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CHAPTER FOUR458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhuHxveLfS
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Kirby Hayes stares right at his older brother with a growing fire, an unquenchable thrill, until Ishmael the German Shepherd woofs. They have made it off the planet. They have lost a fistfight with each other. They have stopped and survived a disastrous car wreck together. They’ve ping-ponged their first scandal, leaving Kirby banged up for the wear. And it’s just day one. But Viggo is the one who has somehow made it out on top, unscathed, above the law, and absolutely dominating Skyden. How his brother’s achieved it, Kirby has only begun to imagine. Money? Politics? Loyalty?458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXICSjnfINz
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Iris Frisk’s wondering the same thing, seeing Viggo prowl like a bristling animal. The interns watch him toss a manila folder in a trash can and snaps a lighter. He sets the trash can on fire and says, “New curriculum.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWMmVHwgOa
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“HOLY SH--” Maverick explodes at something on his phone before glancing at Madeline’s little girl. “Cheerios...”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJkXVNxrQC
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Madeline gives him a tired thumb’s up as Dr. Fanfare hands her coffee.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NHJ5FQHIn
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Simone snatches Maverick’s phone, eyes widening at the news, and screams. She grips her mouth, “You guys just came out from that wreck?! How are either of you even alive?!”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSghMHizLbZ
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Viggo raises scratched hands, “That’s a hoax.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPlbCjwYh3
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“Ooh,” Maverick shows something else to Simone. She gasps and hides a smirk.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ae4G0O6Q9
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“My gosh, Kirby,” Simone points at him. “Keep your pants on.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7DpFZmcox
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Kirby makes abrupt and awkward laughter. Madeline cups Ruthie’s ears.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtn09ezgtCO
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Simone and Maverick go seriously quiet at something else. No longer laughing. Viggo demands the phone to be handed over. They get jittery but he insists nothing would happen to it. Viggo blinks at the latest news, processing it as calmly as he could. He hands it back to Maverick and shoots Kirby a glare. He signs too casually: Nice. Playing the deaf card, you little bitch. Does it feel good making your brother look like an audist in front of the world? 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOMGx1R3pl
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Kirby sucks air through his teeth. Iris becomes concerned when she hears that.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FtxKrlw0x
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Viggo announces to the room, “I propose we ban phones from all future meetings. Saves us the trouble. What do you think, Dr. Fanfare?”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaI36PTHPBR
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July stammers for a minute, studying the interns before asking Viggo, “Oh, have a little pity, will you?” She gestures to the others with timidity. “It’s only the first meeting. Perhaps we can let them off with a warning. For now?”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKH5r8sUQ1
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Viggo can only grunt at her wisdom.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCoe70kk94
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“Here’s a pro tip. If you really want to be a successful writer,” says Viggo with rambling hands, “or actor or producer or insert job title here, there’s something else you got to be. You have got to be a business. An icon. You and your name must be a brand.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyZPjHoXrg
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Kirby imagines it. His name pops up in his mind as some kind of a summer fuchsia splash, a super fun and mini-sized invitation to a beach party at sunset. He remembers seeing Viggo’s as neon orange and black metallic with a razor sharp edge.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkh4Y4sULgU
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“Branding is psychology and sociology behind marketing magic. I mean real subliminal stuff. If people can recall your image, people can recall your message. That fits the profile Pegasus Studios always looks for. This is your mission and your first assignment: look like a superstar. Today.”
The interns gab about how awesome their brands are going to be.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulgnBWI8rI
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“Skulls,” Simone Chaput insists. “Tiny, tiny skulls and diamonds everywhere.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFI63HAuop
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“Nice!” Maverick Clark nods. “Mine’s gonna have bricked gold.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXCMOPECfq
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“You like teddy bears, Ruth?” Madeline Desjardins asks. “Maybe puppies.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrke2P0WcG
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“A big puppy bear!” Ruthie smashes small fists together to her mother’s delight.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMs2b4dvob
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Walking over to one of the globes, Viggo opens a latch. To everyone’s amazement, he presses a button. Hollow clanking roars through the walls. Kirby could sense that. The rumbling grows nearer. The interns look wildly about to see where it’s coming from. Paranoid of the superimposing compass for a domed ceiling, Madeline holds Ruthie’s hand as they huddle.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlApur0Gx1
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A silver glossy pod rises, spiraling up from the floor, before three others do.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmFMqEPw8m
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They’re humongous dragon eggs, Kirby thinks. Might have come from an Apple lab. The pods emit a spreading chilly fog and then beam a celestial white light show. The name MyHAVEN is impressed into their shells along with their barcode version indicating the latest of its kind. Ruthie, Simone and Maverick make oohing and ahhing noises. Kirby stands on his toes to peek inside them.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2AhCDs6Oe
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There’s roomy black chairs with gel support and wired black sunglasses that’s hooked up to the machine. Rainbow striped lights scroll down the inner walls. If they were a game console, Kirby is sure they’re the coolest he’s ever seen. Gnarly.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUajX80MNA
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“The most effective marketing tool for the best of the best,” Viggo explains. He gazes into the wide eyes of his interns, obscuring a fox-like smile. “As you’ll come to know, nothing seems as real … as virtual reality. That is why it sells.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIAztffYiO
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“Last month, Professor Taylor purchased these four MyHAVEN pods and had them installed here for your internship. Twenty grand per model, but they came in a bundle deal for seventy five k instead of eighty k. I know, I know, it’s pretty cool. Any questions?”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZ36ibMZWP
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Iris raises a hand.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyP5ezd0RII
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“No questions I see,” Viggo rushes along.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPUL46d3Ef
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Iris slams her table with both palms with angry puckered lips. She addresses the room, “In fact, I do have a question!”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaOZp2Dum8
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They burst into laughter. She asks the question but Kirby misses it in a blink. Don’t panic. He looks to his brother to see what he says. Maybe he can still figure it out. Viggo makes an obviously annoyed eyeroll. He does respond to her but not with one word in sign language. Kirby’s mouth slacks as nothing comes to mind. Is it worth the trouble?458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UBQwH6r4K
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Iris shouts something back but it’s dismissed. She sits down.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5z8AzTxTj
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Kirby texts Iris: Huh? What was your question?458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtbGtlC1AK
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Frustrated, she texts back: Why would Prof Taylor go thru what he did after a big investment on us? V says it’s an inappropriate topic. We’re not in a class in criminal justice. He says fame can be nasty, that it’s not all glitz and fun for everyone. Whatever.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjwnv18KBP
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Viggo claps. “You should register with MyHAVEN and when you’re done, type my first name in the search bar. Viggo. My profile and logo will pull up; you should be able to see it. Take your time. It’s a real mind trip. It’s up there at Inception level. I am going to set each pod at a two-hour tour limit. After that, the meeting is officially over and you are all free to go. So ! Are you ready to see... what real branding looks like?”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfDLBVE7Kc
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“Can I do this another time? Or never?” Madeline declines as she goes through her bulky bag. She brings out a book for her daughter and a binder for herself. Viggo looks at one spot, getting peeved. “I don’t feel comfortable, I guess, going ‘under’ or going into people’s heads. And I-I’m not taking my eyes off my Ruthie here.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigfuLndv1f
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“Yeah,” Iris agrees. “I’m sitting this one out too.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4pXGNcYTf
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Viggo replies, “Iris.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxrN67boSr
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“Miss Frisk,” she happily reminds him.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGH6713VuCa
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“Miss Frisk, we’ll talk in a minute,” Viggo says, gritting his teeth and cringing. “Miss Desjardins, since this is the first meeting, you get a warning.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXW1AQS5l6
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The room goes still and all eyes rest on Viggo and Madeline.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9OhpVRksS
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“As cute as she is, and we all love her, you can’t bring her to the meetings.” Madeline nods painfully. “We need your focus.” She nods again, even harder. “Have you looked at daycares or babysitters? I know of quite a few.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPjYXLwYWm
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Madeline sips from her venti mocha and gulps. She stammers, “Um yes, I have, Mr. Hayes. We should find at least one that we like by today, I’m sure? Right, Ruthie?”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHCf1gCqzS
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The girl fakes a vomiting sound, to everyone’s scattered laughter.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWDLO6ZY0s
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“You can leave now,” Viggo chuckles.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbbv06DmYx
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“Okay,” Madeline says, putting her books back into her bag. She looks put on the spot, humiliated, like a pathetic struggling single mother. Kirby feels bad. Viggo’s clearly being discriminative with her. She gets out of her seat, taking Ruthie’s hand. “Come on.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQt9jwYKFg
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The Desjardins leave apologetically before a loud coffee spill.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4ogDftSqq
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“Someone will clean that up,” Dr. Fanfare calls after her.
“Come on down,” Viggo tells the rest of the interns.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwpcXeOaoS
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Fantastic. Simone and Maverick leap from their seats and hurry down the steps while Kirby and Iris amble on. The pods hiss, spraying them with faint mist. Viggo assures them that the worst thing that could happen is falling asleep. Kirby doesn’t believe him. But what real choice does he have? Viggo decides for the group that Simone Chaput, Maverick Clark, Kirby Hayes, and Dr. Fanfare are the four participants while he and Miss Frisk will have their moment of privacy.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFJnNdIgTW
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Wonder how that will go.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQgKNicE0Y
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The four step into their egg. Kirby feels already relaxed, body-hugged by his gel recliner. Bathed in rainbow lights, his breathing turns shallow. What if something goes wrong? Something won’t, but what if it does?458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIU0zNkVq3
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His heart starts pounding. Anxiety’s back. He can just see it. The pod spirals down, the floor swallows him up, and this ends up his weird flickering coffin. Trapped under the floorboards deep; hearing nothing; not knowing when to scream. Should he just climb out now? Before it’s too late?458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyuBMMcNe7
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Chills crawl down Kirby’s arms to his feet just from thinking about it.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mrrTn6fVs
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Viggo sets each pod’s timer at two hours except for Kirby’s. He says: I hope your bladder is okay. I’m setting yours up to four hours.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMC4pKAlvUp
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What!? Kirby wheezes, tensing up.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdA93KjFnMd
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Relax! Viggo pushes him back down in his seat. I’ll join you after everyone has gone. Got to look like I am in charge, right little bro? I have a lot to show you. You’re going to have fun, I promise. You know how I keep my promises. 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9Dm8EGrKB
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Kirby feels sick to the stomach. He checks his phone. It is roughly 9:30 AM right now. He imagines that the interns would be gone by 11:30 before he would by 1:30 PM. Somewhat late to lunch, but he won’t miss it. Four hours don’t sound that bad, he thinks it over.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0IiNAMfLd
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He could barely shrug and nod. Good enough for Viggo who does a small wave and returns to Iris and Ishmael before the egg closes and locks. It seals shut.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByvcn4JY58
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Kirby runs his fingers over the lines, almost not feeling them at all. He locates several vents and breathes easier. Just keep cool. Nothing will go wrong. The rainbow lights cut to a dull gray. He fits the black sunglasses over his worried, shifty eyes. All he sees is a warm fuzzy black screen with incredibly high resolution.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcyKCzJLvB
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Then with a low whine, MyHAVEN fades in with an eerie glow. It is loading.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbb72FWg4OZ
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He takes a few minutes to register, typing his username as Kirby-Hayes. The egg does a full body scan, firing like a child’s laser gun. As it zaps, he shouts “Whoa!”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaDV0gtJv1
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An avatar that is an exact replica of him appears before his eyes. He marvels at his twin who acts too freely to be a mirror. Kirby adjusts his avatar’s clothes to a sharp tux resembling his brother’s. Call me lazy. Instead of orange, he goes for ghostly fuchsia. That’s enough decorating, he’s decided.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshQXmkv75T
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He types in Viggo’s name which brings up at the top of the list, just above Viggo Mortensen. It’s not in alphabetical order, but ranked by popular searches. Of course, I shouldn’t be this surprised but for some reason, I am.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtRX8WxW5Q
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MyHAVEN cuts to the same warm black screen with a gray side menu on the right. He sees that there’s options to choose from like going to his Profile or to Exit entirely. It is loading. He sees the empty horizontal bar fill up with billowing smoke.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6Z7mPYzY5
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Soon, he will enter this world of Viggo Hayes’s design.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJnXb23QUA
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Oh god. Is this such a good idea? Kirby holds his breath, assuring himself that it’s only in his head, that it should be safe.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDK0GUOsyr
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Darkness splits, doors sliding open and revealing the vast galaxy.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmPPtc3A7s
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Trillions of stars, all around him and underneath, welcome him with nothing propping him up. Oh my god, it’s loud with heart-stopping howls. His legs scramble through nothing and start kicking frantically. It’s no use. He falls.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWsyKEdcbb
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He spears headfirst to the bright nearby Moon. Hundreds of craters and thick moon dust await him one mile below. Heavy layers of wind collide with his body and rise. Whoosh-slap, whoosh-slap, whoosh-slap! 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBtQ1kHyxe
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When the interns skydive in formation with him, cheering and laughing, he realizes he can hear their echoing voices among the other unearthly noise. There’s a deep background of sounds, and he’s deaf to none of it.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc75qNqcxmW
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Kirby clutches his head with agony. I don’t like this.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Vy2pMNHba
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He struggles with the explosive wind to lean his body in closer to the interns, preferring to be closer to them. It’s different from seeing them together in a hallway or in a rosewood study. This time, they’re skydiving.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmqBhGmgiw
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Despite that they’re falling to the Moon, there is at least unlimited air. He gasps it all in and breathes out. This is okay. This is epic, this is soothing, and this comes with a youthful essence. He tells himself as outrageous as it is, it’s still a lucid dream.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvCGgQ7CTf
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This is Viggo’s dream, Kirby starts to understand. This is what his mind looks like. The Moon approaches dangerously near. His heart wants to leap out of his chest right now.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaYbffobY1
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Kirby notices a gleaming multiplex theater smack dab in the middle of the white desert. He careens there, somersaults, and lands softly with a thump in a dune. He bounces off and hops, startled from the feeling of how the ground hit his feet. Too real, he thinks with terror, smelling the bitter gunpowder. This is too real for me. I want out.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNbzVPKvRY
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Simone Chaput lands, showing off her dark black skin in her blue filigree dress. She wears a silver wig straight and long enough to rustle at her eyebrows and naked shoulders. Her heels stomp, sporting two diamond human skulls that cradle her toes.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ811gUeqUsO
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Maverick Clark lands, showing off the world’s tallest punk hair. He rocks his erectile crest back and forth like a pink cockatoo and riffs at his invisible wailing electric guitar. He’s dressed from head to toe in heavy black clothes and boots with pink earphones that blink eyes and grin at other people like cartoon characters.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJBV8oBiW0
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Dr. Fanfare lands and bounces besides Kirby. Her white grandma hair is tethered back in a loose bun. She dusts her same vest and blazer from before, coughing up a storm and laughing. “Now I can finally say that I’ve been to the Moon! Yahtzee!”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGiB65DQuo
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But Kirby is hardly happy or can stay coherent. He gets dizzy. People are chattering and overlapping too loudly, and the multiplex theater is playing deafening music. What a migraine. Kirby’s head feels like it’s about to burst. He finds the Mute button to toggle. Sweet, sweet silence! He sighs orgasmically. The pain and nausea cease altogether.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqM4Hym83Tw
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And people wonder why he doesn’t just get hearing aids or cochlear implants.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZeUeOxaOC
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English subtitles spell out for him like magic, translating every word they say. He smiles. That’s perfect. This is good. I’m liking this already.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMFDwVPCFt
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MaverickClark: Look at that! This theater’s YUGE!458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwVMBjh4Gf
SimoneChaput: I’m loving the red carpet. Ready for my close-up, fellas.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepy493Hopa
DrFanfare: You look sick, Kirby! 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10wJDx9NrM
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtKfKVYsSB
He smiles and assures her he’s feeling much better now.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDn64ImU3J
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBoigCCd9t
Entering the busy multiplex theater is overwhelming. First, the reflection of the lunar scape in the glass door startles him. As Kirby’s hands wrap around the cold steel bar that is surely a door handle, his dress shoes scrape against the ridges of the metal door frame. He knows he is not here. He knows he has never been here. That doesn’t matter. Here feels like a physical place, and it feels wrong.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSckhvrbaN
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoJCSXDnnS
The rich aroma of buttered popcorn and kettle corn hit them like a wall. Crowds of moviegoers pack the place, standing in lines for twenty-dollar tickets to virtually real Pegasus films and all kinds of candies and sodas sold.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgoK4m9LbS
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2etJKVddp
DrFanfare: All that junk food, no side effects. No upset stomach, no acid reflux, no bacne. It’s genius if you ask me. 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLFTOsWtJ5
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDixZLFq8ye
It registers on Simone’s face.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQABWul0bdE
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SimoneChaput: You’re right... This is a real theater, but better. 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1wrFK0QPG
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKpbxGAA78
Maverick grips Kirby’s shoulder out of morbid fascination. They hug, which seems real and kind of a pleasant tingling.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdQKZ4jlTb
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaqqtZQE5o
MaverickClark: Sorry. Now I kinda feel perverse.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡago8U2m1a4
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPLvL48Wlk
“You should be,” Kirby mouths, getting them to laugh. He tries tapping his knuckles hard against the wall. It’s solid, and damn, it kind of smarts. Actually, it does hurt. He checks his avatar’s knuckles but sees no cuts or blood.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGssxSLnXC
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbOgm61rcZ
They approach an enormous banner, a poster, and a cardboard cutout of Sky’s Falling! It is decked out with a square version of Skyden, bombing and falling in pieces. It is an exaggerated, horrific doomsday for those onboard hurtling towards planet Earth.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63qGqdfDJf
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiHHDXU7v6
DrFanfare: I’ve never actually seen the movie, Sky’s Falling, yet. I heard it’s incredible! Have you seen it? 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXnEnWun77
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItWXnDRY0a
Simone and Maverick eagerly admit they haven’t either.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyG0P05NXt
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobNJmCUO4b
SimoneChaput: I’ve been itching for an opportunity though.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeCFFSDOM2
MaverickClark: Especially here! And now! I’m so in. 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo77ZbL3T6n
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQQfmo0w9G
Kirby blushes, not knowing what to say other than he hopes they’re left at least entertained. He hasn’t even begun to fathom how his screenplay would play out in virtual reality. That’s beyond 3D, that’s like 5D, isn’t it? He wonders. Huh.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Wp3NTzsBt
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSamNLcZFI
He frowns at a camera slowly tracking him.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWfOvOkfEq
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfaYgjD3On
They spend twenty dollars and two hours through Kirby’s movie. He could hide and beam the entire time, proud of his only accomplishment. Even though he didn’t touch the movie or influence the final cut in any way like his brother had, Kirby has still locked down the credit of being the sole writer. It says “Written by Kirby Hayes. Directed by Viggo Hayes.” Kirby thinks it sounds better that way instead of “Written and Directed by the Hayes Brothers”. Everyone will start believing that Viggo will have relinquished some creative control when it’s far from the truth. Though the Hayes brothers thing still may be in their near future.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoCkmS8Q4y
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmql5PIVFYd
Kirby ignores the dread of how much heartache he’s going to get from Viggo. He focuses instead on other moviegoers. The way their faces light up and their mouths collectively gasp remind him why he’s come here. I am going to get in Pegasus Studios. Kirby makes fists. I have to.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjyQMxTOTN
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYprQnEdiJ
The audience screams at last at the menacing part when the satellite city rips apart. Boom, boom, boom, a succession of flying bodies and metal scraps! Spinning debris fling down to Earth. They storm through the skies exactly the way they arrived to Viggo Hayes’s moon theater. They fall towards the tumbling ocean blue.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHJS5XXN6H
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqELsHOMxYL
Fade to black. Credits crawl.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ5lztD9YL
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauvXYkNBxc
DrFanfare: Good job, Kirby! I loved it. Whoop, our two hours are just about up. Byebye. See you on the other side, everyone!458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVqNL595MU
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8yg6ujZYZ
As Simone and Maverick dote him shamelessly, they murmur dazed farewells and log out with Dr. Fanfare. Kirby stays behind and can’t stop grinning like a fool. Even Simone would want to work with him now. This is a dream come true, a dream within a dream.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkky5GNAj6
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDFgEfgt84
He wanders through his brother’s world, the idle halls of his brother’s owned theater. Kirby can’t help but respect him. He sits back on a bench to rest his eyes for a second. Oh wait. He starts to remember. I could fall asleep right now. No wonder the others sounded so drowsy.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAl6hG96Dp4
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIp48G8770B
Man, I have another two hours left to wait around for Viggo. I can’t simply leave either. He’d be livid from looking for me for too long. Kirby gets back on his feet, looking around the theater for a good distraction.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgpY4qPzXd
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoCAegU6bK
The popcorn stand catches his eye. He gets that funny feeling.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywG8N98lRd
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WadGgRYsV
Kirby makes it behind the counter, inspecting the area for something abnormal. So far, it’s a boring and greasy workplace. He becomes irritated with crunching over kernels. They stick to the soles of his shoes. Hmph, nothing.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtpD2UZXKC
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVDx31fzY6
Thought there was something secret here.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHftCWRodY
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Another door catches Kirby’s eye. It would lead to the back of the theater. Tucking his hands into his skin-tight dress pants, he follows the empty hallway farther into what seems like a dark warehouse or a garage. The air gets colder. Moon sand is blown inside.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDeQjwP5zH
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPy3i4nftwv
“HELLO!” Kirby shouts freely.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHPUimeZR1
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The subtitles notify him that the shout echoes a dozen times before fading to a sad droning whisper. He pauses. That is a particularly creepy detail for Viggo to add in his world. What is this place? He looks among the shadows.
A distant thud echoes. 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhfL6bCrVU
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOVmsnNcii
To his horror, Kirby looks back. Nothing stirs.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOo1rKqOUta
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This place is still otherwise empty. His hand presses against his chest, calming his blipping heart. Okay, I think I’m getting out of here. He turns face and bumps into dangling feet.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaYq0QGe7b
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsliHf9QUI
He scrambles back from Viggo Hayes’s body hung from a red noose. Oh shit.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3aTriemmh
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZvoiBuyxv
His brother’s psycho orange eyes bulge, jaw open and aghast. Drool drips from his perfect white teeth. There’s not a finger twitch or a muscle clench, but the body looks real. And dead. The suit blinks orange like a Halloween tree. Kirby could die himself right now from the fright. It’s just an avatar, he tells himself.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3aIaQCp3o
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnW3sLntPp
It’s just someone’s sick prank.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdXgtVwNtL
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwHwOc4hT8
He gasps at the sight of a single bedbug on the cement floor. Okay, now he is sure something’s terribly wrong. Viggo hates bedbugs.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNQo4kGYpw
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDB6j2Zrlue
Kirby frowns. What’s going on? He’d never put that in his world. One bedbug becomes hundreds skittering and crawling from the darkness.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYD47QB1IW
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNn3iI8UZI
Oh! He pulls back. Hordes of bedbugs stampede and flood toward him, becoming thousands and counting, drawn magnetically to the smell of his blood. That’s awful. He can’t get away from them. They smother his shoes, covering them completely from sight. Kirby moans and leaps back, stomping on them. But they continue to smother. He itches at his neck like a madman. Too disgusting. Too real.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEYKSQsaeO
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMX1pqzEqv
A bright light bursts. A video plays, projected on one wall. It is dated earlier this year. What’s this? It’s the rosewood study, Kirby recognizes. He’s still there.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNIOkFsBn2
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QiqrCCoi8
Professor Taylor watches him from afar with furious, fearful eyes. He’s bearded with white hair, like a sea captain who’s now a dead one.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtS8FDAsWld
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxcFmdalIy
DomTaylor: “Stop filming. I don’t trust drones.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRz2BHewXP
ViggoHayes: “Sorry, cap’n.” 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDd9VKIbkMO
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcTsrM35nz
Viggo Hayes steers the camera until it lands across Professor Taylor’s large desk. Ishmael lopes over with protruding wet nostrils and sniffs. Kirby moans again at the swarming bedbugs that now creep up his legs. It’s not real. But his gut tells him that something about this video is real, and it’s something he shouldn’t be seeing. He searches for what that is.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AVRy0jXYI
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjD5Q0MogAp
The bugs reach his inner thighs. This is so wrong, he whimpers, but the bugs are nothing. Nothing! He clamps down his lips, watching the video.
Professor Taylor rifles through his manila folder.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIFGySxEKS
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hvtXjb9no
DomTaylor: “I’ve handpicked the winners by the way.” 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGa33ABJ36g
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUPXRrAYCF
This makes Viggo and Kirby pause. He’s talking about the contest.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozZqsQuDSW
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDXuoE3Rwr
ViggoHayes: “Winners? There should be only one.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GnPaNKQfX
DomTaylor: “Oh, there’s one, publicly. The other’s a runner-up; her name won’t be announced but she’ll be one of the interns.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDf8UTOTuo
ViggoHayes: “All right. Who are they?”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUD5lqWjxy
DomTaylor: “Kirby Hayes and Iris Frisk.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0Cjy1l0Ws
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rEB51vLZm
This makes Viggo and Kirby freeze. But Viggo looks a touch betrayed.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKZhXPGX4W
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFnlNE4xZu
DomTaylor: “What’s the matter? Thought you’d look more pleased.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYN096CWYCD
ViggoHayes: “Why are you doing this to me?” 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ683quzV2Kc
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpylzGYUifI
Viggo’s forgotten he’s filming himself as his face contorts into something ugly. He suddenly tackles Professor Taylor to the floor. Ishmael goes insane and hysterical, barking nonstop, but cannot break them up. The men wrestle onto the floor, banging and slamming into the furniture. The camera falls next to the floor.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWdjMS81tW
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdddGDpJGw
Each man throws wild punches at their faces and unprotected areas, but Taylor’s the one who quickly makes it on top. The camera’s kicked away.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wCb4ZjFeg
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56KHAFZdcj
Kirby can’t believe his eyes. Ishmael fills the office with his mournful cries and howls. Using both hands and all of his weight, Professor Taylor chokes Viggo who digs his nails deeper into Taylor’s long gash of a cheek scar. The man screams out before a beefy fist clocks Viggo hard.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR81eFjGwPN
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweeBNQNVb0
Viggo’s jaw smashes the floor. He spits out blood and a tooth.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1zExwkTnV
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiWQh1VVyh
Ishmael’s howls waver to whines.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsykKq4VUXg
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYLcgtphh5
DomTaylor: “Enough!”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXut6vjM252
ViggoHayes: “You promised you wouldn’t choose them, Dom ...” 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIK6wPHqyM
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rDoxrvb8N
Taylor stands to his feet, panting. He glares down at him with distaste.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSDfRDkigk
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvRUqQkkrD
DomTaylor: “That was before I saw their work. I would be one stupid son of a bitch to turn them away. When I look at them, I don’t see interns. I see cash cows. Golden goose eggs. You and your personal feelings have gotten in my way for the last time!”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPbZ5I8nXR
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBt7F2wYniS
The video is put on pause. It glitches. Kirby shakes the bedbugs off his face, trying to make sense of it. That’d be inspiring and uplifting for him if it weren’t for the fact that they got violent over it. I didn’t know Viggo would get that upset. And why ... is there a video playing of it?458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡum7Te7jGyH
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9RDpQrtQI
Subtitles inform him of the footsteps behind him. He slowly looks back and goes weak in the knees.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtMS7pLpd0
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoxJLdi6zg
The Spook trudges out of the dark, out of the steamy home of scattering bedbugs, with a wooden sad mask. Kirby is rooted to the spot as it all comes together. It’s the same person he’s seen on the road this morning. Their near death experience, these bugs, and that video have everything to do with that weirdo.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35h0xm0T6j
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6I8i4VOelA
He flinches when the Spook points a gloved finger his way.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VejP7oFcG
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZz9TOby09
“Boo.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7nlK9XZDh
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdcCziQJay
Kirby squeezes his eyes. It’s just virtual. It’s MyHAVEN. It’s just a bad dream. I am untouchable. Seeing nothing, I’m feeling nothing. His breathing starts to regulate, calming down back to normal. Deny, deny, deny. It’s purely psychological…458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiKamgfcyf
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXOklxvMZH
He peeks again. The Spook points at him, this time in broad daylight.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFN7uzklPZV
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNtD7sCjTD
“Sorry you lived. I’ll try harder next time.” 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2jrRwwxHg
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazVvGB3Chl
Sitting cross-legged in the middle of a railroad, Kirby feels the pebbles jump and nip at his skin. Oh no. He realizes it too late when the train rams into his spine, two hundred tons ripping through his puny body, severing him in half.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ302yURQLYc
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQIIGLZ62A
He dies.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHu2UJScuI0
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVz9ghMV5M
This numb brutality snaps him awake in mid-air. The sky, the road, the grass, they all rush by in a savage whirl. Kirby’s back in the car now with Viggo’s dead body, spinning about in slow motion.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrpiRz9TmY
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ByPrXZvsE
His brother flails about like a dead-eyed mannequin. There is no sense of control. Only weightlessness and the promise of weight being delivered. Only suspension and the promise of a delayed end. He lets out the longest scream in his life.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡED9b69PJUQ
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioCmMvGffX
Kirby’s head slams into the ceiling when the roof of the car hits the ground. A sharp spasm jolts through his boiling neck and spine. He coughs out liters of blood, watching Viggo fly out of a window. His leg gets torn on the frayed window, being left behind a wobbling carved piece of flesh.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85TZ7GccmD
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWa1Ogro0OQ
Bits of glass and drops of blood rain into the deep pores and wrinkles of his face. The car tumbles across the ground, turning over and over. He wakes up again in mid-air. Viggo’s back inside the car. So is he.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzumXhJhFo6
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNcsnT7rzw
Kirby realizes Viggo has his hand wrapped around the emergency brake.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0aHxOaSWy
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xknOYR8A0
They stare at each other.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoCtZ7eiGK
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqS9zxfQqIA
The Spook means to torture him for as long as the timer on his pod keeps ticking. A two-hour night terror. He looks at his right where the side menu should have been but is missing. Somehow the Spook has blocked him. Overriding him. Viggo nods at him this time. Kirby croaks out a no… ! The car smashes through the parked police cars. The Spook watches them from behind their seats as bedbugs crawl all over them. Wait, wait, no!458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4y6gTVZDK8
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesxoJ2hUXJ
The car flips.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uh6jRcy1h
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7nhOFZieh
He braces himself as the car slams into a guardrail. They are showered in sparks as blunt as hail. Viggo’s torn asunder, scattering apart in all directions with glass. Strings and gobs of milky blood stretch out thinly, a strange crimson.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNtGGE3TwS
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6JDr7TPgN
Kirby’s face is thrown forward.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSuKPe9RN1
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvt066YtexH
His skull shatters grisly upon impact, skin shuddering and splattering along the gritty asphalt. He feels his arms snap. He feels how his clavicle cracks. His neck is bent out of shape. His body is mangled all wrong, and he can feel every dislocated joint. He learns the mesh of road and bone. He tries also to become numb to it.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQviCuoeVE
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQtLlvPB1S
He dies again.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuG21JuQxv
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His eyes are squeezing shut when the engine sputters to life. His seat rattles. His skin crawls. His hair rises. Deja vu. Kirby braves opening his eyes back on the plane.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzJ11uKn13
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7iJQnlkKb
His knees shake freely and out of control, no longer knocking into anyone. It is an evacuated plane, but it’s surely the same plane that blows up.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqQvAk1sfI
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEuWv3b3fl
No way. Kirby yanks at his seat belt but it does not budge. He pulls with everything he has, yelling to suppress the raw burn in his hands. The plane starts moving. No, he thinks sobbing like an useless thing. Trapped.
He sees someone familiar rush at him, fumbling with his seat belt. His jungle green eyes grow feral. Kirby is startled to see Chance again. That handsome face he hasn’t seen in forever hollers at him to snap out of it. The man brings out a long military knife and starts sawing crazily through the thick restraints.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88YTJjfkTA
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RVOendj5X
When Kirby’s finally freed, they claw at their shirts, embracing so tightly that they feel each other’s heartbeats. Chance smiles at his smile.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7xYQedoym
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJmqiua0T7
Kirby grins a bigger one back at him.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05I6uwE322
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLgOd48Vdh
Anonymous: “You’re okay.” 458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ20etG8LH5
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2TzRT0F8L
Kirby nods. Despite the recent nightmare, he’s now convinced that this is still nothing. It’s just for two hours, even less. He can do this, now that his hero Chance Gott is really here.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJ03kqu3Wm
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBFVCWE416
They run out of the plane on wobbly legs. They make their way into a seemingly empty airport. They look wildly around. No passengers, no reporters, and no dead bodies. There’s no one.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUBvc5Jt3d
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZALwTgsOQ
But the Spook emerges. “Your time is coming.”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujazvd2TbN
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuzfJYDyKW
Chance tenses up, seeing that sad mask for the first time. The plane smokes something terrible, setting on fire.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwJz70fGCG
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmL5KoVd6v
Kirby grips Chance’s arm. He brings out a keyboard and clacks away, piling up strings of coding and symbols. Line after line, formulas and their functions go way over Kirby’s head but they bring immediate changes to the environment.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvE6VP0IKMo
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjYMbzYR9K
Their world gets erased with a zip, turning blank. It in fact turns bright white, leaving nothing behind but three avatars.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonfrTj56Mm
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiNNBna4JA
Kirby sees the side menu light up again at his right. He’s no longer blocked. He should be able to escape now. His fingers are ready to jab at the Exit button but hesitate. However, Chance roars at him. “Go! Now!”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI64GgoE6ha
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4b5KY3Q60F
Kirby jabs at the Exit button. Like a deflating balloon, it all goes black.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFdlG6S5Ic
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQDJIGW3v4
The MyHAVEN pod unlocks, opening slightly ajar by itself.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnnfVWOlwq
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8NK06Pn3T
Kirby pants heavily. He’s all numb and can’t keep his eyes open. His heart is pounding at its hardest, as if he’s done a triathlon. His hair and his clothes are drenched in cold sweat. His trembling fingers reach out of the egg. Doesn’t anyone see me?458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvpKwZfmyn
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Z8hwdoB6v
He can’t see either. He rests for another minute, panting. However, the silence doesn’t mean no one’s there. He knows that. Come on, Kirby begs of himself. Wake up.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAo97cBp3Z
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MDCM4m33w
His wrist leans into the door, prying it open slightly. His shoulder presses into it. Fucking open.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZ5kQhYj2j
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjWCY3ge9f
The door opens to a dark room. The sun has gone down, leaving Skyden a pitch-black one-o-clock in the afternoon. How long was I under? His phone tells him that only four hours have passed, like Viggo’s said.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdcFJslDbQ
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDOAKyykPH
Kirby sighs with relief, drooling on the floor. It occurs to him that Skyden orbits the earth twice in one day. Two sunrises, two sunsets. Noontime here is always as dark as nighttime.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzho6NnE8M
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPOoPRfa0B
Kirby climbs out of the pod and his shoulder crashes onto the floor. He moans softly. Not so numb anymore. That hurts. The room starts spinning back and forth, leaving him dizzy and blind. He blinks as much as he can.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5s9trxKVKP
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRzwk6LHFS
A shadow lurks through the rosewood study.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGq5svDpI5g
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5uEOFmwHr
His heart pounds. Please, he thinks. Not like this.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0AM9PXihV
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsu86xIPjf
The silhouette passes some windows, walking briskly for someone who’s seen Kirby. Unless he hasn’t. Kirby remains still, holding in his ragged breaths as best as he could. It is a man or a woman walking by with a familiar face. Who is it?458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nHLyDFdVb
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aCwMr2n27
A haunting face.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVwVNbTT0E
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3I9BRe7pSx
An impossible face, bearded white.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzRs5Q0QZr
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJP3lCMOSZp
The ghost of Professor Taylor passes a dim lamp. His furious, fearful eyes glare. Taylor roams around his study in the darkness before slipping through the back door. Kirby squints, rubbing at his eyes.458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAy8odn8S6Z
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQvZKHPynr
His brother saunters out of Taylor’s office, chasing after who left. Viggo looks terrorized as he kicks a giant hole in the wall. He screams, “Fuck!”458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6rBMab39b
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqDWao6nb1
No, Kirby realizes. Professor Dominic Taylor is very much alive.
THE SPOOK IS SAD
Jack Steele Adams
ns 15.158.61.19da2
