Almost two weeks had passed between Round 25, played on the launch pad of the Airbus 2070, and Round 26 played on Mars introducing Malik, the digital parasite. The game was fresh in everyone’s mind until the Multiverse threw some twists. The Presidential Challenge played upon arrival of the ship to Mars worked as a spacer for the players, a little break as Sophie and her dad escaped to the lone fortress. Only 127 played and a lucky half qualified for today’s intrusion into The Purple, a quantum dimension of the Multiverse. In the distance, a sand cloud had risen in the sky and menaced the players.

In little under two weeks, so much had changed. Sophie, once a simple darling with an addictive personality now wore the mantle of Champion. There were waves and they undoubtedly worked. There was, very mildly put, was a lot of commotion on Earth. Emilio’s unique mind and his team were working on dismantling and uncovering one strange plot after the next all destined to harm mankind. It was as if, as suggested by the Oldest, what ever power the Multiverse was bestowing to Sophie, it placed a hefty toll on her race for it.

There was an odd exception, one of the plot initially to end life had turned into a tool to help mankind. What was certain is that Sophie, busy with her new waves did not need the distraction. Since their arrival on Mars, the remaining players slowly got accustomed to the low gravity environment, the oxygen mix, but more importantly practiced as if the game mattered. Journalists unable to interview Laurent or Sophie, focused on the 64 remaining players. A year into the game, each had a large cult following, but truth be told, this was really a contest of two giants, Emilio and Laurent. The magnetic draw of this game was only enhanced by a promised visit to another world.

The excitement of the addictive game did not reach Sophie. She refused to participate in any pre-game hysteria. She hid from it on purpose and stayed in her room except when she rarely ventured out to the dining room. To avoid the media, she asked Marilyn to block off the cafeteria preferring to spend days speaking internally with Liam and visiting her father.

Few hours ago, to great fanfare began as pods after pods of contestants were catapulted to the Center. Privilege lost, the defeated 64 were driven in large shuttles since the early hours of the morning.

Only sixty four would play, Emilio from Earth and Laurent was already at the Center connected to the system and talking with journalists. The visitors from the Holliday Inn were shot in groups of eight every four minutes. Marilyn wanted to give the players time to familiarize themselves with her Center. While the Rho tubes would only be used later, this was the time to give them the basics of what to expect for the half qualified later today.

The prelude to Round 27, an exhausting six hours long was rather exquisite for those who watched. The show included personal introductions, interviews, social media live questions and the like. Because of the direct communication feed, the journalists were able to offer touching family reunions. But Marilyn, the persona and orchestra conductor stood back for her grand entrance.

One by one, in the silent tranquillity of the orange desert, each pod followed a perfect ellipse up and down to land softly at the Electoral Center in the intelligent sea of black sand. Groups felt privileged of the expected media scrutiny but to most, the stories of alternate worlds, doom was worrisome. Players each walked into the main auditorium, past Sophie’s bedroom. Each time, a little robot pointed at the closed door and whispered ‘this is where Sophie now rests.’ The players, in awe, walked without making noise. It was obvious, there was pure admiration and respect for the young guardian now called by the computer the Attractor.

Giving an ice cold shower over the excitement, Laurent’s sad body was the welcoming sight in the large game room. His deformed shape rested in a transparent cradle. He was a nightmare to observe as machines pumped dark black blood. Around it, in pure contrast the 62 players were each assigned a game square with floor markings and a floor mat. Everyone would have preferred to playin the hallway, there was nothing fun of standing so close to the cripple.

On the left, just after the door and Georges’ wall of monitors stood the stage now empty of the demanding Rho tubes. The play room was starred-shaped, at each cardinal point, chairs awaited the defeated players giving them a view of the festivities.

Round 27 out of 32 total rounds of play began. In the room and in every screen connected to the Internet, all the screens began a countdown — minutes remained. Milly alone was speaking to billions from one of the corners, in reach of Georges pretending to be annoyed by his interviewer but in fact obviously happy for company.

The digital intelligence loved music. Everyone expected Marilyn to appear on the screens only the clock to zero, but in a display of power, a door on the stage appeared, standing defiant between her digital world and the room. It was a simple illusion from the walls covered in imagery. She, or what appeared to be her human form, walked out onto the stage and began to interface with the players from a distance like Milly was. The illusion was almost indistinguishable from reality and Marilyn was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

Holding a microphone and tapping it, she looked at a player ready to connect, “Abu, roll up your sleeve,” she suggested to a first. The illusion was shocking in simplicity, the woman was there, passing off as a human in the crowd. Marilyn was still orchestrating, she got close to the journalist, answered a question or four and at some point, ignoring the countdown lifted three fingers. The clocks resets to three minutes.

***

Two minutes before the start, the side door slid opened and the room immediately fell silent, even the music paused. Sophie walked in nonchalantly wearing jeans and a simple white t-shirt. On it red letters just read ‘POWER’. Under her arm was her tutor computer ready to be used. In her other hand she held Oscar, her white plush toy. Without making eye contact with anyone, she walked across the room to her father’s side between the players.

Time felt like it stopped for everyone including the billions on Earth watching the arrival of the young girl. There was something odd about her. It was impossible to ignore the shimmer surrounding her skin. This was insanity, in the digital world such display of power were commonplace but in the real world, they were impossible.

All this strange situation felt rather unreal. Laurent laid alone, Doctor Susie Shin at his side. There was some important and strange energy in the room and Sophie’s arrival supercharged the Center. She placed the white dog in Laurent’s cradle. It was visibly important to her, as if the symbol of infancy helped her hide from the adult world surrounding her.

As if to let the world resume, the Attractor finally looked up and waived to the room, the cameras and smiled. She sent needed positive vibes. Energy slowly built as every chip in the digital world powered up. Rho waves, this unique energy flowed from her outwardly. Sophie obviously talking to her internal mentor moved her hand in the air left to right and said “look at this.” There was a strange glimmer.

Marylin waited until Sophie gave her a nod to plaster her face on the screens behind her standing illusion. She was welcoming everyone present and giving some guidance. There wasn’t much to say as everything was very intuitive. The clock drew down to zero under the watchful eye of the young girl. It was clear Sophie was not engaged in the mass hysteria. Billions signed up and connected as spectators, most expected the story to be tied to these surreal Sixth Attraction facts and another world. Sophie cared about a plush toy.

Everyone connected and for most adults wore the digital contact lenses. One by one zombies replaced these players around Sophie. Eyes opened, they were now in the digital world using the screen in the contact lenses. This was sad, she thought to herself, reality was much better.

The game began as she clicked open her tutor and started a lesson.