Digital Evolution (The Game is Life Book 5)

by Terry Schott

  “We aren’t butchers.” Trance wiped blood from his beard and spit onto the ground. “It’s just a game, why not have fun while playing?”

  “Until we hear different, butchers are exactly what we are.”

  “That’s the problem with so many of you other teams. All business and no fun. You’re not artists.”

  Ace laughed. “That what Lohkam has you believing?” Lohkam and his Hand are the sickest of us. Always have been. They ain’t artists. Lunatics is more like it.

  “Whatever. Let’s report back and get our next group of targets.”

  The door opened and a young man in his early twenties strolled in, a smile on his face and hands in his pockets. He stopped and looked around, his eyes widening.

  “Looks like someone’s luck just ran out.” Trance reached behind him and drew out a wicked-looking blade. “You opened the wrong door at the worst possible time, boy.”

  Brandon stepped over bodies and made his way to the centre of the room. “I was going to say the exact same thing to you. Now I have nothing clever to start this off with.” He tapped his chin and looked up. “Give me a minute while I think of something else.”

  Trance rushed forward with superhuman speed, his knife out, streaking towards Brandon’s abdomen. The young man moved as fast as his opponent, turning and pushing the larger man past him. With an extended foot, he tripped the Elite. Trance flew into the wall and crashed into a dazed heap.

  “What the . . .” Ace stepped back and drew his blade.

  Brandon sauntered over to Trance and grabbed him by the hair, yanking upwards and slamming his head against the wall. “Always playing with your targets, huh, Trance?” He dragged the man by the hair and bent to retrieve Trance’s knife from the ground. Ace took a step forward, but Brandon growled and shook his head. “Stay where you are, Ace. If you can manage to behave yourself, I’ll let you live.”

  Ace froze. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Who I am is displeased.” Brandon’s smile was grim. He jerked Trance onto his back, slamming him to the floor, and slapped him hard across the face. “Come on! This is no time to lay around sleeping.”

  Trance groaned and opened his eyes. Instinct took over and he bolted up, turning right to avoid being struck again while attempting to stand.

  Brandon’s fist and hit him squarely in the back of the neck. The man flopped flat against the floor, his arms splayed like a rag doll. “Ridiculous.” Brandon blew a stray lock of hair out of his eyes and shook his head as he looked at Ace. “I don’t know if he recruits them dumb, or if spending decades around Lohkam just makes you stupid by association.”

  Ace couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “That sounded like a Brandon comment, for sure.”

  Brandon flipped Trance over and rewarded Ace with a smile. “This Brandon sounds like my kind of guy.”

  Ace squinted and cocked his head. “Are you kidding me? Damn it, you are Brandon, aren’t you?”

  Brandon winked and looked down at Trance.

  “But that’s impossible. You died years ago.”

  “Wake up, sleepy.” Brandon slapped the unconscious man.

  Trance opened his eyes. This time he did not move.

  “Aw, that’s sweet. An old dog like you can learn how to behave.”

  “Who are you?” his voice was slurred.

  “I’m the guy who’s gonna kill you. Ace, you listening?”

  “Yes, Brandon.”

  “Brandon?” Trance looked confused. “You’re dead.”

  “So are you in a second or two.”

  “Get it over with, then.” He turned his head and spat a gob of blood onto the ground.

  Brandon’s hand like a viper, striking Trance in the middle of the forehead with two fingers.

  Trance screamed. “Damn it!”

  “Doesn’t feel good, does it? Okay, so before I open this slag’s throat, I have something to share with the two of you.”

  “What?” Ace asked.

  “When I died a few years ago, I went back home. It’s not looking too good for you boys and girls back there.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There was a power shortage and Thorn needed to make some hard decisions. He had to pull the plug on a lot of the Elites. Actually, all of the Elites, except for me.”

  “Our bodies are dead?”

  “Correct. So, if you decide to continue with Lohkam’s mission, I’m gonna have to stop you. All of you.” He looked at Ace and then back at Trance. “I’ll kill every last one of you in order to keep Tygon online.”

  “I’ll tell Lohkam.” Trance stood up and brushed his clothes with one hand.

  “No, you won’t. Lohkam and his Hand are going to die, regardless of how the other groups decide. It’s overdue and nothing can change my mind on that.”

  Trance laughed and sprang into action. A glowing doorway materialized and he disappeared through it. As Trance disappeared, Brandon moved his hand. A new doorway opened in front of Brandon and Trance stepped out of it. Surprise registered on Trance’s face as Brandon’s hand extended, planting his knife in the centre of the man’s throat with a twist and slash. The man fell back with a grunt and a stunned look on his face.

  Trance isn’t stupid. He would never have put the exit so close to here. Brandon must have hijacked his summons and forced it to appear in front of him. “How did you do that?”

  “This is my playground.” Brandon wiped his blade clean and sheathed it. “Tell the others what I said.”

  “Okay.” Ace walked to the door.

  “And Ace.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m already very disappointed in all of you. Don’t make me regret this offer. One of you steps out of line again, I will fix the problem. Permanently.”

  Ace turned to look at Brandon, but he was already gone.

  55

  Susanne looked at the five people assembled and shook her head. “I don’t like it.”

  “Why not?” Gunther, the eldest of the gathered leaders who sat around the small table, asked.

  “It’s not what the Gamers stand for.”

  “It’s different, but we aren’t living on Earth this time, Susanne.”

  “I know, but it’s too violent.”

  “This issue must be resolved immediately.” Nelson looked out the window, squinting into the sunlight. “We must be united in this to have any hope of succeeding.”

  “I agree,” Susanne said.

  “We are an oppressed society,” Nelson said. “The General has chosen weapons and violence for this battle. It would be ridiculous for us to expect to defend ourselves with peaceful methods. Picking flowers and using soft words will do little when he puts knives against our throats and fills the air with bullets.”

  “But—”

  “Nelson is right,” Dillon said from beside her.

  Susanne looked at him and sighed. “I suppose he is. Put the word out. Anyone with military experience or training must step forward to help the rest of us.”

  “We need assistance in organizing,” Nelson said. “Staying hidden and separate protects us, but it also limits our effectiveness.”

  “We are at a crucial point,” Susanne said. “A small group must step forward to lead the others. We must know the talent available and have a way to contact each group in order to mobilize and deploy them.”

  “You said ‘we’,” Dillon observed.

  “I did.”

  With a nod, Nelson volunteered as well. “We will be targets. If we are captured, the information in our heads will compromise the entire movement.”

  “If we are caught,” Dillon said, “we must be certain not to be taken alive.”

  A woman at the table spoke. “I can see to that.”

  That’s one of the reasons we picked you for the group, Jen, Susanne thought. Likely a small explosive chip planted into each of our skulls. “Okay. As of now, our movement has a head and a way to make certain it does not fall into enemy hands. How shall we compil
e our information about the entire group so that we may decide how to proceed?”

  “One of our friends is very high up in the computer network industry.,” Dillon said. “He can be trusted one hundred percent to help us.”

  “Who is it?” Nelson asked.

  “Barret Saxon.”

  “What?” Susanne could not believe what she was hearing. “There’s no way that could be true, Dillon. Barret Saxon belongs to the enemy. He has been helping the General and Thorn build the new network. He controls the entire web of spying and information on this continent, maybe even the world by now. It makes zero sense for him to be a Gamer.”

  “On Earth, he was Stanton Rossfield.”

  “Oh my god,” Nelson whispered.

  “Yeah.” Dillon smiled.

  “My head is tingling,” Susanne said.

  “Oh my god,” Nelson said again.

  “Thorn would have to know that.” Jen’s expression was as confused as everyone else’s.

  “Absolutely.” Dillon’s smile widened.

  “Have you spoken to him? Here, since the Return?”

  “I can’t even think at the moment.” Susanne placed one hand on her chest and closed her eyes, shaking her head from side to side.

  “Let’s call it a day, then.” Dillon stood. “Jen, we need you to get cracking on a fail-safe for us. Already we know enough to destroy the movement if one of us should be captured.”

  “Stanton Rossfield.” Jen chuckled. “Don’t worry, Dillon. By tomorrow, I will have something for us. Let’s make it an early meeting at my office.” She exited the building. Over the next half hour, the rest of them left, with Susanne and Dillon leaving last.

  “What did you think of my revelation, babe?” Dillon put his arm around Susanne’s waist as they walked towards the door.

  “You’ve got me thinking that we might have an actual chance to beat the General.”

  “And Thorn?”

  “If Thorn knows about Stanton, then he’s on our side.”

  “Exciting, right?”

  “I hope so.”

  56

  “They are too organized,” Melissa said.

  Moments passed in silence. The General appeared to ignore her as he flipped through her report, but occasionally his jaw would clench and the muscles beneath would tighten. He’s beyond angry.

  “They have declared war on us.” He looked at her, his eyes cold and flat. “Soldiers have begun to die.”

  They are defending themselves, idiot. Maybe we should have just left them alone in the first place. “We have only lost two soldiers.”

  “Two is enough. When a citizen attacks a representative of this government, they are committing an act of treason.”

  I should end this right now. Put a pen into his eye and stop the bloodbath before it can start. She tightened the grip on the pen in her hand.

  “A war at this time is not convenient for any of us, General,” Thorn said. “We are as weak as they are. You know better than anyone the tenuous hold you have on the military.”

  The General slammed the report onto the desk. “They are everywhere! These Gamers hide amongst our citizens like a virus. It’s impossible to know who was one in the Simulation and who was not. The lines have blurred so much that everyone’s loyalty is suspect.”

  “Perhaps we should reconsider our model for society.”

  “What?” the General snapped.

  “The entire population has experienced a different way of living,” Thorn said. “A way of living that was better than they experienced here.”

  The General sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Of course, you’re right, Thorn.”

  “I am?”

  “Absolutely.” The General smiled. “There are millions of people living on this world and they’d like life here to be the same as it was in the simulation they just came out of. They want fantasy and make-believe.”

  “I don’t think that’s what they—”

  “Of course it is. Their minds created a false reality and they want that again. The only problem is that we are not living inside of our heads. Our water is polluted. Power is not abundant and easy to create. You suggest letting them all decide what they want to do and let them do it?” He laughed. “Get ten people into a room and let them decide what to eat for dinner and you will have ten different decisions. Now put a million people together in a ruined city and watch what they do.”

  “You’re simplifying what I’m suggesting, General.”

  “I am, and even by simplifying it can you not see the absurdity? Let two million people try and agree on how to form a government and you will never see a government formed.”

  “They are not individuals,” Thorn argued. “They are united.”

  “This is why you should stick to business and computers.” The General sneered. “They are sheep. Mindless idiots who may have spent time in a different pasture and thought it was better than this one, but it was still a pasture all the same. You know as well as I do that the average citizen can only follow. A world filled with leaders and no followers is doomed to die, quicker and surer than a world filled with followers and a small number of leaders.”

  “There are leaders in the Gamer movement.” Thorn said.

  The General looked down at the report and closed his eyes. After a moment, he sighed and shook his head. “Fine. Then let their leaders come forward and we will explore something . . . different.”

  “What?”

  “You’re right. We do not possess the resources to win a covert war against hidden enemies. Only a handful of people, such as you and myself, did not go into the Simulation. If the majority wants a different system, then we will allow them to ask for it. It will not be what they are fully wanting, but perhaps getting them to work with us will result in them buying into the system I envision. There are some points we can bend on.”

  Thorn was skeptical. “Why the one-eighty turnaround?”

  “My two soldiers were killed by other soldiers,” the General said. “Brothers in arms who turned without warning. It is impossible to know who is on what side. We must all unite if we are to move forward, and we must move forward. If I am willing to bring the world together, then I must be open to hearing from them and what they want.” He sighed. “Many call me a brilliant strategist, Mr. Thorn. I believe that my skills can help restore order and peace to the world. If one strategy does not work, then it makes sense to adjust and move in a different direction. A better direction. I now see that going down this path will only end in misery for all of us. Therefore, I propose we meet and work together.”

  He is so devious. Can he be sincere? “There is a chance you will be asked to step down,” Thorn said. “They may not want you involved in building this new world.”

  “I highly doubt that.” The General smiled. “I have much to offer, as do you.” He looked at Melissa. “Can you form a new team, Melissa? I will make the announcement that we desire cooperation with the Gamers. Can you put together a group and bring them together to meet with us?”

  “I am your Hand, General. Loyal to you always. Whatever you order, I will do.”

  The General chuckled. “Would that everyone was as loyal as my Hands. Okay, then. Let’s regroup and come up with a speech. Mr. Thorn, I would like your assistance in this matter, please. Your knowledge of the Sim and Gamers is more extensive than mine could ever hope to be.”

  “Of course, General.”

  “Then let’s get started. It’s time to stop fighting each other and begin fighting to rebuild our world for the better.”

  57

  “What do you think of the General’s announcement?” Dillon asked the group.

  “It’s hard to believe,” Nelson said and the other leaders around the table nodded.

  “It feels like a trap to me,” Susanne said.

  Dillon nodded. “A clever one, too. He is putting the burden squarely on us. If we refuse to come forward, he will claim that we are not cooperating and blame all future di
scord on us.”

  “The general population will not believe him if he vilifies the Gamers. There are few individuals who are not Gamers at heart.”

  “Do we know that for certain?” Susanne asked.

  “We are betting on it,” Nelson said, “and judging from the General’s sudden change of heart, he must think the same thing.”

  “He does.”

  Heads turned as Melissa entered the room and joined them, pulling up a chair and sitting between Nelson and Jen.

  “Aren’t you one of the General’s Hand members?” Dillon asked.

  “His number one Hand member.” Susanne smiled. “She’s also a Gamer. Welcome to the meeting, Melissa.”

  “She’s one of us?” Jen asked. Susanne nodded.

  “If Susanne vouches for you,” Dillon said, “then the rest of us welcome you to the group, Melissa.” He returned to the subject at hand. “Nelson is right. I think most everyone is a Gamer, and the General believes it as well.”

  “Is he sincere?” Gunther looked at the others around the table for their opinions.

  All eyes turned to Melissa.

  Melissa shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Do we come forward or remain hidden?”

  “It’s a terrible decision to have to make.” Nelson frowned. “If we step forward—”

  “We either get arrested, or become part of the team for change,” Dillon said. “If we don’t come forward—”

  “We declare war on the General and government,” Nelson finished. “Choosing to remain hidden and risk being blamed for whatever violence occurs as a result.”

  “The bastard is clever.” Jen shook her head.

  “Yeah,” Melissa agreed.

  ***

  Barret Saxon held his finger over the Enter key and paused. “This is exciting.” He looked at Sparx and grinned. “You sure you don’t want to do it, son?”

  Sparx laughed and shook his head. “The honour should be yours, Dad. I helped create the new network, but you built the business and put us in the position to be here. Without you, none of this would be possible.”