“Alexandre, you classic man. I didn’t think you had it in you. I mean, you’re way too predictable and by the book. I thought maybe you’d go crazy and do something like, join a cybernetic boxing league with no implants. But when you snap, boy do you snap,” Daamin looks at my tied-up hostage in a combination of pride and surprise. He slams the back door of his van where we’re storing her for now.

“I just wanted to talk and one thing led to another,” I’m not exactly proud of what I did.

“Yeah but now you’ve got the creator in your control. Do you know how much power that gives you?”

“I’m not really out for power, I just want to go home.”

“Home,” Daamin seems confused. “Why do you want to go home?”

“Because that’s where I live, and all my stuff is there.”

“But you can live however you want here, have anything you want. What’s out there.”

“Can’t live in a game forever, there are real people out there.”

“Kai and I are real people.”

“The three of us could just meet in the real world if we really wanted to.”

“Things aren’t always that simple,” Daamin seems annoyed.

There’s a long silence, and no point in debating. Kai will have to be the tie breaker because neither of us have any intentions of changing our opinion. When Kai finally gets back to camp he nearly faints after realizing that I’ve kidnapped the creator of the game. He panics sometimes and it’s always a joy for me to see. Sometimes I do things just to make him panic. We bring him up to speed on our debate about ruling the game or going home.

Kai thinks for a moment, “there’s no reason we can’t do both. But before that, we need answers.”

“So who’s going to do the interrogation,” Daamin asks.

“Well, you’re the scariest Daamin, but you can’t ask straight questions without being distracted. Dre can ask straight questions but he doesn’t get angry, just disappointed so I’ll do it.”

We take seats on the ground as Kai prepares his tools of interrogation. The whole thing is kind of funny. He said interrogation but it’s clear that he meant torture. He’s nearly floating and gathering tools and weapons as well as making a list of questions.

“Alright, Daamin, bring our hostage here,” Kai points to a chair. “Make sure to just growl and sound like a scary crocodile man.”

“Got it,” Daamin heads towards the van.

“Dre, go sit in your car, turn the high beams on and stay out of the way.”

“I feel like I could be of some help.”

“Actually, keeping them blinded with your high beams is a big help.”

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“How does that help?”

“Look, this isn’t your strong point. You can’t give off anger. You’re too repressed. Get lost, watch from your car.”

“Really Kai?”

“Really Dre.”

I take a seat in my car and turn on the high beams. Kai squints through the light and gives me a thumbs up. Daamin sits the creator down and Kai walks around her in circles, trying to make a point as Daamin stands like a menacing body guard, snarling and snapping his jaw as the creator cowers. Maybe I’m not scary because I shot her and she’s more afraid of them than she was me.

“Who do you work for,” Kai starts the interrogation.

“Nobody,” The Creator answers.

“Did you make this game?”

“Yes.”

I’m annoyed as she refuses to give Kai any pushback. I’m way more intimidating than Kai. Especially short and skinny Kai. He’s still wearing a skirt and is getting better results than I am. Every so often Kai will turn around and give me a smile, he’s just showing off.

“Why did you trap us in the game,” Kai asks.

“I didn’t I was going to shut he game down. I started getting extortion letters,” The Creator starts.

“From who,” Kai doesn’t pause, completely unphased.

“I don’t know but I couldn’t afford to pay them, so I decided to shut the game down, so they trapped us all here until the game is beaten.”

“It’s an MMORPG they aren’t meant to beat,” Daamin can’t help but get involved.

“Oh my God it talks,” The Creator panics.

“Focus,” Kai slaps The Creator sending the mask tumbling to ground.

We’re the first ones to get a look at The Creator’s face. Chubby cheeks, ghostly pale with blue lipstick. Blonde hair with shaved sides, a red slim braid above each shaved patch and a full pony tail of platinum blonde hair. A red star tattoo covers her right eye like the guy from Kiss. She’s clearly got a rock and roll look she’s going for but honestly, she’s too cute to pull it off.

“Why did you choose a twelve-year-old as your avatar,” Kai asks in his normal voice.

“I’m 48, this is my face.”

“Yeah, and this is my body,” Kai responds sarcastically.

“Will you just let me go? Where’s the asshole who shot me,” she starts to shout again.

“Tell us how to beat the game,” Kai demands.

“Okay, there’s a virus in the game. It infects players with tech implants. It causes psychosis and eventually death. It’s been spreading since the start but it’s got a low infection rate. However, since we’ve been stuck in the game it’s been spreading a lot faster. Players are getting more violent towards each other and NPCs. Eventually the whole thing will just evolve into a free for all,” The Creator.

“Stop,” Daamin, puts a hand up.

“What?”

“You sure you made this game,” Daamin puts a hand on his chin.

“Yeah.”

“Then why did you just give us the plot to Johnny Mnemonic,” he asks.

“What is Johnny Mnemonic,” Kai asks.

“Why don’t you ask our guest,” Daamin responds.

“I don’t know what that is,” The Creator argues.

“Johnny Mnemonic is a 1995 movie starring Keanu Reeves, Ivan Drago and Ice-T. Johnny is played by Keanu and works as a transporter. He’s secretly carrying the cure to a disease called Nerve Attenuation Syndrome that’s spreading around the word. Different tech companies want the cure so they can use it to make money but he manages to spread it through electronic signals,” Daamin pauses. “So you’re going to tell me you created a Cyberpunk game where the goal is to cure a virus and you never heard of Johnny Mnemonic?”

“I never heard of it,” The Creator stares at Daamin.

“Don’t lie to me,” Daamin is clearly getting frustrated.

“I never heard of it!”

“Kai, get her before I beat her ass. I believe in equal rights and lefts,” Daamin is right in front of The Creator now.

“Daamin, go somewhere and chill out,” Kai pulls him away.

“No, she’s playing with us,” Daamin shoves Kai.

I’m forced to leave the truck to stop the two from bickering and leading to a full blown fist fight. The creator starts yelling about how I shot her again and the whole thing is off the rails.

“Guys, stop,” I separate the two. “We need to regroup.”

“We need to beat her copyright infringing ass,” Daamin shouts.

“I’m running this interrogation,” Kai argues.

“Team meeting, in the van, right now,” I start to pull them away.

“What if I run again,” The Creator shouts after us.

“Then I’ll shoot you again,” I respond.

“Asshole!”

“That’s exactly where I’ll aim.”