He was trapped; he couldn\u2019t acquire Blink\u2014a given in a fire-walled personal zone. He\u2019d tried to hack the continuum several times and even though his icebreaker was edgewise it didn\u2019t make a scratch. It was obviously a new algorithm and that could only mean a wealthy and powerful host.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, I\u2019m impressed,\u201d he said. \u201cShow me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The gray stone hall, lit by torches at regular intervals, remained empty. Up ahead was a \u201cT\u201d intersection; he\u2019d just turned into this section from a similar intersection. The ceiling appeared to be made of the same material as the walls\u2014one by two blocks of rough-hewn granite. It was a standard texture, unremarkable and available to every schoolchild old enough to build a personal space.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, I don\u2019t have time to play around your maze,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A voice, low and raspy, like tearing paper, came out of nowhere. \u201cRandom Jung,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, that\u2019s me. What do you want? Why are you holding me here?\u201d Random said, warily trying to look in every direction at once.<\/p>\n
The voice got louder and more terrible. \u201cWhy have you been pursuing me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy have you been bleeding time and resources from the Commonality?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe simplest reason I can give you is because I can,\u201d the voice stated flatly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least have the decency to show me,\u201d Random said.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery well,\u201d came the grating reply.<\/p>\n
The air before Random began to glow as it ionized. A resonating shape took form and solidified into a young man, twenty-fivish, powerfully built, bare-chested, clad in black skinnies from the waist down, sandy hair with blue eyes set into a chiseled, Greek-god face.<\/p>\n
Random looked at the apparition. \u201cYou\u2019re kidding, right?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not look your best?\u201d said the young man. Other than focus, his voice had not changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have me at a disadvantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d a serene smile spread across the too handsome face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, you know my name. May I know yours?\u201d Random said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrankly, I\u2019m surprised,\u201d said the man. \u201cI\u2019d think the great Random Jung would already know my name as well as all the details of my existence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrankly, not yet,\u201d Random said, showing his own smile. \u201cBut it\u2019s just a matter of time, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust call me Abraxos, Mr. Jung. As for time, surely you must know you\u2019re running out of it.\u201d The man\u2019s smile became more intense, cruel little curls at the corners.<\/p>\n
Random wasn\u2019t without his own resources. Maybe he couldn\u2019t break out of this cleverly contrived personal space but he might be able to lock it down\u2014with mister paint pants stuck in his own trap. He brought up the freezer algorithm and tried to enter it. The overseer parser module accepted it and locked up. Now the\u00a0construct was frozen and would remain so until Random released it. Or until he lost conscious cohesion, a situation he would avoid, of course.<\/p>\n
Random Jung squirmed in his sleep. He saw a door, a glowing wooden door he\u2019d seen many times before. Again he tried the ornate brass knob and again it refused to turn. Blackness, impenetrable, no light of any kind\u2014maybe he expected to see stars or something in that blank nothing\u2014encompassed his entire field of vision. Except for the door. Engravings on the door stood out in relief, grape vines framed the shape of a pyramid, oddly terraced and flat on the top. He ran his fingers over the uneven surface, tried the knob again as if he couldn\u2019t believe his memory but the shiny yellow object that filled his hand stood firm, stiff and immobile. He felt he had to open the door, exigency; his heartbeat increased its tempo.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Frustration slowly gave way to consciousness and Random became aware that he was dreaming. He held the image of the door, consciously willing it to remain. I\u2019ll open this door now, he thought and when he tried the knob again it turned easily. As the door slowly swung away it revealed nothing behind it, only black void. Damn.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" He was trapped; he couldn\u2019t acquire Blink\u2014a given in a fire-walled personal zone. He\u2019d tried to hack the continuum several times and even though his icebreaker was edgewise it didn\u2019t make a scratch. It was obviously a new algorithm and that could only mean a wealthy and powerful host. \u201cOkay, I\u2019m impressed,\u201d he said. \u201cShow … Continue reading Abraxos’ Maze<\/span>