The Next Day. In His Duplex.
"So, let's get to this."
Drake fell into the couch. He was careful not to seat on the tablet which was already in the couch, slightly slipping into the space where the arm and the seat meet.
"The last app."
He began to scroll down as soon as he unlocked the tab. There wasn't really any much reason for keeping his tab on lock since he was the only one living in the big apartment. But for some reason known only to the human nature, it must be done.
And most times when that thought crossed his mind, he made himself feel good with the knowledge of the three nightmares who could enter into anyone's apartment.
"This should be it."
He clicked on the last app with a question mark on it. He had scrolled through a whole lots of other apps before getting to that.
"How could apps be this much on this tab? What's even the storage capacity. Lemme check..."
He minimized the loading app and tapped at the top screen to bring up the setting. He scrolled down the storage capacity. He exclaimed,
"Handsome cow! 10 000 terabytes. What were they thinking? We'll download all the galaxies?"
[App opened.]
The robotic voice said and he went back to the intended app. He clicked it open. There were varieties of options to choose from. Options with weird titles.
"Which of this could it be?"
Some of the titles of the files were;
[ Durex, Landline, Tampon, Vascular surgery, Motives...]
"What the fuck is vascular surgery? Is this some hospital?!"
He shook his head, scrolling down.
"Let's see motives..."
He clicked on motive but it opened to lots of videos. He opened one of the videos, it contained footages of the old world. He was tempted to watch the content but he knew he didn't have such luxury of time.
"Will watch all of you in my free period. Now I've got to figure out as much as I can. The thought of missing out on anything send a chill down my --"
He shrugged, more of trying to shoo the thoughts off.
"This must be it!"
His finger hovered over a boring title after he'd scrolled down for like several moments and opened useless files.
"G-Mascot. Sounds shady!"
He nodded then clicked on it. He put the tab on his laps, closed his eyes, then put his palms together like you do when you pray,
"Please be. Let it be it!"
[File opened.]
The robotic voice came again. He flipped his eyes opened. There was a sudden pop-up which stated,
[ULTINUM Game Map. Open me!]
"Yes!!! fuck it!!"
He threw the tab aside and jumped up, punching the air as though he had just been told that he is now an elite.
"Yes!! Damn it! I was already bored out of mind. But now I can play the real game. Yes!!"
He hurried back to the tab and picked it. He didn't bother to sit now,
"You fucking Manor. I'll catch up with you and humiliate --"
He paused for a moment, like his whole body was on the fritz,
"No, Drake. Come to your senses! This is more than some battle of ego!"
He clicked on the pop-up. It unfolded like a scroll and stretched out in the app for few seconds. Then another pop-up came
[Print me]
"Print me? How do I print this?"
He quickly asked the AI of the tab how to print the scroll and it told him. He hurried to his room and brought out the moldable printer packaged beside his bedside.
He connected the printer wirelessly and started printing out the scroll. It didn't take forever to print it out.
As soon as the scroll was printed out, he put it to his nose and smelt the freshness. The smell of the brown paper sent a kinda sense of peace through his system.
"But I don't understand how this happened!"
He wanted to argued but he figured that he didn't have time for that.
"First thing first."
He turned to the baby-like bot in his room,
"Disassemble the printer and pack it up."
He hurried out of the room without waiting to see how the bot would do it. He seemed to have much trust in the technological products. After all, 'twas his world.
"Now, let's see where we are starting from."
He looked through the scroll.
"What!!! 500 levels?!"
He screamed. He swiped his left palm across his face to perhaps wake himself from sleep.
"How's that even possible. How can we all play 500 levels?! This is just way too ridiculous."
He pointed at the first level. Under the conspicuously written number "1" was a note,
[Three trials at every stage; for more notes, refer to the app.]
Drake grunted,
"This will kill me."
He quickly went back to the app. He saw, SUPPORTING NOTES,
[ * Three trials at every stage: If after removing each chip attached to a stage, and have clipped it in, you feel like you can't win the level, you can tap out of it, then return two more times. Varieties of choices would be given at each level. Minimum of one, maximum of three.]
Drake gave an exhausting sigh.
"What clip? Are there other chips than the original one?"
He looked back at the scroll, he saw small button-like chips attached to each level; the levels were divided by lines across the large scroll, from bottom to top.
Drake read the rules further,
[Passing each stage earns you points and valuable items which could be magical. You might be lucky enough to unlock an item which could help you skip three to five levels at a time. Note: Levels of choice.]
He scoffed,
"Petty. How can I even know what's in the next mission if I've not unlocked it? What a way to make a player lose items in random levels."
"I can't finish reading all these goddamn rules today!!"
He scrolled through and through, down and down the long lists of rules.
"Does it ever e-- damn, it does!"
His finger hovered over the last rule which was written in block letters,
[IF YOU'RE LUCKY TO MAKE IT TO LEVEL 500, YOU'LL AUTOMATICALLY BECOME AN ULTIMATUM ELITE. AND WOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ELITE GAMES. AND ACT LIKE A GOD; ONE OF WHICH IS, EXCEPTIONS FOR THE ULTINUM FIRST-TIER GAMING RULES]
"What the fuck! Elite what? Don't tell me there are other missions after 500 --"
He didn't let that bother much as he come to a more striking realization,
"Wait... The trash can must be the first tier game. While this is the real game. Two games, one system! How shady."
He shook his head suddenly,
"I can't be discouraged. I must get to the root of all these. If I don't make an attempt, who will save humanity?!"
He walked back to the couch and sat down,
"Let's get this started."
He was going to remove the chip on the first level when he heard,
"Drake! Drake! Help! Help!"
He stopped.
"Isn't that someone calling my name?"
He listened closely,
"Drake, Drake! Help me please!!"
"That sounds like Chloe."
He admitted. He shook his head in disagreement,
"No, I can't be distracted. I'm about to get everything started now. No bitch can ruin this. Especially not her."
He dismissed, making to remove the chip again. His hand somehow touched the tab on his lap and suddenly, Chloe was seen outside the gate of his house waving and shouting,
"Please don't do this. Help, help!!"
"Is there a limit to what this tab can do?"
He thought for a while, then remembered,
"But what does this bitch want? Now of all time!!!"
He sighed then stood up,
"Just this last time. I'll never be distracted by her again."
He looked back at the tablet,
"But why is she this cute!"
He muttered. He hit his head suddenly,
"No, no way you're falling for that cane Corso."
He walked to the door and palmprinted. He hurried through the lawn and approached the gate. He stood afar off because of the sensitive gate. It could open if he walked closer.
"I thought you don't want anything with me."
He lashed out words at her. She nodded in affirmation.
"Then what are you doing here shouting and disturbing my peace?!"
"Someone broke into my house."
He laughed suddenly,
"Someone broke into your house? Are you serious right now? This is no --"
He recalled what the three youth said about breaking into someone's house.
"And why did you come to me knowing that I could lose a life?"
He pretended not to be interested.
"You're my neighbor. Even though we've had our fall outs, you're still prolly the only person I talk to."
That tickled his heart though and he almost let out a smile. He couldn't believe that he could be so 'sus', a simp.
"I'd have to reactivate the soundproof wall."
He muttered then walked towards the gate. The gate opened.
"Lead the way, cos I don't trust you."
He watched her lead the way and he followed. In no time they were inside her compound,
"How didn't you figure out when they did the break in?"
He advanced as she palmprinted the door.
"I wasn't home. I went on a stroll. Got bored of the game and sitting indoors. But when I returned, I heard movements and I'm way too scared to go in."
"Just movements? It could some bots..."
"No, voices too. I can tell human voices from a bot's. Forgotten that I was in all these before you?!"
He sneered at her. She stepped aside as soon as the door opened,
"Maybe lead the way."
She offered in a hush voice. He didn't want to but then did. They both walked stealthily into her spacious and uniquely styled living room.
"From what direction did you hear the voice? I can't hear anything!"
He whispered, walking off the biggest couch into the centre of the sitting room.
"How can you be so dumb to believe that? I thought you claim you're a genius?"
She called at him in a normal tone. He turned to her. There was a mocking smile seated in her face.
"What's this? Was that a prank?"
She shook her head,
"You are so annoyingly dumb. How could you believe that someone broke in when we all know that every property is privy to its owners!"
She grunted in displeasure, looking really disappointed. Drake was more confused.
"Wait, what are you trying to do? Why did you invite me? I don't think you're having naughty thoughts. Even if you have feelings for me which is rather impossible, you know that's even worse."
She cackled, adding to his confusion.
"Stupid stupid. Is that how highly you think of yourself? Dork!"
She continued, moving closer to him as he moved back,
"I heard that you lost one life and are left with only one."
"How did you -- So?"
Drake gulped, hitting the real question. She kept advancing, and he retreating,
"Nothing much. I'm just here to take the remaining life!"
"Are you crazy or what?"
Drake raised his voice.
"Yes I am?"
She claimed with much comfort.
"Why are you doing this? Do you hate me that much?"
She chuckled,
"Not really. But I won't let you have that life you so want... I'll never stop until I've made your life more miserable than mine. After all, I lost everything because of your birth!!!"
She was increasing her pace now. He pushed his arm forward, in an attempt to stop her,
"Think this twice. You'll lose your life too. And also, if your father was still alive, do you really think that you'll be living together? Won't the same the thing be happening? Or are you just delusional?!"
"Yes, I am. I am delusional! And this delusional girl will make sure we both end up locked in the video game. Stranded for eternity."
She charged at him and he ran to the door. But poor him, he'd forgotten that he could never open the door.
"Please don't!!"
He quickly ran away from the door, through the back of the couch and wanted to jump over it to the other side to lose her. The jump was successful, but the balance was bad... he fell down and rolled off the couch.
She took an advantage of his fall...