The Game

THE GAME

The world about him was dark. He was not sure if his eyes were open or shut. There was absolutely no light, no movement of air, nothing. But something was here, he could feel it, could feel the malevolence of it. He could not tell from which direction it was emanating from, but he knew it was close.

The last memory he had was being in his room, a cubical actually. It was only twelve feet by twelve feet. It had the standard issued items that were given when assigned to the station, one bed, a footlocker, and a desk. The only fixtures were a closet and bathroom.

As his mind was beginning to clear he knew he had to try and find the light switch. He knew he was in the room now, he felt the covers, crumpled at the bottom of his bed. The light switch was just above his head. As he reached for the switch he knew the light wasn’t going to shine, but he reached any way, just for the security, just maybe this one time it will turn on.

There came a click and nothing. He sighed, again and again this happens. He stopped for a moment. He could feel the malevolence creeping closer. His heart skipped a beat. His palms were now sweating. He felt he had one last hope, a utility flashlight on the desk next to his bed.

Quietly as he could, for some far off chance the malevolence couldn’t see him, he reached over to the desk and grabbed the flashlight. Feeling for the top where you twist, he tried to turn it on. Nothing. Dread fell over him; he could feel it at the end of his bed.

With a start he screamed, damn it, enough is enough, wake up! His eyes opened and he sat straight up breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. “Holy crap, why do I keep on having those dreams?” he said out loud.

Talking to himself he said, “Just as bad as the dreams of taking a leak and never feeling relieved.” With that he swung his legs over the bed and pushed his unkempt hair off his forehead. He looked over at the clock; it read 6:57 a.m. His alarm was going to be going off in three minutes so he turned off the alarm, got out of bed and headed to the shower.

He stepped into the shower and turned on the water. He jumped as the water went cold for a split second. He almost swore, but thought better of it. At least this research station has water where most of the other stations have sonic showers. He knew you got clean from them, but there was something missing without the tactile feeling of water over the body. It was a mental thing, but he never felt clean after a sonic shower.

He dried himself off, shaved and brushed his teeth. He threw the wet towel in the laundry receptacle. By the time he got back from work his dirty laundry would be returned folded and pressed. Thank god for automation he thought to himself.
He put his uniform on; blue jeans, New Rock boots, a gray t-shirt and the green vest that designated him to the research department security level ten. This was the cutting edge research station in the system and he had the highest level that one could be afforded. Just as he was about to leave he forgot his flashlight and ID. He walked to the desk and grabbed them, as he turned to leave he looked at himself in the mirror. “Geeze Jason you look like crap, another night like that and you’ll end up looking like a zombie”, he said with a smile.

With that said he left his room. He looked both ways down the corridor, just in case his dream awoke with him. Feeling secure he made a left down the corridor passing other rooms. He could hear alarms going off, showers started, and shavers working as he passed the doors heading to the mess hall.

The living quarters, mess hall, and recreation centers were located in the middle of the station. The power plant and recycling sections are located on the lower levels, docks and warehouses above that. The offices, communications and labs are in the upper levels, right above the living quarters. The whole station resembles a child’s top, a top that’s located in orbit above Mars.

He decided on the walk just to grab a granola bar and a quart of juice today. After a minute walk he turned right, through a small bulkhead and right into the mess hall. He was a little early he noticed; there were only two others in the hall. He saw a comm. Tech and one of his lab partners, Brian.

“Hey Brian”, he said. Brian looked up from his plate, “Hey Jason, morning to ya. God you look like crap.”

Jason smile, “Yeah, another one of those dreams.” Brian just shook his head and laughed.

Brian got up and took his plate to the clipper. Jason watched as two robotic arms took the plate and utensils. It then did a mechanical ballet as it washed and dried the items. Brian tugged Jason’s arm and said, “Hey are you ok?”

Jason looked to Brian, “Yeah, yeah, just zoning. I didn’t get much sleep.”

With that they headed to their laboratories. They walked to the opposite end of the hall where the elevators were located. Brian pressed the button for service. The elevator was there in no time. The doors opened up with a hiss and they boarded the elevator. Jason walked to the panel and pressed the button for the fifteenth level, the highest point in the station. Within seconds they were at the top.

The doors opened and a female’s voice advised them they were on level fifteen, security level ten access only, please insert security ID for access. If you do not, please consult the director of security. Thank you.

Both of them sighed, someone had to change that procedure. You couldn’t insert you card until the message was finished.

They inserted their cards and the second set of doors opened up for them. They headed straight through and ended up in a corridor that went left and right with a small passage straight ahead. They went straight, through a small bulkhead and right into their lab.
Grant and Thom were already there sitting at their respective desks. They were doing the ritual, going over personal e-mails and surfing the net. As soon as Brian and Jason entered, Grant and Thom both said, “Morning guys.”

Brian and Jason gave their greetings and sat down and resumed the same ritual as the other two. Jason sat down at his desk and powered on his computer and waited patiently as it ran through security scripts and info warnings. A minute later he was granted a log on screen. He inputted his name and password and waited. Finally he thought I’m in.

He opened up the corporate e-mail program to view his mail. He couldn’t believe most of the major software vendors were still in business after the O/S wars and doing well, especially since the Governmental crack down to only one O/S. Oh well he sighed to himself.

He looked to see if any new messages have come in. Scanning the screen he found one from the big director wanting an update on their new project, one from the network admin office wanting people to clean out their e-mail boxes and any un-wanted files on the net servers. Other junk mail polluted his in box and deleted them. Two more caught his eye, both popped up, one from his girl friend and one from Fantasy Worlds.

The one from the Fantasy Worlds was sending him more information to input into the new project and a status on when the hard ware was to be built for the trial run. He quickly answered a thank you and sent the message.

Grant yelled over his monitor, “I’ll take care of the director.” Jason looked up and replied, “Good, I just e-mailed the Fantasy folks, I’ll forward it to you so you can add it in for the director.”

Now he can work on the e-mail to his girlfriend. She wrote her school was almost done, about two weeks left and she’ll be able to get a shuttle to the station for a long deserved vacation and snuggle time. Jason smiled at this and wrote he can’t wait to see her and hope she passes with flying colors.

He sent the e-mail and sat back in his chair and thought about seeing her. He couldn’t wait to feel her in his arms, the smell of strawberries in her hair. The look she would give him when they met would melt him in his shoes.

Half in a daze he didn’t see Thom and Brian approach. They came from behind and both yelled boo! Jason nearly fell out of his chair. Brian and Thom were both laughing hysterically; they finally caught the master of scares with his britches down.

After he got his composure Jason said, “Yeah, yeah. I guess I deserved it, but it took you guys long enough.”

Thom said, “True, but there’s more where that came from.”

Brian chimed in, “Well we’re off to the sim chamber. We’re going to load up the pre-set equipment on the smaller replicator transport platform and bring up a small dungeon.”

“Ok, Grant and I will get the creatures ready. He’ll be at the monitor station next to the main reptran platform and when he says it’s ok, I’ll transfer them to the chamber,” replied Jason.

Thom and Brian were giving him a mean scowl. Jason smiled, “Ok. I’ll make sure I don’t turn them on till you two are ready.”

The previous day Jason sent in two dimensional beasts. Without telling them he sent them loose before Brian and Thom got a chance to get equipped. They were tripping over each other to get away. It was a sight to see and he recorded the whole thing. The funniest part was they never saw the beasts until they were on top of them. Dimensional beasts are invisible just before they attack.

Thom said, “You better damn well, or I’ll kick you so hard in the jimmy your grandkids will feel it.” Laughing, Thom and Brian headed though the bulkhead made a left and went into the first door in the left.

Grant got up and headed to the next room where the main transport chamber was housed. As he made his way Jason put on his headset and said, “Test, test.” He got a low beep in his ear telling him it was on and recording. The headsets were also linked to video monitors throughout the lab.

He booted up the program and let it run though its diagnostics and safeguards. Before it finished he heard the other’s chime-in to let him know they were ready. “Alright boy-ohs, I’m going try this new small reptran on my desk,” Jason stated.

He brought up a screen that displayed armor and chose bracers of defense. He clicked the ok button and in a matter of seconds the reptran plate started to glow a light blue. Then it looked like a small blue mist was forming and swirling like a small tornado. With a bright flash there were a set of bracers. He picked them up and tried them on.

They felt like leather and were snug. With a smile he told them, “Ok, I think we’re a go. The bracers came through fine and I have them on. Thom, how are you two doing?”

Thom replied, “We’re ready in here. The dungeon is loaded and we’re out fitted. We have armor for you and Grant when you’re ready to join us.”

“Ok. Did you get that Grant?” said Jason.

Grant said, “You bet man, let’s go, go, go!”

Jason pulled up the creature program and found a new one Fantasy Worlds sent to him, it was a Minotaur. Nice he thought to himself. “Ok Grant here it comes. Make sure the filters are in place and also make sure it’s not on-line before you send it to the sim chamber,” advised Jason.

He could see Grant nodding in one of the monitor screens in the office. Making sure the safe guards were in place he was ready to transmit. Just as he was clicking the ok button he felt the same malevolence he experienced in his dream. He shook his head at looked at the monitor Grant was on.

“Ok, the reptran is receiving and it’s coming through,” Grant said excitedly.

The same blue dance of light was happening at the main transport as it did on his desk. Jason was watching scripts dance on his screen, telling him everything was going smoothly. He looked at one monitor where Thom and Brian were just to make sure they were set. He then looked over to where Grant was. He saw Grant just staring at the transport tube. “Hey man, is everything ok,” Jason asked?

“My god this thing looks real and it’s breathing.” Grant reported.

“What did you say,” came three voices?

Astonished Grant replied, “It’s breathing and just opened its eyes!”

Uh oh Jason thought to himself. He started checking frantically for any anomalies or warning scripts, anything. This was not supposed to happen, ever, not in the main reptran tube. Not until he turned it on from his computer or someone inside the sim chamber turned it on.

“Hey,” he heard on the headset. “Yes, I know, I’m looking. Nothing is amiss, everything is running normal and within specs.”



He heard a hard thumping like something was beating on Plexiglas. He looked to Grants monitor and saw the Minotaur pounding on the tube. “Grant get the hell out of there, I can’t shut it down.” Damn, damn, damn Jason swore to himself, “Grant I turned off my computer and it’s still here, go, hurry, use the maintenance tunnel that leads to the sim chamber! I’ll seal off the transport room!” Jason yelled.

“What the hell is going on,” Brian said in a near panic.

Jason was starting the emergency door activation when he heard a spark come from the transport chamber. He looked to the monitor and saw the Minotaur crash though the tube, Plexiglas flying through the air hitting everything, which sent sparks flying. One spark landed on a junction panel that feeds the emergency doors.

The doors were only half way down when this happened. “We’re doomed,” Jason said with a dreadful sigh.

He had just enough time to grab a laptop and head out the bulkhead towards the sim chamber as he heard the Minotaur smash against the emergency doors. “Hurry up man its coming out of the transport room, I’m running to the sim chamber, Grant should be coming through one of the access tubes,” Jason shouted.

As he made his way through the bulkhead he could feel malevolence behind him. Oh damn, oh damn he thought to himself. As he was running to the sim chamber he heard Grant say, “I’m almost there, how about you Jason?”

Trying to clear his mind and panting Jason replied, “I’m down the hall and just about ready to open the door.”

As he opened the door and stepped through he heard footsteps behind him. “Hey, what’s the rush?” someone asked. He had no time to react. He heard a scream and then something that sounded like raw meat hitting the floor. Then the screaming stopped.

He shut the door behind him and ran to the sim chamber door. “Who was that screaming,” Thom said.

Jason replied winded, “Not me it was a tech. Quick close the door quick before I wet myself, this thing means business.”

Just as he got through the threshold of the door, all he saw was Brian’s scared face in the doorway. Jason pushed past Brian knocking him to the floor. Tripping over Brian, Jason saw Thom close the door behind him. His head was spinning. He was staring at the ceiling, a stone worked ceiling. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a rock fall from the roof. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he saw something fall out. Thom had brought up a sword that was generated a few minutes before.

“Whoa, whoa Conan, it’s me,” Grant yelled out!

With a sigh Thom put down the sword and helped Jason to his feet. Grant went over to the door to ensure it was locked then bent down to pick Brain off the floor. They all looked at each other and almost at the same time said, “Now what?”

Just at that same time they heard metal being pounded and ripped from down the hallway.