by Terry Schott
40
“It should say ‘Toad’ on the contract.”
“Cecil Williams.” Danni scolded him gently. “Stop that kind of talk. What you say and think of yourself shapes the person that you will become more than any other factor.”
“I believe you.” He flipped through multiple pages of the long contract until he reached the last one. “Starting today, I will end the negative self-talk.” He scribbled his signature on the bottom line and looked at her with a grin. “At least, I will try my best.”
“That’s all any of us can ever do.” Danni took the papers and placed them in a folder.
“Is that it?”
She spread her hands. “That’s it. The paperwork is complete, the game is ready. You will be the first player to enter Atonement tomorrow.”
“I still can’t believe the opportunity you are giving us.”
“I sincerely hope that your next life is better than this one has been.”
“How can it not be?”
“Well”—Danni pointed to a large stack of completed release forms—“most of the fallen have spent the majority of their lives in a . . . feral state. The optimist in me hopes that Atonement will be a second chance which everyone will work hard to make the best of, but I expect there will be a dangerous adjustment period.”
“You think it’s going to be a warzone filled with violence and hate?”
“No. Maybe. Whatever happens, it will not be all sunshine and flowers. We have exerted significant effort and resources to ensure that the calmest, most positive candidates enter the game first. This will allow the positive forces to take root before the more challenging and violent souls begin their play.”
“Lifetime,” Cecil said. “We aren’t going in and then coming out multiple times like those who play the Game. We only get one chance. We will not be playing, we will be living.”
Danielle nodded. “That is an interesting way to look at things, Cecil. I am betting you would have said the exact same thing while living on Tygon, yet here you are presented with a second chance for a whole new life. What is to say the same opportunity won’t arise inside Atonement?”
“Will it? Do you have something like that built into it?”
“Not at all, but that doesn’t mean it won’t appear. I think life should always be looked at as if it were a game. We are all playing at something, aren’t we? If you eliminate games from your life, you say farewell to immense fun and learning opportunities. I have been out of the Game for over ten years, but that doesn’t mean that I ever stopped playing the game of life.”
Cecil considered her words. “I never thought of it that way, Danni. You are right, the very idea that life is a game makes it seem more of an adventure.”
“Good. Your outlook and attitude will be important to many inside Atonement. I know you will be an excellent leader.”
“Leader?”
“Yes.” Danni turned her tablet on and tapped it before handing it to Cecil. “Every society requires leadership. I want you to take a look at this proposal.”
Cecil read the document on the tablet. When he was done, he looked at her with a puzzled expression. “You’re asking me to be a Timeless?”
“Sort of. Timeless isn’t the correct title, but it’s the closest thing we have at the moment. You won’t live as long as the Timeless do, but you will live longer than most. Plus there are many things that overlap with the types of things they have been rumoured to be capable of.”
He frowned but then paused before smiling and meeting her gaze. “This is an exciting offer.”
Danni smiled, guessing that he had stopped himself from saying something negative. “Do you accept, then?”
Cecil thought about it for another few seconds, then nodded. “I would be honoured.”
“Then let’s go over the basics.”
41
Most days he was fine.
Tygon placed many demands on its unofficial ruler. On average, over a twenty-four-hour time period, Trew slept less than five hours and spent at least one or two with his family. The remaining portion of each and every day was spent working, although the tasks and activities were so wide-ranging that no day really felt like work to Trew and the hours often flew by.
On most days.
Every so often, the intense pace would catch up to him and he would require some downtime. In those moments, Trew would admonish himself and vow to take the necessary rest before his system forced the issue. That was always his intention, but it rarely happened.
If most days were filled with activity, optimism, energy, focus, and excitement, then the down days were the exact opposite, hours filled with self-doubt, criticism, depression, sadness, and deep introspection.
On this, one of his darker moments, Trew sat on the balcony of his penthouse at three a.m, a drink dangling from one hand as he looked at the cityscape.
What’s the point? None of this is real. I’m not real. This entire world and the game worlds we create, none are anything more than energy and digital information creatively fused to generate lifelike simulations. Useless little constructs moving blindly towards outcomes which mean nothing to anyone.
Trew took a drink and shook his head. He knew that it wasn’t productive to be like this. These moments of deep thought did nothing to help him with the day-to-day operations of his empire, so far as he could tell. Still, he couldn’t stop the thoughts from coming. It was as if they built over time and needed to be released in order to make room for more, like steam in a boiling kettle released to prevent an explosion.
Fame, fortune, influence. What’s the point? All of these lives that I have lived, the skills learned, memories made, challenges, failures, accomplishments. What’s the point?
“How many people really remember Brandon?” he asked his reflection in a nearby mirror. “The average person lives and dies having accomplished nothing.” He stood and leaned over the railing. “Thinking like this is pointless. If you feel this way, then stop. Turn it all in and disappear. If the world isn’t affected by you being in it, then leave.”
He smiled. Where did that come from? Is that George talking to Trew? At moments like this, I expect discussions with others. The old man, Sylvia, Tygon’s entity, even the singing man. I guess I’ve been blessed more than others in this respect. Do they visit others on Tygon? On Earth or the Dream? And this other entity inside of me, the one that talks to me more than any other, who is it? Is it me, or am I it?
He laughed and tilted the glass back, draining the contents. “These thoughts are counterproductive, Trew,” he said, recognizing that he was coming out of the darkness. Laughing at himself was one of the first signs that he was pushing the negativity aside and getting ready to return to the world. But something inside of him became excited, almost eager, encouraging him to follow the question and demand an answer.
“Who am I?”
The question was distracting, but he fought the impulse to let it go and continued to chase it.
I am not Trew, because before I was Trew, I was Zack. I have inhabited many avatars, been called many names, and displayed different personalities, yet still I remain.
“If I observe myself behave and think a certain way, then I must be the observer and not the one being observed. Who is that?”
The very idea began to confuse him. He tried to follow the thought, but his mind began to fill up with a myriad of other feelings and sensations. The day-to-day demands of running Tygon, starting two new games, finding Cooper, meeting Lohkam, and a dozen other things came to the forefront. He reached out to hold onto the original question, but it fled like a wild animal being hunted.
As suddenly as it had appeared, the tiny shreds of self-realization were gone. “Who am I?” he mumbled once more, and then turned his attention towards more pressing matters.
Trew went inside and retrieved a notebook and pen and began to jot down notes, dealing with each issue in preparation for the day which was soon to begin. After a short time, he l
ooked down at his watch and shook his head. “Seven a.m. Time flies.”
He turned his phone on and waited for it to display the messages received during the twelve hours he had been locked away. One hundred seventy-five text messages. Trew tossed the phone onto the couch. “Back to work. After a shower.”
It was a new day and he felt fine once more.
42
Sparx felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped, removing his headphones in time to hear Barret still chuckling. “Sorry, son, I didn’t mean to startle you. You must have been listening to some good music. It was almost as if you weren’t here.”
Almost, but you interrupted me. “I was just concentrating on the task.”
“What task is that?” Barret looked past Sparx and frowned as he examined the code on the monitor. “I can’t get over how advanced you have become, Kevin. I don’t recognize a single line of what you’re doing here.”
“Of course you do. It’s the basic language we developed together. I copied and pasted the most common phrases and commands onto this template for quick access. What you see on the screen is exactly what you think it is: total gibberish.” He touched a key and the screen went blank.
“Oh, okay. Listen, your mother and I are going out for dinner and thought you should come with us.”
Sparx started to shake his head but Barret raised a hand. “Before you say no, let me repeat some advice that my father used to give me.” He placed a hand on Sparx’s shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. “If you bury your nose in work every moment, you will look up one day and discover that life has passed you by. Work to live, don’t live to work.”
Sparx nodded and pretended to consider what Barret had said. “That’s good advice. I promise to listen to it.”
“Good.” Barret walked towards the door.
“Just as soon as I crack this current challenge.”
Barret opened his mouth to argue but Sparx spoke first. “This last program will add the final layer of security encryption and allow the entire 'Net to run without being attacked or compromised by outside sources. I’m so close that I can’t stop until our baby is safe.”
Barret closed his mouth and nodded. Sparx smiled. I’m asking for permission to make him one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. Find a way to argue with that, Barret.
“It’s your call, son. I understand getting close to a breakthrough and not wanting to stop until you have.”
“Thanks.” Sparx placed the headphones over his ears. He pulled them away for a minute and looked at Barret. “Maybe you could bring me back some leftovers?”
“For you, I think I could order you your own entire meal.”
Sparx laughed. Kevin, you have a real cool parent. “Thanks, Dad.” He repositioned the headphones and looked into the reflection of his monitor. When Barret exited the room, Sparx turned the volume up and brought the code back onto his screen.
It wasn’t music coming through the headphones. If Kevin had been in control of his body, he would hear a cacophony of hisses, clicks, beeps, and intermittent short and long tones repeated with no apparent pattern. To Sparx, this was the music of reality, the sounds of molecules and atoms vibrating, each with their own distinctive voice and pattern.
Over the past few weeks, he had taken nature’s sounds and gently, carefully, woven a new frequency into the mix, much like a thread being woven into a great tapestry. His unique frequency was the framework for the new Internet. When complete, it would do much more than transmit a stable framework through the air and specially laid cables. Sparx’s creation would immerse itself into the very fabric of the Dream’s time and reality. It would be his vehicle for travelling through the multiverse that he knew must exist.
Sparx closed his eyes and listened carefully, his heightened senses able to slide through the myriad of energies like a master burglar slipping undetected through a grid of laser sensors. Time disappeared as he examined his creation for the slightest imperfection or flaw. Finding none, he nodded and typed the final commands into the keyboard. He pressed the Enter button and opened his eyes as the sound in his earphones changed minutely, but importantly.
“It’s live,” he announced to the empty room. “Now I can begin searching for a way to make contact with Earth.”
Sparx turned the volume up, closed his eyes, and sent a portion of himself forth to travel through time and creation.
43
“Congratulations, my beautiful wife.” Trew raised his glass of champagne and smiled as Danielle touched her own to his with a tiny clinking sound. “The new games are a resounding success all over Tygon.”
“Congratulations to you as well, my handsome and brilliant husband. It’s wonderful to get out together in public.”
“It is. I always forget how kind our fans are until we spend time amongst them.” He glanced at the surrounding tables. Aside from the odd glance and smile, everyone did the best they could to ignore them.
“Maybe they have become bored of us.”
“I don’t think so. They are as sweet to us as my wife is to all of them.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, babe. I may be the Prophet, but you are very generous when it comes to dealing with the public.”
“A trait that was built into both of us as stars of the Game.”
“I would argue it’s a trait we possessed naturally, one that helped to make us into the stars we became.”
“I agree with that, love. Whatever the reason, it’s great to be able to spend a couple solid hours where all I have to worry about is not getting lost in my wife’s beauty.”
“Oh, you became lost in that a long time ago, boy.” She laughed. “And I love it.”
Trew stood and went to stand beside her, looking down and cupping her face in his hand. He leaned down and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. Moments passed before their lips parted. Trew realized he had stopped breathing and, judging from her wide-eyed stare, she had also. “Wow,” he whispered. “I can’t ever get enough of you.”
“Good.”
She drives me mad with desire even in the way she blinks her eyes. I love this woman so much. Trew forced himself to walk back to his seat.
“Good for you two,” said the elderly woman at the table beside them. Trew met her gaze and smiled.
“Where were we?” Danni took a bite of dessert. “Before you took my breath away.”
“I think we were talking about a game or something.”
“Maybe we should cool down and talk about the games. Until we get to the hotel at least.”
“I don’t think we can stop flirting with each other for that long. We can try for a few minutes though. Mix it up a little.”
“Do you want to praise me on the progress of my game or should I fawn over yours first?”
“It’s kind of strange, isn’t it?” Trew asked. “Technically, both of them belong to both of us, but I do consider Atonement to be your baby and Sojourn to be mine.”
“We had to split the workload up. It makes sense that the game we worked on most feels like our own. You’re right though, they are both ours. Tygon’s, actually.”
“I don’t have concrete numbers to report.”
Danni giggled. “Good. I don’t want to totally destroy the mood.”
“I thought you get turned on by things like numbers, charts, and prime indicators?”
“Oh god. I know they say opposites attract, but if either of us were turned on by things like that I doubt we would be together. I would rather run naked through a sandstorm than analyze numbers.”
“I would rather you run naked as well. Tease.”
Danni laughed. “Okay, I’m sorry. Which of our games is in the lead?”
“I would say they are close enough in the ratings to be neck and neck.”
“Still behind the Game, though?”
“By miles. They are babies compared to the Game. I would be surprised if either ever manage to approach those numbers.”
“Life is full of surpri
ses.”
“That’s true. And the Game is pretty light on major story lines or events at the moment.”
“That’s my fault.” Trew paused while the waiter cleared their plates and sold them dessert. “Announcing the end of the Game slowed things down dramatically, but I expect it to ramp back up soon enough.”
“On that note, Addi is loving her time inside the Game.”
“It’s funny how excited young players get about being blades of grass and small plants when they first start playing, isn’t it?”
“It’s so new and real at that stage. I can still remember the magic.”
“Me too. By living as one, I was surprised to learn how complex and intricate the life of an ancient oak tree actually is. It’s a shame we forgot that when we reincarnated as humans. Earth would be treated much better by people that could relate to the complexities of all of its life forms.”
“Some recall,” Danni said, “but not nearly enough.”
“I’ve been following her ranking. Our baby girl is a chip off of the old blocks. Her dedicated channel is already in the top one hundred.”
“Amazing considering that there is no other channel for a player that young. I wonder how many are actually watching her play as she waves lazily all day in the sun as a plant.”
“I am betting some will even pay to First these first plays.”
Trew smiled. “She will be thrilled.”
“She will. Any news on the Timeless?”
“Yeah. They suddenly reappeared about three hours ago.”
“Reappeared?”
“That’s how Sylvia described it.”
“There’s no way they left the Game,” Danni said, “so they must have just slipped off the tracking system.”
“Sylvia won’t give me details. I will have to wait until Brandon comes out for a scheduled visit.”
“I would like to attend that meeting.”
“Noon, tomorrow.”