Ghost in the Machine

Deblod100 · #1

((Set after Neogenesis))

"This is bullshit." Kenton grumbled to himself, while he was waiting for the tech guy to finish checking his own rig after the DDOS attack kicked him out of the CyberTag server. Eventually, the tech guy does bring back Kenton's rig, gently putting it on the counter.

"I ran the diagnostics. Your CR helmet is fine." the tech guy said to Kenton, who had to adjust his glasses. "How's my anti-virus? Some hackers like to try to mess with other people's systems."

"Your anti-virus is still up. The DDOS attack you mentioned didn't mess up any of the systems you have installed. My best recommendations is that you try to steer off some CyberTag servers for a while, but I doubt any damage will happen to your CR software."

Kenton felt like he was being paranoid that his CR rig was going to just bust one day on the inside. "How much do I pay you?" Kenton got his wallet out.

"Since there's no problems and a diagnostic test being done, 3 bucks will do." the tech guy asked. Kenton pulled out a 5 dollar bill. "You do change?" Kenton asked, which the tech guy nodded.

"Kenton, you should eat your dinner."

Kenton's mother was at the dinner table with his father. The normal pot roast that his parents made was only half-eaten by Kenton. "Relax. I'm almost done." Kenton said, but for some reason, he felt so drowsy. Since when has he feel like he needed actual sleep? Maybe he shouldn't be just playing around with his fork on the plate. Forcing himself to eat what was left, Kenton was already in a hurry to get to bed.

"You're already going back to CR?" Kenton's father asked. "No, I'm just going to go to bed. I had to get to the repair store to see if my headset was busted, so I was out all day."

You didn't use that time to touch the usual grass, did you, Kenton?

"It's 7:30? Are you alright?" Kenton's mother was wondering her son was heading to bed way before the usual time. "I'm fine."

"Are you getting side effects from the tablets?" his mother continued. She was referring to Kenton's HRT. "No. It's probably not going to be a full-on sleep. It's probably a nap. I just want rest." Kenton immediately started to become passive-aggressive, excusing himself to his bedroom.

Kenton closed the bedroom door, already in his pajamas. His bedroom was silent.

Fuck, I feel like I'm going to pass out.

Kenton rubbed his face, mindful of his glasses. He laid completely flat on his bed, face up to the ceiling.

He looked at the time at the clock at his dresser. 7:35 PM in bright red letters. Screw it. He probably going to wake up in 3 hours. He can use the time to go swing by a disco.

Kenton removed his glasses, putting them on the dresser next to the clock.

With a loud yawn, he let his eyes closely, putting himself into a deep deep sleep...

Kenton stepped on the grass that was naturally grown from soil around for generations. The fresh breeze was on his face, as he walked down the wooded path.

Just another day at the San Jose Virtual park. Strangely, there was no one in scooters? There were a whole bunch of avatars around here?

There was a bench nearby. He could check his HUD and-

Wait...

Kenton checked his arm. He was still wearing grey pajamas and he was wearing his glasses.

"The hell?"

It can't be? He was supposed to be in Cyberspace, not the goddamn Meatspace with all of these "normies". This is bullshit! He has to deal with being outside, while he can be doing something productive like getting his skills up with CyberTag. Why can't he-

"What do you want?"

Kenton froze. He looked at the bench and he immediately saw someone was already there. He was a man with long dark hair that went down to his shoulders. He was dressed in a coat that looked like it was made out of black feathers. The more Kenton looked at him, the more he saw things that were... dream-like?

The man was wearing other clothes. He was wearing a black cloak over his coat. He looked like he was straight from some visual novel. Kenton could look at his eyes and realize they were slightly glowing yellow?

What is-

Oh.

"Oh, I get it!" Kenton said, trying to emulate the same style as Spookr8ma. He wished he spoke in his neon green tongue. "Nice hacked server. Didn't realize it was possible to do so for the Virtual Park." Kenton said, but the man sitting at the bench didn't look quite happy to see him.

"Didn't I ask a question? What is it that you want?"

"I don't follow..?"

The man raised his hand and nodded at Kenton. "Take a seat. We have enough time, don't we?"

Kenton glanced around to see that an old wooden chair has appeared behind him. Oblivious, he takes a seat in front of the man at the bench. "Look, I get how immersive you made your private server, but apart from the way you did a personal section of the park, things are bare around here."

"Depends on where you are. Are you in the hard-boiled wonderland or are you at the end of the world?"

"Haruki Murakami. I heard of his book, but I prefer Ready Player One."

"Subjective taste. As much as we can talk about books, the most important topic I have is about you here."

"The fuck are you talking about?"

That was when the man said something that was beginning to turn into a chill down the spine.

"You send your days in a world that you escape from. You don't bother to admire the forest for the trees or feel on if the plants are plastic. You would have to learn this eventually, Kenton. You have your reasons, but they aren't going to last forever."

"...How did you know my name?"

He needed to get out.

"Log off."

Nothing happened.

"Log off!" Kenton waited for his rig to be turned off, but nothing happened. He immediately clenched at his head, trying to feel for anything that was stuck to him. "How did you-"

"You spent most of your time in a fake reality that you fail to understand what is real and what is fantasy. You go deep into your personal hedonism on a new self that you do anything to escape what you deem too dull."

Kenton was getting pissed off and he hated what this creep was saying to him. "Log the fuck off! Come on!"

"You should know by now that this isn't cyber reality, Kenton."

"No, I get what's going on here!" Kenton stood up from his seat, looking at the man. "This is all just a scheme from you goddamn anti-CR activists! You got my personal information while I was getting my rig fixed, didn't you?! Just say it!" Kenton looked at him with a glare, but the man looked unconcerned.

"I can have him reason with you. He was so absorbed with making his own world that he nearly broke completely when he passed." The man tried to reach out to Kenton, but the latter replied by flipping off the man. "Ok. If this isn't Cyber Reality, I can assume that this is all a dream and I can wake up, so I can have better dreams in CR. So go fuck yourself and your supposed friend!" Kenton immediately left and continued down the path, not caring if the man was going to be following him. It was all just a silly nightmare, because some part of Kenton's mind was being a pussy.

Even with the trees and plants starting to become more and more warped, Kenton didn't seem bothered. He has seen enough horror movies and played enough horror video games to know what happens next.

There was nothing to be sca-

"Kenton. You need to listen to him."

Kenton heard another voice. It didn't seem to come anywhere, except Kenton's own mind. He already was getting it, but Kenton brushed it off.

"I'm not going to say it again. Listen, please."

"I'm not listening to your friend and I'm guessing he sent you to try to reason with me. Well, fuck you, pal!" Kenton raised both of his hands in the air with middle fingers. He twirled, not noticing that someone was actively following him.

"I understand your insecurities. You see yourself as weak, but the truth is you're not. You're still able to push through in the world that matters. If you don't acknowledge the problems outside, it will be too late. I was different like you. I was afraid. I feared that what I thought and said could make me an outcast. I wanted to make my own world that wasn't like the humans made out of clay. One I can visit. Despite this, I understood the importance of my world. The real life you live in is a better place then where I was from.

There is nothing wrong with escapism. There is nothing wrong with trying to block out your problems for time to think and be in peace.

I want you to understand that you cannot let it consume you."

Kenton stopped for a moment. He listened to the voice mentioning him. Mentioning on how he's able to push through in the real world.

"You don't get it."

"Kenton. I do-"

"There's people who are stuck in wheelchairs, stuck unable to go outside to touch grass for themselves, stuck because they know that the person they are isn't meant to be them! You and all of those fucking virtue-signaling two-faced TERFs and activists can rot for all I care! All you do is ruin it for everone!" Kenton became agitated. He felt like he was being talked down to, because he was living the good life at the reality that really mattered.

The voice didn't reply immediately. Instead, it was a while until Kenton heard it again. However, when Kenton got to the end of the path, there was a large mirror wall standing in the middle of the trees. Within the reflection, Kenton can see his puny Meatspace self. Kenton rolled his eyes. Such pretentious symbolism.

"Kenton..."

The voice spoke up again. This time, it sounded... aggressive.

"You have to understand..."

The voice sounded angry.

Kenton could only look in the mirror. He can see himself better. He can imagine what he was. He was not Kenton Zinn. He was Spookr8ma. He was the CyberTag player who slipped through platform and platform, gunning down enemies and claiming victory with his "real" friends. He was now smiling, knowing that he knew what he was going to do.

Of course, he saw him in the reflection.

Behind him.

Dressed with a dark cloak and hood over his head. Looking disappointed at Kenton with glowing green sunken eyes and bony arms crossed.

"You will never understand. No one else will." Kenton said smugly at Death behind him.

"The next time we may meet will not be pleasant, unless you learn your lesson."

"Lesson? You taught me nothing but gibberish. Just fuck off and die."

"Irony isn't my strong suit." Death was extending his arm. Something was materializing in his bony hand.

"You can't kill the digital ghost in the machine, asshole!" Kenton began to turn around. "You can't kill what is the future-" Kenton stopped short when he felt the long blade that was impaled into his chest. Death looked at him with disdain, having stabbed Kenton with the sword crafted for reaping.

"Anyone in the present is able to have the power to get rid of a future, Kenton."

The sword sliced upwards-

Kenton Zinn woke up with a gasp. His body was cold and covered in sweat. He jerked up with his body.

What the hell was that?!

It was still dark in his bedroom. He looked around, feeling at his head. Still no CR headset. He looked at where he usually has it at his desk to see that his rig was still there. He looked at the time at his clock. 4 AM. He put on his glasses.

Kenton immediately went to the bathroom to check himself up. The bright light hurts his eyes. He needed something warm on him. He turned the sink on. Warm water was splashed on his face, not minding about the glasses.

He can see his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Was he still dreaming?

He hovered his face over his face. He was looking for something that made him wonder if he was still in his nightmare. He felt his wrist. He was awake.

A sigh of relief from Kenton's mouth.

He didn't want to go back to sleep. He worried what could happen if he did. Luckily, he wasn't drowsy anymore.

To kill the time, he was busy listening to 100 gecs, moving his foot to the rhythm, waiting until the time was right to make himself some breakfast. He should probably visit the rest of Omega Squad to see what they are doing.

Eventually, his mother was awake later with a cup of coffee, as Kenton was eating some eggs that he cooked himself. It wasn't until Kenton heard something from his mother that made him feel dread. "You're getting back in schedule for school tomorrow?" his mother asked him. Kenton was confused on what she meant, until he realized that it was Sunday.

"Spring break is already over?" Kenton asked.

Hasn't it been 3 days?

"You have been so busy on your headset that you never ever asked us what day it was. You have your school stuff ready?"

Kenton lied. "Of course, I do. It will be just like before." Goddamn have to be around the others again...

"Good to hear it, dear."

"Yes, Mom. It's something that's good to hear."

((Kenton continued tomorrow to the Main Game))