Life on Mars

Chapter Twenty-two

Vic stared out of the transporter as he'd done so many times before whilst it crawled along the outer limits of the city. The final show of the tour was only two days away. After that and ironically, not for the first time, he'd die and be reborn. He considered the words of Paul, the man who'd been the first to go inside, something like "it was seamless," but couldn't shake the feeling there was unfinished business here. The incidents weren't helping either, coming at different levels at different times. What was so frustrating was that in those moments, he knew the answers. After an incident, it was like he forgot, he simply couldn't hold the information. Like being given the winning lottery numbers only to find the memory had faded away later.

Since the note, there'd been no contact from the rebels. Vic wished there had been something, he wanted to judge for himself, see them eye to eye. Security had been tighter since the V-world shows, but if there was a message, he didn't get it.

The virtual warm-up shows had been an incredible experience and in two days' time, it would be the real thing. Amazing to think that it will feel exactly the same, except it won't be the same. The 'futures' are more aware of that than he is. "Nothing is real" had been the mantra and yet in two days' time, everything would be real. To the futures, being in reality by default entailed risk. Whatever happened in V-world, crashing a car, for example, would never hurt you, but in reality, it was a different matter. He let out a little giggle at the memory of Bluu's little joke that first time in V-world.

It had become habit after the shows to log into his private sim to relax. The reality show had closed in fast and he wanted the time alone, time to think.

Earlier in the week, there had been a proposal from Bluu. It made him realise how lonely he was, how different to everyone else here. There was a huge decision to be made with no one 'normal' he could talk to. What Bluu had said sounded like a fantastic idea.

As his experience of V-world had grown, Vic had understood something. It wasn't just the reality of V-world that made it so amazing, there was something else. Bluu had said how pain is limited and other emotions could be accelerated. Maybe it was that or maybe just feeling you get when everything goes your way, which it always would if you wanted it, too. It was as if emotions were deeper and more powerful. He knew this was a quirk of the system, but it could be quite subtle. That was one of its addictive properties. It was ironic to live in a world where the possibilities were endless only to find the simple things gave him the most pleasure. In V-world, emotions were in technicolor and Bluu had chosen just the right moment to open up about the Migration Project.

The two had gone inside to another sim after the show. Cruising across miles of dusty desert roads in an open topped Cadillac, music blaring and not a soul for miles. The horizon rippled in the heat of the Sun as it belted down on them both. They'd pulled off the road and arrived in what looked like a dusty Australian town.

They were in a public travel sim, designed for adventure and exploration. The Cadillac slid to a stop in a pool of dust outside what looked like the only bar around. A road-train cattle truck passed, covering them and the car in a layer of dust. Hopping over the doors and passing a lone tethered horse, the pair made their way inside. There were around twenty people chatting along the bar, but in a town like this, it could have been the entire population. A few locals eyed them from bar stools and Vic had ordered at the bar whilst Bluu checked out the jukebox. Being an open sim, these were live residents and not automated bots, it was clear that they'd recognised him. Being polite enough to keep that to whispering amongst themselves, the pair were left to their own devices. Vic thanked the lady and carried the drinks to a table nearby. As he did so, a record clunked into place and the music broke the silence of the place, covering the gossip between a couple of older looking gents on stools at the end.