The Game by Terry Schott Page B

major, in the creation and maintenance of Earth. It took us years to program fully. Even now, we daily employ Game Masters and an army of technicians to keep it functioning optimally. Something curious happened very soon after the Game began. Players inside the Game somehow seemed to recognize the influence and presence of the Mainframe. Although not able to see Mainframe, they began to sense its influence. Earth citizens called it ‘God’ and worshiped it in many different ways, depending on their specific cultures. At first we were concerned that this would interfere with the Gamers’ experiences, but the religions and activities centred around ‘God’ have provided us with fantastic story lines, technological developments, and learning opportunities. Without ‘God’ I’m certain the Game wouldn’t be as popular to watch and play as it is today.
    Excerpt from “Religion in the Game”
      Alex received very little fanfare during the time leading up to her Game entry. Lilith had said to expect a storm of reporters and interview requests, but none came. Despite the news feeds, fan sites buzzing with speculation and ideas about what Alex being awarded a free play meant, she spent a very quiet few weeks leading up to the day of her entry.
      Lilith had been curious, so she started to personally contact people to initiate interviews on Alex’s behalf.
      “Someone very powerful is blocking us,” she said.
      “Why would they do that?” Alex asked.
      “I don’t know, but it’s true,” Lilith said. “The last three inquiries I made face to face conveyed the message very clearly. They all looked sick at the idea of not interviewing you, but even more frightened at the possibility of actually sitting down to talk. This is a terrible shame. We could have generated so much interest! I assured them you wouldn’t talk about where you’ve been. I suggested we mention the possibility of you spending credits to be with Zack in the Game. I tried enticing them in every way possible, kiddo, but no one will come near you.”
      Alex shrugged. “Thanks for trying, Lilith, but I don’t think it matters anyway. I’m glad I don’t have to speak to anyone, I don’t know if I could be silent about what I’ve seen. My fan base doesn’t seem to have been hurt by the lack of attention, though. It might have even helped. Have you seen my numbers today?”
      Lilith nodded excitedly, picking up a tablet to scan recent figures. Alex was right; her popularity was skyrocketing. “Maybe you’re right, Alex. The only search term more popular than your name is Zack’s.”
      “When’s he going in?” Alex tried to pretend that she didn’t care, but she did. She’d hoped to hear from him when she came back into the spotlight, but she hadn’t. Not even a whisper. Her brain told her that was fine and she should wish him well in his play, but her heart was broken by the continued rejection. She thought they had been special together, but apparently she was the only one who felt that way.
      “He went in two days ago,” Lilith said. “Are you not watching the feeds at all?”
      His avatar will be slightly older than mine , she thought to herself. Shaking her head to get Zack out of her mind, she answered Lilith’s question. “I’ve had no time to watch feeds about Zack. I had to spend my credits all by myself for this play. The Mainframe invited me back in, but it didn’t provide a wealth of money to spend on playing.”
      Lilith smiled in sympathy. “Trust in the God, my girl.”
      Alex chuckled at the reference. People were starting to proclaim that Tygon had its own God, similar but more powerful than Earth’s. Intelligent people had agreed decades ago that no such creature existed, but despite that, the phrase was growing more popular with Game fans everywhere. “I guess I should trust in the God of Earth, at least. I have no idea why it raised me so high in the Game, then kicked me out so horribly.