The Boy Who Got Locked In Cyberspace

The Boy Who Got Locked In Cyberspace

By Paul McCann

 

The Mc Gillicuddies were a large family in Greenhill County . There were seven boys and three girls . Michael was the youngest of the boys and he loved computer games . In fact he knew most of them inside out . On Saturday the annual computer fair was on and he had his Mum and Dad tortured to be there for it . Michael had pinned notes up all around the house . He never let up for a second and the kitchen table became a barrage of begging . Michael's plea's  sounded like a broken record ,

" Dad can we go to the computer fair .

"Can we Mum. Can we Dad ?".

"No we can't afford it ." Was the usual reply .

"Why."

"Johnny needs a jotter"

"He can have mine"

"Tommy needs a ruler"

"I've one I don't use"

"Eddie needs a pair of socks"

"No he doesn't .I need socks more than him ."

"That settles it then we can't afford to go to the computer fair Michael "

"But Dad ."

"That's enough now Michael I don't want to hear any more about it."

The entrance fee's only a fiver Dad and there's a fiver in the piggy bank ."

That fiver's for the holidays and you're not touching it"

said Mrs McGillicuddy ."

"The holidays are not for another six months " Said Michael :

 "So shut your mouth and eat your breakfast ."

"How can he eat his breakfast with his mouth shut Ma "

Said young Eddie .

"Very funny ." Said Tommy "

"Come on boys it's time for school. "

The youngest daughter finally arrives for breakfast .

"Where's my boiled egg ? " she says .

"You're too late Bridget breakfast is over. Quick here have some toast and get your coat on . "

Bridget  is walking out the door with the toast in her mouth .

A kiss on the cheek and they're all sent out in the rain .

Mr and Mrs McGillicuddy clear up the mess that seems unending .

 

That day at school Michael's school teacher had offered a prize

for the best behaved child at the end of the week . That prize was a family pass into the computer fair at the local showground . After hearing that news Michael was transformed into an angel with a halo over his head .

and remained so for the rest of the week . It seemed destiny had already decided who would receive the prize . On Friday afternoon Michael's name was called out in the classroom and t ticket was handed over to him .

He bolted out the class and ran all the way home . Our of breath he screamed

"Mum . Dad . I got it . We're going to the computer fair . I won the ticket ."

After he settled down his Mum and Dad both congratulated him .

 

Michael never slept a wink that night , He was up at 4 in the morning .

He had everyone else up as well . Even his little sister who was always last to make it to the breakfast table was up and dressed by 7am .

So off they all went to the computer fair .

 

You could see the huge marquee from the top of Greenhills Bend .

The traffic was so busy that police were on point duty . People were walking on crowded footpaths and a queue twenty feet long was at the double gate of the Greenhills Showground .  Mr and Mrs McGillicuddy told their children not to run off and to keep together . However Michael had other plans as soon as they were through the gates he was off like a rocket .

Inside the marquee an enormous computer screen was suspended in mid air . It was held by transparent ropes tied to the roof frame of the tent .

In the corner Michael spotted a very strange glowing work station with a weird computer terminal on it . He was drawn over to it like a magnet and as he sat down in the chair an hieroglyphic image of himself appeared on the screen..

The CD Rom drive of the computer box opened up and a set of Instructions .

Came up on the screen . The set of instructions gave a password and code to play all the games listed on the screen .

As Michael punched in the password and code a disc was delivered into his hands by a computer robot that came from behind a secret door in the corner.

The disc was placed into the tray and as it closed Michael was send spiralling through a tunnel of flashing lights that linked into a network of fuzzy buzzy colours that seemed to leap upwards into a platform before a large screen .

Michael stood there looking at a computer world .

 

The scene was that of a future-scape  with 3D graphics and sound . It was that of future-scape prison complex . He was joined on the platform by a prison guard armed with a laser weapon . This game was one Michael had recently played and so he was aware of all the traps .

The game Cell Block Break had only recently come into the stores but as Michael read most of the magazines he knew most of the secret codes .

The object of the game was to escape from the prison and find the master key to the holding cell where the escape button was installed .

Michael knew that there was no time to waste as there was a time limit in this gane . If the escape button was not pushed in the allocated time a self destruct process was enabled that destroyed the entire cell block .

It was only when one of the guards grabbed Michael that he knew this was a little more serious than just a  game . A mild electric shock was sent through his body as the heavily build prison guard  placed cuffs on his wrists .

 

Michael immediately sprung into his game memory mode control and hit the overhead elevator shaft button that shot him up to the second floor .

In doing this the first floor disappeared leaving the guard without a leg to stand on which sent him falling into the abyss below .

An alarm was activated that brought various creatures out from their holes in the cell block . Some of the cells were locked others not . Lucky for Michael he had played the game before was able to make his way through the maze of cells to the secret chamber where the master key was . With only seconds to spare he pushed the escape button and the game was over .

Immediately he found himself sitting in a formula one racing car .

As the red flashing lights went green and Michael knew exactly what to do .

He hit the reverse thrust that sent him back ten feet that in turn fired up the turbo booster that sent the plasma accelerator drive into the engine .

Like he had  done it all his life Michael overtook other cars on the track ,

He threw his machine around bends he had taken before in the Grand Prix circuit . He was cutting corners and gaining on the leader . It was all too easy for him as he took the chequered flag .

The next game however was a different story . Michael found himself

Standing alone in the middle of a desert with herd of dinosaurs on a stampede heading straight for him . This was definitely one game he had never played before . Somehow he saw something there on the ground and he made a dive at it . He managed to press the reboot button just in time .

Michael was sent back through the fuzzy buzzy colours passing a network of

Tunnels that eventually shot him back into the real world again .

As he sat there on the chair the computer screen was flashing and the word  .

Error came up . One of the marquees officials came over and asked Michael was everything ok . Michael looked into his steel grey eyes and said .

"Well I think so ." 

"This is our very latest computer son . Its almost virtual reality you know ."

"I know . It's like unreal Mister ."

"What's your name son ?"

"Michael"

" Well Michael , I like to think these things are as real as we are. "..     

Before Michael could say another word his Mum and Dad came running over.

"We told you not to go running off on us Michael and who are yo talking to ?"

"That man " said Michael pointing his finger at this lifeless metal robot in the corner . Michael's jaw dropped .

"But he was just after talking to me ."

"Right that's it .We are going home right away Michael .No son of ours is going to be talking to dummies ."

As Mrs McGillicuddy led the way through the crowd in the marquee ,

all the rest of the family followed closely behind .

Near the exit of the tent Michael had one last look at the corner where he had been sitting and the Robot in the corner waved Goodbye .

 

 

THE END