by R M Mulder
“Well, whatever your reasoning was, it doesn’t matter.” his head hung low, “It looks mighty suspicious.”
“Suspicious of what, exactly?” Matt stammered in frustration, “What am I being detained for?”
“Aiding and abetting three known narcotics traffickers.”
“That’s ludicrous.” he scoffed, “What are the allegations?”
“Early this morning your encrypted signature was used to deactivate the precinct’s video surveillance cameras…”
“So someone must have stolen my passwords!” Matt interrupted.
“That was our first suspicion.” James confirmed, “But then we subpoenaed CyberBolt to release the records of your avatar’s IP address.”
“And?”
“The records confirmed that at 3:56 AM you arrived at headquarters, and at 4:12 you were inside the holding cell room.”
“What?!” Matt stammered, “That’s not true! I was at the Arena all night!”
“I’m afraid the evidence proves otherwise.”
“You have to believe me!” Matt’s eyes were wide in consternation, “Something must have happened while I was in Sleep Mode! It’s wasn’t me!”
“I’m sorry Richards, but Sleep Mode doesn’t work outside the Arena.” James shook his head, “Believe me, I checked. A virtual containment perimeter surrounds the exterior of the Arena. If a player were to accidentally step outside of the perimeter, the system is programmed to instantly cause your adenosine levels to drop and your adrenaline levels to rise – which in turn would cause you to wake up in a state of panic.”
“Don’t you trust me?” Matt stared at James in shock, “What motive could I possibly have to release a bunch of suspects?”
“That’s what I’m here to find out.”
Matt’s eyes grew wide, “So this is supposed to be an interrogation?”
“More or less.”
“I didn’t do it!” Matt slammed his fist on the table, “Why won’t you believe me?!”
James let out a heavy sigh and stood, “I want to believe you, so I’ll keep digging.”
***
Many more hours passed, and Matt’s legs and butt had gone numb from being cuffed to the metal chair. With his head buried in his hands, he couldn’t help but drift into a state of semi-unconsciousness. He felt dizzy, and his dreams were extremely vivid – as real as an augmented reality game.
System Alert!
DarkForce servers detect a foreseeable outcome in an upcoming scenario. Do you wish to activate your foresight skill?
Yes | No
Matt stared at the augmented screen consuming his vision.
How did I get logged in?
He shrugged and pressed ‘Yes’.
Shafts of cloudy blue, gold and white light swirled around him as he was thrown into a fury of space and time. Streaks of white light passively shot past him as if they were shooting stars. The streaks of light then began to progress in mass and velocity. Eventually his field of vision was filled with a shower of meteor-like particles of light until he was fully enveloped in absolute whiteness.
The screen disappeared to reveal the scene before him, but it wasn't in-game it all.
“Come on man! Let’s make the deal.” a familiar voice yelled.
Matt shook the dizziness out of his head and looked around.
What the…
He was facing himself – at least, a younger version of himself.
“Are you gonna make the deal or not, man?” he asked me.
A feeling of Déjà vu overwhelmed him as he remembered the scene – only from the opposite perspective. It was seven years ago, and he was in an alleyway in New Jersey.
“All right. Let’s make this quick.” the words came out of his mouth unexpectedly, “What’s your price?”
“Thirty grand.”
“There’s no way.” the foreign words came out of his mouth, “I’ll give you twenty, tops.”
“Twenty-five, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”
“Done.”
Is this really happening?
Matt felt a strange sensation as his arm lifted and handed his younger self a briefcase, who opened it to inspect it and casually checked a few of the reams of $100 dollar bills.
“Looks legit.” he nodded to his ‘henchman’ – who Matt knew was his old partner Officer Derek Collins in disguise, “Give him the goods.”
Instantly, just as the illegal deal had been made, a hoard of FBI agents swarmed out of nowhere.
Matt’s younger self pulled a gun on him and instructed as he flashed his badge, “All right, let’s go. Hands in the air.”
Smiling, Matt complied.
No wonder…
No wonder it was so easy to arrest that dealer back then. I was actually arresting myself!
Uncontrollably, Matt began laughing almost hysterically. At the same time, another trafficker bolted from the alley across the street. He had witnessed the whole arrest.
“Get him!” an agent screamed.
But it was too late. Whoever it had been was long gone. Matt remembered how that person later reported what he had seen to the rest of the ring, and eventually took the reins of the operation.
“Dang it.” Matt stammered.
Just then, as Matt stared at a report Collins was taking, the words on the page began to swirl before his eyes. The feeling of falling passed through him. Down… down… down…
He looked around him in dizziness. He was passing through space and time again. Billions upon billions of meteor-like particles shot past him as a multitude of swirling light completely encompassed him. The streaks of light began to grow faster and more complex by the second. Then, millions of shimmering light particles exploded and shot through him as they formed into an absolute daze of nothing but white brilliance.
System Alert!
This completes your foresight into a foreseeable outcome. You will now be returned to your save point.
***Disclaimer: If you change the circumstances in your upcoming scenario, you will effectively change the outcome***
Matt snorted and jolted upright, a string of drool trailed from the table to his chin. He shook his head in confusion as the dizziness wore off. The dream had felt so real, it was unnerving.
His thoughts dwelled on the scene he had just re-lived. It was the last attempt they had made to gain traction on the trafficking case before all of their leads had dried up. He studied the memory over and over, forcing himself to burn the face of the escaped trafficker in his mind.
I’ll find you.
Chapter Fifteen
Curious Artifact
Having dozed off again while detained in the questioning room, he felt dizzy as streaks of light circled around him faster and faster. There had not been a system prompt this time. His sight was limited to a blur of blue, gold, and white streams of cloudy light along with dozens of meteor-like streaks of light that multiplied and accelerated faster as time elapsed. The particles of light began to envelop him until all he could see was pure shimmering light.
He landed roughly on a thick hill of sand, blinded by a similar shimmering light.
Where am I?
Matt squinted in the bright light, finding himself surrounded by dunes of sand as far as he could see. Part of him knew that his body lay unconscious on the metal table, and as he trudged forward he tried to make sense of his situation.
Is this a dream?
The dream was real. Far too real for comfort. He knelt down and grabbed a handful of sand, allowing it to spill through his fingers. It felt dry and gritty, yet not warm as he had expected. Despite the bright light, he felt no sunlight warming his skin either. Shielding his eyes, he couldn’t determine the light’s source. It was everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. He then looked straight up, and was immediately struck with confusion. Miles above him purple clouds were swirling on… the ceiling? He stared incredulously for several minutes before a suspicion gnawed at him.
Am I… inside
the old hourglass I found? Am I inside the Temporal Artifact?!
He quickened his pace as he trudged forward. After several minutes, his suspicions were confirmed when he ran smack into a glass barrier. Sheets of lightning danced across the surface, and in the distance he could see the swirling blur of blue, gold, and white streams of cloudy light.
Suddenly the sand beneath his feet began to move. Turning around, he could see a sinking pocket of sand forming in the distance. His feet were quickly dragged under, and he crawled frantically to stay above the surface.
“Help!” he screamed to no avail.
The sand continued to drag him under as he struggled to swim. He choked, spitting out the dry grit each time he resurfaced. He was getting buried alive! The crater of sand grew wider, sinking faster and faster as Matt flailed uselessly against his impending doom.
When all hope seemed to be lost, a conduit of light opened up at his feet.
***
Raising his head, drool had again formed on the solid metal table of the questioning room. His wrists were still cuffed to the table, and his hands felt numb. Despite the numbness however he could sense a small object in his grasp. Needles of pain shot up his arm as he opened his palms, revealing a real-life version of the Temporal Artifact.
He stared at it incredulously, willing the strange vision to disappear. The ancient runes were delicately carved on the wooden support structure. He remembered James’ warning about ‘freaky dark magic’, and a foreboding dread overwhelmed him.
This isn’t possible!
He blinked several times in disbelief, almost entirely forgetting his surroundings. Leaning his head toward the table, he used his thumb to press on his right temple. After a brief moment of static, he saw CyberBolt’s logo flash on the screen.
He pulled up his inventory, and scanned through it. The hourglass was gone. At least, virtually.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he logged into his avatar on DarkForce. To his dismay however, he found himself chained in a dark, damp dungeon.
Figures.
Without warning, a chat box popped up in his augmented vision from a user he didn’t recognize named @cosmic_reactor21:
@cosmic_reactor21: The Creed is watching.
Suspicious, Matt didn’t respond.
@cosmic_reactor21: I understand you’re being held without bail.
Matt blinked twice, and a virtual keyboard appeared. He had difficulty reaching some of the keys, considering his hands were chained to a table in real life. He couldn’t reach the ‘w’ or the ‘e’ for the life of him.
Matt: I as framd
@cosmic_reactor21: Yes, I know. You really need to get out of there. They’ll kill you. The real you.
Matt: ho ar you? hat ar you talking about?!
@cosmic_reactor21: The Creed wants the artifact back that you stole. But you can’t give it to them! The fate of mankind depends on it!
Matt: Th hourglass?
@cosmic_reactor21: Precisely. But you gotta get out of there. I can help you escape.
Matt: ho ar you?!
@cosmic_reactor21: Just a friend. I’ll bust you out tonight.
Matt: No. I’m fin
The Active User light had turned off before Matt could get his decline response sent.
Matt: Hllo?
The chat box closed on its own, and Matt couldn’t tolerate the virtual dungeon’s mold smell much longer. Leaning his head down again, he pressed on his right temple. With another burst of static, he returned to the empty questioning room just as the door closed behind Chief Harris.
“Richards,” he frowned as he sat down across from him, “I need you to be honest with me.”
“Of course, Chief.”
“Who are you working for?” his eyes drilled into Matt’s.
“The City of Chicago.” Matt quipped.
“You know what I mean.”
“Honestly?” he sighed, “No, I don’t.”
“Who hired you to release our suspects?”
“I’ve gone over this already.” Matt’s eyes narrowed, “Nobody hired me to do anything. I didn’t do it.”
“Detective,” he placed his hands firmly on the table, “we trained you. Don’t think for a second that you can get away with this just because you know how to circumvent our questioning methods.”
“Chief,” Matt pleaded, “You’ve known me for a very long time. Do you honestly think I’d jeopardize my entire career over something this risky?”
“I don’t know what to think anymore. I trusted you. We all did.” He shook his head angrily, “I’m afraid I have no choice but to book you in a federal penitentiary.”
“Prison?!” Matt stammered, “That’s preposterous! You can’t do that. I have the right to a trial and jury before imprisonment.”
“As a citizen you would, yes.” he mocked, “But you’re not a citizen. Whenever an officer of the law is suspected of misconduct, they are arrested and held in prison for the duration of the trial. If a judge posts bail, the officer may pay up in cash or bond and remain free during the duration of the trial. If the officer misses the trial, the cash or bond is lost and a warrant is issued for his arrest.”
“What am I being charged for?!” Matt stammered indignantly.
“You’ve become an accessory to a known drug trafficking ring.”
Matt stared at the chief aghast, “No, I haven’t.”
“You’ve also trumped up false charges against a disabled minor as a means to cover up your theft of confidential police records.” he continued, “And your poor father has been caught in the crossfire. His inquisition has been moved up to this afternoon, and he will likely serve jail time for your gross misconduct.”
“Chief!” Matt bellowed, “This isn’t fair! I’ve been framed!”
“Unless you were possessed by a poltergeist, that’s impossible.”
“I…” Matt stopped himself.
He wasn’t about to share with the chief his suspicions about CyberBolt’s Sleep Mode function yet. Without sufficient evidence, he would just sound like a fool… if not crazy.
“You were saying?”
“Nothing.” he muttered, “Never mind.”
“Touch a nerve, eh?” he huffed, “Tell me. What were you about to say?”
“It’s not important.”
“We’ll let the judge decide that.”
Chapter Sixteen
Jailbreak
It was just past 3 AM, and Matt was having difficulty sleeping. After spending a long day in the questioning room, they finally moved him to a jail cell in the basement of the precinct. He had only received one visitor, and he was grateful when it was over. Tiffany had been so condescending, the brief visit was brutal and weighed on his mind.
“After getting teased all day at school, I had to explain to our six-year-old that his daddy was in jail.” The stinging words echoed in his mind, “Do you know how hard that was?”
He stared at his hands in the dimly-lit room, remorse throbbing from his core.
He looked up abruptly at the sound of a beep. Moments later the magnetic lock on the outer door released, and a lone figure walked in. In an instant, he recognized James’ facial features in the dim light. The sunglasses looked odd on him, and were obviously unnecessary.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes.” Matt sighed, “What’d you find out?”
James held a finger to his lips as he placed his right hand on a scanner. Another click, and the cell door swung open.
“James?” Matt stammered, “What are you doing?”
He still didn’t respond, and instead pulled out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed him from behind.
“Let’s go.” his voice sounded forced and strained.
“Are we going back to the questioning room again? Do you realize what time it is?!” Matt groaned, “What are you trying to do? Torture me with sleep deprivation?!”
“No more talking.” Matt felt the tip of James’ handgun shove between his shoulder blades, “Now,
go.”
Matt’s mind raced.
What’s happening?!
Up the stairs and several doors with magnetic locks later, they walked right past the door to the questioning room. Matt maintained his silence as the barrel continued to jab into his back. Before long they had exited the precinct, and were headed to James’ squad car. He opened the back door, and forcefully shoved him in. He then climbed into the cockpit, and started the engine.
“Where are we going?” Matt insisted, “What’s gotten into you?!”
James slowly removed the sunglasses and turned to face him through the metal grating. His eyes were closed, and the realization suddenly hit him hard.
“You’re not James.”
A wide grin plastered over the rogue avatar’s face, “No.”
“Where are you taking me?” dread swept over him.
“The Creed of Nephilim awaits.”
***
They had travelled a significant distance through several suburbs, and Matt memorized every turn. At last they pulled into the cracked driveway of a dilapidated home.
“Wait here.” the gruff voice spoke.
The door slammed shut, and Matt watched James’ avatar enter the ghetto home. Looking out the window, from the dim moonlight he could see that the entire street was littered with broken cars, trash, and poorly-maintained homes.
I’m gonna get killed!
Locked in the back of a squad car in a dangerous part of town… he was a sitting duck. He felt like a giant target was painted on his back, and as the minutes ticked by he grew more anxious. Pushing the right side of his head against the headrest, he was able to activate his microchip. A stats screen popped up showing an infrared scanner of his surroundings. He could make out the heat signatures of two people inside the dilapidated home. Whipping his head around, he was relieved to discover that there weren’t any heat signatures hiding in any of the dark shadows along the street.
Another chat box suddenly popped up in his augmented vision from @cosmic_reactor21:
@cosmic_reactor21: We missed our window to get you out of there. Is the artifact safe?
Still in cuffs, Matt couldn’t get his keyboard to activate.