Virtual Prophet (26 page)

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 something 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.”

Danni and Trew smiled. “We both feel lucky to have been a part of history, Lisa. Thank you for the great coverage; I think without you talking about us all the time, we wouldn’t have become so famous.”

Lisa blushed and shook her head modestly, tears of happiness welling up in her eyes.

“I’m certain discussions will rage about the events of yesterday for weeks to come. Remember what you heard here today, everyone. Big things did happen yesterday; it’s up to you to decide what those big things were. I’m Lisa Rohansen with Danni and Trew at Game Centre channel one.”

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

“Things seem to have returned to normal here.”

Brandon didn’t look up from his reading. “You’re more stealthy than usual,” he said.

“Perhaps you’re just distracted by what you’re reading.”

Brandon smiled and glanced in the direction of his visitor. “That must be it. Hello, Father; how are things?”

Thorn smiled and sat down beside Brandon. “Things are excellent,” he said. “You did it, son; you got them home.”

Brandon nodded. “The majority of them made it safely?”

“Yes,” Thorn said. “The next little while will be challenging for us as we scramble to locate them and make sure they get food and water. They’ve have been lying motionless for so long that most can barely move, but we know a little exercise will fix that.”

Brandon smiled at the memory of coming out of long games and having to subject himself to weeks of physiotherapy to restore muscle mass and function to his atrophied limbs. “How have the groups of Thirteen been performing?”

“Like the military aces that they are,” Thorn said. “Brilliant idea to find and send them back to pave the way for the others.”

“That was Shane’s idea.”

“Easton,” Thorn said.

“Yeah.”

Thorn looked around. They sat on one of the elevated stages that the Chosen had used during the mass meditation gatherings only a few weeks ago. The enormous field was bare. The only evidence that there had been a crowd lay in the subtle clues left behind; the trampled grass, the stray bits of refuse such as plastic water bottles and rogue clumps of paper that blew and tumbled randomly in the otherwise empty fields. “Where did everyone go?” he asked.

Brandon smiled wearily. “They went back to their lives,” he said. “Once the meditation was successful, the Dreamers exited their avatar bodies. When Sylvia switched the avatars over to act like true NPCs, she made them forget what had happened so they could resume normal lives.”

“Very clever,” Thorn said. “Billions of people stood up and returned to their previous paths in life?”

“Exactly,” Brandon nodded. “In their minds, this event didn’t even happen. They will make their way back to where they came from before the event and continue to move forward in this new society that is growing from the ashes of the Day.”

“What about the Chosen?”

“Same thing,” Brandon replied. “The resonance that made others follow them was disabled. A quick adjustment from Sylvia turned that off and false memories kicked in. They are regular children with parents that, as far as they recall, encouraged them to learn arts like meditation and eastern spirituality.”

“The world has returned to normal, then?”

“Very much so. No one in the Game will remember this event.”

Thorn looked around and silently considered the scope of power that Brandon exercised in this computer simulation. “Quite the playground you set up here, son,” he said.

“It sure is,” Brandon agreed. The two men sat thoughtfully for a few minutes.

“I had planned to end the Tygon simulation and bring you out if you succeeded.”

“I figured you would,” Brandon said.

“Is that why you came back in?”

Brandon looked at Thorn and shook his head. “I came back in because I was needed. If I’d stayed out, then our chance for success would have been slim, Father. I knew my body would likely die if I came back, but there was no choice.”

“You play to win,” Thorn said.

“That’s the only reason to play.”

“Sometimes, you can play to learn from your failures,” Thorn offered.

“Not this time, we couldn’t.”

Thorn looked frustrated. “I haven’t figured out how to transfer your consciousness to another body in the Dream. If you stay here for a while, I’ll work on it, and perhaps...”

“No.”

“There are people whose minds didn’t make it back to their bodies. I can find you a suitable body. I’m sure I can figure out how to do it.”

Brandon stood up and walked to the edge of the stage. He looked out at the world he had created and smiled. Then he looked back at Thorn and his smile softened. “I want to stay here, Father.”

Thorn looked confused. “In the Game?”

“I have a body on Tygon,” Brandon said. “I could live here and there, back and forth, for a long time. If you leave the simulation running.”

“Earlier I said that I had planned to shut it down. After what they have done for us, the billions of NPCs living on Tygon, there’s no way I can shut it off. Computer programs saved our lives; they saved our race and ensured our continued existence. While there is one ounce of power available in the Dream, I will make certain Tygon stays online.”

“It really is the least you can do for them,” Brandon agreed. “I’ve spoken to my Hand. All of them want to stay, too.”

“That is acceptable.”

“We can keep the communication lines open between us, right?”

Thorn walked over to his son and put his hand on his shoulder. “Of course we can. I might even stop in from time to time to visit.”

“That would be great,” Brandon said, “but I want to make sure you let no one else enter this Sim. I will put sensors in place and if anyone comes here, they will be destroyed. I understand why you brought Lohkam and the other teams to Tygon, and if they want to stay I will allow it, but that’s it.”

“I have no problem with that,” Thorn said. “What will you do with the Game now that it has served its purpose?”

Brandon shook his head. “I don’t know. I have to think about it for a while. Maybe a long while.”

Thorn chuckled and looked out across the empty field. “You definitely have time to think about it, son. You’ve earned that luxury.”

Brandon smiled. “I think I have.”