Silvia and Evo had spent most of the morning walking together. The man was aggressive and gave me an unsettling feeling. Silvia tried to make amends between us but I didn’t trust him. There was something he was hiding, something behind those eyes. They recognized me, but how. Nothing in my memory could recall his face, I reached back deep only to be met with a throbbing headache. She assured me of his credibility before their little stroll. Some VEG wiz that was top of the scoreboard five years ago but stopped the game cold turkey for some unknown reason. That was when Gothamsreckoning scooped him up for his so-called master plan. Dead men’s plans rarely seem to work out. Regardless they wouldn’t let me join their little morning hike so I stayed in.
I sat inside playing with Bell and Sally. Bell had pulled out a Briar Rabbit tea set that we were currently sitting around. I had to help her boil the water but once the tea was in the pot she took over, pouring each of our tiny cups in turn. I watched her overload them with cream, which made the once clear tea turn murky like muddy water.
She played the host well, asking us each if we would like one or two cubes of sugar. She helped herself to four and because I wasn’t her parent I didn’t object but I knew that in the next hour she was going to be charged like the Energizer Bunny. Sally wanted one but Bell gave her two anyways saying “girls are sweet so we need more sugar to keep us that way.” She then began directing the gossip. “My mother tells me that the government is going to cause an enormous war with the way they are using VEG.”
I decided to take it upon myself to get some more information out of this comical child. “Well what does your father say?”
Bell flinched a little and I felt bad for asking the question but she reacted like a lady. She placed her teacup on its baby saucer and dabbed her lips with her napkin. “My father would agree.”
I decided to drop the question knowing from her reaction that he wasn’t in the picture. “Who would we go to war with?” I asked.
“Well the Chinese of course,” she let out a laugh from what I imagine she thought an older sophisticated lady would sound like.
“Well then how will we prevent this Chinese American war?” I asked playing into her questioning.
“Us,” Silvia said as she walked through the door with Evo. Evo browsed the room, his face focused on our tea party and then he walked out of the cabin.
“Mr. Evo doesn’t look like he will be joining us for a spot of tea Bell.” I said with my best British accent. Bell giggled and took a sip of her tea dancing her head back and forth to some imaginary music.
“Mark, we have some business to discuss,” Silvia said with a serious look on her face.
“May I be excused madam?” I said remembering my courtesies.
“Yes, yes, leave us ladies so we can gossip while you’re gone,” Bell said. I placed my teacup down in a dainty fashion and got up to walk outside with Silvia.
Outside Silvia didn’t spare any time, “We need to take a trip into the city. Due to unforeseen circumstances we have been forced to act quicker than we anticipated. I have very little time to fill you in on what’s going on. What do you know about the government’s plan for VEG?”
I was taken aback by how forward she was being. “Other than the fact that they want to revolutionize the world?” I said in a sarcastic manner.
“Charles Sanders wanted to revolutionize the world. The government, we figured just wanted to make a profit but after the blackout we know they are up to more than that.”
“The blackout?” I questioned.
“My god do you watch the news or read the papers?” she said. I shrugged. “Yes, the blackout. Just last week China became a dead zone, and the government has conveniently placed the blame on a group of hackers led by the notorious Gothamsreckoning. Once China’s economy drops below America’s there will be an all-out witch-hunt for Gothamsreckoning. With all of us dead, the government can keep hunting a ghost forever and China will have no footing with the rest of the world on scaling an attack. The fact that we are alive is a huge inconvenience to them because if word got out that we weren’t responsible for the attack, China would have more than enough reasons to go to war,” she said. Her eyes were steady and true. I had done enough human lie detecting over the years to know that she truly believed what she was telling me.
“I doubt the entire government is against China,” I said playing the devil’s advocate. We learned with conspiracy theorists that it is best to question them at least once.
“Well not the entire government of course but an agency within the government,” she said visibly frustrated with my answer.
“If Gothamsreckoning doesn’t want to make China a blackout zone and cause a global war as you say, then what does he want to do?” I asked still not seeing what their role in this whole situation was.
“Our plan is to take control of VEG and make America a dead zone as well, for the time being. China is already skeptical about the blackout and combined with the fact that VEG users are physically fit enough to be super soldiers, it appears as though America is preparing for war. If we black out America as well, it will put those conspiracies to rest, giving us time to repair our relationship with them before bringing it back online. VEG will revolutionize the world one day, but for now, that utopia will have to wait,” she said.
“How does your group plan to take control of VEG? You better have one hell of a programmer and an army of hackers,” I said realizing the fault in my last statement right after it leapt from my lips. Of course Gothamsreckoning had an army of hackers, it was the sole reason I was hunting the user and his army in the first place.
“We plan to infiltrate the VEG headquarters within New York City and install a virus designed to destroy source code in the system,” she said.
“Listen I’m no guru with the whole VEG system but I know that the system administrators aren’t pushovers. They are most likely as skilled as you and your little gang, not to mention the fact that the VEG headquarters will be guarded to the teeth,” I said.
“That’s true which is why timing is everything. Once a year the government programming squad has a PVP match open to any and all VEG players. They have unlimited resources and have bought almost every precious artifact and summon in the game. They will be near impossible to beat, which is why we have been building an army of the greatest VEGERs. Charles Sanders’s last gift before departing VEG was that if you lost in a PVP arena then you would be locked out of VEG, regardless of status. We will challenge the government’s tech team, beat them, and on the same night take down the entire system. There will probably be a small group of source code slaves left but with a little force they should fold with the rest of their army gone,” she said.
I felt a purpose for the first time in a while. I hated VEG players with a passion so I was fully onboard for a takedown of the entire system. We had a plan, a rough and gutsy plan, but it was something. “My daughter and I are with you,” I said. She hugged me long and hard and I felt myself squeezing her back. It was the first physical connection that I had made with a woman in a long time or ever.
“I trust you Mark. I trust you more than I should after this short amount of a time. Which is why I’m going to trust you even more now.” She leaned in close to my ear. I could feel her soft breath upon it. “I am Gothamsreckoning.”