Murder the Heroes

Chapter Five; Section One

I: Welcome all, to this very special Imp and Angel Hour! I'm Imp,

A: I'm Angel

I: And today we've been joined by a very special guest!

A: That's right, Imp.

I: So let's welcome to the show Game Keeper Jeremiah. Can I just say how honoured we are to have you here?

A: That we are Imp.

K: Thank you! The honour is all mine. I've always loved your show.

I: Oh, you kidder, you! Flattery will get you everywhere! Did you know that this is only the third time that we've had a Keeper on our show?

K: No, I didn't. I have to say, keeping track of things like that isn't part of my job description.

I: Ah, that's interesting! So what is?

K: I'm a Monitor. I make sure that the Game runs smoothly and fairly. My personal specialisation is the world's inner workings. I've been with the Game pretty much since the beginning.

A: Is that right, Keeper?

K: That's right, Angel. We have a whole team making certain that things stay fair and that the Game stays on track. As far as that's possible, of course, considering that what we've got down there is a living, breathing world that has become irreducibly complex. Nobody really has a handle on what's going on down there, though possibly us Monitors come closest. That's why I was asked to come onto the show. The upper echelon felt I would be in a better position to explain what's been going on.

I: Ah! Fantastic, because that is exactly what we're after – some clarification!

A: Indeed, Imp.

K: Well, then let's jump right in.

I: Let's! So, first question, are the Keepers responsible for the Shroud and the attacks on the Blizzards?

K: We most certainly are not, Imp. We would never blatantly favour one party over another. That would defeat the very purpose of the Game! We try our hardest to keep the field as level as possible.

I: So this is in no way revenge for what Miss Pritchett, AKA Elaine did?

K: Absolutely not, Imp. We don't hold grudges.

A: So then the world is responsible? Is this – as some people suggest – the emergence of self-awareness?

K: No, Angel. I've heard those arguments myself and I can tell you that they're just silly. This is just a game. People shouldn't exaggerate. Nothing down there suggests self-awareness.

I: But didn't you just say that the game is becoming ever more complex? That you don't really have a handle on what's going on anymore? Don't you think that might lead to Self-awareness?

K: No I don't Imp. Chaos, however complex, does not lead to awareness. I mean, if there was a pile of bricks and a tornado passed through, you wouldn't expect it to leave behind a house, would you? And it doesn't matter how often the tornado passes over the pile of bricks, the outcome would always be the same. In the same way, just because the Game has become more complex, that doesn't mean there is an increased chance of self-awareness. That is simply nonsense.

I: Okay, so then who is responsible if it isn't you and it isn't the Game itself?

K: Well Imp, it would seem that this problem was introduced from the outside. We, in fact, now know a previous Contender was responsible.

A: And was this previous Contender called 'the Shroud'?

K: Ah, you've figured that out, have you? Yes, she was. She played about fifteen iterations back, but she wasn't part of the Game for very long. We figured out what she wasn't on the level and removed her from the Game.

I: Who is this Shroud person?

A: She's cropping up again and again in the chatter, these last days, Imp.

K: That doesn't surprise me, Angel. We knew it was only a matter of time before that would be figured out. She had ulterior motives. She wasn't in it to win, she was in it to change the nature of the Game. Turn it into something else. Corrupt it, if you will.

I: And how did she try to do that?

K: Somehow she piggybacked something along with her avatar. It gave her a tremendous advantage. We caught wind of it early on and then tried to eliminate the problem. Then, when we couldn't find any detrimental effects, we let the Iteration continue as usual. We thought we had succeeded. We even ended up blighting the entire area, just to be sure. Apparently it wasn't enough.

A: Where is that area, Keeper?

K: They're commonly referred to as the Hollows, Angel.

I: Ah yes, that was always a strange region. Nobody understood the point of an area with nothing in it, or why it suddenly started to grow.

A: No we didn't, Imp.

K: Perhaps it wasn't as empty as we thought. We now believe she wasn't completely removed – that, like a cancer, she somehow left something behind; something that has been growing ever since and is now wreaking havoc.

I: So what will that mean for this Iteration of the game? Is it going to end early? Will it have to be replayed? That would disappoint many. It has been a good round!  

K: We're not there yet, Imp. We're working on a solution as we speak; a way to rebalance things, if you will. Though we won't be able to undo the damage, we should be able to counteract it. And we won't even have to stop the Game! In the meantime, aren't you interested to see why she did all of this? What she is up to?

I: No, not really, Keeper, not if it ruins the Iteration.  

A: There is a lot at stake here, you know. People have really invested.

I: That's right, Angel! All that business between Elaine and Coil, for one!

K: Oh I know. Do I know! A lot has indeed been invested. Not just down there but up here as well!

A: Could you explain that Keeper?

K: I better not, Angel.