Benny Washington, unable to relate to his distant father, and wracked with guilt over the recent death of his mother, seeks solace in best friend Peter Hall, comic books, and ballet-a passion he and Peter share. When Benny learns on the Internet tha...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Monster on the Loose
The Powell Street Station teems with foot traffic and the adjacent intersection is thick with honking cars and large Muni busses jockeying for position like drivers in a Mario Kart video game. Near the corner of Market and Powell Streets, the station is a popular hub that descends underground to the subway.
As Benny pushes his way through the throng, he notices an enormous video screen placed high up near the entrance to the underground station. He gasps when he sees what's on that screen – Monster Hunter Go! A huge gathering watches the players—mostly teens and twenty-somethings—fight to capture monsters that enter the virtual version of Powell Street Station. Like he and Peter had done, these players use their cell phones to control the action.
Benny pushes past Emma and Fremond—forcing Peter to dodge pedestrians to catch up—and stops at his father's side. "Hey, Dad, that's—"
Nicolas turns, his face twisted with worry. "I know, son."
Mr. Yang gazes in awe at the giant version of his game.
"Cynga put up this screen to promo the game," Nicolas explains as they jostle through the excited crowd toward the front. "Anyone with the beta version can play. It was supposed to build 'buzz'."
Mr. Yang frowns. "If that thing gets out, Cynga will have plenty of buzz."
Nicolas flashes him a dirty look as he uses his broad-shouldered, six-four-three-inch frame to advantage and presses through the horde. "Excuse me, pardon me. Thank you."
Fortunately, people move aside without argument, though a few toss Benny's group some angry looks. Benny stops at the front and observes the on-screen avatars trapping or immobilizing various monsters that flood into the station. Virtual people scream and scatter as the monsters invade their space. The gamers grin with delight and the spectators cheers with gusto at each on-screen capture.
Benny surveys the crowd, the hustle and bustle, the cars streaming past, and fear twists through his stomach like a knife. If the creature gets loose in this area, hundreds of people could be killed!
Nicolas and Mr. Yang stare at the screen, and at the enchanted spectators, clearly unsure what action to take.
Fremond studies the screen with intensity. "I don't see the—"
Emma throws up her arm and points. "There!"
Benny follows the direction of Emma's finger. In the upper right corner of the screen, emerging from the bowels of the virtual subway is the fourth-dimensional creature. He holds his breath as it lumbers forward on those two trunk-like legs. The long, spindly arms dangle from its sides, the suction-cup fingers dragging on the pavement. The round, lidless eyes pay no attention to the virtual people or even the other monsters. They remain fixed straight ahead.
