Into The World

#7 - Terra incognita

Crack!

'No,' Alexa moans as she sights her battered keyboard. But I was careful. Her weary face gleams red as numerous alarming messages pop up on the screens before her. 'Okay,' Alexa takes a few deep breaths, 'I got this.' She wipes the debris away from her desk and takes out a small device from the drawer underneath. 'Everything's going to be fine,' she says, assuring herself.

She places the device on the desk and carefully nudges the pink button on top. Alexa lifts her head to glance at the coded screen before her. I can block this. The device emits a holographic keyboard inches above the desk. Alexa immediately resumes to coding. Come on.

Suddenly, the screen turns beige, displaying a message. 'What?' Alexa says, flabbergasted.

PROGRAM DISABLED. RESTART UPON COMMAND.

'Then this means..' Alexa trails off as her attention diverts to the screens above her, each displaying the live camera footage of the halls and rooms of Pearl Manor. She sighs in relief, 'It stopped.' Alexa reels back in her seat. It actually stopped. She flashes a smile as she gazes at the screens. 'Nathan, I think we're finally out of this.'

There is no response.

'Nathan?' She turns back in her seat and sees Nathan wearing his headset. Did Eliza leave a message? Alexa gets up from her seat, 'Nathan?' She heads to his station. He can't hear me.
She walks past Nathan and turns back to face him. 'Nathan,' she pauses when she notices Nathan's bewildered face. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing,' Nathan replies, astounded when he sees Alexa standing before him. This can't be true. He removes his headset and places it on the table beside him, 'Just checking if Eliza sent any messages.'

'I called you several times before,' Alexa says. 'What were you listening to?'

Ping! Ping!

Nathan exhales slowly in relief as they both receive a notification. He checks his wristband. 'What?'

Alexa reads the message before her again, 'This can't be.' She rushes to her station, Nathan following. She adjusts the screen before her as she carefully gets seated. Stay calm. She taps on her keyboard.

'How can the force fields get disrupted?' Nathan says as Alexa's gaze shifts to the screen beside her. She zooms into the footage of the courtyard. 'No way,' she utters under her breath.
It was him. Nathan realizes as he watches the man tread toward Eliza.

'Wait, that idiot is alive?' Alexa realizes, leaning back. 'Nathan, please tell me that what I'm seeing-'

'It's him,' Nathan replies, his eyes glued to the screen. 'Tom Banks is back from the dead.'

...

It worked. Tom looks at Eliza, who is stunned by her transfigured surroundings. I'm back, Lizzy. As he treads toward her, Tom notices Anthony break out of his stance. No. He takes out a small, flat device from his front pocket. He activates the device by pushing its button and tosses it in Anthony's direction. Not today.

Meanwhile, Jason stands up, dusting his pants. 'This is all a game.' He says, glancing his surroundings in disbelief. He glances at his beeping wristband, 'I even have a wristband that notifies me of my levels.' He sighs, tapping his wristband. 'I hope I can get out of here when I complete my first level.' His gaze shifts to Eliza and the man as the unread screen disappears.