This is the continuation of the Bad Trip series.
The earlier episodes can be found here (part one) (part two) (part three) (part four) (part five).
Part 6
“What the hell happened?” Jim looked at Robert and Zack for answers. In all his years of dealing with mind hacks he had never been removed by the simulation. An evolving system presented too many variables, and that wasn't what Jim wanted to be dealing with.
“I have no idea. I'm still picking up some interference in the signals, but nothing significant.” Robert and Jim both looked to Zack in the hope that he had some explanation.
“What just happened shouldn't be possible. The simulation is controlled from outside of itself. Not by itself. It's either evolving, or someone is interfering with our signals.” Zack tried to help put some pieces together, but he was becoming all too aware of the truth. They were in new territory.
“If the system was evolving, it would have to have been programmed to do so.” Jim looked to Zack for some guidance knowing he himself lacked the technical know how of the system. “And it couldn't program itself to do so. It couldn't self evolve? Surely.”
“I don't think it would be in anyone's interests to have an evolving system. The original developers would lose control eventually. So I can't see how it would be a deliberate act by them to allow for any form of change. Not if it would lead to some degree of loss of control.” Robert looked at Jim as he thought through the ramifications of what appeared to be happening. “Even our own people have tried to enter changes into the system. Every attempt failed. And we know how long it took just to gain access.”
“But what if the developers aren't in control of the simulation any more? Perhaps there is a rogue in their own team.” Jim ruminated on such a concept, but the more he thought it through, the more he feared such an outcome was possible.
“Well something has changed. Someone appears to have altered something, and we have to figure out the new rules, and quickly. If we are to get our man out.” Robert put his headphones back on and started to listening to the machine's signals. Somewhere, within the virtual world that those signals represented, Taylor was left stranded and out of his depth. Feeling very much like his three so-called rescuers felt right now.
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Taylor looked in disbelief. His eyes were still struggling to adjust to the darkness of the forest around him, but he knew what he was seeing. Or more precisely, what he wasn't seeing. Jim had vanished. Taylor knew he hadn't run off. That much he would have observed, even if he failed to see where Jim ended up. He looked out in every direction, moving his body around, darting his eyes from side to side, hoping to pick up some movement. To hear some slight sound. But nothing.
He was still holding the metal gadget that Jim had left him with the wires protruding from his head. He felt like a cyborg Rastafarian. Was he meant to hold onto these, and wait? Would Jim even be back? He felt more confused than ever. He wanted to move; “he found me once, he can find me a second time,” he thought, as he contemplated what to do with the device stuck to his head.
He really wished Jim had answered his questions now. Where was he? What is this place? Taylor thought through his options, but ultimately he felt that moving was his best option. It had worked for him in the darkened room he first woke up in. He had found the office, he reminded himself. Was there something else here he needed to find? Only one way to find out.
Taylor took a look at the metal box he held in his hand. The wires emerged from one side of it, but they weren't long enough for it to reach his pocket. He didn't want to have to hold it; his movements were too restricted. But losing it didn't seem a better option either. He felt for where the wires connected to the device, hoping for a release or latch of some sort. If there was some way to release the wires it didn't reveal itself readily. They appeared to be firmly attached. He was ready to give up when his fingers felt the smallest of clips. It was held in tightly, but pressing hard against it finally released the wires. He breathed a sigh of relief, put the item in the back pocket of his pants, before realising he still had the wires dangling down from his head.
“It will do,” he thought, grateful that at least his hands were free. “Where to now?” Taylor looked around. There was the dimmest of light coming from his right, along the line that the creek came from. He fumbled his way along side it. Then in it. He tried to stay out of the creek itself, but the terrain was not even, and moving in the dark was proving near impossible. Well moving wasn't, but doing so with grace was. He stumbled further, feeling his way, bumping into several trees, tripping over a number of rocks, before pausing and wondering how far had he come.
He looked behind him, but that was just blackness. No telling what distance he had travelled. But the glimmer of light he was moving towards was closer. Considerably so, and he knew it. Spurred on he kept moving, slowly, not wanting to injure anything as he progressed from rock to tree, to ditch as he marched on further. The splash of the water let he know when he had slipped too close, leaving himself half sodden and covered in mud.
“So much darkness in this world!” he contemplated his experiences so far. Was there any light to be found here? Or did night time just last a long time.
Taylor kept moving and progressing toward the light. He felt too much adrenaline pumping now to focus on any sense of fear. He had a mission, and he felt like it was succeeding – reach that dim light in the distance. Except now it wasn't so dim. Still not seeming any brighter than a twilight level of radiance, he knew he had covered most of the distance. He could make out the edge of the forest, and a thinning out beyond it.
As he exited the dense covering of the forest he scanned the land that lay out in front of him. An old barn was in the distance. And it seemed like as good a place as any to rest in. He just needed to reach it.
Standing only a few metres from the forest edge, ready to start the final leg of the journey, he heard a low deep rumble come from behind him. He stopped, eyes wide open with fear. He stayed as still as he could; not sure as to whether he heard the noise or imagined it. Until he heard it again, slightly louder. It was coming from the forest, some distance inside it. He turned and scanned the ground between himself and the forest edge. He tried in vain to see into the darkness beyond the line of trees. “There could be anything there,” he thought, deciding he needed more distance between himself and those trees.
He turned and started moving towards the barn. The ground was too boggy for quick movement. He pressed on, one step, then another. It was slow going, and he knew it. Slower than in the forest. The ground was surprisingly uneven, with a cover of small ferns that hid the surface beneath it. But he didn't stop. Especially when that noise returned a third time. This time closer. And clearer. And he knew what he was hearing; the growl of an animal. A long drawn out rumble. He quickly looked back over his shoulder, but saw nothing. “Still in the forest,” he thought.
Taylor could make out the features on the barn now. He had covered most of the rough terrain. An open field lay in front of him, leading to the barn, and stretching out beyond it. He saw the door, and knew he had to get to it quickly. Inside would offer some protection. But how much? He moved over the last few metres very quickly and fumbled for the latch. Finally releasing the latch, he opened the door and took a final look behind to where the forest lay. His felt his heart start to race, as he realised how closely he was being followed. By something large. And it was moving quicker over the terrain than he had managed. He observed its features, and realised he knew what that was. “But that doesn't exist,” he thought “it's a creature of mythology.” Racing towards him he could see a creature that looked part human. But with that head, and those horns, Taylor knew what he was seeing, even if he shouldn't be. A Minotaur was bearing down on him. And he had seconds to get to safety.
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Image Credit: Unsplash.com and Pixabay.com
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