The Free World War by Matthew William Frend

Author:Matthew William Frend
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Published: 2019-07-04T16:00:00+00:00

Mojave City

2265 CE

Rilith read from her holo-card. “The Soviets exercise their veto in the United Nations Security Council which prevents the policing of nations who are claiming disputed territory within the Arctic Circle. The North Polar War begins in 2023.”

“Qwerty! Another war …” said Lorman, Rilith’s date, “… I don’t think this game is going to last much longer.”

“Oh, why not?” asked Eya.

Lorman looked at his hostess like a serpent coiling around its prey, “Surely this alternative world is going to destroy itself? Or be destroyed … because its people are so focused on the business of killing each other that they’re going to miss developing some crucial piece of technology … one that will be needed to defend themselves?”

“Defend themselves … against what?” asked Arjon, pouring a faintly glowing purple liqueur into his glass.

Lorman thought for a moment, then smiled with satisfaction as though his prey were about to be devoured, “Oh, remember that asteroid in the news about twenty years ago, the big one with a composition similar to stainless steel?”

“Yes!” added Macrose, “It was named Amen2248 because it was on a collision course with the Earth.” Then he added thoughtfully, “Because of its size and mass, didn’t we have to use some kind of kinetic energy mechanism to change its trajectory?”

“Yes … multiple kinetic drives installed on its surface months in advance,” answered Grillon, and then his tone dropped down an octave, “… or else it would have hit us with the equivalent of a million-megaton impact. The End.”

Arjon could feel the effects of the liqueur washing over him. Picking up the bottle, he read aloud from the label. “A nectar sourced from the moment sunlight and chlorophyll were destined to meet. The heat and humidity of the Colombian jungle summon forth a resin of mystical potency from only the purest sinsemilla.” He smiled at his guests.

“Weed! Who brought a cannabis liqueur?” he asked in an amused tone.

Macrose owned up. “Oh, now Arjon don’t be a fuddy-duddy. It’s been legal everywhere for over a century.”

Arjon just shrugged, becoming intensely interested in the violet glow swirling around in his liqueur glass.

His thoughts wandered. Asteroid impacts, world wars … tyranny and oppression. He could see the tragic and simply turn it into the ridiculous.

The Alternative Reality game had become a kind of psychotherapy session. He looked at his beautiful wife surrounded by their wonderful friends. Then he thought of the matrix and its world of alternative madness.

He realized that he and Eya had been suffering from an insidious lament. Their carefree and blissful happiness had been undermined by depression and anxiety – the result of the enhanced emotional impact from experiencing the enacted global events of the matrix.

He watched Eya laughing and smiling, and realized that being able to laugh and mock the matrix’s claims was having a healing effect on them both.

Macrose, as was his way, brought a competitive element back to the game. “Forget about the meteorite apocalypse … you still haven’t guessed why the polar bears became extinct.

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