Heroes Rising Fiction: Pax Dystopia Part 18

 Gamer, with his little control screen still floating next to him, directed Justin to the center of the floor in Operations. Drocha hovered nearby as a disembodied head with the smile of a snake across his face.

“This is what is going to happen,” Drocha stated. “You are going to access the Code Black comm channel that accesses all communications devices across the planet. Every human will hear you make a special announcement.”

“What would that be?” Justin’s tone was deadpan, not betraying the sinking feeling in him.

“You located Nova, but a code must be solved to save him. Nova has a special place in the hearts of humanity. They will do anything for their beloved leader of BADGE.”

“But we don’t have any idea where Nova is.”

Drocha laughed, “That’s not the point. A complex calculation will appear on the screen. Everyone will see it. Their enhanced mental faculties will trigger and they will begin processing the answer to the question. The calculation will drive their minds to the breaking point. In doing so, the computer algorithm will process their collective mental power and finally finish the task.”

Gamer asked, “Are you sure it is ready?”

“We are so close, this will accelerate the last portion to completion. It will be finished.”

Justin asked, “What then? You kill every human on Earth?”

“Of course not. I promised to free you, and I never promise what I won’t deliver.”

Justin let a sarcastic snort out as he said, “For someone as brilliant as you, that is not a clever ruse. You will let me go, and the others, but only so we can watch 8 billion people perish slowly as their bodies give up.”

Drocha said, “Think of it this way, it will give you and your little team time to try and save them.”

“I won’t help you.” Justin said.

“Fine, don’t speak. All we need is your fingerprint.” Drocha bellowed, “Gamer! Finish this!”

Justin plead, “Gamer, I know you have not been a very… good person in the past. But, for god’s sake, why help this man eradicate the human population? You can’t possibly be willing to commit this level of global genocide.”

Gamer grabbed Justin’s arm. His strength was far greater in here than in the real world. “I am a highly intelligent man. You people consider me some fat slob and worthless gamer. But, I am much more than that. Drocha will kill off humanity one way or another. This game is over. Only by helping him can I survive. I will be an integral member of Legion, recreated as a god among insects. I will level up in ways no human ever has.”

Justin said, “What did he do to you? You aren’t this heartless.”

Gamer thrust Justin’s hand against the screen. His hand hitting the screen gave the command. Across the world, screens lit up with the emergency call. The sound of this unique alarm would wake even those who were asleep right now. Normally, only dire global situations warranted this. They didn’t realize how dire the situation truly was.

For a moment, an image of EB race across Justin’s mind. It was like watching a short video of the happy little bunny hiding eggs around the Arboretum last year. Then it went away.

“What was that?” Justin whispered and then looked up.

The screen held the calculation. People watching this would be waiting for the announcement, but now were looking at a series of numbers and letters in an extremely complicated problem. Even Justin’s mind started trying to process this. He had to fight to take control back.

“It’s too late.” Justin whispered.

Gamer gleefully changed the monitors to show the streets of the cities with people holding their heads, some on their knees. Everywhere they looked, people were in a state of confusion.

“Have you so little humanity you felt nothing?” Justin asked Gamer.

“I enjoy winning. I picked the winner. That’s all that matters to me.”

“What is this!?” Drocha bellowed.

Gamer trembled, “Uh, something wrong, my lord?”

“The processing is dropping. It is down thirty percent....forty....sixty... this is not possible! It should be skyrocketing!”

Justin looked at the screen again. People were looking at each other with shock and awkward glances. They felt the ground, the trees, and each other like they were unsure of things. A sense of hope rose in him as goosebumps prickled across his body.

“Could it be?” He said.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!” Drocha screamed.

Gamer looked at his floating holographic monitor. “The data processing is almost zero. It’s as if everyone woke up.”

Chase said, “They just did.”

“You!” Gamer yelled, “You should be dead!”

“Guess I had an extra life. Hope you have one.” She threw a star at him. It stuck in his arm and he screeched.

Justin grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in with a fist in his face. A blinding punch sent the nerd reeling until he fell against a wall.

Drocha seethed, “This is not possible.”

The door of Nova’s office opened, and Alex stepped out. His body was slightly glowing with what looked like pixelated parts. “One memory, that’s all it took. A memory that would shock their minds back into reality.”

Justin said, “EB. You gave them the image of EB. I saw it.”

“Yes. I had to think of someone they all knew, they all would remember. EB is the most famous face of all of BADGE. Children and adults know him, every country, every language, everyone.”

“My code, my program. You bastardized it!” Gamer whined.

Justin ignored Gamer and looked at Drocha. “It’s over. You lost. Tell me what this was truly all about.”

Drocha gave Justin an icy stare. “It seems to me that you and EVERYONE ELSE, is still in the program. You will not stop me so easily. I didn’t get the algorithm finished, but I got enough. I can still eradicate humanity. This world will be my new base, my new home of Legion, and no pesky human infestation will get in my way.”

“You can’t kill us in here any longer.” Chase said.

Drocha’s head backed away from them, “Oh, you think so. The kill code might not work, but if you die in here, the shock to your system will be lethal.” He turned to Gamer G, “Destroy the human race, execute the Final Boss plan.” Drocha’s face vanished.

Gamer laughed with maniacal joy. “YEEES! THIS IS GONNA BE SO AWESOME!!! MEGA GAMER G.” He stood and accessed the holo screen.

“Stop him!” Justin yelled as he lunged for Gamer.

With a swish of his hand across the screen, Gamer vanished as well.

“What did he do?” Justin looked at the ground.

Alex pointed at the monitors. “What is that?”

They watched as thousands of versions of Gamer appeared above the earth, darting toward the ground.

Chase watched a sensor monitor. “There are tens of thousands of him and they are going to kill everyone.”

Justin said, “Even if they don’t, as long as we’re stuck in here, our actual bodies will die.” He looked over at Alex. “Did this Oracle tell you what we do next? How we free ourselves from the program now that we are awake?”

Alex said, “Gamer G holds us all in place. He tied our existence in here to him. There is still a two percent processing in the algorithm, probably because everyone is still connected. Even awake in here, we are stuck while he remains. We have to stop him.”

“How?” Chase said.

Alex said, “The Oracle said the human race must become the antivirus. Everyone here in this simulation is enhanced, stronger and faster than they are in the real world. I think we need to use that.”

Justin said, “Sounds like we have a plan. Alex, go home. Get to work.” He clicked his comm, “Agent Justin to all who can hear me. We are in a code black situation. I have special orders for all heroes of BADGE. It’s time to launch a global counter offense. And we can’t be exclusive. Every man and woman on the street needs to help. Humanity must fight to survive.”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Pax Dystopia Part 17

 Nova’s comm unit activated. “Parson to Director Nova, please come in.”

Nova finished situating a young man on the ground before the medical bot attached the bio equipment. He clicked his comm. “Nova here.”

“Sir, we have a problem. One of your people... is dead.”

Nova felt his blood run cold. Every face of those he worked with ran through his mind. “Who?”

“Mark Boswell. Heart attack.”

Nova closed his eyes and took in a slow breath. “Is there anything we can do to prevent any other heart attacks?”

“I have all the medical bots activating heart monitoring systems. If we were able to know when they would happen, we might intercede like we did with Agent Alex. But there is no way to know when it will happen, if it happens.”

“You’re doing your best, and I’m grateful for all your work. Do what you can.”

“I will.” The comm channel ended.

After a moment of calm, Nova let out a bitter scream at the sky.

Jonas Albert, one of the students, said, “Mr. Nova, is something wrong?”

Nova shook as he said, “I feel so useless. In my long life, I have never felt so helpless. My friends are going to die. The world is on the brink of extinction and... I’m utterly useless!”

“I’m sorry, sir, I...” Nova’s outburst shook the college student.

“Sorry, son, I didn’t mean to rattle you.” Nova calmed down and put on a more professional face. “It’s hard being in my role. The weight of the world lands on me often. This time, I don’t know if I can hold it.”

“It’s okay to scream once in a while. Just means you still care.” Jonas said and then excused himself to get back to work.

Nova clicked his comm, “Nova to all commanders, the situation is getting worse.”

Justin controlled his response to Gamer G’s question. “The Janitor? Oh, you mean Mark. Well, it was just routine...”

“Cut the crap, Justin. I know something is up. The same time he had a meeting with you, the system registered a dip in the processing.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Justin was desperately hoping Gamer would buy his oblivious act.

Gamer flicked his hand in the air, and a holographic screen appeared. It was translucent, so Justin could see through it, watching the information in reverse. Millions of numbers ran by so fast that it was impossible to read them. Gamer said, “Eight billion hearts, eight billion lives at my fingertip. I can end them one by one until you tell me the truth.”

“The truth?”

Gamer tapped the screen and a code of numbers turned red and then vanished. “One down.”

“STOP!” Justin cried out. “Don’t kill anyone. They’re innocent.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

Justin put his hands behind his back and looked down. He clicked the emergency comm channel and then answered, “Yes, it wasn’t a normal conference. I know the truth. This world isn’t real and somehow you’re harvesting all the human minds for a program. I honestly don’t know the details behind your scheme.”

Gamer said, “Now that wasn’t so difficult. However, it complicates this. How did that janitor know? What are you planning? What is your scheme to stop me? I know you have one.”

“I don’t have one.”

Gamer flicked the screen. “That’s two.”

Justin grabbed Gamer’s arm. He yanked Gamer forward and growled, “I will beat the last breath out of your body if you keep doing this!”

Gamer laughed in the face of Justin’s aggression. “I don’t have to touch the screen. That was just for dramatics. All I have to do is think… like this.” A number on the screen flashed red and then faded.

“Stop!” Justin shoved him away. “I don’t have any plan. I haven’t figured one out yet!”

“Good, now you’re begging. Now, tell me what you have up your sleeve?”

“I don’t have a plan.”

“Oh, I’m not that dumb. I’ve played every game there is. I know how this works. You got your lackey’s in on this. Wait, you just went to the ATLAS room and met with Chase... she’s the one planning, isn’t she?”

“No. She isn’t.”

Gamer chortled and typed in a code on the screen. It turned red and vanished. “Not anymore.”

“Chase!”

“Who else?”

Justin trembled in rage. “She was the only one.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Justin squared his jaw and glared at Gamer. “I don’t have to convince you of anything. Go ahead, keep killing people. Kill me. This system of yours needs brains. Kill everyone off and make it worthless.”

A holographic face appeared right next to Gamer. Drocha smiled at Justin, “You have the conviction of Nova.”

“I have never had a greater compliment.” Justin retorted.

Gamer said, “Let me kill him. We can sort this out...”

“Enough.” Drocha declared. “Agent Justin is correct. If you kill more people, then our little plan becomes harder. It is so close.”

Gamer sneered at Justin, “One less won’t hurt that much.”

Drocha looked at Justin, “No. He knows and we can’t be certain who else is aware. This program’s greatest flaw is its most powerful feature. Too much autonomy for the people inside, so they feel it is real. But, once they know it is false, then our plan becomes far too difficult.”

Gamer said, “I can kill all the BADGE staff. I’m sure that’s it.”

Drocha said, “No, they have changed our plan. We must change this game, return it to our control. It is time for our last move. Justin’s aid will be paramount.”

“I won’t work for you.” Justin said.

“Of course you will. Obedience is your only hope for survival. If you obey,” Drocha replied, “I promise I will set you and the others free from this program, and you will wake up in the real world.”

“What would you need with me?” Justin asked.

“The final reaping, of course.”

Dr. Henderson and Alex listened to this through the emergency comm channel. They could hear everything said, though the voices were distant. When Justin quietly clicked off his comm, they were in silent shock.

“Is... Chase still alive?” Dr. Henderson asked.

Alex said, “I don’t know. I...”

Chase walked into the lab. “I didn’t feel a thing.” She smiled and patted her chest.

Dr. Henderson let out a heavy sigh of relief and Alex almost hugged her, but Chase stopped him.

Chase said, “We don’t have time to drag this out. They know Justin is aware, and now seeing Alex or me will alert them to something. We have to stop them.”

Dr. Henderson said, “I don’t see how.” She smiled. “It might be prudent to let them finish their plan. I know it isn’t optimal, but it could be the only way. Let them get what they want and then they will set everyone free.”

“We can’t trust them,” Chase said. “I once thought like a villain. I know how to play with words and lie convincingly. Drocha isn’t a straight liar, but he will manipulate words. We still have to fix this ourselves. Waking the world is our only chance.”

Alex said, “The moment we warn people of the situation, we risk Gamer killing them before they get the chance to accept the truth.”

“It’s a no-win situation.” Dr. Henderson lamented.

Chase said, “I don’t believe in no-win situations. If Nova has taught me anything, it is to find an answer, even if there isn’t one.”

“We can’t invent an answer.” Alex said.

Dr. Henderson stood and walked over to another computer. “Wait, you said that the only connection from the real world into this is through the Ren Wear attached to everyone.”

“Yes.”

She was looking up the information in their computers about Ren Wear. “It directly connects to their brains, controlling their thoughts to create this world.”

“More than controlling them, harvesting them. Everyone is exceptionally smart because of the way it is tapping the intelligence.” Alex said.

Chase asked, “What are you looking at?”

“An idea. We might not need to convince them, just trigger something in them.”

Alex smiled. “Please tell me you have found that elusive answer?”

“Let’s just say I have an idea.”

Chase asked, “What is this final reaping?”

Dr. Henderson answered as she ran calculations, “In the Bible, it is the end of time when all are judged.”

Alex said, “End of days... not a good sign.”

“It just means we have to do something quick,” Chase said.

Dr. Henderson looked over several three-dimensional schematics of the human brain, including one that displayed the connection of the Ren Wear. She asked, “Chase, what was the catalyst that opened your eyes to the reality of our situation?”

“When I thought about Gar, my father, EB. Memories flooded my mind that shook me.”

Alex said, “It was the same for me. I recalled things that weren’t in this reality. I also recalled the fact that my wife was locked in a Renn Tech sphere. Then there was a statue of Gargoyle in my home... things like that.”

Dr. Henderson said, “It was the same for me. I recalled being attacked. A moment of clarity hit me when I saw my assistant attack me. That reality shocked my mind into understanding and suddenly I knew this was fake.”

Alex asked, “Why are you talking about this?”

Dr. Henderson held her hand up to the screen, showing them a blindingly complicated set of calculations around a diagram of a brain. “This is our answer.”

“What answer?” Chase asked.

“I have a plan, a dangerous plan that involves no slight risk.” She looked at Alex. “You are our last hope.”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Pax Dystopia Part 16

 Lights flickered on in the dark, cavernous room that once held the ATLAS teams HQ. There would be a thin layer of dust over everything if the environmental systems hadn’t continued to keep the place clean. The computers were still dormant, which gave the room an eeriness as all the screens were dark.

Chase and Dr. Henderson met Justin, with Alex in disguise, right behind them.

“Mark, what are you doing here?” Dr. Henderson asked.

Chase said, “If this is a farewell party, it is small.”

Alex closed the doors and locked them using a magic spell. By using the spell, his disguise faded, and he looked as himself once more.

“Alex? What on earth are you doing here?” Dr. Henderson asked. “Was that you I met earlier?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Justin,” Chase said, “What’s going on?”

Justin circled the room with hesitation in his breath. “I’m not sure how to approach this. I wish I had more time to figure out how to say this.”

Dr. Henderson said, “Is something wrong? Don’t tell me you found Nova...” the inference was that Nova had perished.

Justin shook his head. “No... well, in a way, yes, we found Nova. But, the situation is far worse than any of us realized. This world, this reality, is all fake. We’re currently trapped in a simulation.” He laid it out and looked at them to gauge their reaction.

Chase shook her head. “No, that can’t be true. This place feels too real.”

“I thought the same thing. But Alex escaped the program and found Nova in the real world, fighting to preserve our lives as we are slowly dying.”

“I’m as healthy as ever.” Dr. Henderson protested. “I checked my vitals this morning, and I was doing fine. Except this darned hunger issue, and...”

Alex asked, “Doctor, tell me what would happen if someone put a human body into a virtual reality situation without providing any medical attention to the physical body while inside?”

“Exhaustion, hunger, thirst,” she admitted.

“Nova has a doctor on the station who is helping. He has our bodies hooked up to support. But, you know that bio-support systems aren’t permanent replacement for proper living.” Alex said this to the doctor, knowing she was the logical person to deduce the situation.

“If this is true, what could do this to us?”

Alex said, “They forced the Ren Wear on us and trapped us in this simulation.”

Dr. Henderson held her head as she groaned, “Oh, I feel funny. I... wait, I remember. Someone attacked me. I… I can see cadet Timothy. He should be in bed… wait… I know… he is attacking me.” She looked up at Justin. “I have this dream of screaming for help, but no one helps me. It’s the same dream each night. It isn’t a dream. Oh, god. It was real.”

“No, this is all a joke or something.” Chase shook her head and walked toward the door.

Justin approached her. “Chase, you can’t tell me you don’t feel something isn’t right. That you’re missing something important in your life.”

“What are you talking about?”

Alex approached, but Justin held up his hand to stop him. “Chase, who is your father?”

Chase paused, “My father is... oh, uh... I don’t... seem to remember his name.”

Justin then said, “Who cares for you more than you will admit? Who has saved your life at the risk of his repeatedly?”

“I don’t know.”

“Made of stone, talks funny, acts like a kid some days. Loves you.”

Chase held her head. “I know. I’ve seen him in my dreams, but I don’t know his name. There is a smile, and a hand held out to me. He… I know him, I just can’t… remember… wait…” she held the wall as she whispered, “Gargoyle.”

“Gar is your best friend and has the biggest crush on you.” Justin said.

She looked back at Justin, “I remember, Santa is my father... EB is the pest I adore having around. How did I forget them?”

Alex said, “It is a long, terrible story. The problem we have now is that the entire world is trapped in this simulation.”

Justin added, “And it is being controlled by Gamer G.”

“Gamer G, but he is our ally.” Dr. Henderson said.

“No, he is not. He is the reason for this. He is working for Drocha to harvest the brains of every living soul on this planet. And, in due time, everyone will die, including us, if we don’t put a stop to this.”

Chase said, “Fine, we go punch that nerd in the nose and force him to let us go.”

“Easier said than done.” Alex pointed out.

Justin said, “Gamer G controls this simulation. He can kill anyone with a stroke of his finger. If you die here, your body has heart failure in the real world. Those still completely trapped by this. You, Dr. Henderson, Alex, and myself are currently protected.”

“What do you mean?” Dr. Henderson asked.

Alex explained the situation more now that they understood the reality.

“Oh dear,” Dr. Henderson retorted to the information, “Then, our mission is to wake up eight billion people?”

“Something like that. We have to wrest control of this simulation away from Gamer G so we can revive the world before it’s too late.” Justin said.

Chase asked, “What do we do right now?”

Justin said, “Act normal. Gamer G cannot realize we are free of the program’s control. Time moves quicker here, so we can consider our next move.”

Dr. Henderson said, “I don’t care how much faster time moves here. We need to save these people sooner than later. Too many lives are on the line.”

Alex said, “True, but Gamer still has the kill switch under his control. He might not be able to kill us, but that doesn’t stop him from killing anyone else.”

Justin gave out orders. “Doctor, go back to the labs and consider options. Alex, go with her and tell her every detail of your experiences. Chase, head down to the planet and get in touch with Arx and other BADGE people. Do your best to convince them of the truth. Be discreet. If anyone asks, you’re just continuing the search for Nova. I’ll keep Gamer G busy in Operations so he remains unaware. Everyone clear?”

They all nodded. Alex put on his disguise again, this time taking on the image of a robotic nurse that normally works with Dr. Henderson.

Justin collected himself and considered how he would keep Gamer G. busy for the time being. Hopefully, Gamer has not figured out anything is amiss yet. Looking back over the past three years in this program, Justin felt like he was looking back at a dream. He had to sort out what happened here from reality. He didn’t want to tip his hand by referencing something that he shouldn’t know in here.

“Operations.” Justin stated, and the lift moved quickly toward the command level of the station.

“I’ll give him a commission, say it has to do with the dwindling staff levels. He’s always wanted to have a rank in BADGE. This way, he can be a giddy nerd playing out his superhero fantasies while we disrupt his plans.” Justin chuckled at the brilliance of this idea. Though, his humor faded as he admitted, “god I wish Nova were here.”

The doors opened, and he found the Operations center lacking anyone outside of the robots. Gamer G was nowhere to be found.

“10915, where is Gamer G.?”

“Gamer G is currently in Operations, office N.”

“I see.” Justin walked down to the front of the room and stood before the monitors as he normally would. It made him sick to see this fabricated paradise spread out on the screens before him. The world was slowly dying and all he could do from here was to see the people go about their placated lives in this fake reality.

“Justin, we have a problem.” Chase came through his comm.

He clicked the unit. “What is it?”

“I just found Mark Boswell... he’s dead.”

“What?” Justin walked to a more secluded corner and whispered into the comm, “Are you sure?”

“I was looking for a shuttle to head for earth and I found his body by the maintenance section of the docking bay. Could he have starved to death in the real world?”

“I don’t think so. Alex said that everyone on the station was currently being cared for by a small medical staff. Wait...” Justin felt an icy chill in his stomach, “Alex was using Mark’s face to disguise himself. If Gamer G went asking questions...”

“We have a problem.” Chase answered.

Gamer G. spoke from behind Justin, “Anything wrong?”

Justin jumped and turned. “Gamer... uh... you startled me.” He clicked off his comm.

Gamer said, “How was your little conference with the janitor?”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Pax Dystopia part 15

 “My head feels funny,” Justin squeezed the bridge of his nose. “What’s wrong with me?”

Alex said, “My guess is that you're free of the complete hold of the program and now The Oracle’s program is affecting you. That also means the pumped-up endorphins won’t reach you.”

Justin closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths. “I understand. I can feel it. This place… it isn’t real. How is this so clear to me now?”

“The Oracle’s program frees your mind from their control. Now, you can think for yourself.”

“The Oracle?” Justin asked.

“The Avatar of Tech has bonded with a college professor and calls himself The Oracle now. He’s the reason we have a chance.”

Justin looked around, and then his eyes widened. “Krystal, Gargoyle, EB... how did I forget about them?”

“Glad to see your mind is back. The program prevented you from remembering anyone outside this program. We recalled him because of Nova’s brief connection. But he’s in the real world waiting for us to move.”

“How did I not see this? It is so fake. How long have we been in here?” Justin struggled with the reality of his situation.

“Just a few days. The program makes time move faster for us in here.” Alex sat in a chair beside Justin. “I need you to focus. We may not have much time to get your bearings.”

Justin shook his head. “Gamer G did this to us?”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to punch that fat nerd right in the...”

“No!” Alex held Justin back from launching into an attack. “Gamer G is currently far more dangerous than you realize. He can kill anyone in this program with a flick of his finger.”

“But you aren’t dead?”

Alex said, “I was protected, and so are you.”

“How are we protected?”

Alex said, “Very complicated computer stuff. Basically, a group of super sophisticated computer students and The Oracle have created a program that allows people to be parted from all the control of this world. Once a person accepts this isn’t reality, their bond to the computer is severed enough for The Oracle’s influence to help them. However, we have to take down Gamer G to end this simulation once and for all.”

Justin got the message, “Which means we have to wake up everyone and take away his leverage.”

“That’s about it. Oh, and taking him down will probably not be so easy. We’ll have to do it in this world, which means we are facing a computer geek inside his own program. However, taking him down is crucial. Gamer G’s connection binds us here. Even if we wake everyone up, they will still be stuck in this program.”

“Great, any other fantastic news?”

“If we don’t stop him in time, people die in the real world of starvation or thirst.”

Justin put his head down for a moment. Then, with steely resolve, he stood up. “Okay, here is what we are going to do right now. You said time moves faster in here,”

“Yes, not sure how fast. But we’ve experienced three years in just a few days.”

“Good. That will give us time inside the simulation. Gamer can not see you, or this all falls apart. I need you to leave here and get Chase and Dr. Henderson into the ATLAS conference room. I will be there shortly. Once we have them on our side, we will plan our next move. I will keep Gamer G occupied and make sure he is blissfully unaware of what is happening.”

“Good luck with that.” Alex said.

“How much control of this world do we have?” Justin asked.

Alex thought about what the Avatar told him, only now fully understanding it. “It seems this simulation is painstakingly real, to a fault. Everything about this place works like the real world. Our computers, weapons, powers, everything. This was their way of making it so real we would never question it. But it also means that while inside here, we have as much control over the situation as we would in the real world.”

“Good. So, first we convince our people and then fix this.”

Alex laughed.

“Why are you laughing?” Justin asked.

“Oh, it’s just that is exactly what Nova told me to do. Wake you up and then we would wake the command staff up. You really are thinking more and more like Director Nova.”

“That’s the greatest compliment of my life,” Justin said. “Now, let’s move. You go out the back way and head down the service chute. I’ll be in Operations. Have Chase contact me when you’re ready in the ATLAS Command center.”

“Understood.”

Justin walked back into Operations. He contained his attitude and projected the most professional look he could muster. Everything felt new, strange, and fake. It was like he had just woken up from a long dream and was still seeing the images in his mind. Yet, that dream was ongoing, and he had to maintain it is real for the one person who could destroy so many.

“Where is Gamer G?” Justin asked the robots at the front of the room.

Gamer G. exited Nova’s office with a computer tablet in his hand. “I’m right here.”

Justin cleared his throat and took his place at the front of the room. “Anything happen while I was in conference?”

For a moment Gamer G seemed ready to say something, but simply shook his head. “Nothing important. Just... looking into something.”

“Anything I should know?” Justin asked.

“No. Nothing that important.”

“With how dull things have been around here, something new might be interesting.” Justin played this as cool as he could. He sensed that Gamer G had something valid to worry about, and that worried Justin.

“Fine, if you must know, I’m looking for anything odd. You know. Everything is so great right now, just checking to see if something strange happened here or there.”

Justin knew this was far deeper than Gamer was letting on, but Justin kept himself calm. “I see. Use any resource you need. What kind of oddity would you be looking for? Criminal activity?”

“No, no, nothing like that. Let me worry about it. You just... keep staring at that screen and wait for Nova to show up or something.” Gamer G. sat down at one of the computer stations without a robot controlling it. He ran through the sensor system.

Justin remembered how irritating Gamer G could be around him, acting like he was a member of BADGE. If Justin didn’t keep calling him out for that, he might give himself away. “Uh, Gamer, be sure you don’t delve into any of the secure files while you’re in our system. It will alert me to that.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not poking around you internet search history.” Gamer snickered.

Justin considered what he would do next. “Okay. 10915, do a full sensor sweep for Nova again, this time use the arcane analytical sensors. And run the sweep continuously for two hours, note any variation that might indicate unusual magical activity.” This was a complete waste of time. But, it was a logical action.

“Scanning.” 10915 stated.

Justin’s wrist comm beeped. It was a signal from Chase.

“What’s that?” Gamer asked, not looking up from his work.

Justin said, “Just a message from Chase. She has an idea. I’ll be down in the ATLAS area, using their systems to scan for signs of Nova.”

“We used ATLAS weeks ago, found nothing,” Gamer stated dismissively.

“I know. But I had a few ideas I wanted to try. What else do I have to do?”

“It’s your time to waste.”

Justin said, “74075, you have the Operations. Gamer, keep an eye on things.”

“Whatever.” Gamer had his nose stuffed into the computer terminal.

Justin stepped into the lift and pressed the button to leave. The door shut, and he sped away.

Gamer G looked over the sensor readings he had run. He checked all the data over and over.

“This doesn’t make sense. I notice a discrepancy in Alex’s execution, but a similar one is also present here. That can’t be. What could cause that? Is it a code error from the removal of Alex?” He ran the numbers by. On the tablet, he was looking over the data from Drocha.

“This is two distinct data variances. Another data loss just occurred. This can’t be right. Wait... the timing of this one.” He pressed a button on the console, “Computer, what is the current location of Mark Boswell?”

“Mark Boswell is currently in Docking Bay 4.”

“Thank you.” Gamer got up and stepped into the lift. “Docking Bay 4 please.”

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Pax Dystopia Part 14

 Justin stood in bewildered silence as he looked at Alex. Alex stood before Justin, in the empty conference room, and asked, “Did you say three weeks?”

Justin nodded, “Yes. You had a meeting with Gamer G and then left to find Nova.”

“Why wouldn’t I check in with you first if I were going on a mission like that?”

“You were going on about something being wrong, and you then started raving about how this world is somehow wrong and that Gamer G is a villain. I was worried about you. Then, you left after confronting Gamer G, told him you’d find Nova who would prove you right. Since then, you’ve been absent.”

“You didn’t think to look for me?” Alex asked, a little hurt inside.

“I was worried about you. But, I thought maybe you just needed to blow off steam, fly around and clear your head. Everything is so peaceful. I wasn’t worried you’d get hurt. Besides, you might find Nova.”

Alex said, “Gamer G revealed to me he and Drocha are behind this world. It is a simulation, a technological dream we are all connected with. I was partially disconnected by... well, it’s a long story. I was tapped into reality. When he realized I knew something was wrong, he used a kill-code for me, which he has on every human connected to this. He tried to give me a heart attack in the real world, but the real Nova on the real station with doctors helped me survive. I’m back to convince you this is all fake.”

Justin shook his head with a sympathetic look. “I had really hoped that time away would have cleared your head. Your delusions are getting worse. Dr. Henderson said this might happen.”

“I’m not delusional. I’ve been out of this simulation. The real world is in awful shape. Billions of humans are out there, laying on the ground and dying. Their bodies are decaying as they live in this false reality. This is why everyone is so tired and hungry all the time, their physical bodies are withering away. The few who didn’t get sucked into this are trying to save the few they can. If we don’t break this, it will be the death of the human race.”

Justin clicked his comm, “Justin to...”

Alex could see the blue color of the button. It was a signal for the medical bay. He cast a minor spell and Justin’s comm unit flew off his arm. “No. Don’t call Dr. Henderson, or anyone else. If I’m found out, then Gamer G could hit the kill switch for everyone. You have to believe me.”

“How can I believe you? This world feels as real as ever. I feel pain, I feel happiness, I breathe, I sleep, I wake. This has to be real.”

Alex huffed. “I should have taken time to consider how to convince you.”

“You aren’t doing a great job. Nothing you’ve said adds up.”

“It does. Billions of... wait... this simulation only contains the people connected to it. They are all real people.”

“So you’ve said.” Justin inched toward his comm uni on the floor.

Alex smiled. “How many humans have been born in the past three years?”

Justin paused. “I don’t know.”

“The BADGE sensor net keeps track of the population numbers. It has a daily update. Ask it.”

Justin cocked his head, still inching toward his comm device. “If what you say is true, then the simulation can fake that.”

“No, that’s the beauty of this simulation. It is so precise and real that you and everyone else inside will see no flaw. It works just like the real world, down to the last computer chip on this station. All you have to do is ask how many people have been born.”

“What, exactly, would this prove?” Justin asked.

“Indulge me. Please. Just ask it.”

Justin tapped a computer terminal on the meeting table. “BADGE system, give me a population growth number for the past three years.”

“Sensors indicate that the population of Planet Earth in 2025 was 8,005,176,516, the current population of Planet Earth in 2028 is 8,005,176,516.”

Justin tapped the screen, running the sensor data from the last few scans by. Each one had the same number. “This... this is impossible. No one has been born, no one has died in three years? Our sensors must be wrong... but they can’t be. This is a multi-vector sensor system, with over five hundred fail-safe programs. But, I... this... how?” He looked up at Alex. “How did you know?”

“Because we‘ve not been in here for three years, only a few days. Time moves faster for us to make us more comfortable with the situation. There is no way that anyone can die or be born in here. This is not real. Everyone will die soon if we don’t end this.”

Justin held his head. He sunk down into a chair and started breathing heavier. “This can’t be true. I don’t understand how it could have happened.”

“Think about it. If ren wear controlled everyone’s minds and put us in this program, what would happen to our bodies? We would feel weak, hungry, tired. What plague has been spreading across the planet? Insatiable hunger, inexplicable tiredness.”

“If this is true, why?” Justin asked.

Alex expected this question, knowing it would be the first he’d be asked. “Drocha and Gamer G are using the combined brains of humanity to create a powerful, hyper-sophisticated AI algorithm. Drocha is developing a highly advanced computer system for his new Legion. In one fell swoop, Drocha will eradicate humanity, including most of the heroes, and develop some strange computer system that is beyond anything ever created before.”

Justin whispered, “You have my attention, but I don’t know if I can accept this. I want to... but I just can’t.”

Alex said, “I have to find something... wait, Krystal.”

“What?”

Alex waved his hand in the air, and a small portal opened. It looked down on Krystal at home with the baby. “My wife and child.”

Justin gasped, “Krystal... who is… no, I know her. How do I know her…. I remember her... oh, my head.” His face sunk into his palm as he processed this.

Gamer G paced around the operations center. There was a serious giddiness in his gut about being in command of BADGE. Growing up with comic books made this his childhood dream. Though, he was fully aware of how often it was BADGE that put the stop in his criminal activities. Also, this wasn’t the real BADGE. But he put all the reality of the situation aside and played out heroic scenarios in his mind as the commander of an elite superhero fighting force.

For a moment, he imagined an invading force of aliens attacking the Earth. He was giving the command to mobilize the heroes, activate the laser turrets on the station, and send out all the fighter robots.

“Gamer!” Drocha’s voice interrupted his illusion.

He turned around twice, not finding anyone, or any holographic screen, near him. “Uh, hello? Where are you?”

“I’m in your head, you idiot. We need to talk.”

Gamer said, “Give me a minute, I’m in command of the station and...”

“IT’S A SIMULATION! GET INTO THE OFFICE NOW!”

Fortunately, none of the robots paid attention to the wincing and cringing of Gamer as he heard the loud bellowing in one ear. “Okay, okay, don’t lose your nuts, man.” He casually looked over at a robot and said, “Tell Justin that I had an important thing to deal with.”

“Understood.” The robot replied.

Gamer G. walked into the office and locked the door. He tapped the desk’s invisible button that activated the visual comm signal outside of the simulation. Drocha’s holographic head appeared in the room. Gamer rolled his eyes as he asked, “What’s got your underwear in a twist?”

“Show some respect,” Drocha barked.

“Fine. What is it?”

“The bio-computer just realized a tiny fluctuation in the data stream. The bio-computer detected a .00007 variance.”

Gamer G. scoffed, “Seven hundred thousandth of a percent is hardly anything to worry about.”

“We have only had two other variances in the system, when Nova detached himself and when you executed Alex Fae Murphy. This system is the most advanced bio-chemical computer ever devised. The perfection of its system is godlike. It doesn’t waver. Did you do anything to any other person in this simulation?”

“Not me. I’ve been busy keeping up appearances and making sure everyone is healthy enough to harvest their brains. No one has caught on since Alex and he’s dead.”

“Then something is wrong and I won’t stand anything going wrong with this. Find out where this variance is and correct it.”

Gamer frowned, “How? Inside this place, it is just a simulated reality to me. I can’t see code glitches or anything.”

“Whatever caused this could be obvious. Someone acting wrong, something out of place.”

“There are eight billion people in this simulation. I can’t check on them all. Noob.”

Drocha pressed a button on his end and Gamer G. screeched a nerdy cry and hit the floor. “Show me respect or suffer.”

“Fine. Okay.” Gamer cowered on the ground before the hologram.

“You needn’t investigate every living soul in this world personally. But you have eyes and ears. The simulation is perfect. You have BADGE level sensors and monitoring systems. Find out if there is one aberration in this world, a report of someone acting wrong, anything. Be clever, be wise, and above all, be discreet. We are still not sure what Nova is doing to thwart us.”

“What can one man do? All he has are some rusty old robots and maybe a few dregs of common idiots. We have all his best people.”

Drocha said, “I have learned the hard way never to underestimate Nova and his tactical skills. Get to work.” The screen shut off.

Gamer G. muttered, “Noob.”

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Pax Dystopia Part 13

 Nova drove the shuttle over Austin, Texas. Inside, he had five security guards and three students from the university. These people were unable to contribute to the work The Oracle and Alex were doing at this time, and Nova recruited them into special service for BADGE.

“How do we move them?” One student asked.

Nova directed the shuttle to a football field. “The students will pick up young children. Security guards, I assume you’ve had training in lifting and carrying people?” He looked back at them.

All the security nodded, the woman in the lead said, “We all have fire fighter training as part of our core.”

“Good. You will target teens and younger.”

“Only children?” A security guard asked.

Nova said, “For now, yes. The sad truth is we must prepare for the worst. If this plan takes too long, people will start dying before we can save them. The youngest need to be protected first.”

“We understand,” the lead security stated. She gave her people and the students a stern look. “We follow your orders right now. Right?” The group agreed.

Once the shuttle landed, another shuttle from the station met them. A group of robots disembarked, they brought with them special bio equipment.

One security member said, “This way. They have the motor bikes over here.” He led the group to a station with motorized bikes for them to get around on.

Nova barked out orders, “Target day care centers, hospitals, and schools. Carry as many as you can, but that also means don’t overburden yourself. We don’t have time for injuries. Now move!” He pointed at the robots. “Command 405, execute. Security Leader Jessica is command authorized for emergency command until further notice.” He then pointed at the head of the security team.

“Understood.” The robots announced and then raced off after the group, save two smaller bots that were setting out the equipment to keep the bodies alive.

Nova clicked his comm, “Nova to Quark, report.”

The small screen flicked on with Quark. “We’ve already gathered all the youths we could find in Boston and are moving to Worcester.”

“Boston? Last time I was with you, you were still in Pennsylvania.”

“You should see EB go. That little guy is moving faster than I’ve ever seen. Since we can’t teleport, he is hoofing it.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Quark said, “We may save more than we thought, but...”

“I know, billions. We’ll do all we can. Our hope rests on Alex.”

Alex stepped out of his portal onto the station. The room was small, dark, and he bumped into a shelf, causing a canister of dusting spray to hit the ground. Clicking on the light, he found himself in the janitor’s closet near the infirmary.

“Okay, good. I got the right destination. Now, about my appearance.” There was a picture of current staff members and their assigned hours for the week. Looking at one in particular, Alex put his hand on his face and slowly twisted his fingers as he pulled away. His face changed from Alex to that of the Janitor in the picture. “I hope Mark is taking a break right about now.”

Opening the door, he gingerly stepped out, keeping a keen eye on his surroundings. The moment was surreal. He had been in this very corridor just yesterday, walking with Nova. Only there were burn marks on the walls, broken lights, and the power was dead. This was clean and in perfect shape. A small vacuum bot buzzed by his foot and he jumped slightly.

“Jumpy today, Mark?” Dr. Henderson chuckled as she came up from behind him.

“Oh, just... surprised. Have you seen... uh... Justin?” He was going to ask her if she had seen Mark today, but that would not be smart.

“Justin? He’s in ops like normal. Why? You don’t normally work up there.”

“I have... to ask him... about something.”

“If it’s about handing in a resignation. Don’t be worried. So many have quit. He’s used to it now. I’d hate to see you leave. We need people up here. But, then again, with no crime in the world, this place is getting to be a ghost town. Whatever your choice, good luck.” She walked on.

For the briefest of moments, he had considered trying to tell her the truth. Eventually, she’ll have to be convinced. But he also considered why Nova told him to go to Justin first. Dr. Henderson was not just a medical doctor and scientist, she also handled psychological evaluations. If he wasn’t convincing enough, she could make it much worse. If Gamer G realized what was happening too soon, this would all be over. He had to tread carefully and tactically. Justin was the best chance at starting this going in the right direction.

Alex stepped into the lift and paused for a moment. He almost punched in his security code. That his code might alert Gamer G of his presence crossed his mind.

“What is the maintenance password code?” He muttered to himself.

“Wait a moment.” Chase stepped in and punched in her code. “Hey, Mark. The guest suites on deck seven are going into power saver mode, and that is causing all the air conditioning in my area to go on standby at night. Gets really warm. Can you do something about that?”

“I, uh, sure. I’ll look into it.”

“Great. What are you doing heading for Ops?”

“I have a question for Justin.”

Chase snickered, “I know we’re kinda only half on the job right now, but remember that he is Director Justin or Agent Justin. If we take on more students, the respect of rank will be required.”

“Oh, sure. Forgot.”

“Don’t sweat it. Nova would’ve been a little more peeved than Justin, but I think it’s a good idea.”

The doors opened and Alex let her out first and then stepped into the Operations. The lift, which was ten steps above the main floor, gave him a good view of the monitors. Just like the station itself, the view was an eerie splash of how fake this world really was. Monitors watched the word in almost the same locations as he had seen in the real world, only everything was perfect. Blue skies, children playing, life blossoming at every corner.

“Mark Boswell.”

Alex heard this but forgot who he was imitating for a moment. He continued pondering the way this felt more like a dream now than it did the first time.

“MARK!”

“Oh,” Alex looked down at the main floor, only then noticing that Justin was standing with Gamer G. “Sorry, Director, sir. I... uh... need to talk to you.”

“Then come down here and talk.” Justin handed a tablet to Chase, and she left.

Gamer G frowned at Alex. “What do you need?”

Justin retorted, “Remember, not your job.”

Gamer rolled his eyes and walked away, which was a great relief for Alex.

Alex said, “Uh, sir, I need to talk to you, but not here.”

Justin let out an annoyed sigh. “If you want to quit your job, just hand in the paperwork and book passage on a shuttle. Thanks for you time and...”

“No, I’m not quitting. This is an important matter.”

Justin looked over at him. “In maintenance?”

“Something like that. How about we talk in the conference room?”

“I don’t exactly have a large staff to run Operations. You can talk to me here.”

Alex looked over at Gamer G., who was casually watching a monitor with a view of a beach covered in half-naked people. Gamer G zoomed in on a group of college girls in bikinis playing volleyball.

“Not here, it is about... something in the conference room.” Alex was desperately hoping that neither Gamer nor Justin was getting worried about him right now. Being deceptive is not exactly one of Alex’s best skills.

Justin shook his head. “Fine. If it is that important. Gamer...”

“I have command!” Gamer sounded like a giddy fanboy on the set of his favorite show.

“No. Just monitor things. If anything happens, send for me. Don’t issue any commands, no one will follow them.” Justin jerked his head to the side. “Conference room one, now. This had better be important.”

Alex followed, knowing that Justin was beyond irritated.

Once they walked into the conference room, Alex turned and locked the door.

“Mark, why did you just lock the door?” Justin paused with a curious frown.

Alex turned to him. “Because we are in grave danger.”

“Something wrong with the station?” Justin asked.

Alex ran his hand over his face, which changed his appearance back to normal. “Something is wrong with everything.”

“Alex? I thought you left to search for Nova three weeks ago.”

“I found him.”

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Heroes Rising Fiction: Pax Dystopia Part 12

 “Why me? How can I do this?” Alex asked.

The Oracle said, “Your signature is still in their system. If you enter it, it will not see it as an anomaly. Somehow, you crafted a pocket of your own reality within their dreamworld.”

Nova asked, “What do you mean?”

The Oracle smiled at Alex. “When they pulled you into their simulation, your powerful thoughts of your wife and your desired life with her forced a strange anomalous code into their program. The simulation generated that home and the wife within it. That anchored you against their controlling program. Every time you went there, your connection to the network was weaker. This is why you were not entirely in their system and how you got out without death.”

“I created that,” Alex said, finally understanding it. “That home was the home I always imagined living in with my wife if we had a peaceful, simple life. She never left it. At first, I assumed she was going off and doing her own work. We often spent day time apart at our jobs. But, now that I think about it, she never left that home. She was always there. It was there, at that house, that I would dream of reality, though I couldn’t make any sense of the odd imagery. Thoughts and ideas would come to mind. I would see things that weren’t right.”

“Your disconnection is precisely what gave us the power to sever their link. They were tapping your brain, like everyone else, to create this algorithm. You, unwittingly, created a new code in their system using their own language. That is the power to break free. We are using that to provide the safe return of all inside. However, there is one element.”

Alex understood. “The person inside has to believe they are in a false reality for the program to work.”

“You understand. The code you created requires the person to accept the truth. Right now, everyone inside that program is blissfully connected and will die. You are their only hope.”

“That’s a lot of pressure,” Alex said.

Nova put a firm hand on Alex’s shoulder. “You’re a great hero. I believe in you.”

Alex took a deep breath and then looked back at The Oracle, “How will we do this?”

The Oracle held out a hand at a pair of Ren Wear attached to their computers. “These were modified for this. They will connect you to the simulation, but will not bond you to it. Do not worry, we will monitor you thoroughly while you are in there.”

“What’s the plan?” Alex asked.

The Oracle said, “I will leave tactics up to Director Nova. However, I warn you, you must be decisive and clever, as anyone remaining in the system is at risk the instant our enemy suspects failure. Once they have broken free, I, the Avatar of Tech, will grant them great strength within that program to use against your enemy. You have two advantages within that simulation. First, time moves much faster within the simulation. You will have time to execute a plan. Second, the simulation is the most complex program I have ever experienced. It acts and feels just like reality, so much so that even they cannot alter it without harming their own program. That world will act real to you, the computers, the powers you have. Everything will work like reality. This is why it is so convincingly real to those within it, but also can be an advantage to you.”

Nova said, “Convince Justin. Let him help you convince the others. Be secret and let them know they must act normal until a time in which you can convince the world?”

“How do I convince an entire world?” Alex asked.

With a little smile, Nova said, “That, you will have to figure out when you are in there. If you have Justin and Chase to help, you will have clever minds behind you.”

“Won’t the system recognize that I am not supposed to be there?”

The Oracle said, “No. It cannot understand the loss of anyone. When you return, it will be like a drop of water returning to the ocean. Only Gamer G will know you shouldn’t be there. Keep away from him.”

Nova said, “Wake the people up, get them to accept reality. Then, take Gamer G down.”

“How?”

“In any way you can.”

Alex took in a deep breath and said, “Alright, let’s do this. I have a world to save.”

They led Alex to a room with a special chair set up for him. An apparatus surrounded most of the chair like a giant, technological claw. A single arm held a pair of ren wear that had a dozen cables running to it.

One student walked him over to the chair and checked some devices while powering on a monitor. “I’ll be right here, monitoring you. If for some unknown reason they try to absorb you into the program, we can pull you out.”

Alex said, “No.”

“But...”

“I will succeed or die. I refuse to wake up without knowing I have saved my baby. No matter what is happening to me, do nothing to end my work in there.”

“I... uh... but Dr. Hermes said...”

The voice of The Oracle rang around them, “Do has he says. It is his life to risk.”

Alex sat in the chair and took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

Nova stood next to him as they prepared the modified Ren Wear. “I wish I could do more to help.”

“I know. I wish I wasn’t alone in this.”

“You won’t be for long. Convince Justin he’ll help you fight this. We’ll keep the world alive for as long as we can out here.”

The student pulled down the Ren Wear arm toward Alex like a dentist arranging the light. “Attaching in three, two....”

Alex did not hear any further number. He opened his eyes, standing in the living room of his home in the Cascade Mountains. Sun streamed in through the large windows, a blue sky crowned the snowy white peaks in the distance. A sense of peace filled his heart for a moment, not from the program’s artificial emotions, but from his own longing desire for this place and the life that he once dreamed about.

“Alex?” Krystal came into the room and gave him a great hug.

He held her, unmitigated pain in his heart burned, knowing she wasn’t his real wife. “Oh, god, if only you were real.”

“I’m as real as you want me to be.” She whispered.

He parted from her and looked at her beautiful face. “Krystal... This... all of this... isn’t real.”

“I know. I have always known.”

This shook him deeply. “If you knew, why didn’t you say something?”

“I couldn’t. It isn’t what you wanted to hear. I’m a part of you that you cleave to, so to protect yourself from a misery that burns in your soul.”

“How did I create you in this place?”

She smiled. “Ask a leaf to describe why the tree was planted in a field instead of a forest? I woke here one day and found paradise. That is all I know.”

Alex asked her, “Are you… my wife?”

She smiled with a soft laugh in her chest, “I am and I am not. I don’t know where I came from. I am not of this place. But, I am attached to it. There is a deep love in me for you and our baby. That I know for certain.”

“Can you help me? I need to convince Justin and the others that this is fake. I need to...”

She held his arm. “I cannot leave this place, this home. It is part of the dream you created. You will have to do this on your own. I know you can.”

He let out a soft sigh. “I figured that would be the answer. You never could leave this place. I am on my own, for now.”

“Then go and save everyone.”

“First,” He walked by her, “I must see my baby. Even in this dream, I need to see her.”

They walked into the bedroom and found the crib where their child slept. Alex looked at her for a long time. “I’m doing this for you.”

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