Interlude- Brandon (18 page)

Chapter 49

“This seat taken?”

I look up from reading my paper and smile.

“You’re starting to tick me off, Cooper.”

He slides into the seat across from me and flashes his familiar grin. Reaching across the table, he grabs a piece of muffin with one hand and pops it into his mouth. With his other hand he deftly snatches my coffee cup and takes a sip before putting it down in front of him. He looks the same as always, tanned face, white teeth, piercing eyes, and that white shock of hair standing up on his head. There’s a smell about him, too, kind of like vanilla and candy apples. That combination should be strange, but it's pleasant.

“Why’s that, boy?” he asks.

“Because you haven’t aged. How old are you now?”

He looks down at his watch and smirks. “Here? I’m twenty-five minutes old.” He taps his head. “Up here I’m about a hundred and ten.” Then he points into the air and waves his finger around. “In the Dream, still holding at thirty-five.” He takes another sip of coffee and makes a motion of wiping sweat from his brow. “Whew, that’s a lot of different ages to keep track of.”

I grab my coffee out of his hand and take a drink. “I’m older than you now.” I try to keep the disappointment from my voice, but getting old isn’t fun.

Cooper waves his hand dismissively. “Somewhere in there, yeah, you’re older than me, but I think if we were to total it all up I’m still your elder, boy.” He takes the coffee from my hand again and places it deliberately in front of himself. “So show some proper respect.”

I chuckle and shake my head. I love it when Cooper shows up. He makes things exciting, and it’s also a good sign that something significant is about to happen. “So what are you doing here, old man?” I ask.

“It’s time for you to head back,” he says with a wink.

“Thank God,” I say.

Cooper chuckles. “God. You’ve bought into that story here, have you?” he asks.

“It’s just a saying,” I say with a shrug.

“Yeah, well there’s always something happening that can’t be explained, and our minds try to find a reason.”

We sit for a moment, listening to the sounds of the coffee shop around us.

“Where are the others?” he asks.

“Gathering intel,” I say.

Cooper squints at me. “Are you all still close?”

I look at him with a flat stare. “Thirty years is a long time to be together,” I say.

He looks at me and drains the rest of the coffee. “That’s not an answer, Brandon.”

I flash him a smile. “Of course we’re still close,” I assure him. “There have been some bumps and hiccups along the way, but we’re tight. Are you telling me you don’t know this? I’m sure you’ve watched us from time to time.”

“What about life? How’s it been?”

I don’t know how to answer him, so I just let it come out. “When I got here, I was twelve years old. I’ve lived thirty years in here. It’s been a long play.”

“
Try it four times,” Cooper snorted.

“I don’t know if I could,” I say. “I don’t think I can.”

Cooper stands up and moves his chair closer to mine. He puts his hand on my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. Then he taps my chest lightly. “I told them you were too young for this.” He looks angry, but he shakes his head and smiles. “You’re right, boy, I’ve been following you this whole time, and you’ve been amazing. All of you have been incredible. I’m proud of you, and don’t worry, you won’t have to do this again. At least not for a few ‘real’ years.”

I laugh at his choice of words. “You’ve done this enough to know that these years are very real.”

He nods thoughtfully, then stands up and claps me on the back. “Okay then, sport, time to get back to reality. I’ll send you off, then go find the others.”

I get up and follow him out the front door. He walks quickly and I hustle to keep up with him, turning into an alley and stopping halfway in.

He turns around and gives me a serious look. “Okay, let’s get this over with. C’ya on the other side.”

I frown in confusion, not sure how I’m going to leave the simulation from this alley. Cooper pulls a gun from within his jacket and fires it at me. My reflexes kick in and I manage to dodge the first two bullets, moving towards him as I avoid them, but his third and fourth shots hit me. I flop to the ground and look at Cooper in surprise.

“Why did you shoot me?” I whisper.

He shakes his head in annoyance. “Sorry, Brandon,” he says, “but this is the only way to get you out. It’s not pleasant, but I’m trying to make it quick. You’re still spry and quick for a forty-something-year-old.”

“I try,” I smile. The pain is intense, but familiar. Years ago, when I was a kid, living in another place, I got killed many times in the Sim. I cough and wince, spitting blood as Cooper gets closer. “Come on, old man, finish me off, then. I’m gonna ask Thorn to find a better way to exit these simulations.”

Cooper nods, pointing the gun at my head. “Good luck with that. I’ve asked him for the same thing, kid.”

I nod and close my eyes. I hear the gun blast and then I’m gone.

Chapter 50

“Haven’t seen you in a few weeks, Brandon. How ya been?”

Brandon glanced to his left as Carl joined him in the hallway. “Some crazy games, Carl. Thought for sure I would have seen you in them.”

“They kept me busy in mostly stealth games,” Carl said. “A lot of single missions where I have to infiltrate and kill lots of targets.”

“How are things?” Brandon asked.

“
Not bad,” Carl said. “It’s good to be out of the Sim for a rest, though. I was in there last session for a long time. Everyone needs the Dream once in a while.”

Brandon nodded slowly. “You ever meditate, Carl?”

Carl shook his head. “No time for that. I know you recommended I try it a while ago, but I just never seem to get around to it.”

Brandon stopped at a doorway. “This is my stop. Listen to me very carefully, Carl. You want to go somewhere nice and quiet and have a good fifteen to twenty minute session of meditation right away. Promise you’ll do that for me.”

Carl nodded slowly. “Okay, man… I’ll go do it right now.”

Brandon slapped him on the arm lightly. “You’ll be glad you did. After you’re done you should come see me. I need your help with an upcoming game and I’d like to discuss it with you.”

Carl walked away and Brandon watched him go with a look of concern.

Carl was Blurred, and from the looks of it, they’d had him in a bad way for a while. Brandon hoped he could get him to snap out of it.

===

Wesley walked into Thorn’s office, went to the fridge to get himself a drink, and then sat down across from his boss. Thorn was watching Cooper bring Tony out of his thirty year simulation on the monitor.

“That was messy,” Wesley observed.

“Indeed,” Thorn said. “Apparently Tony doesn’t like being ejected from the simulations.”

“I don’t think anyone does, sir,” Wesley said. “It’s not  pleasant.”

Thorn ignored the comment. He didn’t acknowledge the complaint from very many people, and certainly not from Wesley
right now. “I want you to be present when we debrief Brandon and his Hand,” Thorn said.

“Of course. How long a rest will they get before we send them into the public prototype?”

“We can determine that after we speak with them and see how much this play affected their psyche.”

Wesley nodded. “How did the other ten groups fare during their thirty-year sessions?”

“We knew it was an aggressive scenario when we came up with the idea,” Thorn said. “Some of them were damaged during the process, but we won’t know how severely until later on. We have to move forward with as many groups as we can. Thirty years allowed each child’s natural tendencies and nature to manifest, so we know how to place them and where. Some will be very influential characters in the large production we’re about to launch.”

“I don’t fully understand what it is exactly that you’re launching, sir,” Wesley admitted.

“That’s okay… neither do I,” Thorn said. “The nature of this new game is that players will shape most of the content as it happens inside. Soon this world will be obsessed with the new virtual reality game I’m going to release. ‘Tygon version 3.0’ will be played by everyone, and the public will line up to pay for the chance to play. Our Sim veterans will be heroes and villains, saints and sinners, leaders in the game for both forces of good and evil. NPC’s could never deliver the types of thrills I want to give to the fans, but our boys and girls from the Centres will do the job nicely.”

“The General will never allow it,” Wesley said.

“By the time we get to that point,” Thorn said, “the General will have no say in the matter.”

Chapter 51

“The Enemy has developed virtual reality technology,” the General said.

“I know,” Thorn replied. “They stole it from us.”

The General stared at Thorn, his jaw clenching and eyes smouldering. “What are you going to do about it, Mr. Thorn?” he asked.

Thorn smiled, “I can assure you, General, that there is no one on this planet who understands this technology better than I do. Since day one of this project there have been extreme safety measures in place to control my programming.”

A frown crossed the Generals face; faint, but Thorn saw it. “What kind of safety measures?”

Thorn waved his hand, “Tracking, reporting, viral self-protective capabilities, self-destructive protocols if need be… sir, I know exactly who took it, how they got it, who they gave it to, and what it’s being used for at this very moment.” Thorn fixed the General with a serious stare and stopped talking.

The two men quietly stared at each other.

“Who stole it?” the General asked.

“I think if I told you the answer to that question I would be dead within a few hours. My death would cause more problems than you can imagine, General, I hope that’s not a surprising revelation to you by now.”

The General said nothing.

“What do you want me to do about this, sir?” Thorn asked.

“You’ve kept too much from me over the years, Samson,” the General said.

“As have you, Donovan.
”

“Yet our relationship has proven beneficial to both of us,”

“Indeed,” Thorn agreed.

“You’ve done an outstanding job with the Sim project.”

“Thank you. I have been following the first groups of graduates from the Sim. They are performing better than any of their peers in the field. I’ve also noticed some early departures from the Sim program for no apparent reason. During the past six months, over eighty Blurred children have been removed from the facility. I can’t find any record of where they were transferred to.”

“We’ve had this conversation before, Mr. Thorn. Centre resources belong to me. They are my property, and, once they leave the Game Facility, they are none of your concern.”

Thorn nodded, “Of course, General.”

“I understand you’re finally about to launch the civilian version of the Sim.”

“That’s why I asked you here today,” Thorn said. “I want to offer you a percentage of the profits from civilian revenues.”

Both men knew such an offer wasn’t required. They also knew it was an appropriate gesture and would ensure the two men stayed intertwined like a pair of poisonous snakes drifting in the ocean. If one let go to bite the other, then both would be destroyed. Fortunes
intermingled would allow this thin stalemate to continue, which suited them both.

“Your offer is unexpected, and extremely generous,” the General nodded.

“I’m also happy to announce that we’ve finally been able to make a fully functioning VR headset.” Thorn bent and produced a headset from beneath his desk. He slid it across the desk towards the General, who picked it up and inspected it with a grin.

“If you’re still up for it, you can now go into the Sim without any IV's, tubes or wires.”

“Thank you, Mr. Thorn, but that won’t be necessary,” he pushed the headset back towards Thorn.

“You don’t want to enter the Sim?” Thorn asked.

“Of course I do,” the General said. “When we began this project and it seemed so difficult for you to accomplish, I started a division of my own to work on the challenge.”

“Oh.” The surprise was visible on Thorn’s face which made the General smile. “That’s great news.”

“Yes,” the General said. “In just a few days I’ll be able to enter the Sim on my own and see all the marvelous things you’ve created with my very own eyes.”

Chapter 52

Brandon and the other members of his hand entered Brandon’s room and began their regular routine of scanning for listening devices and cameras. They each took a specific area and searched thoroughly. Kay completed her search first and stood facing the group with her thumb held up, waiting for the others to finish. When everyone had thumbs raised, Brandon nodded and the group sat down in the middle of the floor.

“Are we in the Sim, or the Dream?” Brandon asked the group.

As one they all answered, “The Dream,”

Brandon closed his eyes and took deep breaths, then he opened his eyes and nodded. “I agree,” he said.

“Welcome back, everyone,” Easton said. The group nodded somberly; they’d just lived thirty long, challenging years inside a virtual reality that still seemed more real than this one.

Brandon had thought long and hard about the lives they lived during that time. He felt certain that their time together had strengthened their relationship, but to be certain, he began this meeting with a question: “Do we all still want to be part of this team?”

“What kind of question is that?” Tony asked.

“It’s a question that should be asked every once in a while.” Brandon said. “We come into the world alone, and we leave it alone, but the time we spend in between is all ours. It might seem like our lives don’t belong to us, especially living in the Centres, but they do. We began this when we were young, and we’ve seen more than most will come up against in an entire lifetime.”

Easton stood and leaned against the door. “Everyone answer the question, please, and don’t feel bad if you’ve decided to leave the group. I don’t think anyone could blame you. Most people don’t stay together for over forty years. We’ve done that. If you want a change, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I agree,” Brandon said.

“I stay,” Kay said quickly.

“Me too,” Tony agreed.

“I’m not leaving,” Alan said.

“A hand without a thumb is a sad thing,” Easton smiled. “I’m staying.”

Brandon nodded his head and a grin spread across his face. “I don’t know what finger I represent, but my life truly began the day we all came together. I stay as well.”

“So we’ve beaten the Sim and weathered the storm of time,” Easton said. “What’s next?”

“We play games with civilians,” Brandon said.

“Civilians?” Tony asked. “So it’s just getting easier, then?”

“I don’t know,” Kay said. “They might surprise us.”

“Not for long, they won’t,” Brandon shook his head. “There is no one better at games than us. No one.”

===

Thorn, Cooper, Wesley, and five of the other instructors sat at the large conference table, writing reports on the group of players they’d just debriefed. Thorn finished his report first, as usual, and looked up to wait for the rest.

When everyone stopped writing and looked up, Thorn nodded and began to speak.

“Give me the negatives.”

Everyone remained silent.

“No one spotted anything negative from Brandon and his Hand?” Still no one answered. Thorn looked at Cooper and raised his eyebrows. Cooper could always find something negative.

Cooper shook his head. “They
did better than I expected anyone would.”

Thorn nodded his head. “I agree,” he said. “This was the last group to interview. Thank you, everyone, for your participation. Send me your detailed reports before the end of
the day tomorrow. Wesley and Cooper, please remain behind.”

When everyone was gone, Thorn spoke again.

“Wesley,” Thorn asked. “How many groups will we keep out of Beta testing?”

Wesley looked at his notes, then back to Thorn. “Only two.”

Thorn nodded. “That’s not too bad, considering the ordeal we put them through.”

“When do they go in?” Cooper asked.

“Tomorrow.”

“That doesn’t give them much time to relax and wind down,”

“They’ve been living normal lives for the past thirty years,” Thorn said. “Compared to normal days as players in the Sim, they’ve been on a thirty year vacation. We’ve held the start of Beta off as long as we can, and in three days ten thousand regular Beta testers are going to flood the system. There are already over a hundred thousand NPC’s on Tygon; I want to give our kids some time to go in and scout around a bit.”

“So they can have a day off and go in the following day?” Wesley asked.

Thorn sighed and nodded. “Okay, one day’s rest and then they go in. All three of us will go in with them to see how they handle it.”

“Is it different than the Sim?” Cooper asked.

“It’s on the same digital platform so it won’t seem any different. The major difference is that it is significantly less violent. The Sim was primarily training games and military style operations, even when the players didn’t realize it. The civilian game reflects a normal life more closely.” He looked at both men. “If that’s all, then you can go.”

Cooper and Wesley nodded their heads.

“Tomorrow morning, then, gentlemen,” Thorn said. The two men stood and left the room.

Thorn stared at his computer monitor. He’d worked long and hard to get to this point. There were so many variables about to be put into play, and still too many wild cards. He shook his head and told himself to stop worrying. His skill and instinct had gotten him this far, playing a serious game that few even realized existed. Starting tomorrow he would play some of his best cards.

He would see how those cards fell, and move forward from there.