Hector pulled a piece of the gum from his mouth and poked the screwdriver into it.
‘Hey,’ Charlie whispered, ‘that’s expensive.’
‘I’ll clean it after.’ Hector fixed the five-pence coin to the chewing gum and turned back to the door.
‘What are you doing with that?’ Wren said.
Hector glanced at her. ‘Stand behind me and I’ll show you.’
They watched as Hector carefully slid the screwdriver up and into the gap. The trembler switch moved and Hector froze. When it had stopped vibrating, he continued to push the screwdriver upward. Then, with infinite care, he wedged the five pence behind the two contacts, holding them apart.
Hector reached up and pulled the door open.
‘Impressive,’ Charlie said.
Hector wiped the screwdriver on his trouser leg and handed it back to her. ‘Thanks.’
Slink and Wren gave Jack a look as if to say, See? Hector’s cool and clever.
Jack let out an annoyed breath and shone his torch into the darkened space beyond.
‘What the –’ Slink whispered. He glanced at Jack. ‘That’s it?’
The room was empty apart from a chair and table against the end wall and a high-backed chair in the centre.
Jack found a light switch and flicked it on. A solitary bare bulb hung from the ceiling, glowing a dim yellow.
‘Stay here,’ he whispered to Slink and Wren.
They both nodded and kept their eyes on the basement stairs.
Jack, Charlie and Hector slipped into the room.
On the wall by the door was a small screen. It showed a view of the other side of the shelves from a hidden camera Jack hadn’t seen.
He wondered if there were any other cameras in the building and whether this one was recording, but he doubted it – the image was probably just to show the coast was clear on the other side for when people wanted to leave the room.
He turned around and walked slowly to the chair.
‘I was expecting more,’ Charlie said.
‘Me too.’ But it made sense – there wasn’t a need for anything else. Jack set down the silver briefcase, opened it and motioned for her.
Charlie walked over and lifted out the glasses. She connected all the wires to the metal box. It seemed to be an input unit that took the signals from the gloves, processed them, then sent them to the Nexus.
Charlie connected an extra cable from the metal box to her phone.
‘What’s that for?’ Hector said.
‘We’re creating a secure link to one of the bunker’s computers,’ Charlie said.
‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’
‘Of course we do,’ Jack said. ‘We’re not stupid enough to let the virus escape.’ He took the gloves out of the briefcase, pulled them on carefully, then jumped into the chair, while Charlie finished connecting everything.
‘Hold up a minute,’ Hector said. ‘Why do you get to go on this?’
‘You’re only here because I’ve allowed it,’ Jack said, trying to control his temper. ‘Count yourself lucky that –’
‘Boys,’ Charlie hissed. ‘Not now.’
‘Tell you what then, Hector.’ Jack pulled a coin from his pocket. ‘Heads I go first, tails, you do. That sound fair?’
Hector shrugged.
Jack threw the coin up, caught it on the back of his hand and showed it to Charlie.
‘Heads,’ she said.
Hector huffed. ‘What a surprise.’
Jack lowered the video glasses over his eyes and a ball of light instantly appeared in front of him. He stared at it, mesmerised.
The ball grew brighter and larger, until it enveloped him in a multicoloured wash of light.
Forms and shapes solidified.
Jack couldn’t help but gasp.
‘What is it?’ Charlie said. ‘What do you see?’
‘A city.’
Jack was standing on a wide road between shining skyscrapers that stretched to a vibrant blue sky.
He instinctively rotated his hand and pinched his fingers together. The image zoomed in on the individual stones in the road. ‘It looks so real.’ The hairs on his arms stood on end. ‘The resolution is amazing.’
The only thing that gave away that the world wasn’t real was that the light seemed slightly artificial, as though everything had a fine aura around it. Also, there was no sound, no wind, no birds, nothing.
‘This place is unbelievable.’ Jack shook himself. ‘Obi?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Are you seeing this?’
‘I can only get a bird’s-eye view of the area around you. Can’t zoom in or anything. Hold on.’ Obi clicked and typed. ‘I’m patching the images to your phone, Charlie.’
‘Yeah, got it,’ she said.
Jack said, ‘Obi, is there anyone else here?’
‘Not that I can tell.’
‘It’s hard to see on this small screen,’ Charlie said. ‘But the place looks empty. No movement.’
‘Can you spot anything that might be the virus?’
‘No.’
‘Obi, they’ll have tried to hide it somewhere, so I want you to look for any anomaly that might show us where it is.’
‘OK.’
Jack looked up the road, moved his right hand and glided along it, turning his head left and right. There was no reflection of him in the mirrored glass of the buildings and he supposed that was because he didn’t have an avatar. Did the people who used this place choose their own? If so, how did they get them?
Moving, however, was second nature to Jack – as if he was born to be part of this world.
A few blocks down, Jack turned a corner and the street opened into a huge open square surrounded by trees.
In the middle was a funfair.
There was a big wheel, a roller coaster and a pirate ship swinging on a great arm. All of them were painted in bright, garish colours – a stark contrast to the modern, clean city around it.
‘What’s that for?’ Charlie said.
‘I don’t know.’ Jack glanced around. It was still eerily quiet. ‘Maybe it’s part of some kind of anti-terrorist training.’
‘It’s weird,’ Obi said. ‘Wait, Jack, there’s something in front of you. Inside the funfair.’
Jack looked at the entrance. There was a big banner strung across it that read, Captain Rat’s Wonderland.
‘What do you see?’ he said.
‘Something shimmering.’
‘The virus?’
‘I’m not sure.’
Jack took a deep breath and moved towards the entrance.
After a few seconds, he stopped dead in his tracks.
There was a clown with a white face and bright red hair, standing with his hand raised, as if waving to invisible children.
Jack shuddered, stepped cautiously around him and headed into the funfair.
He followed a brick path that wound its way through the rides – there was a waltzer, bumper cars, shooting galleries and a whole host of other amusements, all of them unmanned and quiet.
Jack kept walking until, in the middle of the funfair, he came across a merry-go-round. ‘Obi?’
‘The shimmering is right in front of you.’
Jack squinted. ‘I can’t see anything.’ He circled the merry-go-round, looking for any sign of movement.
Something sparkled. Jack stopped and edged closer. One of the horse’s ears was made of gold and it glinted in the artificial light.
Jack reached out to touch it and hesitated.
‘Wait,’ Obi said. ‘Do that again.’
Jack stretched out his hand and held it there.
‘I can see something change when you do that,’ Obi said. ‘The top of the merry-go-round shimmers faster.’
Jack stared at the horse’s ear as the gold glinted.
He glanced left and right, then touched it.
His fingers vibrated and he quickly pulled his hand back.
‘What happened?’
Charlie said.
‘It’s OK.’ Jack shook his fingers. ‘The gloves have tactile feedback motors in them.’
The merry-go-round started to rotate.
‘What’s going on?’ Obi said.
‘I don’t know,’ Jack said, edging back.
The merry-go-round spun faster and faster, until the horses became a continuous blur of colour.
Jack braced himself, ready to turn and run, but he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
The merry-go-round suddenly exploded in a rainbow shower of dust and, where it had once stood, was now a stone archway.
Jack glanced around. The rest of the funfair hadn’t changed.
He turned back.
On the other side of the archway was a gravel driveway that led to a timber-framed Tudor house, with white plaster and thick black beams. The upper floor overhung the lower by half a metre or so.
‘What’s there?’ Charlie said.
‘A house.’
It was strange – the stone archway stood alone in the centre of the funfair, but through the door, he could see a whole other world.
‘Jack,’ Obi said. ‘We can’t see what you’re seeing. It just looks black inside.’
‘It’s some kind of portal,’ Jack said. ‘Must lead to a hidden part of the Nexus.’
‘This place is crazy,’ Charlie said.
Jack looked at the front door of the house. ‘I’m going for it.’ He took a deep breath, stepped through the archway and paused for a couple of seconds. Nothing happened.
‘Obi?’
‘I can’t see where you’ve gone.’
‘Neither can we,’ Charlie said.
Jack stepped back. ‘See me now?’
‘Yes.’
Jack moved through the archway again.
‘You’ve gone again,’ Obi said. ‘We can’t help you. If you stay on that side, you’ll be on your own.’
‘Understood.’ Jack looked left and right. He could see fields and trees in the distance and he relayed this information to the others, narrating as he went. ‘The house is just on its own.’
‘What are you going to do?’ Charlie said.
‘I’m going on.’ Jack walked toward the house and when he reached the front door, it swung inward.
‘What’s happening?’ Charlie said. ‘What do you see?’
‘Nothing.’ Jack shook off the feeling of foreboding and stepped inside.
Beyond was a narrow hallway with stairs and a wooden floor. Several oil paintings hung on the walls – they were all portraits, but Jack didn’t recognise any of the people in them.
He looked around. There was a door to his left and one on the right. He had no idea which way to go, so he moved to the door on the left and, like the front door, it opened automatically. ‘It’s a dining room.’
‘Why’s there a dining room?’ Hector said. ‘What’s the point of that?’
It was a low-ceilinged room with a table and six chairs in the centre. The table was laid with silver plates and cutlery.
Jack turned around, walked across the hallway and went through the other door.
Beyond was a cozy sitting room. Two chairs sat facing a fireplace. Flames flickered in the hearth and, for the first time, Jack heard a sound – the crackle of burning wood.
‘There’s nothing here either.’ He was about to turn away when something shimmered in the corner of his eye. Jack spun back. Now he looked, he could see the fire was changing colour, pulsating, almost dancing.
Jack took a step towards it and continued to stare at the fire as small lightning bolts rippled over its surface.
He crouched in front of it. Letters, numbers and symbols danced with the flames. ‘I think I’ve found the virus,’ he said. ‘Obi, open the door to Outlaw World.’
Outlaw World was their own virtual environment. Jack and Obi had designed it to test missions, but they’d never got around to using it. Outlaw World was nothing more than a blank space. That didn’t matter though – they just needed an empty world to put the virus in. A way to contain it. Then, once it was inside, Obi would shut Outlaw World down before the virus could cause any damage to their computers.
‘I’ve made the door,’ Obi said. ‘Connected the Nexus and Outlaw World together, but I can’t get it close to you.’
‘Where is it?’ Jack said.
‘Near where you first appeared – in the middle of the road. Something’s stopping me moving the door any closer.’
Jack leant in to the virus. ‘I can see the code,’ he breathed. The programming language looked like Python mixed with Ruby, but it was different somehow, as though it had evolved into something more advanced.
‘Jack?’
He watched as a blue streak of numbers and letters zigzagged over the surface of the virus.
‘Jack,’ Charlie shouted.
He almost leapt out of the chair. ‘What?’
‘Find a way to get the virus out of there. Take it to the door.’
Jack broke his gaze and looked left and right, examining the room closely. ‘I can’t see a way.’
‘Let me try,’ Hector said.
‘No.’ Jack reached out and the virus vibrated under his touch. He then cupped his hands around it and backed up. The virus came with him. ‘I can carry it.’ Jack turned to the door, walked into the hallway and back outside.
He glided down the path, holding the pulsating virus out in front of him.
Jack hesitated when he reached the archway. He could see the funfair on the other side, but would the Nexus allow him to take the virus through there?
Only one way to find out.
Jack tensed and stepped over the threshold.
The virus came with him.
He smiled. ‘I’m on my way.’
‘We see you again,’ Obi said.
Jack walked back through the funfair and as he passed under the main entrance and out on to the street, he said, ‘Obi, is the door still there?’
‘Yes. We have a secure link to Outlaw World.’
Jack continued down the road and turned the corner.
Ahead, he could see a large green door – his target.
‘Jack,’ Charlie cried. ‘Look out.’
Something shot past Jack’s line of sight, almost knocking the virus from his hands.
He looked back to see the clown, its face twisted into rage, swinging its arms in an attempt to grab the virus.
Jack turned and pushed forward as hard as he could.
‘Hurry,’ Obi said.
Ahead, the green door opened in anticipation. On the other side was a black and white checkerboard – Outlaw World.
Suddenly, the clown lashed out and knocked the virus from Jack’s hands. He went to pick it up again, but the clown beat him to it and backed towards the funfair, holding the virus close to its chest.
Jack made to follow, but the clown’s face turned as red as its hair and an alarm blasted his eardrums.
‘I’ve lost the connection,’ Obi said.
Jack looked at the door as it vanished and the world around him faded to black.
He reached up and yanked the goggles from his head. ‘They’re on to us.’ He climbed out of the chair and quickly pulled off the gloves, swearing under his breath.
So close.
‘You should have let me do it,’ Hector shouted.
Jack wheeled on him. ‘Shut up.’
‘What now?’ Charlie said.
‘I don’t know.’ Jack looked around the sparse room. ‘Let me think.’
‘We don’t have time for that.’ Hector marched behind the chair and grabbed Charlie’s phone. It was still connected to the Nexus, and he quickly typed.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Jack said, trying to snatch it from him.
‘Correcting your mistake.’ Hector pressed the Send button.
Slink stuck his head around the door. ‘Are we getting out of here or what?’
‘Just a few more seconds,’ Hector said, his eyes glued to the d
isplay on Charlie’s phone.
‘We don’t have a few seconds.’ Jack yanked the cable out. ‘Go. Now.’
‘You idiot,’ Hector shouted. ‘I almost had that.’
‘You had nothing,’ Jack said. ‘Get. Out.’
Hector looked as though he wanted to punch Jack square in the face, but instead he turned and ran from the room.
Charlie shoved the glasses, gloves and metal box into the briefcase and scooped it up in her arms. ‘No way I’m leaving this here.’
The others followed Hector up the stairs and through the shop.
Back outside, they heard the distant sound of police sirens.
Slink pulled the shutters into place and they jogged down the road.
A car screeched to a halt behind them.
Jack glanced over his shoulder to see a man in a dark suit leap out and sprint to the front of the shop. He fumbled with a set of keys in his hand.
Jack and the others turned into the alley.
When they were a safe distance away, Charlie said, ‘Is that it then? It’s over?’
‘We triggered the alarm,’ Jack said. ‘They know someone was trying to hack into the Nexus. They’ll shut down all the access points.’
‘There has to be another way,’ Slink said.
Jack didn’t answer. The truth was, there wasn’t another way. Well, not one he could think of.
‘It’s your fault,’ Hector said, turning on him. ‘If you’d let me go into the Nexus, we’d have the virus by now.’
‘It’s your fault it leaked back to the internet,’ Jack said. ‘If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t even be here.’
Charlie scowled at Jack and rested a hand on Hector’s shoulder. ‘We don’t blame you. You weren’t to know.’
‘It was nice meeting you.’ Hector shook everyone’s hands apart from Jack’s. ‘If you’re ever around my neighbourhood . . .’ He glanced at Jack one more time, then walked away.
Jack let him go – there was no reason to keep Hector close any more. Who cared if he told someone about the Nexus? It didn’t matter now.
Charlie said to Jack, ‘Are you sure there’s no other way to get the virus?’
‘No. As soon as they realise what’s happened, they’ll shut down all the Nexus’s access points and double the security.’ Jack pulled his hood up and bowed his head.
It was over.
CHAPTER TEN
Jack, Charlie, Slink and Wren followed the old stone tunnel that led to the bunker.
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