The Game (28 page)

  So why do I regret having lived it?

  Because I have a vivid memory of how good things were, and how they could be. My real life is nowhere near as good as my seventh life was in the Game. I could have tolerated this life, because it’s still very good.

  But knowing how much better it could be…it makes me sad to be stuck in this one. I know it likely doesn’t make sense to most people, but it’s the truth.

  J. Danielson, retired Gamer

Raphael

  “Alright, A. As you have instructed, no scrambler. Everyone on Tygon is going to see this conversation through Danielle’s and Trew’s eyes. I can only imagine what the reaction is going to be like with Game fans.”

  I look at Trew and Danielle sitting calmly in front of me. Okay, then, here it goes.

  “What George wrote in his book is correct. This world is a computer simulation, a Game. There are some here who know this for a certainty, because they retain their memory of the real world that exists beyond this one.”

  I watch their reaction. Neither says a word but they both look at each other with an ‘I knew it!’ expression on their faces.

  “I can’t get into the specifics of what this world is for; that’s more than I have permission to tell.” I smile at them. “Over the centuries some individuals have come close to guessing.  Religion and spiritual teachers grasp some of the key concepts, but none have been able to identify the entire purpose for your existence here on Earth. Maybe someone will guess some day.

  “Here’s the basic idea; you log into the Game and you’re born. You live your life as best you can, and when you die, you return to your real body, taking the lessons you learned and memories of the experiences you had. Many return to live multiple lifetimes, many do not. You have no memory of the real world, or at least you’re not supposed to. On rare occasions an individual is born with some knowledge of the real world beyond, or else an individual sees clues and formulates an educated guess which can then grow into belief and faith. For the most part, this isn’t a dangerous thing because no one else believes them. If, by some remote chance, others do believe, then they develop a small following which turns into a religion. Most never grow to any significant size. Some do.

  “When this simulation was created, it was done in the same way that game developers here bring a game to market. Designers and players inhabited the Game first, to work out the bugs and make sure it ran properly. They were the beta testers, and they played the Game with total knowledge of what it was, so they could help finalize the Game and make it ready for launch. When all the kinks were worked out, the beta testers left and the world was populated with real players, people like you. Some beta testers were asked to remain behind, and others were inserted into the Game at different times throughout history as required. That is what we are. Expert players who remain in the Game to help with troubles that arise as well as perform tasks to help this simulation proceed as designed.

  “We’re called Eternals, and there are many of us around the world with different abilities, jobs, and responsibilities. We vary in age from just a few decades old to thousands of Earth years old, but we all share two common traits. We can never get sick or age, and we have full knowledge that this is a simulation and a real world exists beyond this.”

  I pause a moment to let the information sink in. No questions from Trew; I’m not sure whether to be relieved or concerned.

  “Two factions of Eternals have formed over the millennia; one faction is concerned with helping by doing good, and the other causes misery and strife in the world. The first group are named Eternals, while the second group call themselves Infernals. Trew, you met an Infernal by the name of Carl when you were younger.” Trew nods. “Many of us have been both Infernals and Eternals during our stay inside the Game. I’ve been an Infernal for the past thousand years, it's only since Danielle was born that I became an Eternal once again.”

  That seems to get their attention and Trew opens his mouth to speak. I hold up my hand and he remains silent. “Sometimes individuals learn about our abilities and we are forced to reveal ourselves for what we are. That’s what happened here with you two. It’s impossible to ignore that there is something different about us. Over the ages the humans, or players, as we call them, who learn of our existence have given us many names; gods, demons, angels, devils, seraphim, genies, sprites… the list is long. Most stories that contain strange and powerful creatures are about us.”

  “Knowing that we are inside a Game allows us to manipulate the system and use special abilities. It can be dangerous, so we are careful not to use our abilities more than is necessary in order to maintain secrecy and keep the simulation functioning correctly. There are strict rules that govern how this universe operates. When we bend them, the universal rules alter and that allows anyone to then bend them as well. Let me give you an example; a few decades ago it was impossible for a human to run a mile in under four minutes. Physically impossible. The laws of science and the universe wouldn’t allow it. Then an Eternal ran just a bit faster than he should have during a fairly major incident. That Eternal ran faster than humans could, and as a result of that, the universe changed the physics to compensate. If something impossible is accomplished, it’s no longer impossible. A few years later, a man by the name of Roger Bannister ran the mile in under four minutes. A short time later, sixteen more people did the same. Today, a high school student can do it if they train just a bit, something that was impossible until the rules were bent to allow it.”

  Danielle whistles, and I nod. “Thankfully, most people playing in the Game have no clue that they might be able to do extraordinary things, so they never even try. That’s a good thing, because there have been a lot of little bends over the ages. Today it’s entirely possible for humans to do things like fly and breathe underwater for short periods of time.” They look surprised by my statement. I nod. “Trust me, it’s possible. I doubt anyone can get there, mentally, to be able to do it yet, but that’s the only thing standing in the way.”

  I take another drink of water and look at both of them. “So, that’s who and what we are. Trew, you were fortunate enough to meet Gabriel, one of the oldest and most powerful Eternals on the planet. The longer we’re here, the more powerful we become, and Gabriel was one of the first here. The other one, the being who brought Danni back to us, is much older than any Eternal or Infernal. His kind was here before this version of the Game even existed. I’m not allowed to tell you what they are called right now. All of us had the honour to meet their leader. It was truly a highlight of my life to have been able to embrace him. Most of the time they can’t be located, even by us. This is only the third time I’ve been in the presence of one. Stephanie?”

  Stephanie smiles with delight, “He was my first. I thought up until now that they didn’t exist.”

  I chuckle at the idea, an Eternal with all her knowledge can still have her faith tested.

  “So that’s about all I can tell you. There is more — much more — but this is enough for today. I’m sure that in the years ahead you two will get little tidbits of information from us if we’re allowed to share it, and the indications are that we will be able to. Any questions?”

  Trew thinks about it for a few seconds and then shakes his head negatively. I chuckle. Of course he won’t ask questions now. I’m ready for them. Trew slides questions into a conversation, and it’s often not until you answer them that you realize what he’s done.

  Danielle nods her head and I smile. “Go ahead, dear girl.”

  “How is it that you don’t grow old and die? Is it possible for us to do the same? To live forever?”

  “We can be killed, although it’s a difficult thing to do, and it doesn’t happen often because of our skills and powers. As for how we are able to live so long, there is a price for everything.” I sigh and look at Stephanie.

  Stephanie nods. “The price we pay for not aging is high. When you enter the Game, you leave your real body lying in stasis on a table until you’re done here. That body can only exist for a certain length of time without you in it — a couple months, tops. We age differently in here, so a couple of months out of the Game is equal to roughly 80 to 100 years inside. We follow the same rules as you do in that respect, so when we are offered the opportunity to become an Eternal, to live hundreds or thousands of years inside the Game… we give it serious consideration before accepting, because…” she lets the sentence trail off.

  Danni gasps, “Because the price you pay for living for a long time in the game, is that your bodies
die
in real life?”

I nod. “That’s right. When we die here, we cease to exist.”

Chapter 54

  Brandon sat patiently by the phone, waiting for it to ring. He considered getting a drink but decided that he didn’t really feel like one. The day had been hectic and he couldn’t consider it complete until he received the call.

  The phone started to ring.

  Brandon closed his eyes and rolled his head in a slow circle from one shoulder to the other. Then he opened his eyes and answered the phone, holding it away from his head for the count of three. He wasn’t in the mood to hear the unpleasant clicks and beeps which secured the line, and grated on his nerves. Smiling confidently, he placed the phone to his head and waited.

  “Tell me” — his Father’s voice sounded pleasant, but Brandon could hear the fury beneath — “that you did not have anything to do with what just happened on millions of viewer screens around the world.”

  “Millions?” Brandon asked. “It must have been on at least a billion, father. Factor in that most households have more than one viewer and it’s likely billion
s
.”

  There was complete silence on the other end of the line. Brandon felt like a ten-year-old boy waiting to be punished by a man who expected nothing less than perfection from his only son. Those times had not gone well for him, but he was an adult now, the most powerful man on Tygon. He refused to squirm like a child. He looked silently out the window at the stars above, waiting for his father to speak.

  Minutes passed. Then, for the first time in Brandon’s life, it happened.

  “We don’t have time for this nonsense, boy. Answer my question.”

  Brandon was stunned. The old man had spoken first. In the age-old power play of conversation, he had finally beaten his father for the first time. He knew he should be pleased, but it wasn’t as satisfying as he’d imagined. Growing up never is.

  Brandon shook his head and held on to his confidence. “Of course,” he snapped. “I had everything to do with it. What do you think I am? Some doddering old man? As you seem to enjoy pointing out to me every time we speak,
time’s running out
. I had to make a bold move, so I made it.”

  “ I told you to watch that girl.”

  “I did watch her. I did more than watch her, I brought her into our camp so I could help her. She has no luck. The Mainframe put her into play and is pushing her to where she is now. Her getting sick and almost dying was never part of the plan. Her death triggering the Game to end was never part of the plan.
Nothing
to do with her was ever part of the plan. Yet there she is, front and centre in my face. Right in the way each and every time we try to get back on to the plan. Stopping us from doing what needs to be done.”

  “Son.” His father’s voice softened with concern. “Confirming the existence of Eternals to Tygon was a mistake. We are severely off track.”

  Brandon sighed. “Then we stay on the train, ride on this track, and do the best that we can, father.”

  “If we fail…”

  Brandon took the phone away from his ear and held it in front of his mouth. He took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs, years of pent up frustration pouring out of him in one tremendous roar. “I
know
what happens if we fail! I hear no ideas from
you,
just criticism. I
know
what I did! I’m playing this game as well as I can. No one else dared step forward to take my place.
No one
could beat me, not even
you
. So
let me play!
”

  With all of his strength, Brandon raised the phone above his head and brought it crashing onto the marble floor, smashing it into hundreds of little pieces.

  Falling to his knees, Brandon looked up at the ceiling and screamed as loudly and as long as he could. Then he sat on the floor, his chest heaving for air.

  Time was running out.

Chapter 55

  “I’m still amazed you were able to involve so many other players to help me. Each player spending their credits to help me in the Game has saved me so much money. It should actually enable me to achieve our goal, if all goes according to plan. I didn’t think you could get so many on board.”

  “It wasn’t too difficult. Many of them only needed to spend a few thousand extra credits to get what we wanted, and if we succeed, each of them will become very wealthy in credits for having been a part of it. A teacher here, a girlfriend who dates you for only a month there, a salesman who sells you a car once when you’re 30, a man who robs you when you’re 40. All so simple, and fairly inexpensive to buy for each player.”

  Excerpt from Chapter 10 of ‘The Game’

Trew - 30

  “I’m excited for you, Trew, this car is incredible! Selling this specific model is the reason that I got into selling cars in the first place.”

  My pen freezes above the blank line of the contract. I look up, expecting to see the car salesman giving me a false smile. I was hoping to buy from a nice guy, not some stereotypical lying salesman. But when I look at him, he appears sincere. I’ve become very good at reading people over the years, and this guy looks truly excited about the car I just bought. Who can blame him? It’s one of the best new automobiles to hit the market in years, and I’m buying it.