Solonik's Game

5) The Game Begins

Beneath this there was a symbol incorporating twin pistols whose handles were adorned with a coiled serpent. The place was intriguing; like the other buildings in this region of the world it was understated and bathed in shadow, but it was also carefully rendered, and portrayed with a certain sophistication.

As a competitive gamer, the potential connotations of 'Solonik's Game' seduced Billy. He looked around him, and found the place was deserted but for the occasional streetlamp offering gently fluctuating illumination. He again questioned the safety of the place but reminded himself that this was a virtual world and nothing more.

He walked to the door and reached for a doorknob that appeared brass, ornately carved and highly polished. He took the knob in his avatar's hand and felt the glove accurately communicate its bulk and heft. He turned the handle, feeling and hearing it creak and then pushed the door open. It swung smoothly inward revealing a short hall lit by Edison bulbs that were dotted along its length. The outlines of their glowing filaments were clearly visible as he passed them. Polished wooden flooring was partially covered by a long green rug with ornate gold trim that led to a single door at the end of the hall. There was no sound in here, but for the faint electronic chime that sounded occasionally from behind the door.

Billy stepped cautiously along the hall, turning every so often to reassure himself that nothing was approaching him from behind. Each time he checked however, the hall was empty and quiet. As he gained proximity to the door he could make out the reflection of the hallway's bulbs on the surface of the highly glossed mahogany door. It had the look of an old, handcrafted piece with carvings of shields and swords and knights. Billy reached out to turn the handle, and something about the atmosphere of the place stopped him. His hand hovered for a moment and then he instead raised it and knocked on the door three times.

The sound of bone drumming on heavy wood seemed to fill the hallway, and was followed by brief silence. Billy waited and presently a foreign sounding voice called a single word.

"Enter."

Billy turned the handle, pushing the door open before him. The door opened onto a scene that had the appearance of a study. Books lined bookcases against three of the small room's walls. Before Billy was a large desk, with nothing between it and himself. Atop the desk was a single, unopened tome of some kind. Behind the desk in huge old leather chair sat a figure. The figure's face was hidden in shadow, but two huge hands were folded atop the desk in the light. Unsure how to proceed, Billy stood silent and contemplated.

After a few moments of silence, the two hands on the desk unknotted themselves and one hand gestured toward the unopened book on the desk. The figure waited silently, its face still concealed in the gloom. Billy stepped forward, regarding the leather-bound volume. Like the building itself, the book was marked with only two words: 'Solonik's Game', this time in gilded-effect lettering. Billy reached out a hand, grasped the cover, felt it between his fingers. He turned it and it fell open on the desk with a disproportionately weighty thud.

On the open page appeared a list of the world's geographical regions in font resembling handwritten ink. "Choose your desired mission setting," the figure instructed. Billy extended a finger to select the option for North America. The page content disappeared briefly and then what looked like a list of potential tasks replaced it. Billy surveyed the list in silence, a sense of excitement growing in him. The tasks were numbered from 1 to 5. They resembled missions from any number of games that Billy had encountered in the past, but with a certain real-world grittiness. This was going to be fun.

The first option said "Kill a woman walking in the park with her baby. She cheats on her husband." Billy reached out a finger in curiosity, and attempted to touch the option. Before he was able to make contact, the chiming sound he had registered in the hallway sounded again and a strikethrough appeared through the text before it faded from the page.

He lifted his eyes to the figure behind the desk, who spoke again. "Choose quickly. Each game is unique. Once a player completes a mission, it is gone forever."

Billy regarded the page before him again. Four options remained.

2) Kill a priest as he delivers mass. He is a pedophile who has escaped the law.

3) Kill a college lecturer who invents grades in exchange for sex and penalizes those who resist him.

4) Kill the father who abused four of his children.

The fifth option stood out as possessing an extra challenge. It read, "Kill the crooked politician. He steals from his community and destroys the lives of the poor to increase his own wealth. Kill family members for bonus points." Billy reached a finger toward the option, watched it illuminate and then saw his vision go black.

"Good luck" called the voice of the figure behind the desk. "Execute the target and escape the scene to succeed."

For a few moments Billy neither saw nor heard anything. Then, his vision blinked to life like an old CRT monitor. The picture was hazy and static to begin with. He heard a mechanical humming and then the picture took on form.

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Remember to vote if you enjoyed this part! G.H.

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