appeared out of the mist. Rough wooden slats were positioned halfway up the trunk along the outer edges of the branches to form a crude floor. The branches and leaves had been woven together to enclose the interior into rooms, although it was still possible to see inside at many points. The trunk had what appeared to be a broken old makeshift ladder nailed at points along the length of it. Many of the small boards were missing, and the ones that remained looked dark and rotten, likely to break if any weight was applied to them.
Brandon drew close and looked up into the branches. He could see light wavering gently in one of the small rooms, most likely a small candle burning. He cupped his hands and called out. “Hello? Is anyone up there?”
Leaves around the lit room began to rustle, and there was a distinct thud followed by mutters and a very creative swear word. Brandon cautiously watched as the branches moved from the lit room towards an open platform area that had no branches surrounding it. He smiled as he recognized the form which burst through the leaf doorway and peered down at him with a scowl.
“What in blazes are you doing down there yelling like that?” the old man whispered harshly, his white hair standing up like a ragged flame, unmoving as his body flailed about while he spoke. Black garbage bags covered him from shoulders to knees. Brandon was glad to notice that they were tied tightly at the bottom so he didn’t catch a glimpse of what was underneath. Heavy black laceless army boots peeked over the edge of the boards; his slight, scrawny frame provided enough weight to make the clumsily built deck tilt dangerously towards the ground. “There’s all sorts of dangerous animals living on the ground. You could attract one of them and get yerself killed!”
“I’m sorry,” Brandon whispered. “I had no idea.”
“Hmphh! Youngsters like you never do have much of an idea. Not that most manage to gain ideas as they age, either, come to think of it,” his hands made a chopping motion, the red pop bottle caps of his gloves clinking together melodically. “Hey, wait a minute.” He leaned down to get a better look at Brandon. “Aren’t you the boy I saw with Owl a while back?”
Brandon nodded his head and opened his mouth to ask where Owl or Sloth might be, but the old man interrupted him excitedly.
“Owl Boy!” he exclaimed loudly, suddenly not worried about the volume of his voice or the dangerous predators that it might attract. “It’s good to see you again! Have you finally come to spend some time with me?”
Brandon looked around to see if the brush was moving. If there was danger close by, the old man’s yelling hadn’t woken them... yet. “I can’t seem to find Owl or Sloth, so yeah, maybe I’m here to be with you.”
The old man’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes twinkled happily as his mouth opened in a broken-toothed smile. “Excellent!” he exclaimed. “It’s been so long since anyone was sent to learn from me. You must be a clever lad indeed to have earned such a reward. Well, come on up then, boy, what are you waiting for?”
Brandon nodded and walked towards the broken ladder attached to the tree trunk. He figured he was strong enough to navigate the broken rungs and make his way to the top.
“Where are you going?” the old man dropped to his belly and peeked his head over the boards to watch Brandon. “You give up already, boy? That’s a bit of a surprise, if you are.”
“I’m climbing to you,” Brandon whispered as loudly as he could. He heard the bushes rustle from his right. He caught a glimpse of a large, dark, orange cat stalking towards him. It looked hungry, and it was focused intently on Brandon.
“You don’t have time for climbing,” the old man chuckled. “There’s a tiger on the prowl and you have only a few seconds to avoid being eaten. Nasty business getting eaten by a tiger. I don’t recommend it at all. It would really cut our lessons short if that were to happen.”
Brandon backed away slowly from the trunk and shot a look at the old man. “Fly up?” Brandon guessed.
“Of course you fly up,” the old man scowled. “You fall on your head lately or something else bad happen to your brain? Hurry and get up here before Tony over there gets his claws into you.”
Brandon closed his eyes and the glow was there immediately. He leapt into the air and quickly flew up to join the old man. Directly below him he could see the tiger had pounced and barely missed him with its razor sharp claws. It roared in fury and glared at Brandon as he flew upwards.
The old man whistled slowly as Brandon landed beside him. “That was way too close a call,” he said. “I sure hope you don’t plan on being that slow for the rest of your stay, Owl Boy. It would be fun, but likely a short visit.”
Brandon grinned and shook his head. “I’ll try to be quicker from now on,” he assured his host.
“Good,” the old man nodded. “All right, then, why don’t you come inside and we can get started? There’s much for you to learn.”
“I’m older than I look,” Brandon said. “I’ve learned a lot already.”
The old man grinned. “I know you have, Brandon. The thing about this life we live, though, is that there’s always lots more to learn, no matter how much we think we already know.”
Brandon considered the old man’s words, and he nodded slowly.
“Good!” the old man slapped the boy happily on the back. “Let’s get to it, then, shall we?”
Brandon followed the old man into the treehouse, and the branch door closed softly behind them.
EPILOGUE
Tygon
Cooper sat in a hotel room, gazing out of the window at the restaurant across the street. Years of training and discipline in diverse military conditions enabled him to sit without moving for hours. His eyes flitted constantly in all directions, looking for patterns or signs that he’d been followed.
He spotted his contact entering the restaurant and continued to observe the area, looking for clues that his contact was being tailed. The odds were slim, but bad luck could magically appear at any time and destroy even the safest plans in an instant. Cooper watched the scene below until he was confident that everything was as safe as it could be, and then he exited his hotel room and crossed the street to meet his contact.
Lohkam sat in the back corner of the room, his back to the wall so that he faced the doorway. He continued to scan the single sheet of paper that served as a menu in the pub-style restaurant, but Cooper knew he’d been seen; Lohkam was a careful kid.
Cooper sat down and waited patiently for Lohkam to look up from his menu; he knew the boy was observing the door to make sure no one had followed him in. Ten seconds passed and Lohkam looked up. “You’re clean,” he announced. “Why are we meeting again so soon?” he asked, his cruel eyes looking left and right, his thin lips pursed in a tight scowl that meant he was nervous and ready for violence. It was a common look for him.
“I heard you were planning on making a move against Trew.” Cooper picked up a menu and pretended to be interested in it. “I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“The runt’s pet is all alone and unprotected now.” Lohkam’s face reddened slightly. “He’s just coming off a big victory in the Game; it’s on all the feeds. Now is the perfect time to strike and take over.”
“Oh, he’s protected,” Cooper said calmly. “I’ve got his back, unless you’re finally ready to challenge me?”
Lohkam looked at Cooper and frowned. “I don’t get it,” he said finally, shaking his head.
Cooper glared at him for a few moments until he was certain Lohkam had received his message loud and clear, then his face softened and he sighed. “I’ve explained it to you more than once; what part don’t you get?”
“What side you’re on.”
Cooper chuckled softly and looked around to make sure no one was listening. “There’s only one side for me to be on after all that has gone down, Lohkam.”
“Well, you could have fooled me.”
“Of course I could.” Cooper grabbed a handful of peanuts from the bowl in the middle of the table
and leaned back. He cracked the shell and popped two peanuts into his mouth. “I’ve fooled everyone for a very long time; people who are significantly more clever than you, boy.”
“Okay, so I leave Trew alone,” Lohkam said, and reached for a peanut as well. “What are my orders, then?”
“Just keep on doing what you’ve been doing. When the General is ready for us to move, he’ll send me a message.”
Lohkam chuckled as he popped a peanut into his mouth. “I would love to be there when Brandon finds out you’ve been working for the General this whole time.”
Cooper leaned across the table and slapped Lohkam sharply with the back of his hand. Lohkam’s eyes burned with hatred as he looked at Cooper in surprise. “What the hell was that for?” he asked angrily.
“Shut your mouth,” Cooper hissed. “This is not some quick game of capture the flag, you idiot. This is a long and dangerous game that requires silence and patience. Have you learned nothing in all your considerable years?”
“I was just saying,” Lohkam said.
Cooper smiled and leaned back again. “I know, it’s difficult at times. This last turn was a long one, but everything the General said would happen has occurred. The dreamers are awake and rebuilding a new society with the General at the reins and no governments or officials to oppose him. Thorn thought he was being clever, but he played right into the General’s hands.”
“Why keep the Game and Tygon online?” Lohkam asked.
“There’s no rush to deactivate either,” Cooper shrugged. “Brandon is trapped in here and Thorn is without his best player. We can assess the situation and do whatever the General decides to do at his leisure. No one knows the truth, except you and I.”
“Are you in contact with the General very often?” Lohkam asked.
Cooper smiled and tapped his head lightly. “Any time he wants to tune in,” he said.
Virtual Prophet (The Game is Life) Page 25
