Lilith had been curious, so she started to personally contact people to initiate interviews on Alex’s behalf.
“Someone very powerful is blocking us,” she said.
“Why would they do that?” Alex asked.
“I don’t know, but it’s true,” Lilith said. “The last three inquiries I made face to face conveyed the message very clearly. They all looked sick at the idea of not interviewing you, but even more frightened at the possibility of actually sitting down to talk. This is a terrible shame. We could have generated so much interest! I assured them you wouldn’t talk about where you’ve been. I suggested we mention the possibility of you spending credits to be with Zack in the Game. I tried enticing them in every way possible, kiddo, but no one will come near you.”
Alex shrugged. “Thanks for trying, Lilith, but I don’t think it matters anyway. I’m glad I don’t have to speak to anyone, I don’t know if I could be silent about what I’ve seen. My fan base doesn’t seem to have been hurt by the lack of attention, though. It might have even helped. Have you seen my numbers today?”
Lilith nodded excitedly, picking up a tablet to scan recent figures. Alex was right; her popularity was skyrocketing. “Maybe you’re right, Alex. The only search term more popular than your name is Zack’s.”
“When’s he going in?” Alex tried to pretend that she didn’t care, but she did. She’d hoped to hear from him when she came back into the spotlight, but she hadn’t. Not even a whisper. Her brain told her that was fine and she should wish him well in his play, but her heart was broken by the continued rejection. She thought they had been special together, but apparently she was the only one who felt that way.
“He went in two days ago,” Lilith said. “Are you not watching the feeds at all?”
His avatar will be slightly older than mine
, she thought to herself. Shaking her head to get Zack out of her mind, she answered Lilith’s question. “I’ve had no time to watch feeds about Zack. I had to spend my credits all by myself for this play. The Mainframe invited me back in, but it didn’t provide a wealth of money to spend on playing.”
Lilith smiled in sympathy. “Trust in the God, my girl.”
Alex chuckled at the reference. People were starting to proclaim that Tygon had its own God, similar but more powerful than Earth’s. Intelligent people had agreed decades ago that no such creature existed, but despite that, the phrase was growing more popular with Game fans everywhere. “I guess I should trust in the God of Earth, at least. I have no idea why it raised me so high in the Game, then kicked me out so horribly. Now it invites me back in? None of it makes sense.”
“Don’t start believing the Mainframe had anything to do with your fate, Alex.” Lilith said. “You know the Mainframe is just a computer that creates and maintains a virtual universe. It’s not an intelligent, self-aware creature. It’s no different than this computer console in front of me; it just has a much larger memory and processing speed.”
“Mainframe has an AI chip, too, Lilith,” Alex said.
“Yes, but that technology is still very limited and simple. A small amount of artificial intelligence to allow it to process its tasks quicker. That’s it, Alex. No one has made a significant advance in AI technology.”
“Brandon Strayne might have,” Alex argued. “He made virtual reality seem simple. Maybe he’s succeeded with artificial intelligence as well.”
“It’s illegal to even try,” Lilith said. “Now let’s stop wasting precious time on a silly topic. Are you ready to play? You go in tomorrow. How did you decide to spend your credits?”
Alex knew how much guilt Lilith felt from advising her on the last play, so this time, Alex had told everyone that she would assume sole responsibility for how her credits were spent. It was a challenge, though.
“Are you sure you want to know?” Alex asked. “You might not like what I’ve done.”
“Nonsense, Alex. I support your strategy, whatever it is.”
“Okay, then.” Alex handed Lilith the computer tablet with her selections listed on it. “Tell me what you think.”
Lilith looked at the tablet, then back to Alex. “Where’s the rest? I can’t get it to scroll to the next page.”
“That’s it. There is no next page.”
Lilith closed her eyes slowly. Taking deep breaths she remained silent for a full thirty seconds. “I already told you, Alex. If you fail out of the Game again I can’t protect you like last time.”
“I understand.” Alex said. “I’m not asking you to. This strategy will work.”
“Well, I don’t understand it. Please explain it to me.”
“I have limited credits, so I spent a long time looking at all the power ups and scenarios and interactions that I could purchase. I saw a couple of mistakes in the price lists.”
“What mistakes?” Lilith asked.
“A few of the more expensive choices were very, very cheap on my price list. I looked them up on the world system, and sure enough, they were high end purchases, but for some reason they were very inexpensive for me to purchase.”
“Strange…”Lilith said.
“Or a sign,” Alex said. “So I spent my credits on them.
All
of my credits. Before you say anything, you know how many credits I was given. There was no way to be conservative and hope for another play if this one fails. My free play is exactly that, it seems. One free play. So I’ve kept it simple. I’ve spent all my credits in very limited areas.”
“List them off for me, please,” Lilith requested.
Alex ticked them off on her fingers. “Health, Longevity, Focus.”
“Health and longevity I understand. I can’t believe the Mainframe will give you what you purchased,” Lilith said. “Focus is an elite and expensive attribute. Only the very wealthy Gamers can buy it, and when they do, it’s often a wasted purchase because their avatars never seem to use it well.”
“I’ve studied that. I think it’s because they purchase Focus, yet try to use it on too many things in their lives.”
“Focusing on too many things destroys Focus. Now that you mention it, I think you’re right. Describing it like that makes it seem silly, as if they are clearly not using Focus the correct way at all.”
“Well, I spent a lot on Focus, Lilith, and I’m going to focus on just one thing when I’m playing.”
“What’s that?” Lilith asked.
Alex smiled slyly. “That it’s all a game.”
Lilith laughed. “There’s no way that will ever work. Even if it does, what can that get you?”
“I don’t know. But I had a long time to look at my career as a gamer, and I keep having one overwhelming thought. I think I’m a prodigy.”
In the old days of public school, students would often gravitate towards certain subjects. Some would be better at math, others at science, others at art, and so forth. Over time, this would lead to students learning more about their favourite subjects, and they would go on to study or work in the fields of their interests.
The same was true of the Game. Players would live incarnations and score higher in certain areas of play. On their next plays, they might focus more on their favourite aspects or ‘subjects,’ which would result in them earning even more credits and higher standing. In some cases, the most focused and very best players would be able to earn Prodigy status over time. A famous player named Owen Brahlie was a popular example. Owen soon realized that he excelled at music and decided to focus on this area of the Game. Each time he played a new incarnation, He spent a large amount of his available credits in musical talent for his avatars. Each time he played, his new avatar would become more talented in music earlier in its life. Eventually, Owen had enough credits to purchase Prodigy status. On one of his final plays, his avatar was a person named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. As Mozart, Owen manifested his talents at the tender age of six, and went on to change the course of musical history on Earth. His play as Mozart earned Owen enough credits to retire from the Game as a very wealthy individual, and he continued to bring his ‘lives’ of experience to his career on Tygon. Everyone in the world could sing you at least a dozen Owen Brahlie musical hits. Some players today still named their avatars after Owen, as an homage to their hero. His daughter was a popular player on the scene today who chose singing on Earth as her focus.
“What are you a prodigy in?” Lilith asked. “You’ve never shown any aptitude for the arts, or math, or science?”
“I know. I think I’m a prodigy at the Game itself. Risking it all and winning. I believe my skills are at playing games… and winning against all odds.”
Lilith snorted. “Sorry to disagree, kiddo, but you didn’t exactly win on your last play.”
“One time I lost,” Alex agreed, “But, Lilith, you have to admit, I used to play very aggressively. I would spend more credits than you ever recommended. I recall coming out of a play and you telling me how lucky I was that I wasn’t ruined. My rise in the standings wasn’t overnight, but I didn’t buy my way to the top or have a one-time stroke of luck. I played well each and every time.”
“Very true,” Lilith admitted.
“And I don’t think I really lost on my last play.” Alex said. “I think the Mainframe is an intelligent being, and took me out of the Game on purpose.”
“Even if that was true, why would it do something like that?” Lilith asked.
“Well, I go back to Earth tomorrow,” Alex answered. “If it is true, I’m sure we’re going to find out.”
Chapter 13
What is the allure of the Game and why do so many of us watch it? The simple answer is that the Game fulfills our desires for entertainment and fantasy. Want to gamble? Pick an event in the Game and place your bet. There’s nothing that you can’t bet on inside the Game. Want to watch true love bloom? Once again, you can find it in the Game. You can experience
anything
in the Game, better than movies from the old days. If you want to watch a spy actually become a spy and follow her/his adventures, just put in the correct search term and the Game video feed system will find you a list of spies in action. If you have enough money, you can do more than watch; you can experience it firsthand. Quite simply, we watch the Game for the same reason we don’t allow people over the age of 18 to play it; because in many ways it’s better than real life. Or perhaps it’s because on rare occasions, for reasons no one can seem to explain, players who die in the game also die out here in real life... very popular events when they happen.
My name is Stephanie, and I’m watching myself in a dream. I have no idea how or why, but it’s been occurring for as long as I can remember. They feel so real and, for the most part, I’m in it experiencing all of the emotions and sounds and sensations. But there’s this other part of me watching curiously, trying to figure out what’s happening and why.
I’ve been having this one a lot lately.
I’m standing on a hill. In front of me is an empty city, cars and buildings all abandoned. It’s obvious that for some reason, everyone left quickly. Skyscrapers and other tall buildings stand silently; the birds and animals are quiet, which makes the roaring sound even louder.
I look behind me and see hundreds, maybe thousands of people. They are terrified, huddled in groups, some holding their children desperately, looking at me, silently pleading, as if expecting me to protect them. Behind me stands an old woman. Spanish like me, my height, long black hair and dark tanned skin. She looks at me and nods familiarly. Her eyes are mine, and I know that she
is
me. The old woman places her hand on my shoulder and, from the looks on the face of the people behind me, I know that something terrible is approaching. I calmly turn to face the threat.
A large wave of water has risen above the city, roaring with rage and hunger. The wave is so large that it makes the skyscrapers look like a small model toy set. Quickly it engulfs the city, great white waves of boiling, rushing water destroying the manmade landscape as if it were made from paper and sticks instead of steel and concrete. I quietly watch the wave as it comes towards its true target — me.
I smile as the wave gets close enough to feel. First a fine mist of coolness, followed by a deep presence of hate, pain and hunger. The old woman and I peacefully wait for its arrival.
My eyes sparkle as I raise my right hand, a thin, weak thing compared to the destructive force of nature charging to claim us. Small and weak, but it contains the power of my energy and intent.
I extend my fingers fully towards the wave, feeling a familiar warm golden tingle spread up from my feet and focus outwards from my hand. The wave has no hope; it never had any chance to harm us. The two-hundred-foot tidal wave washes harmlessly over, and then past us. Seconds pass and the wave screams in frustration, but it is bound by laws that forbid it from turning back and trying to claim us one more time.
I look behind me and start to smile at my old self, but she is gone. I can still feel the warmth of her hand on my shoulder. People surround me, smiling and crying with relief.
Then I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock.
The deejay is announcing the time and date. ‘Well, for those of you thinking the world will end today, so far it hasn’t. December 21st, 2012 appears to be just another regular day in Toronto, Canada, and all reports from the rest of the world are just as uneventful.’
I lay in bed, waiting until the man on the radio finishes talking. I’m waiting to hear something today, not sure what it is, but I’ll know when I hear it.
‘The only noteworthy observation is that the birth rate is incredibly high,’ the deejay reads from his news script. ‘If you own stock in anything related to kid products, get ready to see an increase in business. The world is experiencing a baby boom greater than the one that happened after the Second World War. No one can guess why this is happening, but it isn’t a cause for concern, as far as anyone is reporting.’
Well, that’s curious. I wonder what it means.
‘Similar to New Year’s day, everyone has been tracking the baby born at the significant hour. Today we weren’t tracking the first child born at Midnight. They’re trying to identify the first child born at 12:21, since some believe there is importance with those numbers. Experts predicted a lot of confusion trying to pinpoint who the clear winner of this would be, especially with the abnormally high number of births occurring. But yeah, this is a bit strange, I guess — at 12:21, only
one
child was born. On the entire planet. Does that even make sense? Well, that’s what my paper says. A young man living in our own city, if you can believe that. Trew Radfield was born at precisely 12:21 to happy parents Louis and Carol. Not sure what the prizes are for being born at the correct time on the day the world is said to end, but I’m certain it will be something interesting.’