Game World

by George Ivanoff

  ‘Don’t I get one of those headset thingies?’ asked Hall.

  He was sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, in an empty and sterile room.

  ‘No,’ snapped Maheera. Touching her own headset she continued. ‘I need one to monitor you. You just need a patch. Then you lie down, close your eyes and we’ll put you into the virtual environment.’

  Major Mager marched into the room and gave the Field Marshal a patch. He saluted, took a step to the side and stood to attention.

  ‘Dismissed, Major,’ said Maheera.

  ‘Sir, yes, sir!’ barked Mager, but he appeared crestfallen as he marched from the room.

  ‘He’s a bit … intense,’ said Hall.

  Maheera grunted and almost smiled. ‘You haven’t met Sergeant Sargant.’

  ‘You’re kidding?’

  ‘I wish I was.’ Maheera sighed and held up the patch.

  Hall pulled his hair back and Maheera slapped it onto his neck. ‘Ow!’

  ‘Toughen up, soldier!’

  ‘I’m not a …’ Hall stopped himself. ‘What exactly will the game be?’

  ‘We don’t know,’ answered Maheera. She strode to the door as Hall lay back.

  ‘Hey,’ called Hall. ‘How do I get out of the game?’

  ‘When you win,’ explained Maheera, ‘you will automatically be returned.’

  ‘What if I don’t win?’ complained Hall, closing his eyes.

  ‘That is not an option.’

  ‘What?’ Hall tried to open his eyes and sit up … but couldn’t.

  He no longer felt any connection to the physical world.

  Black.

  Hall was aware of the now familiar nothingness in which he existed. It wasn’t so scary any more.

  Light flared, creating the grid around him. But this time it was different. Pinpoints of light scooted and skittered around him, creating outlines and details. It was like light was being used to sketch out a world.

  And then it was all solid and detailed.

  And he was there – in his HallsOfAwesome avatar.

  He stood in a forest, surrounded by trees and bushes. He could hear the breeze sighing through the leaves and the twitter of bird-song. Everything smelled fresh and clean.

  It seemed so real.

  There was so much more detail than the VR he’d tried in PlayTime, or the games he’d been tested in by the CP. If he didn’t know for sure that he had just entered a virtual environment, he would have thought this was indeed reality.

  Hall realised that he wasn’t wearing armour or carrying any sort of weapon, despite having the physical presence of his avatar.

  So, it’s not a combat game, he thought. I wonder what it is. Survival perhaps? A fantasy quest?

  He felt a familiar excitement welling up inside him – the same sort of excitement he felt whenever he began a new game. But this time there was also an underlying sense of fear.

  He took an uncertain step. He was on a rough path. So he followed it as it wound its way through the greenery.

  He’d barely made it a few steps before he heard a growling from the undergrowth. Feeling nervous, he picked up his pace.

  The rustling in the bushes followed him.

  Up ahead a fallen tree blocked the path. It was massive – the width of the trunk matching Hall’s height – and thick with branches and leaves.

  He was about to clamber over the tree when he noticed there was an axe leaning up against it to the right of the path.

  Maybe I’m supposed to chop through it rather than climb?

  The growling returned.

  There was movement to the left of the path, near the top of the fallen tree. The leaves and branches shook. Something was moving along the trunk towards him. He peered into the foliage to see …

  A little ball of fluff with the widest, roundest, cutest eyes he had ever seen. The creature was adorable. It growled, the sound completely at odds with its appearance. Hall stifled a laugh.

  Now, back to the game.

  Hall stepped off the path and picked up the axe. He felt its weight in his hands. He gave it an experimental swing and readied himself.

  With a roar, the cute little creature launched itself from the branches at him. Mouth wide-open, it displayed metal teeth. Razor-sharp claws protruded from its fur.

  Hall yelped and swung the axe.

  CLANG!

  The animal fell to the ground, wiring and black fluid spilling from its insides.

  Hall examined it. Not so cute any more!

  He was breathing hard and he felt sweaty. This is some game, he thought.

  Stepping back onto the path, Hall swung the axe again, this time into the tree that blocked the path. It bit into the wood. After a couple more chops, he realised it would take him hours to cut through.

  He climbed instead, going up and over in a matter of seconds and continued along the path.

  A few paces ahead he saw a silver dagger at the foot of a large tree, its trunk twisted and gnarled with age.

  That might come in handy.

  He left the path to retrieve it. But as he crouched down to pick it up, the tree roots shifted beneath him. One of them snaked out from the soil and wrapped around his hand before he could touch the knife.

  Reacting quickly, he brought the axe down on the root. Wires and black ooze dripped from the sliced end.

  Is everything around here robotic?

  Two more roots wound around his ankles. He hefted the axe, but as it cleaved through one of the roots, more wound up around it, holding it in place.

  Hall yanked at the axe. It was stuck! Abandoning it, he tried to pull away from the tree, but the roots held fast, more of them slinking around him.

  ROAAAAR!

  Hall stopped struggling and stared. A large knot in the tree trunk gaped open, revealing a circle of metal teeth. As the roots brought him closer, the teeth began to move, circling around the edge of the mouth, faster and faster.

  This is just a game, he told himself. Think! What would I do if I was playing this at home on my computer?

  As another root wormed its way around this throat, his eyes locked onto the dagger.

  That must be it, he thought, otherwise why would it be here.

  He grabbed the dagger, then thrust out with the weapon, stabbing into the trunk beneath the gaping maw.

  EEEEEEYYYAAAAAA!

  The ear-splitting sound bellowed from the tree’s mouth, as its roots and branches withered.

  Hall scrambled away, falling back onto the path. He watched in horror as sap bubbled up from the wound around the knife. Its leaves shrivelled and its branches disintegrated. The bark fell away, leaving a tree-shaped metal skeleton.

  The dagger fell to the ground next to the axe.

  Hall went for the weapons, but then stopped. He thought through what had happened. It wasn’t until he’d left the path to get the dagger that the tree had attacked. And before that, the fluffy robotic animal hadn’t attacked until he had left the path to pick up the axe.

  Maybe if I stick to the path, all will be well?

  Decision made, Hall left the weapons and resumed his journey to … wherever the game would lead him.

  As he rounded a bend, Hall came to his next challenge – a break in the path. It stopped abruptly before a patch of purple flowers, resuming about a metre beyond them.

  I can make it over that.

  He ran up and leaped, going for height as well as distance. It was a good thing he did, as the flowers extended up on their stalks and snapped at his feet with mouths full of needle teeth.

  A few minutes later, around another bend, came another break in the path with another patch of flowers.

  These were orange … and they were waist high. To the right of the path, nestled in the grass, was a machete.

  Hall sighed. It was just out of reach. He would have to step onto the grass.

  He sidled up to the edge of the path. There was a sudden movement in the bushes.

  I’ll have to be quick,
he thought.

  He gave himself a mental countdown – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – and jumped.

  He swooped down as he leaped, snatching up the machete and making for the flowerbed with the weapon already slicing through the air before him. As the blade hacked through the whimpering flowers, Hall heard snuffling grunts behind him. He didn’t stop. He didn’t turn around. He kept going, machete clearing a way through to the path.

  Making it past the deadly flowers, he took another couple of steps, then swivelled, weapon still gliding through the air. It took out three leaping spike balls.

  Spike balls?

  Another five sat on the edge of the path. They were like metal echidnas, rolled up into protective balls. Except that the malevolent glare of their yellow eyes told him they were out to get him.

  They sprang simultaneously.

  He swung the machete, slashing four of them apart.

  But the last got through.

  Excruciating pain shot through Hall’s thigh. He dropped the weapon and fell to his knees. The creature grunted and struggled, digging its spines deeper into his flesh.

  The pain was blinding.

  White-hot light flared at the back of his eyes.

  Hall sat bolt upright on the bed. Screaming!

  There was blood soaking through the leg of his pants.

  Maheera came running into the room, her adjutant close behind. ‘Calm down.’

  ‘Yes, calm down,’ said Major Mager.

  ‘Calm down?’ screamed Hall. ‘Calm down? I’m bleeding.’

  ‘You need to calm down,’ insisted Maheera. ‘Your adrenaline is still connecting you to the game. But you’re out. If you calm down, the connection will sever and the wound will disappear.’ She grabbed his face and brought her own level with his so they were eye to eye. ‘Focus on me, soldier. Breathe slowly. Deeply. And calm down.’

  ‘Okay. Okay.’ Hall’s breathing slowed and the tension ebbed away from his muscles. He realised that not only was Maheera holding his face, but Mager was patting him on the head mumbling, ‘There, there.’

  He shook his head free and swatted the Major’s hand away. ‘I’m all right!’

  ‘I’m not sure how that happened,’ said Maheera. ‘I suppose the shock must have pulled you out of the virtual environment. I’ve never seen that happen before.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘People don’t usually exit the game until it has concluded.’

  ‘So what happens if they’re injured … or killed?’ asked Hall.

  ‘They die.’

  ‘They die,’ whispered Hall. Then his voice rose to a shout again. ‘They die?’

  ‘Affirmative.’

  ‘Very affirmative,’ said Major Mager.

  ‘And no one bothered to tell me about this?’

  ‘I apologise, I assumed –’

  ‘I can’t go back in.’ Hall declared, shaking his head repeatedly. ‘I just can’t.’

  ‘You must, soldier,’ insisted Maheera. ‘You understand the situation we are in with the war against –’

  ‘Stop!’ yelled Hall.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Just stop talking!’ Hall repeated, jumping off the bed. ‘I’m not a soldier! I need to think.’

  ‘But –’

  ‘No!’ insisted Hall. ‘I need to think. I need to decide what to do.’ He tried to calm himself. ‘Just give me a few minutes.’

  Maheera gave him a curt nod and left, bustling the Major before her.

  Hall was on his own.

  Think. Think. Think.

  He poked at his thigh. The pain had gone. And the blood had disappeared. Did I imagine it?

  He began to pace the room, mind racing. If I go back into the game, I might die. But if I don’t, then I’m stuck in this crazy world. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?

  The Prime Minister said that he had a choice. Some choice: deadly game or deadly world? It didn’t feel like a choice at all. It was like he was being pushed by circumstances into something he didn’t want to do. And that made him angry.

  Hall stormed to the door, ready to rant and rave. Then he paused.

  What good would it do to take out his rage on the Field Marshal? He would still be in the same situation.

  He stepped out into the corridor with resignation.

  Maheera and Mager were waiting.

  ‘I’m ready.’

  Black.

  And then he was back. Everything was where it had left off, like a paused DVD being resumed.

  But he was ready.

  Using the machete, he prised the creature off his thigh and then smashed it with the blade.

  Hall struggled to his feet and examined his leg. Now that the creature had been removed, it didn’t seem so bad.

  I’ve got to approach all this logically, he thought. I’m in a game. So, I should have an inventory. I hope.

  ‘Sword!’ The weapon appeared in his hand.

  ‘Shield!’

  ‘Armour!’

  Now he was ready to continue.

  ‘Took you long enough,’ said a gruff, hard voice.

  A massive figure stood on the path ahead of him, blocking his way. Hall couldn’t believe his eyes.

  It was RandomizarBian! How was that possible?

  ‘What are you doing here?’ asked Hall, mind reeling. ‘How did you get here?’

  ‘Well, that’s a hard one to wrap your head around,’ said RandomizarBian. ‘I went from the real world into the virtual world of a VR game, where a doorway took me to some messed up world where a bunch of robots told me I had to go into a game world and win in order for them to find me my way home.’ He paused for a moment. ‘It made a lot more sense before I tried to put it into words.’

  ‘That’s pretty much what happened to me,’ said Hall. ‘I don’t suppose there was a computer tablet in your VR environment?’

  ‘Um. Yes. It … had your name on it.’

  ‘I had one too,’ said Hall. ‘Except with your name.’

  ‘So our experiences have been pretty similar.’

  ‘Yeah, except that I’m playing for the humans against the robots.’ His expression darkened. ‘Why are you siding with the machines?’

  ‘I’m not on anyone’s side except my own,’ said RandomizarBian. ‘It’s just that the robots made me an offer too good to refuse.’

  ‘So they’re forcing you into this?’

  ‘No. In fact, they were really big on giving me a choice. But they won’t help me find my way home unless I help them win these games and level up.’ He grinned. ‘And hey. I’m good at games.’ He raised his sword. ‘Better than you, anyway.’

  ‘Wait! There’s something I’ve got to know. What’s all this got to do with the OTHER WORLDS site?’

  ‘Beats me.’

  ‘But you sent it to me.’

  ‘Yeah, I know.’ RandomizarBian lowered his sword. ‘It’s weird. I found the site ages ago. Couldn’t work out what the deal was, so I bookmarked the page, then forgot about it. A few days ago – well, I think it was a few days ago, I’ve kinda lost track of time – I remembered it. Just when my dad bought a new VR set-up for his computer. It suddenly seemed important. Like I had some connection to it.’

  ‘So, why send it to me?’

  RandomizarBian shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. I thought maybe you might be able to figure it out.’

  ‘And now we’re both here,’ concluded Hall. ‘It’s like we’re connected to each other as well as this site.’

  ‘Yeah, whatever.’ RandomizarBian raised his sword again. ‘Enough talk.’

  ‘But … but … you can’t,’ stammered Hall. ‘You can’t fight against me.’

  ‘Why not? We’re always opponents. You’re my arch-nemesis!’ And with that, he attacked.

  Hall blocked with his shield, then brought up his own sword.

  The two players battled, as they often had, but this time it was in a game on another world … where the loser would die.

  Did he know that? Hall wondered.


  ‘RandomizarBian,’ he said, between slashes of his sword. ‘Anything that happens to us in the game –’

  But his opponent cut him off with a vicious onslaught.

  Hack.

  Thrust.

  Parry.

  Lunge.

  Hall did his best to defend himself against the attack, but the constant barrage of blows pushed him back. He stumbled and ended up on his knees.

  RandomizarBian continued the attack until the sword was struck from Hall’s hand. All he had left was his shield.

  He glanced to the side and saw a tree not far from the path, a wide system of roots protruding from the ground around it. That was his only hope.

  ‘I win,’ gloated RandomizarBian, raising his sword for a final strike. ‘As usual.’

  Instead of holding his shield up to block the sword; Hall swung it at his opponent’s legs.

  RandomizarBian lost his footing, stumbled and fell across the path … his hand extending beyond the boundary. As he touched the soil, a tree root coiled around it, pulling him closer.

  Hall was on his feet in a flash, kicking the sword from his opponent’s hand.

  ‘Aaaaargh!’ RandomizarBian struggled with the tree roots, but as more of him was dragged from the path, more tree roots twined around him.

  Hall picked up his sword and came to stand at the edge of the path.

  ‘Do you give up?’ he asked.

  RandomizarBian ignored him, continuing to struggle.

  ‘Listen to me,’ shouted Hall. ‘If you die in the game, you’ll die in real life.’

  Hall saw his opponent’s eyes widen.

  ‘If you give up,’ he continued, ‘I’ll save you.’

  He could see RandomizarBian’s internal struggle playing out on his face as he fought the roots.

  I need to be me, he thought. I need to show him who I really am. Then maybe he’ll trust me.

  The HallsOfAwesome avatar was gone, replaced by the real Hall.

  ‘This is me,’ he said. ‘The real me. I just want to go home, like you. I don’t want to see you die. Please, just give up.’

  RandomizarBian, mouth set in a grimace, shook his head. But the roots snaked around his throat and began to constrict.

  ‘Okay,’ he croaked. ‘You win!’