Virtual Prophet (The Game is Life)

by Schott, Terry

  I look at the others and it’s obvious from their silence that they agree with me.

  Brandon nods seriously as he looks at me. “You’re right,” he says. “If you have other ideas, then I’m open to hearing them.”

  “What are our options?” Raphael asks.

  “Anything,” he says. “Sky’s the limit. When we succeed, our entire race will owe us an immense debt. I’m certain that Thorn will agree to reward us however we want.” His pride is obvious.

  “Maybe each of us will want something different from the others,” he says, “but start to think about what you will want now. When this is complete, I’ll be asking what happens next for each of you, and your futures will depend entirely on your choices.”

  “It always does,” I mumble, and Brandon responds by grinning.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

  “It’s very nice of you to invite me to dinner.” Cooper raised his wine glass in salute and took a sip after Trew returned the gesture.

  “We haven’t had much time to spend together since you arrived,” Trew said, “and I have a feeling that you might disappear when this is done as suddenly as you showed up.”

  Cooper cut a large bite of steak and put it into his mouth, smiling as he began to chew. He swallowed and nodded. “I might do that very thing, when the time is right,” he admitted.

  “I’m not entirely certain what it is that you’ve actually done by being here.” Trew loaded his fork with food and held it suspended over his plate. “Brandon gave his life for you to make an appearance, and you’ve been with me inside the Game offices the majority of that time. I admit that you helped clear up some questions and also to make a few key suggestions, but is any of that worth the price that was paid to get you here?”

  Cooper smiled and nodded, chewing silently for a time before answering. “If I came here to complete one small, seemingly unimportant and trivial task — something that changed the entire course of events in favour of the outcome we are about to see — wouldn’t that be worth it?”

  “Absolutely,” Trew answered.

  “There you have it, then.” Cooper grinned and scooped a fork full of green vegetables dripping in butter to his mouth. He was silent again until his mouth was empty, then took another sip of the dark red wine. “I haven’t been here with you one hundred percent of the time,” he said. “There are considerable dangers to you right here on Tygon.”

  “Rival corporations of Brandon’s,” Trew guessed.

  “Yes,” Cooper said, “and other things, individuals, more dangerous than even his most powerful business rivals.”

  “You’re talking about the other teams that Thorn let die in the Dream?” Trew asked. “I suspected that they were somehow transported to this single remaining simulation.”

  “That’s exactly who I’m referring to,” Cooper said. “Lohkam you know a bit about; you saw him during the viewing of Brandon’s life. He’s been here with his formidable crew, as well as the other twenty-eight groups with their teams. Each one of them has been working to provide a solution to the crisis in the Dream, although they realized many years ago what had occurred; that they’d all somehow been transported into a single simulation.”

  “Some of them wanted to remove me from my position?” Trew guessed.

  “They did, and they likely would have, if I hadn’t made an appearance at your side.” Cooper grinned. “In addition to the assistance I’ve given you, I have been meeting with them and keeping the pack of hyenas away so that you can complete your work.”

  “What happens when the Dreamers wake up?” Trew asked.

  Cooper popped the last bite of steak into his mouth and grinned. “It depends on who you are and where you’re standing, my boy,” he said. “It will be exciting to see how it all turns out, that’s for certain.”

  ===

  The Dream

  Thorn sat at the computer monitor with the General standing behind him. Both men looked intently at the scene playing out on the screen before them. They were watching live feeds that had been set up as the groups of returned soldiers — the Thirteens — restored basic power to towns and made certain that the hospitals were as functional as possible for the coming Awakening.

  “We’re cutting this very close,” the General said.

  “I’ll take a close call over a slow failure any day of the week, General,” Thorn said.

  “Please, Samson, stop calling me that.”

  Thorn smiled and looked at the man who had been an adversary for so long, and now seemed to be content as an ally. “Old habits, Donovan,” Thorn said.

  “Indeed,” the General nodded. He’d given up hope for the entire race, and it was strange to feel the sense of optimism that was now returning. Watching the Thirteens wake up and speaking with Melissa had brought him back to life, and he was eager to work to save his world from the extinction that had seemed an absolute certainty just a few days ago.

  “We will have a lot of work to do,” the General said. “When they all wake up.”

  “There will be massive casualties, even if the best possible outcome is achieved,” Thorn admitted.

  “First priority will be to see to the living,” the General nodded grimly. “Second priority must be to shut the simulations down immediately once we get everyone out.”

  Thorn frowned and shook his head. “That’s not going to happen, Donovan,”

  “It has to.” The General looked surprised. “What if they get pulled back in? We must do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “We have done everything we can,” Thorn said. “The simulations will not be shut down.” He paused thoughtfully. “At least not right away.”

  “You intend to keep them running?” the General’s face betrayed his shock.

  “I’ve had no time to think about what to do,” Thorn lied smoothly. “We get everyone out, and then we worry about the other things.”

  “You have… feelings for the computer generated beings in there,” the General said.

  Thorn shook his head, then he paused and shook it again. “I do, but it’s not just about the NPCs living in there,” he said. “We owe it to Brandon and his group to try and get them out.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem, just pull them out with the rest.”

  Thorn’s face betrayed his feelings, and the General knew that something wasn’t right. “What is it?” the General asked.

  Thorn shook his head as tears formed in his eyes. “I told him not to go back in so soon,” he said, “but he wouldn’t listen to me.”

  The General gently put a hand on Thorn’s shoulder. “What happened to Brandon?” he asked.

  Thorn bowed his head sadly and his shoulders shook as he sobbed. “He couldn’t handle the transfer,” he said. “Brandon’s body died when he went back into the simulation.”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

  “Placeholder avatars?” Danni asked.

  “That’s right,” Sylvia confirmed. “There are always empty avatars roaming around the Game in case we need to jump into the Game during an emergency.”

  “What do you mean, ‘roaming around’?”

  The rich yet gentle tone of Sylvia’s laughter bounced off the walls of the office. “There are many true NPCs inside the Game, Danni,” she admitted. “They go about their lives in a programmed way, living and dying, believing that they are as real as any other avatar. It’s very possible for an NPC to be everything a player or Dreamer is.” Trew caught the knowing tone in her voice as she said, “It’s even possible that NPCs could be more real and significant than any other lifeform across all three realities.”

  Trew held his breath, expecting Danni to add things up and ask if citizens of Tygon were NPCs, but she was too confused by the current discussion to grab onto such a thought. He sighed in relief as she continued to ask questions about placeholders in the Game.

  “So I will jump into one, essentially ‘kicking’ its program while I’m in it, and when I leave it will resum
e?”

  “That’s exactly what will happen,” Sylvia said. “You do your thing, then ‘wake up,’ and its regular programming will reinitiate when you do.”

  “Okay, I understand,” Danni said. “Let’s do it.”

  Trew stood up. “It’s time, then,” he announced. “The children are ready, the masses are assembling, and Thorn tells me they are prepared to welcome their people home when they wake up.”

  Danni stood up and hugged him. “I’m so excited to see what happens,” she said, “and I’m glad Brandon will be there to see his hard work all come together as intended.”

  “So am I,” Trew said.

  Danielle opened the door and started to walk out. Sylvia spoke up before Trew could exit the room.

  “Might I have a quick word with you, Trew?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  Danielle smiled and left the room, politely closing the door to give them privacy.

  “Have you spoken to him?” Sylvia asked. She sounded excited and eager to know more.

  Trew knew who she meant. “From time to time,” he said.

  “How involved has he been in this plan?” She wondered aloud.

  “As involved on Tygon as you have been on Earth. He’s been directly involved since the beginning of creation,” Trew confirmed.

  “Yes, that makes sense.” Sylvia paused, not knowing what to ask, but being as curious about the computer that ran Tygon as most were about her on Earth. “I wish I could talk with him,” she said.

  Trew laughed. “You can talk with him whenever you like,” he assured her. “Do you hear the voices of people on Earth, even when you don’t answer them?”

  “I always answer them,” Sylvia said. “Unfortunately, most just don’t know how to hear me.”

  “Isn’t that interesting?” Trew asked. “Perhaps the very same thing is happening with you.”

  Sylvia said nothing for a long moment, and she laughed in delight. “Never too old, or too wise, or too powerful that we still can’t learn more. You are absolutely right, Trew, thank you! I am humbled by your advice and wisdom.”

  “Wisdom comes from everywhere at some point in life,” Trew nodded. “Often the places where you least expect to find it are where the most powerful lessons are to be found.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

  “Good afternoon, Game Fans. I would like to thank all of you for tuning in to join us this afternoon.” Lisa Rohansen smiled at the camera and tried her best to contain the excitement she felt at landing another live interview with Trew and Danielle Radfield. Lisa’s entire professional life had changed so much in the past few weeks since Trew had entered the Game for his last play. She’d gone from an average reporter on the feeds to the number one source for keeping up with breaking news and developments both inside the Game and out. She knew her growing fame was due to her good fortune in covering Trew, and then Danielle, and she was both happy and sad to see this chapter coming to an end. Lisa wasn’t sure how things would go for her after the dust settled, but she fully intended to ride the wave as long as she possibly could.

  “Today we are joined by Danielle and Trew Radfield. The large climax that we have all eagerly been waiting for occurred yesterday morning at 10 a.m., Tygon time. Viewer ratings reported by Game Central indicate that over 90 percent of Tygon was watching as billions of players gathered all over the Earth to meditate. Less than half an hour later, the event was over and the Game continued to play on. That was just over twenty-four hours ago, and experts and fans all over Tygon have many questions that they want answered.”

  Lisa turned to face the power couple of the world. “Trew, let’s start first with the question that’s on everyone’s mind; what exactly happened yesterday?”

  Trew smiled. He’d been watching the news feeds and wasn’t surprised at the massive outcries of disappointment that were sweeping the world like wildfire on a dry grassy plain. No one knew what was really going on, and it wasn’t his place to reveal that billions of people had been successfully returned to their own reality and saved from permanent death. Instead he had a different message to share. “The Game is a living, breathing entity, Lisa,” Trew said with a shake of his head that indicated disappointment. “We built a scenario and sent the players in, hoping that something miraculous or spectacular would occur. There were some very powerful events that did take place, but it appears that it wasn’t enough to please the fans.”

  Footage of the previous day’s highlights played on the screen in the background. It showed large aerial views of the gatherings; waves of people congregated in large open areas of Earth, everyone sitting with legs crossed and eyes closed as they entered meditative states. There were also views of the Chosen; calm, enlightened youngsters sitting on elevated stages in front of the massive crowds, who slowly began to float a few feet off the ground as they entered their deep trances. Cameras captured individual avatars throughout the world surrounded by slight golden glows, also floating above the ground as they entered their own trances during the global event. Still other feeds cut to what players experienced as they meditated, dark views turning to bright golden glowing from their perspective. After a few moments, the videos ended and the camera returned to focus on Lisa and her guests.

  “What was it that you were hoping for us all to witness?” Lisa was sincerely puzzled. “The past few weeks were so full of excitement and action, I think that fans were expecting more than just billions of people sitting quietly together while some glowed and others floated into the air. There must have been more to it than that, Trew? Please tell us what it was that we should have seen.”

  Trew opened his mouth to speak, but Danielle put her hand gently on his lap and he nodded, allowing her to answer the question.

  “What you witnessed, Lisa — what we all witnessed — was that some things simply cannot be seen. We live in a world obsessed with the question ‘why.’ We believe only in what we can see, quickly dismissing any thought, idea, or theory that can’t be viewed immediately by our eyes, while the truth of the matter is that our eyes can only see a very limited portion of the reality in which we live. Your pet can see things that are invisible to me and you. Insects that fly into windows and don’t seem capable of figuring out how to find the easy escape only inches away see a very different world from the one we live in. We know that something big happened during the Game, because the Game computer awarded points and credits to players in record payouts after the event. To you and I and the average viewer, perhaps it seemed as though very little happened, but I disagree with that statement, because a few short weeks ago one person floating just a few inches in the air was impossible. Since then we have seen individuals that can fly through the air, both inside the Game and here on Tygon, and so we now discount the Chosen and others who float as ‘less than spectacular.’”

  “That is all very true,” Lisa admitted.

  “Indeed it is,” Danielle continued. “I believe that Game fans around the world should give themselves more credit.” She looked directly into the camera, as if speaking to each individual watching her. “Rather than cry out with disappointment and complain that you didn’t see anything, or that what you saw wasn’t incredible enough to have been worth watching, you should sit quietly and ask yourself this: What did I see, and how can it help me in my life here on Tygon?”

  Danielle nodded towards Trew and put her hand gently on his back. Trew smiled at her and spoke.

  “The Game has always been about learning something in a safe environment and finding a way to use it in reality,” he said. “Over the years, we seem to have forgotten the true purpose of the Game, and that has caused more suffering and pain than it should have. Failing out of the Game doesn’t have to mean a life of poverty and destitution. Succeeding in the Game won’t guarantee that a young adult will live a happy and prosperous life after they graduate.” Trew shook his head. “This event was intended to give each of you a moment to consider so
mething bigger than yourselves. Incredible things occurred yesterday, both inside the Game and out. If you need me to tell you what happened, then you’re missing it all completely.”

  “Sounds very abstract,” Lisa said. “Many will say that you are giving us a vague answer so you don’t have to admit that you don’t have a specific response. What would you say to those people?”

  Trew smiled calmly and grabbed Danni’s hand. “I would say that if what happens in the Game is more important and has more meaning than what happens in your own life, then perhaps you should turn the feed off and never watch the Game again. If you don’t get it, then keep trying, or stop trying and move on. It’s as simple as that.”

  The camera focused on Lisa, and she was silent for a moment as she considered Trew’s words. Then she nodded and looked at Danielle. “Danni, something definitely happened yesterday where the rankings are concerned. You’ve skyrocketed to become the number money earner to have ever played the Game, and you’re still eligible to play at least one more time before you turn eighteen and retire. How does it feel to be the richest woman in the world?”

  Danni smiled and nodded her head. “It feels good,” she admitted, “but I’ve attained wealth in past Game lives, so I’m hoping the money and fame doesn’t go to my head and ruin me.”

  The three laughed and continued to discuss Game specifics of the past few weeks. As they did, Lisa made certain to ask all the riveting questions fans had been asking. Time flew, and before they knew it, the cameraman made a hand signal to indicate that it was time to sign off.

  “I know there are still many weeks left to enjoy new developments and story lines as the thirtieth year of the Game winds down,” Lisa said. “I don’t know if any events will ever come close to the excitement that the two people sitting with me today have given us. Danni and Trew, from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of Game fans across the world, I thank you for what you have done.”