Manifest Read online

  Manifest

  Cody Whitfill

  Copyright © 2019 Author Name

  All rights reserved.

  DEDICATION

  To my amazing wife, Stephanie, because she said so, and I like being married.

  In all seriousness, I would not be who I am today without her constant love, patience, and encouragement. This book is most deservedly dedicated to her and her alone.

  Contents

  Prologue:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Prologue:

  January 3rd, 2056

  WHO are you? The car salesman that thirsts for adventure? The shy librarian who dreams of sailing wide oceans? The retired veteran who still has a few more battles left in the tank? Join Manifest, the world’s foremost Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Game, to find out just WHO you are. This is a chance to shake off the stereotype. Be the YOU you were meant to be!

  Take our comprehensive personality analysis, and our network of highly sophisticated artificial intelligence will analyze your results and appoint YOU with one of thousands of races! We guarantee you will be matched with your perfect fit! Starting race, class, characteristics, attributes, and abilities will all be specifically designed for each and every player. Be YOUnique! Will you become the heroic centaur, defender of the meek? The mighty dragon, collector of all things shiny? The sneaky naiad, faster than any ship? Or maybe even the humble goblin, with the voice of an angel? Who will YOU become? Find out when Manifest goes live this August!

  -Manifest advertisement in Cyber Today!

  August 21st, 2056

  Today marks the release date of the highly anticipated game of the year, Manifest, and already tens of millions of players from across the globe have been drawn to the game. Thankfully, the creators of Manifest, GameChangers Inc., has long prepared for this influx of players and has constructed a deep underground data center to support the new game. Spanning just over 45 million square feet, this server farm is more than adequate for supporting all of Manifest’s eager new inhabitants.

  By all accounts, Manifest has become an instant success, especially given its seamless integration with the Advanced Neurological Implant, commonly referred to as ANI. As many of our readers may remember, these implants were freely distributed to all school children in the United States, Great Britain, and Russia- GameChanger’s biggest supporters in the global market. These secure implants have been proven to dramatically increase a child’s educational development, and may now be used to play Manifest, which is quickly becoming the world’s most popular game.

  -Boston Globe

  September 17th, 2056

  Manifest has now reached the one billion player mark and continues to grow daily. A number of politicians have admitted to playing the new global phenomenon, likely to increase their ratings with their younger constituents. Top officials have also confirmed that soldiers deployed overseas are now permitted to log in to Manifest during personal time. Countless doctors, teachers, police officers, and other professionals have started their own in-game guilds to further network and hone their craft. It seems like everyone is hopping on to Manifest, the newest marvel by GameChangers!

  -Orlando Tribune

  October 20th, 2056

  The first death associated with prolonged exposure to Manifest has been announced. Benny Krasinski was pronounced dead late last night after playing the game for 85 hours straight. In an effort to promote public welfare, lawmakers have begun pushing for GameChangers to initiate a forced logout for all players after eight consecutive hours of gameplay. GameChangers has, so far, declined to comment.

  -Kansas City Star

  November 21st, 2056

  In celebration of the three-month anniversary since Manifest’s launch, GameChangers has announced its first ever mega-sale! This week only, Advanced Neurological Implants will be on sale for 50% off with free enhancement visor and injection upon purchase! In offering this mega-sale, GameChangers is allowing further access to both Manifest and supplemental education programs for all. Certainly a noble endeavor, but there are those among the populace that believe this promotion is only being offered in an attempt to cover up the recent deaths of gamers while playing Manifest. Time will tell, but for now, let’s all take advantage of this mega-sale by GameChangers!

  -Chicago Sun Times

  November 24th, 2056

  Breaking news! There are new reports of players within Manifest making contact with the avatars of several deceased individuals. These individuals are believed to have died from the excessive playing of Manifest. The deceased are experiencing various degrees of memory loss, which is why we are just now learning of this story.

  It is believed, but not yet confirmed, that the ANI copied the deceased players’ memories, brain patterns, and psyche at time of death to their player avatars. The players themselves appear in good mental health, albeit confused, and are calling this transference the ‘Transition of Souls’.

  Though wondrous, many now believe the neurological connection with ANI is too powerful and are lobbying for GameChangers to implement stronger controls to prevent such events from reoccurring. Stay tuned as this story continues to develop.

  -CNN World News

  Chapter 1

  Oliver woke up to the sound of a large explosion and glass shattering. He bolted out of bed and threw himself onto the floor. He saw his brother still lying in bed and pulled him down too. Gun shots in this neighborhood were not uncommon, but no one had ever shot out their windows before. What was going on? And how was Tommy sleeping through this?!?

  He rose up on all fours and began crawling. Careful to avoid the many shards of glass, he slowly made his way to the newly ‘opened’ window and peered out. What he witnessed was much worse than any mere gunman or gangbanger.

  The cars on the street were stuck in gridlock, some with doors wide open. Their former owners deciding to give up and continue on by foot. He also noticed that most cars had at least one driver or passenger slumped over. Whether they were dead or comatose, he couldn’t tell. Those with mobile occupants were in varying degrees of panic. One older man pulled a limp child out of the backseat and ran down the street calling for help. Another man took one look at his slumped over female companion and simply took off without her. One old Chevy had four occupants, and each one of them appeared unconscious, or at least, he hoped they were unconscious. None of them were moving.

  There was a mother who was jostling her two children in the back seat. She was frantically slapping each boy across the face, but neither would respond. She screamed in rage and despair, but only Ollie paid her any mind. Looking far ahead, he could see the mangled wreckage of at least 13 cars and a large semi-truck blocking both lanes. Though he was fairly high up in his building, he could still make out a red splatter on several of the windshields. He could hear the loud whining of sirens in every direction, but could not yet see any of the first responders actually responding.

  The cars may be im
mobilized, but the people were anything but. Hundreds, or maybe thousands, were running in all directions. They streamed along the sidewalks and in between, and even over the stalled cars in extreme desperation. More than a few scuffles broke out. These were mostly fear or panic induced fistfights, but he was certain he heard a few gunshots above the cacophony of noise. Between all the screaming, crying, honking, shouting, and fighting, the overall sound was staggering.

  Oliver couldn’t tell for sure, but he thought he saw a woman get knocked down by a heavy-set man wearing a black leather jacket. The man never even glanced her way to check if she was alright. Ollie never saw her resurface, and assumed she was likely trampled by the crazed mob. She was far from the only casualty.

  Looking straight down, he saw many try to storm his building. They may have just been trying to get off the street for safety, but Garrett, their doorman/bouncer, was having none of it. His job was to make sure his building was safe and secure, and that is exactly what he did. The gate remained closed to all from the outside, and Ollie saw many people turn away in frustration and despair.

  A pillar of black smoke was billowing into the sky several blocks away, stemming from the general direction of the city park. It was something he would need to keep an eye on. If those flames started to spread to the surrounding buildings, he would need to evacuate in a hurry. He did not relish the thought of getting out on those streets, but it probably beat burning alive in their tiny apartment.

  He had seen more than enough devastation to sate his curiosity. Ollie hung a thick blanket over the curtain rod to help block out some of the noise and smoke, and then went to check on Tommy. He could still feel a pulse, but his brother would not wake. He tried shaking him, dumping cold water on him, even putting him in his wheelchair and knocking him backwards. He had seen that last one in an old DiCaprio movie. Unfortunately, even that hadn’t worked. He picked Tommy up and lay him upright in bed and stuffed some pillows on either side to hold him in place. He had no idea what was going on.

  Even with Spina Bifida, Tommy had never slipped into a coma before. Ollie remembered the numerous unconscious persons he had seen out the window and feared his brother might be sharing in their fate. Oliver attempted flipping on the television to check the news, before he realized the power was out in the building. He next tried calling an ambulance for Tommy, but his only answer was a busy signal. He was alone, just like everyone else.

  Ollie quickly cleaned up the broken glass and left a note on his brother’s nightstand, just in case he woke while Ollie was out. He picked up his bag and walked out the door. He made sure to check all three of the door locks before moving down the hall.

  He could hear shouts coming from behind several doors, and more than a few wails of anguish. He couldn’t even imagine being married or having school age children in a time like this. At least Tommy had been in the apartment with him, but what of all the parents separated by miles of clogged roads from their children? That would be hell.

  Oliver tried to ignore the screaming and crying coming from behind closed doors, but he found it nearly impossible. So many people hurting, but there was nothing he could do about it. Not yet. The best solution he could think of was to just walk faster. By the time he reached the stairs, he was at a full-on sprint.

  Some of the building’s other occupants were on the move as well, and he joined the growing throng of truth seekers to the ground floor. The lobby was where they would all congregate for building meetings and seemed as good a spot as any to go now. Also, Garrett would be there. He was a one-eyed, former military, giant of a man who kept an ear out for anything unusual. He was also the best guard, doorman, and friend Ollie could ask for.

  The super hired Garrett about a year ago due to some safety complaints. One look at him was enough to scare off most unsavory-types from trying to enter their building, and his right-hook was enough to take care of the rest. They might be in the more run-down part of town, and this might be a pretty shabby building, but the man took his job seriously.

  In a world of gross overpopulation, there was little government welfare to go around for two mostly-grown orphan boys. Ollie had to drop out of school just to support him and his brother. He worked at one of the luxury hotels downtown as an engineer (a fancy way of saying maintenance worker). It paid just enough to cover their bills, but little else. Not that his lack of wealth stopped him from being mugged on his way home every other week or so. He had long since given up calling the cops. They had pretty much abandoned this part of town. Whatever qualified for law enforcement these days didn’t think he was worth the cost of gas. Not a great feeling.

  He wasn’t a fan of giving up his hard-earned money, but neither was he a fan of a broken arm. Most of the muggers weren’t so bad, just hard-up folks trying to support their families. He even knew some of them by name, not that he ever planned on having them over for a Ramen dinner.

  Every now and then, there would be a newcomer to their street. Some young thug that pushed a little too hard. It was on one such occasion that Oliver had an actual gun pulled on him. It wasn’t the first time, but it was still rare. The whole scene caused quite the commotion, but it wasn’t the police that came to his rescue. It was Garrett. The big man put the fear of God in him, and the would-be mugger took off into the night never to be seen in their neighborhood again. That was the night Ollie and Garrett became friends. He had invited the big guy up to his apartment and introduced him to his brother. Tommy took to him right away, which was all the validation he needed. They spent the night talking, laughing, and having a good time. The three of them had been tight ever since.

  Oliver finally stepped out into the lobby with the others and was met with a scene of several people surrounding a red-faced Garrett.

  “I told you already! If I open this gate, there will be no stopping the flood of people into this building! Sure, that lady looked hurt, and maybe she really was, but what about the 200 people behind her? How many thugs, murderers, rapists, thieves do y’all think were in that crowd?” Garrett asked a young blonde in the front.

  “But what about common decency? We need to help them, don’t we?” the blonde said, looking flustered. Ollie didn’t know her name, but she sounded close to tears.

  “My boyfriend is on his way over. You will let him in, won’t you?” whined an 85-year-old Miss Evelyn. He had done some repairs on her toilet a time or two, and she always made him feel right on the edge of uncomfortable. He now actually hoped she was a cougar, because there was no way a frail old man was making it through the crowd outside.

  “I’m late for work old timer! Get out of the way, or so help me, I will have you fired!” said an important looking man in an important looking suit. He was balding but had a very imposing presence. Well, he would have if he had been standing next to anyone but Garrett. The doorman punched him in his important looking face.

  “Oh, you got some blood all over your pretty clothes. Maybe you should go change. I think I see a stain in your crotch as well. Oh dear. Bye now!” Garrett suggested as he threw the man back toward the stairs. The big guy didn’t have a lot of patience for big shot snobs. He turned to the blonde, who was now cowering in fright, but there was nothing except firm sympathy in his voice.

  “Darlin, I understand where y’all are coming from, but I have all you people to keep safe too,” he said, trying his best to console the young lady. She looked down, but didn’t respond. Garrett shrugged his massive shoulders and looked at the growing crowd. When his eyes locked on to Oliver’s, he motioned him forward with a great wave of his left hand.

  Ollie made his way through the crowd, and the big man pulled him aside when he came close, though he never turned his back on the front door.

  “Hey Ollie, how’s Tommy?” Garrett asked him.

  “Not so great. I think whatever is happening has gotten him too. He won’t wake up, Garrett,” Oliver said, nearly as close to tears as the young blonde had been.

  “Well, shoot. I’m awfully so
rry to hear that. Hopefully they’ll all snap out of it here real soon. In the meantime, we need to take care of ours. Can you help me with that, son?” Garrett was looking him dead in the eye. He wasn’t actually Oliver’s father; both his parents had died in an apartment fire several years ago, but Garrett was always someone he could count on. Someone who actually cared about him and Tommy. It was because of their bond that Ollie found himself nodding his head fervently.

  “I knew I could count on you, Ollie! I’m gonna send out a group of volunteers to buy some supplies down at that little grocery store a few blocks over. I wish I could send you, but I need you to check that fancy new device of yours to figure out what the blazes is going on. Near as I can tell, you are the only one I’ve seen with an ANI this morning. The phones and television are out, but something tells me that thing on your neck will still pick up a signal,” Garrett reasoned.

  Oliver could have slapped himself across the face. He had completely forgotten about his Advanced Neurological Implant! Almost understandable, given that he just had it inserted last night. Tommy had received one for free through school, but Ollie had to save, pawn, and save some more to buy his own. Even with all his penny-pinching, it had taken GameChanger’s mega promotional, and a successful request on an advance from his next paycheck, to afford the implant.

  Tommy had been playing Manifest for what seemed like ages now, and Oliver longed for the day he would be able to join his brother in game. Tommy was born with Spinal Bifida and lost the ability to walk long ago. He spent more and more time logged into Manifest, a place he could run, jump, and be his true self. He often told Oliver that his real life almost seemed fake by comparison. They had always been close, but lately he sensed a growing chasm had formed between them. Ollie meant to change that.

  Tommy would regale story after story of his time within Manifest each night, while Oliver listened intently. He desperately wanted to join his brother, but excitement to experience an adventure of his own was quickly growing within him. He purposefully didn’t ask many questions about Tommy’s character, wanting to be surprised for when he finally entered the game. All Oliver knew was that Tommy’s in-game name was Croken, and that he was from the Fangle Tribe. Sounded weird, but that was fantasy for you.