Forsaken 2027 Page 9

  Looking together at the game blurb, Cain saw there were five different gaming zones with five portal gates. He carried on reading and said one zone was difficult to get to, a new player could not choose that as a starting zone. He told Toni what he had found. "There are five different gaming zones in Forsaken, a player can start in any of four they chose. The zones are Greece in 337 B.C., the French revolution and the Europe of 1789. Earth after WWIII in 2027 and Mars in 2178. The zone, a new player, could not pick at the beginning was Proxima Centauri in 2481.

  Something is wrong with that. Rahab, can you go over the letters my brother sent me I’m sure he mentioned making the portal part of the game? They are in my cloud account under letters. Cain recognised the look when he glanced at her. The talking to my AI face, that detached from reality, rather than the sharp here and now look. Her eyes blinked, then she smiled as she noticed Cain looking at her.

  [Get a room already. Just let him hump you, or you hump him. Your hormones just spiked, your heart is beating at over 100 beats per second. Tell him you want his body, he'll soon come around, trust me,] Laughed Rahab.

  Trying to ignore Rahab's comments, not because they were wrong but because she wanted to let Cain hump her, damn, I’m even thinking like her now.

  "I think we have a slight problem. I had Rahab run a check on all my brother's letters. She said in one of the later letters Vince wrote, he said the JW template called for five portals. Three of which are easy to find while they could only open the fifth after all the players in the team/clan had visited and completed tasks on the other four worlds. Then reaching a minimum level before they could portal out,"pausing as she listened to Rahab before she continued.

  "He wrote in another letter, the person he was working under had him make a sixth portal, a portal that Vince had to hide, and make it almost impossible to find and open. Unless you had the master key or code for an access pad, he wrote saying he was sure that his boss had both. He said it would be impossible for a normal player to open it unless they had that code and its location. Or have a party/clan of six active players."

  Chapter 8

  Hidden Key

  "Was there anything else your brother wrote? Anything not normal even for him, regarding his job, coding," Cain asked. Thinking back to the last letter Vince wrote, he had written it by hand on expensive paper, not by email. That was before he got involved with the JW killers. She looked for her small backpack. Finding it, where she had dropped it last night, in the kitchen next to the fridge freezer. Unzipping it and opening the hidden document pouch, she took the letter out. Handling it like it was a holy object, she held it out to Cain, who shook his head.

  "Let me read it to you, this made little sense when I read it the first time, perhaps you or our AIs can help me understand it." Toni said.

  Hi, little Toni, you took out any hits on anyone today. No, well the day is young. I hope uni is OK and you find the hitman you need, neither young nor old to take care of you. I’m leaving work, I’ve joined an online gaming team, I feel like I need to play for fun. The game I’ve been working on will be a huge hit. Everybody will want to play, serious gamers or just occasional noobs, like you. It lets people live real-life events, such as solving quests and mental puzzles. Plus fighting for what is right. Something different from all those type of games before, there will transport around using portals between different gaming zones.

  Remember what I told you about the portals before, well I coded a secret way, to complete in a specific order. A strong player, that’s you little Toni, you need to join with an equal player, that hitman maybe. You and him or maybe her. Haha that would be a shock for you, I think not. You need to be trusting, be intimate in your relationship or the key won’t work.

  You need to trust each other, really trust you will bring no harm to each other before you enter the game. Enter together, into the zone, follow the war and clues. Remember search for plaques too, they’ll help. Gain another woman, make a party with them, then all four and one, tasks together you must complete, break the bank, win it all.

  You must reach 18 or more before you leave everything behind, naked as a newborn babe. Hidden the first portal, seek a cross fixed on the map, explorers can find the way down. Enter a door which two can open, kissing the way back to be inside. Then frozen in time my beauty you’ll find. Join with her you two must open the way beyond, then a letter you will find clues given as you leave it all behind.

  She took awhile to read, by the time she had finished a few tears were running down her face. Cain wrapped her in his arms, holding her close, letting her grieve for her brother.

  Working on the Plan

  "How are we going to save him, Cain? What if he’s already dead?" Toni cried again into his shoulder.

  "If we do nothing, then you’ll never know, you’ll be carrying this grief with you over the years. All I can say is trust your heart. Do you think he is dead?" Toni shakes her head.

  "So, we go with he’s not dead, then we have a good chance of being able to find him. From his last letter to you, I think he was giving you a clue where he left you either another clue or that is where he’s at. If we think we will not find him, then we may as well stop now. I’ll help you any way I can. You’ve already given yourself a chance with getting a top of the line, neural link and Rahab.

  All we need to do is create two phoney internet accounts. With your help, we can make two sets of false data, providing us with names, addresses, banking details and a checkable but shallow past. Together we make ourselves accounts to play Forsaken. Once we’re happy with everything being set up, only then do we join the game." Cain said to her.

  "It’s up to you. You tell me what you want, and we’ll work together, doing whatever it takes." Toni wiped her eyes on her sleeve while taking a deep and shuddering breath. Kissing him first on a cheek, then on his lips fighting against his tongue. Breaking the kiss, she looked into his eyes,

  "I think from what I know of Vince, as we move through the game zones creating our team, we will have to be active. He was nearly a pro player was Vince, he said he slept with loads of women just because he could. I think this is something we have to do as a pair if I’m reading the letter right." Looking over at Cain as a flash of worry crossed his face.

  "I can guess what you’re thinking, don’t forget in the game it will be with your virtual body. Yes, your mind will feel like it is there, only your mind not your real body," she said.

  Enoch, I think I may have a problem here. I’m unable to manage an erection now, what will happen in the game? {I know you need pay more attention to how you are. Your mind works just fine, and I’m sure the rest of your body will too} Enoch replied. Separating they logged onto the network and created false identities so they could play Forsaken, together.

  Enoch, could you and Rahab work on the last letter that Vince sent? Is there something we are missing? Cain asked.

  Rahab spoke to Toni, who then looked at Cain before speaking.

  "That’s a good idea. She’s driving me crazy all she does is talk about sex and how I want you to shake my bones. Her words, not mine," Toni said Looking up at Toni, Cain smiled then replied,

  "Oh, you do now do you," laughing and got back with his work. They took over an hour, creating the false data sets. Cain transferred seed money into their bank accounts.

  "How much did you put into those accounts?" Toni asked as she thought to add some extra money from her hidden account. Without looking up from the screen Cain replied,

  "Three," Before Cain could get another word out Toni said,

  "Three thousand, that’s a good start, it should cover the online fees for six months." She turned and looked at Cain, he had a slight grimace, like he had tooth ache pasted on his face,

  "What’s wrong? Three thousand is fine," Toni watched as Cain shook his head.

  "What then, how much, Three hundred thousand, then?" Toni asked again.

  "I told you money isn’t an issue. I put three million in each account
. If we hit any problems, there is extra money for you to use, they will post the bank cards to the address we set up. What’s wrong?" Cain asked. Seeing a look of shock on Toni’s face.

  "Just how rich are you? Nobody puts three million into an account as some loose change for a project they started." Toni said.

  [He is so rich you will never ever run out of money. You hit the mother load sister.] Rahab laughed after she told Toni the good news.

  "I rarely bother about money. I work because interacting with people helps me. It is hard to put into perspective. How much were you paid in your last job? No, imagine you were the top of the organisation you worked for, what do you think is their wage?" Cain asked

  Damn, what can I say. How much does the commissioner of the Met get two hundred and fifty or sixty thousand?

  "For ease their wage is around three hundred thousand a year." Toni said

  Doing quick mental maths, Cain worked out how many years he could pay that wage without making a dint in his money.

  "I could pay that wage for 50 years and not notice the money leaving my account. A few million here to help find Vince is nothing, in the scheme of things." Cain replied. Shaking her head Toni asked,

  "Why? I understand you working to help people or interact with them. Don't you realise you could have any woman you wanted with that. Could have a titled lady or a reality vid-feed star. Most women would sell their souls if they could get their hands on you and your money. I know a woman I worked with whom would sell her soul to access over ten million."

  "Would you? Am I any different now you know I have money? Don’t you think I know that? I guess you’ll want nothing to do with me now, you’ll be thinking am I doing this for Vince or just to access the money? That’s why I don’t tell people how much I’m worth. Money doesn’t cure all a persons problem. It doesn’t grow new legs." Cain said

  "No, knowing what you have makes no difference. I like you for being you Cain, not because you have money. Let’s drop this and carry on finding Vince, please," Toni said.

  Phew, the first hurdle cleared, nearly a stumble there, what an idiot I am. Should have said it was money from my dark operative days. I like Toni and I don’t want the money to influence how she thinks about me.

  Using their new accounts they paid for their Forsaken access, it would come from their new shiny personas. Cain checked the time, two in the afternoon, when everything was finished.

  "One more task before we go, if you don’t mind," Cain asked. Toni looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Realising she would not speak, "I need to tidy the spare bedroom, remake the bed before I write two notes for my mother. She needs to know trouble is about. Therefore I’m telling her I’m going on a magical mystery tour."

  "Why two notes. Won’t one do? And what’s a magical mystery tour?" Toni asked.

  "You’ve yet to meet her, she does everything in at least duplicate. Go look at either of the calendars or the fridge freezer notes. It’s code so she will know what to do what precautions to take," Cain sighed. Leaving Toni to read the notes and calendars, he went upstairs.

  "You didn’t have to help. I could manage," Cain said after they finished shaking out the quilt and sorting out the superfluous cushions.

  "Why, that’s easy. One, I made the mess, so I should help to tidy it up. Two, I like being in your presence. Do you have any problems with that?" she finished as they walked out of the bedroom.

  She likes being in my presence, likes me! Yeah, maybe my lack of getting an erection won’t be a problem.

  They gathered everything together, pads, clothes and food, before putting them into the vehicle. Returning to the house he picked up a pen to write the note, Toni joined him.

  "Err, what do you call your mum?" she asked. Deep in his thoughts, he told her, Jocelyn. He finished his note, then was about to make a copy, when Toni handed a sealed note to him. "Here this is for your mum," she smiled as he fastened it to the fridge.

  Safehouse

  They sat talking in the vehicle, the EI was taking them to his safe house. The traffic was heavy due to some sporting event in central London.

  "If you think Jason is a problem, don’t you think he could find where we are. He could trace the vehicle, all he needs to do is access the transponder that all vehicles have," Toni said. "I’ve done that before when I was once looking for Vince, it even showed me his route. It pasted it on virtual map, making it ways to fallow. It’s like using the find my friend app, it does the same." She finished, waving her phone at him.

  "Yes, maybe, but Enoch turned the transponder off. But that doesn’t matter, even if he could access the traffic control system, the vehicle number plate keeps changing. The vehicle uses miniature displays that show what I want. Since we were in the vehicle you may not have noticed, it is now a different colour than it was when I came to pick you up. The vehicle uses a chameleon polymer paint, that response to electronic impulses, changing its colour. Another gift from the technician," Cain said, with a broad smile lighting up his face.

  "You know this friend of yours, John, he sure provides you with some wonderful gifts. What from robotic legs, AIs, weapons and safe houses to name but a few. Why does he help you so?" Toni asked.

  "To be honest, I don’t fully understand. I’ve known John for my whole life. He used to visit my parents, even came to church with us, that is when we still used to go. He was there for my mother when my dad died in a motorway pile up, there wasn’t much left of his body after the fire.

  I was only eight when he died. As far as I know John has always worked for the government in the background and was the reason they selected me as a dark operative. He’s been as close as an uncle especially after my dad died. Even before dad died really, John has always had an eye out for me," Cain replied.

  Toni sat processing the information Cain just gave her, it pleased her that this John had Cain’s interest at the core of his help. Looking out of the tinted window, it took Toni but a moment to notice where they were, as the vehicle turned left just before the Limehouse train terminal.

  "Doesn’t this road take us across, I mean under the river," she asked. Looking up from the pad, Cain told her she was almost correct. She had to wait and see, Cain continued reading. The vehicle halted, sixth from the front, waiting at the lights, an old throwback to the time before EI controlled vehicles. As the vehicles moved theirs went slow, the lights changing just as they passed them.

  "Shouldn’t more vehicles follow us through?" she asked.

  "Blame one of John's EI controllers for that. Although I must admit it’s easier than it used to be, sit back and enjoy the ride," was his reply. Looking out of the front windscreen, she noticed the other vehicles pulling away, they went under the archway and down the cutting towards the Rotherhithe tunnel.

  Keeping her eyes on the vehicles in front, Toni felt it was odd they fell further behind as they came to a slight bend. For a few moments, it was like they were in the tunnel on their own. Cain normally would use the vehicle EIs voice control system but decided to use Enoch for the first time.

  "OK, Enoch, if you would please open her up," Cain spoke out loud for Toni to hear. Their vehicle slowed as a large black gate, hinged on the right hand side, moved across the tunnel road, blocking it. Behind that gate, a new tunnel opened, which their vehicle took. Toni could feel the vibration as they passed the black gate which closed behind them. The EI continued driving, the road angled downwards for about half of a mile, coming to a stop in a large well-illuminated parking space.

  "Where are we?" Toni asked as they exited their vehicle. "And is that an armoured fighting vehicle? I’ve never seen one like that one though."

  "I’ll tell you where we are when we move down into the safe house," was his reply. Gathering the things, they had packed, he locked the vehicle and headed for the double door exit. Entering a wide, but a short corridor with two scanners on opposite sides of the elevator door set.

  "Please use the scanner on the left," he asked. Toni did
as requested, placing her hand on the scanner, when Cain spoke out loud.

  "Enoch, access the safe house EI systems. Add Toni as another administrator, give her full access rights." Toni heard a ping from the scanner, then the sound of an elevator door opening. It surprised her that the door remained shut.

  "I thought I was getting full access here?" she said.

  "You do, turn around, you'll see," as he entered the hidden elevator that appeared behind her. Following Cain into the elevator Toni said.

  "Why the two scanners then?"

  "Easy. Left to enter, right to drown. A safety measure in case you are under duress" was his reply as the elevator began its descent. They stood in silence for fifteen seconds. Toni couldn’t tell when the elevator came to a halt.

  "That was a short ride. I could not even tell when it started or ended," she said.

  "Yes, it is a quiet elevator. You couldn’t tell that we travelled over sixty yards in such a short time. Welcome to our safe house, well more like a safe bunker," was Cain’s reply.

  Chapter 9

  Leg Problems

  If I had not been awake on the drive to Cain’s, [well ours now too,] safe house I would not have known someone had buried it deep under London. To say I am impressed is an understatement. I thought safe houses were like those the police use, dingy apartments hidden amongst other dingy apartments.

  Together they stepped out of the elevator, Cain told Toni to follow the short corridor to the main utility area. Opening the solid oak door Toni entered a large room thirty foot by thirty foot. The utility area was impressive, on the far side, opposite to the entrance was a kitchen area, with a cooker, hob and large American style fridge freezer.

  On the left of the room were comfy looking settees and chairs, the wall had two doors near each corner. The right side of the room were workstations and a large table for working at not eating, the wall mirrored the opposite wall with two doors set near the corners. Between the two doors on opposite walls, were large flat screen monitors or wall projections, each screen showing London as seen from fixed locations, providing windows looking out on London.