New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Richard looked at Alex, wondering if he had lost his mind. After all, what kind of madman would spout that the world is ending, while keeping his cool like this?

"What do you mean, the world is ending? Is an asteroid about to slam into Earth? Are we on the verge of a global catastrophe? Are aliens coming to invade our world? If you want to speak madness, at least be clear," Richard admonished him, trying to take him seriously.

Alex sighed at his words, knowing this would be the reaction he would get.

"You could say it's a combination of the things you said, in some way."

Then Richard sighed, rubbing his eyes annoyedly.

"Kid. I didn't come here to hear mad talk or joke around. Are you going to be serious about this, or did I waste my time?" Richard's voice was laced with frustration, his patience wearing thin.

Alex scoffed.

"Hey, no one asked you to come. You did that on your own. But I am being serious, Richard. It may not be now, or in the coming months, but the world is slowly about to devolve into madness itself.

"Things will happen that make no logical sense. Catastrophes will erupt around the world, killing people in droves and leaving cities and landscapes in complete destruction. Monsters will appear, straight out of our worst nightmares, and kill humans with abandon.

"The end is coming, and it's coming with a vengeance," Alex said, locking eyes with Richard.

Richard looked at him, his brain screaming that the young man had lost it. But he knew that wasn't right.

Richard had seen the drone footage from a little over a month ago. He'd seen the wolves the size of city busses, and how they took down their drones with lightning.

If that was any indication of what was to come, then humankind was about to face its biggest hurdle in history.

"How can you be so sure it's coming, and when it'll hit? Are you some kind of prophet?" Richard asked.

Alex chuckled at the words.

"Nothing like that. But I know someone you could say is some kind of prophet. He's seen what happens—experienced it firsthand. And with how it scarred his mind, I readily believe him. Especially since he's been right on everything he claimed up to now."

Richard thought about who Alexander had been hanging around lately, and one name came to mind.

"That man. Does he have concrete proof of his claims? Or just prophecies that happen to come to pass?" he asked, still doubting the claims.

"Oh, he has proof. Although it is hard to believe, or at least it was for me, when he showed me, it's concrete evidence," Alex replied.

"And can I see that evidence?" Richard asked.

Alex shrugged.

"I doubt he can show you on this side of the veil. Sadly, his power here is much weaker than on the other side."

Richard frowned.

"What other side?"

"Inside the game, Richard. Inside New Eden. It's more than a game. You should know by now. How do you think I became who I am? Or your daughter, or anyone that has suddenly developed supernatural abilities?

"Did you think we suddenly evolved into the next stage of humanity? Did you think this was a natural occurrence? What point do we all hold in common, Richard?"

Richard took a moment to think, and the answer became obvious.

"How does that even make sense?" he asked, confusion crawling into his mind.

"Honestly, it doesn't," Alex replied.

"But it's the hand we were dealt and the one we have to play. The problem isn't what is going to happen. The problem is when. David thinks the decks have been shuffled with all our meddling, and he has no idea what comes next, or rather, when it comes."

Richard leaned back into the chair, taking in the information. His rational mind was having difficulty processing the words he heard.

How could he believe that a video game had suddenly given people abilities, and that the world was changing to mimic the game? No one in their right mind would believe this.

"You came here, I assume, to ask if our plan was just a waste of money and why we were wasting everyone's time. Am I right?" Alex asked.

"Well, not quite in those words, but something like that. How would you have reacted if your wife came to you, saying she was taking a part of the company's assets and spending them on a project like yours? It made no sense."

Alex couldn't argue with his words. For someone who was missing a crucial part of the information, it truly wouldn't have made any sense.

"We aren't trying to screw you out of your money, Richard. Or your assets. We need to be mobile enough to react to what will happen in the coming months. If monsters appear halfway across the world, we need to be able to respond fast.

"Any wasted time results in lost lives. As a man who deals in mercenaries, I'm sure you understand the value of time, when lives are at stake," Alex said, looking at the city below him.

And he was right. Richard did understand this.

He had been hired many times by the armies of different countries, who had soldiers in places they couldn't step without causing political unrest. His mercenaries would be sent in for rescue, and time was always of the essence.

Having the resources to move people around the globe swiftly was a significant advantage in a time-sensitive issue.

And if he believed Alex's words, then time would be a luxury they wouldn't have enough of if monsters started appearing in cities. He couldn't start imagining what would have happened if the wolves he saw in that footage had reached Montreal.

What would the police do to monsters who were capable of becoming lightning to move around? Or had the size of small trucks and buses.

To make matters worse, he had read the reports from Alfred, who commanded the mercenaries.

The man they sent in with them had claimed that standard weapons would have never worked on the monsters. Their pelts were apparently extremely thick and would have caught bullets like a kevlar vest.

If a group of fifty of those dropped in a city, how long would it take for the army to send jets or tanks? And would that even be enough?

How much carnage would monsters like those cause in the hours it took for the government to react? And how much carnage would they cause after the army failed to stop them?

Alex gave him time to think and process the information he'd given him. He understood how hard it was to swallow that pill.

Getting people with means on his side, people like Jack, Richard, and Katherine, was an excellent way to ensure they stayed on top of this.

After a few minutes of silent staring into the city below, Alex heard Richard clear his throat next to him. So he turned his head to look at him.

"Alright. I won't say a word about your plan. I'll let it happen. But, tell me. Does humanity have a chance against these monsters?" Richard asked.

Alex grinned.

"Against them? With people like me on humanity's side, we aren't at risk of losing. But they are only the beginning. The real threat comes after the monsters and the natural catastrophes."

Richard frowned.

"What could be worse than monsters appearing across the globe?"

Alex looked at him, trying to gauge how ready he was to hear the rest of the story.

"Richard, let me ask you something. Do you believe in heaven and hell? In the existence of good and evil?"

Richard frowned at the left-field question.

"I'm not much of a believer in any religion, Alexander. I do believe good and evil exist. But I firmly believe they are a construct of our society, guidelines to follow for the standards of morality we should abide by."

Alex nodded at his response.

"Very logical. I would have expected nothing less from you. But what if I told you gods were real? And that their opposites were as well? What then?"

Richard looked at him, his brows almost connecting above his eyes.

"With everything that you just told me, you want to add that gods are real, and the devil exists? How far are you trying to drag my mind into unease?"

Alex chuckled.

"Not the devil. That is most definitely a construct of humanity. No. Demons. Also, I don't believe that gods represent good in this story. They have their own agenda. If it aligns with good, it is only a coincidence."

Richard scoffed at the words.

"Now you're making even less sense. Do you have proof of this? Or are you just trying to scare me into believing your story? Because I already said I wouldn't interfere."

Alex snickered.

Then he snapped his fingers.

A gout of black fire erupted beside the table, startling Richard, before his eyes went wide in fear.

"What in the hell is that thing?!" he exclaimed.

Alex smiled at him.

"Your proof."