Pixels formed the clouds in the sky. Giant square holes appeared in the landscape. The world was crumbling around everyone, and they cheered it on. This reality was about to vanish and they would finally return to the world where life truly mattered.
“I’m all out of faces to punch!” Fleagle yelled as he smiled with his canine fangs.
Arx ran over and looked around at the gathered citizens and heroes. Victorious people filled the streets of London, and Arx saw no Gamer G clones.
“We should be awake if he’s gone.” Arx said while clicking on his comm. “BADGE. What’s going on?”
“We have reports of Gamer G’s remaining duplicates are making a last stand in Montana, in the United States. He’s still dangerous. We have to take him out. Chase is leading the charge against the last of his clones. Be ready. Once he goes down, we aren’t sure how this will end.”
“I just want it to end,” Arx said, then clicked the comm again, “Justin... you sound odd. Is something wrong?”
Justin spent a long moment before he answered. “Nothing you should worry about. Just take him out.”
“On it.” Arx led the people from London on a flight across the world. Their enhanced bodies let them experience life as only morphonic humans get to in the real world.
***
In the real world, Nova threw open the doors of the computer lab and raced through the building. He came face to face with The Oracle.
“What is the emergency?”
The Oracle said, “The Awakening is upon us, but there is a problem.”
“What sort of problem?”
The Oracle closed his eyes. “I hear a voice calling to you. They wish to speak with you. One that cannot leave the world of the program.”
Nova frowned, “Who?”
“One who you have known and lost. Krystal.”
Nova’s blood ran cold as he heard that. “But she is just a figment of Alex’s imagination.”
“She wishes to speak with you. I cannot tell you anything more. Come close.” The Oracle held up his hand.
Nova pushed his palm against the Oracle’s semi-mechanical palm, and Nova’s mind entered the program.
Moments before:
Alex walked through his home in the mountains. Pixelated mountains and gaping holes in the firmament marred the gorgeous vista outside. The world was falling apart, but not as deeply as it was inside him. Each step was harder than the last, the weight in his heart so great that he struggled to breathe.
Speaking his wife’s name, his voice rasped so low he had to say it a second time. “Krystal?”
She called out, “Come, I am with her.”
Alex took in a hard breath and controlled himself. He couldn’t let himself fall apart just yet. He had to spend at least a moment with his baby in here. The walk from the living room into the bedroom was unbearable. He found Krystal holding their baby in her arms, rocking side to side. When Krystal looked up at him, he saw the same anguish on her face as his own.
“What can we do?” She asked.
Alex approached her, his mouth unable to form words as he looked at his baby. Tears fell down from his eyes and he gulped back sobs that fought to break free. Finally, he whispered, “I tried everything. Drocha made certain this would be our punishment for defying him.”
“My baby.” Krystal held their baby closer and cried.
Alex held the both of them in his arms and put his face on her shoulder, weeping as he felt his heart throbbing. “I can’t leave this place knowing I will wake and she will not. I just can’t. I want to stay here, even if I die.”
“Don’t say that. The world needs you.” Krystal sobbed.
He said, “She is my world.”
Krystal said, “She is our world, and we are hers.”
Alex looked down at his child’s sleeping face. His tears fell on her cheeks and her eyes opened. She smiled at them.
“Her last sight will be her loving parents.” Krystal said.
Alex put his hand on his baby’s forehead. “I will avenge this. He…“ Something felt different. “Wait... this... this can’t be.”
“What is it?”
Alex closed his eyes and connected himself to the code of this program again. His arm turned translucent and pixelated as he held his daughter’s head. “She... she is awake.”
“What?” Krystal’s voices simmered in hope.
Alex looked down at the twinkling eyes of his daughter. “The program... it no longer has her.”
Krystal smiled with even more tears in her eyes. “She’ll live? How is this possible?”
Alex looked into his wife’s watery eyes. “It’s us. I was wrong. I thought the babies had to be told of the real world. That’s not the case. Their world isn’t cities, streets, and cars... it’s mom and dad, its parents or guardians who love them. The program feeds the mind a fake world, but it can’t replicate love. We are the answer. Oh, god! WE ARE THE ANSWER!” Alex become as excited now as he was distraught just a moment ago.
Krystal asked, “What do you mean?”
Alex put his arms around her, with their baby between them. He placed his forehead against Krystal’s and said, “We have to think of how much we love our daughter, and I will send that through the program to all who are still attached. I will free them of this fake world by sharing the love in our hearts for our child.”
“What do I do?” Krystal asked.
“Just think of how much you love our baby. Every good, hopeful, loving thought.”
They both closed their eyes, and each smiled as the memories of their baby flooded into their minds. That joy, compassion, gentleness, and love in them surged through the system against the entire network. Both glowed a golden hue while their bodies pixelated.
***
Justin watched the world falling apart. The sky was literally fracturing and crashing to the ground across the planet. People vanished one by one as they woke in reality. Billions of little lights blinked out from this false world and returned home.
With one last look at the fake world, Justin gasped a harsh breath and opened his eyes. He could hear groaning and coughing. A man rushed around with the aid of robots.
“We have another waking up. Administer the glycenolic injection.” Dr. Parson called out.
Justin sluggishly moved his arm, but the tubes that were attached restrained it.
“Oh, good. We have another waking over here.” The white-haired doctor looked down at him. “Agent Justin. Good to have you back with us. Stay still. Your body is going to be pretty weak right now. We’re going to help.”
A robot pushed a hypospray into his arm and gave him a dose of medication.
Justin tried to speak, but his mouth was too weak. He wanted to tell them about the babies. But his heart swelled as he heard what was impossible, a baby crying.
The doctor looked up, “Oh, good. Nurse 42, go check the sensors on the natal unit.”
Justin did not know what to think, how it was possible the baby lived. But he was beyond joy to hear that infant crying.
***
Nova looked around an endless void of darkness.
“Krystal!” His voice carried for miles as a distant echo.
“Director Nova.” Alex spoke from behind him.
Nova turned around to find his friend standing next to his wife. “Alex, Krystal? What is going on? Is this the virtual world?”
“In a way. Only this remains. Soon, this will be gone forever.” Alex said.
“What happened? Why aren’t you out with the others?”
Alex said, “I can’t leave. I connected myself deep within the program’s coding so that I could save the babies of this world. I sacrificed myself for my daughter and all our children. It was not a hard choice, really. But that means my daughter no longer has a mother or father in the real world.”
Nova said, “I will ensure your daughter receives care. I promise.”
Alex smiled. “I knew you would say that. Just... let her know how much her mother and father love her.”
Nova shook his head. “No. I’ll make sure you can tell her that. This is far from over.”
“All I care about is that she is safe.”
Nova stuck out his hand, which was grasped by Alex, “You were a damn fine member of BADGE and I will fight to get you out of here.”
“Thanks. There is one more thing.” Alex said, “I was in the program. I know some of what Drocha has in mind. His algorithm he created with our minds, it was for something big. He means to recreate Legion, crafting new champions out of the stolen people now incubating in those damn spheres. But, there is more. He means to create the Malevolence, but I don’t know what that means.”
Nova grimly answered, “I do. It is not good.”
The darkness grew so that it became hard to see Alex or Krystal.
“It is time.” Alex said.
Krystal leaned forward and motioned for Nova to get closer. She whispered into his ear just as the darkness consumed them.
Nova opened his eyes with his hand still attached to The Oracle.
The Oracle asked, “Did you get the message?”
Nova nodded, “I did. We have hope, but we also face a terrible trial. We may not be ready for what is coming.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
