by Jason Segel
“I love you, too,” she tells me. “I always have.”
I suppose I should be thrilled, but instead I’m crushed. “I can’t believe I wasted so much time because I was too much of a wuss—”
“To risk destroying our friendship?” Kat finishes.
“Yeah,” I admit.
“Simon,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons I love you.”
I kiss her for the fifth—and maybe the last—time. When she pulls back, I don’t want to let her go.
“It’s going to be okay. This isn’t over,” she tells me.
“You’re sure?” I ask.
“Yes. It’s just beginning. I promise.” She takes my hand. “Come on—let’s get this part over with.”
We walk side by side through the pale blue ice. Just before we reach the cave, she plants a kiss on my cheek. Then we step inside to find Magna sitting on his throne. His red body has cooled to gray metal. The avatar is just as colossal as I remember, but this time Magna’s shoulders are slumped and his head is bowed. He seems exhausted, weak.
He looks up at us. His face takes form as it starts to glow. For the first time I can see the resemblance to Milo Yolkin. “Did Moloch send you?” he asks wearily.
“No,” Kat says. “We came on our own. My name is Kat. This is Simon.”
“I’m not in the mood for company,” Magna tells us. “Get out.” His body begins to burn bright red. He lifts one hand, and a glowing orb forms in his palm. As he does, the outstretched arm returns to stone, as if the effort has drained him. Yet there’s little doubt that the orb remains a lethal weapon.
“Please, don’t throw that, Milo. If you hit us, we could die in real life,” Kat says calmly.
The avatar’s stone limbs melt into swirling plasma. He’s burning so brightly now that I can hardly bear to look at him. “What did you call me?”
I grab Kat and shove her into a crevice in the cave’s wall just as Magna’s orb sails through the air and hits the ground inches from where we were standing. The explosion leaves my ears ringing. I use my body to shield Kat, and I know my avatar’s going to be black and blue from the chunks of ice that are pelting it.
“Guess he prefers to be called Magna,” Kat says. “Good to know.”
Kat can crack all the jokes she likes, but I can’t see the humor in the situation. That evil little shit nearly killed us. I am going to make him pay for that. When I’m done, there won’t be a bone in his body that hasn’t been broken.
“Simon,” Kat whispers. She sounds worried. “What’s wrong with you? You look crazy. We both knew this wasn’t going to be easy. You’ve got to calm down.”
But I can’t. The valve that once controlled my rage has been broken. The anger can no longer be contained. I can hear myself panting like a rabid beast.
“Stay here. Don’t do anything,” Kat warns. “You’re not well. Let me take care of this.”
She slips out of the crevice, and I follow her. The attack appears to have done more damage to Magna than it did to Kat or me. He’s doubled over in his chair, his head in his hands.
“My apologies for offending you, Magna,” Kat says to the avatar. “I was trying to tell you that Simon and I are both wearing disks.”
He looks up. I assume he’s surprised, but it’s hard to tell. “Come forward,” he orders weakly.
I hurry after Kat as she approaches the giant. I can feel the dagger tucked away in my boot. One wrong move and Magna’s going to be tasting steel.
“Close your eyes,” Magna orders Kat, and she does as he says. He leans forward and places his palms on either side of her face. One hand remains cold gray stone while the other glows red.
“Stop!” Kat exclaims, reaching up to grab the glowing hand. “You’re burning me!” Magna immediately removes both hands from her face. The test is over.
“How did you get a disk?” he asks.
“The Company is beta testing them,” Kat says. “They’ve kidnapped hundreds of people and stored their bodies in capsules. I’m part of the test.”
Magna sits back in his chair. “They went ahead with it,” he says to himself, seething. “Even after I forbade them to alter the business model.”
Kat looks at me. “Business model?” she asks.
“The Otherworld headset app will make billions, but it’s only a game. If the Company sells disks, the people who use them will have to turn to us for their most basic needs. They’ll need a place to store their bodies and nourishment to keep them alive. Can you imagine how much we could charge for such services? Apparently my board of directors can. Those greedy bastards. I told them the disks weren’t viable.”
I can’t keep my mouth shut. “Wait, we just told you that the Company—your company—is kidnapping people and you’re pissed off about the business model?”
Kat shoots me a dirty look, but Magna doesn’t seem to give a damn about my outrage.
“You need to leave Otherworld,” Kat tells him. “You have to return to the real world and stop the beta test. You’re the only one who can do it.”
“Why bother?” Magna asks. “Without me, the Company will never be able to fix the flaws in the disk. And no one will want to lease one of the Company’s capsules when they find out there’s a chance they might die in it.”
“People are already dying in the capsules,” I snarl.
Magna’s eyes leave me, and his gaze focuses on a spot just behind us. “They aren’t the first victims of this technology, and they certainly won’t be the last. Humankind is taking a massive leap forward. There’s bound to be collateral damage.”
I glance over my shoulder and see a strange shadow on the wall of the ice cave. There appears to be a body entombed in the ice.
“Whose avatar is that?” Kat asks.
“It belongs to the disk’s inventor,” Magna says.
“James Ogubu?” Oh my God, it’s Busara’s dad. “You didn’t kill him?”
“Kill him?” Magna scoffs. “Why would I do something so stupid? He knows the technology better than anyone. I might need his help someday.”
“You need him now,” Kat says. I can tell from her voice that she’s stopped playing nice. “You’ve lost control. You’ve let Otherworld beat you. It found your weakness.”
“Lost control?” Red veins spring up on the stone surface of Milo’s avatar. “I created this world. I know every rock, every beast, every cloud in the sky….”
“You may have created it, but it’s not yours anymore,” Kat tells him. “It belongs to the Children. They’re alive and you know that. The guests are killing and slaughtering them one by one, but you haven’t been able to stop it. You can’t admit that your game needs to end. You’re too addicted to playing God. Isn’t that what you always wanted—what you couldn’t get from the real world? The ultimate power? Otherworld gave you a taste and now you’re hooked—just like all the people who came here to kill or steal or indulge their sick fantasies….”
“I am not like them. Here, I am God!” Magna bellows. A new orb has appeared in his hand. I step forward, but Kat holds me back with one arm while she points at the exit on the far side of the cavern.
“Go through the exit, Milo. Close off Otherworld to visitors. Get rid of the disks. Keep the servers running and let Otherworld play on, but without any guests. Including you. If you want to save the Children—and save the real world from this technology—you can’t spend your life in a capsule,” Kat says. “Two worlds need you, Milo. You have to make the sacrifice. You have to go back. This is your chance.”
She did it again. I watch Magna’s arm rise at the sound of his real name. He’s going to throw the orb. Maybe he’ll miss. Maybe he won’t. But I’m not going to stand here and let this crazy fucker and his overgrown avatar threaten the girl I love. If he won’t go through the exit, I’m going to make him. He’s already weak. The orb in his hand has drained the energy from the rest of his body. I pull out my dagger and charge forward.
“Simon, stop!” Kat grabs hold
of my robe and won’t let go. But I can’t be stopped, and I drag her behind me as I make my way to Magna.
The orb is blindingly bright when he throws it. I’m dazzled, but I manage to duck. I hear the explosion behind me, but I keep going. Until I realize I’m no longer dragging Kat behind me.
I turn to see her on the ground, her copper curls fanned out around her face. Kat’s eyes are fixed on the ceiling above and her mouth is open, but she doesn’t seem to be breathing.
No. No. No.
I drop to my knees and take her in my arms. I can feel a feeble pulse, but it’s already fading. Nothing else matters. Let the world end, I think.
“Please don’t die,” I beg her. “I love you.”
I hear Magna making his way toward me. I don’t even bother to brace for the blow.
“I’m sorry.”
It’s not Magna’s booming voice. This one’s boyish and quiet and I’ve heard it somewhere before. “Let me help. There’s still time to save her.”
“Milo?” I say.
He doesn’t answer. The avatar gently lifts Kat off the ground. When I’m standing, he passes her body to me. “Take her through the exit,” he says. “Do it quickly. I’ll be right behind you.”
Kat’s body vanishes as I go through the exit. I’m not sure what to expect next. I’m used to having the disk ripped off the base of my neck, and I’m hoping this experience proves a little less painful. I step through the door and into a warm, bright room. It feels like a foyer between two worlds; all I need to do is walk forward. But I’m not in here alone. My grandfather is standing in my path. He’s younger this time. Aside from his brash 1960s-style suit, he looks a lot like me.
“Off to rescue the damsel in distress?” he asks.
“Hopefully a few other people too,” I tell him. “So I don’t have time to chat.”
He grins. “You got guts. I like it. Probably ’cause you got them from me.”
“Did I?” I ask.
“Why not?” he replies. “I was like you once. Word of advice, though?”
“What?” I ask, annoyed that he’s keeping me from Kat.
“Don’t think you got it all figured out. Looks like you picked up a little problem back there in crazy world. And even when we’ve got our heads on straight, a lotta guys like us end up at the bottom of the canal.”
I was expecting kudos, but I get a bullshit warning instead. I barge past him, through the light. When I can feel my hands, I remove the visor. The first thing I see is the ceiling of a capsule, which is all of four inches away from my face. They’ve found me. And getting out looks like it might be a bit of a challenge. I scoot down to the end and hook the tip of my shoe under the lever that opens the door. But when I pull, it doesn’t budge.
Inside the capsule, it’s at least a hundred degrees. Which might be great if I were naked. The sweat from my forehead is streaming into my eyes, and it’s impossible to wipe it away. I try the door handle again. Again, it doesn’t budge. My heart is racing now. It’s probably my imagination, but the air in here seems to be growing thin. I’m on the verge of an all-out panic attack when I hear the capsule door open and feel a whoosh of cool air.
Someone pulls my shelf out. His face appears above me.
“Mr. Eaton.”
“Hi, Wayne,” I say, struggling to sit up. “Hope you don’t mind if I call you Wayne.”
He takes a few steps back until he’s standing against the wall of capsules opposite mine. Only two of them are lit.
“Don’t bother getting up,” he says, gesturing at the metal shelf I’ve been lying on. “It will be time to go back soon. Right after you tell me where you’ve been getting the disks.”
“You know what? I think I’ll stay in the real world for a while,” I tell him as I slide off the shelf and land on my feet. My legs feel wobbly, but I do my best to hide it. “I’ve been playing too many games lately. I need to spend more time outdoors. And as for the disks—go to hell.”
“I’m afraid that’s not the right response, son.” He pulls out a gun and I almost laugh.
“Isn’t that a little old-fashioned?” I ask him.
“I’m an old-fashioned man,” he says. “A straight shooter, pun intended. I suppose I could go chasing after my enemies in some virtual world. But I’d rather just put bullets in their heads or make a few rotten floorboards collapse.”
“That was you that night at the factory?”
“It was. And now you know just how far I’m willing to go if you don’t do what I ask.”
“Let me guess. You’ll kill me?”
“Absolutely. And then I’m going to let your friends live.”
I don’t get it. Then he steps to one side, giving me a clear view of the capsules behind him. There’s movement in one of them. A girl’s hands are pressed against the interior of the capsule as if she’s trying to force her way out. But there’s no room to move, nowhere to go. I know her panic. It feels like being buried alive. And my own body almost collapses when I realize that the girl in the capsule is Kat. My eyes jump to the capsule beside hers. I see the toes twitch and I get a glimpse of male legs. It has to be Milo Yolkin.
“I’m guessing you didn’t foresee this turn of events, did you?” Wayne Gibson asks with a satisfied smirk. “The capsules don’t open from the inside. I made sure of that. Katherine and Milo left Otherworld, but I think they’re probably regretting that decision right about now. I switched off their meds. They’re not paralyzed, but they’re not going anywhere either. And this is exactly how they’re going to stay unless you tell me where you’ve been getting the disks. I’m not sure I’d keep them waiting if I were you. How long do you suppose it will take for the two of them to lose their minds?”
I’ve seen people die in countless ways, but none compares to the horror Wayne Gibbons just described. “You’re a goddamn monster,” I growl.
“Not at all,” he argues. “I’m giving the three of you a chance to return to Otherworld. Milo’s private exit will need to go, though. We’ll let him out from time to time. You’ll have to stay in his nasty little world, of course. But heck, it’s better than the alternatives, wouldn’t you say?”
“What’s all this for, Wayne?” I ask, trying to buy some time. “I’m just curious. What motivates a man like you? Is it money?”
“Nope. It’s about progress, son. Well, and large amounts of money—but mainly progress. It’s always required human sacrifice. You know how many men died building the Brooklyn Bridge? Or the Panama Canal? People like Mr. Yolkin here like to think that the world runs on their brainpower. People like me know that the world runs on blood. Now tell me what I need to know, Mr. Eaton. I’m finished with small talk.”
“Me too,” I tell him. “Go ahead and shoot.”
I’m waiting for the sound of the gun. Instead my ears are assaulted by another noise. A siren has gone off overhead and a red light is flashing above Milo’s capsule. Wayne Gibbons looks like he’s just been punched in the face. He holsters his gun and peers through the capsule’s window. Then he opens the latch and pulls the body out.
I’m frozen in place by the sight. Milo Yolkin barely looks human. His body is so emaciated that I can see every bone in his skeleton. Dark purple circles surround his eyes, and his shaved scalp is covered in strange brown patches. The heart monitor inside the capsule has flatlined.
“Help me, goddamn it!” Wayne shouts. “We need him alive!” He’s started chest compressions and CPR. It’s not going to make any difference. Even I can see that. But I let Wayne finish making the effort. Then I attack. I grab his gun from its holster with my left hand just before my right smashes into his face. Three more jabs and Wayne’s down on the ground. I raise my foot, and I’m just getting ready to stomp him to death when I catch a glimpse of Kat inside her capsule. It takes all the self-control I can muster to pull myself back from the brink. I put my foot down and point the gun at Kat’s stepfather instead.
“Get up and get on,” I tell Wayne, pointing at the
sliding metal shelf that I recently left.
He looks at the gun and then up at me. “You aren’t going to shoot,” he says, gasping for air.
“You sure about that?” I ask, giving him a quick kick in the gut. “Do you have any idea how many people I had to kill to make it through Otherworld? Do you really think one more would make a difference? Get on the goddamn shelf.”
“Shoot,” he says.
There’s a deafening bang, and I have no idea what’s happened until I see Wayne lying flat on the floor. I glance down at the gun in my hand and the finger that’s just pulled the trigger. Wayne’s groaning while a pool of blood spreads out around him.
What the hell did I just do?
I shove the gun into the waistband of my pants, open Kat’s capsule and pull her out. “Simon!” she gasps as I peel off my T-shirt and help her into it. “What happened to Wayne? Oh my God, is that Milo?”
“I’ll tell you everything when we’re safe. But first we’ve got to get out of here,” I say.
When Kat slides down to the floor, she shrieks with pain. “There’s something wrong with my leg.”
“Hold on to my neck,” I tell her, and I gather her up in my arms. The time in the capsule has taken its toll on her as well. She’s light as a feather.
“What about the others?” she asks.
“We can’t save them if we’re dead,” I tell her. “We’ll have to come back.”
I carry Kat up the stairs and down the hall. We’ve gotten as far as the lobby when it becomes clear that we won’t be going any farther. Black SUVs have pulled up in front of the building, and the men pouring out are already charging through the door. I have the gun in my waistband, but I’d have to put Kat down to reach it.
“Go!” she says. “Leave me here and get out another way.”
“No,” I tell her. I remember Carole saying the same thing. But Carole was sacrificing herself to save me. I’m saving myself. There would be no point in surviving if Kat were to die.
Then I spot movement in the parking lot. And I know what’s about to happen, as if I’ve somehow managed to read Busara’s mind. I drop to my knees behind one of the couches in the lobby a split second before the crash. Kat screams as glass flies in every direction. Large shards embed themselves in the walls. I’m up the second it’s over, with Kat in my arms. Busara’s car is in the middle of the large room. I open the back door and toss Kat inside, then throw my own body in after hers.