“I wasn’t online, and I haven’t managed to reach the level the three of them have, so I really have no idea what might have happened in the game. I suppose the boys may have quit playing because they went missing.”
“Kalen was last seen Saturday, but Zane didn’t turn up missing until late in the day Sunday, and Trevor was actually home all weekend and didn’t turn up missing until Monday afternoon, yet none of the boys logged into the game after they logged out early Saturday morning.”
The man crossed his arms over his chest. “I really have no idea why they didn’t log in over the weekend. Like I said, only one other local team has made it past level fifteen, and no team made it as far as these three have, so I doubt you’ll find anyone who will know what sort of challenges they faced and why they might have decided to quit when they did.”
“Can you provide the names of anyone who was logged into the game Friday afternoon and early Saturday morning at the same time as Zane and the others were?” I asked. “I realize they might not be on the same level, but they might have interacted. Shared tips. That sort of thing.”
“There are a lot of players if you take into account all the levels. Only one other local team has made it past level fifteen. I would guess if there was chatter, it would be between Zane’s group and the guys who had leveled up to level twenty and the other local group currently on level eighteen.”
“And who was in this group on level eighteen?” I asked.
“Zork, Halo, and Nomad. It appears the three have formed an aligned team.”
“Aligned?” I asked.
“Once you reach level fifteen, the only way to continue successfully is to form an alliance. Zane, Kalen, and Trevor formed an alliance when they all reached level fifteen around the same time. Since then, when they play, they play together.”
“And do you know the real names of Zork, Halo, and Nomad?” I asked.
“Actually, I don’t. I guess I can ask around if you think it’s important.”
“I’d appreciate that,” I said as I turned to leave. Just as we reached the door, Jemma turned back. “Do the words one life mean anything to you? Is that phrase part of the game?”
“Sure. As I just indicated, once you pass level fourteen and enter level fifteen, you form alliances for the quest ahead, which is the only way to make it to the final level where you’re invited to ascend. The mantra most recited by those who enter this quest is: ‘One life to live, one life to give.’”
Chapter 11
I had to admit I was nervous about meeting with Cora. The mantra: “One life to live one life to give” conjured all sorts of unpleasant images in my mind. As she indicated she would, Cora showed up at my office at exactly three o’clock.
“So?” she asked. “Do you have news?”
I hesitated. “Perhaps. I’m honestly not sure that the information I’ve been able to dig up is relevant, but it seems that Zane enjoyed playing video games.”
“So? All teenage boys enjoy playing video games.”
“I guess that’s mostly true, but I found out that Zane was involved in a multiplayer online role-playing game called End Days. As it turns out, Kalen and Trevor were players in the same online game.”
She just looked at me as if waiting for me to get to the point.
“I spoke to the man who was working the counter at the comic book and video game store today. He told me that Zane, Kalen, and Trevor had all been logging a lot of hours and that they’d all achieved a really high ranking and ultimately formed an alliance with one another for the quest ahead. I have to admit I don’t know a lot about online gaming, but it seems that all three were really into it and put a lot of hours into climbing through the levels.”
“That sounds like Zane. He’s always liked video games, and he does tend to become obsessive when things are rough at home. The rougher things are with Dad, the more hours he spends in his make-believe world, working hard to collect make-believe stuff. I guess I get it. It’s a good escape. But what does that have to do with the fact that he went missing?”
“Apparently, the goal of the game has to do with passing through levels, each with their own unique challenge until you reach the final level where you are invited to ascend.”
“Ascend?”
“I’m not sure what that means exactly. The guy from the video game store made it sound like the majority of the game is spent in some sort of post-apocalyptic world, and once you make it through all the levels, you ascend to some sort of perfect place. He referred to it as a type of nirvana.”
“Okay. So?”
“I guess those who make it to level fifteen are teamed up and sent on a quest of some sort. Apparently, the mantra recited by those who have entered the final quest is: ‘One life to live, one life to give.’”
Her eyes grew wide. “One life.”
I nodded. “Exactly. I can’t know for certain that the game had anything to do with Zane going missing, but the man I spoke to was somehow able to look at user logs, and he told me that Zane, Kalen, and Trevor logged some serious hours Friday afternoon into early Saturday morning, but that none of them has logged in since.”
“So what does this mean? How does this help us find them?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “It did occur to me that perhaps Zane left clues for someone to find. Have you had a chance to look around in his
