Moon Wars by Paul Bellow & Level Up

Author:Paul Bellow & Level Up [Bellow, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Level Up Publishing
Published: 2021-02-11T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

“Que!” Anja shouted.

I watched as a man with a long, white beard and dressed in grey robes held up a glowing blue orb. “Plazeta Transecto,” the robed figure whispered.

“Huh?” Haley glanced at me.

I shrugged then turned back to the old man. The orb's color changed to orange.

“Ah, sorry about that,” he said. “These dimensional translation devices are a bit wonky at times.” The old man smiled, turning his gaze to me. “I see you and Haley have made it through your first full game.”

“You need to get us out of here.” I rushed forward to grab his arm, but my hand passed through.

“It would seem he's just a holographic projection in our shared reality,” Laenard noted.

“Correct,” Que said.

I hated the smile on his face. He looked like he knew something we didn't.

“Why are you here?” Dhruv asked. “It's always bad when you show up.”

“Give him a break,” I said. “He might be our only way out of here.”

The five of us—Anja, Dhruv, Haley, Laenard and me—turned to look at the old man.

“If you're in charge of this game, then let us leave and send us back to our physical bodies. Can you even do that? Do we have physical bodies anymore?” I asked.

“I'm afraid it's not that simple.” He shook his head.

“Why not?” I took a step forward, gritting my teeth.

Laenard took my hand and held it tightly.

“This portal leads to the first planet in a simulation called Maken.” He gestured to the huge screen on the far wall.

“You're a part of Moon Wars, aren't you?” I said. “Why did you bring us here?”

Que frowned, opened his mouth to speak, then quickly shut it again. What was he hiding from us?

“I just want to go home,” Haley said.

“We all do,” Anja added. “We all do…”

No one spoke, awaiting Que’s answer.

“Fine,” he said with a sigh. “The AI in Moon Wars has a limited imagination. The universe of Maken is more diverse than the one the game is currently based upon.”

“So, we're being taken to an entirely different game?” I asked.

“Not exactly,” Que replied. “The universe of Maken is indeed diverse, but it is also fractured. You will be sent into the first moon within the simulation. It is a hostile place, but one with the same rules you know. You have a chance to defeat the invading alien force, win the battle, and be returned to your homes.”

“I want to go home now!” Haley said.

“We all do,” Anja said, softly. She put her hand on Haley's shoulder.

I addressed Que. “So, what do we need to do to win this battle?”

“That is up to you. I hope you find the answers you seek, but please know, if you fail to complete this battle, the universes from which you each have come may be overrun by the AI.” Que started to fade away.

“Wait! You didn't answer my question!” I cried.

“Go and win,” he said as he disappeared.

The last thing I saw was the orange orb of light.

“Something isn't right,” Haley said.

“No kidding!” Dhruv snapped.

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