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INVENTORY:
* TROPHY 1
* TROPHY 2
* TROPHY 3
* TROPHY 4
* TROPHY 5
* MAGIC BOOMERANG
Skills
(None)
“Congratulations. You’ve completed the mission,” Hadley Root says. “Only the truest of heart could achieve what you have.” He waves his hand, and a trophy case appears, ornate dark polished wood with subtle backlighting in each of the five display slots. It smells like wood polish. All five trophies gently float from Max’s inventory and settle into place in the display.
“Your account has been unlocked with the cryptographic key—the so-called meta-key—that will validate the operating parameters needed to overcome the lock the council had enacted. You are hereby granted the skill of the key bearer. May you choose wisely how to use it.”
“Council?” Max says. “What council?”
Hadley ignores the question. He holds out his hand, and a giant key materializes, as large as Max’s arm, with an elaborate lion’s head bow and a flag-like ward at the end, engraved with geometric symbols. He offers it to Max.
“Dad, it’s me. Max.” No reaction. “Don’t you recognize me?”
“I’m sorry,” Hadley says, “but this simulation has only limited ability to respond to ad-hoc queries. Sentiment analysis indicates an elevated emotional content in your question. Semantic mapping indicates you have expressed a potential familial relationship. Based on these findings, there is a 98.76% chance that you are Max Root. Hadley always hoped you would be the one.”
“So this isn’t just a recording?” Max asks.
The avatar pauses as if pondering a response. “Yes and no. Sorry to break it to you this way, but I am a sub-sentient construct. I will answer your questions to the best of my ability, but if you’re looking for the operator beneath, you’re going to be disappointed.”
“But I am looking for the person underneath,” Max says. “I’m looking for my dad. Is he still alive?”
“Insufficient data for meaningful answer,” the Hadley avatar says.
“Well, can you help me find out?” Max asks.
“You’re the one I’m offering the key to,” the Hadley avatar says. He holds it out another inch.
“And what am I supposed to do with it?”
“It’s a key. All you have to do to use it to—”
Hadley falters, fuzzing into pixelated interference patterns like a corrupted video feed, then, clearly again. Max grabs the key, and the inventory chime is the most satisfying sound he’s ever heard. Hadley gasps in sudden pain, then topples to the left and right, split down the middle. The inside of the avatar is completely hollow. Hemera ↑. Krapht, her face streaked with black slime, stands behind the separated halves of Hadley Root, welding the power sword.
Max’s hand twitches toward the boomerang tucked into his belt.
“Don’t even think about it,” Hemera says. “I know your health points are at zero. All it would take is the tiniest nick, and you’d be gone, and the key mine.” She waves the tip of the blade toward Max’s face. “Hand it over willingly and we can avoid making a mess.”
“You seriously think I would help… you?” The stands of black slime stand away from Hemera, stretching toward Max. They splat onto an invisible surface the width of a finger in front of Max’s face. It seems that being the keybearer comes with a certain level of protection. More and more strands glom onto Max’s forcefield; bit by bit he sees less through the splatters.
“You resistance types have always been so short-sighted,” Hemera says, dripping with disdain. “Yet for all the work you put into avoiding reality, look what good it’s done you. Luddites can’t stand in the way of progress forever. Technology always wins in the end.”
It stings to be put down as a Luddite. Max always thought he was fighting to overturn the darkness that came with Damage. Seems that Hemera thought the same, though her methods couldn’t be more different.
Hemera steps closer. Within the power sword’s striking distance. “Last chance. Hand it over. Now.”
“I really wish you’d shut up and let me think for a minute,” Max says.
He wasn’t expecting the silence that follows. Why would…
Hemera’s sword clanks to the ground and she frantically grasps at her throat. She makes incoherent noises but can’t speak. Max can’t see any reason for this…other than his wish that she’d shut up.
Did he do that?
“Step back,” he tells her. She does.
What had dad said? Max held the key.
“Get this crap off of me,” Max says, and the black slime streams into a puddle, slinking back to Hemera. It flows into her nostrils and forces its way into her eyes. Hemera screams, or at least makes the sound of a scream through a closed mouth. She turns and runs. Even makes it a dozen paces before collapsing into a slime-covered heap.
“Is this god mode?” he asks.
The response comes through his HUD.
PREFER TO CALL IT ROOT ACCESS
“Did…did you just make a pun?” Max asks.
KNOW[30]
“Good one. Does it work only inside this node?”
EVERY NODE
BUT NOT FOR LONG
“Get me out of here.”
A flagpole appears, with a pennant flapping at the top. Max jumps, easily reaching the flag. He grabs it and pulls it down to ground level. Fireworks erupt overhead. A door opens leading to the outside.
Max steps through.
footnotes
[30] Author note: my sincerest apologies.
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