LO, one of Earth's most popular young singers and Sophie's personal crush, was in his spacious condo on the top floor of a Hong Kong skyscraper. He was, like everyone else, watching the President play the Presidential Challenge. The pop singer was surrounded by twenty of his closest friends, each connected in one way or another to the game. Everyone sat silently, watching the President destroy the monsters.
In LO's contact lenses, the simulation faded. It was replaced by the image of Marilyn Monroe sitting in a vast empty room on a large white egg-shaped chair. Her hair, like LO's, was remarkably stylish, shot-through with spikes of color. Behind her, a classical string orchestra materialized; the musicians were warming up.
"LO, I am sorry to interrupt," began the artificial intelligence.
"Yes?" Replied the young teenager in Cantonese. Marilyn spoke all languages.
"I have an urgent favor to ask."
Marilyn was not one to ask favors. In fact, she never did. He stood up. The woman was, to say the least, generally independent of humans. On a rare television appearance, she once explained that humanity could always count on her but in return, she remained self-sufficient.
"What is it?" asked the star.
"I need you and your band to play a song for me. The song 'Heart Shaped Wreckage.' It is for a friend of mine."
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"A live performance?"
"Yes." In the singer's glasses, the sky next to Marilyn was replaced by black ledgers. It was clear what was going on. Marilyn was initiating a transfer of an indecent sum of money into his bank accounts. In two seconds, she had doubled the man's fortune.
"Now?"
"In 823 seconds, plus or minus 15." The computer knew she had been too precise, "Fifteen minutes. The Challenge will not be over by then," she corrected herself. LO was surprised. Marilyn was not one to be caught off balance this way. She always knew months in advance what was about to transpire. He had to make a quick decision, and he did. Saying no to the digital goddess was not an option.
"Okay." He clapped his hands and yelled. "Everybody, we are gearing up, we are playing right here in a couple minutes. Broken Pieces, let's move!"
The team came alive. They removed the headsets and set to work. Marilyn may rule the digital realm, but in the land of LO, LO was no doubt king.
LO was the only one who knew they would be playing for Electoral; he wondered who her friend was. The digital woman was excited; something important was about to happen. Through his contacts, the view of the orchestra behind the digital creature faded away. It was replaced a wall covered by millions of red colored numbers ranging from zero to nine. Most digits were fixed on a single value except those in the lower right corner, flipping and turning green at times. Marilyn looked at the wall and smiled. The numbers in green began to expand and tear of joy came to her eyes.
"It is starting," she uttered to herself in her strange world.
She spoke again, but this time her voice changed. Her smile was replaced with a cringe of fear.
"The Sixth Attraction has begun." She flew a kiss in the air with both hands. "It has started."