Digital Heretic (24 page)

Chapter 51

Tygon

 
For the peopl
e
who lived and worked there, VirtDyne was the most secure building in the entire City.

 
The massive skyscraper was surrounded on all sides by a tiered courtyard, separated from the rest of the city by a 30 foot tall, six foot thick concrete wall. Basic admittance through the gate into the courtyard required a specially issued passcard; unauthorized individuals couldn’t even eat lunch in its shadow.

 
Once you entered the courtyard, the actual building was accessed by massive doors located on all four sides of the building. The North Entrance was for residents, the South for Game-related workers, and the top executives used the West door. Only a handful of people could enter the East door.

  As you approached the appropriate
door, security cameras would focus on you, verify your passcard, and then scan retinal, DNA, and body profiles to compare against the data stored in the main computer. Security staff would then scan each individual for a list of restricted items; if any of these were found, that person was detained while the authorities came to interview them.

 
No one protested the intense security process, because this was the nerve centre of the world’s most important source of income and entertainment. It was an immense honour to be allowed into the VirtDyne building at all; a person would give up much for a

chance to sleep in one of the most basic apartments for just
a single night.

 
Since its construction decades earlier, not a single person had ever managed to gain unauthorized access to the VirtDyne Building.

 
That was about to change.

 
The man walked towards the gates and stood in line to enter. The line moved quickly; when it was his turn, he smiled at the security guard and walked through. His card beeped and a green light flashed on the gate.

 
He walked towards the South door, the entrance for Game staff. Once again he waited for his turn to enter and walked confidently through. The scanner beeped and flashed a green light, indicating that he belonged there.

 
There was a directory inside the entrance, but the man didn’t stop to examine it. Only newcomers would stop and check the directory out, perhaps gaining the attention of the cameras. He had been fully briefed on the directions to his destination. The man approached an elevator and waited with a small group of people for the door to open. No one acknowledged him; so many people worked in this building that it was easiest to ignore each other. The man blended in perfectly.

 
The elevator arrived and the group piled in. The elevator began its climb towards the top, interrupted by frequent stops. By the time they had reached the 65
th
floor, the man was alone in the elevator. A few moments later, the elevator dinged and came to a stop. He checked to make certain that he had arrived at the top floor — not of the building, of course, but the top floor of the Game portion of the skyscraper.

 
The man got off the elevator and turned left, walking to a bank of offices and swiping his card at a door, entering silently as it beeped and opened to allow him access. He walked to a small desk and sat down. To his right there was a bed; this was a resting room

for Game employees. When activities were so intense
that a team member could not leave their player for long, these rooms were available to allow them to catch a few moments of rest.

 
He checked his watch and nodded, pleased that everything had gone as planned. He had arrived ahead of schedule.

 
Now to wait patiently.

***

  “I can’t keep my eyes open,” Trew said. They’d been in the command centre for hours, and were no closer to finding Danielle. He looked around the desk at the team. Everyone looked crushed; all attempts to locate her had produced no success. As time sped by inside the Game, no one inside or out was having any luck.

  “
Go get some sleep,” Michelle said. “We’ll wake you immediately if we learn anything.”

 
As much as he hated to admit it, Trew knew he needed some sleep. There was only so much a person could do, and he’d reached his limit. “Okay, but don’t let me have more than 45 minutes. I’ll be ready to take a stimulant again by then.”

  “Okay,”
Michelle said. It was obvious that she’d been taking more stimulants than allowed, but she had gotten a few hours of sleep prior to learning that Danielle was taken, so she was fresher than Trew. “Why don’t you use one of the resting rooms just down the hall?”

  “
Good idea.” Trew rubbed his eyes and walked to the door. “Good luck. Come get me in 45.”

 
He walked mechanically down the hallway, too tired to think and too stressed to consider the enormity of what was happening in the Game.

 
Trew took out his card and held it over the door latch to one of the resting rooms. The lock turned green and clicked open. It

wasn’t
until he had closed the door that he noticed someone was already sitting at the desk inside.

  “
Oh, I’m sorry,” Trew said. “I didn’t realize this room was already in use.”

 
The man stood up and smiled. His manner seemed… off
,
in some small way. Trew’s instincts told him something wasn’t quite right. He took a step backwards and put his hand on the door.

  “That’s
entirely all right,” the man said. “I was just getting ready to go back to work. It’s all yours, friend.”

 
Trew opened the door and stood there uncertainly.

  “
Where are you going? I said it’s no problem for you to use the room. Come back in.”

  The man’s
tone sounded too eager. “No, it’s fine. I can get another room. Have a good night.”

 
Trew turned and walked out of the room and started heading back to the command centre. Immediately he heard the man behind him, walking quickly to catch up.

 
Trew looked over his shoulder and suddenly time slowed to a crawl. He saw the man reaching into his coat pocket, pulling something out and pointing it at Trew. The man said something, but it sounded long and drawn out, as if it was all happening in slow motion. Trew realized that this man was here to kill him, and he was defenseless standing in this hallway. Visions of getting in the elevator with Carl came rushing back to him, the feeling of helplessness and impending doom returned.

 
Trew heard a voice yell out and he instinctively dropped to his knees. The assassin hesitated for a split second, then a brilliant flash of light erupted from his chest, followed by a spraying arc of crimson blood. The assassin grunted and dropped his weapon. He touched his chest and looked at the blood on his hand with confusion.

 
A second later the assassin hit the ground with a wet thud, he was dead.

 
Time returned to normal. Trew felt a hand grab him and pull him up. “Are you all right, Trew?” A deep, bass voice said.

 
Trew looked at the man who had just saved his life. He was tall — about 6’4”, with tanned skin and short cropped, silver-white hair which stood up in a controlled mess on the top of his head. Trew could feel the power in the man’s grip, and see it in his eyes. He held a weapon of some sort in his hand, but Trew didn’t recognize it as being anything he’d ever seen before.

  “
Hey, bud,” the man said. “Are you okay?”

  “
Yes, I think so,” Trew said. “Where did you come from? Thank you for saving my life.”

  “
Glad to do it,” the man said. He smiled an easy, crooked grin and slapped Trew on the back. “That was cutting it a bit close! Don’t tell Brandon the guy actually got his weapon pointed at you when you give him the rundown.”

 
Trew nodded, still shaken up from the experience. “Who are you?”

 
The man stuck out his hand. “Name’s Cooper. Sorry to meet you under such circumstances, although this is really the only way we could have met up until now.”

 
Trew shook the man’s hand, not sure what to say.

  “
I guess I should run,” The man said. “I can hear others coming. You should be okay from here on out. Tell Brandon I said ‘I told you so.’ This building can be illegally accessed if they want to bad enough. And tell him he owes me a drink next time I see him.”

  “Okay,”
Trew said, bewildered. “I got your name, but that doesn’t tell me who you are.”

  “I’m
your Protector, kid,” the man smiled. “Inside the Game they gave you an Eternal. Outside the Game you get something much better — you get me
.
”

 
Cooper twisted his right hand in a quick series of motions, and white light began to envelop him. The light disappeared, and so did Cooper.

Chapter 52

 
From time to time, a player enters the Game and plays a spectacular session. It seems to occur only once or twice in each of Earth’s generations, but the impact felt from these avatars causes waves that ripple long after they have exited their play. These events generally involve the artistic and spiritual areas of the Game, not the more mundane aspects of life.

 
Can you name a great artist, scientist, or singer from Earth history? How about a memorable spiritual figure? I’m certain more than one name just popped into your head.

 
How about a great factory worker, or cashier or waitress? A name likely doesn’t spring to mind, does it?

 
If everyone could fly, would we be so focused on Melissa and Danielle?

 
Perhaps a better question is this: If everyone can fly in the Game, how come only Melissa and Danielle are actually doing so?

  
Anonymous

 
Brandon listened t
o
the phone ring on the other end of the line. He knew it would ring twelve times before being answered; there was significance to the number, plus it allowed him to change his mind and hang up. The ringing was like a cooling down period to understand the implications of what he was doing. For this call,

he’d already thought long and hard before
dialling. He had no desire to hang up as he waited for the twelve rings to occur.

  “
I must say,” his father’s voice sounded through the receiver, “I’m surprised you didn’t call sooner. Things have been heating up pretty good there.”

  “I’m
only allowed a certain number of calls to you,” Brandon said. “It’s always a tricky decision as to when to use them. She’s still very young in the Game.”

  Brandon’s
father chuckled. “Just because we know she can live to 140 doesn’t mean that she will live to be 140.”

 
Brandon smiled and said nothing.

  “
Are you able to navigate the mine fields that are popping up all over the place for you, Son?" he asked. “Danielle is missing and she no longer has the protection of a Clean Mark. Trew is being targeted for assassination on Tygon. The most dangerous Infernal killer on Earth is nowhere to be found. Shane is in play, and showing a very active interest in your player. Does that cover most of the high points?”

  “
You left out Miranda,” Brandon said.

  “She’s
not related to the others.” His father paused. “Is she related to the others, Brandon?”

  “
Everything is tied together in some way or other, Father."

  “
She’s lost her nano companion?”

  “
That is uncertain at the moment,” Brandon said.

  “
What aspects are out of your control? Off the tracks when it comes to your plan?”

  “
I don’t know, which is why I’m calling you.”

  “
My boy, I’m amazed at the amount of pieces that you’re currently juggling. I haven’t even mentioned Sylvia or the other new God that seems to be stirring on Tygon. Then there’s this new religion on Tygon. You really deserve to be where you are at this moment, even if you fail in the long run, which seems very

probable. Just to watch you in action
… you are a true artist, my boy.”

 
Brandon laughed. “Thank you, Father, that's as close to a compliment as I’ve gotten from you in a long time.”

  “
What can I do for you?”

  “
Did Cooper really step in and save Trew?” Brandon asked.

  “
Yes,” his father said.

 
There was a pause as Brandon considered his next words. “There’s a price for his involvement,” he said.

  “
Yes, there is.”

  “
I need payment deferred,” Brandon said.

  “That’s
not possible,” his father replied. “There are some things even you can’t manipulate, Son. Deferring payment for Cooper getting involved is one of those things.”

  “
Father, everything can be manipulated,” Brandon said. “for the right price.”

  “
What are you suggesting?”

  “
An offer too good to be refused…”