[The Game] Go!

Chapter 16

"Computer games don't affect kids. I mean if Pac Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive music"
- Marcus Brigstocke

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Cardenio, Dublin. Present day.

Gabriel, Victoria and a somewhat sullen-looking Michael stood before the Director. Behind him was Cardenio's nerve-centre - the giant wrap-around plasma screen banks and computer towers which an anxious looking Maria was now sitting at and fevereishly tapping away on. Images and maps flitted across the screens, showing shots of 1960s London.
'This time', the Director said with a pointed look at Michael, 'the three of you will be going along. And you won't just be observing. Your job is to retrieve the package. We have reliable information that one of the parts of the story is located in a house in Mayfair, London in 1967. You can probably expect some resistance in retrieving the document, but I'm sure that it's nothing that the three of you can't handle. But let me be clear. Michael?'
'Yes?'
'Gabriel is in charge. That means you do what he says. Nothing more, nothing less. OK?'
'Gotcha'
'I hope you do' said the Director with a sinister arch of the left eyebrow. 'Are you ready?'
All three of them nodded.
'Right then. Maria? Ready?'
'Sure thing Chief' she said over her shoulder.
Nodding, the Director walked over to a table to the side of the main computer units on which a small metal box rested. He opened it and produced a square envelope. From inside that he slid out, carefully, almost reverentially, an album cover. It was an original copy of Sgt. Pepper's.
'Nice' said Michael.
'Yes it rather is' said the Director with a smile. 'Damage it and I'll kill you where you stand'
Gabriel chuckled. 'C'mon you two. Let's get this show on the road'
Saying nothing, the three stepped to the table where the Director had lain the album cover down on a velvet surface. They looked at each other, nodded and slowly placed their hands down on the cover. Gabriel's hand first, Victoria's on his, Michael's on hers.
'Good luck' said the Director with a kindly smile.
Michael opened his mouth to speak. 'What happens if...'
And they jumped.

On an unseasonably warm April day, on a dirt road through the hills, with neither man or beast in sight, three figures appeared by the side of the road. One moment they weren't there, the next they were. Two men and a woman. The older, taller man and the woman seemed calm, unperplexed. The third man, a younger man, heaved to one side and staggered to a nearby tree. He leaned against it for support, taking large gulping breaths. After a time, his breathing slowed and he drank deeply from a water bottle which the woman handed him. She seemed to find his predicament amusing. Eventually he stood upright and walked away from the tree, giving her back the bottle. The older man peered intently at a silver pocketwatch, his face scrunched up in confusion and concern. The woman and the younger man came to stand beside him. The woman began to say something only to be interrupted by the sound of the younger man whirling away and puking loudly. She handed him the water again.
'What's wrong?' Victoria asked Gabriel, turning away from Michael who was now doubled over groaning.
'There's something really wrong here' he replied. 'We're supposed to be in London in 1967'
'I was about to say, it doesn't look much like it' Victoria said, casting her eyes around.
They were on a unpaved dirt-road, low-lying hills on all sides of them. An occasional tree dotted the landscape, but nothing jumped out to let them know where they were.
'Where the hell are we?' Michael groaned, struggling to a standing position.
'That's the thing' Gabriel said, his fingers prodding and poking the touch-screen on his watchpiece. 'I have no eartly idea'.
'Huh? Victoria mumbled, reaching for her pocketwatch. She flipped it open.
'You got anything?' Gabriel asked her.
'Nope' she said, staring at the screen and chewing her bottom lip. 'Garbled signal. It makes no sense. It's like there's something blocking the uplink. I can see it connecting but then something cuts it out. Michael, can you look at yours please'
Michael fished the watch out, his other hand clutching at his stomach. He grimaced as he opened the lid and waited.
'Nothing' he finally mumbled. 'Dead. Isn't this not supposed to happen?'
Neither Gabriel nor Victoria replied, but simply looked at each other and then around them in different directions.
'How about we ask them?' said Victoria, flicking her head up the road. They looked.
A couple of hundred yards ahead, moving towards them, was a group of about a dozen figures. They wore rough looking garb - cloaks and sack-cloth garments, with rough boots on their feet.
'Look medieval' said Gabriel.
'What the fuck is going on? Did we come out in the wrong time?'
'Yeah' said Victoria, 'medieval alright. I'm guessing 14th century?'
'Sounds about right' Gabriel said. 'Let's go talk to 'em'
'You sure that's wise? How do we know they're not some band of lunatic crusaders?' Michael asked.
They both looked at him.
'Fair enough' he said quietly.
They started walking towards the group. After a short time, someone at the head of their group raised a hand in salute. Gabriel raised his.
'Wave back' he said.
Victoria and Michael did. As they got closer, Michael could begin to discern the features of the figure leading the group. He was tall, possibly six foot four, some facial hair and with an insanely large, gleeful smile on his long, impossibly happy face.
'Helooooo!' he called out to them, waving his hand in an excited manner.
'Seems friendly' Michael said.
Gabriel grunted. 'Hello there!' he called back. The entire group waved back and shouted hello in unison.
'Very friendly' said Victoria.
'We're gonna get eaten alive aren't we? Michael asked. Victoria sniggered.
'Michael...'
'Sorry' he said. 'I'll be nice'
'Good morning!' called the figure, a huge beaming smile lighting up his face.
Behind him, twelve or so more faces were peering at them with precisely the same insanely happy expressions. Judging by the look of rapt joy on their faces, they'd never met anyone on a road before and considered the experience to be nothing less than a religious ecstasy. 'Helloooo!' came a chorus of cheerful voices.
'Er, hi' Michael managed.
'Greetings' Gabriel said amiably, extending a hand. The tall traveller at the front bounded his last few steps towards them and after seizing Gabriel's hand began pumping it frantically.
'Terribly nice to meet you' he said, 'My name is Geoffrey.'
'Gabriel' said Gabriel, managing to wrest his hand back. 'This is my wife Victoria,' he went on, Victoria noddding politely, 'and this is our, ehm, nephew, Michael.'
'Nephew?'
'How wonderful!' said the traveller. 'And what, prey tell, finds you on this road?'
'Going to London?' asked another chippy voice from behind. And another: 'Pilgrimage was it?'
'Ehm, well...' Gabriel paused, thinking.
The entire group leaned in towards them, as though he were about to utter the lottery numbers, beatific smiles on their hoplessly loving, expectant faces. 'Truth is, we're slightly lost' Gabriel finished.
'Lost?' came a chorus of voices. 'Were you waylaid?' asked Geoffrey.
'Yes, waylaid. That was it. We were waylaid.'
'I see'
'By bandits' Gabriel carried on.
A collective gasp met this latest piece of information.
'Gabriel?' Michael said gently.
'Not now'
'Yes now'
Gabriel smiled at the gaunt figure of Geoffrey before him and turned his head to scowl at Michael. 'What?'
'I think I know how to get us out of here'
'How?' Victoria asked.
'By using the jump-point connected to whatever it is he has in his bag'
'How the...? How do you know he has one in his bag?'
'I can see it. I can feel it.'
Gabriel paused an instant. 'Are you still dizzy from the jump?' he asked.
Michael bristled. 'You're telling me that you can't feel it? It's in his bag. I can see the link glowing from here.'
Gabriel and Victoria turned their heads, looking over their shoulders down to the bag that man was holding. He looked down to the bag too. They looked back up to him. He looked back at them and smiled. They smiled back and turned to Michael.
'I can't see anything' Gabriel said.
'Neither can I' said Victoria. 'You sure about this?'
'Positive' Michael insisted, 'It's there. A jump link. I guarantee it. It must be a book or a picture or something. Ask him if we can trade for it.'
'Trade? Trade what' Gabriel asked.
'Hang on. I think I can guess what it is they have,' said Victoria, a sudden rush of impatience overcoming her. She cleared her throat, turning back to face the grinning faces.
'Forgive us. We are a travelling family, lost on the road to our kin. We need to get to the city of London. But we were waylaid by bandits and all our possesions stolen...' she paused here for dramatic effect, the group oooing in sympathy, 'and we know not where we are. Can you direct us?'
'Well of course my lady,' said Geoffrey with a serious tone. 'This is the road to Kent, from London, traversed by pilgrims such as ourselves, as we make our way to pay respects at the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.'
A 'eureka look' came over Michael's face. 'Ah haaaa...' he said under his breath. Gabriel stood on his foot to shut him up.
Geoffery hoisted his thumb over his shoulder. 'London,' he said with a theatrical waggle of the eyebrows, 'is that way'.
Upon this announcement, the group erupted in a raucous bout of knee-slapping and guffawing. Michael whimpered.
'And could we,' Victoria further ventured, 'ask you to find it in your hearts to furnish us with a map? Perhaps a spare one which might show us the way?'
Faces looked at each other. Heads bobbed in unision. Mutterings were rousing.
'Why certainly my lady' said Geoffrey, opening the bag and pulling out a parchment. From where Michael was standing, it glowed blue. Gabriel looked and saw just a parchment. 'That it?' he asked out the side of his mouth.
Michael nodded, biting his lip.
'You're too kind sir' Victoria said.
'Oh but there's a cost, my lady' he said with another waggle of the eyebrows and a titter from the group. Gabriel and Michael tensed.
'Which is?' she asked tersely.
'A tale'
No-one spoke.
'I'm sorry?' Gabriel finally said.
'A tale' said a woman's voice from the back of the group.
'A story!' another helpfully chimed in.
'You want us to tell you a story?' Victoria asked, tilting her head.
'Precisely'
'Uhm...' she trailed off. She looked to Michael and Gabriel. They both shrugged.
'Thanks' she said. Turning back to Geoffrey, she smiled weakly. 'Any particular type?'
'Oooo! Something funny!' said the woman again to a chorus of approval and clapping.
'May I ask why you want the story?' MIchael interjected.
'Well, because that's what I do' Geoffrey said with a grin. 'I collect stories. This is a story teling pilgrimage. To while the hours away, we trade tales. So, what shall we call yours? What is your name?'
'Ehm...' Victoria began, 'Ehm. Miller. Yes, Victoria Miller.'
The group paused, exchanging puzzled looks. Victoria smiled.
'What an odd name. Well, If you say so. And what would your tale be?'
'Well...'

Three hours later

'You know what? You are one disturbing woman Victoria' Michael said. She said nothing whilst Gabriel just smirked and examined the map.
'And you can see a jumplink on this map Michael?' Gabriel asked.
'As clear as day'
Gabriel and Victoria exchanged glances.
'Where did you get that story?' Michael asked. 'I mean, that stuff about the poker up the arse. Was that really necessary? Where did you hear that story? Seriously, where?'
Again, no-one answered him. 'Oooh, going all cryptic on me again are ye?'
'It's a map of London for sure, but I mean, it's all messed up.' Gabriel said, entirely ignoring Michael. 'As best as I can make out we're in what would now be south London, but which in this time is almost unpopulated. The nearest village is Southwark. This is all very weird. I still don't know how we ended up here.'
'Well, how about we get out of here?' suggested Victoria.
'Fine by me' Michael replied.
'Okay, let's see if this works.' Gabriel said placing the document on the ground and his hand on it. Victoria kneeled and placed hers on his. Michael followed, pausing before placing his on Victoria's. 'I didn't say I knew where this was going, OK?'
'Don't worry. We came across this link for a reason. It's more than likley going to throw us out into 1967. Happens sometimes, links to links. Let's go.'
Michael nodded and placed his hand on Victoria's.

A street. Cobblestones and the reflection of rainwater in a moonlit sky.
'This is not 1967' Michael said.
'Nope. It ain't' said Victoria looking at her pocketwatch screen. She closed it with a grunt.
Gabriel looked around them, taking in the buildings. He spotted something on the ground, a piece of paper, rolled up and muddied. He picked it up and carefully unfolded it from the ball it was in. He read, leaning under the lamplight nearby.
'1888' he said.
Michael sighed deeply. 'Well, I suppose we're getting closer'
'I have a bad feeling that I know where we are' Victoria said.
'Yeah? Where?' Michael asked.
'Whitechapel' she said plainly.
'Whitechapel?' Gabriel asked, alarm passing over his face.
'Whitechapel? How do I know that name?' Michael asked no-one in particular.
'Oh shit' said Gabriel, his head turning to take in the street. 'Oh shit, oh shit...'
And then, from seemingly nowhere, ten police officers bounded around the corner, whilstles blowing, dogs barking, shouting their heads off. From the other direction, more came. Before any of them knew what was happening, they were surrounded.
'Move and we kill you' said a voice.
'Fair enough' said Michael.

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Ay Semantics!by Dr. Joanne

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