Flight 12

Flight 12 – a serial novel by Travis Creel

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE: AND IF I DON'T?

Previously:

• Seth completes two of the three tasks necessary to launch The Project: He shoots arrows into Tim (who is `fine') and fucks the five surviving members of The Twelve whom he had not yet fucked – including Harry, fulfilling Harry's dream. After fucking Paul, Seth is ordered to wear Paul's jockstrap.

• Barry, who agreed to surrender his cock for a few hours in order to save Miles and Jordan, is informed he has only a 56% chance of regaining it when The Project launches.

• Seth learns that the third task is to behead Abe.

In flashbacks:

• Four years ago, Jesús learned that an imbalance in the design of the twelve universes required the creation of an all-female universe, Lesboworld. No one wanted to rule it, so a random method was agreed to; Sean drew the proverbial short straw, but this fact was kept secret. Nevertheless, Ari uncovered it, and informed Sean, generating Sean's primary motivation for sabotaging The Project.

• Earlier this year, Seth, accompanied by a co-worker named Shirley, bought a pair of reading glasses for a homeless man, Ram"n, as a Random Act of Kindness.

[Author's Note: you might want to reread the brief Prologue in the first posting of this story.]

• • • • • • • • MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, LATE EVENING * * * * * * * *

THE WHITE ROOM - SETH

I stared at the image of Jesús in the monitor. There was only one thing to say:

• And if I don't?

ST. MORITZ, SWITZERLAND – JESÚS

Of course we knew he would balk at the final task. Over the course of the month, the physics had made a number of unpleasant demands of him – defecating on a man, castrating a man with three testicles, fucking sometimes-reluctant friends – all of which he had complied with, motivated by a single goal: to reunite with his beloved Abe. And we were asking him to sever those ties – in the most literal sense possible.

There was something else I had to sever: the link. There was nearly an hour before the twelve-minute launch window. I couldn't keep Betaworld open in St. Moritz for that long – it would disintegrate in about half an hour. I had to keep this interface short.

• Unfortunately, I have to depart momentarily. Sean will explain things.

And I returned to Alphaworld. I hated not being there to observe, but we weren't completely incommunicado with the island. We opened a channel to Betaworld for ten seconds every minute, so that Hamish could send a status report, which only took microseconds to transmit. We'd get up-to-date details on what was transpiring, and could take action if anything went sideways.

The board room was tense for more than one reason. When – if – The Project launched, one of the Stimulever board members would be forced to accept Lesboworld as their domain. The choice having been made completely by chance, I was the only one who knew who it was. I'd held this secret for four years – to reveal it earlier risked having the disappointed loser working against furthering The Project. So we agreed that the identity of Lesboworld's governor would be withheld until just before the launch window was opened, when it would be too late for him to change anything.

Without the visual distraction of events at the island, there was nothing to deflect the board members' attention from their dread of having to spend eternity (or at least the next 1200 years) reigning over a desert world with nary a fuckable male in it. It was time to alleviate some of that anxiety.

• You can all relax, in one respect. You won't get stuck with Lesboworld.

• (Paolo) What do you mean? Somebody has to.

• Sean. Sean has to.

• (Fred) SEAN?!

• Since he's not here, no reason I can't tell the rest of you.

• (Germán) But Sean is – I mean he's THERE. He's supposed to make sure the Trigger –

• Sean has no idea it's him, and he wants his Prisonworld very badly. So as long as he doesn't know, he'll do everything he can to advance The Project. When it comes time for the reveal, I'll lie. I'll say it was Dion. But relax, Dion – it's not you. You'll still have your Partyworld.

• (Dion) I'm relieved, but I feel bad for Sean.

• (Ari) Thank goodness he doesn't know.

ST. MORITZ, SWITZERLAND – ARI

Oh, but he does know. And if the Project goes up in flames, I'm confident that Jesús would be ousted. Then who else would they turn to but me? I needed Sean to do what he had promised, and sabotage The Project. In return, I promised to make him my second in command.

The question was how Sean would handle the next hour. He had to be careful, with Hamish feeding us frequent updates. He had to look like he was doing the Board's will. Until the critical moment, when he would make a critical move. I wish to hell I knew when and how he would act.

Sean, you had better come through. Or else you WILL get stuck with Lesboworld.

THE WHITE ROOM – SEAN

The problem was there was too much damn time. I had a script I was to follow. If I strayed too far from it too early, Hamish would let Jesús know, and they would intervene in some way. I had to wait; I had one last card to play, but it could only be played at the last minute.

Seth might very well doubt me, but could he risk that I might be right? I didn't think so.

So for now – corporate line. Keep Hamish quiet, which meant keeping Jesús reassured.

THE WHITE ROOM - SETH

• (Sean) On the surface, I told you – I told everyone – that the Project would spare you from the worst year of your lives in Alphaworld.

Yes, Sean, and you also told me the opposite. I could point this out, but at this moment, confrontation, while emotionally satisfying, was not the most effective way of eliciting information. And I needed to know what the hell was going on. . - Why were you and the Twelve chosen? All of you had to meet certain criteria – your sexual histories, your birthdays, and so forth. You, Seth, were the only possible choice for the Trigger, but scores of men qualified to be Twelves. These specific men were selected because the physics showed us they would want The Project to be launched, because if it wasn't, the coming year would be the worst of their lives – and for some, the last.

While he spoke, the surviving members of the Twelve paraded into the room – those I had fucked tonight (Dai, Paul, Barry, Ed, Harry) and those I hadn't (Augie, Jasper, Vic, Gary, Tim). I was glad to see Tim ambulatory, though his gait was awkward, his ass tattered with bandages. And then three other captives filed in behind them: Jordan, Miles, and Ian.

Thirteen men I cared about were standing naked against the wall, wondering what momentous thing was about to happen when New Year's Eve turned into New Year's Day. One person was absent – the one I cared about more than all the rest put together.

I turned to Sean.

• Abe's not here. Why is everyone else?

• (Sean) They deserve to hear this. Your decision will determine their future.

• A year that hasn't happened yet.

• Correct.

• Is this where you tell me again about your remarkable simulation programs? And you dazzle me by predicting the past?

• (Sean, smiling) Touché. You're right, there wouldn't be much point in that, Seth. Our model did indeed forecast some things we both know – the death of Abe's father, Tim's commission from the Audubon Society, and so on. But there were other predictions – things no one has told me, so I don't actually know if they occurred. Let's find out how accurate they were. Ed, did Leo flunk out of Georgia Tech?

• (Ed) Who the hell told you that?

• (Sean) Did he?

• (Ed) Yes, but it's none of your fucking business.

• (Sean) Did you ever mention it to anyone on the island?

• (Ed) It wasn't any of their fucking business either.

• (Sean) A point for us, I think. The simulation predicted that Lucas would catch a foul ball at a Cubs game. A shame we can't ask Lucas, but I'm told we have a video from the television broadcast – Seth, would you like to see it?

• No. You could deep-fake that.

• (Sean) You're a tough audience, Seth. Paul, did your mother leave Amazon to take a new job?

• (Paul) . . . No.

• (Sean, taken aback) No?

• Oops – your little program slipped up there, Sean.

• (Paul) She got a new job, but it was still at Amazon. She just changed departments.

• (Sean) Close enough. And did you tell me or anyone else on the island about this?

• (Paul) No, why would I?

• (Sean, in my face) Not so much of an oops, was it? (to Harry) How about you? Did your cat die?

There was a silence. Harry looked at me.

• (Harry) Seth, I never told him that. I swear I never told anybody that.

• (Sean) In September?

• (Harry) Labor Day weekend.

• (Sean) Naturally, there were many predictions concerning you, Seth. Most of which you know I know, or could have learned from Abe. But I'm curious about this one, and I quote: "Herrick will buy new glasses for a homeless man, to help him read a newspaper."

It stopped me in my tracks. Ram"n, the incident with Shirley on one of my Random Acts of Kindness Thursdays. I hadn't mentioned that story to anyone, not even Abe. I was both proud of it and embarrassed to be proud of it. So I'd kept it to myself, reserving its memory for moments when I needed reassurance that my existence had some meaning, that I was a beneficial force in the world.

So how did Stimulever know about it?

• Okay, so your little program got some things right.

• (Sean) Indeed it did. So perhaps you'll believe me when you see what our program predicted for this coming year. In fact, we made a video of it.

• You made a video.

• We did. I think everyone should see it – you and the men whose fates are depicted in this film.

• Did you advance yourselves in the space-time continuum to film it in real time?

• Seth, Seth. Sarcasm was never your most attractive quality. No, these are re-creations based on the simulations' results. We made extensive use of AI. We did have to delete the segments involving Leo and Lucas.

• So your physics failed to foresee their deaths.

• The simulations were rooted in Alphaworld. Their deaths were in Beta; what happened here could not have been predicted. But, while we lost Leo and Lucas, we included some other people whose future we thought you might be interested in.

• Taylor Swift?

• Somehow she got left out of it.

• A shame, O'Hara.

I was hoping my use of his last name – an Alpha-male move – would unnerve him a bit. He didn't look unnerved. But he was watching Hamish carefully. And Hamish was busy texting into his phone.

Dammit, Sean, I wish I could read you. Was this for show, all for their benefit? Or are you showing me your true colors? Do you HAVE any true colors? Are you my ally or my adversary? Are you a double agent, plotting against Stimulever? Or loyal to the core, and conning me from Day One?

• Maybe you think if you see the future you can prevent it from happening, Seth. But if you make the mistake of rejecting The Project and reverting to Alphaworld, you won't remember this moment, or anything else from the past month.

• What will I remember, then? When I go back to Alphaworld, how do I explain the last month?

• You'll have memories of the last month. They won't be real, but you won't realize that. You'll have some entertaining stories, but nothing significant will change.

• Abe and I . . .

• Things will be as you left them on November 30.

• That's good enough for me.

• Is it? Is it good enough for all the other captives? Are you willing to put them through what you're about to see in order to remain with Abe?

• That might depend upon what I'm about to see.

• So let's find out – if you think you can handle it.

His arrogance was infuriating. I realized I had to respond with arrogance of my own.

• Bring it on. Let's see what kind of crap you manufactured.

The film began.

[Author's Note: normally I would use italics to distinguish between content of the video and `real time' in the White Room. Since that is impossible under the Plain Text format Nifty requires, I'll use ALL CAPS to represent the narrative on the video and [BRACKETS] to denote a title. Sentence case will indicate Seth's real-time reaction to watching the video.]

[ALPHAWORLD 2.0]

[PART ONE: RELATIONSHIPS END]

[1. VIC AND MILES]

SHOT OF VICTOR WORKING AT A RESORT, EYEING AN ATTRACTIVE MAN CLEANING OUT THE POOL.

SHOT OF VICTOR WALKING INTO A ROOM CATCHING THE POOL-BOY FUCKING MILES. A FIGHT ENSUES. VICTOR TOSSES THE POOL-BOY INTO THE POOL. HE AND MILES ARGUE.

SHOT OF MILES PACKING A SUITCASE.

[2. STAN AND MAGDA]

SHOT OF STAN PICKING UP A PHONE.

• HELLO?

• (A MALE VOICE, IN ACCENTED ENGLISH) MAY I PLEASE ESPEAK WIZ MAGDA?

• WHO IS THIS?

• A FRIEND OF HERS. ARMANDO FERNANDEZ.

• ARMANDO. ARE YOU BY ANY CHANCE PERUVIAN?

• (CLICK.)

SHOT OF STAN AND MAGDA ARGUING FURIOUSLY. SHOT OF STAN CHECKING IN AT THE YMCA.

SHOT OF STAN LOOKING AT A YOUNG MAN IN THE HALLWAY, ADMIRINGLY.

[3. ED AND BEATRICE]

SHOT OF ED HOLDING A PIECE OF PAPER. CLOSE-UP REVEALS THAT IT READS `DIVORCE AGREEMENT. PETITIONER: BEATRICE RUTHERFORD NIEMANN. RESPONDENT: EDWARD LLOYD NIEMANN.

[4. AUGIE AND JORDAN]

SHOT OF AUGIE, OUTSIDE OF A CHURCH. HE IS APPROACHED BY ALFONSO.

• (AUGIE) WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?

• WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE? STILL LISTENING TO PASTOR MARKSMAN?

• YES, AND YOU SHOULD, TOO, IF YOU WANT TO AVOID ACTUALLY GOING TO HELL.

• OH, AUGIE, DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE STILL CLINGING TO THE MYTH THAT YOU'RE STRAIGHT.

• I AM, ALFONSO. I'M GOING TO PROPOSE TO A WOMAN NEXT WEEK. HER NAME IS JORDAN MURDOCK, AND I MET HER IN THIS CHURCH.

• REALLY?

• IN FACT, THERE SHE IS NOW.

SHOT OF ALFONSO RETREATING AS JORDAN, IN FULL DRAG, APPROACHES AUGIE. THEY EMBRACE, MODESTLY, AND HEAD INSIDE. CLOSE-UP OF ALFONSO, LOOKING SKEPTICAL. HE NODS TO HIMSELF, AND SMILES.

SHOT OF JORDAN EMERGING FROM THE CHURCH. ALFONSO TRAILS JORDAN TO AN APARTMENT BUILDING, WAITS A MOMENT, THEN GOES INSIDE. ALFONSO READS THE NAME OFF THE PLATE NEXT TO THE BUILDING'S DIRECTORY AND PRESSES THE BUZZER BUTTON.

• (JORDAN'S VOICE) YES?

• (ALFONSO) DELIVERY FOR A JORDAN MURDOCK.

• I'M NOT EXPECTING ANY DELIVERIES.

• FLOWERS. FOR A MR. JORDAN MURDOCK. FROM AN AUGUST STAPLETON.

• AUGIE SENT ME FLOWERS? HOW SWEET.

• YOU'RE MR. MURDOCK.

• YES, THAT'S ME. BUT DOES IT SAY `MISTER'? AUGIE WOULDN'T –

• OH, NO, SIR, IT JUST SAYS `JORDAN MURDOCK'. I JUST ASSUMED FROM YOUR VOICE THAT –

• AH. WELL. YES, I'M MR. MURDOCK. BETTER COME UP THEN. I GUESS.

THE BUZZER SOUNDS BUT ALFONSO, SMILING, WALKS OUT OF THE BUILDING, LOOKING AT HIS PHONE, WITH WHICH HE HAS RECORDED THE ABOVE CONVERSATION.

SHOT OF ALFONSO AND AUGIE. ALFONSO PLAYS THE RECORDING TO AUGIE. AUGIE GRABS THE PHONE. SLAMS IT TO THE GROUND, AND WALKS OFF IN A RAGE.

SHOT OF JORDAN IN HIS APARTMENT, ON THE PHONE.

• JEN? HE FOUND OUT.

• OH, JORDAN. HOW?

• I DON'T KNOW. BUT HE CAME OVER AND HE WHIPPED OFF MY WIG AND DEMANDED I TAKE OFF MY BLOUSE TO SHOW HIM MY CHEST. I THINK HE WAS PREPARED TO MAKE ME STRIP COMPLETELY BUT MY CHEST WAS ENOUGH.

• OH, I'M SO SORRY. DO YOU THINK –

• NO. IT'S OVER, JEN. HE TOLD ME HE NEVER WANTED TO SEE ME AGAIN. (CRIES). . . . LISTEN, I'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE. CAN I COME VISIT YOU? MAYBE – I MIGHT EVEN MOVE BACK TO CALIFORNIA, THERE'S NOTHING HERE FOR ME NOW.

• YOU CAN COME VISIT, BUT DO IT FAST. I'M MOVING TO SAN FRANCISCO IN TWO WEEKS.

SHOT OF AUGIE, DESPONDENT, HEAD IN HIS HANDS, CRYING.

The bit about Jen moving to San Francisco seemed superfluous. I wonder why they included it.

[PART TWO: JOBS END]

[1. AL]

SHOT OF AL, LOOKING UPSET, TALKING TO A SUPERVISOR. - (SUPERVISOR) I'M SORRY, AL, BUT THEY'RE CLOSING DOWN THIS STORE. YOU'RE OUT OF A JOB. I'LL WRITE YOU A GOOD RECOMMENDATION, IF YOU CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ELSE.

SERIES OF SHOTS OF AL INTERVIEWING FOR JOBS AND GETTING REJECTED.

SHOT OF AL ENLISTING IN THE ARMY. SHOTS OF HIM IN BASIC TRAINING, LOOKING MISERABLE.

[2. VIC]

REPEAT SHOT OF VIC PUNCHING THE POOL-BOY AND TOSSING HIM NAKED INTO THE POOL.

SHOT OF VIC BEFORE A MAN BEHIND A DESK. - (MAN) YOU'RE FIRED, TORRANCE.

SHOT OF VIC GETTING OFF A PLANE IN SNOW-COVERED MINNEAPOLIS, LOOKING DESPONDENT.

[3. ED]

SHOT OF ED PICKING UP THE PHONE.

• HELLO?

• (VOICE) SIR EDWARD?

• THIS IS HE.

• MY NAME IS DERRICK WIDMORE, I'M A REPORTER FOR THE LONDON TIMES. MAY I ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS?

• WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?

SHOT OF LONDON TIMES, ZEROES IN ON HEADLINE: `NOTED SURGEON STOLE TECHNIQUE THAT EARNED HIM KNIGHTHOOD'.

SHOT OF ED APPEARING BEFORE A REVIEW BOARD.

SHOT OF ED GETTING DISMISSAL NOTICE FROM BRIGHAM & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL.

SHOT OF ED LOSING MEDICAL LICENSE.

[4. TIM]

SHOT OF TIM OPENING A LETTER FROM THE AUDUBON SOCIETY. IT READS, IN PART: `WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT THE FUNDING FOR YOUR PROJECT DID NOT MATERIALIZE AND WE WILL HAVE TO TERMINATE IT."

SHOT OF TIM DRINKING WHISKEY IN BED WITH A LIT CIGARETTE AND PASSING OUT. SHOT OF TIM WAKING UP AMID SMOKE AND RACING OUT THE DOOR AS FLAMES CONSUME HIS STUDIO. FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVE AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. TIM'S HOUSE IS IN RUINS.

• (FIREFIGHTER) YOU'RE INSURED, RIGHT?

SHOT OF TIM LOOKING SHOCKED.

SHOT OF TIM BEGGING FOR MONEY ON THE STREETS OF ST. LOUIS AND, AS NIGHT FALLS, HEADING INTO A HOMELESS SHELTER.

[TITLE: PART THREE: FREEDOM ENDS]

[1. IAN]

SHOT OF IAN IN A JAIL CELL.

I remembered Sean telling Ian that if he were restored to Alphaworld, he would have an implanted memory of being in a Martinique jail to explain his absence during the past year. But now he's implying that if Ian were restored to Alphaworld, he'd still be stuck there.

SHOT OF IAN IN CONVERSATION AT MEALTIME WITH OTHER INMATES.

SHOT OF INMATES, INCLUDING IAN, OVERPOWERING A GUARD AND ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE.

SHOT OF IAN AND ANOTHER INMATE.

• (IAN) THEY ADDED EIGHT YEARS TO MY SENTENCE. EIGHT.

• (INMATE) I ONLY GOT FOUR.

• AND YOU WERE THE RINGLEADER.

I hated Sean's smug reaction when that played out. Ian looked crushed. But I had to remember this was all projection – and was most likely all just propaganda.

Nevertheless, worrying.

[2. MILES AND BARRY]

What? Miles and Barry, in the same episode? This made no sense.

SHOT OF MILES IN HIS MINNEAPOLIS APARTMENT. HIS PHONE BUZZES. HE ANSWERS.

• (VIC'S VOICE) MILES.

• (MILES) VIC, IT'S OVER. AS IN . . . OVER.

• IF I COULD JUST SEE YOU FOR A MOMENT.

• I WON'T EVEN BE HERE. I'M GOING ON VACATION IN ABOUT SIX HOURS.

• WHERE?

• THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

The Dominican Republic. Shit. There WAS a connection.

SHOT OF MILES ARRIVING AT THE SANTO DOMINGO AIRPORT. SHOT OF MILES AT A GAY BAR IN SANTO DOMINGO. WIDER SHOT REVEALS BARRY IN THE SAME BAR. BARRY APPROACHES, PUTS HIS HAND ON MILES' ASS AND WHISPERS IN HIS EAR.

Miles would never . . . but then I remembered that if this past month hadn't existed, Miles wouldn't recognize Barry. They were meeting in Alphaworld for the first time.

SHOT OF MILES AND BARRY IN BARRY'S DUNGEON SPACE. MILES IS NAKED, BARRY IN LEATHER. BARRY IS FLOGGING MILES VIOLENTLY. THERE IS A POUNDING AT THE DOOR. BARRY FREEZES.

• (VOICE) POLICÍA.

SHOT OF MILES BEFORE A JUDGE. SHOT OF MILES BEING RAPED IN JAIL, FOLLOWED BY A SHOT OF HIM BEING RELEASED.

SHOT OF BARRY BEFORE A JUDGE.

• (JUDGE) – BARRY RUSSELL. USTED ES CONDENADO A CINCO AÑOS DE CARCEL.

[3. RAY]

Oh, jeez, Ray.

SHOT OF RAY IN A GAY BAR, AGGRESSIVELY APPROACHING A BURLY MAN. THEY EXCHANGE WORDS. THE MAN SLUGS RAY. RAY SLUGS HIM BACK. THE MAN FALLS TO THE FLOOR. RAY POUNDS HIM SENSELESS, PULLS DOWN HIS PANTS AND TRIES TO FUCK HIM. OTHER PATRONS PULL HIM OFF AND CALL THE POLICE.

SHOT OF RAY IN A JAIL CELL. LOOKING BEWILDERED, LOST, AND CONFUSED.

That wasn't Ray. That was Gary. And he has no idea why he's in jail, or for how long. If we reverted to Alphaworld, Ray wouldn't be there with him. Gary would still be three separate pieces – and the other two would abandon him to let him suffer his jail sentence alone.

[TITLE: PART FOUR – LIVES END]

A chill went through me.

[1. FRIENDLY FIRE]

SHOT OF AN OFFICER RINGING A DOORBELL. A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN ANSWERS.

• (OFFICER) MRS. CASEY, I'M VERY SORRY TO TELL YOU THAT YOUR SON ALBERT HAS BEEN KILLED IN A TRAINING ACCIDENT AT FORT BENNING.

[2. SHEET HAPPENS]

SHOT OF GARY IN JAIL. MULTIPLE SHOTS, EACH LOOKING MORE AND MORE DISCONSOLATE. GARY GATHERING UP BEDSHEET, FASHIONING IT INTO A NOOSE, TYING ONE END TO THE LIGHT FIXTURE IN THE CEILING. HANGS HIMSELF.

[3. BUS]

SHOT OF PIERS AND THEO EXITING THEATER ON THE STREETS OF NASSAU. SHOT OF BUS IN THE DISTANCE. A LITTLE GIRL BREAKS AWAY FROM HER MOTHER. CROSSES THE STREET.

• (PIERS) DAMN!

SHOT OF PIERS AND THEO RUSHING TO RESCUE THE LITTLE GIRL. PIERS PUSHES HER OUT OF THE WAY. THE BUS STRIKES BOTH PIERS AND THEO. PIERS FLIES THROUGH THE AIR AND HIS HEAD SMASHES AGAINST A PARKED CAR. THEO LIES ON THE STREET; THE BUS RUNS OVER HIS LEGS.

SHOT OF THEO, IN A WHEELCHAIR, LEGLESS. SHOT PULLS OUT TO REVEAL THE SETTING – PIERS'S FUNERAL.

[4. EARTHQUAKE]

SHOT OF DAI IN HIS APARTMENT. THINGS START TO SHAKE.

• (DAI, TO HIMSELF) SHIT.

RUMBLING GETS MORE SEVERE. DAI DASHES DOWN ONTO THE STREET, LOOKS UP AND SEES A FACE IN THE WINDOW IN THE APARTMENT ABOVE HIS.

All of a sudden I heard a cry from elsewhere in the room. It was Jordan.

• (Jordan) Jen!

Ah, so that's why they included the bit about Jen moving to San Francisco. She was living in Dai's building? What were the chances of that?

SHOT OF DAI, RUSHING BACK INTO THE BUILDING. MOMENTS LATER, THE BUILDING COLLAPSES.

[5. CRIMES DON'T NEED A PARTNER]

SHOT OF PAUL WATCHING A BASEBALL GAME IN HIS HOUSE IN RICHMOND. PHONE RINGS. HE ANSWERS IT.

• YEAH? HI, MA. YES, I'M LEAVING TONIGHT. TWO DAY GAMES AGAINST THE CUBS IN WRIGLEY, I'M REALLY PSYCHED.

SHOT OF PAUL IN HIS HOTEL ROOM IN CHICAGO, WATCHING THE NEWS. THE NEWS IS COVERING THE DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE IN SAN FRANCISCO.

• (REPORTER) I'M STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT COMPLETELY COLLAPSED. NEIGHBORS DESCRIBED HOW BUILDING RESIDENT DAISUKE OMI, AFTER HAVING EMERGED ONTO THE STREET, WENT BACK INSIDE TO RESCUE A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAD BROKEN HER LEG AND COULDN'T EVACUATE. THE WOMAN, JENNIFER MURDOCK, WAS FOUND, ALIVE, IN THE ARMS OF MR. OMI, WHO HAD BEEN CARRYING HER DOWN THE STAIRS WHEN THE BUILDING COLLAPSED. A LIFE SAVED – BUT AT THE COST OF HIS OWN. TRULY, A TRAGIC HERO.

SHOT OF PAUL REGARDING THE IMAGE OF DAI ON THE SCREEN.

• (PAUL) IT'S LIKE THEY SAY, NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. AND HE'S REALLY CUTE, TOO. POOR DUDE.

So Paul and Dai never get a chance to even meet?

SHOT OF PAUL AT WRIGLEY FIELD. THE NATIONALS ARE LOSING. PAUL GOES TO THE REFRESHMENT STAND, BUYS A HOT DOG. ON HIS WAY BACK TO HIS SEAT, HE IS APPROACHED BY STEFAN. THEY CHAT. PAUL IS ATTRACTED.

And Paul doesn't recognize Stefan either. Stefan, Harry had told me, had apparently been up to some sort of nefarious doings in Chicago with Lucas. Lucas had told Leo he should be `glad I didn't run into you in Chicago' but Leo never knew what that meant.

SHOT OF STEFAN AND PAUL AT A FARMHOUSE. SHOT OF PAUL, NAKED AND TIED TO A ST. ANDREW'S CROSS. STEFAN, ALSO NAKED, IS FUCKING HIM. IN THE BACKGROUND ONE CAN SEE A ROW OF MORE THAN A DOZEN SKULLS.

SHOT OF BOTH MEN NAKED AND OUTDOORS. STEFAN IS SHOWING PAUL HIS BARBECUE SPIT. WHEN PAUL'S BACK IS TURNED, STEFAN INJECTS PAUL WITH SOMETHING. PAUL COMPLAINS, WOBBLES, AND COLLAPSES. STEFAN PICKS UP HIS BODY AND CARRIES IT TOWARD THE BARBECUE SPIT, WHICH IS NOW SEEN TO HAVE WOOD PILED UNDER IT.

I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see the next shot. After several seconds, I opened them again. Too soon.

[6. WATCH YOUR STEP]

SHOT OF JASPER, DRESSED TO KILL, HEADING OUT. CUT TO HIM ENTERING A GAY BAR. CUT TO HIM LEAVING WITH A LEATHER-DRESSED MAN. CUT TO JASPER NAKED IN THE MAN'S APARTMENT, BLINDFOLDED AND HIS HANDS CUFFED BEHIND HIS BACK. THE MAN PATS JASPER'S ASS LOVINGLY.

• (MAN) SUCH A NICE ASS. I'M GOING TO ENJOY FUCKING IT. THERE'S A SPECIAL WAY I LIKE TO FUCK MY GUYS. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE TURN-ON FOR THEM. EVER PLAY WITH AUTO-ASPHYXIA?

• (JASPER) NO, AND I DON'T WANT TO.

• DON'T WORRY, IT'S PERFECTLY SAFE. I'VE DONE THIS DOZENS OF TIMES. I'M GOING TO FUCK YOU WHILE YOU STAND ON A STOOL WITH A NOOSE AROUND YOUR NECK. YOU'LL FEEL SUPER-EXCITED BY THE TIGHTNESS. BUT DON'T WORRY – I KNOW JUST HOW FAR TO GO AND WHEN TO STOP, AND I'VE GOT A KNIFE RIGHT HERE IN CASE ANYTHING GOES WRONG.

• I DON'T KNOW.

• RELAX. TAKE A MOMENT TO GET USED TO THE SENSATION AND GET USED TO THE IDEA. I'LL GO MAKE US SOME DRINKS. THIS IS GOING TO BE AN EXTREMELY PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE FOR YOU. IT WILL REALLY TURN YOU ON, MY SEXY FRIEND.

SHOT OF JASPER, WITH A NOOSE AROUND HIS NECK WHICH THE MAN TIES TO AN OVERHEAD FAN. HE STEPS UP ONTO A STOOL.

• DON'T YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL. I'M GOING TO GET US SOME DRINKS. NOW, DON'T YOU GO ANYWHERE!

• HA, HA.

SHOT OF THE MAN IN THE KITCHEN, MAKING DRINKS. SHOT OF JASPER WAITING PATIENTLY IN THE LIVING ROOM. CLOSE-UP OF A TWITCH IN JASPER'S LEG AND HE KNOCKS OVER THE STOOL. CUT TO THE KITCHEN, WHERE THE MAN, LISTENING TO MUSIC ON HIS HEADPHONES, HEARS NOTHING. THE MAN WALKS BACK TO THE LIVING ROOM TO FIND JASPER HANGING. THE MAN RUSHES TO GET THE KNIFE, CUTS HIM DOWN, AND STARTS TO CRY.

[7. PILLS]

SHOT OF HARRY IN DR. KWON'S OFFICE. DR. KWON APPROACHES HIM.

• (DR. KWON) HARRY, YOU ENTERED THE WRONG BILL FOR MRS. SMITH. THAT WAS MR. NADLER'S AMOUNT.

• (HARRY) WHAT? OH, JEEZ, I'M SORRY.

• HARRY, WHAT'S WRONG? THIS IS THE THIRD MISTAKE YOU'VE MADE THIS WEEK, AND YOU NEVER MAKE MISTAKES. SOMETHING'S OBVIOUSLY BOTHERING YOU.

• NO, NOTHING. SORRY, DR. KWON, I'LL DO BETTER.

SHOT OF HARRY, ALONE IN HIS APARTMENT, STROKING A CAT AND DRINKING.

Well, at least he got a new cat.

SHOT OF HARRY ENTERING DR. KWON'S OFFICE.

• (DR. KWON) GOOD MORNING, I . . . HARRY, DO I SMELL ALCOHOL?

• . . .

• IT'S NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.

• . . . IRISH COFFEE?

• HARRY, THIS IS GETTING SERIOUS. YOU NEED TO SEE A THERAPIST.

• NOTHING'S WRONG. NOTHING . . . NOTHING MORE THAN IS ALWAYS WRONG.

• YOU NEED TO TALK WITH SOMEONE. BUT I'M NOT THAT PERSON, AND NOW IS NOT THE TIME.

• RIGHT.

SHOT OF HARRY, DRINKING ALONE.

SHOT OF HARRY IN DR. KWON'S OFFICE.

• (DR. KWON) LISTEN, IF YOU WON'T SEE A THERAPIST, AT LEAST GO TO A.A. THERE ARE GROUPS FOR GAY MEN, YOU MIGHT FEEL COMFORTABLE THERE.

• GAY MEN? AM I A GAY MAN, DR. KWON? DOESN'T GAY MEAN HAPPY?

• OH HARRY.

SHOT OF HARRY WITH A LARGE GLASS OF WHISKEY. A BOTTLE OF PILLS IS NEXT TO IT. HARRY OPENS THE BOTTLE, POURS THEIR CONTENTS ONTO THE TABLE, PUTS A PILL IN HIS MOUTH, AND WASHES IT DOWN WITH THE WHISKEY. HE REPEATS THE ACT, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.

SHOT OF A SINGLE PILL NEXT TO THE EMPTY GLASS OF WHISKEY. HARRY'S HEAD IS ON THE TABLE.

[8. SEVENTY-NINE PEOPLE IN NEW YORK CITY]

Seventy-nine people? As if Harry and Paul and Dai and Jasper and Piers and Al and Gary weren't enough, I have to watch seventy-nine people expire? I don't even know anyone in New York City, other than Jasper, who's already on the casualty list of this dreadful little drama. What the fuck was this about?

And then I saw the first image. It was me. In my apartment. In my exact own apartment. Everything was in place, exactly the right place. Like they had a picture of it.

Until now, I had assumed all of the locations were imaginary, other than Wrigley Field. Generic doctor's office, generic apartments, generic bars, generic farmhouse, generic jails. But this was my actual apartment. Complete with the view that came with the windows. A Christmas tree in the usual spot, lit up.

And a boyfriend who looked like he had moved in with me.

• (ABE) GOD, WHAT A WONDERFUL YEAR THIS HAS BEEN.

A wonderful year? Sean, wasn't this ruining your theme? Or is this to make me feel guilty? Everyone else has a terrible year, even a deadly one, and Abe and I are the epitome of quasi-marital bliss?

• YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD TOP IT OFF?

• (ABE) WHAT?

• SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO. BE IN TIMES SQUARE WHEN THE BALL DROPS.

Uh-oh.

SHOT OF ME AND ABE IN TIMES SQUARE.

Abe is wearing that red and yellow-striped shirt that I hate, but I don't seem to mind. We're having a grand time. It's a good hour before the ball drops, but there is genuine merriment everywhere, music blaring, people making dance movements as best as they can, given how pressed together they are.

A sense of dread is coming over me. Seventy-nine people in New York City.

• (ABE) I'M GOING TO FIND A PORT-A-POTTY.

• I'M NOT SURE THERE ARE ANY.

• THERE HAVE TO BE.

SHOT OF ABE MOVING AWAY FROM ME. I'M FOLLOWING, BUT WE GET SEPARATED, AND IN THE MASS OF PEOPLE, I CAN'T SEE WHERE HE IS.

AND THEN THERE'S THE WORLD'S LOUDEST EXPLOSION. PLATFORMS AND PARTS OF BUILDINGS GO FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. AND PARTS OF BODIES.

AN ARM, FLYING THROUGH THE AIR, HITS ME IN THE CHEST. IT'S COVERED IN A RED-AND-YELLOW STRIPED SLEEVE.

The film came to a sudden end.

• (Hamish) And that, Herrick, is the answer to the question `What if you don't?'

I looked around. The guys standing against the wall were clearly shaken. It was a truly terrifying picture of the upcoming year, made credible by Sean's assertions of what had happened this past year.

I pondered everything I had seen. I pondered everything Sean had told me. And, as I had realized when presented with my final, impossible, task, there was only one thing I could say:

• Bullshit.

I looked carefully for Sean's reaction. Was it my imagination, or was there a hint of a smile? Was he secretly pleased at my rejection of the video? Or was it one of those indulgent, `oh, you poor fool' smiles of the truly arrogant?

Hamish's reaction, however, was unambiguous.

• Are you insane? Have we not proven to you our powers of prediction?

• No, Hamish, you haven't.

• We just showed you several things we knew that we couldn't have known.

• So what was so hard about finding out the impressive things you told me? Leo flunking out of Georgia Tech? A phone call to the registrar. Paul's mother changing jobs – you can hack employment records; I must say it was a nice trick to `get it wrong' by saying she changed to another company. Harry's cat – well, that one mystifies me, but maybe he mentioned it to a neighbor –

• (Harry) Well, yes, I told Mrs. Shephard, but I thought you meant here on the island.

• Stimulever has resources to interview neighbors. And as for Ram"n and the glasses, how do I know who might have observed that interaction? Maybe Sean was tailing me, I just never noticed him. Maybe it was Jason – what's his name, Paolo? Or one of your other pals in Switzerland. They all know what I look like, and I have no idea what they look like. Maybe Ram"n himself was one of you. So your so-called proof of your so-called simulations' ability to predict the so-called future is not proof at all.

I looked over at the wall. My comments were giving them hope, and creating anxiety. If I was right, what we had just seen was NOT their future, and they could go back to Alphaworld and pick up where they left off. But if I was wrong, then The Project was their only path to avoiding those horrendous fates.

I had called Stimulever out. I had pronounced it bullshit. I was not done doing so.

• As for what you just showed us – to intimidate all of us, to force me into agreeing to further your self-promoting Project. It's ridiculous. Do you expect me to believe that Paul would happen to go into Chicago and happen to watch a report of Dai's death and then happen to run into Stefan – and this was all predicted A YEAR AGO? No. That was rigged. Paul and Dai met and fell in love in Betaworld – and, as you told me yourself, the simulation had no idea of events going on in Betaworld. Jordan's sister living in the same building with Dai? Absurd. Miles happening to vacation in Santo Domingo and meeting up with Barry? Preposterous. And you included Al and Piers and Theo and Stan. Why? You never cared about the left-siders. You made up stuff about them after you learned they were important to some of us. And – for the record – I hate crowds, and I would never suggest we go to Times Square for New Year's Eve. The red-and-yellow shirt, nice touch, but this whole thing was manufactured out of thin air and you know it.

• (Harry) I don't drink. I can't imagine I'd start now – I'm used to life being miserable. Listen to Seth, everyone. He's making sense. Ironic, to use logic in a world where nothing is logical, but even a different universe has to make sense within its own rules. The unexplainable has an explanation. The thing about this universe is – THEY CREATED IT from scratch, all the absurdities, all the crazy dodecagons and stuff appearing and disappearing. Just like they created this video. It's a creation. It's fiction. This island is fiction, too – in Alphaworld. And that's where I want to go: Alphaworld.

I looked again at the others standing against the wall. I saw a growing sense of hope. Paul and Dai grasped each other's hands. Vic and Miles smiled at each other. Others' reactions were more varied, but in general it was more optimistic than it had been five minutes ago.

And Sean . . . Sean actually winked at me. I think he was telling me I'd made the right move. Unless, of course, it was just one more aspect of his con job.

Meanwhile, Hamish had been texting furiously. Sean kept an eye on him. I looked at the clock. Twenty minutes to midnight. Meanwhile, the lieutenants had left the room, as had Percy. That seemed ominous.

I was not surprised when Jesús's image soon materialized on the big monitor. He did not look happy.

• (Jesús) I'm told you are somewhat skeptical of our projections of the coming year.

• You might say that.

• That is very disappointing. We worked many hours on that video.

• I'm sure you did. The AI work was very impressive.

• Did it occur to you that if we could create Betaworld, that we could also change Alphaworld so that when you went back to it, it would be different? And that Alphaworld 2.0 might very much resemble the events that you just witnessed?

• No. Because you would have no incentive to do so. That would take an enormous amount of work – for what? Just to make a dozen people miserable, out of spite? You'd have to have started on that ages ago. No, I don't believe that for a second. You have to give me something better than that, Jesús.

• You need more incentive. Very well. Hamish, bring them in.

And here came the lieutenants returning to the room, each carrying a wooden cube, painted black, identical to the one that dominated the space in front of me, on which I was to behead the love of my life. They deposited them in two rows, six feet apart, across the front of the room, between myself and Jesús. I did the math – there were thirteen cubes, thirteen lieutenants, and thirteen naked men against the wall.

Before I knew it those thirteen naked men were forced down onto their knees, one in front of each chopping block. And Hamish produced an axe, which he handed to Stefan.

I looked at the clock. Fourteen minutes to midnight. Which sounded like the title of a spy novel. One of those where you didn't know who to trust. Like I didn't.

And then Percy reappeared, with Abe. He led him up to the block in front of me, and forced him down. Two lieutenants grabbed Abe's hair and pulled his head down so that it lay on the block.

• (Jesús) It is now thirteen minutes to midnight. The launch window begins in one minute. Which means it is safe for me to reveal the name of the Stimulever board member who will reign over Lesboworld.

Lesboworld? What the fuck was he talking about?

THE WHITE ROOM – SEAN

• (Jesús) I'm sorry, Dion, it's you.

Behind Jesús, there was a cry of anguished protest from Dion. I knew Dion. That was not a genuine reaction. He was faking shock. Jesús had already told him the truth. Time for me to speak more truth.

• You and I know that's a lie, Jesús. It's me. I know it's me, I've known it for over two months, and I'm not telling you how I know.

I turned to Seth. It was time to play the only card I had to play.

• Seth, Jesús is lying. He lied about Dion and Lesboworld.

• What the fuck is Lesboworld?

• It's one of the universes. No men, all lesbians. I lost a lottery to determine who'd be in charge of it. They lied to me to get me to support them.

• So that's why you want to destroy The Project? So you didn't get stuck with an all-female planet?

• It's one of the reasons. But Seth, the point is, Jesús is a liar. They all are. And they lied about something else, something vital. . . . Abe does not have an Alpha-life.

• (Seth) What?

• ABE DOES NOT HAVE AN ALPHA-LIFE.

• (Jesús) Herrick, that's not true.

• (Percy) Of course my pussycat has an Alpha-life, doesn't he, Hame?

• (Hamish) Yes.

• You want to believe him, Seth? You want to believe Hamish? Jesús is the one who's lying. You can either believe Stimulever's corporate lies, or believe the one person who loves you enough to give you the one thing you want most in the world. If Abe is decapitated, he will die, pure and simple. That's it – caput! If you keep him alive, he goes back to Alphaworld with you, you'll be together – and not in that ridiculous version of Alphaworld they showed you tonight, you saw through that quickly enough. You saw how they lied to you. They're lying to you now.

• (Seth) Sean –

• Seth. You know I love you. You know I would do anything for you. This is the most important event in the history of the world, I couldn't lie to you now. Cut off Abe's head and he's dead. Here, there, everywhere. Spare him and the world goes back to what it was. Abe's alive, you're alive, Alphaworld is the same recognizable place it always was.

• (Jesús) But before that happens you'll watch Hamish's lieutenants remove the heads of every other person in this room that you care about. I'm not bluffing. And they don't have Alpha-lives either. You'll be responsible for their deaths. You'll commit murder a dozen times over.

THE WHITE ROOM – SETH

It was seven minutes to midnight. The moment had arrived. This was the most consequential decision I would make in my entire life. And I wasn't even sure what the consequences were.

Would Jesús carry out his threats? Could I trust his word? He had lied before, but then he wasn't the only liar in the room, was he?

If I acted, it would alter the course of the world – unless it wouldn't. Maybe this thing would be a colossal failure. And then my actions would be merely tragic. They could cost me . . . everything.

But if I did not act, there would be other dire consequences – if I could believe him. Immediate ones – and future ones.

To act, or not to act? Hamlet, I totally get you.

Hamish faced me, awaiting my decision. Jesús, on the monitor, peered at me intensely.

I took a deep breath, and spoke.

[COMING UP NEXT: CHAPTER FIFTY: THE DECISION.]