The Pilgrims of Rayne (30 page)

“If that's glowing, there's power,” I declared. “Maybe we can figure out how to turn on a couple of lights.”

The Lifelight control station was complicated. I could have been flipping switches for a month without finding the light switch. Still, I had to try. I figured the best place to start would be with the button that was glowing. Made sense, right? I leaned over the chair and touched the glowing circle.

A single monitor in front of us flashed white.

“Wha—” Siry shouted in surprise and jumped back. This was a guy who'd never seen a TV.

“It's okay,” I said. “It's supposed to do that.”

We had power. My first thought was that I could now explain to Siry about Lifelight and Dr. Zetlin and the Reality Bug. I figured that seeing the hardware would make it easier to accept. Or at least understand. Or at least not think I was a total nutburger who dreamed the whole thing up. The screen flickered and fuzzed. I figured if I could turn enough of them on, we'd have light to get around.

I never got the chance.

The screen flashed white, followed by a swirl of colors that formed themselves into an image. The sight actually made me go weak. I had to sit in the phader's control chair or I would have fallen over.

“What's the matter?” Siry asked. “Who is that?”

I couldn't talk, but it didn't matter. The image on-screen was about to say enough for both of us. Just like old times. The screen showed a close-up of a girl I knew very well. She had long blond hair tied back in a tight ponytail, deep blue eyes, and yellow-tinted wire-rimmed glasses. She had on the same dark blue jumpsuit of a phader that she was wearing the last time I saw her. She stared right at us with the same intelligent intensity I remembered so well.

“My name is Aja Killian,” she said sharply and precisely. That was Aja. No nonsense about her. “I am the chief phader here in the principal Lifelight pyramid in Rubic City. I am also the Traveler from the territory of Veelox. This is my Journal Number Twelve. It may be the last journal I will get the chance to make. I hope someone, someday, will hear it.”

That day had come.

VEELOX

“Hello. Whoever you are. If you're watching this, I'm hoping you already know of the desperate situation we face on Veelox. The virtual reality simulator called Lifelight has proved to be far more tempting a pastime than its inventor, Dr. Zetlin, ever anticipated. People come to these pyramids, slip into their Lifelight jump tubes, enter their own personal fantasies, and choose never to come out. The imaginary worlds that Lifelight creates are too real and too perfect for them to want to leave. It's why I invented the Reality Bug. I tried to make the fantasies less appealing. It failed. My friends Bobby Pendragon and Loor helped avoid a major disaster by destroying the failed bug and saving thousands of lives. It only prolonged the inevitable. Veelox has since died a slow, agonizing death. I'm not sure which would have been worse.

“First to fail was the infrastructure of our cities. Drinking water became scarce because there was nobody to service the pumping and filtration facilities. Roads crumbled. The sewage system wasn't far behind. As pipes burst, raw sewage fought with garbage to claim the streets. The cities slowly went dark as
dwindling power supplies were diverted to keep the Lifelight pyramids functioning. Fresh food was unheard of. Our main sustenance, gloid, became a valuable commodity. Vast stock piles were used to feed the millions of people during their jumps, but the manufacturing of gloid ended. There was nobody to do it. Everyone assumed there would always be someone else to take care of business. There wasn't. Everyone was in Lifelight.

“Most everyone.

“I'm proud to say that many phaders and vedders worked tirelessly to keep Lifelight functioning and the jumpers safe. The hope among all of us was that someday, somehow, enough people would come to their senses and abandon Lifelight. At first we imagined enough people would rejoin reality so that we could revive our world. But time is merciless. The cities decayed beyond repair. Hope then became that enough people would eventually abandon Lifelight so that we could begin anew and create a new society. That day never came. It all happened so impossibly fast. I never appreciated how much effort it takes to keep society functioning, and how quickly it can all come crashing down.

“The inevitable finally happened. The jumpers in Lifelight began to die off. First it was the elderly, then those who already suffered from some sickness. All over the territory, the jump screens went dark. We stopped removing the bodies from the tubes. There weren't enough of us to bury the dead. The Lifelight pyramids became tombs. The deaths actually prolonged the decline. Fewer jumpers meant less energy use, but it was only a matter of time. We soon reached the point of no return.

“Eventually people began leaving Lifelight to discover the horror that their collective neglect had caused. They left their perfect fantasy lives to re-enter a reality that had become a nightmare. Some chose to jump right back into Lifelight to live the rest of their days happily, no matter how short a time that might be.
Many decided to stay away from the jump tubes and rebuild their world. It was an impossible task. It had been too long. The city had become a dangerous place. Wild animals stalked the streets, foraging for food. They first attacked children and the elderly. People went missing. Nighttime was filled with the screams of victims as they were dragged off by savage creatures in search of meat.

“Something had to be done. Desperate measures had to be taken. We knew Veelox was doomed. At least, the Veelox we knew. We couldn't rebuild society, so we chose to create a new one. The remaining phaders and vedders banded together to start a new life.

“The island of Ibara has been chosen as the birthplace of a new civilization. It is a beautiful, tranquil place that was once used as a military base. There hasn't been need for a military force for generations, so the island is now empty. Our plan is to take as many of us as possible and move to Ibara. There we will build a new and simpler society. We are determined never to allow technology to rule our thinking and control our lives. A pact has been made between us all to keep Ibara as a place of harmony and growth. Most important, it will be a place where people interact with other people, not with technology.

“There is a powerful, frightening element here in Rubic City that will try to stop us. We've split into two different groups: those who want to leave and begin anew, and those who want nothing to do with a reorganized society. These are the outlaws, the mercenaries who have ransacked the city for anything they need to survive. They are bound by no laws. There is no police force to stop them. I guess you could call them pirates. Or thieves. Or looters. They feel as if they were born from Lifelight, so they call themselves…‘Flighters.' They are a danger to all of us who want to start anew. That's another reason why the island of
Ibara has been chosen as our refuge. There are defenses there. We will be able to keep the Flighters away. It truly is a perfect place to try to salvage a society. Or rather, to create a new one.

“Will we succeed? There's no telling. Maybe creating this idyllic society is nothing more than a desperate dream. Those who are about to leave for Ibara have made a difficult choice. We have decided to give up on the Veelox of old, which means we must abandon Lifelight and the remaining jumpers. Those who remain inside are doomed. The only consolation is that they are already doomed. Our leaving will only make the end come sooner. We are also abandoning an entire world. Rubic City will be left to the wild animals and the Flighters. There isn't much difference. I can't speak for the rest of Veelox. Perhaps other groups are making similar plans. I hope so. If not, it will be up to us to survive long enough so that someday, somehow, we can leave Ibara safely and bring the rest of Veelox back to life. One thing we know for sure, for Veelox to be reborn, it first must die.

“One more thing. I don't know who will be watching this journal, or when. If you are from Veelox, this will serve as a brief explanation of how our world died. If you are a Traveler, I am now speaking to you.

“I too am a Traveler. My responsibility was to protect my territory from Saint Dane. I failed. Miserably. Saint Dane has won. Veelox has fallen into chaos. Now my only hope is to salvage what I can from the remains of a once-great society. Saint Dane has beaten the Travelers on Veelox. He has beaten me. I don't know what his plans are for this territory, and how he intends to use it in his quest to control Halla, but there is one thing I do know: The fight isn't over. I told Pendragon that I wanted another shot at Saint Dane, and I believe that by creating a new world on Ibara, I'm doing just that. Time will tell how successful I am. I hope that Pendragon and the rest of the Travelers are having more
success against that monster than I had on Veelox. But I promise, I'm not done yet. Veelox is not done yet. Whoever you are, know that Veelox is not dead. It's alive and living on Ibara. One day the brave people who are about to make this trip will bring Veelox back. Maybe it will be their sons and daughters. Or their grandchildren. However long it takes, they have not given up. As the Traveler from Veelox, I'm going to do everything I can to help them.

“This is Aja Killian, recording what will probably be my final journal. I hope that whoever is watching this, is doing so in better times than the ones we now face.”

IBARA

A
ja's image disappeared. I sat staring at the blank, white screen. Everything that she said confirmed my fears. Saint Dane had succeeded in destroying a territory. Was this what he had in mind for Halla? He said Halla needed to be torn down before it could be rebuilt. I didn't see a whole lot of rebuilding going on with Veelox. How long would it be before Quillan was turned to rubble?

“You knew her?” Siry asked.

I nodded.

“So did I,” he said softly.

I spun to look at him.

“I didn't
really
know her,” he said quickly. “I knew
of
her.”

“What the heck does that mean?”

“I've seen the archives of the tribunal. There are ancient letters that outline how Ibara should be built and governed. Aja Killian's name was everywhere. She had a strong voice—one that didn't always take the popular route. She was a rebel in her own way, fighting for the rights of all the people. That's why we took her name.”

“I don't get that,” I said, totally confused.

“The map. I didn't find it on the beach. I stole it from the tribunal archives. I think she made it. Some letters were worn off, but I was pretty sure what it said.”

“Aja Killian,” I whispered. “Jakill.”

“She's a legend. We wanted to be legends too.”

I couldn't help but smile. “Just like Aja. She's not here, but she's still taking charge.”

“She was a Traveler?” Siry asked.

“Yeah. We lost the territory, but she never gave up.”

“Neither should we,” he said with authority.

I liked that. It was the first positive thing he had to say in a while.

“Aja and the people back then gave Veelox a second chance,” I said. “That's why Saint Dane is here. He's afraid to lose what he gained. Veelox has another turning point.”

Siry nodded. “Seeing what happened to Rubic City…” He took a deep breath. It looked like he was holding back tears. “I don't know. Maybe I understand a little of why life is the way it is on Ibara.” This was tough for him. He sighed and said, “I wish the others were here to see this. It's the truth we all wanted so badly.”

“That island is all that's left of your civilization,” I told him. “It's the future of an entire world. I guarantee Saint Dane has his sights on it.”

“So how do we stop him?” he asked.

I smiled. Siry was with me. Before I had the chance to say a word, another screen came to life. Then another. And another. One by one, each and every screen in that control cubicle flashed white. The screens in the next cubicle began firing up as well, along with the cubicles across the corridor from us.

“What's happening?” Siry asked in fear.

I had no idea. Soon the whole core was glowing with light. The colored lights on each chair's control panel fired up as well. In seconds the entire core looked as alive as it had the last time I was there, when Lifelight was fully operational.

“Could Aja have done this?” Siry asked.

I didn't have an answer. Someone else did.

“Aja, Aja, Aja!” boomed a familiar voice. It came from every speaker in the core.

Siry covered his ears. He had never heard anything like this before. Unfortunately, I had.

The voice boomed, “That annoying girl has taken quite a bit of credit, considering her miserable failure. Don't you agree, Pendragon?”

Siry shot me a terrified, confused look. I felt bad for him. I really did. I knew what was about to happen. Any last doubts he had about his father's stories were going to be blown away. He had been handed a lot of hard truths in the last few hours. He was about to get another.

“Pendragon?” Siry asked, his voice quivering. “Who is that guy?”

“He's the reason we're here,” I answered calmly.

“Look!” he screamed, pointing to a monitor.

On-screen, floating against the white background, was a pair of intense, blue eyes. Evil eyes. Above them red jagged scars appeared. Then the outline of a face. Finally the image snapped clear and he was there. Saint Dane. He was only an image in a monitor, but it was like he could see us. Another of his images appeared on the monitor next to that one. And the next one and the next. Soon Saint Dane's hideous face was staring at us a thousand times over. Siry didn't know which way to turn. Everywhere he looked, he saw the demon Traveler.

“The Convergence is near, Pendragon,” his voice boomed from the speakers. “I couldn't care less about this pathetic, primitive society. I've simply chosen Ibara to be my starting point.”

“What does he mean?” Siry asked nervously.

I kept my calm and looked around at the multiple monitors. I wasn't sure which one to focus on, though I guessed it didn't matter. Saint Dane would know I was talking to him.

“I don't believe that,” I said loudly. “Nothing you do is random. You need Ibara as much as any territory. We've got another chance, and this time we're going to win.”

The images of Saint Dane laughed in unison. It chilled me. I couldn't imagine how Siry felt about it.

“I applaud your confidence,” he chuckled. “I always have. Your bravura is charming but hardly plausible. Forgive me if I don't feel threatened by someone who until recently didn't know what territory he was on.”

“It doesn't matter,” I spat back, pacing, staring into his eyes from monitor to monitor. “I know how you operate. You've convinced the Flighters to attack Ibara. But it's a waste of time. Their defenses are too strong. Aja made sure of that. Yeah, a handful of Flighters might get onto the island, but that's not enough to do any real damage. Ibara is strong. The culture there is returning. Your victory here was temporary. We're going to take back Veelox.”

I had no idea if any of that was true, but it sounded good. All I really wanted was to goad Saint Dane into tipping his hand and revealing his true plan.

“Pendragon,” Saint Dane said with mock patience, “as usual, you know only enough to sound like a fool.”

“Then show me how I'm wrong. Dazzle me with your brilliance.”

I saw a thousand faces of the demon looking back at me from a thousand monitors. “You've grown full of yourself, “he chuckled. “Your many victories have given you a feeling of…invincibility.”

“You've won two territories,” I shot right back. “The way it's looking now, one of them is coming back to haunt you. It's over. Halla is not going to fall. You've lost. The people of the territories were too strong for you. Things are going to play out the way they were meant to.”

“I'm curious,” Saint Dane sniffed. “What makes you so certain the way things were meant to be isn't
my
way?”

His words rocked me. I tried not to show it. “I don't believe that,” I snarled. “If the Flighters had any chance of conquering Ibara, they would have done it a long time ago. How long has it been since the island was settled? Decades? A century?”

Saint Dane laughed. “Hardly. In Second Earth years, Rubic City has been abandoned for over three centuries.”

Yikes. Long time.

“Three hundred years,” I repeated. “Ibara was growing stronger the whole time. The Flighters don't stand a chance.”

Saint Dane laughed. I hated that, as usual.

“You disappoint me, Pendragon. You should know that time means nothing. It's about decisions, opportunities, and turning points. Ibara is about to reach its turning point, and you still don't have the slightest idea of what it might be.”

I didn't say anything. I didn't have to. He knew how clueless I was.

“Enter the pyramid,” Saint Dane commanded. “Bring your befuddled young Traveler friend. It's a shame his father will not be here to appreciate what you're about to see. Though I suppose that's my own fault for having killed him.”

I shot a look to Siry. His eyes flashed. His spark was back. Saint Dane's words were turning him into a Traveler.

“I'll kill him,” Siry hissed through clenched teeth.

“Keep it together,” I cautioned. “This is only the beginning.”

I could feel Siry's tension. His hatred. Saint Dane had made an enemy. I wasn't sure if that was good, or something that Saint Dane wanted. I wasn't sure of anything except that we needed to learn more. If Saint Dane wanted to show us, that was okay by me.

“Enter the pyramid, Pendragon,” Saint Dane's images said. “And step into the future.”

“You can't predict the future of Ibara,” I said boldly.

“Ibara? I'm referring to the future of Halla,” was his cold answer.