Strategy
Talya didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The stress of the past few days was catching up with her. She felt as if she’d been staggering at the edge of a precipice, and she craved rest and release. There would be no break for her until she’d found out what had happened to Lucy. She didn’t know what to make of this latest information. Leo played back the video loop on his console.
The feed had faded to black right at the end, just as it had when Matt Parsons had been in The Grid. She’d seen it before. But something had very definitely happened in those final moments. The promos were trying to tell her that Lucy was dead. It looked as if Joe had been slaughtered by the creature. But there was no proof of death. There were no bodies, just as it had been with Matt. Death was assumed, but where was the evidence? They usually liked to show the bodies on the screens. Still, silent and finally at peace, it was often a relief to see that the torture was over when a Justice Seeker died. But there were no bodies for Joe and Lucy. If there were no bodies, there was still hope.
‘Take it away, Leo. I don’t need to see it again.’
‘I don’t think it’s conclusive, Talya. We have to assume she’s still alive.’
Talya nodded. She wanted to scream and fly into a rage, she felt so powerless in this fight. If it wasn’t for her daughter, she could throw herself into the final assault. But all the time she had to be mindful of Lucy and Joe. Her actions could get them killed, if they weren’t dead already.
‘What do we do next, Leo? What’s the plan?’
Talya decided to focus on the things she could control rather than dwelling on what might be.
‘We have to strike fast,’ Leo began. ‘Hunter will know all about us now – if he’s got to Julia, he’ll know. She has family, he’ll have threatened them, and Julia will have had no other choice than to tell him everything she knows.’
‘And what does she know?’
Talya wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer.
‘She knows about the resistance, but she’s never been here. We kept her out of it. With family to protect, it would have exposed her too much.’
‘Why did you involve her in the first place, if she was such a risk?’
‘My hand was forced when we all got caught up in one of Damien Hunter’s killing sprees. I’m no murderer, Talya. I do what I can to save lives. We had to bring her in on it, but she didn’t really have a choice. We’re all doing what we have to do to stay alive.’
Talya knew about that. It was difficult to apportion blame in The City, everybody had to make the best decisions they could to keep breathing. It was those at the top who were responsible, Delman and Hunter. There was no need for The City to operate in that climate of fear.
‘Are we safe here, Leo? Is there any chance Hunter can flush us out? You know he won’t stop until he finds me, don’t you?’
Leo knew there was no way Hunter would rest until he’d located Talya, Leo and Jody. He wasn’t stupid, he’d be piecing it all together just like they were. Hands were being forced, they were all being pressured into making the first move.
‘We’re as safe as we can be here, Talya. This place has been used by the resistance for many years now, and it’s secure and well protected. It helps that we’re in The Climbs, there’s much less scrutiny out here.’
Talya wasn’t so sure about that, she knew what Damien Hunter was like. He’d already taken her husband’s life. It was quite possible that he’d killed her daughter, and he was coming for her next.
‘How can I help?’
Leo looked uncomfortable and Talya sensed that she wouldn’t like what he was about to say. She fought her battles with words and alliances, she was not a warrior. Although there was a lot of weaponry in that headquarters, she was certain that what was coming next would be a very different battle.
‘We need you to make an address on the screens in The Climbs. They’re connected by a cable loop which we’ve been able to access for some time – we can hack into them, although we can’t get to those on Silk Road. We need someone like you, Talya. It has to be someone who people trust.’
Talya could see the sense of that. She would be hard-pressed to find anyone more suitable than herself. Someone like Leo couldn’t do it, he was unknown and the Centuria were despised. Law Lord Sivil couldn’t do it, it was a close thing who was hated more, the Centuria or the Law Lords. She saw that it had to be her, she was the right person for this job. She was respected and well-liked on Silk Road and in The Climbs. It was probably the only reason why Damien Hunter hadn’t disposed of her outright. Talya understood her power. It hadn’t been much use to her so far but in this battle she could be a leader. She would call on every last drop of trust and credibility she’d earned in The Climbs to inspire the residents to action.
‘So what do I say when I’m on the screens? What are we going to ask them to do?’
‘We’re not going to ask them to do anything, Talya. We’re just going to show them the truth. We’ve gathered quite a show reel of atrocities that have taken place in The Climbs. All you have to do is to tell them it’s the truth. You just have to plant the seed. The rest should take care of itself.’
Gameplay
Linwood was scared now. Hannah had been escorted out of the Fortrillium premises and the room was filled with armed Centuria. Would they figure out that they’d been working together? He rapidly worked through Hannah’s code, but there was nothing in there to suggest they weren’t testing out some new ideas in a rendered environment.
They’d created their cityscape model in a part of The Grid that was clear of Justice Seekers. It was normal practice. They’d had to do it to fight whoever was working against them. Linwood wondered if he should raise the matter with the Head Gridder. Was she in on it? Did anybody else know that there was outside interference?
A drop of sweat splashed onto Linwood’s hand as he worked at his console. He’d have to take care not to show how rattled he was, he didn’t want to give the game away.
His mind was racing about what might have happened to Hannah, but he had a feeling that he knew already. When five new Justice Seekers had been thrown into The Grid, Linwood knew what had happened. It had to be Hannah. There were two women in there of her age, but he couldn’t tell which was which. He’d need to work it out – would she think to give him some clues? Hannah would know that Linwood could only see her as a pixelated image, there would be no names and no ID for him. He’d watch carefully, hoping she would know he needed a sign from her to confirm her identity. Just as Hannah had been oblivious to Joe and Lucy’s presence earlier, so he would have to ascertain which of the figures on the screen represented her. He wasn’t even sure she was in there, her removal from the team of Gridders had not been accompanied by any explanation.
Things were extremely tense among the Gridders. It had all happened very quickly. Hannah and Linwood had lost control of the gameplay once they’d created the new cityscape to give the Justice Seekers a way out. Whoever was controlling events in The Grid was intent on killing everybody, it seemed.
Something had happened with the bot. They’d agreed with Fortrillium to keep it contained in an area out of the way of the Justice Seekers until it could be safely returned, but it had suddenly started moving and making its way to an area right at the centre of The Grid.
At that point their screens had gone down. Only Damien Hunter could do that, not even the Head Gridder could deactivate the live feed. The trial had gone dark for a couple of minutes, and there had been panic and confusion. Nobody knew what was happening – it had never occurred before.
A few minutes later, the screens were back. There was a top-level order from President Josh Delman demanding that the centre of The Grid be heavily defended. As far as Linwood could see, it was just a water butt. They were defending a water butt. And the bot was still there.
Another command came in from Damien Hunter. He wanted a full report on what was going on. But none of them knew what had happened.
Linwood worked with the other Gridders to deploy snipers. They were created so quickly that they were only partially rendered 3D models, but the Justice Seekers wouldn’t get to see them. The snipers were just needed to keep them away from the centre. You didn’t get an order from the President and ignore it.
Once the feeds were restored, Linwood was astonished to see another five Justice Seekers had been thrown into the arena, and it was only then that he noticed Joe and Lucy were missing. Two Justice Seekers had completely disappeared. How had that happened? It was impossible.
Shortly afterwards, Linwood saw one of the Justice Seekers run to his death, but that had been nothing to do with the Gridders. He’d been annihilated immediately by a threat unknown to him. It was a good job the public feed hadn’t been restored at that stage. What was going on? He’d never seen anything like it. And there had been something going on with the water butt too, the pixels were changing, as if somebody was fighting to restore it. Every now and then a doorway to an elevator would emerge.
Orders were being issued all around them – it was like being in the heart of a battle. The Head Gridder wanted the entire labyrinth environment re-rendered as a cityscape. When the public feed was switched back on it would have to look as if the disruption had been caused by a Mode change. But who was it who was working to conceal whatever lay hidden by the water butt? What was there? Why had the Justice Seeker run at that area, only to be killed by something that was not of the Gridders’ creation?
It occurred to Linwood that backs were being covered. Delman had his agenda, Hunter seemed to be doing something completely separate and the Head Gridder was just doing her best to keep them all out of trouble. Something very serious had happened, and a lot of senior people had become seriously rattled.
It took some time for things to settle down among the Gridders. It wasn’t until The Grid had been re-rendered as an entire cityscape, the bot destroyed and the existing Justice Seekers regrouped behind a concrete barricade that they began to relax a little.
Linwood had figured out that Hannah must be one of the new Justice Seekers, and he reasoned that the panic that had taken place was probably related to whatever it was she and her friends had been plotting. He was scared for her life and terrified he might be caught up in these events after his association with her. But a part of Linwood didn’t care. After his brother had disappeared, he’d felt helpless and useless. Now he felt empowered. At last he could make an impact.
Of course, he was petrified they’d be escorting him from the room next, but so far he seemed safe. He’d keep his head down. Only now it was Hannah he was trying to keep alive in there, not Joe and Lucy. Where had they gone? There was something in The Grid that none of them knew about. He hoped that Hannah would be able to stay alive long enough to find some answers.
They’d received instructions to give the Justice Seekers a short reprieve. There was some serious covering up going on. The promo teams were working overtime to account for the timeline of events the citizens had seen broadcast on the screens. None of the Gridders saw these promos, they had to be kept away from the real identities of the people they were slaughtering. The video feeds were re-cut to make it look as if Joe had been killed in his final battle with the creature. It wasn’t difficult, they just used a shot showing the beast charging at him. It seemed he couldn’t possibly survive. There was no moment of death, just the strong inference that he’d died.
Lucy’s final fight with Schälen was similarly re-edited. A few edits here and there, the use of some close-ups from their first fight, it wasn’t difficult to achieve. Again, there was no moment of death, but it was clear to those watching on the screens that Parsons and Slater were no longer part of the trial. To them, they were dead, two more casualties of The City’s justice system.
Linwood carried on working into the night, oblivious as to how events in The Grid had been portrayed to the residents of The City. He could see there were a number of badly wounded people in there, and he decided to give them a break. He was the only Gridder at his console, while the others were chatting and exchanging ideas at the other end of the office. Linwood placed some food, water and medical supplies at strategic points in the cityscape. He could see that two search parties had split off from the main group. He was not doing anything unusual in The Grid. It was accepted that recovery time for the participants was good, it made the engagement scores better if the Justice Seekers were capable of fighting back. They’d have to make what followed strong and compelling though.
He’d done what he could. It was late at night and the crisis had been contained. Besides, Linwood had another project in mind. Whoever was interfering with the gameplay was snooping around again. It wasn’t obvious at first, but Linwood had noticed there was some patch-up work going on at The Core. Whatever was concealed there, the mysterious Gridder wanted it hidden away.
Linwood was onto him. If he was going to get Hannah out of there alive, he would need to be able to fight this invisible opponent. He’d nearly beaten him once before, but next time Linwood was going to be ready. He began to create a search program to figure out how the hidden assailant could be blocked.
Sport
Wiz and Dillon shrank as far as they could into the furthest corner of the basement. The torchlights probed the darkness, and it could only be a matter of time before one of those lights found them.
‘Turn your back to the wall, stay as still and as quiet as possible. If they spot us, you stay still, I’ll stand up. They might not notice you if I draw them away.’
‘What will I do if they capture you, Wiz?’
Wiz sighed. They were running out of options.
‘Take the tech bag and try to contact Talya. Don’t speak to Mitchell, he’s not to be trusted anymore. And take the WristCom. You’ll need to find a Centuria called Leo Bachus. I think you can trust him.’
Dillon nodded and ducked as a beam of light swept over their heads. Wiz handed over the WristCom. It was still activated, and he turned it off in case its dim light drew unwelcome attention.
‘Get down!’ Wiz whispered. He was seriously considering giving himself up to save Dillon. Would Dillon be strong enough to help the others stay alive? He wasn’t sure, but how could he sacrifice Dillon to preserve his own life? He was probably Joe and Lucy’s best chance of survival, but he couldn’t send Dillon to his grave to save them.
The Centuria were sweeping the further edges of the basement now. It was only a matter of minutes until they were discovered.
‘Remember, if they spot one of us, stay still. Let me draw them away from the area, okay?’
The searching beams of light swept over their heads, then began a scan at floor level. Wiz felt the light pass over him. For a moment, he hoped he’d been missed. But the light came back and settled on him. There was a shout, followed by several other lights.
‘Stand up and turn around slowly!’ came the order. The Centuria didn’t mess around, all weapons were now primed and aimed directly at them. Wiz turned around, hoping Dillon would stay still, as he’d instructed.
Wiz was dazzled. They’d been in darkness for so long his eyes needed to adjust. There seemed to be a swarm of Centuria, there were far more bodies than there had been lights in the darkness. He could hear the electronic charge of their weapons. He emerged from the corner with his hands held high so the Centuria could see them. He jumped as there was a single shot in Dillon’s direction.
‘And the other one. Come out slowly so we can see your hands!’
Damn. They’d spotted Dillon. Wiz turned to him and nodded to give him reassurance. There was little point trying to make any smart moves, there was nowhere for them to go.
‘Kick the bag over here!’
Dillon kicked it towards the Centuria who’d issued the instruction. It was heavy with tech and didn’t travel very far.
‘I want both of you to turn around slowly, kneel on the ground, hands behind your heads. Any sudden moves and we shoot.’
Dillon and Wiz had seen enough of the Centuria to know this was no joke. There were no sudden plays to be made, no smart moves. If they didn’t follow orders, they’d be shot. If they did follow every instruction, they still might be shot.
One of the Centuria walked towards the bag and scanned it with an electronic device.
‘Safe!’ he called, and the bag was retrieved and searched. Two more Centuria came forward. They patted down both captives, removed the knife Wiz had taken from the dead body in the elevator, and secured Wiz and Dillon with electro-cuffs before kicking both of them to the ground.
Wiz wondered if they were going to finish them there and then in the basement. Surely they’d make a spectacle of them and throw them in The Grid? It was a waste of body count if their demise didn’t get to play out on the screens. It looked as if they were going to be roughed up first. Maybe the Centuria were going to opt for the best of both worlds, physical violence then death in The Grid.
Wiz felt remarkably clear-headed, bearing in mind his life might end in the next few minutes. He was angry they’d come so far and got caught anyway. He was frustrated that any hope for Joe and Lucy’s survival was diminishing. He’d really hoped they might make a difference. He also felt frustrated that they’d got so close to finding out The City’s secrets, yet the tentacles of Fortrillium had spread around them until their efforts were extinguished. They’d done well, they’d come as far as they could. He still had fight left in him, he’d do what he could until they stole his last breath.
It seemed that was not too far away now. One of the Centuria had opened a direct Comms line to Damien Hunter, they could clearly hear his voice over the WristComs.
‘Suspects apprehended, sir. How do you wish us to process them?’
‘You can kill them, but I want it all recorded on film from multiple angles for the screens. Make it slow and make it dramatic. Make it look like they’re running away. I want the bodies too, don’t leave the bodies there!’
The Centuria shut down the WristCom and gave a signal to the others.
‘Remove the electro-cuffs and activate recording devices.’
Each Centuria touched a button at the side of their helmet. Red lights cut through the darkness indicating that the helmet cameras were in record mode.
‘I want the exit blocked. We’ll give them ten seconds to run, then we hunt them down. Make it look like they’re on the run. Wound first. We only kill on my command. Make sure you record everything.’
‘This is it,’ Wiz turned to Dillon. ‘I’m sorry, Dillon, I thought I could get you out of here.’
Dillon was putting on as brave a face as he could, but he hadn’t yet grown accustomed to the more barbaric aspects of life in The Climbs. He began to sob. Wiz wondered how he could make it easier and quicker for Dillon. What was about to take place was being done for sport. Damien Hunter wanted a good manhunt to broadcast on the screens. It would need to take some time, so they’d go for wounding shots first. No point in making a quick kill when you’re trying to entertain the crowds. They’d torment them and injure them, finally going for a bloody and horrible death. Wiz was ready for it in his own mind, but he wanted to protect Dillon from the ordeal. What could he do? Perhaps grab one of the weapons from the Centuria and kill Dillon himself? Fast and with mercy. Hunter would get his dramatic video shots still, but Dillon would make his exit cleanly. They’d make it worse for Wiz as a result, but he felt a sense of responsibility to Joe’s brother. He was so young, too young to suffer what the Centuria had planned for him.
Two Centuria stepped up behind them to release the electro-cuffs. Wiz was close enough to grab the knife that had been confiscated earlier. It had been clumsily placed in the utility belt which formed part of the Centuria’s uniform.
Wiz made his decision. What had he got to lose? He’d take the knife and try to finish Dillon quickly himself. What choice did he have? Either he could do it now, without fear or pain, or it would be hung out for sport and entertainment. As the cuffs were released, Wiz made directly for the knife. It caught the Centuria off-guard, and he immediately reached for his weapon. Wiz moved the knife across the Centuria’s neck. He hadn’t any idea how to cut a throat. Wiz thought he’d failed at first, but then a jet of blood sprayed out over his clothing as the Centuria collapsed on his knees. Wiz grabbed his weapon before it hit the ground and pointed it at Dillon’s head. All around him he could feel the other Centuria levelling their weapons at him. He’d have very little time to execute Dillon before they started to fire. He had only a momentary advantage, they’d be on him in no time.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Wiz said, as he began to squeeze the trigger.
The Deal
President Josh Delman was the last person Clay would have expected to call him on the WristCom. For starters, it seemed impossible that Delman could have known which portal to connect to. He was astonished that anybody should be trying to get in contact via the device.
However, the President knew this particular WristCom well, and its portal details were already established in his own device. It had, after all, been he who had taken the device from Tom Slater six years previously. It had been Delman who’d ensured it was hidden inside Jay’s body before he perished inside The Grid. And it was Delman who’d worked out whose WristCom was in The Grid. He’d recognized it on the video feed as soon as Lucy threw it to Clay. There was only one way it could have got in there in the first place and that was contained in a BioPouch. It didn’t take him long to work out what had happened. Now Joe and Lucy had discovered his little secret at The Core, it was time to make some deals.
Clay looked at the image of the President’s face on the WristCom screen and was unsure whether he should respond to the call or not. He showed it to Julia who raised her eyebrows when she saw who it was. Clay accepted the incoming feeds and Delman appeared on the screen. He didn’t speak, instead his image was accompanied by a text message.
Don’t respond verbally to this message. Microphones may pick up conversation. I need your help. I can get you out of The Grid if you assist me.
Clay made sure that Julia could read the message. He had no intention of doing any deals that didn’t include the other Justice Seekers. He typed his reply.
We’re receptive to any offers. What do you have in mind?
Clay wondered if anywhere was safe to talk, since it would make life a lot easier. He’d been aware of fixed cameras and camera drones as they’d been making their way through The Grid, but much of the time he’d been more preoccupied with survival than following their whereabouts. Although they were able to keep the Justice Seekers in view most of the time, Clay thought it unlikely there would be comprehensive microphone coverage. He decided to take a chance. He moved into the doorway of a ruined tower block and positioned himself so he could be seen on camera but where any microphones couldn’t be placed close enough to pick up what was being said. He indicated to Julia that she should make herself look busy to distract the attention of those watching them. Clay turned in to the doorway so that his lip movements couldn’t be seen and switched to a video and audio feed.
‘What’s the purpose of your call, President Delman? As you can see, we’re busy here trying to stay alive.’
‘Mr Hillman, are you certain it’s safe for you to talk?’
‘You’re the President, aren’t you? How dangerous can it be?’
‘Believe me, Mr Hillman, we have never lived in more dangerous times. I need to know what you saw when Parsons and Slater exited The Grid.’
At least he was straight to the point. Clay guessed he was about to learn why the President had intervened with his warning message.
‘We probably both saw the same thing. They found a doorway to an elevator which was concealed by a water butt. The bot did something, the water butt disappeared, and an elevator door was there. Joe and Lucy went through the doorway and now they’ve gone. Miron tried to do the same and got killed. Why was that, President Delman?’
‘I’m sorry to tell you that an identical fate awaits anybody who tries to do the same thing, Mr Hillman. Your friends Joe and Lucy will also be dead, I’m afraid to say. There really is no exit from The Grid.’
Clay had heard the rumours about the President, and he sensed he was being played. There would never be a better time to ask the question.
‘Yet you walked out of here alive, President Delman. I’m assuming you know all about that exit?’
Usually President Delman appeared calm, in control and authoritative, but for a moment he looked rattled. Clay pushed again, he had nothing to lose, they were all dead anyway unless Delman was lying about Joe and Lucy.
‘I don’t think you’re telling the truth about Joe and Lucy. I believe you know exactly what’s at the heart of The Grid and I think you’re worried we might expose your secret.’
Clay was on a roll, he would never have dared to speak like this to any figure of authority, let alone the President, but he sensed that he was annoying Delman and that’s exactly what he wanted.
‘Mr Hillman, I need to remind you that I could end your life in an instant. You don’t think for one minute that you’re going to get any justice in there, do you? The Grid was created to dispose of people like you, the ones who don’t know when to stop pushing. I advise you to adjust your tone. It only takes an order from me and you’ll be crushed under a falling piece of masonry, or we’ll create more snipers to finish you and your friends off. Do I make myself understood, Mr Hillman?’
The power suddenly returned to Delman. Clay should have understood that he had no ability to bargain in The Grid. Delman had them all where he wanted them. Clay nodded in acquiescence.
‘Thank you, Mr Hillman. I have no desire to end your life just yet. You have the potential to be very useful to me. Now, are you ready to listen, or shall we continue to figure out who’s in charge here?’
‘I’m sorry, President Delman. I hope you’ll understand that it can be very stressful in here.’
Clay resolved to play compliant, he’d get more information that way. He’d decide if he was going to work with the President after he’d listened to what Delman had to say.
‘You’re quite right, of course. I have been in The Grid before, but I have also walked out of The Grid alive, Mr Hillman. You should remember that if you want to do the same thing. I’m offering you a chance to live, but I need your help.’
‘And what about the other Justice Seekers, President Delman. Do they get to live as well?’
‘I can’t guarantee anybody’s life, but all you have to do is to stay alive for another eight hours. Those who can keep themselves alive will be able to walk out of there, you have my guarantee.’
Clay was unsure, but the President seemed to be offering them all a chance. The probability was that they would all die anyway – they still had to survive the third Mode. What could he lose from continuing to listen?
‘Do you guarantee that all Justice Seekers who stay alive can walk out of here?’
‘I guarantee that they will walk out of The Grid alive if you can keep them safe from whatever Hunter has planned for you. Can you do that, Mr Hillman?’
Clay wanted to know what the deal was. There was always a price to be paid.
‘What do I have to do in return?’
‘I think it likely that Damien Hunter will be making you a similar offer. It won’t come for some time, but when it does it will be in desperation. You need to assure me that you will reject it when it comes. He cannot make any guarantees to you, he has nothing to offer.’
Clay was intrigued. If Hunter and Delman were in conflict, something very interesting was going on. Delman was the only person to have walked out of The Grid, and he was senior to Hunter. Clay felt the President was probably the better bet.
‘I agree to those terms,’ said Clay, although he knew he didn’t really have much to bargain with. Certain death or the smallest possibility of making it out alive, he had to take whichever offer looked most likely to preserve lives. If he could get any of the other Justice Seekers out of The Grid alive, he’d take his chances.
‘Excellent!’ came Delman’s reply. He looked at ease now. The power had returned to him, he was more accustomed to it that way.
‘Shortly I will be entering The Grid myself. I will have help to protect me when I arrive, but I expect Damien Hunter to put up the fiercest resistance. I need to get to The Core, Mr Hillman, just like Parsons and Slater. I need you to get me there. You have shown yourself to be an excellent Justice Seeker. You will be the last man standing whatever happens. Your job is to guide me safely to The Core and to allow me to exit in the elevator.’
‘Won’t you be incinerated, like Miron … and Joe and Lucy?’
Clay added the last names in an attempt to convince Delman that he’d bought his story. He hadn’t, of course. He was sure that Joe and Lucy were alive. And he knew they would be doing everything they could to rescue the Justice Seekers.
‘There’s a reason why I can leave The Grid, Mr Hillman, and you cannot. I am the President after all. But I will require your services as an escort. It’s likely to be a tough journey to the centre, although we will have some help. If you can do that, Mr Hillman, I can guarantee that shortly afterwards you will walk out of The Grid alive.’
What choice did Clay have? By the time Delman arrived, he might be dead anyway. He would agree and continue to assess his options. If Hunter was going to make a similar offer, things might take a sudden turn anyway. There were possibilities now, none of them very attractive, but at least it might not end in a bloodbath.
‘I’ll accept your offer, President Delman. May I inform the other Justice Seekers? We’ll be able to keep you safer if there are more of us.’
‘It’s important that nobody knows about our conversation, Mr Hillman. I have the feed from The Grid on my console, and remember that I can watch any camera view. I’m not restricted to the edited highlights on the screens. If I get any inkling that you’re trying to deceive me, Mr Hillman, I will use my rights as President to intervene with the trial. Is that understood?’
‘I understand.’
‘Excellent. I will enter The Grid very soon. We have no way of knowing what will be happening with the Modes at that time. I will do everything I can to keep you and your friends alive, but please understand that events inside The Grid can never be completely controlled. I cannot be held responsible for any deaths that occur in the meantime. Above all, you Mr Hillman must stay alive. You will guide me through The Grid to The Core. When I have safely made my exit, you will be able to walk out to your freedom.’
Clay nodded. It seemed like a chance, although one that would have to be worked for. There was still a fight to survive. Maybe he really could get some of the others out alive.
Delman closed down the feed. The call was over and he’d got what he’d come for.
Clay would have to keep this secret to himself. He’d have to give Julia a good story, maybe suggest that Delman had been warning him away from whatever killed Miron. It was in her best interests after all. He’d struck a deal that could keep them all alive. Delman would be monitoring their conversations, so if Clay confided in anybody he would be putting them all at risk. He’d made an agreement that could save lives. At last there was a chance that some of them would get to walk out of The Grid.
Delman had meant it when he promised that Clay would be able to walk out of The Grid alive. He would be as good as his word. Shortly after Delman made his exit via The Core, Catharsis would begin. Clay and his friends would certainly walk out of The Grid alive. But if Delman didn’t achieve his objective in time, they’d all be destroyed by a process which would end the lives of everybody in The City.