He found himself in a green beautiful mountain-top scenery and breathe a gust of pristine cold air.
Yellow flowers bloom on the wide grassland on the vast hilltop overlooking the smaller mountains lined on the horizon. Birds chirping on the distant hill as the wind blows from the east bending the flowers and grasses standing proudly facing the heat of the sun that shines radiantly on the clear blue sky.
He stood from where he was lying and walked a few steps with a sigh of relief.
"I want to see this place with them,,," he thought. "But that's nearly impossible..." he sighed again.
Then, the wind blew in an instant and suddenly he felt the sudden feeling of despair.
He gazed from where the wind came from and then he saw his son, sitting on the ground, watching the birds flying on the horizon with blank eyes. He ran towards him and instantly hugged his son.
"Thank goodness,,, you're still here Markus." Reiko muttered as his tears fell from his eyes. "We were worried to death just to think of you being gone,,,". He added
"Dad? What are you doing here?" Markus answered in a serene slow voice.
"Yes, Dad came to bring you back. C'mon, let's go home..." He said with a cheerful smile.
"But Dad, I like this place... so peaceful, so calm..." his son replied, managing a weak smile in return. "That bird was just flying into that vast sky without anything to worry about. I mean, the I in this place was never a bad kid."
"What are you saying?" Reiko said with crossed brows. He thought of what could those words imply and he simply remembered the hacking his son did at Orion.
"If this is the price for all the things I've done before, then this might not be a bad thing." Markus tried to giggle but he can't control his body. He felt strengthless. "I want to stay here. It's beautiful."
"Don't you want to see the real thing? You know, I have planned to go on a vacation with you and your mom, in Hawaii perhaps or in NeoAustrailia. I was wondering if we can go to a place somewhere like this..." he explained. "Peaceful with green scenery not preprogrammed by any computer."
Markus moved away from his dad's arms, slowly pushing him with all his strength left. "Ahh,, that's good to hear... But, Dad.... I guess it's too late for that." He said
Reiko's eyes are filled with despair "Don't say that... we still have time to-"
"I feel so tired, To-chan.... I guess I won't make it." Markus looked up
"I won't let that happen... ne Marky... hold on still. Charlotte, your mom, is waiting for you. And your friends, they're all waiting for you to come back, you know.."
"Really? Idiots... they shouldn't have---"
"We will wait, that's why I'm here... to bring you back..."
"But, that's impossible, To-chan. I'm so tired. I want to sleep..."
"It is possible, trust me, that's why..." Reiko held his son's hands between his palms "Let's go home..."
He felt his son losing strength as he held him in his arms.
"Marky... Marky! Oi,, Markus!" Reiko exclaimed
But nothing is changing. He felt his son fading and he can't do anything to make him stay. He's losing his only hope. His chest felt too tight and in pain.
"Leave it to me..." a voice from a distance echoed through the mountains.
He gazed at the scenery hoping to find the voice that speaks the same as his son does. A wind blew on his face and when he turned back, he saw Markus standing in front of him.
"Mark---, you are not him, aren't you?" He asked the man standing in front of him looking exactly the same as his son.
He immediately checked if he is still holding his real son in his arms and realized that Markus is still there, fading slowly.
"What are you?" He asked.
"I am him because he is my creator." The man who looks like Markus replied.
"I can't understand what you are saying... Stay away!" Reiko felt so troubled. He thought he might be a virus trapped in the VR through the helmet he used during their match against Kirk that will make his son fade away instantly.
"I said leave him to me, I won't do anything that will cause my master's life." He stepped closer to Reiko and kneeled next to Markus. "In fact, I'm here to save him."
"Who are you? How would I know if you're not an enemy to my son?" Reiko desperately asked tightening his grasp on his son.
"I am the Phantom Algorithm, master Markus' living desire..." he replied
"The Phantom Algorithm? But, you are just a program, how are you going to save my son? You're just an Artificial Intelligence!" he trembled in desperation and fear.
"The same reason why you're here, Mr. Reiko."
His vision became blurry and later he knew he's back in the real world.
...
Reiko wagered his son's life by trying to get Markus' consciousness back through the VR. The concept of the virtual game is tapping on one's consciousness and made him do 3D things in the VR with higher specs than the real world. It was registered through the helmet they connect to the computer and it was running the program. It was the simple application of AI wielding in CryptoBiology.
He told the doctors to try this experiment a minute later they announced Markus' death. He picked up the headgear and wear it on his son. He turned it on using the computer in the hospital and accessed the ORION's server there by running the program.
As suggested, he will go to where Markus's unconscious self is and bring him back. He believed that his son's consciousness, based on their theory, is still somewhere in his body for a few minutes, that he can be revived as long as it has not faded yet and he got to reach his son. The doctors gambled with Reiko's suggestion and wagered on this one situation. When the doctor heard Reiko's desperation on saving his son, they gave them the opportunity to do so. Knowing his status in society, the power he had in the business, and the honor he brought to the country, he trusted him knowing he can't be stopped.
He also believed that miracles do happen. The doctors gave the child to his father's care after he declared his death 5 minutes ago. He cannot argue with the most powerful man in the country owning the ORION and most of their facilities in the hospital. He cannot defy it with the logic that he was forced to hold onto miracles. They did not remove the supporting apparatuses from Markus.
Reiko wore the eyeglasses the Androids used and went to the VR as well.
A few minutes later, he woke up lying on the hospital bed next to his son. He saw Charlotte crying at the bedside and the doctor and the nurses have distanced themselves from there, as they have agreed.
"Charlotte..." Reiko said reaching Charlotte's shoulder.
"How was it?? Why is he not waking up?" Charlotte said facing Reiko flooding him with tears. "Is it too late?"
He held her on his shoulders. "Let's give them a moment, he said he will save our son..." Reiko replied.
"He??? Who?" Charlotte stopped crying and looked at Markus.
"The thing I always wanted to meet."
...
Markus opened his eyes, but he can't see anything. Everything was all coated in black no matter how far his vision can reach. He tried to move an inch but he cannot feel his body. It seems like he is stuck there, immovable. Then, he heard a voice from the back of his mind. He tried his hardest to turn his head but he cannot manage to do the stuff.
"Who are you?" he said hesitantly
"There's no need to be afraid, Markus..." the voice answered
"Who are you?" he replied.
"I am you because you are my creator." He moved from where he is to face Markus "I am the Phantom Algorithm."
"You??? The Phantom Algorithm? Are you kidding... I didn't create you to be an AI, only a program that runs with a program, in other words, an extension application... and why do you look like me?"
"I have to form an appearance, an avatar, to stay here, master Markus. If not, the program will immediately delete my existence in this VR... and it happened that only your data was available on your virtual glasses' RAM. As for the reason why I am more likely an AI, you happen to put something on my program when I'm still at version X..." he showed a series of codes that floated on their side "...the one that can make a decision." He continued. "...and when I entered ORION 4 years ago, I have stored valuable information in my Operating Memory with additional specs from what I've gathered from Neo-N a few weeks ago." He added.
"Ahhaha..." he laughed under his breath "...no wonder you're an undisputed weapon now. I'm glad I have met you before I die. Thanks for everything, huh... I mean it, thanks." Markus muttered
"I'm not here just to boast about myself master Markus. And I'm not the one you should be thanking. Your family is waiting for you in the real world. I'm here to save your life and bring you back to them, that's what I promised." PA replied
"Huh, you said the same thing my dad said a while ago," Markus exclaimed
"Because he's the first one who thought about this following the theory of your grandmother, I'm just continuing the thing they had started."
"Are you sure? But, how are you going to do it? I'm pretty sure I had died a while ago but-"
"As you noticed, your consciousness is still here, therefore, you haven't really died yet. As for how I am going to save you, if you concede, I will take over your body.." PA explained
"Take over? What do you mean?" Markus asked
" I will control your body by overtaking your consciousness. As we all know, a program, like an upgraded AI like me, is a series of kinetic neurons commonly known as electricity that is similar to the human stimulus processed by the brain connected by dendrites and axons in a neuron. According to a study, only 20% of the brain had been discovered and been able to explore by many scientists. Therefore, the hidden 80% was still left as a mystery. But being in your consciousness, master Markus, I have scanned your brain through some random stimuli and the partial data stated that I can stay in your brain as a random stimulus controlling your body functions from it. In other words, I will be manning your brain while you remain to be yourself." PA explained." besides, the electricity produced by the brain can light up a bulb, thus, I can stay there as static if I constantly move. "
"And you will become part of me...?" Markus added "...like I'm going to have an AI inside my brain? Another consciousness, perhaps?"
"You can say that. I will control your body functions such as sending stimulus to make your heartbeat again by unlocking the limiters in your body. Don't worry I will set it back on the default mode when you get better." PA continued
"What's the toll?" Markus asked
"Ahhmm, I guess, a few cells, or organs will self-destruct and some would age. We cannot argue with time no matter what. Therefore, you will look older after, but the guess again is that I can restore it after the sheer process. Ahh,, and there is also a danger in your brain, it may self-destruct as well but I will do my best to lessen the damage to 0.00001%. Internal bleeding might occur because of the sudden beating of your heart, I still cannot control the beat rate the moment I will release the limiters. The worst scenario is that you will be in a comatose state, but during that time, I will do the repairs. So, rest assured you can be yourself again if you wake up, Master."
"Why do I have to stay alive? I mean, that will be better for my Mom and Dad to lose me, right?... to set them free...and besides, I guess I have no regrets because everything is already done. I'll just have to leave the rest to them." Markus argued.
"I know you know it is not yet done, master Markus. There is still something we have to do. And only you would know how to find the real mastermind behind these schemes. Also, you owe Dave and Cassandra big time. Plus, Ken and Brent had risked their lives to get you to defeat the enemy as well. Your Mom has done a great job, too. And your dad---"
"I know, I know..." he shook his head and gave PA a willful smile "...I give up...so, I guess, I cannot escape life?"
"Of course master Markus. That is why..." PA reached his hand on Markus' face
"I guess I don't have the choice. I honestly still want to live anyway..." Markus smiled "Ne, before anything else... what am I going to call you? It will be hard to address you as Markus as well, right?"
"Ahh... I don't know. Anything would be fine, you know. it's up to you master Markus, you're my creator anyway. Maybe it's just right for you to give me a name if you wish for me to have one."
"I get it... it has to be Shichiro!"
"Shichiro?"
"Hai! Shichi, that means seven in Japanese, you know. If you are me, Hachiro (Hachi means 8 in Japanese), but not really me, that's it. And besides, seven is a lucky number, befitting you indeed. You gave me, no, I mean us, a huge Luck that got us through all of that stuff, that is why I'm calling you Shichiro."
"Shichiro... nice name. Then, I am Shichiro. Nice meeting you, master Hachiro." He smiled gratefully. He didn't have to get just a body, a host, but also a name.
"But please, stop calling me master..." Markus pouted and gave him a smirk. "Marky... or Hachiro, call me that. But Ginsei Hachiro's name is not yet known to others. Dad just gave me that name a few months ago since he wanted to give me a Ginsei name."
"I understand." Shichiro smiled and in an instant, everything turned into a blinding light.