Gamers' Challenge (13 page)

Tark looked into Tee’s violet eyes - tired,surrounded by creases, yet still sparkling with life. They were his own. ‘Let’s go.’

20:Bobby
 

Flames consumed the Pinball Wizard as he landed. Zyra and Hope had to shield their eyes and faces from the heat.

‘It’s okay,’ someone said. ‘You can look now.’ Slowly, Zyra and Hope turned around.

The Pinball Wizard was gone. In his place was a young boy. He was dressed in white trainers, faded blue jeans and a red T-shirt with the slogan
Born to Play
emblazoned across it. He didn’t look a day over twelve.

‘Sorry about that.’ He ran a hand through his light brown curls. ‘Sometimes I get a bit carried away.’

Zyra and Hope stood gaping at the boy.

‘You mean -’ began Hope.

‘You’re -’ started Zyra.

‘Yep.’ The boy nodded shyly. ‘I’m the Ultimate

Gamer.’

‘But,’ said Zyra. ‘What about the guy in the uniform?’

‘That was me,’ said the boy. ‘It was an avatar.’

‘Oh.’ Zyra and Hope looked at each other and then back at the boy.

‘My name’s Bobby.’ The boy stuck his hands in his pockets and kicked at the floor with his feet. ‘You guys have been looking for me.’

‘Yeah,’ said Hope. ‘We have.’

Zyra and Hope looked at each other again.

‘It’s just that .. .’ Zyra looked back at Bobby.

‘You’re not what we expected.’

‘What did you expect?’ asked Bobby.

‘Don’t know,’ admitted Zyra. ‘But you’re not it.’

‘Oh, well,’ said Bobby. ‘I guess I should go then.’

‘No!’ Zyra and Hope called out together.

‘Please don’t go,’ said Hope. ‘We really do want to talk to you.’

‘Yeah, I know.’ A mischievous twinkle shone in the boy’s eyes. ‘So what do you want to talk about?’

‘Is the cheat code real?’ asked Hope.

‘Yep.’

‘You have the key to the real world? A way out of here?’

‘Yep.’

Hope glanced at Zyra.

‘If you’ve got a way out of here, why are you still here?’ asked Zyra.

‘I don’t want to go,’ answered Bobby,matter-of-factly.

‘What?’ said Hope, frowning.

‘Why not?’ demanded Zyra.

‘Why would I want to leave?’ He looked at them as if they were complete idiots. ‘I want to play.’

‘You want to play?’ Hope said slowly, as if grappling with the concept.

‘Yeah! Play!’ There was excitement in his voice.

‘I am the Ultimate Gamer, you know. In here, I can control things. I can play whatever I want to play, how I want to play it. It’s awesome! I love it!’ His cheeks were flushed with exhilaration, accentuating his freckles. ‘Every time I win, it’s like ... it’s like the best feeling ever.’ He paused and frowned. ‘I don’t even know what’s out there, beyond the game.’

‘Freedom,’ said Zyra.

‘What do you do with freedom when you get it?’ asked Bobby.

Neither Zyra nor Hope knew how to respond to that.

‘I’ve got all the freedom I want,’ explained Bobby.

‘The freedom to play. The freedom to win. The freedom to be whoever I want to be.’

‘So, is this really you?’ asked Zyra, tentatively.

‘Good question.’ Bobby smirked, sucking his lower lip into his mouth, eyes widening with mock mnocence.

‘Well, how about a good answer?’ prompted Zyra.

‘You’re not very patient, are you?’ Bobby’s body stretched and his clothes darkened. His voice took on a cold, calculated tone. ‘Patience is a virtue. Or so I have been reliably informed.’

Zyra and Hope took a step back as the cold eyes of the officer bore down on them.

‘Perhaps this is the real me?’ The officer stretched out his arms to either side. ‘Perhaps not.’

The officer was no longer there. In his place wasthe soldier with the gasmask.

‘Better?’

A soft red glow emanated from behind the lens of the gasmask, and then the man in the shabby suit from the cafe replaced the soldier. He took off his hat, revealing lank, greasy hair, and took a bow.

‘Bobby’s Cafe,’ whispered Hope.

‘Yeah, all right,’ said Zyra, putting her hands on her hips. ‘We get the picture.’

‘Do you?’ The man’s hair thinned, and a clump of it fell out. His clothes aged, becoming threadbare and torn. His eyes sank into his skull as his face thinned, the flesh stretching taut. Sores blossomed on his skin.

‘Do you really?’ He smiled, revealing rotting, broken teeth. Black ichor oozed from the corners of his mouth as he moaned. ‘Brains.’

Hope took a step back, but Zyra stood her ground.

‘Yes,’ she insisted. ‘Really. We do understand what you’re capable of We get it. And you’ve been following us around.’

The zombie grabbed the bottom edges of hisjacket and flipped it up over his head. As he did so, it turned into a cowl, which extended itself into robes. ‘Om. Oh-but-I-am-hav-ing-so-much-fun. Om,’ chanted the monk.

‘Oh, would you stop being so childish,’ snapped Zyra. ‘And before you go changing again, we know you were probably the unicorn as well.’

‘Fine!’ Bobby stood before them once more. Ahorn grew from the middle of his forehead, spiralling out.

‘Enough!’ yelled Zyra.

‘Spoilsport,’ grumbled Bobby, the horn gone.

‘Okay,’ said Hope. ‘So you can take on pretty much any shape you like?’

‘There’s almost unlimited avatars to choose from,’ said Bobby.

‘So, is it because you don’t like who you really are,that you have to pretend to be other people?’ asked

Zyra.

‘Oh, like you can talk - Tina!’ Bobby stuck his hands in his pockets again, hunching his shoulders.

‘That was different,’ said Zyra. She folded her arms defensively. ‘I was playing the game without knowing it. It was what I was supposed to do. Now that I know it was all just a game, I don’t play and I don’t take on avatars. But you - you don’t have to.’

‘I want to,’ said Bobby. ‘It’s fun. Sometimes I even play as me. But it’s more fun to use an avatar. I like to play. And I love to win.’

‘Don’t you get tired of winning all the time?’ asked

Zyra.

‘I don’t always win.’ A dark expression washed over Bobby’s face.

‘Really?’

‘Sudden Death Pinball doesn’t count because you CHEATED!’ Bobby lowered his voice again. ‘I’ve lost before ... once.’

Bobby glared at Zyra, hatred filling his eyes as his body shimmered and bloated, expanding like a balloon. Folds of flesh gathered around his neck and chin as his clothes enlarged to meet the needs of his growing body, transforming into a dark suit and red cravat.

Zyra gasped.

The Fat Man lumbered forward, lightning quick despite his bulk, and clasped a doughy hand around Zyra’s neck.

‘So fragile,’ he wheezed, his triple chin waggling as he spoke. ‘So very fragile.’

He began to squeeze.

21: Ready to Devour
 

Tark and Tee emerged from the Forest, flanked by Gal and a group of armed Outers.

There were no VIs in the clearing. The static creature had assumed a vaguely human shape. It stood at the mouth of the cave, just inside the force field, arms extended. Above each upturned palm floated a set of three squares. Little static pellets fired back and forth between the sets, as the squares dodged back and forth. One of the squares failed to dodge a pellet, and it disintegrated.

‘Wot’s it doin’?’ whispered Tark.

‘I have no idea,’ Tee answered.

The figure closed its hands into fists, crushing the remammg squares.

‘You can’t win,’ said the figure, its voice hollow and echoing.

‘Says you.’ Tark clutched his rapid-fire crossbow tighter.

‘Every move you make. Every step you take.’ Agrim mirthless laughter filled the air around them.

‘Brings you closer to me.’

‘You know what to do?’ said Tee, as he flicked the override switch on the IDD.

‘Ya bets.’ There was a grim determination in

Tark’s voice.

‘Pawns moving across a chessboard.’ There was more laughter from the figure.

‘Force-field,’ ordered Tee, taking aim.

Tark fumbled with the remote control device attached to his belt, dropped it, picked it up, and finally pressed the appropriate button. Gal rolled his eyes. The barrier shimmered out of existence and Tee fired.

Tee was barely able to hang on to the IDD as thedischarge arced through the air to the creature. The energy crackled with a bright intensity that made Tark and the other Outers shield their eyes. The creature screeched and writhed, caught in the fiery, electric grasp. And then everything went silent.

For a moment, it was impossible to tell what had happened. The static was frozen within the almost-human shape, arms thrown back, head tilted crookedly. Then it began to pulsate - slowly at first, then faster. Growing, it took a lumbering step forward.

‘I am ready,’ it boomed. ‘Ready to devour.’

‘Move,’ called Gal. Tee stepped aside as Gal and his team fired two rounds of static-tipped bolts. The creature laughed as the barrage melted into it.

‘Tark!’ Tee yelled, cradling the empty IDD in one hand, holding up the other.

Tark tossed the remote control to Tee, aimed hisrapid-fire crossbow and pressed the trigger. A volley of bolts flew at the creature. It held up one misshaped hand and they ricocheted back towards the Outers. Tark continued to fire as Tee dropped to the ground and the Outers scattered. One of them cried out and hit the ground, a bolt in his leg.

‘Stop!’ yelled Tee.

A bolt slammed into the barrel of the rapid-fire crossbow, knocking it from Tark’s hands.

The creature continued to grow, the static overflowing its human shape.

Tee hit the remote control and switched on the force-field.

A shimmer rippled through the air, catching the creature in its path. Sparks erupted and the creature howled; its growth halted.

‘I doubt that’s going to hold it for long,’ said Tee, getting to his feet.

‘Now wot?’ asked Tark.

‘We need to get back to base,’ Tee answered. ‘And prepare for an attack.’

He turned to Gal and the other Outers. The wounded man was being helped to his feet. ‘You come back with me. The rest of you, stay here and keep an eye on that thing.’ He met Gal’s steely gaze.

‘Do not engage it. And report any developments.’

‘I’m staying,’ announced Tark. Tee opened his mouth to protest, but Tark continued. ‘There ain’t nuthin’ I can do ta ‘elp ya prepare.’

Tee glanced at Gal.

‘Yeah, I knows,’ said Tark. ‘He’s in charge.’

‘Stay safe.’ Tee clapped him on the shoulder before heading off with the wounded Outer.

Tark picked up the rapid-fire crossbow, checked that it was still useable, and offered it to Gal. ‘Don’t has no effect on that thing in the cave. But if ‘em VIs came backs.’

‘You keep it,’ said Gal.

***

Tark stood a few paces from the other Outers. Theychatted amongst themselves in nervously hushed tones, but he silently stared at the creature. The air around it shimmered as it struggled against the force field. His eyes were glued to the eddying static but his mind thought only of Zyra. Where was she? Was she safe? Would he ever see her again? He couldn’t bear the thought of life without her.

‘I luvs ya.’ He mouthed the words quietly. Laughter boomed from the creature, breakinginto his thoughts.

‘Devour!’ it screamed and the force-field wavered.

‘Devour everything!’

‘That don’t sound good,’ said Tark.

Tark, Gal and the Outers watched in horrified fascination as a hole appeared in the shimmering air.

The creature poked a misshapen finger into the gap.

‘It’s breaking through,’ shouted one of the Outers. Static poured through the hole like a viscous liquid, pooling on the rocky ground. The creaturewithin the force-field diminished as the pool grew.

‘Shoot it!’ Gal ordered.

‘Tee said nots ta -’ began Tark.

‘Shoot it, or get out of the way,’ said Gal, loading his crossbow. ‘It’s fighting against the force-field. And it’s pushing its way out. It’s probably weakened. This may be our last chance to stop it.’

Gal aimed his weapon and fired. The other Outers followed his lead.

The bolts had no effect and the river of greycontinued to flow through the hole. Tark reluctantly aimed the rapid-fire crossbow.