“There’s nothing we can do for her, Matilda. We should keep going.”
The cold wind bites at her. Her words rush out in a bitter torrent.
“This whole place doesn’t make any sense. Everyone’s competing with each other, just so they can run this hellhole themselves, but it’s a rigged game from the start! How can they honestly believe Hank will give up any power? If everyone just leaves, he can have his mountain all to himself.”
James steps closer to her side but doesn’t look at the body.
“They’re all indexed. Besides, humans are creatures of habit. They crave structure. It might seem extreme, but people on this platform believe they’ll be rewarded once they reach the top.”
She knows that James’ words aren’t meant to infuriate her, but they do.
“No! There’s no power at the top, it’s just an illusion! People suffer this bullshit because they can imagine what it’ll be like if they actually make it to the top. But it’s a fucking lie. The king calls the shots and can change the rules on a whim. There’s no way to win with a rigged system.” She points to the body face down in the ditch. “But they’ll kill themselves trying to achieve it anyway.”
This time, James takes a moment before responding.
“Clearly they don’t look at it the same as you. It’s a simple risk versus reward situation for them. The only way to accomplish something is to put yourself out there.” In her peripheral vision, Matilda see James finally look at the body.
“I know it doesn’t look like it, but I think Hank views his platform as good for people. As crazy as that sounds.”
Matilda clenches her fists. She can hear it in James’ voice. Somewhere deep down, he still hopes he won’t have to kill his friend. But as she looks at the body, the anger mounts. She lets the harsh mountain wind do the screaming she cannot. “He’s insane.”
James places a hand on her shoulder, but it only causes Matilda to clench her fists tighter.
“Power corrupts. You never know what you’re going to do when you’re given that much control.”
Matilda pulls away and points a critical finger at James.
“How can you say that? There’s no way you or I would have let this go this far. No, I think power just reveals who you really are, it doesn’t turn you into something. Donovan is an asshole. Virginia wanted control. And Hank likes to sit above it all and watch people dance for him.”
“Matilda, wait…” James calls after her, but she doesn’t want to hear. The sooner they get off this stupid mountain, the better. Matilda lets the anger keep her warm as she trudges farther up the slope. She focuses everything on placing one foot in front of the other. She’s so focused on her movements, Matilda doesn’t notice the precise point at which the scrabbly mountain pass turns into a garden trail. The Scry looks up from her thoughts to find the Taciturn still behind her–and a beautiful garden spread out before them.
“Wait, when did this happen?”
James gives her a concerned look. “We passed through the cave a while ago, and it brought us to this section of the Spire. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, sorry. Just… never mind.”
They continue along the path through the garden until they reach an ornate marble wall with a gold frame. They follow the wall to a set of immaculate gates that block the entrance into the next area. A warden’s booth extends from the wall and the lights inside are the only other signs of activity.
James shrugs, “Well, looks like we’re headed in the right direction.”
Cautiously, they enter the booth and find themselves in a small kiosk manned by an elderly man wearing a plaid sweater vest. Noting the newcomers’ presence in his station, the man puts down his paper and takes off his reading glasses.
“Welcome to Niche Gardens, friends. I know who you both are. News is spreading fast in this place about the Scry and Taciturn. What an exciting couple you two make! I’ve never seen anything trend this fast before.”
James and Matilda exchange surprised looks, but Matilda decides to capitalize on their apparent renown.
“Great – so if you know who we are, then you know what we’re trying to do. How about you let us just pass on to the next section?”
The man chuckles and nods. He pushes a button and the gates effortlessly swing open.
That sounds good to me – I don’t want any trouble. I’ll let you through to the other side, but first I need to show you something. Let an old man try to talk some sense into those heads of yours.”
Matilda gives James a questioning look even as her hand inches slowly toward the blades arrayed in their concealed sheaths. Taciturn gives her the barest discernible shake of his head.
“Certainly, old man.” he says. “Lead the way.”
Reluctantly, Matilda follows to meet the warden on the other side of the gate. Matilda is stunned to find a beautiful suburban street surrounded by lavish homes, each one unique and masterfully built.
The old man talks as they walk.
“You young folks are always so eager to make it to the top. So concerned with your social status, huh? Big goals, huge ambitions to change the world. I understand all of that, I was young once too, you know. But in the end, is it something that would truly make you happy?”
The man waves a hand to the buildings around them.
“Is there really anything so bad about having just a simple, comfortable life?”
The old man leads them from the main street down a narrower lane. On either side, Matilda catches glimpses of families in their homes. Window-framed forms of people eating dinner together, playing games, and enjoying each other’s company.
“See, I don’t think it’s such a bad thing. Sure, these people made it this far up the Spire, and they’re content with staying here. No need to risk more just to climb a little higher. Unlike those people who just keep running around like damn hamsters. Where does it get them? A little farther up the ladder, sure. Or maybe it sends them back down.”
A turn in the road brings them to a new area in Niche Gardens. Matilda spots a green field leading to a large picturesque high school.
“My grandson is graduating soon. Very proud of that lad… but, coming back to the matter at hand. Niche Gardens is a place where people have decided enough is enough. This place suits our needs. You’d be hard pressed to find a more peaceful place in the all the Cyberside, if you ask me.”
The warden leads them to a quiet cul-de-sac located right behind the school. Stopping at the dead end, Matilda realizes that every house has a name on its mailbox save for two unmarked ones situated next to each other.
“Look, I’ll be honest. Hank knows why you’re here, James, and he doesn’t want it to come to that. On account of your friendship, he’s asked me a special favor. Judging from the key words you two used in the forest, we think you’d make quite the addition to our community. I guess what I’m asking is, would you like to stay here with us?”
Matilda closes her eyes and gives her head a single vigorous shake, as though trying to dislodge something in her ear. Something preventing her from hearing correctly.
“Stay here?”
She opens her eyes to find herself in the same idyllic neighborhood.
“Look… don’t you two think you’ve done enough already? I mean, it’s more than anyone else can say. Heck, toppling Neverland was a feat unto itself, don’t you think? You two deserve some rest, and we have everything here you could possibly want.”
Matilda still can’t believe what she’s hearing. She’s about to reply, when she realizes she hasn’t heard James utter a word for the entire walk. When she turns to him, the look on the Taciturn’s face hits her like a bag of hammers.
James longingly gazes into the windows of an unclaimed house. From inside, the laughter of a young boy and the excited yapping of a small dog can be heard. Matilda catches a fleeting glimpse of a woman walking by the kitchen window.