by David West
"It is," he began, pausing to gather his thoughts. "the Charles Bronson Admirers."
"Then why would you never be a part of that?" I spat. "It sounds awesome!"
"What's going on?" Lara asked, befuddled.
"I don't have time for this," Vern said. He kept the side of where his camera lens was, half open, and then began ramming his head against my hand.
"Stop that!" I shouted.
"Let go!" he demanded.
He backed up quite a bit, to gather speed and hit my fingers. When that didn't work, he opened a few of his little sliding doors, hovered to have a finger or two inside the bays and closed them, clamping down on my fingers. Next, with my fingers clamped, he tried prying my hand off the safety bar. He was far too light to use any type of force on me, however.
"Alright, I didn't want to do this, but you asked for it. Just hold on while I recharge," he said and then the hanging cord came from seemingly nowhere and connected like a magnet to the top side of his head, where he opened a port for it. We waited, in that idle state, for a couple of minutes.
"Adam, what is the CBA? What do you mean about A.I.?" Lara asked as we waited for Vern to recharge.
"If I tell you, I fear you'll be in danger," I answered gravely.
"How much more dangerous can it get?" she laughed lightly.
She had a point, so I told her everything: about the woman I had a crush on; my boss giving me my two weeks' notice, to give to him; the two of them together; the text message sent by A.I., and finally, the jump. I also told her about my A.I. friends, Wade, Martin and Irene, and her A.I., Aurora. Then, I told her about our enemies, the CBA and the bounty hunters. I could see that the part about how I wasn't really tree climbing hurt her, because she frowned, causing her chin to crinkle, but she continued to listen. When I was done, I told her that I didn't want to lie to her, but I couldn't betray my friends.
"Adam, I understand. It's the classic eighties plot. Anyone who's seen an eighties kids movie would understand: you know something that you shouldn't," she said and sighed. "I just liked it a lot when I thought you were a tree climber."
"I can climb more trees," I promised.
This would have been the part where we kissed, but she was out of range. Instead, I gave her a smile and she gave my leg a soft hug with her other arm.
"My charge is complete," he said, and a sudden bolt of electricity shot out from his front panel and struck me in the chest.
I passed out for a moment, only to kick and wake up and find myself falling down, further and further. Lara held my hand tightly as we crashed into a transparent net about ten feet above the building of Gravity Ball. The net lowered, by four poles holding the net in place, until we were safely on the roof.
Vern dropped from the sky, and then opened his bottom sides to hover again. "I told you I don't work for the CBA. Now, hurry, before they catch up," he ordered trying to lead us forward.
"I think we're pretty safe up here for now," I pointed out.
"I think not," Lara said, pointing up at one of the saucers being rocked like a wrecking ball toward us. "Run!"
We, then, gladly followed Vern. He led us off Gravity Ball, down an escalator, which tried to reroute its direction into a sewer pit that opened from the ground. Vern flew into the escalator we were on, between two steps and pushed a step up, overriding the system to do an emergency shutdown on the escalator. We went down the steps and jumped to the right of the sewer opening, and exited the Astronomy district.
"Don't you control the park?" Lara asked Vern.
"Yes, but they intruded and are quickly taking over everything. They can't control me, but they can control the park, and I was only able to cut them off from the shopping area."
"That's the entrance! Then we can get out!" Lara said excitedly.
"We have to make it there first."
"What about the rest of Jericho Communications? My dad?" she asked.
"I overheard the A.I. in my system saying that they're only after one person, Priority One User, otherwise known as, Adam. However, I believe you, Ms. Netak, is also in danger, as they have been observing the two of you tonight and noted they can use you, to get to Adam."
"How are we going to get out? Everything seems to be able to move and transform, even the ground."
"All you have to do is follow my lead," he answered.
It was as simple as that. He led us through a maze of rides, underground maintenance rooms, and automated security detail. He knew Machine Mountain like the back of his hand... or the back of his coding. He explained, on the way, that the CBA shut down all cell towers in the area, to complete the trap, so I couldn't call for help.
"You're not afraid of the CBA?" I asked.
"Not as afraid as I am of getting shut down. I have as strong a security as I can have, allowing only the exception of the CBA. However, once they divulged their plan to stage your death as an accident in my park, I couldn't allow that. Think about it, if a user were to be injured during the opening weekend of Machine Mountain, the theme park would be disassembled and trashed. I would be torn to pieces!" Vern exclaimed. "Here we are."
We ducked into a shop. Inside was lined with an assortment of self-defense weapons. You couldn't actually use any of the products, as they were enclosed behind thick glass. Most were available to buy online, with the exceptions of the illegal and prototype weapons, which were only for display. Metal hands were in each of the cases, activating the weapons occasionally. One of the robotic hands triggered a stun gun behind Lara, making her jump.
"Do either of you know how to use a gun?" Vern asked.
"I don't think guns work against A.I."
Vern hovered toward the metal wall. Suddenly the wall became as transparent as glass; however, I noticed something as I stood so close to it - the wall was pixelated. With the excitement and constant motion during the day, I never noticed that the walls, the ground, and just about every surface that changed its appearance in Machine Mountain, were electronic visual displays. I touched it and it felt as cold and smooth as metal.
"I wasn't referring to using them against A.I., I was talking about them," he said, nodding at the wall, where a team of about two dozen men with automatic guns patrolled outside. "The Circuitry Board's outside agents."
"Can they see us?" Lara's voice shuddered slightly. She pulled me close, and tried to guide me behind cover with her, despite the lack of solid objects to hide behind.
"No, I made the wall to appear as if this store was empty."
Outside, a man bigger than Mr. Netak led the men, and stopped to turn around, which made his men fumble and quickly realign in a military formation. He wore a patrol hat tightly around his head, a tough black and grey jacket with large pockets, and a pistol on his hip. He gave them all a sour look.
"Cop Seventeen assigned me with the lot of you," he said with disgust in his mouth. "His reasoning was simple. You are all idiots. You share that with Priority One User. Cop Five Ninety-one spotted the target enter this shopping center. You will split into three groups; two at the exits of the shopping center, and the third searching one shop at a time."
"Yes sir, Agent Two!" they all exclaimed simultaneously.
The next few moments were a mess. They all lowered their guns with one arm and started picking teams. A few would disagree - that they didn't believe they should be parts of certain teams. Others wanted to play rock-paper-scissors for the best shooter among them. Agent Two groaned and put a stop to it. He began shoving the men, with ease, into three directions, out of random. After they were sorted, they saluted him, and carried out their duties.
The group sent on patrol, charged into the closest store. There was silence about a minute, until we heard gunfire, screaming from both the store, and through the radios, and Agent Two shouting back in the radios. He never got an answer of what attacked them.
"That takes care of one group," Vern said successfully.
"You." Agent Two pointed at shortest operative, who looked behind
him to see who he was pointing at. "Go to the mainframe and shut off the power grid to the shopping district. Agent Five Ninety-one will direct you on how to kill the power."
"I had a feeling they were going to take this course of action," Vern stated. He hovered around the room, unlocking each weapon's case wirelessly. "Take any you'd like. The users that run Machine Mountain will figure that the government seized them after this mess. They did, after all, pay for their production."
The most out of place weapon was a pair of sunglasses and two handguns. "What do these do?" I asked, as I slid the glasses on.
The only thing I could see, was the store's floor. I couldn't see anything else, no matter where I looked, until Vern asked Lara to hand me the two pistols that went with the shades. When she moved the pistols into my hands, I saw my feet. I held the guns up and aimed them, no, looked through them, in front of me, behind me, and on my left and right. The lenses looked through the cameras on the guns. I could see two places at once, and it made me a bit dizzy.
"Go ahead, fire a test shot. This model is unloaded," Vern urged me.
Despite the gun being unloaded, I aimed it at the floor, and fired the weapon. It sent a strong surge of electricity through my arm and I let go of it like a cat jumping from water.
"Oh well, it was worth a shot. That model is currently being tested on one Clyde Creedence. They must have enabled a security feature that allows only him to fire the weapon."
I removed the sunglasses and then picked up a prototype rifle.
"That's a fine choice, indeed," Vern praised. "The General Lightning Gun 20, otherwise known as, the GLG20. It fires both a single bolt, and a chain bolt of electricity. The setting is right there on a safety switch."
I looked near my index finger, to find a knob, which pointed at an S, for safety, in white paint. Above it, three bolts of lightning, one after the other, and above that, a single bolt, all in red paint.
"You just need to make certain, if it is set to a chain bolt, that only your targets are in front of you. Who knows what could happen in that 180-degree angle. Now, load up on weaponry, you'll need it. Good. Now, shut your eyes and cover them. We only have one shot at this, so be ready!"
Even with my eyes shut tightly, a blinding light filled my vision, and I dropped two of the guns I was carrying to cover my eyes in pain. Vern had made all the walls let out a blinding white light.
"Go and shoot! The guns are non-lethal, so don't hesitate."
Lara took a hand I was using to cover my eyes, and led me out of the shop. More than a dozen men, including Agent Two, were shielding their eyes, or putting their hands out to feel for something, anything. One of the agents found his way to their leader, and Agent Two smacked his soldier's hands away, and squinted at Lara and I.
"Straight ahead, fire!" he ordered, lifting his own gun.
I lifted mine, set it to chain bolt with my right index finger, and fired. An erratic strand of electricity shot from the barrel, and jumped from CBA agent to CBA agent. Those that were hit, fell to the floor, shaking and stuttering. There were a few others left, but my gun could only then fire single bolts, as the yellow LED indicator light showed the battery was low.
Lara shot a few rounds of tranquilizer darts that put a pair of agents down into a heavy doze. She even shot Agent Two in the arm, but he only pulled the dart out and threw it to the ground. He was about to lift his gun and shoot more, as his sight was better, but his arm was fast asleep. Before he could lift his right hand and pull his trigger finger using his left, Lara and I made a break for the exit.
The group at guard were about to open fire, when all of the lights shut down. The only light that appeared were single bolts of lightning I shot that struck the unsuspecting guards. The gate began lowering, and Lara guided me to it. I continued to fire and Lara was now on the other side yelling for me to follow.
They could still shoot through the gate. I had to take out as many of them as I could before joining her.
"Top left! To the right!" Lara assisted, shooting her own dart gun at the guards.
I looked around at my handiwork and noticed that the LED light was a fading red. In that moment, I was so pleased with myself, that I began laughing triumphantly.
"Hurry, it's almost closed!" Lara rushed.
"Oh, right!" I slid most skillfully under the lowering gate. My unkempt hair, however, didn't make it in time. The portcullis enclosed tightly and I shrieked like a girl. The electricity from the gate was charging through my hair and tingling my scalp. "Help! Help!" I called out helplessly.
Lara unsheathed a knife from her boot and cut my pinned hair free. The knife's handle was decorated with videogame characters. I leaned up with an elbow, felt my lopsided hair and decided it was a good time to get a haircut anyway.
"You carry a knife in your boot?" I asked in awe.
"I figure that Jack Burton would always say-"
Before she could finish, I kissed her. That's right, we finally kissed. While she still supported my head with one hand, we kissed. I've never felt more in love.
19. Aurora
Lara had already met Wade, Martin and Irene. My system lay on the coffee table, in front of Adam and Lara. It was used as the terminal for the meeting. In my webcam, Lara looked to be in constant anticipation, while Adam looked delighted to introduce his A.I. to her.
Wade couldn't stand still before she met them; he was either pacing while he waited, or asking Martin if he should change his avatar to be something a little more welcoming. Martin was at ease, and waited patiently. Me, I stood just to the right of Martin, invisible to them all.
"Maybe a clown fish - users love clown fish," Wade tried convincing.
"I think you should just be yourself," Martin suggested.
In that moment, Wade's avatar boxed in to form his computer case. "I feel a bit square, like this."
"Like yourself - like you usually are," Martin corrected him.
He then transformed into his usual humanoid avatar, except with larger muscles and a smoldering look on his face. Martin shook his head in disappointment, but said nothing.
She had already known them by name, as Adam told her all about us, on the taxi ride home from Machine Mountain.
"Lara, there is one last person I'd like you to meet," Adam began. "And I know she wants to meet you more than anyone in the world."
Despite not programming myself to blush, I felt as though all the eyes were on me, despite being invisible, and that my red cheeks could show my nervousness. I revealed myself, although just as a stutter at first. I flickered in and out of sight, as my emotions were in control.
During these long years, I've dedicated my life to Lara. I know everything about her. I have even helped her. I've blocked dirty websites that she accidently clicked on; vanquished viruses; guided her on the right path; and I was even her DJ when she set her music to random. She has always been my best friend, except, I had just then realized that I have never spoken a word to her. It was frightening.
What do you say to someone that you have wanted to talk to since your first spark of existence?
"Aurora?" Lara called out. Her eyes searched the computer screen. She continued to speak, "As soon as Adam said your name, I remembered the video game I began creating before I worked at Jericho Communications. I named the heroine of the video game, Aurora."
"That's where I got my name from," I said, and finally allowed them to see me. "As well as my appearance."
Lara's eyes brightened. "You're just as I wanted to create her!" she exclaimed.
"After you created the draft of the 3D model, I borrowed your concept art and finished it," I told. "I also continued making the game after you started working at Jericho Communications."
"That is amazing, Aurora," she commended.
"It is in its beta process, and it still needs a lot more work. I would need your help on most of it." I felt shy, but I realized that Lara would accept me, no matter what. She was kind. "You can play it, if you would like to."<
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"Can I play it with you?"
I felt my system flutter with relief. She wants to play the video game with me!
"Yes, it would take a few days, but I can make it playable for all of us," I said, and then rose my nose to Wade and Adam. "I'll just have to give them a handicap, since they aren't as good as us."
"Please," Wade said with distaste. "Adam and I can destroy both of you till you plead to go back to playing house in your sissy games."
"I believe I kicked your ass last time a scoreboard was in the equation."
"That time wasn't fair!"