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...”
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.”
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