by KB Shaw
Gus quickly typed on the display embedded in his desktop.
The response was immediate. “No use trying to trace me, Villfarelse, or should I say, X-Boy. I’m in your system. My tracks are clean. You’ll never find me. I’m nowhere and everywhere. I’m weak now, but I’ll gain power as I find my way around.”
Chapter 28:
Transitions
THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS saw many changes—changes that Meagan Fletcher helped to manage.
It was a major transition for the former reporter. After she left WBN, Meagan’s new position as Director of Information Management for GundTech meant a relocation to New York. She moved into a stunning location—with a view overlooking Central Park—that served as both her home and office.
When Meagan insisted that Jason be moved with her, WBN claimed Jason was company property and, therefore, must stay in Phoenix. Meagan argued that she and Jason were a team. She flew to Oslo where she explained to Gwen Johanssen how much she had come to rely on Jason—how they had become a team—and implored her to get Jason from WBN. Next, she met privately with Mr. Villfarelse.
“If it weren’t for Jason’s help, I wouldn’t have found you out,” she told her new boss. “If the threat you fear should ever come to be, I would most certainly need Jason to help me track it down. Especially if it came from within your own network.” She noticed a change in Gus’s expression as she was talking. “What? What is it?”
The head of GundTech sat silent a moment before beginning to speak. “It happened the day you were holding the press conference in Phoenix…” Villfarelse went on to describe his encounter with the phantom image. Meagan was staggered by the story.
“I haven’t told anyone about this,” he concluded, “and I didn’t want to risk telling you over the comNet. I needed to wait until we could talk privately. So, if you need Jason to help unveil this threat, we’ll make sure he comes to New York.”
The next day GundTech offered to buy Jason from WBN and was willing to pay a large amount of money to do so. However, WBN expressed concern that Jason knew private company business and refused to sell the multiCom. GundTech countered that Jason also possessed private information that belonged to Ms. Fletcher and GundTech. The whole issue was taken to court, and the judge ordered Jason to be impounded—removed from the WBN building and locked in a secure place—until the matter was settled.
The weeks flew by. Meagan assembled a team to help her manage the release of the quantum computing knowledge base. She struggled to fend off rumors printed by the tabloid press and attacks from COMFORT while her team, comprised of one former head of state, a panel of scientists, and two retired company presidents, fought to keep the world’s economy from chaos.
The phantom didn’t make a repeat appearance, but Meagan and her boss discussed the dangers the menace posed. Mr. Villfarelse, as always, was most concerned about the students in the Academy.
“There have been minor problems in some of the Academy simulations,” he began as he paced the room.
Meagan looked concerned. “Do you think this phantom is trying to sabotage the Academy? Is he trying to harm the students?”
Her boss shrugged in frustration and came to a halt facing a corner of the room. Meagan saw the man’s shoulders slump. She sensed his discouragement.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” he said softly as he turned to face her. “They are most likely just bugs and glitches. But can you think of a better way to strike at us—at me?”
He began pacing again. “Anyway, I’m putting a priority on several new technologies that will allow us to record and monitor student simulations more closely. I will monitor certain simulations personally.”
“You don’t suspect any of the students could…”
Her boss’s expression answered her question before she could finish.
Unaware of the potential threat, GundTech went about its business of developing new products based on the IHT technology.
By November, millions of people around the world had upgraded their multiCom units to include an IHT viewer. This allowed them to view special “limited interaction” IHT programming. The most popular of this type of programming was sporting events. Viewers could watch their favorite football team (be it American, Canadian, Australian rules, or soccer) from any of several seat choices in a stadium. These simulations would only allow the viewers to sit and stand but not move about the stadium.
The arts unexpectedly benefited from the IHT viewer too, as live theater experienced a rebirth. Anyone, from anywhere in the world, could experience a live Broadway musical or a new play in London from the best seat in the house—and at an affordable price. Museums, concerts, and art galleries were also popular IHT destinations. One of the most popular destinations was the Masters exhibit at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. It showcased art and technology through the ages. In the first month alone, the exhibit had more IHT visitors than it would have had in its entire one-year run otherwise.
By December, the Academy students had settled in and were pushing the IHT technology in many directions. They began creating their own simulations to challenge and amuse each other. In response, GundTech upgraded the student’s multiComs so they had the ability to link up with its user’s IHT and transmit images of the user within the IHT environment to another multiCom. This made it possible for GundTech scientists, Academy faculty, and students to record their IHT sessions for review. Students used IHT simulations to virtually experience life in other times and other places. They immersed themselves into the fictional worlds of Mark Twain, Jules Verne, Lewis Carol, Charles Dickens, and J. K. Rowling, among others. Despite time differences, most of the students visited one another, or at least left video messages and exchanged simulations.
Due in no small part to Meagan’s efforts, the press exercised great restraint in its reporting while details of the IHT technology were published in scientific journals for review. As more information became public, the media embraced the technology and, consequently, turned a more critical eye on organizations like COMFORT, which eventually faded from public view.
Soon, companies around the world were making their own advancements and sharing them. The most important of these was a 12:1 time compression algorithm. Simply put, this meant one hour of simulation could be experienced in just six minutes of real time. The term “simHour” was adopted to describe a six-minute block of simulation time.
When the students were told Academy classes would now require only 12 minutes of their school day, they made an unexpected demand: lengthen their classes. Since 2 hours of real class time equated to 24 simHours, a compromise had to be struck. It was agreed that classes would be doubled to 4 simHours.
It was, indeed, a time of transition.
Chapter 29:
Bench Cam
CAMERON CREATED a personal football training simulation with the help of his dad and a GundTech programmer. His dad worked with him in the simulation, running Cameron through drills against some volunteer IHT personalities who liked the game. They devised a number of amazing new features to install into the program. Their favorite was Slow-Mo Mode, which slowed down the action of the simulation, proved to be a valuable training tool. By the middle of October, Cameron had a full squad of players who helped him practice.
As a running back, Cameron had three duties: run, catch, and block. It didn’t help that he was just average in size and speed. This meant he had to elude players who were larger and faster than he was whenever he ran with the ball. It also meant he had to block hefty defensive players on plays when he didn’t carry the ball or run a pass pattern.
“Well, son,” said Ed Rush, “you may not have size or speed, but you do have determination and brains. We need to build on your strengths. You can’t outrun the really fast guys, and you can’t knock down the really big guys. So what does that leave you?”
Cameron shrugged, “It leaves me on the bench, I guess.”
Ed Rush tapped the side of his head with his
index finger. “It leaves you your brains. That’s your strength. You need to outthink the other players. Football is a game of physics and geometry—forces applied at angles.”
With that in mind, Cameron’s father had him run plays in slow motion, which felt really weird. He appeared to be running full speed, but everything around him moved slowly. During this whole slow motion process, he could carry on a normal conversation with his dad.
As Cameron approached the quarterback to receive the handoff, he could hear his dad calling out, “You need to be looking now, son. You need to see the hole you’re supposed to run through.” Once Cameron had gotten the ball, his father cautioned, “Now tuck it away, boy! Both arms over the ball… Be patient… Watch your blockers and wait for the hole to form.”
Cameron pulled the pigskin tight against his body. “I don’t see it, Dad, I don’t see the hole.”
“You need to see the whole line, Cameron. Don’t just look where the hole is supposed to be. Watch for any place it might be. See the entire line and adjust.”
Cameron saw a gap open between two of his blockers a good five feet to the left of where the hole was designed to be. “I see it, Dad.” He planted his right foot firmly into the turf and changed directions. He saw the hole widen in front of him. One more step and he’d be through. Just then, the hole collapsed. One of his blockers was thrown backwards; a defensive player came flying at him, then another, and another.
Cameron’s dad adjusted the simulation to full speed as the defense piled on his son. “It was there, Cameron. You just didn’t see it soon enough.”
Practices continued in slow motion until Cameron started seeing the holes early enough to make the cut and run through. As Cameron’s vision of the field improved, his father increased the speed of the simulation. For Cameron, each increase in speed was like starting over. He knew what he was supposed to do, but he needed to react more quickly.
• • •
IT WAS the first Friday in December—the day of the last game of the year. Despite the fact that he had not played a single play all year, Cameron had become the sports celebrity of the Academy. He had mounted a small, wireless video camera inside his helmet. This camera transmitted picture and sound to his multiCom, where it was made available on a password-protected channel to his friends in the Academy. Sam, whose voice now sounded much more human after the IHT upgrade, had assumed the role of host and commentator for these comNet casts of the Troy High School home games. The show became affectionately known as “The Bench Cam.”
“Why do you beat yourself up over this game?” asked Rosa before the game.
“Maybe it’s because I’m no good. Maybe it’s because I don’t like being Chet’s personal tackling dummy. Maybe, just once, I’d like to carry the ball in a real game and run 40 yards for a touchdown. I’d like a chance to be a hero.”
“Well, you may get a chance tonight, Cheese Boy. Didn’t you say the team you’re playing is ranked?”
“Yeah, Edgeriver’s number five or six in the state, I think.”
“Well, if you get far enough behind, maybe the coach will put you in!”
“Ha, ha,” he said. “If it were funny, I’d laugh.”
“Anyway, good luck.”
“Thanks. But I probably won’t need it.”
• • •
THAT NIGHT, Billy Parker saw Cameron’s family huddled together in the back row of the bleachers, seated with their backs against the announcer’s booth. Billy picked his way through the crowd and settled down next to Mr. Rush. The Edgeriver team was already on the field, running drills. “They’re monsters,” said Billy with a note of awe in his voice. “Look at the size of ’em!”
The high school marching band began to play, and the fans rose to their feet, cheering as the home team took the field.
“There’s Cam,” said Billy when his friend came into view. As Cameron trotted onto the field for warm-ups, an Edgeriver player accidentally ran into him while running a practice play. The blow flattened Cameron. “Ouch!” said Billy. “That had to hurt!”
• • •
“DEFINITELY NOT a good start for the Bench Cam,” commented Sam to his audience as the video feed blurred, then refocused. When the image cleared, the camera was pointing up at the night sky. A hand came into the picture, like the hand of a god reaching down from the heavens. The form of what appeared to be a giant filled the screen. He was peering down at the camera. Then Cameron’s hand came into the picture and grasped the outstretched hand of the giant.
“Sorry, man,” said the giant as he helped Cameron to his feet.
“Uh, no problem,” said Cameron, trying to act cool.
When the camera pointed straight ahead, it looked the Edgeriver player squarely in the shoulder pads. The visiting player was a whole head taller than Cameron.
“Where’d they get these guys,” muttered Cameron for his viewing audience, “from the Green Bay Packers?”
“That was the biggest hit of the year for our hero,” said Sam, “and our boy seems no worse for wear.” He added with a chuckle, “Well, we finally have a clip for the highlight reel.”
• • •
THE GAME did not go as expected. This was good for the Troy fans, but it was bad for Cameron’s chances of playing. Troy held the mighty Edgeriver running game in check, but they paid a price for their efforts. Several defensive players went down with injuries. Likewise, Edgeriver had not allowed Troy to score. It was a good, hard-fought game.
With the game still scoreless in the third period, Edgeriver drove the ball to the Troy 23-yard line. On second down, they ran the ball through the center of the line but came up three yards short of the first down. After the players in the pile untangled, a Troy defensive back ran off the field, his shoe in hand. He was the team’s number six defensive back, and was in the game only because two other backs had been injured.
“Coach Rausch!” yelled the Troy head coach. “Who do we have left?”
“Rush has filled in as a d-back on the practice squad.”
“Rush!” shouted the head coach.
• • •
THE BENCH CAM swung in the direction of the coaches as Cameron heard his name called. He ran down the line to the coaches.
“Okay, boy, I need you to go in for Timms. Just for one play. They’re a running team, so just go to the ball, Rush. We need to hold ’em. Just go to the ball, boy!”
The coach slapped Cameron on the back of the helmet and the thud resonated through the camera’s sound pickup as Cameron ran onto the field for the first time all year.
“Network alert! Special bulletin! Hold the presses!” said Sam. “Our boy is in the game.”
• • •
“MOM! DAD! HURRY! He’s in the game,” called Rosa. “They actually put Cameron in the game!”
Rosa’s dad entered the room and sat on the edge of her bed. “He’s going to get to carry the ball?” he asked.
“No, Papa. They put him in on defense. Just one play, I think. Someone lost a shoe or something.” Esmer Costas watched from the doorway.
• • •
CAMERON’S FAMILY stood and cheered wildly while Billy sat, dumbfounded. “I don’t believe it,” he said. “Cameron’s in the game!” Then the realization set in. “Mr. Rush. We’re on defense. Cameron doesn’t play defense!”
• • •
IT ALL HAPPENED so quickly. The Edgeriver team was already lining up over the ball as the middle linebacker waved Cameron into position. Chet Ames glared at him from his tackle position. “If ya screw this up, Rush, I’m gonna kill you.”
Cameron tried to focus. They’re a running team, he kept telling himself, Go to the ball. Go to the ball.
He had barely gotten into position when the ball was snapped. He concentrated on the oblong brown object as the center thrust it through his legs into the waiting hands of the quarterback.
Cameron could no longer see the ball, so he focused on the player who had it—the quarterback. After
taking the snap, the quarterback turned and took two steps back—away from the Troy line. His right hand darted out from his side, handing the ball to the big, bruising halfback who was sweeping to the right side of the field—away from Cameron. He felt the flow of the defensive line in the direction of the run. He started to react when, at the left edge of his field of vision, he saw an Edgeriver player release from a block and slide into the open area to Cameron’s left. It was the giant pass receiver who had knocked him down before the game. Simultaneously, he saw the quarterback curl to the same side as the receiver, holding the ball in his left hand, close to his leg.
Cameron planted his right foot on the frozen sod and changed directions. The quarterback shifted the ball into his right hand then pulled up his arm to cock the ball.
“Pass!” screamed the entire Troy bench and the fans in the stands. “Bootleg!” But it was too late. The entire Troy line had been suckered to the right.
The quarterback released the ball. It flew like a rocket on a rope toward the receiver, who stood wide open by the sidelines.
The Edgeriver receiver saw the release and concentrated on the approaching ball. His arms reached out for the reception. As soon as he felt the leather graze his freezing fingers, he cradled the ball into his chest. At the same instant, he was struck in the side and sent reeling toward the sidelines.
Cameron recoiled from his hit on the giant receiver—who easily outweighed him by 50 pounds. He stumbled backward, somehow managing to keep his feet.
• • •
THE IMAGE SHOOK violently and the crunch of the blow rattled the speakers of many multiComs around the world.
“Ouch!” was the only comment Sam could come up with.
The Bench Cam whiplashed upwards after Cameron struck the Edgeriver player. There, dead center on the screen, illuminated against the night sky, was the football, tumbling end-over-end, high in the air.
• • •
AS CAMERON STUMBLED backwards, he spotted the ball tumbling above him. Be the hero, he told himself. Not taking his eye off the ball, he regained his balance, reached out, and snatched the ball from the air. He quickly got his bearings and headed down the sideline toward the goal. Be the hero. He was at midfield before he became aware of the screaming crowd. He was at the forty… thirty… twenty… He was going to score!