2400 AD

The promenade level had an open, uninterrupted view of the world below. Huge floodlights lit up the roofline. There were no stars or moon to look at in the night sky. Callum seemed to be in a massive domed structure.

His mind felt as though it might explode. If everything Gideon and Kendall said was true, then this world, the universe, even existence itself was just an illusion.

If every action, reaction and consequence, every character, scene and plot, every description, subplot and climax had been created by a developer feeding code into some universal computer, then where was the challenge for knowledge? Only a few individuals would possess knowledge.

He imagined some person, a real human being, behind a computer, pressing buttons and watching the screen as buildings disappeared and new ones arise out of nothing.

Kill a child.

Bring an airline down.

Cause wars.

Kill politicians.

Make people suffer with a myriad of illnesses and diseases.

Make a dog, cat, or shark extinct.

Create new animals.

Aliens.

Planets.

Suns and moons.

Callum felt real. He was real. Made of flesh and bone with a heart and soul.

What made Gideon, Kendall, and all the others in Denizen 1 human while everything and everyone else was just an illusion?

If this were a simulation, then everyone and everything would be a part of that without question.

Nothing made sense.

He didn’t know what to do. He was completely lost and the more he questioned, the more stupid he felt.

He had Gideon and Kendall in his ear telling him the opposite of everything he had been taught.

It was all so unbelievable.

He had to escape or leave before they brainwashed him into believing anything else.

A hand landed on Callum’s shoulder and he swung around to find Gideon standing behind him dressed in blue jeans and a black, leather jacket over a white t-shirt. He looked dapper. Clean. Svelte. Reverent.

“Mind if I join you?” Gideon didn’t wait for an answer; he sat down beside Callum and straddled his legs over the edge of the platform.

“If you think too deeply you’ll go nuts. Everyone has a task here. We all have one thing in common, survival. It keeps us together. Working in teams we make sure we have everything we need to continue.”

“This is like an ant colony. Everyone seems to go about his or her business automatically. Where are we exactly?”

“We built this facility underground. Many of those people are professionals in what they do. Mechanics, IT personnel and medical staff. Others are semiskilled. Others are learning.”

Callum hung his head. It was clear to Gideon that he didn’t want to talk about the logistics below.

They were silent for a few moments when Gideon said, “I know you’re all locked up.” He placed a hand on Callum’s knee. Not a suggestive hand. Nothing sexual. It was his way of saying he understood.

But Callum jerked his knee away.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

Callum exploded. “You guys think I’m some kind of fool, don’t you? You think that by playing this ‘simulation’ story, you’ll win me over, like all those fools down there. I’m a soldier. I’m trained to kill and what you’ve told me, what you have here, is not logical. I’m not convinced. You’ve taken this too far, Gideon. I’m out of here.” He stood up to leave. Gideon followed him and swung him around.

“Let’s get one thing out of the way right here, right now. You’re free to leave. No one will stop you. No one ever said that you’re beholden to us. But you need to listen. Apply that military mind of yours to your current situation. Do you think you’ll just walk out of here and continue with your privileged life as if nothing happened? You’re a Xenocon target now. They’ll get you. They’ll turn your world into their world. If they don’t succeed, they’ll just terminate your life as you know it, and, like thousands of others, you’ll disappear. Let’s leave it at that, Callum. You’re free to go, and if you choose to stay, that’s your choice too.”

Callum’s heart beat a little faster knowing that Gideon didn’t want him to leave. Even though there was overwhelming electricity between them, it all came down to trust. Each time Callum met with Gideon, the attraction increased, but that didn’t change how he felt right now because Gideon’s explanation made him sound like a lunatic. What was worse, falling for a man who lit up his life every time they came into contact, or falling for a crazy sounding man who lit up his life? The sadness in Gideon’s eyes said it all.

But, Callum had made up his mind. He had to leave.

“You have no idea what you do to…” Gideon whispered as they stared into each other’s eyes. “I’ll say this one more time. Stay. Help us.”

“I’m sorry,” Callum said, turning his head away from Gideon’s stare.

Gideon marched away from him, leaving him alone with the options.