“Oh, yes,” Daniel nodded. “I know you likely don’t want to be involved with any plans that I have for Danielle and her bunch, which is fine with me. For the first couple of years it’s best to keep you away from them, anyway. That way it will be more effective when they finally do see you and get to experience the horrific creature that you’ve become.”
“I’ve met many Infernals,” Stephanie said. “They aren’t horrific creatures.”
“First time they see crimson, they are,” Daniel tossed a bare leg bone into the fire. “The purpose of being an Infernal is to spread pain and confusion across the world. The first time our eyes go crimson, it can take decades, if not hundreds, of years to calm down enough to appear civilized and sane again.”
“Really?” Stephanie’s eyes betrayed concern at the thought of losing control and becoming a violent bringer of pain to those she’d always worked so hard to protect.
“With the right mentor, we could cut that cycle into just a few short weeks.” Daniel stared hungrily at Stephanie’s untouched meal and she quietly passed it over to him. She felt nauseous anyway. Daniel nodded and snatched the rabbit from her plate.
“Then why let it stretch out so long?” Stephanie pleaded. “I don’t want to become a psychotic madwoman.”
“If it were up to me alone, I would agree with you.” It was obvious from his grin that it was up to him, and he was choosing not to help her. “It’s not often that we get to put a brand new Infernal into action, and since the Day we haven’t had a single one. If there’s one thing this world needs right now, it’s a crazy woman with powers roaming around killing at random. Heck, you might even build a reputation to rival Carl’s, and let me tell you, he was a very energetic first timer when he came to the party.
Stephanie stood up, grabbed another log, and threw it onto the fire.
“Maybe I’ll just kill you and become the new leader of the Infernals,” she said casually.
Daniel threw his head back and laughed loudly. One short bark turned into more, until eventually, he was laughing hysterically at the idea. Stephanie grinned at him the entire time, saying nothing while he hooted and hollered at the thought of a fresh recruit toppling him from his role as the Devil.
Finally his laughter began to lessen. Daniel wiped tears from his eyes and took large breaths of air to regain his composure. He looked over at Stephanie. “I have to thank you, darlin’. I haven’t laughed like that in centuries. The thought of someone as weak and young as you attempting something so... well, so diabolical her first time as an Infernal... I’m gonna treasure that bit of laughter for months to come.”
Stephanie continued to smile sweetly as she shook her head. “No, Daniel, I’m afraid you won’t.”
Something about the way she smiled made Daniel pause. He narrowed his eyes to look at her carefully, and he noticed that she wasn’t looking at him.
She was looking at his empty plate.
He tried to stand up, but for some reason his body was slower than it should be. Sluggish.
In a flash, Stephanie moved from her seat to a position behind Daniel, holding his head in an iron grip. He struggled to stand, but the intense force she was exerting held him in place.
“So careless, Daniel,” Stephanie purred into his ear. “So many years secure in your position. All immediate Infernal threats identified and neutralized to make certain you were safe. Your reign was impressive, but it’s time for a new Devil to run the show.”
Daniel tried to say something, but the poison from the food was coursing solidly through his veins, sapping him of the majority of his strength. He knew he had only one chance, if he could just get his mouth open to speak three words. He tried to make his jaws work, but Stephanie’s hands clamped his mouth securely shut.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Her voice dripped like golden honey. “I’ve been fully prepped for this little meeting for years. We’ve been waiting for one of us to turn, and hoping it would be me.”
Daniel’s eyes blazed with fury. He knew the words she would say next, and his blood boiled in rage as she spoke them.
“Carl sends his regards,” she whispered.
With a sharp twist, the Devil’s neck snapped like an ancient tree being shattered by a tornado.
Stephanie held him for the count of ten, and then she lowly let him sag to the ground.
“Quickly,” Raphael materialized from the darkness and strode purposefully towards her. “Make the mark and transfer the power.”
Stephanie nodded, and with a forceful punch, she tore into Daniel’s chest cavity, removing his heart from his body. She took the blood from it and smeared a mark, first on his forehead, and then on her own.
“One bite,” Raphael said, his face a grim mask of purpose as he watched the scene unfold like the director of a Broadway play.
Stephanie nodded and raised the heart to her mouth, tasting coppery blood and feeling the thick toughness of heart muscle as her teeth ripped into it. She chewed quickly and swallowed, dropping the heart onto Daniel’s chest.
Instantly, red lightning streaked from the sky. In the space of a heartbeat, the crimson bolt pierced Daniel’s head at the mark, and leapt into Stephanie’s matching symbol.
Stephanie was thrown off her feet and lay on her back, a small trail of smoke rising from the middle of her forehead. She opened her eyes and blinked, then stood up and looked at Raphael questioningly.
Raphael nodded grimly, then his face broke into a smile. “That’s it, then. You’re the Devil.”
Stephanie started to smile, but it quickly became a worried frown. “Was he right, Raph? Am I going to turn into an insane creature of destruction?”
“Yes, but not for long, if you stick with the plan.”
“What if I do something horrible?” she asked.
“Sweet girl, you are now the Devil. You’re going to do many horrible things. Remember the next part of the plan?”
“Yes. I find the sisters and rely on them for help.”
“I’ve found them for you and brought them here,” Raphael pointed his finger down the road. “They’re inside the first house in that direction, waiting for you. Do as they say and you will get through the tough part quickly.”
“I wish you could do this,” Stephanie said.
“I couldn’t have pulled it off. He would have been ready for me. You can do this, Sister. Be strong, and know that you are loved, no matter what happens.”
“Better the Devil you know...” Stephanie said.
“Exactly,” Raphael smiled.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
‘As day three of the Game blackout fades, fans remain in the dark. Experts, computer programmers, analysts, ex-players, Patrons...no one can give us any explanation as to what’s happening.
The biggest question fans are asking is; since the Game is still operational, who has blocked the feed and for what purpose?
Trew is addressing the world tonight in less than half an hour.
I am certain everyone is interested in hearing what he has to say...’
Lisa Rohansen
Trew walked to the centre of the stage. The muffled rumble and buzz that builds when any large group assembles was quickly replaced with absolute silence.
Trew stood on the giant stage and looked out at his audience. Despite the bright, hot lights and darkness that lay beyond, Trew could sense the immense crowd that was gathered to hear his address. Cooper had told him there were over two million people assembled, making this the largest speaking event of his many lives.
Years of practice and experience kicked in, banishing any nerves that he might have about this speech. Trew smiled and looked directly into the audience. It was a look that made each person feel as if he was looking directly at them. Leaning slightly into the podium with his hands resting on each side, he began to speak.
“I’ve spoken on this topic so many times over the years that perhaps you’ll become bored and tune me out.” He paused and raised a hand, turning his head to the
side while still focusing straight forward. “I urge you to resist such a temptation. I think most of you will find this talk very... memorable.”
Trew pushed himself away from the podium and began to stroll back and forth slowly across the stage; a classic orator’s technique, but effective.
“Thoughts... are real.”
He paused in mid-stride, looking out into the audience and locking eyes with a middle-aged man wearing round, gold-coloured glasses. Trew’s look became puzzled, as if the small sentence didn’t make sense. “Can that be true? Can thoughts be real?”
He resumed his pacing, looking down and nodding. “Inside the Game it is very true. Fans of the Game have caught small glimpses of this truth over the years, if they were very lucky and happened to be watching the right feed at the precise moment a miracle occurred.”
He turned to face the audience squarely, standing still and casually crossing his arms. “And we have certainly seen some incredible things during this Thirtieth Anniversary Celebration year so far, haven’t we?”
Trew knew the crowd would acknowledge this fact, but he wasn’t sure if they would cheer or simply nod quietly. He smiled inwardly as tens of thousands of heads nodded. Perfect, he thought, they are following where I am leading them.
“We’ve learned of the existence of powerful beings inside the Game. I’ve spent a lifetime living with Eternals, and I can tell you first hand of the awesome things that they can do.”
He resumed his stroll, moving towards the right edge of the stage.
“I’ve witnessed powerful energy that can heal the avatars we inhabit inside the Game. We’ve all seen a very beautiful woman retain her youth and beauty well beyond the accepted normal period of years. My Game wife is as gorgeous at 64 as she was at 35.”
Trew nodded at his own words, knowing the crowd was mirroring his agreement. He had reached the steps at the edge of the stage and began to slowly descend, speaking as he did so.
“We have seen people levitate items into the air, using only their will and thought.” A small dais, five feet in diameter, began to rise from the ground a few paces in front of him. It rose 10 feet into the air before it stopped its motion. Trew climbed the stairs in silence before coming to a halt in the middle of it; again above the crowd.
He spread his arms and the spotlight snapped onto him, this time a bit brighter with a bluish tinge to it. “We’ve even witnessed individuals who can fly!” he looked around in amazement at this fact, shaking his head in wonder. By this time the energy had built in the stadium, and people began to cheer and applaud the accomplishments Trew was listing.
He paused and nodded until the applause died down a few moments later.
“It’s easy to watch an avatar playing inside the Game and think it’s actually them doing these incredible things,” he said. “Yet when you think about what is truly happening, it’s nothing more than a young child, lying comatose on a bed, sending their thoughts into a simulation.”
Trew scanned the closest members of the audience. It was clear by their expressions that many had forgotten this fact. “Thoughts are powering a virtual world populated and existed in by billions of children.” He shook his head slowly. “How can so many miss the lesson in that truth?”
It was so silent that Trew could hear individuals breathing around him.
“We see it’s possible to fly in the Game, yet Tygon’s skies are empty of people flying.” He rotated slowly in a circle as he looked out. “We see it’s possible to levitate objects in the Game, yet nothing floats above our palms here.”
He took a silver coloured bar from his pocket and held it flat in his hand as he continued to slowly rotate. “Many of you say the Game isn’t real. Many maintain that things work differently inside the Game, even though since day one we were told that Game conditions exactly mirror our own universe.”
With a dour frown, Trew stopped moving and looked at the bar in his hand. “Many of you will say that there is nothing you can do. About anything. And because you believe it, you are absolutely correct.”
Trew paused for a moment, and then he threw the silver bar straight up into the air. As it came spinning down towards his hand, he knew what the crowd was hoping to see. He knew everyone held their breaths in anticipation of him catching the bar with his will, allowing it to float lazily above him; Trew the leader, showing everyone what the mind could truly accomplish.
As it came rushing towards his flattened palm, Trew moved his hand out of the way and the silver bar hit the stage with a loud clanging ring that echoed to the furthest corner of the silent arena.
Trew watched it until it had come to rest, and then he raised his eyes to scan the crowd with a pleasant smile on his face. “Most of you will ask what I’m trying to prove with this demonstration. Some might even ask if it’s possible to levitate matter. The answer is yes.” Trew walked down the steps so that all but a few of the closest onlookers could see him. His voice continued to ring out loudly. “If you all really want to know what’s happening inside the Game, if you truly want to see the feeds again, then stop hiding in your homes like powerless blankets and waiting for life to come to you. The truth is, if enough of you think about it happening, it will happen. That’s the secret; I hope that enough of you believe me.”
Trew stopped moving and knelt down slightly. “For those of you that lack belief, I will do what I can to help you change your way of thinking.”
He pushed up mightily and propelled himself into the air, floating fifteen feet above the ground while the stadium erupted into excited shouting and cheering. With arms crossed and feet together, Trew floated slowly towards the main stage, gently touching the wooden surface and walking towards the exit.
“As for the bar,” he raised his hand slightly and the silver bar shot swiftly upwards into the air, stopping four feet off the dais. It began to spin slowly, the light reflecting off of it as it did so. “When one of you believes enough to pull it from the air, bring it to me.”
Trew stopped at the edge of the stage and looked out over the crowd. “That’s all I have for tonight, Folks. Please go home and think about what I’ve shown you. I need you all to do one simple thing.”
He scanned the crowd one last time, giving them his best motivating posture and smile.
“Stop wondering when the Game feed will come back on, and start believing that it will come back on now.”
Trew exited the stage as two million people sprang to their feet and loudly began to cheer and chant two simple words.
“We believe!”
Trew took a drink of water and smiled confidently.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“She just killed Daniel,” Brandon said as he watched the monitor.
“Indeed,” Thorn agreed.
“How does that work, then? Wesley has no viable body on Tygon, so does he come out of the Sim now?”
Thorn didn’t answer, which caused Brandon to look up from the monitor in concern.
“I want to see them,” Brandon stood up.
“See who?”
“My Hand.”
Thorn didn’t move from his chair.
“Take me to them,” Brandon said with authority. “Now.”
“Brandon,” Thorn said gently, “I explained the situation to you already. We are running extremely low on power. Every spare ounce is being diverted to the Simulation to give us as much time as possible.”
“You told me you had to unplug the other teams,” Brandon’s voice was icy, “you didn’t mention my Hand.”
“They’re not dead,” Thorn said, “exactly.”
“Exactly? What in the name of all that is digital does that even mean, exactly?”
“Calm yourself. We had to unplug them just like the others,” he raised his hand before Brandon could interrupt him, “but we were able to put them in cold stasis. Their bodies are in suspended animation. The power required for that process was available at the time.”
“But you don’t have the power to b
ring them out of stasis,” Brandon guessed.
“Correct,” Thorn said.
“So when Wesley just died in the Game, did his consciousness zip back here into the skull of his frozen body?”
Thorn raised his eyebrows and grimaced uncomfortably. “So much of this is happening for the first time, son. We’ve never experimented with this type of thing before.”
“You have no idea,” Brandon shook his head.
“I have no idea,” Thorn admitted.
Brandon returned to his seat, his attention returning to the monitor.
“I want back in, Father, and I think the correct time is now.”
“You’ve been out for only a few hours,” Thorn said. “You’ve done your part, Brandon. Let it play out now. The chances of success look extremely promising right now.”
“I did one part,” Brandon said. “I’m still needed in there. Trew and Cooper are doing well. Danielle is doing better I’d hoped. The rest of the players are doing their part, but Stephanie becoming the Devil is a wild card, and there are other wild cards. I must go back in, and the time is now.”
Thorn looked at Brandon sadly. “Time is running out, my boy. Life support is not an option, and even if it was, your body cannot withstand the stress of full immersion again so soon. I told you already, going back in is very likely a one-way trip for you. Do what you can from out here. Talk to the men on the phone if you must.”
Brandon looked at Thorn and his eyes took on a faraway, serious tone. “I know how it will play out here, Father, but I have no choice. We are in the home stretch, and my plan has been to go back in for some time now, no matter the cost.” The boy put his hand on Thorn’s shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. “This is my choice. Put me back in.”
Thorn stared at Brandon for a long moment, and then nodded.
“All right,” he said. “Let’s get you back to Tygon.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Carl touched down in the middle of the empty city street. He looked around slowly, searching with his eyes as well as his other senses to determine if anyone was nearby. A few moments passed and he nodded to himself, satisfied that the hooded person standing in front of him was the only individual within at least a one-mile radius.
Virtual Prophet (The Game is Life) Page 6