“We’re stopping,” Yeung-Sung said.

“Why?” Simon asked, not looking away from his Airgead.

Yeung-Sung pointed ahead through the autocar’s front window. “Have a look.”

“We should only be passing by the GLI labs now, not even-” Simon clipped off. “Oh my good God.”

He was right; they were just outside of the GLI facility. But also there -swarming down from the buildings all along the road- must have been more than half of the colony’s population. Hundreds of them riled up and shouting, holding signs and posters made of stolen construction material. The autocar, smartly programmed as it was, stopped a good distance away.

“Car, turn around,” shouted Simon, then cursed. “I should have left before.”

“No!” Yeung-Sung yelled back, waving at the speakers.

[It won’t listen to you] purred MEDB.

He had a quick thought. “MEDB, can you disable it?”

Yeung-Sung swung forward between the two front seats, searching desperately for some controls. The monitor! As the autocar started turning, Yeung-Sung lurched forward, nearly bashing off the glove box.

Simon let out a single laugh and shook his head… He stuck his hands in his pockets and relaxed in his seat. “It’s done, over; Look at that out there.”

“MEDB? Help?”

[I don’t know what you want me to do, Yeung-Sung. Not every GLI synthetic mind is connected. I’m in a game. This one’s in a car]

You just never make it easy, Simon, do you?

Yeung-Sung spidered over the screen with his fingertips. Nothing. Great, it’s not a touch-screen. This has to be the only one in the colony. There’s got to be something I can do.

Behind him, Simon called out to the autocar again, “Car, set course for the southern boundary of the colony, if you would.”

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“Simon, we’ve been through this!” Yeung-Sung roared, then looked up, on his haunches atop the front seat. The car finished its revolution, and tipped back as it prepared to engage its engines. Yeung-Sung pounced up at the closest speaker, punching through the dark dotted mesh and grabbed hold. Please work! He pulled back, scratching up his arm as he came back through the jagged entrance. He looked gladly at the bundle of processors and wires in his fist.

“Hey! That’s vandalism!” Simon said. “ MEDB, tell him to stop!

As she replied, Yeung-Sung recklessly leaped to the other side and forced his way through with the same hand -instantly regretting not switching to his left.

[Excuse what I am about to say, Simon, but at this moment you are being an imbecile]

It -the car’s not moving. A large red error message popped up on the monitor.

He sighed and dropped down onto the seat, caressing his bloody hand. “Shut up, Simon. I told you. You can’t go.”

[And neither can you, Yeung-Sung]

“Yes, MEDB.” He descended onto the front seat. “There’s no going back.”

Simon bowed his head and held his hands together like he was in prayer. The phone stuck out between his fingers. Yeung-Sung turned back, but as he did, he could not help but look through the back window and notice that some of the protest group was trailing off, heading towards the autocar. The moment’s peace was slowly overturned as the sound of the raging coloners seeped into the background like a violent, hysteric gas. Leaning back, he shook the defeated game designer by the shoulder.

“Hide! They can’t find you here.”

Simon let his shoulders be tossed around and continued to stare down onto the car floor. The only thing he had done was open his eyes, peeling his eyelids back. He knew. “They’re all going to die, all going to die, after I die. He won’t have it. He won’t be able to understand”.

“Stop over thinking it,” Yeung-Sung yelled. He felt his brain pump and pound. I have to save him.

MEDB lit up; greens and yellows of Airgead’s pastoral backgrounds glowing through the gaps in Simon’s grip. [I can tell by your biometrics that you are finding the impending murder of hundreds distressing]

[But I think you already know what you can do to save them]

“This some kind of joke?” Yeung-Sung asked. He could almost identify the chanting of the rioters. It rose and fell in thunderous unison, a vibrating march. Spanning his hands around every part of the dashboard, Yeung-Sung looked for something.

Simon tried to hold back, but his whimpers blubbered through his lips. “I- I deserve it, “ he cried, “I didn’t stop him. I helped build this”

[Think, Yeung-Sung. You’ve already outplayed me once, so I know you can do it]

“MEDB” Yeung-Sung pleaded, “I don’t -I really don’t have time. Just tell me.”

[You can protect me from being deleted] MEDB chuckled in her sweet, static way.

The crowd crept closer. Simon shivered and tucked his head into his chest.

“RE-SET NOW!” flared the chants. Yeung-Sung snapped a look outside. The tips of many long shadows encroached them.

[None of your Wick friends will be cast out or killed]

“What? What is it?”

[And Simon will survive]

Something heavy struck the trunk of the car. “No no no!” Yeung-Sung yelled. Brushing off some blood, he opened the door at the same time as MEDB explained it:

[Stop fighting him. Let Jordan have what he wants]