"…It seems like it got the interest of even someone like you, for sure I am not the first you try to get information from. Am I right?" Axel asks.
Levon. "Yes, I've asked Father Robert and Dr Howard as well."
Axel. "Well that means you'll have to be more specific about your questions then, so we do not waste time repeating ourselves.
But before that, I will tell you something about this game."
Axel's demeanor suddenly changes. "It is not a game!"
Levon. "…Then what is it?"
Axel. "Truth."
Levon looks confusingly at the king, then asks. "…What truth?"
Axel. "Why not discovering it yourself?". He grins and continues. "Now what do you want to know exactly?"
Levon. "…What's the relation between what happened 30years ago and the game?"
Axel. "Hmmm… So they've told you this much? I'm surprised.
From studying it for more than half of my life, I concluded that this game has the ability to affect reality! Not only that, but even take its place. However, that will only get activated after reaching the objectives set within the game's world.
Virtual reality games, in a basic sense reverse reality and turn it into a fictional world, "The Eraquest" reverses the effect and makes the fictional world itself, the reality!
Another condition to that, is the number of players contributing must be huge. It feeds on all their life energy inside, until it reaches a maximum level that enables it to take over the world!
It is something beyond human boundaries, and though I've been able to reach these conclusions. I still am working on replicating this technology, the invisible trick I did on you back in the elevator, is derived from this game itself!
As I've replaced my real physical appearance with a virtual one existing in a program I've made.
Well, no need to get too technical. All you have to know is that it works!".
Levon is completely blown away and thinks to himself. '…Unbelievable! How is something like that even possible? And to think it has been created more than 30years ago?
Just, who is this Doctor X?!'
Axel continues. "…So now that I've figured out the use of this game, and why Doctor X gave it such importance back then. I could not hesitate to make the world on notice, we can't waste any more time. The world is already collapsing on us Mr Levon! The toxic substances have already took over the whole earth except Kush, and if not for the wall. We'd have been all rotten by now. Your generation may have better mechanisms to deal with it, but completely surviving is unfortunately, out of the realm of reality.
We have no insurance that building the Sissosphere again is going to fix the situation, nor for how long, nor if it's even possible to do.
So…"
Axel stands up all of a sudden, and stretches his hands widely as if he's welcoming a guest.
"Me… King Axel of The post-historic Emperor of Kush!
I am personally inviting you to take on this challenge, participate in this spectacle and let us together create a new world, Levon Graham!!
TAKE A LOOK AROUND YOU AGAIN!".
His voice slowly begins to rise higher with each word he says, his eyes getting wider and his smile larger. As if he's reaching a state of euphoria!!
"ALL OF WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
KINGS!!
THRONES!!
ANGELS!!
DEMONS!!
SCULPTURES!!
SCRIPTURES!!
GOLD!!
FIRE!!
WARS!!
AND EVEN THESE MYTHICAL CREATURES YOU SEE ON THESE WALLS!!
EVERYTHING THAT HUMANITY HAS EVER KNOWN, IS STORED IN THIS AMAZING INVENTION!!"
This, took Levon by a storm of unexplainable chemical reactions that he has no clue about. Almost pushing him to faint!!
'I…need to get out of here immediately!!!' Said in his mind.
Axel's ecstatic expression reached a descent point, he takes a seat again on his throne and rests his face so casually on his fingers.
"…The next commercial will soon come out, there will be more information as to how to participate.
I sincerely hope you do, only people like you can make this experience a success.���
Levon still has some questions, and he knows this is his only chance now. He gathers what's left from his mental strength. "…When was..the game found? And..Where?"
Axel. "Years ago, I don't remember exactly."
Levon. "Was it after the revolution?"
Axel. "Yes."
Levon. "And…Was doctor X ever found? Or his identity revealed?"
Axel. "No. Never!"
Levon. "I see…"
Suddenly, his left eye uncontrollably closes!
'Ugh..My head is starting to hurt again! An indication that I've reached my limit…I need to get going.'
"…Thank you so much for your time and answers, King Axel."
Axel. "You're welcome.
Levon, you're a scientist yourself, you know that nothing is the source of knowledge like experimentation."
Levon stays silent for a moment, then gets up. "I will be going now…"
He puts his shoes back on and heads towards the door, he forgot that he didn't came from there! Awkwardly, he stood in his place waiting for the door to open…
Axel kept looking at him with a funny face, waiting for him to ask. Only after a whole minute, Levon had enough courage to do it.
"…Can I go back from the same way I got in?"
"Hahahahahahahaha!!! Axel lets out a hilarious laugh. "Yes you can. Just make sure no one sees you going out."
Levon lets out a sigh of relief, opens the elevator and gets in.
However! Before it closed down on him…Axel added one more sentence!
"…I am not sure, but I think he might be inside the game itself."
"What….WAIT!".
Levon abruptly pushes the button trying to stop the elevator, but it was too late. Axel's words were perfectly synchronized with the door getting closed!
'…Inside the game?!!
He must be…talking about Doctor X!!
…That explains why they couldn't detect him on earth?!! Can it be…that the ultimate objective of this game to find him!!'
Levon reaches the ground level, the door opens and with quick silent steps he gets out without letting himself be seen.
As usual, covering his head and half of his face with his hoodie, he gives the twin tower one last look. '…It sure looks weird!
King Axel…
For some reason, seems to be the most interesting of the three.
I regret not knowing more from him before.'
….
*The 10th July, 2093. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTION*
Levon's in his separated room. While the rest of his team are all working…Seemingly.
On the far corner, two voices were whispering…
"Hey…
Don't you think that he's being a bit weird lately?"
"Weird?! Isn't he always like that?"
"No…I mean even weirder! He always gave us tasks to do, with no rest.
But he seems careless about his work lately, we haven't come up with anything new to help the Sissosphere project."
"…That's right! I don't know what's got into him…I thought someone like him can never get tired of working."
This was part of the conversation two laboratory scientists from Levon's working team were having!
As their conversations suggests, Levon's productivity has significantly lowered!!
In The midst of all his electronic work data. The ones he's now currently looking at are not the ones related to the project…
He's organizing all the information he recently gathered in a very short span, about the whole history of the natural revolution, The Eraquest and last but not least…Doctor X!
From his face, you can tell he hasn't slept well for about a week, if not at all. And that says something given the supernatural metabolism he has.
Suddenly, someone enters his room!!!
Levon quickly looks up, he almost forgot the one person accessible to enter without his permission, for he was the last person he expected!
With a quite shocked look, he calls his name.
"Zephyr…"
The latter replies. "…You don't really look good over there.". As he looked at Levon from Above!