structure, with a vaguely gothic copper-domed roof. It looked like it belonged in a larger city.
Giles drove straight into the deserted park, bringing the SUV to a stop beside the pond behind the trees, out of view of the street.
Knowledge is more than Power!
Power is Ephemeral. Knowledge is Eternal.
These words were carved into a stone block by the library's door. John, Tina and Giles glanced at it as they ran in, not really taking it in.
The librarian at the loans desk briefly looked up from his work then promptly ignored them. Each time he stamped RETURNED into a book, a loud clang reverberated throughout the library. Clouds of dust mushroomed above his desk.
Giles led them past the librarian and along the aisles of tall, dusty bookshelves. Beneath the domed ceiling, their footsteps echoed around them. John and Tina looked around as they went – books, books and more books; books that looked like they had never been read. The three of them seemed to be the only visitors.
‘How do you know about this portal thing?’ asked John.
‘I found it by accident on my last entry to Designers Paradise,’ answered Giles. ‘I like the library. It's peaceful. I usually spend an hour or so here every day after school – reading, browsing, exploring. And one day, I found the information portal. I ended up spending so much money on information, that I ran out of time in Designers Paradise.’
Giles stopped as they came to the end of the aisle.
‘Here we are.’
They stood in front of a donut-shaped desk situated at the junction of numerous aisles, as if each led browsers towards it. Looking up, John saw that the desk was directly under the apex of the dome. Tina ran a finger across the surface of the desk and wrinkled her nose.
‘Why is everything so dusty in here?’
‘Ambience?’ suggested Giles.
‘Good day,’ said the bespectacled, grey-haired lady seated in the centre of the desk. It was as if she had been crouched down, hidden from view, ready to appear the moment someone approached. ‘You may call me Grace. What can I do for you young people today?’
‘We'd like some information, please,’ said Tina.
‘Well, this is a library.’ The lady smiled as she peered over the top of her glasses. ‘So you have come to the right place.’
‘We'd like some very specific information, Grace,’ explained Giles. ‘We'd like to know why the parameters of Suburbia are changing. And how we can exit.’
‘Ah.’
Grace reached over and chose a book from the stack to her left. The word PLAYERS was embossed in gold letters on its dark leather cover. She opened the large volume, seemingly to a random page, and ran a finger down the blank paper. The page glowed softly under her touch. She nodded and Giles placed his hand on the page, which flashed with light as it scanned his palm.
Giles removed his hand and Grace touched a finger to the page again.
‘Hmmm.’ She raised an eyebrow, slowly shaking her head.
‘There should be more than enough money in my account,’ said Giles. ‘I used a credit stick when I entered.’
‘Yes, I do remember you, young man. And I remember just how much accumulated wealth you have. But I cannot access any player accounts or files.’ She paused to remove her spectacles and clean them on her beige, knitted cardigan. Repositioning them on her nose, she tilted her head to one side and stared ahead intently.
After about half a minute, Tina leaned over to Giles and whispered, ‘Is she okay?’
‘I'm just fine, thank you, dear,’ said Grace, suddenly looking at Tina. ‘But there appears to be something wrong with the network. We have become isolated.’
‘So, what's going on?’ asked John.
‘That's a very good question. I'm not sure that I have an authoritative answer.’ She paused to think.
She closed the first book and took another one from a nearby stack. She opened the untitled volume, leafing through the pages until she found what she was looking for – another blank
Giles drove straight into the deserted park, bringing the SUV to a stop beside the pond behind the trees, out of view of the street.
Knowledge is more than Power!
Power is Ephemeral. Knowledge is Eternal.
These words were carved into a stone block by the library's door. John, Tina and Giles glanced at it as they ran in, not really taking it in.
The librarian at the loans desk briefly looked up from his work then promptly ignored them. Each time he stamped RETURNED into a book, a loud clang reverberated throughout the library. Clouds of dust mushroomed above his desk.
Giles led them past the librarian and along the aisles of tall, dusty bookshelves. Beneath the domed ceiling, their footsteps echoed around them. John and Tina looked around as they went – books, books and more books; books that looked like they had never been read. The three of them seemed to be the only visitors.
‘How do you know about this portal thing?’ asked John.
‘I found it by accident on my last entry to Designers Paradise,’ answered Giles. ‘I like the library. It's peaceful. I usually spend an hour or so here every day after school – reading, browsing, exploring. And one day, I found the information portal. I ended up spending so much money on information, that I ran out of time in Designers Paradise.’
Giles stopped as they came to the end of the aisle.
‘Here we are.’
They stood in front of a donut-shaped desk situated at the junction of numerous aisles, as if each led browsers towards it. Looking up, John saw that the desk was directly under the apex of the dome. Tina ran a finger across the surface of the desk and wrinkled her nose.
‘Why is everything so dusty in here?’
‘Ambience?’ suggested Giles.
‘Good day,’ said the bespectacled, grey-haired lady seated in the centre of the desk. It was as if she had been crouched down, hidden from view, ready to appear the moment someone approached. ‘You may call me Grace. What can I do for you young people today?’
‘We'd like some information, please,’ said Tina.
‘Well, this is a library.’ The lady smiled as she peered over the top of her glasses. ‘So you have come to the right place.’
‘We'd like some very specific information, Grace,’ explained Giles. ‘We'd like to know why the parameters of Suburbia are changing. And how we can exit.’
‘Ah.’
Grace reached over and chose a book from the stack to her left. The word PLAYERS was embossed in gold letters on its dark leather cover. She opened the large volume, seemingly to a random page, and ran a finger down the blank paper. The page glowed softly under her touch. She nodded and Giles placed his hand on the page, which flashed with light as it scanned his palm.
Giles removed his hand and Grace touched a finger to the page again.
‘Hmmm.’ She raised an eyebrow, slowly shaking her head.
‘There should be more than enough money in my account,’ said Giles. ‘I used a credit stick when I entered.’
‘Yes, I do remember you, young man. And I remember just how much accumulated wealth you have. But I cannot access any player accounts or files.’ She paused to remove her spectacles and clean them on her beige, knitted cardigan. Repositioning them on her nose, she tilted her head to one side and stared ahead intently.
After about half a minute, Tina leaned over to Giles and whispered, ‘Is she okay?’
‘I'm just fine, thank you, dear,’ said Grace, suddenly looking at Tina. ‘But there appears to be something wrong with the network. We have become isolated.’
‘So, what's going on?’ asked John.
‘That's a very good question. I'm not sure that I have an authoritative answer.’ She paused to think.
She closed the first book and took another one from a nearby stack. She opened the untitled volume, leafing through the pages until she found what she was looking for – another blank
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