by E M G Wixley
“It’s a lovely day. Felicity perhaps you and I could go for a walk and catch up on things.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jonah interjected. “There are some ideas I would like to discuss with you, Dante.”
The path which led into the small town ran by a crystal stream. On either side of the valley, polished grey mountains glinted in the sun. In the distance clouds stacked up above the peaks. Below everything was the greenest of greens, dappled with brightly coloured flowers. The atmosphere was harmonious.
“This kind of beauty makes me feel homesick,” Felicity said. “Do you recall anything from the days before you were taken?”
“I’m able to access pictures,” Elley said wistfully.
“Dad has bombarded you with the family albums.” Felicity laughed. “There's so many; it gets a little boring.”
“Know I don’t mean that.” They found themselves in a shady spot by a tree. Elley led Felicity to a slab of rock. “Let’s sit for a while. There was more damage done than you can know.”
They seated themselves side by side. “Prepare yourself for another shock. I’m not what I appear to be – I was part of an experiment,” Elley said bluntly.
“So many astonishing things have happened,” Felicity replied. “I think I can take anything now.”
“The children and young people they took – the disappeared, had their minds and personalities uploaded to cyborgs. It’s still me, but my essence is entangled with a computer brain attached to our father’s supercomputer. This means I have instant access to all the chatter and information ever uploaded. I’m also telepathically connected to the others who are like me.”
“You mean this hand isn’t real?” Felicity said taking her sister's hand in hers. “The skin is as soft as mine.”
“I’m made of a mixture of organic matter and manmade materials.”
“The moment I saw you I knew you weren’t an imposter because you look so much like our mother. And the last time I saw you, your hair was as white as snow,” Felicity said wistfully.
“When we were held prisoner, our adult bodies didn’t change, but our souls and minds developed. We escaped but sweeping through myself, and the other captives is a defiance hatred and contempt for our captors. What was done to us was against our will – we must have revenge – destroy all those involved.”
Felicity’s heart thumped. Her sister’s festering hatred filled her with fear. “Dad, was he any part of this?”
“No, because he couldn’t discover me, they kept us extremely well hidden. Unknown objects which never received visitors. He was kept out of the picture. He was in charge of the team who developed the quantum computer and those highly commercial virtual reality games.”
“I don’t know what to say or think,” Felicity said shivering in the shade. “I have little understanding of any of these things.”
“My family is the closest contact I’ll ever have with the human world. I want a normal life, but first we must stop these monsters from destroying other lives,” Elley said her voice remaining level and purposeful. “I implore you, help me with my mission. I need you and Irvin at my side.”
“I wished I’d screamed out as a girl, rather than hide under the blanket,” Felicity said. “I didn’t do enough to find you.”
“Please, don’t reproach yourself. We’re together now.” Elley smiled radiantly. “We will come out of this triumphantly.”
Felicity squeezed her sister’s hand. “I won’t let you vanish again.”
Raging Space Gods
Chapter Twenty-six
A towering figure with a thick black mane running down its back and transparent armour, riding a beast with the body of a hooved animal and the head of a snarling lion was riding skilfully in Irvin’s direction. Irvin had thought he was well equipped with his fine stallion, armour and the best sword but now he could see he woefully lacked substance and weaponry. The demon was coming at him with sword and spear at the ready.
The fighting was fierce, and the sounds of battle growled and thundered in Irvin’s ears. Around him were other creatures and monsters, some rode a beast with antlers, some were on foot, others carried banners, but all were taller than any of his gaming friends. At a glance, he saw the trampling beasts raging across the jewelled plane striking down any humans.
Above alien spaceships hovered emitting a loud trumpeting sound, lightning cracked horizontally across the black sky and below crimson seeped into the soil between the scattered gems.
He clutched his reins tightly and charged towards the opponent. As he rode his horse shuddered as missiles shook the ground, spears whistled past and into flesh. He dodged around objects which moved into his path blocking his way.
He was face to face with the enemy. “You have angered us,” a voice boomed. “This is our realm, and we won’t tolerate gamers.” A blade struck the mesh of the chainmail covering Irvin’s arm. He counterattacked, sword against sword. Repeatedly he swiped his weapon against the creature's body, but his armour caused his blade to bounce back. The hideous power of the beast was more than he could overcome. He decided he needed to find another way – a cheat. Before he was able to evade his attacker, a flame shot from the stone in the centre of the demon’s headdress and ignited around his horse's legs. Irvin fell from the stallion hard onto the stony ground. Every molecule of pain shot through his body.
Irvin tried to escape the game it was all too real but removing his helmet while protecting his body from further onslaught was impossible. He was compelled to crawl his way over the alien land and head for the tower, where he thought he would be able to get more points and weapons or discover a cheat.
Irvin slithered and slid his way around jostling legs and the bodies of his fellow gamers displaying tangible evidence of death, hideous wounds and blood seeping from their mouths and noses. He reminded himself that none of it was real, that he must hold out and continue to run his personal race to the huge spikey structure which pointed to the sky.
Irvin tumbled over the brink of a mound and into the running waters of the moat. He was surrounded by inky sludge and the floating images of the dead staring up at him accusingly. As he swam, he pushed through the offensive remains to keep his head out of the murk. He glanced to his right and saw his friend, Peter Kent being led in chains over the drawbridge. He and Holly had shared a meal with him only yesterday. He was a physically weak asthmatic, and he feared for him playing such a heart-racing game.
Struggling up the bank on the other side, he pressed close to the smooth wall and edged his way towards the entrance. As lightning flashed the building lit up in a kaleidoscope of colours. With his sword in his hand, he cautiously dashed up the spiral staircase, searching the rooms at each level for anything which might give him an advantage. The decor was theatrical and futuristic and yet full of glitz and pageantry. Screens covered the walls with moving images, and the furniture was all oversized. Nobody appeared from the shadows to attack the intruder. There were creatures, but they seemed oblivious to his presence.
Despondently he reached the top and found himself alone in a dusty library similar to what he would expect to find in the real world. A ladder on wheels and attached to the shelves extended his reach to the highest books. There were too many to hunt through. Irvin sat in the middle of the wooden floor and tried to yank off his helmet. It wouldn’t budge. “What’s going to come of me,” he whispered aloud.
Music seeped out from a crack between two books on the bottom shelf, and then Irvin heard human voices. He clambered to his feet and peered at the place where the sound was trickling out. There was a gap, and by squeezing his hand in and pulling the wall apart, it opened up revealing a secret room.
A huge book covered the whole surface of a table. Irvin stood transfixed staring down at the open pages. They displayed a moving image of the collapse of the twin towers. Flicking the sheets back towards the beginning he saw every leaf contained a historical event. An archive of human activities on Earth. It constantly
changed; new designs would pop into existence. When he fixed his mind on his own life that also appeared in every imaginable detail.
“Every conceivable event ever to take place on your Earth is contained within this room and amongst those pages,” a gentle voice explained. Irvin turned around to see one of the creatures. It was dressed finely, and he sensed this was a female of the species. “Are you enjoying the reflection of your world?”
“Who are you?” Irvin said uneasily.
“I’m what you would call a queen – the one who gives the orders around here.”
“And the book?”
“Your world. It’s a simulation, and our scholars watch the game being played out. This library holds a universe of planets which were taken over by programmers, architects of design. We have concerns for those remaining of your kind. There are few authentic humans left the rest are simulations. Your species is going through an extinction event.”
“Why me?”
“Your father discovered a lesion in their protective skin, and the truth of Earth’s existence is oozing out into the human consciousness. As real humans advance, they are noticing mistakes and inconsistencies. In short, it ruins the Game for the gamers. Turn to the last page.”
Automatically the future appeared. The image was a clock, and the hand was a fraction from twelve. Beneath this numbers were rolling in a countdown.
“Yes, it’s a countdown. The Game is almost at an end. Those of you left will need to find a new home if you’re to survive.”
“It doesn’t say how it will end,” Irvin said concerned.
“It could be the flick of a switch or some catastrophe.”
Irvin found himself back in the living room of his flat. “What the hell,” Holly shouted. “It took me ages to get that off your head.”
“I’m glad you didn’t join me today – that was a complete headfuck,” he murmured surprised his clothes were clean and dry. “Holly it was amazing though,” he said grabbing the tops of her arms excitedly. The game seems to naturally evolve. I might be the very first person on this planet to know the truth about our existence and the human state. We do live in a simulation.”
“I don’t care – it doesn’t change anything.” Irvin looked at Holly properly for the first time since being rescued from the game. She was sullen and cross. “What’s with the bags?”
“I’m leaving,” she said wringing her hands with frustration. “I hate that stupid machine. You think of nothing else. You said you’re looking for Elley, but it’s an excuse because she’s gone from the game.”
“I’m sorry. I know I’ve neglected you, but that’s it – I’m not going to play again.”
“I don’t believe you. You rarely smoke anymore, drink and when we do meet with friends you all talk about your pretend world. That’s all you care about.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Smoking’s bad for you.”
“It’s more normal than your latest addiction.” Holly picked her bag up and crossed the room to the door where she hesitated. Daringly Irving rushed forwards. “Please stay,” he pleaded.
“You should check out the news,” she said opening the door and swiftly departed. The wooden barrier slammed in front of Irvin’s face. He hurried over to his phone and tapped his sister’s number.
“Hi brother, what’s up?” she said in a jovial tone. “I’ve meant to call you – we have important news.”
“I have nothing. My life’s out of control,” he whined in a voice thick with tears. “Holly has left me. I wasn’t the best boyfriend, but I loved her. I thought she was into the same things as me.”
“She was probably only joining in with your stuff because she realised it was important to you.”
“It’s the simulation theories – they scared her. I’m such a jerk.”
“That’s no surprise. Reality is a consensus of opinion if we all agree on something that should be enough to make it true,” Felicity said hoping to drag her brother away from his crazy ideas. “If she loved you and you loved her, then it was real.” There was a pause as Irvin concentrated on his sister's words. “There are some absolute truths which can’t be ignored.”
“What am I going to do?”
“Come up here for a while. There’s somebody I think you should meet and leave that stupid game behind. We’ll sort this.”
“See you soon,” he said.
Irvin slumped on the sofa holding his tablet in front of his face. His head hurt, and he was tired, but he wanted to book a flight as quickly as possible. The news popped up, and he glanced over the issues of the day. One headlined drew his attention.
Recently a high number of young people between the ages of twenty and thirty have been reported missing. The circumstance of each disappearance is a complete mystery. Some are blaming the internet or online gaming.
Irvin ran his eyes over the list of names. One stood out, Peter Kent.
Contact
Chapter Twenty-seven
Jonah manoeuvred his boat as close as he could to the falling silver chains of the Seven Sisters waterfalls. He’d arrived early not wanting to draw the attention from tourist boats. The sun was shining, and the rainbow arched in the same manner as during their first visit. Close to the spit of land he dropped anchor and jumped onto the gravel beach. The atmosphere was full of expectation, but he was unsure where to begin searching. On closer examination, he could see no signs of any hollows or caves behind the falling waters. Each step became more perilous and his waterproof coat less insulating. Tirelessly he battled against the roaring spray and climbed up the steep slope. At first, there were no anomalies nothing which would indicate anything hidden.
Rocks tumbled with each step, and Jonah wondered if following the path of a dream was foolhardy. I’ve been tricked into a dangerous situation by my own mind, he thought as he slipped on the wet stones. He hadn’t explained to the others his plans because they would have talked him out of such a venture. A third of the way up he decided he should abandon his plans and descend. As he turned, he lost his footing and slid on his back without any control. Skidding in a diagonal direction, he smashed into a boulder on the opposite side of the falls to where he’d started. A large rock had prevented him from tumbling into the water. Shakily he rose supporting himself on the boulder. Under Jonah’s weight, it shifted on its shale foundation revealing a hollow in the mountain.
Jonah took his torch from his pocket, adjusted his position so he wouldn’t slip and peered inside. A chamber became visible in the beam of his light. With trepidation he crawled through the gap into the cool interior, hoping there were no unexpected drops on the other side. The rough ground inside was flat, shiny and worn. He glanced up at the high ceiling and saw signs of tool marks in the stone. Hoping to find further signs of human activity he swung the light around the space. Finding nothing of interest, he ventured further in towards the far wall where he could see a hole.
Jonah studied the entrance carefully and deemed it too narrow for his large frame. Disappointed he stood inhaling the atmosphere and wondered what action to take next. On his knees, he cleared rubble away and pulled at any loose rocks. His strength was astounding, and he considered the possibility that during his period of missing time someone had replaced his organic limbs with bionic ones. He chuckled at his ridiculous thought and tried the space out for size. Strangely calm he squeezed into the hole with his arms stretched out in front of him so his torch could cut through the darkness. The passage was a tightening throat around his body. He pushed back with his muscles to prevent himself from being digested by the monstrous mountain. If I die here, I won’t be found for years, he pondered. Maybe centuries.
The tightness was crushing, and it took all his strength to wriggle through. At the end, he was disgorged head first with only his hands to break his fall. Jonah tumbled out into a stable black cavity. His fingers scrambled for his lost light.
Hastily he grabbed the much-needed object as if he feared it would roll away again. Jon
ah switched the torch back on and scrambled to his feet. Eerie images painted by not so primitive people decorated the entire space. He gasped and stood frozen in the moment trying to take in the heart-stopping beauty. Then he drew close lightly brushing his fingers on the wall as he leaned in to examine every fascinating detail. There were unrecognisable creatures amongst the familiar, horned beast half machine and half organic, white-faced people wearing unusual headdresses, symbols written in order like a secret language. It was a treasure-trove of stories depicting the lives of the previous inhabitants.
Jonah was transported back to a forgotten time, wandering around the walls in the realms of another world. In the centre of the back wall was a scene of humans extolling unknown beings standing on the zenith of a pyramid-like structure. These creatures wore headdresses or helmets, had manes running down their backs, white faces and black eyes. Floating above their heads were triangular shapes resembling spacecraft.
Jonah scrutinised the detailed image and saw that standing below the creature he’d assumed to be a leader was a man facing out towards the viewer who resembled himself with the same long blonde hair and Scandinavian appearance. It was as though he’d been painted into the ancient landscape. On the head of his likeness was a crown and within its centre was a white gemstone.
Jonah placed his hand on the object, it was warm neither flesh nor stone. He bowed his head and shut his eyes. At once the deserted cave was teaming with life. Whispering voices became more explicit, they were welcoming him as though he was an honoured guest. Ancient souls were liquid flowing through his veins. There was nothing swifter on the planet than all the information, emotions and memories rushing through his mind.
