Haven

Chapter Eleven

"How are you going to solve the AI problems? There is a lot of history in the world you are making, for thousands of years that we can't write." Elliot looked serious. It's impossible to write in all those events and create a history that expands to fill in Havens legends and lore.

"Simple fix. The code is simple enough. I have programmed the AI to write its own past. So those thousands of years will be a mystery to me as well. We write the major historical turning points, and the AI fills in the blanks to have things make sense. It will do this up until the point of the launch. At that time, the players will largely take over for new content and the game will adapt to them as they play." Ben spoke quickly, genuinely excited to tell Elliot about his solution.

"Very elegant. Simple. I like the way you think about Ben." Elliot looked fondly at his friend, feeling slightly guilty as he did so. He couldn't let his feelings for the young man held him back.

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Ben awoke early. His head was throbbing. His mind burdening him with painful memories. Elliot was the one who helped him with his goals. Paved the road for his creation. Now he was gone.

Ben knew he had lived a long life. And was happy to have known him at all. The pain was still immense.

He looked around his messy room, papers, and documents scattered across his floor and his desk. He decided it would be best to pack it all up and take it back to Sarah's place. He had no way of knowing if the wrong people would see what he was looking into.

He went to his holo-display and plugged it back in. It would take a moment to boot up after being unplugged the night before, and he needed to check his company messages. He wanted to see if they were working on funeral arrangments. Elliot didn't have a family to do it, so it would fall on DigitalDynamics to plan a service.

The holo-display displayed colorful loading patterns in the empty space of his room until it finally started up. A new message flashed.

Ben, meet me in my office. -Damian

He better have Sarah come to pick up her files. He didn't want to leave them unattended anymore. Not here. He sent her a quick message from his holo-watch and hoped she would hurry. The less he made Damian wait the fewer questions he would have.

He jumped into his small shower to rinse off and think. The glitch in Haven, Damian, Elliot, it all weighed on his mind. He knew he had to figure out what was going on with his game, but without support, he wasn't sure how. If Damian was having security usher him out of the room when he got too pushy, who knows if he would simply be terminated for asking the wrong questions or sharing information with the wrong person.

His best bet was to go into Haven and see if it happens again. He can record the session and try and isolate the code at that moment to see what it was doing. If DigitalDynamics wasn't going to help that's fine. He can figure it out on his own.

He pulled on some clean clothes after letting himself air dry. Sarah had responded while get was showering and should be arriving any minute. A knock at his plain door alerted him she was there. He pulled it open and silently waved her in, closing the door behind her.

"Have you been crying? What happened? Your eyes are all red and puffy.." She held a hand to his cheek as she spoke, concern written on her face.

"Elliot died yesterday.." Ben's voice sounded raspy. He hadn't spoken out loud since he had woken up.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry!" She hugged him deeply. "I know you two had become close since you started working here.."

"We did. I'm going to miss him." Ben's gaze drifted to the floor and then he looked back at Sarah, "but there is work to be done. I can't cry about this all day. I need you to take your files back home and keep them safe."

"I take it you looked them over?" She seemed relieved. "Im not crazy right? Something is going on?"

"Definitely. A lot of money was moved to a department that doesn't exist. They are hiding something. Someone is. I don't know who but it must be big." He didnt want to tell her he was worried it was connected to the problem in Haven. He wasn't sure yet himself.

"Alright Ben, please be careful." With this she kissed him, surprising even herself.

Ben stammered out a goodbye after their lips were no longer locked together. His face was red and hot and his eyes wide with the shock of it. She left quickly, hurrying back home before he could say anything else.

Ben hurried out his door to the lobby elevators and took it to the top, the glass box glibing smoothly along its magnetic tracks. He let himself into Damians office without knocking.

"You needed me?" Ben was not hiding all of his impatience with the man, it was normal for him to be short with Damian anyways.

"Here," Damian slid an envelope over to Ben, "Elliot left this for you."

Ben took the envelope but thought better of opening it here. He wanted to wait for privacy.

"Thank you." Bens eyes started to glisten with moisture, "when will the funeral be?"

"Not for sometime. But I will let you know. Elliot would want you there. I'll be damned if I knew why, but he liked you. Now that he is gone your days here might be numbered. He defended you more than you know." Damian sounded slightly perturbed at that.

"Well ill leave you to it. I don't want you to have to call the guards on me." Ben winked at him and quickly made his exit.

Damian nearly laughed at that, but held it in and let Ben make his exit. He went back to his own thoughts. It was almost time for the council session Charlotte Hellstrom called for after Elliots death.

Ben got back to his room and sat on his cot, holding the envelope in shaky hands. He carefully opened it, being sure not to rip the elegant stationary. Inside the first thing he pulled out was a picture of him and Elliot while Ben was just being introduced to his team of programmers and testers. Elliot's hand was on his shoulder, and both of them had a wide smile on their faces. The team was standing behind them and all were posing for the photo, smiling wide.

The only other thing inside was a small note. Ben read it thouroghly.

Ben, I know I didn't say it often, but you are one of my best friends. My only friend. And if you are reading this then I have already left you. Perhaps we will meet again in the next life. The next adventure. Until then my friend, STAY VIGILANT.

Ben read it again and his mind was whirling. Stay vigilant. In bold print. Ben did not believe in coincidences, and Elliot was not the first person to give him a note with that exact phrase.