Read Online New Reality: Truth by Michael Robertson - Free Book Online
Authors: Michael Robertson
Tags: Science-Fiction
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no evidence to the contrary."
Looking back over to the tower on the horizon, Tom ground his jaw. "I want to make that assumption. More than I've ever wanted anything in my entire life." Sighing, Tom continued to stare into the distance.
Moving close to his friend, Jake put his hand on his slumped back. "Believe it then. Reality is a choice. Choose your reality."
The silence lasted for a good few minutes before Jake finally said, "So we're looking for a Birmingham City football shirt, yeah?"
Tom was still frowning when he looked up at his friend. Then it lifted and he snorted a laugh. "Piss off."
Grinning, Jake threw his arms wide and the wind smashed into him. Finding his balance, grimacing from the pain in his legs, he shrugged. "I thought you were Birmingham through and through?"
A smile raised one side of Tom's mouth. It was nice to see. "There's only one team in Birmingham, Jake, and it isn't City. And before you say it, it ain't West Brom either!" Looking away again, he sighed. "I suppose none of that's important anymore though. Football used to be a religion for me," he squinted as he looked at the tower, "before all of this."
Refusing to let his friend forget his purpose, Jake said, "So we're looking for red hair?"
"You know what we're looking for. Stop being an idiot."
"And he has a cleft palette?"
Pushing the loose strands of hair from his eyes, Tom didn't reply.
"He's wearing one of your old Aston Villa shirts?"
"And he's going to be about seventeen now." Tom's voice wavered. "Seventeen!" When he looked at the tower again, his eyes welled up. "It's been a year since we've seen him and four since he put that bloody headset on!" He stared at the floor. "Four years is a long time." Looking at the tower again, he shook his head. "Why didn't they leave us alone when we were with them last? They're my family, not the property of Rixon International Limited. Arseholes. Sometimes I wish we'd stayed where we were."
"We would have died if we didn't run, Tom."
Tom regarded Jake with lifeless eyes. He was clearly aware of that fact.
Moving closer, his rusty joints screaming a burning protest, Jake clenched his jaw against the pain and dropped an arm over his friend's shoulder. When he gave him a soft squeeze, Tom's bottom lip pushed out.
"Come on, man," Jake said. "Let's keep moving."
***
Staring at Jake as he hobbled off, leading his friend on, she ran her tongue over her cracked lips. Why did he have to be so kind to his friend? What she had to do would be so much easier if Jake was a dick.
Chapter Ten
The woman's large body was spread over the rocky ground like fresh dough. She was naked save for a small shred of what looked like the remains of a woolen jumper clinging to her wrist. Varicose veins pooled in her arms and her skin was pale.
Looking up, Jake scratched his beard as he scanned the surrounding storm for Bots. There were none. "Have you noticed how there are so many less gamers about now? I swear there were ten times as many only a few months ago."
Without replying, Tom also scanned their surroundings.
"Tom?"
There was a distant look to the man as he said, "Why are we helping them? They're in a better state than we are."
"At least we're conscious."
"Exactly! They're far better off. They say ignorance is bliss, New Reality makes that statement truer than ever. Ignorance is heaven now." He shook his head. "I can't keep spending what little energy I have making the lives of these idiots better."
The woman they were stood over was in her late thirties to early forties. The only thing Jake could be certain of when it came to her physical health was that she was still breathing. Watching her chest rise and fall, he scratched his head. "What else can we do?"
Turning on his friend, Tom's eyes lit up. "Let's try and take her headset off."
When Jake's mouth fell open, he felt grateful for the scarf. If it weren't for that, he'd be funneling grit. Staring at his friend, he couldn't find the
Looking back over to the tower on the horizon, Tom ground his jaw. "I want to make that assumption. More than I've ever wanted anything in my entire life." Sighing, Tom continued to stare into the distance.
Moving close to his friend, Jake put his hand on his slumped back. "Believe it then. Reality is a choice. Choose your reality."
The silence lasted for a good few minutes before Jake finally said, "So we're looking for a Birmingham City football shirt, yeah?"
Tom was still frowning when he looked up at his friend. Then it lifted and he snorted a laugh. "Piss off."
Grinning, Jake threw his arms wide and the wind smashed into him. Finding his balance, grimacing from the pain in his legs, he shrugged. "I thought you were Birmingham through and through?"
A smile raised one side of Tom's mouth. It was nice to see. "There's only one team in Birmingham, Jake, and it isn't City. And before you say it, it ain't West Brom either!" Looking away again, he sighed. "I suppose none of that's important anymore though. Football used to be a religion for me," he squinted as he looked at the tower, "before all of this."
Refusing to let his friend forget his purpose, Jake said, "So we're looking for red hair?"
"You know what we're looking for. Stop being an idiot."
"And he has a cleft palette?"
Pushing the loose strands of hair from his eyes, Tom didn't reply.
"He's wearing one of your old Aston Villa shirts?"
"And he's going to be about seventeen now." Tom's voice wavered. "Seventeen!" When he looked at the tower again, his eyes welled up. "It's been a year since we've seen him and four since he put that bloody headset on!" He stared at the floor. "Four years is a long time." Looking at the tower again, he shook his head. "Why didn't they leave us alone when we were with them last? They're my family, not the property of Rixon International Limited. Arseholes. Sometimes I wish we'd stayed where we were."
"We would have died if we didn't run, Tom."
Tom regarded Jake with lifeless eyes. He was clearly aware of that fact.
Moving closer, his rusty joints screaming a burning protest, Jake clenched his jaw against the pain and dropped an arm over his friend's shoulder. When he gave him a soft squeeze, Tom's bottom lip pushed out.
"Come on, man," Jake said. "Let's keep moving."
***
Staring at Jake as he hobbled off, leading his friend on, she ran her tongue over her cracked lips. Why did he have to be so kind to his friend? What she had to do would be so much easier if Jake was a dick.
Chapter Ten
The woman's large body was spread over the rocky ground like fresh dough. She was naked save for a small shred of what looked like the remains of a woolen jumper clinging to her wrist. Varicose veins pooled in her arms and her skin was pale.
Looking up, Jake scratched his beard as he scanned the surrounding storm for Bots. There were none. "Have you noticed how there are so many less gamers about now? I swear there were ten times as many only a few months ago."
Without replying, Tom also scanned their surroundings.
"Tom?"
There was a distant look to the man as he said, "Why are we helping them? They're in a better state than we are."
"At least we're conscious."
"Exactly! They're far better off. They say ignorance is bliss, New Reality makes that statement truer than ever. Ignorance is heaven now." He shook his head. "I can't keep spending what little energy I have making the lives of these idiots better."
The woman they were stood over was in her late thirties to early forties. The only thing Jake could be certain of when it came to her physical health was that she was still breathing. Watching her chest rise and fall, he scratched his head. "What else can we do?"
Turning on his friend, Tom's eyes lit up. "Let's try and take her headset off."
When Jake's mouth fell open, he felt grateful for the scarf. If it weren't for that, he'd be funneling grit. Staring at his friend, he couldn't find the
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