disintegrating as he is rushed into Lucy’s world.
* * *
Lucius arrives with a lurch toward the VTOL’s open hatch, grabbing at its handholds just in time, the wind from the craft’s passage buffeting him. Framed by the hatch, the cityscape rolls and pitches before him, the engines whining up and down with each manoeuver. For a moment Lucius cannot help marveling at the super-real simulation he is in, but he has a most important task to perform. Composing himself, he looks forward. Up front he can see a frightened Lucy at the controls. Leaning out of the hatch he can see Reese’s VTOL in pursuit—but just then, it pulls back. Alka . Lucius withdraws into the cabin and, one handhold at a time, makes his way toward the flight deck.
Although the Tap has given him strength and mobility, in the real world it reaps its toll. The nurse frets at the sight of him, the immense strain stiffening his body rigid, the medical monitors beeping furiously. She gives him an injection to help.
As he reaches the flight deck the real world starts to seep through to the virtual—he can feel the Tap sucking the life out of him. Then the kick from the nurse’s injection—it’s that little extra he needs.
Lucy is right there before him, at the VTOL’s controls, completely focused on flying the craft. The deft movement of her hands, her poise, her reactions—they are not those of a child, they are those of an experienced pilot. But her face tells a different story. Lucius can see she is terrified out of her wits.
He moves himself next to her. She is not startled, but rendered mute through the sheer terror of the situation. All she can manage is to look to him for what to do. He places a calming hand on her shoulder.
“You’re not being chased anymore.”
Lucy calms just the tiniest bit, settling the VTOL into a steady flight, but she is still very frightened. Lucius points ahead of them.
“Look. There’s the Pan Am building.”
Not too far away is the roof top of the Pan American Airways building, the airline as was, now resurrected some years past by Robert Cantor himself.
Another frightened, questioning look from Lucy. Lucius remains calm.
“Focus on just that. You don’t need the rest of the simulation. Set us down on the roof.”
Lucy nods, calming a little more, chunks of the cityscape whiting out one by one until only the Pan Am building remains.
Justice Garr watches on with wide-eyed astonishment, the projection system doing its best to show them the events as they unfold. She seems…she just seems so…so—real. Boyce and Moule are equally transfixed, while Landelle remains gripped by a terrible guilt, her eyes red with tears.
Lucy sets the VTOL down on the Pan Am helideck, its engines dying away. A final, purposeful shutdown of the craft’s systems releases her, hands shaking, to collapse into an uncontrolled sob. Lucius comforts her with a gentle arm about her shoulders.
“It’s okay. Let it all out.”
“They took you away from me!” Lucy sobs. “I just wanted to get to you, but they chased me! And they tried to hurt me! And they killed Alice! I saw!”
She turns into him, wrapping her arms about him, burying her head into his chest, heaving great sobs. A terrible angst washes over Lucius as feels the embrace. The Tap makes it real. But the Tap is just a slave to the simulation—Lucy’s simulation—and when she squeezes him just that little bit harder, and burrows her head in just that little bit more, it cuts deeper into Lucius’s heart.
“It’s over now. I am here.”
They part from the embrace, Lucy drying her eyes with her little balled-up hands.
“All better?” smiles Lucius.
“A little.”
“Alright then.” Lucius manages as beaming a smile as he can for her.
And then he vanishes.
A startled Lucy stares agape at the empty space with despair. Her eyes betray an inner search for information, followed by a surfacing realization. Her face twists to pure anger, a rage engulfing
* * *
Lucius arrives with a lurch toward the VTOL’s open hatch, grabbing at its handholds just in time, the wind from the craft’s passage buffeting him. Framed by the hatch, the cityscape rolls and pitches before him, the engines whining up and down with each manoeuver. For a moment Lucius cannot help marveling at the super-real simulation he is in, but he has a most important task to perform. Composing himself, he looks forward. Up front he can see a frightened Lucy at the controls. Leaning out of the hatch he can see Reese’s VTOL in pursuit—but just then, it pulls back. Alka . Lucius withdraws into the cabin and, one handhold at a time, makes his way toward the flight deck.
Although the Tap has given him strength and mobility, in the real world it reaps its toll. The nurse frets at the sight of him, the immense strain stiffening his body rigid, the medical monitors beeping furiously. She gives him an injection to help.
As he reaches the flight deck the real world starts to seep through to the virtual—he can feel the Tap sucking the life out of him. Then the kick from the nurse’s injection—it’s that little extra he needs.
Lucy is right there before him, at the VTOL’s controls, completely focused on flying the craft. The deft movement of her hands, her poise, her reactions—they are not those of a child, they are those of an experienced pilot. But her face tells a different story. Lucius can see she is terrified out of her wits.
He moves himself next to her. She is not startled, but rendered mute through the sheer terror of the situation. All she can manage is to look to him for what to do. He places a calming hand on her shoulder.
“You’re not being chased anymore.”
Lucy calms just the tiniest bit, settling the VTOL into a steady flight, but she is still very frightened. Lucius points ahead of them.
“Look. There’s the Pan Am building.”
Not too far away is the roof top of the Pan American Airways building, the airline as was, now resurrected some years past by Robert Cantor himself.
Another frightened, questioning look from Lucy. Lucius remains calm.
“Focus on just that. You don’t need the rest of the simulation. Set us down on the roof.”
Lucy nods, calming a little more, chunks of the cityscape whiting out one by one until only the Pan Am building remains.
Justice Garr watches on with wide-eyed astonishment, the projection system doing its best to show them the events as they unfold. She seems…she just seems so…so—real. Boyce and Moule are equally transfixed, while Landelle remains gripped by a terrible guilt, her eyes red with tears.
Lucy sets the VTOL down on the Pan Am helideck, its engines dying away. A final, purposeful shutdown of the craft’s systems releases her, hands shaking, to collapse into an uncontrolled sob. Lucius comforts her with a gentle arm about her shoulders.
“It’s okay. Let it all out.”
“They took you away from me!” Lucy sobs. “I just wanted to get to you, but they chased me! And they tried to hurt me! And they killed Alice! I saw!”
She turns into him, wrapping her arms about him, burying her head into his chest, heaving great sobs. A terrible angst washes over Lucius as feels the embrace. The Tap makes it real. But the Tap is just a slave to the simulation—Lucy’s simulation—and when she squeezes him just that little bit harder, and burrows her head in just that little bit more, it cuts deeper into Lucius’s heart.
“It’s over now. I am here.”
They part from the embrace, Lucy drying her eyes with her little balled-up hands.
“All better?” smiles Lucius.
“A little.”
“Alright then.” Lucius manages as beaming a smile as he can for her.
And then he vanishes.
A startled Lucy stares agape at the empty space with despair. Her eyes betray an inner search for information, followed by a surfacing realization. Her face twists to pure anger, a rage engulfing
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