ARC of the IMMORTALS/Book 1

Pursuit: Chapter 9.1/ The Game Begins

Recap: “Of course, I’ll sleep with you, I hope that includes some cuddling?” Touzdae asked Jac warming up to him. / “There is one catch.” Jac told her. / “Yes?”

“I have to set an alarm and…”

And what, sweetheart?” Touzdae. Jack sighed heavily.

“The time dilation space is not an accurate science. So we have to be very careful that we come out of here at exactly 9 hours from when we entered, now about 30 minutes ago. So 8 and 1/2 hours from now.”

“So you set the alarm for 8 hours from now,” Jac nodded, he pressed on his clicker and a double bed emerged from the wall, fully made. They removed most of their clothing. Jac set the alarm with an independent power source.

“I want you to take charge of moving Harry Kristos to my private wing of the hospital,” Bendel told Karham.

“Do you want him in the experimental section?” Karham asked.

“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet. Use full lockdown in his transport. And let me know when he is my private wing.”

“Yes sir,” Karham exited.

Bendel answered his subcutaneous communicator, “Yes.”

“The memory wipe for all those at roulette table seven has been completed. Should I release or hold them?” The security chief asked.

“Do a 48-hour hold with a questionnaire at the end, and contact me if there are any anomalous answers. Out.” Bendel cocked his head and disconnected.

“Wait, Touzdae, wait.”

“What Jac?”

“Take off your clothes and put this on,” Jac handed her his long nightshirt.

“What’s wrong?”

“There may be snoop-sensors sprayed on your clothes.” She took them off and slipped into his nightshirt.

Bendel heard a beep in his ear. He cocked his head and snapped: “Yeah, what?”

“Jac is ready for play?” Bendel was caught off-guard. “All right, set the protocols in motion, I’ll be down in ten minutes.

“Everything is set. The gold is here, the Phorium-LN 230 is within transport, and three-ton Lingam Stone in transdimensional box lock-down.” Jac said as he deposited the receipts for the bets.

“Three games, Jac. Three games.” Jac lost three games in a row to Bendel’s shill.

“I did win the first one,” Jac said weakly.

“On a technicality, it kept you in the match,” Touzdae said.

One of Bendel’s physicians and Touzdae delivered an exhausted Jac on a Medi-Float bed to their Suite.

“This medical time-out is good fortune,” the doctor said. “Don’t waste it.” The doctor departed.

“Three games, Jac.” Touzdae’s head wagged on the verge of tears.

“I know. I lost miserably. We’re — in — trouble.” Jac muttered weakly.

Touzdae crossed the room to the wall of sensors. She entered the shielded space and emerged a few minutes later.

“Okay, here it is: Can you read this?” She put the paper in his two hands. He read it:

We have twenty-four hours between now and the next series of games. Pursuer is about 96 hours from here. That means he’ll be here for game seven.

“Do I have to paint a better picture than that Jac?” she pleaded and then burst into tears. She sobbed for a minute or so and stopped abruptly.

Jac was worn out, he held onto his gut with the memory of it having been blown away by Bendel’s game agent, Karham Adjeal. His dreams were torn images from the violence of the games blended with the repeated collapses of the Maze of the Levelz and his body being crushed over and over again, only to be resurrected for it all to happen again.

He felt his Spirit leave his body from the Levelz. He floated higher and higher into the purple clouds of the upper atmosphere. He was jetted away in the Tubari Rift at high speeds to the tiny islands in the clouds where he rested under the tree in Bhantu’s sanctuary.

When he opened his eyes he saw Bhantu over his head. Bhantu smiled and waved his hands whereupon Jac levitated off the ground and was put into a seated position across from Bhantu.

“Oh Jac, you make it all so difficult. I invite you to become whole again. Spread your wings into the past and the future and become your full self. Do you know the fallacy of The Bill of Rights from the Human Terra Earth Nation known as U. S.?

“Yes, I have heard of that.”

“In it, they said that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and pursuing happiness. But if you already experience these values and energies, why pursue them? The Pursuer hunts you. Why?”

“To possess my abilities and kill me, become me.”

“Is he not already you?”

“Meaning we are all one?”

“Yes, yes,” Bhantu said with a certain tone. Jac decided it was one of Bhantu’s mysterious zen aphorisms.

Jac Kritos awoke to the first chime as a golden sparkle fell over him like a caress. He swung his feet to the floor and sprang out of bed. And ordered a plate of meats from the Obz Kitchen Cafe, delivered by special agents.

Jac and Touzdae ate heartily. Jac had a second round of meats. He stood.

“What happened to Harry?” Jac asked.

“He is in hospital for observation after he passed out from drink and fell on a gaming table,” Touzdae said.

“I want to be alone…” he paced in a circle. “Come and get me fifteen minutes before the start of the fourth game.”

“I will,” Touzdae smiled and they kissed briefly.

After they left Jac disappeared behind the sensor wall screen and found a place to sit. He calmed his inner state and began the Nine-Point exercise to replenish his light supply.

As he breathed each breath darkened energy was released from each vertebra, and golden flares of life returned to the column of light inside Jac and strengthened his electromagnetic field into a resilient electric golden liquid flow.

Touzdae and Jac took a lift to the ground floor.

The crowds parted as they moved into the small side salon. The wall monitors ran highlights from the previous three games.

“I’d like to remind all Elite members of the V-Suite replay of game three for a special re-enactment. Also for those willing to go for Platinum status The Emerald V-Suite Number One will have a 10-second delay for game five for two special players,” the announcer’s voice permeated the space from ubiquitous speakers.

“Bendel’s a real blood-sucker,” Touzdae snarled.

“Yeah,” Jac commented sarcastically.

Karham Adjeal was standing at the table waiting, beaming with his smashing victories. They shook hands and climbed into the booth opposite each other. Touzdae lowered the helmet apparatus over Jac’s head while Bendel lowered it over Adjeal’s head. Each of the seconds secured the headpieces and the connections.

Once head pieces and hand controls were in place they moved into the VR Holding area. They faced each other with the customary “Ha!” and threw their hands into the air.

An Official Announcer from The Gaming Commission did a sound check from The Overseer’s Booth that had both visual contact and electronic interface with each gamer and the game itself. They decided if the game was to be viewed by those who had purchased tickets. There were sixteen overseers, an administrator, and an announcer in the booth above.

“I invite you to watch the monitors for a replay of the highlights of the last and most exciting game before we begin,” the announcer stated. “We begin in nine minutes as we wait for all the converters to finish charging.”

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Dougfrombk | Rebecca Romanelli | Joseph Lieungh | Adam Mackay | Dr. Preeti Singh | Pene Hodge | Ravyne Hawke | Dr Mehmet Yildiz | Kris Bedenian | Alberto García 🚀🚀🚀 | Blaine Coleman | madmess’s thoughts | Lee David Tyrrell | DL Nemeril | David Price | Rip Parker | Annelise Lords | K. Pearson Bradley