REHO: A Science Fiction Thriller (The Hegemon Wars) by D. L. Denham Page A
Authors: D. L. Denham
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Arcade:
First, it was a virtual program that the community members of Neopan could enter into through a surgically implanted device that converted their subconscious into a second identity in Arcade while they slept. Those connected to Arcade were referred to as immersants . Second, Arcade looked, smelled, felt, sounded, and tasted like Neopan to the immersant. Neopan’s city borders were also the virtual borders in Arcade. Third, its function was both recreational and business. Some immersants ran businesses in both Neopan and Arcade, making points while awake and asleep.
Arcade did come with certain dangers as well. The program was alien and functioned at times in ways contrary to how things would normally happen on Earth. The system’s physics and rendering became problematic for some immersants. Items that once sat in Arcade would be gone when someone reentered. Some people claimed to think clearer in Arcade and do things they couldn’t while awake.
Gibson confessed that he never felt any different except when writing code. Writing difficult code that he couldn't figure out in school came much easier to sort out once immersed.
“I just couldn’t take the code out and do anything with it!” He confessed, laughing at the irony of it. He could create new code while immersed in a program that existed because of code written by aliens, but he couldn’t bring the human-created code out.
***
A sudden reduction in the ship’s forward speed sent Reho sliding forward as he latched onto a front railing, catching his pack just before it went over the side. For a second, he caught a glimpse of an enormous fish moving alongside the boat, its fin breaking the surface just before it disappeared beneath the boat. His AIM displayed their decrease to eight knots. Noise traveled from below, and he heard Thursday’s loud voice above the others. Then Reho saw what caused the commotion and why they were now at a complete stop. A boat moved in their direction, about ten miles out and to the East. Smoke towered above it from what looked like an iron chimney.
Reho descended to the cargo room. Thursday held a pulse rifle and was wearing armor.
Ends pulled on a bulletproof vest. “We might have trouble.” A large belt strapped across Ends’ waist held an OldWorld pistol, ammunition clips, knife, and grenades. Ends and Thursday appeared ready to fight a second alien war. Sola had no weapons or equipment. Her eyes darted between the two men, as she helped them secure their equipment onto their bodies.
“Where’s Gibson?” Ends asked.
“He’s still in the navigation room. You want him down here with you and Thursday?” Sola asked.
“No,” Ends said. “Take Reho with you.” He threw a black bag to Sola. “You know the routine.”
“Come on,” Sola said, already ascending the stairs.
Reho had only been in the boat’s navigation room once. Gibson had shown him the equipment and explained how its basic program, Captain , worked. Reho had been impressed by the mechanics of the tattered-looking boat. The engine was different from the ones in gasolines. Large racks filled with hardware, monitors, and wires drew energy from a single energy cell, as did the boat’s engine. Reho didn’t need to ask if the technology was human or alien. Nothing like this had existed before the Blasts.
“Just the one steamer,” Gibson said. “I’m going to speculate and say four guys. Which means probably eight, knowing my luck.” They watched as the steamer grew larger on the monitor. Gibson zoomed into its deck. Three men stood with OldWorld rifles but no armor. They wore full-length brown coats, and their faces were hidden by massive goggles.
“What’s the plan?” Gibson asked.
“I’ll try to convince them that we aren’t Monet sympathizers and that we are just docking for a few days. Just like Tzman,” Sola replied. She smiled. Gibson’s eyes widened, and his body jerked out of the navigation chair.
“We lost our entire
First, it was a virtual program that the community members of Neopan could enter into through a surgically implanted device that converted their subconscious into a second identity in Arcade while they slept. Those connected to Arcade were referred to as immersants . Second, Arcade looked, smelled, felt, sounded, and tasted like Neopan to the immersant. Neopan’s city borders were also the virtual borders in Arcade. Third, its function was both recreational and business. Some immersants ran businesses in both Neopan and Arcade, making points while awake and asleep.
Arcade did come with certain dangers as well. The program was alien and functioned at times in ways contrary to how things would normally happen on Earth. The system’s physics and rendering became problematic for some immersants. Items that once sat in Arcade would be gone when someone reentered. Some people claimed to think clearer in Arcade and do things they couldn’t while awake.
Gibson confessed that he never felt any different except when writing code. Writing difficult code that he couldn't figure out in school came much easier to sort out once immersed.
“I just couldn’t take the code out and do anything with it!” He confessed, laughing at the irony of it. He could create new code while immersed in a program that existed because of code written by aliens, but he couldn’t bring the human-created code out.
***
A sudden reduction in the ship’s forward speed sent Reho sliding forward as he latched onto a front railing, catching his pack just before it went over the side. For a second, he caught a glimpse of an enormous fish moving alongside the boat, its fin breaking the surface just before it disappeared beneath the boat. His AIM displayed their decrease to eight knots. Noise traveled from below, and he heard Thursday’s loud voice above the others. Then Reho saw what caused the commotion and why they were now at a complete stop. A boat moved in their direction, about ten miles out and to the East. Smoke towered above it from what looked like an iron chimney.
Reho descended to the cargo room. Thursday held a pulse rifle and was wearing armor.
Ends pulled on a bulletproof vest. “We might have trouble.” A large belt strapped across Ends’ waist held an OldWorld pistol, ammunition clips, knife, and grenades. Ends and Thursday appeared ready to fight a second alien war. Sola had no weapons or equipment. Her eyes darted between the two men, as she helped them secure their equipment onto their bodies.
“Where’s Gibson?” Ends asked.
“He’s still in the navigation room. You want him down here with you and Thursday?” Sola asked.
“No,” Ends said. “Take Reho with you.” He threw a black bag to Sola. “You know the routine.”
“Come on,” Sola said, already ascending the stairs.
Reho had only been in the boat’s navigation room once. Gibson had shown him the equipment and explained how its basic program, Captain , worked. Reho had been impressed by the mechanics of the tattered-looking boat. The engine was different from the ones in gasolines. Large racks filled with hardware, monitors, and wires drew energy from a single energy cell, as did the boat’s engine. Reho didn’t need to ask if the technology was human or alien. Nothing like this had existed before the Blasts.
“Just the one steamer,” Gibson said. “I’m going to speculate and say four guys. Which means probably eight, knowing my luck.” They watched as the steamer grew larger on the monitor. Gibson zoomed into its deck. Three men stood with OldWorld rifles but no armor. They wore full-length brown coats, and their faces were hidden by massive goggles.
“What’s the plan?” Gibson asked.
“I’ll try to convince them that we aren’t Monet sympathizers and that we are just docking for a few days. Just like Tzman,” Sola replied. She smiled. Gibson’s eyes widened, and his body jerked out of the navigation chair.
“We lost our entire
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