Rooms Read online

  Rad nodded in agreement and then Tal asked, “So, are you feeling better?”

  “I am, Tal, and I really think that I need to get out of this flat. I need some noise and some people around me. Do you think we can go out tonight? I need to do something to take my mind off all this.”

  Tal was surprised and pleased. “I completely agree. It would be good for me, too. Let’s give Simon a quick call.”

  Rad smiled at what he knew Simon’s response would be and chuckled, “I don’t think I know of anyone who could do a better job of raising our spirits than Simon. Go ahead and call.”

  They all met at The Club that evening and decided that they would go to Quad again. There was some discussion of the other Room that Simon had talked about, but that was obviously not something that a person could actually choose to do.

  As they walked up to the entrance, they noticed the blue light again. It blinked. They waited, and the black doors disappeared, just as the last time. Tal and Simon watched as Rad stepped forward with a determination that they hadn't noticed before. They glanced at each other and Simon whispered, “I wonder if Rad’s done this a lot more than he lets on?” Tal shrugged, and they followed him in.

  The three had arrived much earlier this time and sat close to the front. The chairs cradled their bodies, and the round platform in the center of their vision drew their attention.

  Rad's eyes were glued to the soft light above the playing area. He pushed a button on the console of his chair. A drink appeared. He placed it to his lips, never moving his eyes, and drank slowly. When he finished, he took several long, deep breaths. He was ready.

  The preliminary chain of events began just as last time, except that everyone knew that a session in Quad, once it actually started, was never the same. Each game was different and totally dependent upon the player in Focus.

  The lights dimmed. The humming began. Everyone tensed, wondering who would be chosen. The crescendo was the key that Rad had been anticipating, and then the eerie music. He prepared himself.

  In the many Rooms that Rad had played on other planets, he had educated himself with skills that had helped him become an elite player. He was highly trained in a variety of ancient techniques of mind and body control as well as some more recent developments in quantum physics and Rooms’ development. All of those were extremely useful in order to be able to pit one’s self against the millions of scenarios that a highly technical room was capable of sustaining.

  As the power of the room began to move through his body, he was able to shut off the feeling from the lower part of his legs. This stopped the upward surge and allowed him to withstand being taken over by the room as he had before.

  Suddenly, at the height of his concentration, there was a tremendous flash, much stronger and more brilliant than during his first experience. He began to rise with his chair and looked down. The rest of the people in the room were laid back as if in a trance - heads drooping, eyes shut, seemingly unconscious. He, on the other hand, was fully aware and watched himself descend smoothly and settle in the center of the Focus. The pulsing of Quad took over. The game had begun.

  Tal and Simon had come out of their trance and opened their eyes. They were astonished. The thrill of this choosing far surpassed anything they’d ever witnessed. Even while they were unconscious, they’d felt the ensuing struggle, and upon coming to, they immediately sensed the buzz and excitement of everyone in the audience. Looking down, they saw that Rad was the one in Focus - calm, resolute, and ready.

  Then, with barely a pause, the entire Room darkened again and started spinning, slowly at first and then faster and faster with an ever-present voice pounding and pulsing rhythmically within the violent motion of the room. And all the while, Rad was sitting at the very apex of the swirling eddy. He could sense Quad’s probing and searching in his mind and knew that he couldn’t let himself be distracted; he had to remain strong.

  The crowd, in the meantime, was connected with each other, with the spinning room, and with Rad. They could feel what he felt and sense the terrible battle of mind against machine. Then, as unexpectedly as it had begun, the cyclonic movement slowed and abated. The entire room went black and utterly silent. Stars blinked on in a night sky overhead, and the seconds ticked by with agonizing slowness. Anticipation and nervous tension vibrated in the darkness as Rad and the throng waited, listened, and watched.

  Then Rad was again attacked by the power of Quad at the same time that meteors burst from the sky and hissed violently downwards. The explosions caused by the ancient rocks striking the ground were ear-numbing and terrifying, as they broke apart, trailing sparks and shards of stones, pebbles and dust in every direction.

  Rad could hear the screams and cries all around and felt his own primal need to get the hell out of there, but from somewhere within, no matter how real this seemed or how much fear he felt, he had to keep from losing control. He breathed and closed his eyes. It took all of his experience, all of his knowledge, and every ounce of determination to fight it…but he did. The noise and chaos faded. The meteor showers ceased, and the ever-present pulsing and pounding within his brain went silent. A hush encircled him.

  Not trusting that it was all over, he carefully opened his eyes. The blinking stars had returned, continuing to punch tiny holes in the dense, black curtain that enveloped the room. And…he waited and waited…saying to himself, “That can’t be it.”

  Out of the corner of one eye, he noticed a small rippling motion in the sky. He turned his head to look and saw the ripple expand into a wave, altering the shape and mass of everything around him. Even the chair beneath him faded away, causing him to fall to the ground. He gathered himself up again and stood. As he did, a survival suit slowly morphed around him, covering his entire body from head to toe. He was now looking out through a tinted facemask across the surface of a lunar planet – desolate, dry, and still. He was alone. The stars were still flickering in the distance, and then he realized... “I’ve been here before.”

  He couldn’t help himself. He felt compelled to relive the experience and reached up and lifted the visor of his headgear. Air rushed out. He was caught off guard. He had acted without thinking. He wasn’t ready for this. He couldn't breathe. He panicked. The realism was horrifying. He was choking and fell flat on his back – his body pressed against the lifeless soil – his lungs screaming for air.

  Tal and Simon tried to jump from their seats to help him. It was terrible. They could feel his pain, but they were held tight against their seats and couldn’t move. They yelled to stop the game. Others in the audience screamed! It was intense. It was unyielding.

  Their screams reached Rad’s consciousness, and in that moment, somewhere behind the searing need to breathe and survive, he made his choice. He let out the stale air that remained in his lungs and whispered, “This is not real…not real…” He closed his eyes and communicated directly with Quad.

  Darkness. Silence. Two wills pitted against each other in a neural-psychic tug-of-war.

  Energy. Release.

  Rad took in a huge breath, which could be heard by everyone watching. He raised up on his elbows and shook his head in relief.

  Quad then communicated out loud in a deep, resonant voice. "So…where do you want to go? You've taken control. It's your choice."

  Rad issued his desire. Quad obeyed. The audience sighed and watched.

  A beautifully handcrafted speedcycle appeared on the ground next to Rad. He remained on the same moon, but he no longer wore protective clothing. He was now dressed in his usual cycling gear. He reached down and grabbed the simple machine with one hand and mounted it with the ease of someone who obviously knew what he was doing. He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as he pushed down on the pedals and flew off into the distance. The onlookers could feel the rush of his excitement as they clapped and roared their approval.

  It was magnificent to travel with Rad as he criss-crossed the moon’s surface of varying textures and colors
, reaching speeds he could never have imagined, under the awesome beauty of an unscreened sky. Everyone there that night was in awe as they journeyed along with him and watched him move with the grace and agility of an exquisite trainer on a well-designed machine. He had beaten the game and steered it his way. No Room had ever been that difficult for him, or that rewarding.

  He rolled to a stop, tilted his head slightly backwards and closed his eyes. The game ended. Sweat poured down his face. His speedcycle and his cycling clothes evaporated away along with the exquisite world that lay around him. He was left drenched and sweating in the clothes that he had arrived in. He was standing center stage, smiling and looking out at Tal and Simon as the audience surrounded him with cheers and applause.

  Quad waited for the crowd to settle, and then in a loud and booming voice, it said, "Thank you for playing Quad. You have been given the score of one million jots. That is the highest score that has ever been awarded. Your name is Rad. It will be remembered!"

  The armchair onlookers went crazy. “What a night!”

  ***

  During the next several months Rad, Tal, and Simon paid many visits to Quad as well as most of the other rooms on R-131. It had become almost as much of an obsession with Tal and Simon as for Rad. The two less experienced players were gaining in knowledge and ability almost daily, although Simon more so than Tal. Rad’s skills were still far beyond theirs, though, as he was a level 1 player. Simon had reached level 5, Tal level 7. It wasn't that Tal couldn't have been as good as Simon. He just didn't have the time or inclination to commit to being an elite player. He was already an excellent habituate and trainer.

  Also, during that time, the rumors of the infamous mystery Room continued to spread. More and more players had been chosen to play. They could recall the memories of tremendous exhilaration and the unique honor of being chosen, but they still had no real idea of the Room’s location or the exact circumstances of their arrival or departure. It frustrated everyone that they didn’t remember more.

  The discussions and connecting threads that ran through all of the narratives in night places and private sleeping quarters across the lifeglobe kept increasing as more and more participants played the Room. And finally, after more time passed, there were even some who were able to recall enough to create a slightly clearer picture of what this mysterious Room was about.

  It had become more evident that it was steered by the old woman and probably contained several levels, but no one had heard of a single participant who had made it past the first. No one had ever returned to play a second time. Many had also mentioned how terribly exasperating and difficult it had been to play that first level and that the graphics were the most glorious of any they’d ever seen. The colors, the depth, the clarity, and the exquisite realism were unbelievable, but also, excruciatingly frightening. It was not just an illusion, not just a hologram. It felt real.

  The accumulating narratives about The Room began haunting Rad. He hadn’t planned this to happen again, but he was, by far, the most sought after player on R-131. His skills were envied by almost everyone, and those who did not envy him hid their jealousy with bravado. The owners of the Rooms solicited his expertise. He was offered special incentives to play certain Rooms. They knew that if they could beat him or keep his scores low, the value of their individual enterprise would double. These incentives added up to all of the free-days that Rad could ever want, and realistically, it came to the point where he really didn't need to work any longer. He had pushed his skills further here than on any other lifeglobe, and since R-131, by reputation, had the preeminent Rooms’ circuit in the galaxy, Rad had become a celebrity. He was a star. That was the problem. He was who he was, and yet, he had not been chosen to play the Old One’s Room.

  Along with that dilemma, Zeer's disappearance had continued to bother him, and it seemed that the only way he could get it out of his mind was to continue to immerse himself in the Rooms - the one thing that he swore he would not do again. And his old feelings of emptiness, even in the midst of all the glory and notoriety, were starting to rise to the surface again. Even on R-131, even with all this lifeglobes’ possibilities and options, Rad’s surroundings started feeling monotonous and sterile. He wanted to yell. He did. He screamed in fact, as he rode the only real form of sanity that still existed for him - the speedcycle. ‘Why was that simple, scintillating machine so important, and why does it bother me so much that one oddball Room hasn't accepted my talents, and what the hell happened to Zeer?’

  During his travels from one lifeglobe to another in search of some meaning beyond himself, he had cared for many women. He had loved them, held them close, and even shared thoughts and time with those who possessed tremendous minds and egos. But he had never sensed in any of them, the calm strength that he’d felt in Zeer. He hardly knew her, but he had always trusted his gut, not only when competing in a Room, but in life as well. The training for one gave him strength for the other, and there was no doubt that he simply missed what he could have possibly had with her.

  ***

  One evening, Simon left his home and was out for a walk. He glanced up and noticed a storm pounding on the protective shell of the lifeglobe. He knew that outside the dome the temperatures were bitterly cold, and it made him shiver just thinking about it. He unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself and continued on.

  With every step, he was thinking about the mind-boggling array of experiences that his latest habit had engendered. The universe did not seem as big. His wildest dreams were not as important, and his smile was not as easy or simple as it had been. In one way, he felt more fulfilled because of his new accomplishments and knowledge, but he also felt more alone and confused. His couldn’t help himself. He wanted more.

  He sat down in the middle of the night, gazing up at two of the three moons that belonged to the tug and pull of R-131, and in that quiet moment, he thought about the men and women who had traveled so far throughout the Milky Way for hundreds of years now. All of them, including everyone in this lifeglobe, had had only one ancestral home. They had all come from Earth, and it had been a blue diamond in the midst of a universe of many magical and alluring planets. None, however, in recorded history, had ever been inhabited by the variety and sheer number of exuberant life forms that had existed there. The many stories that Simon had listened to and viewed during his life now captivated him, and he wished that he had been able to see and experience that wonderful place.

  And with that thought, his eyes moistened and shards of color blasted across his vision. Without any forewarning, his body was forced onto the hard pavement. He ached to open his eyes but couldn't. His head pulsed, and the sensations in his extremities softened; his entire body had become numb. He panicked with the thought of insanity or disease creeping through him. But that moment passed, and he felt himself simply give in and relax. He lost consciousness and slept.

  ***

  Slowly Simon awoke and raised his head. He was lying on a luxurious material of some kind. He did not have any pain and was able to function almost immediately, except for a slight drowsiness, which even now was leaving him. He sat up and became aware of a spherical light nearby just slightly smaller than a clenched fist. He reached down and cradled it in his hands. It’s light was warm and calming.

  From the glow of the sphere, he noticed that he was in a room, although its exact features were obscured by a shadowy dimness. Then he was startled by a simple, tender touch. A hand had reached out of the darkness in front of him and caressed his fingers that held the light.

  Feeling the hand, his first thought was that he had been kidnapped or whisked away on some Ramjet to forever travel without a name or home. He started to speak, but as his lips parted, he stopped himself. Somehow, he felt the need to remain silent and watch.

  The glow between his fingers intensified. His captor, or friend, whichever it might be, was more visible now. She possessed the eyes of a temptress - vital and yet soothed by lines of ever-present humo
r. Her hair was long and flowing. The tender brown coloration changed shades in the light as she moved. Her clothes and body spoke to him of serenity, strength, and warmth.

  The light continued to grow stronger, but the room remained dark, with only his immediate surroundings becoming more distinct. She looked directly into his eyes, and in so doing, her features became even clearer. There was power cradled within the softness of her face. She was neither young nor old, but she was strong and vibrant. Simon was entranced.

  She spoke in low musical tones. "Simon. You are part of all. Your knowledge is great, yet hidden from you. You are surrounded by the cosmos, yet you are alone and lonely. Look into your hands and become one with the universe."

  He was having trouble grasping the meaning of her words, but he did look down, and in so doing, lost himself within the sphere’s brightness. He was pulled and tugged deeper and deeper into the radiant void, imperceptibly at first and then with increasing velocity. He was becoming a vibrating molecule, a glorious neutron, a rushing cosmic ray speeding through space.

  Simon had become the purest form of being. His vision remained clear and precise, but his physical body had vanished. He just was.

  He burst from the brightness, traveling at incalculable speeds across the vastness of space. Within seconds, he experienced the tremendous power of a supernova. It exploded within the periphery of his vision - gases moving, collecting, swirling. He saw moons as they circled in elliptical swells around huge planets. He was a witness to the universe. He was the universe. Traversing from galaxy to galaxy, solar system to solar system, planet to planet. He was an interstellar wanderer of immeasurable distances. It was more than anyone could ever hope to absorb or understand.

  His movement slowed. In the distance, a spiral galaxy seemed to be his destination. In one of its twisting arms, near a moderately bright sun, were several planets. Each reflected their sun's brilliance with a different aura. One in particular was the size of a pin; yet millisecond-by-millisecond, it was rushing to fill the expanse of his sight. Rushing! Hurtling!