playing back. That explained why I didn’t recognize this particular guard, but then I couldn’t know every single person who worked at Desica. With a deep frown, the guard stood up, looking at the exit door which was now swinging shut.
‘VIMS, normal view – and get out of sight. Now!’ I ordered.
I lost sight of the guard as VIMS rolled towards the bushes fringing the entrance to the building – but not for long. VIMS had only just managed to hide when the guard appeared at the door, looking severely puzzled and more than a little nervous. Through the sparse winter shrubbery in front of VIMS I saw the guard look out and around but there was no one to see and nothing to look at. My heart stopped when the guard looked in VIMS’ direction. I was so afraid he’d seen VIMS but the guard turned his head for another look around. Then he went back inside the Desica building. I wasn’t the only one who breathed a huge sigh of relief.
‘Are you sure he didn’t see VIMS?’ Liam asked.
‘I don’t think so. He would’ve come out or raised the alarm if he had seen him,’ I replied.
And only then did I remember the truth. VIMS was in simulation mode. This wasn’t real. It was astounding how every little detail looked so believable, right down to the expressions on the security guard’s face. He looked so amazing, so lifelike, that I’d forgotten I was just watching a simulation. No wonder Liam was so completely fooled. But I wasn’t going to tell him the truth – at least, not yet. I was going to have some fun first.
I pointed my finger forward and VIMS set off again. Whenever anyone approached VIMS, I made it hide out of sight. That was mainly for Liam’s benefit but I reckoned that even if it was just a simulation and all I was seeing were images being played back like playing a DVD on the TV, I should still make VIMS treat the whole thing like it was a serious exercise. I didn’t want to interfere with the way it’d already been programmed or anything.
‘Hang on … Why’re you turning into Ellisnore Road?’ Liam asked when ten minutes later we were finally reaching VIMS’ final destination.
I grinned at him. ‘I told you. We’re visiting Matt Vinyl. He lives in this road. At number forty-five.’
Liam suddenly became very still. ‘Dominic, what’re you going to do?’
Chuckling gleefully, I turned back to the monitor. I pointed forward until VIMS reached Matt’s house. I indicated that VIMS should go past the open gate and into the front garden, which was hidden from the rest of the street by a tall, untidy hedge. I made VIMS look around. Stupidly, I hadn’t made VIMS take anything with it so we were going to have to improvise. There were a number of plant pots lined up behind the hedge, and in the corner of the garden, a large wheelie dustbin sat self-consciously.
‘VIMS, pick up that dustbin and empty it on the ground,’ I said.
‘Dominic – no! You can’t do that,’ Liam protested at once.
‘Oh no? Watch this then.’
We all watched the monitor as VIMS lifted the huge wheelie bin and flipped it over as if it were a jar of coffee. Boxes, tins, papers, old flowers – they all came tumbling out.
‘Dominic, that’s enough,’ Liam told me sternly.
‘Oh no, it isn’t,’ I argued. ‘VIMS, pick up one of the potted plants and throw it through the window in front of you, then head back to the testing room at Desica with all possible speed.’
And that’s just what VIMS did. It picked up the nearest potted plant and hurled it through the downstairs window. Then it wheeled out of the front garden moving like a bat out of hell.
I turned triumphantly to Liam. ‘Ta-da!’
He wasn’t smiling. In fact, he was looking at me like he’d never seen me before.
‘Not even Matt would stoop so low as to pull a stunt like that,’ he said.
‘Of course he would – and worse.’
‘I’m going home now.’
I creased up laughing. ‘You should see the look on your face!’ I was
‘VIMS, normal view – and get out of sight. Now!’ I ordered.
I lost sight of the guard as VIMS rolled towards the bushes fringing the entrance to the building – but not for long. VIMS had only just managed to hide when the guard appeared at the door, looking severely puzzled and more than a little nervous. Through the sparse winter shrubbery in front of VIMS I saw the guard look out and around but there was no one to see and nothing to look at. My heart stopped when the guard looked in VIMS’ direction. I was so afraid he’d seen VIMS but the guard turned his head for another look around. Then he went back inside the Desica building. I wasn’t the only one who breathed a huge sigh of relief.
‘Are you sure he didn’t see VIMS?’ Liam asked.
‘I don’t think so. He would’ve come out or raised the alarm if he had seen him,’ I replied.
And only then did I remember the truth. VIMS was in simulation mode. This wasn’t real. It was astounding how every little detail looked so believable, right down to the expressions on the security guard’s face. He looked so amazing, so lifelike, that I’d forgotten I was just watching a simulation. No wonder Liam was so completely fooled. But I wasn’t going to tell him the truth – at least, not yet. I was going to have some fun first.
I pointed my finger forward and VIMS set off again. Whenever anyone approached VIMS, I made it hide out of sight. That was mainly for Liam’s benefit but I reckoned that even if it was just a simulation and all I was seeing were images being played back like playing a DVD on the TV, I should still make VIMS treat the whole thing like it was a serious exercise. I didn’t want to interfere with the way it’d already been programmed or anything.
‘Hang on … Why’re you turning into Ellisnore Road?’ Liam asked when ten minutes later we were finally reaching VIMS’ final destination.
I grinned at him. ‘I told you. We’re visiting Matt Vinyl. He lives in this road. At number forty-five.’
Liam suddenly became very still. ‘Dominic, what’re you going to do?’
Chuckling gleefully, I turned back to the monitor. I pointed forward until VIMS reached Matt’s house. I indicated that VIMS should go past the open gate and into the front garden, which was hidden from the rest of the street by a tall, untidy hedge. I made VIMS look around. Stupidly, I hadn’t made VIMS take anything with it so we were going to have to improvise. There were a number of plant pots lined up behind the hedge, and in the corner of the garden, a large wheelie dustbin sat self-consciously.
‘VIMS, pick up that dustbin and empty it on the ground,’ I said.
‘Dominic – no! You can’t do that,’ Liam protested at once.
‘Oh no? Watch this then.’
We all watched the monitor as VIMS lifted the huge wheelie bin and flipped it over as if it were a jar of coffee. Boxes, tins, papers, old flowers – they all came tumbling out.
‘Dominic, that’s enough,’ Liam told me sternly.
‘Oh no, it isn’t,’ I argued. ‘VIMS, pick up one of the potted plants and throw it through the window in front of you, then head back to the testing room at Desica with all possible speed.’
And that’s just what VIMS did. It picked up the nearest potted plant and hurled it through the downstairs window. Then it wheeled out of the front garden moving like a bat out of hell.
I turned triumphantly to Liam. ‘Ta-da!’
He wasn’t smiling. In fact, he was looking at me like he’d never seen me before.
‘Not even Matt would stoop so low as to pull a stunt like that,’ he said.
‘Of course he would – and worse.’
‘I’m going home now.’
I creased up laughing. ‘You should see the look on your face!’ I was
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