“How impressive?” Lilith asked.
“Ejected players all refer to the groups that are forming as ‘tribes.’ Most tribes consist of less than twenty individuals,” Michelle pointed to a graph. “There are reports of some extraordinary leaders who’ve managed to build groups somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200 to 400 people.”
“That’s a serious accomplishment, considering the conditions,” Lilith said. “The simple task of growing enough food to feed that many mouths would require a lot of hard work and cooperation. Preventing dissension, squabbling, and challenges to authority would be a constant threat to the stability of groups.”
“Yes,” Michelle agreed. “Most tribes seem to reach a certain level, and then they implode for the reasons you just mentioned.”
“How many people are in Danielle’s tribe?” Trew asked.
“Well, that’s the thing,” Michelle said. “If we can believe the reports from players exiting the Game, and they all seem to agree with each other, then Danielle’s tribe is large.”
“I didn’t hear a number in that sentence, Michelle.” Trew said.
“Forty-five thousand,” Michelle said.
Everyone sat in stunned silence.
“How are they able to maintain a group that size?” someone finally asked.
“The Gamers,” Trew guessed.
“That’s right,” Michelle agreed. “Gamers are flocking to her. New groups of Gamers appear almost daily to join her. When they arrive, Gamers are welcomed as brothers and sisters and given portions of the city to settle. There is order, law, and a sense of togetherness that the entire group embraces.”
“What do they do with non-Gamers?” Trew asked.
“They interview all newcomers,” Michelle said. “If the admissions committee doesn’t like what they hear, they send them on their way.”
“That must cause trouble,” Lilith said.
“Not very often,” Michelle said. “Most accept a safe escort to the border and cross the bridge into Buffalo. A group of Gamers maintains a post at the border to keep the area secure and to make certain no one tries to come back once they cross over into Buffalo. Those who are denied entrance into Danni’s colony are in no position to argue, and there are good opportunities in Buffalo. There are safe communities over there, just not many large ones.”
“Any other large colonies like Danni’s?” Trew asked.
“Nothing even comes close,” Michelle shook her head.
“We need to be able to see what’s going on in there,” Trew said. He looked around the table expectantly, but everyone avoided his gaze.
“No one has any ideas on how to re-establish a video link?” he asked. The room remained silent.
Trew stood up. “Okay, this isn’t really our area of expertise, anyway. Cooper, come with me. The rest of you do what you can to sort the information coming in. I want to know what caused this and what we can do to end it. At the very least we need to bring the video feeds up so fans can keep watching and spending money. An event like this has never happened before, and from a business end of things we’re missing out on making massive profits.”
Michelle frowned at Trew. He noticed her look and nodded his head. “That’s right, I’m not just Trew the player anymore. I’m Brandon Strayne’s successor, and I intend to surpass his accomplishments, impressive as they were.”
Trew looked around the room to make certain everyone understood, then nodded and walked out the door with Cooper and Michelle following closely on his heels.
CHAPTER FIVE
Danielle
I stand on top of the main gate and watch the Greeters meet a new group. The sun feels warm on my skin, and I grip the wooden ramparts lightly as I look down at the tired little tribe that has arrived to join us. Guards sit comfortably on the ground as well as on either side of me up here.
Angelica smiles comfortably as she moves amongst the newcomers, stopping to speak with each person, and then nodding pleasantly before moving on to the next. After a time, she looks up to meet my gaze and raises her hand to make a simple signal.
I nod and return the signal. She’s telling me that they are Gamers.
I turn away and look towards the large courtyard off in the distance. We built the main settlement to resemble an old fort from the past. It adds credibility and a sense of safety to residents, although the Colony hasn’t faced any major threats since it was created over a year ago. The courtyard is full of activity today; they’re making preparations for a big celebration tonight.
Today is my 62nd birthday.
Everyone says I look more like I’m in my late thirties. I laugh and tell them I don’t think I look a day over twenty-eight... but I must admit that I do look good for my age.
When I made the decision to live for 140 years, I wanted to reach that age with Trew, but he’s been gone from the Game for over twenty years; I haven’t seen him in more than two.
I smile. I wouldn’t get much sympathy if I complained about such a thing out loud. ‘Poor me, it’s been two years since I’ve lain with my husband who died twenty years ago!’ I did have it better than the rest, and I appreciated every second of it.
I don’t think they can see us since the Day of Darkness occurred — the fans on Tygon, I mean. It’s impossible to know for certain. Maybe only the meditation link stopped working. The old methods of hearing from Brandon and the others have stopped as well; newspapers and internet technology no longer exist. We’re all running blind, which is both scary and comforting at the same time.
If no one can hear me, then why do I still talk to myself?
I shrug and climb down the rampart. I needed the break, but it’s time to get back to work. This enormous group of souls can’t function smoothly without a leader.
I walk towards my office building, nodding and smiling to people as I pass them.
“Happy Birthday, Danni!” a young girl calls out from across the street. “Are you excited about the big party tonight?”
I smile and wave, “Can’t wait,” I lie cheerfully. “See you there!”
There’ll be thousands of people gathered to celebrate in the main courtyard, and thousands more all over the city. I shudder at the thought of the extra food and stores that will be consumed because everyone wants to celebrate my birthday, but Stephanie assures me we have the supplies to spare. Harvests have been bountiful, and the people need a reason to unwind. Life hasn’t been kind to most of them since the Day.
The Day. That’s what everyone calls it. Its official title, ‘The Day of Darkness,’ is too much of a mouthful to say every time, so it’s been shortened to ‘the Day.’ Not the big mushroom clouds of radioactive destruction, or toxic clouds of chemical weapons, or even the outbreak of deadly disease that we all guessed would end civilization; no, none of those things.
Just inconvenience. That’s what brought the world to its knees and kicked us back into the dark ages. The power stopped working. We could no longer send messages to our friends across the world. The lights no longer came on when we flipped the switch.
Of course, it was much worse than that. Electricity, oil, gas — none of these things function anymore. Automobiles were pretty useful, when they worked. As dead husks of metal, they are one of the biggest pains in the arse we have in this new world of ours. Horsepower reverted back to horses; it’s a shame so many people started eating them when they got hungry. I could use another thousand horses to help us work the land.
Old farmers are the most treasured resource in our Colony. They live like lords and ladies as they teach us how to use knowledge which almost died out with them. Overnight they went from being ignored fossils to revered teachers.
Life can be funny like that.
I open the door to my office and grab a cup of water from the pail before I head to my desk. This is my private office, my thinking place. Most people leave me alone when I come here.
“Happy birthday, old girl.”
Most, but not all. I smirk as Carl s
teps from the corner of the room. There’s barely any shadow there, but he doesn’t seem to need much to wrap it around him like a cloak of invisibility. Out of habit, my eyes flit to his, verifying that he’s still on our side. Yep, gold flecks instead of red. Checking Timeless eyes is a habit I developed after one changed unexpectedly last year. The first thing this one wanted to do when she changed was start killing innocent people. Carl says that doesn’t happen often, and Raphael agreed with him. Still, that was a bad day. If more had been around to see it, things could have turned unpleasant for our Timeless.
“Old girl?” I ask. “Coming from an ancient, withered creature like yourself, that’s funny.”
He smiles, although his smile still looks somewhat like a starving tiger that has come across a baby deer all alone. Either the last few years of practice have made it look less intimidating, or I’m getting used to it. “I’m told by many that I don’t look anywhere close to my true age.”
“What number is that again?” I ask.
He shrugs, “A few thousand years.”
I squint my eyes and look him up and down critically. “Okay, then, I would have to agree with them. I would have guessed only a little over a thousand. If you’re more than that then, yeah, you look decent.”
He sniffs dismissively and sits down in my chair. “So tonight is gonna be a big party.”
I frown and grab him a glass of water. Then I place it on the seat across from mine. He slowly gets up, walks over to pick up his cup, and sits down. I move to my chair and sit, putting my feet up on the old, worn surface of the pale wooden desk, crossing my feet at the ankles and putting my arms behind my head. “Too big a party for too small of a reason,” I say.
He nods, but I know he doesn’t agree. Try as he might to show us all otherwise, being an Eternal agrees with Carl. The easiest way to tell is when the small children attack him and start playing with him. He grumbles and roars at first, but the kids see through that, and in moments he’s throwing them into the air and safely catching them. He mutters and complains, but spends hours entertaining the little ones.
“How do you feel about skipping out of the party early?” he asks.
“If the reason is good enough, count me in. Come to think of it, even if the reason is lame, feel free to count me in,” she smiles. “What did you have in mind?”
He drains his cup of water and puts it on the desk. Then he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and gives me a serious look. “The other day I detected a stray Timeless, so I went to check it out.”
I swing my legs off the desk and sit up straighter. “Who did you take with you?” I ask.
“No one,” he shakes his head. “This was a powerful energy signal, and one that I was pretty sure I recognized, so I went to check it out by myself.”
“That was stupid, Carl,” I say.
Carl shrugs and stares at me blankly. He doesn’t like being scolded, and I don’t do it often. I take a deep breath and decide to let it slide.
“What colour eyes?” I ask.
“Crimson.” He turns his head towards the front window and pretends to look out. “Someone you know, too.”
“I don’t know many Infernals,” I say.
“I don’t know much about that,” he stands up and walks to the glass pane. “There’s been a safe meeting offered. For tonight. I’ll be your escort.”
“And Raphael,” I say.
Carl shakes his head.
“You know Raphael wouldn’t agree to that,” I say. “He insists on being with me when meeting new Timeless.”
Carl looks back at me and shrugs his shoulders. “What can I tell you, Danni? Anyone else shows, the meeting doesn’t happen.”
I look at him for a few moments.
“You know you’re safe with me,” he says. “No matter what colour my eyes are.”
I don’t know that. But I would bet on it, under most circumstances. “Who is it?”
Carl comes back and sits down. He grins, and this time it seems less pleasant. “The Devil himself has travelled from far away to wish you a happy birthday, Danni.”
“Daniel?” I ask. My gut jumps and I feel anxious.
“The one and only.”
I look at him for a few seconds. Then I nod.
“Set it up.”
CHAPTER SIX
Trew closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. Taking a deep breath, he considered the information the top minds in the Game had just delivered.
All twelve Games Masters sat around a table. Many looked embarrassed and uncomfortable with the news their leader, Foundation, had just shared.
Foundation looked most uncomfortable of all. He was middle-aged, with thinning black hair and thick glasses resting on a tiny nose. His skin was splotchy and Trew guessed it’d been years since he’d eaten properly or exercised. Physical conditioning aside, he was extremely intelligent. Trew had studied the careers of all the Games Masters; Foundation was brilliant when it came to computers and the mechanics of the Game. After decades of working in the business, only the most skilled individuals could hope for a chance to become a Games Master, and the true stresses began after the title was attained. The average career of a Games Master was less than two years. The man who currently held the title of Foundation had been part of the Twelve for over fifteen years, and leader of that prestigious group for nine of those.
“I wish we could be of more help, sir,” Foundation said to Trew.
Trew sat and stared at the desk, processing what he’d just learned. Most of the details were new, but he couldn’t see any information that might help solve this crisis.
“I need results,” Trew said.
“Sir, we are limited with what can be attempted,” Foundation explained. “The Game tolerates minimal tampering or interference.”
“I understand,” Trew raised his hand, “but I’m not asking you to interfere with the Game directly. Instead, I want you to focus on the feeds.”
“The feeds?” another Games Master asked.
“Yes,” Trew said. “The Game is still functioning?”
“Everything indicates that it is,” Foundation said. “Hundreds of thousands of players are waking up after being ejected and report that the Game continues to function.”
“Exactly,” Trew nodded. “So assume the Game is fine and it’s simply a signal transmission issue.”
“Worldwide?”
“Yes.” Trew knew he was talking to the wrong experts. This was a simple problem when viewed from the correct perspective. He shook his head and decided to deliver the challenge anyway. “The Game works; Tygon works. The bridge between the two has been blocked.”
“How?” one of the Games Masters asked.
“That is the question,” Trew said. “Everyone involved must be asking two questions; how has the bridge been blocked, and how do we unblock it?”
The group looked at each other and nodded.
“Contact me if you come up with anything.” Trew stood and walked toward the door.
Cooper was waiting outside. He joined Trew and the two men entered the elevator.
“Anything promising?” Cooper asked.
“No, but I think I’ve set them on the right path.”
“Where to next?”
“The one Games Master who might have ideas that we can use.” Trew pressed an elevator button.
===
“Hey, Trew, how’s Brandon doing?”
Trew and Hack hugged briefly, then moved to the living area of his underground apartment. The thirteenth ‘secret’ Games Master turned a large monitor around to face them, grabbed a wireless keyboard and flopped down into a chair beside his visitors.
“He’s still on life support, but the doctors are saying that it doesn’t look good,” Trew said. Cooper made a sour face beside him, but said nothing.
“Brain function?” Hack asked.
“They can’t detect any.”
Hack shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. “Might b
e time to cut him loose, Trew,” he said.
“What if this blackout is tied to his body continuing to function?” Trew asked.
Both Cooper and Hack looked at Trew in surprise.
“Damn,” Cooper said.
“You think that might be possible?” Hack asked.
“He dropped the same time the screens went blank,” Trew said grimly.
“So what happens if he stops breathing?” Hack asked.
“Maybe the feeds come back up,” Cooper said.
“Or maybe the Game stops functioning,” Trew countered, “and over a billion kids die on their tables.”
“Well, that could be a problem,” Hack said.
The men sat thinking about the implications of both unplugging Brandon’s body and leaving it connected.
“Tell me you have a way to see what’s happening in there,” Trew said.
Hack shook his head in frustration. “I got nothing, so far,” he admitted.
“What factors are you looking at?”
“The Game functions, so there must be a block between us and it.”
“Thank you,” Trew exhaled. He was glad at least one Games Master was on the right track. “So what’s the most effective way to bridge that gap?”
“I have to determine which side it comes from. So far everything points to the block being put up from inside the Game,” Hack admitted.
“Who would be able to do something like that?” Trew asked.
“They would have to know they were in a Game,” Cooper said. “Which narrows it down to a few thousand; maybe only hundreds.”
“Infernals,” Trew guessed.
“Or Eternals,” Cooper shrugged. “They do things that they believe are good, but that doesn’t always mean it’s what’s good for us here.”
“I don’t know much about Timeless,” Trew admitted.
Cooper chuckled and nodded his head. “Feel free to ask me anything you like. Let’s get out of here first, though,” he glanced at Hack. “No offence, but there are things you can’t know.”
Virtual Prophet (The Game is Life) Page 2