Charlie and Sampson arrived within minutes of each other at the Blade Cafe, taking shelter from the fine mist that never seemed to cease in the Puget Sound. Charlie held in his hand an invitation he received a few days prior to Christmas. Red foil script was pressed into thick parchment paper and it read.
" Charles Newell the Second, you have been selected from an expansive list of individuals to interview with The Rule Maker's special recruiter West Savage.
Mr. Savage is highly trained with extensive knowledge of The Game. The Game is a new and exciting opportunity for people like you to win big. Should you accept this invitation and pass the interview process you will be joined by two other selections from your city and you will enter The Game within seven days of your selection.
To accept your invitation simply show up at the Blade Cafe located at 2500 1st Avenue S. on December 26, 2022 at 2 pm sharp.
Prizes and riches await you!
We look forward to you joining our team!
Best and True Regards,
Rule Maker 1 "
Charlie read the words on the invitation for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Prizes and riches." Those two words caught his attention more than the rest of the information. He planned to ask the recruiter what was meant by riches. If he could win big like the invitation suggested he would seal the deal right there and then.
Charlie glanced at Sampson, If that was his competition he had no doubts of winning. When they entered the Cafe together Sampson was complaining about the never ending drizzle. He said something about not seeing any real sunlight since September and then proceeded to remove his soaked overcoat and hang it on an awaiting brass coat rack. Charlie studied Sampson noting his long skinny legs and arms. He was gangley, seemingly awkward. Ordinary. In his upper left shirt pocket Charlie saw the same parchment invitation as his.
"Well this Mr. Savage is supposed to be here somewhere," Sampson said looking around the busy cafe.
"Hey Miss, I'm supposed to interview with Mr. Savage at 2:15 today," Sampson called out to a passing waitress.
She glided to a stop in front of him, holding a tray of soft drinks and coffee above her head. " Savage is in the Red Room, right through that doorway. He is finishing up with some chick's interview."
Sampson and Charlie looked at each other, Sampson raised an eyebrow and said " A chick, Huh?"
Charlie figured this gangley guy was thinking the same thing, A female competitor would be a perfect selection and easy competition. She would probably not have any muscle strength, be overly emotional and incapable of completing complex tasks. Charlie grinned to himself as he followed Sampson through a beaded door curtain and into the Red Room.
Inside the Red Room the two men found an array of chairs filled with men and women of all ages and physical statures. West Savage sat in a high back padded arm chair against the far wall, Charlie read the name placard on the table in front of the seated man.
"West Savage, Rule Maker's Recruiter and Adventure Guide"
West wore a navy blue military style commando sweater and dark cargo pants, giving him the appearance of a cop. He looked like he worked out every day by the way the sweater formed to his upper body. Charlie wondered if the recruiter was ex-military like himself or if West simply wanted to intimidate his interviewees with a tough guy appearance. The "chick" he was interviewing seemed less than impressed. He handed her a piece of red paper, and excused her. She quickly surveyed the other people in the room, momentarily pausing in the directions of Charlie and Sampson before grabbing her purse from the tabletop. She clutched the red paper tightly in her right hand and navigated through the room to the exit.
"Charles Newell." West called out above the din of anxious interviewees. Charlie waved his invitation in the air acknowledging his name. West gestured for him to come forward and pointed to the seat where the woman had been sitting.
Charlie sat down feeling the warmth that remained in the chair. How long had that woman been interviewing, he wondered. West tapped on the table distracting Charlie from his thoughts. He did not introduce himself nor did he offer an icebreaker to get the conversation started. West simply said.
"Are you familiar with the Rule Maker and the opportunity The Game offers?"
"I saw something on the news, they said it is a new adult virtual reality environment and something akin to Las Vegas attractions?" Charlie responded.
" ah, I see." West leaned back in his chair and scrutinized the man on the other side of the table.
"Says here you hunt big game? Bushpigs in Mozambique?"
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"Yes Sir, and Hippos on that trip too?" Charles proudly responded.
"You're a former US Marine?"
"I am. I served 12 years and left the Corp as an E-9, Gunnery Sergeant."
West raised an eyebrow and jotted something down on the papers in front of him.
"Why did you decide to respond to the invitation?" West questioned after a long pause.
"Because riches await me, or at least that's what is says on the invite, and how hard can this game be? I'm good at cards, I played D and D as a kid and won every campaign, I play video games with my nephew from time to time and to be honest I don't find them challenging."
"Sounds like you should stick to hunting big game." West said.
"Maybe so," Charlie replied.
He thought his chances of being selected had just evaporated because of his stated game play overconfidence. But then West leaned forward and opened his hand. A small orb no bigger than an oyster pearl floated inches above his palm, it glowed brilliant red. Charlie blinked and shook his head, not sure if he was hallucinating. He looked out over the room of interviewees. No one seemed to notice the object in West's palm. They continued to eat the snacks provided by the cafe and chatter incessantly about the game, the weather or whatever else they deemed important. Charlie looked for the thin and ordinary man that arrived at the Blade the same time he did. When Charlie found him, he was staring out the window at the passing traffic paying no attention to anything else.
Charlie looked back at the little glowing orb and then he looked at West. West winked at Charlie and quickly closed his fist around the object, extinguishing its glow.
"What in the hell was that?" Charlie said in a low voice not wanting anyone but West to hear him.
"A test, and you have passed." West replied as he started to fill in the blank spaces on the same type of red paper the woman before him received,
"Did she see it too? Did she see that thing?" Charlie asked.
"Everyone is given a different test, but not everyone has the ability to pass the test, In fact less than 1% of all selections will demonstrate the abilities to succeed in The Game."
"So that's it? That's all I have to do? I'm in?" Charlie felt a rush of excitement, it was the same rush he felt when he killed his first bushpig.
"Your in, The Game begins on Jan 1 2023 at 8 am and will continue until the winners arrive at their final destination."
" And the prizes, the riches, what are they?" Charlie had to ask before the recruiter dismissed him.
"The prizes will be revealed when you complete each level and not before. I can tell you this, The prizes change, some of them are beyond your wildest imagination." West handed Charlie his red game coupon and told him not to be late on the start day. Being late would be grounds for automatic game removal.
"Sampson De Bouvier," West called out.
***
Lexi Reed pulled into a parking space facing Gasworks Park a full thirty minutes before she was supposed to start the game. Small white caps dotted the surface of Lake Union, the city was just beginning to stir. Lexi surveyed the picnic lawn looking for signs of other game players. She was not sure how many to expect, but West did say that players would enter the game from various locations around the country. The Seattle location would be the inaugural gateway.
She rummaged through her purse and retrieved the red game coupon. On the face of the coupon were the words " admit one selection for the entire life of the game." Lexi has not given much thought to how long the game might last. The word "life" made it seem like the game would go on for days. She didn't really care as long as she got a break for lunch or time to use her phone so she could call her father. She didn't want her father worrying about her. He was like that if he had not heard from her for more than a day or two. The last thing she needed was a search and rescue party or the local police trying to track her down because her dad was freaking out.
Lexi removed the key from the ignition of her Jeep Rubicon and hopped out onto the frozen pavement. Two individuals now waited on the bike path in front of the old gasification plant, both holding red game coupons in their hands. Lexi moved quickly across the frost covered lawn toward the two people, the grass crunched under her feet, the brisk wind buffeted against her parka. Two men she vaguely remember seeing in the Red Room at the Blade Cafe stood close to each other talking about gaming strategies. The taller and thinner of the two men seemed distracted when she approached, he wasn't really listening to the shorter stockier man. Instead he focused on a spot in the center of the park close to the lake bulkhead. Lexi turned in the direction of his gaze and was awestruck by what she saw.
A massive stonegate rose up from the frozen ground, grayish red granite stones framed giant wooden doors. The doors were crafted from the finest mahogany and intricate carvings covered the wooden surface. Spotlight swirled on either side of the gateway seemingly announcing the gateways presence. Gold hinges on either side of the doors glimmered brilliantly when the spotlights passed over the surface of the metal.
Lexi stepped closer to the gateway, the two men followed behind her as she ascended the steps leading to the gateway doors. She ran her hand across the surface of the doors and noted how they felt cool to the touch. She gently pushed on one of the doors and the spotlights around the gate intensified and a faint hum filled the surrounding air.
" This must be it, this must be the start," Sampson nervously said,
" It can't be. West told me he would be here to set us up," Charlie replied.
Lexi pushed harder against the gateway doors. She immediately covered her ears, Horns rang out all around her, horns so loud she feared the sound would rupture her hearing. Lexi swiftly retreated from the steps to find both Charlie and Sampson crouched down against the lawn covering their ears from the offending sound. Then everything went quiet.
"Do you see that?" Sampson asked.
RULE MAKER 1 WELCOMES YOU.
YOU ARE THE FIRST OF YOUR KIND, YOU ARE THE INAUGURAL SELECTIONS.
OTHERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY WILL JOIN THE GAME IN THE COMING DAYS. YOU ARE PRIVILEGED TO BE GIVEN EARLY ACCESS. A VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE WITH WINNING AMBITIONS.
SOON THE GATE WILL OPEN AND YOUR RECRUITER AND ADVENTURE GUIDE. YOU AND THE GUIDE WILL TRAVEL TO THE DOME OF DISCOVERY WHERE YOU WILL RECIEVE A BRIEF TUTORIAL OF THE GAME AND A LIST OF MY EXPECTATIONS.
THE GAME WILL COMMENCE UPON THE COMPLETION OF YOUR TUTORIAL.
AND IT WILL END WHEN YOU REACH THE FINAL LEVEL.
MAY FORTUNE FIND YOU
RULE MAKER 1
"Yea, I saw it, it popped right up in front of me." Charlie said once the message disappeared.
" I saw it too, like a drop down menu appearing out of nowhere in my field of vision. Electric green lettering scrolled in front of me as the voice spoke in my head." Lexi added.
Then a low rumble silenced the three game players. They all turned in the direction of the sound. The doors in the gateway started to open, they slowly rotated inward revealing a bright shaft of light. In the light stood West Savage. To Charlie, West seemed taller and even stronger than he appeared in the Red Room. He wore the same clothing but strapped to his upper left bicep was a dagger and he held in his right hand a short sword.
He beckoned the players to join him. " Welcome Lexi, Sampson and Charlie. Everyone come on up here and join me in the Game."
Lexi moved first, followed by Charlie and then Sampson. They stood together with West and looked out onto the vast expanse that was The Game. Behind them the giant doors closed, sealing out the sound of the city.