Read Online Gamers' Challenge by George Ivanoff - Free Book Online Page B

guess is as good as mine,’ admitted Hope.
    ‘But I think we should be ready to jump at a moment’s notice.’
    ‘So where do you want to go when we jump next?’ asked Zyra. ‘Suburbia, the control centre, the space battle environment or home? That’s all I know. I can’t visualise anywhere else.’
    ‘None of those,’ said Hope. ‘The VIs found us pretty quick in Suburbia and I think it’s because they expected us to go there. If you’ve only been in this Dinosaur land once, then it may take them longer to find us.’ She grinned. ‘But if we go somewhere you’ve never been? Well, there are hundreds of environments for them to search through.’
    ‘Yeah, great,’ said Zyra. ‘How do we get there?’ Hope sat up. ‘How about you just try and thinkof something that could be associated with an environment?’
    Zyra frowned.
    ‘Come on,’ said Hope. ‘You’re the one who got this world-jumping happening in the first place by simply trying it. So try this. Think of something.’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘I don’t know.’ Hope looked around. ‘Think of the absence of jungle.’ She laughed, and looked up at the sky where grey storm clouds were gathering.
    ‘Think of blue skies and sunny days.’
    A white horse came galloping out from the jungle on the opposite side of the clearing. It stopped to munch on some grass.
    ‘Horses,’ said Hope. ‘This environment hashorses?’
    Zyra gaped at the animal. ‘Urn ... I don’t think that’s a horse.’
    The creature looked up from its feeding and stared directly at them. Protruding from its forehead was a long, white, spiralling horn.
    ‘That’s a unicorn,’ whispered Zyra. ‘In a dinosaur environment? Odd. And I think it can see us.’
    ‘Impossible,’ said Hope. ‘We’re not part of thegame. It doesn’t know we’re here.’
    ‘Then why’s it looking straight at us?’
    ‘It’s not,’ said Hope. ‘It must be looking at the jungle behind us.’
    She twisted around to look behind them, searching the vegetation for something that might have attracted the unicorn’s attention.
    ‘I dunno,’ said Zyra, nervously glancing over hershoulder. ‘It appears to be looking at us. Maybe we should jump now, just in case.’
    ‘Okay,’ said Zyra. ‘Start thinking.’
    ‘Maybe I should try and think about the Ultimate Gamer,’ suggested Zyra, the unicorn momentarily forgotten. ‘Then maybe we’ll go to wherever he is?’
    ‘Great idea!’ said Hope.
    ‘Except, I don’t know what he looks like. Or even if he is a he.’ Zyra paused. ‘Maybe I should just try and think of garners in general? Or playing the game? Or, I dunno.’
    ‘Whatever you think of, better do it fast,’ said
    Hope. ‘We’ve got company.’
    Zyra looked up to see two VIs zooming over the treetops.
    ‘That was quick,’ said Zyra. ‘I thought you said itwould take them longer.’
    ‘What do I know?’ said Hope. ‘I was just guessing. And hoping.’
    ‘Right.’ Zyra took hold of Hope’s face and closed her eyes. Hope closed her eyes and put her hands on Zyra’s face.
    ‘Garners,’ whispered Zyra. They jumped.

13: The Thing in the Cave  
    ‘Soya thinks this Ultimate Gamer can gets ya out of the game?’ said Tark to Tee, as they walked through the Forest.
    ‘If he even exists,’ said Tee.
    Tark stopped dead. ‘Ya means he mights not?’
    ‘Well, yes,’ admitted Tee. ‘It’s a legend. It may well just be a story. Hope certainly doesn’t believe there’s any such person.’
    Tark’s expression turned dark. ‘So all this danger that ya’ve puts us through mights be for nuthin’? And whats about Zyra?’
    ‘I’m hoping that the Ultimate Gamer exists,’ said
    Tee. ‘And given that the VIs seem intent on keeping Zyra and Hope apart, I think there’s a pretty good chance he does.’
    ‘Rights,’ said Tark, taking a deep breath and looking away. ‘So whats da we do now?’
    ‘I want to show you something.’ Tee loaded his crossbow and started off