I look at him blankly. He knows I don’t break confidences. He shrugs, “Well, if he didn’t give the order yet, he soon would have. I need her. Don’t worry; when I’m done, I’ll let you finish her off. Just sit patiently for a while and we can all get on with our business. What do you say to that, young friend?”
“Why did you bring her here?” I ask. His look told me all I need to know; that’s her lying in the other cell.
“Just in case you need to learn her aura signature better,” Shane says. “Once I let her go, it’s important that you catch and kill her quickly. She’ll have information that I don’t want shared with others.”
“Then kill her yourself,” I say.
“It’s a bit complicated, but the truth is I won’t be able to. It will make things messier than they need to be.”
“I don’t know what you’re yapping about,” I say.
“You don’t need to,” Shane snaps. “Just relax a while and keep your mouth shut.”
He glares at me, letting me remember that I’m sitting in a cell. If there’s one creature in the world for me to be afraid of, it’s this old monster. I give him the respect he’s owed and say nothing.
“I’ve got things to do; it’s a busy time right now for me. Some very exciting developments are going on inside the Game. Lots of loose ends for me to tie up before I head out.”
“Head out to where?”
“I think I’m finally going to be able to head back to Tygon.” He looks at Danielle’s cell again. “If this young lady has the skills I think she does, soon I’ll be standing over Brandon Strayne’s broken body.”
“Everyone needs a goal,” I say.
He raises his hand and the doorway appears again. “I’ll leave the lights on for you two. Try not to bore her to death before I get back. I know how much you love to chat.”
He chuckles at his own joke and enters the portal. It stays open for a moment, then disappears. The lights in the hallway get a bit brighter and a small light appears in both my cell and Danielle’s. I look at her and see she’s fully awake; she’s been lying quietly, listening to the two of us talk.
I look at her for a moment. “You feel okay?” I ask.
“What do you care? You’re just going to kill me anyway.”
“I’m ordered to hunt you,” I say. “That gives you a chance to turn it around and kill me, Danielle. And from what I’ve seen over the past few years, you just might be up to the task.”
“I don’t have my Sever Spike with me,” she says.
“Maybe you’ll get it before we face off,” I say.
We sit in silence for quite a while. I try to come up with clever words, but I keep drawing blanks.
“It’s funny that we both wound up here,” I say.
“Not funny for me,” she says. “I get nabbed by some crazy, then I’m thrown into a cell across from my worst enemy. To make matters worse, it looks like you are actually afraid of the nutjob that grabbed me. I don’t know who he is, but when you bow your head to him, that must mean he’s very dangerous.”
“He is,” I nod.
“I know that after he’s done with me, whatever hell that entails, I’m going to have to fight you. I just hope I have the strength to kill you, Carl. I would be very disappointed if I don’t succeed in that.”
“I’m not going to kill you, Danni.” I say.
Her laughter fills the room and continues for a few moments.
“I’m serious,” I say. “From now on, you’re safe with me.”
“You expect me to believe that?” she asks.
“No,” I say. “But it’s the truth. I have orders, and I follow those orders.”
“I just heard him. He’s going to order you to kill me. The Devil has likely already given you the same command.”
“Yes, but I also have orders to keep you alive, at all costs.”
“You have orders to kill me and to keep me alive?” she asks.
“Yes,” I sigh. “I’m to kill you, and protect you.”
We sit quietly for a few moments. Finally she asks, “So what orders do you follow?”
“How well can you see me from over there?” I ask.
“Perfectly,” she says.
“Then get closer to the bars. I want you to see something.” I push my face against the bars and she gets close to hers. “Timeless are all bound to follow orders in the same manner. There is no discussion when it comes to this point. We follow our eyes. The orders that match my eyes, that’s what I follow. Infernals ordered me to kill you, Eternals ordered me to save you.”
“Oh, my god,” she gasps. “Your eyes!”
I nod my head wearily. Her look confirms what I’ve been able to hide from everyone but Gabriel. I’ve seen the red disappear, replaced with gold specks swirling mockingly in my eyes. “Yes, it looks like after all these centuries, I’m to be an Eternal for a while. I’ll protect you, Danni. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.”
Chapter 50
Miranda
Long before I was taken by Shane, I learned how to wake up without moving or opening my eyes. It’s a routine that has come in handy countless times over the years.
Part of the routine involves a greeting from Sparx not long after I wake up.
‘Hey come on, I’m awake.’ I say. ‘I’ve done my part, now you say something witty or clever like you usually do.’
I remember being in the alley; I open my eyes and sit up. “Sparx?” I say out loud, looking at my surroundings. I’m in a small room, well lit, with cute little pictures hanging on white walls. There’s lots of pink, and a small window with a dainty curtain that is keeping out most of the morning light.
The door opens and a young woman walks in; she’s Chinese. Shoulder length, straight black hair, pretty round face with long eyelashes and big dark eyes. The tray in her hands holds a teapot and some small treats.
“Hi,” I say weakly. “Where am I? And who are you?”
She looks at me politely, then says something in Mandarin. Okay, looks like she doesn’t know English. Mandarin is fine. I can speak most dialects from around the world. “I’m sorry, but I don’t speak English,” she says. “I am glad to see you are awake. Can you understand me?”
“Yes, I can,” I say.
“Excellent. Your Mandarin is impeccable. I detect no accent at all. It’s like you were born speaking it.”
“Thank you.” I bow slightly from my seated position. “How did I end up in this room?”
“You collapsed in front of my father’s café,” she says. “We did not know what to do with you. We brought you to this spare bedroom to allow you to rest and warm up. You were very cold and dirty.”
“Thank you,” I say. “My leg was injured.”
“Yes, once we got you cleaned up I noticed that your leg was damaged. We summoned a healer. It should be fine now.”
I look down at my leg and flex the toes to test it out. It appears to be completely healed. “How long have I been here?” I ask.
“Three days,” she replies.
“Where am I?”
“We are in the Longhua District, in the province of Hainan,” she says. “My name is Jing-Wei.”
I visualize a map of China in my head. Wow, I’m in one of the very southernmost parts of China. “I am happy to meet you, Jing-Wei. My name is Miranda.” There’s no point in lying to her.
If she wanted to hurt me she could have done so at any time over the last three days. I wonder how I got here. Shane can create portals; he must have opened one and, from the condition I was in, kicked me out of it.
“Do you have a telephone?” I ask.
“We have access to a cell phone, yes,” she says. “I will go and ask my father if we can borrow it from his cousin.”
“Thank you,” I say. “I will rest a bit more while you go.”
She nods and leaves the tea and snacks on the table beside the bed. I close my eyes and lie back. I hear the door close a few moments later. Taking deep br
eaths, I begin to meditate, focusing on my body, trying to locate Sparx.
After a few moments, I open my eyes and blink rapidly to keep the tears away. I can detect a presence, but it’s empty. I think they destroyed her circuitry. Sparx is gone.
I lay back in my bed and try to remain calm. Sparx was more than just a sentient nanocomputer, she was my friend. We were together for decades. It’s like part of my soul is gone, a part that I talked with and loved every day; a part that not only shared my life, but added so much to it.
When we volunteered to infiltrate Shane’s lair, it was assumed that I would be the one sacrificing my life. It never occurred to me that he might detect and destroy her instead.
I look around the room once more and see the clothes I was wearing in the alley. They are washed and clean, folded neatly on a chair. There’s a note sitting on top of the pile, I reach over and open it. It must have been in my pants pocket; it’s written in English;
Sorry to cut our time short, Miranda, but I have more pressing matters to attend to. It was a delight to meet you. I enjoyed our brief time together. Perhaps we will run into each other again and can continue our work; there is much I would like to learn from you, it’s a shame this new project requires so much of my focus.
Shane
P.S. Don’t worry about your little friend. I'll take very good care of it for you.
I fold the letter into a small square and place it in the palm of my hand, holding it out in front of me. I allow the rage that Shane has stirred in me to focus into a small ball of dull grey energy; it envelops the letter which slowly rises into the air an inch above my palm. The note spins quickly three times, smoking as it spins, then vanishes in a flash of icy light. I brush my hands together and lie back on the bed, trying to think of a plan to get Sparx back from that monster. I’m still tired. I soon fall asleep.
***
I hear the door open again and wake up. It’s Jing-Wei and she holds a cell phone in her hand, smiling triumphantly as she walks towards me. I smile as she hands it to me. “Thank you, Jing-Wei.”
“You are most welcome, Miranda,” she says. “You have the most beautiful eyes. The small flashes of red in them are very remarkable.”
I smile at her. “Thanks. They’ve been like that for a long time, although long ago instead of red, the flecks were gold coloured.”
“Truly?” she asks.
I nod as I dial a number on the phone and wait for it to ring. A Chinese operator comes on and asks me for some information; we speak for a few moments and then she connects my call. Eventually it rings and I hear a familiar voice on the other end.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Steph,” I say.
“Miranda?” she sounds surprised. “Where are you? Done already? How did it go?”
“I don’t think it went well, Stephanie,” I say. “As for where I am, It’s going to be a bit of a trip to come get me, or send me money to get home.”
“Don’t worry, Miranda,” she says. “There is nowhere on Earth that we cannot come to get you.”
“Actually, there is,” I say, remembering the cell somewhere underground that was my home for the past few months. “But right now I’m in China.”
“Give me the details and we’ll come get you.”
“Steph,” I say, “Sparx is… I think Sparx is…” my voice breaks off into a sob.
“Let’s just get you first, Miranda. Sparx is a tough nut; don’t give up on her.”
I take a deep breath, nod silently and swallow. “Okay. Here’s where I am.”
Chapter 51
Tygon
For the peoplewho lived and worked there, VirtDyne was the most secure building in the entire City.
The massive skyscraper was surrounded on all sides by a tiered courtyard, separated from the rest of the city by a 30 foot tall, six foot thick concrete wall. Basic admittance through the gate into the courtyard required a specially issued passcard; unauthorized individuals couldn’t even eat lunch in its shadow.
Once you entered the courtyard, the actual building was accessed by massive doors located on all four sides of the building. The North Entrance was for residents, the South for Game-related workers, and the top executives used the West door. Only a handful of people could enter the East door.
As you approached the appropriate door, security cameras would focus on you, verify your passcard, and then scan retinal, DNA, and body profiles to compare against the data stored in the main computer. Security staff would then scan each individual for a list of restricted items; if any of these were found, that person was detained while the authorities came to interview them.
No one protested the intense security process, because this was the nerve centre of the world’s most important source of income and entertainment. It was an immense honour to be allowed into the VirtDyne building at all; a person would give up much for a
chance to sleep in one of the most basic apartments for just a single night.
Since its construction decades earlier, not a single person had ever managed to gain unauthorized access to the VirtDyne Building.
That was about to change.
The man walked towards the gates and stood in line to enter. The line moved quickly; when it was his turn, he smiled at the security guard and walked through. His card beeped and a green light flashed on the gate.
He walked towards the South door, the entrance for Game staff. Once again he waited for his turn to enter and walked confidently through. The scanner beeped and flashed a green light, indicating that he belonged there.
There was a directory inside the entrance, but the man didn’t stop to examine it. Only newcomers would stop and check the directory out, perhaps gaining the attention of the cameras. He had been fully briefed on the directions to his destination. The man approached an elevator and waited with a small group of people for the door to open. No one acknowledged him; so many people worked in this building that it was easiest to ignore each other. The man blended in perfectly.
The elevator arrived and the group piled in. The elevator began its climb towards the top, interrupted by frequent stops. By the time they had reached the 65th floor, the man was alone in the elevator. A few moments later, the elevator dinged and came to a stop. He checked to make certain that he had arrived at the top floor — not of the building, of course, but the top floor of the Game portion of the skyscraper.
The man got off the elevator and turned left, walking to a bank of offices and swiping his card at a door, entering silently as it beeped and opened to allow him access. He walked to a small desk and sat down. To his right there was a bed; this was a resting room
for Game employees. When activities were so intense that a team member could not leave their player for long, these rooms were available to allow them to catch a few moments of rest.
He checked his watch and nodded, pleased that everything had gone as planned. He had arrived ahead of schedule.
Now to wait patiently.
***
“I can’t keep my eyes open,” Trew said. They’d been in the command centre for hours, and were no closer to finding Danielle. He looked around the desk at the team. Everyone looked crushed; all attempts to locate her had produced no success. As time sped by inside the Game, no one inside or out was having any luck.
“Go get some sleep,” Michelle said. “We’ll wake you immediately if we learn anything.”
As much as he hated to admit it, Trew knew he needed some sleep. There was only so much a person could do, and he’d reached his limit. “Okay, but don’t let me have more than 45 minutes. I’ll be ready to take a stimulant again by then.”
“Okay,” Michelle said. It was obvious that she’d been taking more stimulants than allowed, but she had gotten a few hours of sleep prior to learning that Danielle was taken, so she was fresher than Trew. “Why don’t you use one of the resting rooms just down the hall?”
“Good idea.” Trew rubbed his eyes and walked to the door. “Good luck. Come get
me in 45.”
He walked mechanically down the hallway, too tired to think and too stressed to consider the enormity of what was happening in the Game.
Trew took out his card and held it over the door latch to one of the resting rooms. The lock turned green and clicked open. It
wasn’t until he had closed the door that he noticed someone was already sitting at the desk inside.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Trew said. “I didn’t realize this room was already in use.”
The man stood up and smiled. His manner seemed… off, in some small way. Trew’s instincts told him something wasn’t quite right. He took a step backwards and put his hand on the door.
“That’s entirely all right,” the man said. “I was just getting ready to go back to work. It’s all yours, friend.”
Trew opened the door and stood there uncertainly.
“Where are you going? I said it’s no problem for you to use the room. Come back in.”
The man’s tone sounded too eager. “No, it’s fine. I can get another room. Have a good night.”
Trew turned and walked out of the room and started heading back to the command centre. Immediately he heard the man behind him, walking quickly to catch up.
Trew looked over his shoulder and suddenly time slowed to a crawl. He saw the man reaching into his coat pocket, pulling something out and pointing it at Trew. The man said something, but it sounded long and drawn out, as if it was all happening in slow motion. Trew realized that this man was here to kill him, and he was defenseless standing in this hallway. Visions of getting in the elevator with Carl came rushing back to him, the feeling of helplessness and impending doom returned.
Trew heard a voice yell out and he instinctively dropped to his knees. The assassin hesitated for a split second, then a brilliant flash of light erupted from his chest, followed by a spraying arc of crimson blood. The assassin grunted and dropped his weapon. He touched his chest and looked at the blood on his hand with confusion.
Digital Heretic (The Game is Life) Page 19