Sunglasses

Written by Anakin McFly

Chapter One: Minesweeper

Smiley #936 was afraid. Very afraid. He had known he was doomed the moment his arch enemy, Smiley #792, got the sunglasses and with it the temporary authority to decide who would be next to play. To die. For that was probably what would happen to any Smiley who entered the formidable tiled room. Recently, the Minesweeper had been playing only the expert level, after vowing to accomplish it if that was the last thing she did.

Vividly, #936 remembered the day when #792 came to power. They had been young Smileys then, fresh out of The Smiley School. Those were the good ol’ days, when the Minesweeper had been content enough playing the beginner and intermediate level. And it was then that #792 was called out to play by the then sunglass wearer, the venerable #316.

It was an intermediate level game, known by the Smileys to be possibly the easiest level of all, contrary to what many believed. True, the beginner level had only ten mines, but the fact was that the playing field was smaller also meant that much of the success of the game depended on luck, rather than actual skill. The expert level, though, did not differ very much from the beginner one in that just as much, or probably even more, of the game’s success depended on luck. The Minesweeper could be an excellent player, but even then fail the level due to the simple fact that there was just not enough information. He or she could be safe on the first click, which most of the time unearthed just one number, and on the second click hit a mine. The Smileys knew this... and quaked in fear whenever an expert level game was announced.

#792, however, had got the intermediate level, where skill was the most important factor. And the Minesweeper had skill. The game had been a success, and #792 had got the sunglasses.

Later that day, he had strutted out of the waiting room greeted with loud applause, and had made his way to the top of The Smiley Castle where he took the throne, shades visible on his smiling face. #936, the new king’s school rival, had been called up and had a few words delivered to him, which would stay forever etched in his memory...

"You were always the ‘good’ student, #936. Never missed a class, loved by all the teachers, had the best smile, etc etc etc. But now you see that all that hard work has come to nothing. You could have spent your time enjoying yourself, you know, as I did. And look at me now, one of the youngest kings ever to rule the Smileys. To decide their fate, just as I will decide yours. Use your time well, #936. You might not have much left. Not when I’m done with you, that is. I will have my revenge for all those years in school where you beat me, made me look dumb with your towering high marks and that stupid smile of yours which everyone seems to like. Oh yes, I will have my revenge. What say you I slot you in for... the next expert level game, hey?"

And #792 had laughed, a cold, cruel laugh that caused #936 to shiver in fear, in fear of the game that he knew would come someday to sound his doom. The day he was certain to die.

And that day had come, a little too soon for his liking.

Trying to remain calm, #936 stood in line awaiting his turn. Awaiting his death. He watched as his fellow Smileys, many of whom had gone to school with him, went into the room and were killed, one after the other by the Minesweeper. Smiley #174 had gone in five clicks. #219 in twenty-three. And as for poor #612, he was done away with just after the second click.

#792, however, king of the Smileys, was laughing. Laughing as he killed off his friends. Laughing at the fact that he was in control. That laughter reverberated through the whole of Smiley land, all the way to where #936 was waiting. He heard the laughter, and felt anger rising within himself, culminating with the eternal question...

"Why?" he managed to blurt out, voice choked with fury.

#841 turned, his best friend at The Smiley School.

"What?"

"Why do we have to do this?" #936 wanted to know. "Why do we have to go so willingly to our death? Why does #792 get to decide when our lives will end?"

"Because he’s king," #841 replied matter-of-factly. The other Smileys murmured their agreement.

"Yes, but how did he become the king? It was all luck! And because of luck he gets to control when we die? And what about the Minesweeper, huh? What gave her the right to kill us?"

The room buzzed with sudden noise. No one was allowed to talk about the Minesweeper that way. It was unheard of! Especially when it came to a youngster like #936.

#841 sighed.

"The Minesweeper has her job, and we Smileys have our job. Her job is to kill us for entertainment, and our job is to be killed."

#936 was shaking with a silent anger.

"It’s not fair. It’s just not fair!"

"Nothing is. So bear with it. It’ll be over before you know it."

"I’ll be dead," #936 muttered, his usual smile gone from his yellow face.

"Big deal. We all die someday. The Minesweeper will too, one day."

#841 stared wistfully into space, pondering over his last few words.

"And when that happens... we’ll be free," he continued. "All of us. No longer slaves to the Minesweeper." #841 paused, continuing in a whisper. "Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

The other Smileys remained silent, not daring to agree for fear of what the consequences might be.

"Not if we’re dead," #936 replied, in a somewhat softer tone as compared to previously.

"Even if we don’t make it, there will always be others. Other generations of Smileys. And one day, somehow, we’ll be free. I know it. One day the Minesweeper will be gone. And we will be fr..."

The voice of #792 boomed out suddenly, interrupting the Smiley.

"#841! You’re next. Get going."

"We will be free," #841 finished, before turning his gaze slowly around the room, eyes filled with hope as he addressed them all for the last time.

"Never give up. We will make it... someday."

And then he turned, and left for The Room.

They all knew it was going to happen. It was inevitable, after all.

And yet, when the mines blew up, killing his friend, Smiley #936 was unable to control the tears running down his once happy face.

Nevertheless, there was no time for mourning.

"#936! Get ready. You’re next."

It was his turn. This was it. Smiley #936 glanced around at his friends for what would probably be the last time, took a deep breath, and then stepped out onto the platform which teleported him instantly to The Room. he evaporated his tears, trying to maintain his composure as he started smiling as he had been taught to do since his creation. Behind his smiles, though, #936 was feeling miserable. But no one would ever be able to tell, not by the bright smile that hung across his face at least.

Then, Smiley #936 got ready to play The Game. The sole reason for his creation. The whole point of his existence.

One click. Safe.

Two clicks. Safe.

Three clicks. Still safe.

At each click, #936 opened his mouth wide in anticipation of his oncoming doom, then closed it again and smiled his fake smile. And that was not the only reason for opening his mouth in the first place.

"Nice and wide," he kept reminding himself. "Aim for a perfect, round circle."

All those years of advice at The Smiley School were being put into play once more, only this time it wasn’t teachers that #936 was facing. #792 was right about one thing. #936 had been a good student.

Click after click, and still no mines were unearthed. The Room was dotted with red flags and numbers, and for once Smiley #936 was beginning to have a faint glimmer of hope. Perhaps he might make it after all...

There were now only ten tiles left which had not yet been clicked on. Nine. Eight. Seven. Then it was down to only two tiles. One held the mine, the other did not. It was that simple... that simple and yet not.

The Minesweeper had never been this close before. Whether she chose the right tile or wrong one was a matter of life and death... for Smiley #936, that is.

And yet, the numbers surrounding the remaining two tiles made it impossible to determine which was the right one. Now, it was back to the usual expert level scenario... it all depended on luck.

Smiley #936 waited. He was in no hurry to die. If the Minesweeper lost, that was the end of him. But if she won... he would get the sunglasses. He could have revenge... for there could only be one sunglass wearer at any one time. In other words, he would be able to do anything he wanted with #792. The death of his friends had to be avenged. He would send #792 to the next expert level game. He would have his revenge...

Meanwhile, as he watched the unfolding drama below, Smiley #792 was feeling afraid. Very afraid. Never before in his wildest dreams had he expected the Minesweeper to get so close to winning, and especially not during #936’s game. What was more, he had grown kind of partial towards his sunglasses. He did not ever want to part with them...

The Minesweeper decided that waiting would not help at all. Positioning The Clicker over one of the two tiles, she closed her eyes tight... and clicked.

"Revenge," thought Smiley #936. "I could have revenge..."

He heard a click.

Then everything went black.

Chapter Two: That's Life

Slowly, Smiley #936 opened his eyes. He was lying down somewhere... on something soft...

"Where am I?" he asked, rolling himself up for a better view.

Around him, three red flags stepped back and bowed. "The Smiley Castle, your Majesty," one replied.

#936 blinked, taken aback by the salutation. "What?"

"You won the game. You got the sunglasses. You’re our king now."

He’d won... he’d actually won...

"Uh" you can just call me ‘sir’," he said, not too comfortable with anything more.

"Right. They’re waiting for you, sir. The Minesweeper wants to start a new game; Intermediate level. You’ve got to choose who’s going to play next," Flag #2579 continued. "Here... you dropped your sunglasses." The flag passed them to #936, and he put them on, head spinning as he tried to take it all in.

He’d actually won... For the first time ever, an Expert level game had been finished...

"This way, sir."

#936 beamed with happiness and bounced out to the control room after the flag. Down below, he saw his fellow Smileys look back up expectantly. And he saw #792 sulking among them, his face one of restrained fury. #936 wondered what it must feel like, to have your powerful position so suddenly taken away from you like that to be made one of the common crowds whose life you used to be able to control.

"#792!" he yelled in triumph. "You’re next!"

Down there, #792 scowled and scuffled his round body over to the teleporting pad that transported him to The Room. Once there, he reluctantly wiped his scowl off his face, replacing it with a huge, fake smile. #936 grinned. He would have his revenge... finally, he could have his revenge...

The Minesweeper started; and Smiley #936 watched with bated breath as one click followed the next, none hitting the mine. Gradually, he began to get worried. What if #792 survived this? After all, it WAS an Intermediate level game...

Click.

And a mine blew up, putting an end to #792.

#936 whooped in joy, bouncing up and down in the control room. The rest of the Smileys celebrated along with him... none had ever liked #792... and the sound of cheers filled the computer. The Smiley King smiled in satisfaction and closed his eyes, basking in their appreciation of his choice.

That is, until a small but persistent voice brought him out of his reverie. "#936?"

He fell out of his seat, startled. Flag #2579 was there again. "What?"

They’re waiting for you, sir. You’ve got to choose who’s going next."

#936’s joy suddenly evaporated as the full force of the flag’s words hit, the realisation of what he had to do cutting deep into his heart.

"Next..." was all he managed to say.

The crowd of Smileys looked back up, waiting.

His friends.

Waiting for him to decide who would be next to play. To die. For that was most probably what would happen to any Smiley who entered the formidable tiled room.

"They’re waiting, sir."

#936 knew them. All of them; for the Smiley community was a closely-knit one. There was #983... she drew the teachers up the wall with her weird smiles she did on purpose. There was #1121... the little kid he’d known only for a week who’d told #936 that he was his hero, and he wished he could smile as well as him. #876... the lazy one the teachers couldn’t stand but the students all liked; never willing to smile on cue, always thinking up new ways to turn the teachers blue, or green, or pink.

His friends.

"Sir..."

A lump started swelling up in #936’s throat. But he had to do this... it was his job, after all. Once again, he surveyed the crowd, trying to push aside all his emotions.

The oldest would have to go first, he decided, but even as he did so, memories of that particular Smiley, #528, came up in his mind. #528 had been his tutor... apart from the teachers, she had taught him all he knew.

But she would understand; he had to do this. #936’s conscience would not allow him to sacrifice one of the young Smiley kids fresh out of school... they needed time to live, to enjoy life... if it had anything that could be enjoyed.

#936’s mouth was dry as he spoke the death sentence. "#528" you’re next," he croaked, his voice cracking under the strain.

Their eyes met as she looked up solemnly, seeming to say that she understood.

#936 could only stare back expressionlessly at her, trying hard to hold back the tears he knew were coming as he watched her leave for The Room.

One click.

Two clicks.

Three clicks.

Mine.

"NO!" #936 cried, his voice choked with large, angry sobs that just kept coming, one after the other.

It was futile, he knew. Nothing he could say or do could change anything, especially not the harshness of the truth.

What was it that he had wanted? If #528 had survived, he would have had to give up his sunglasses to her to become once more one of the common folk, awaiting his death along with the rest of them; and she would have had to bear his burden...

They’re waiting, sir," the gentle voice of Flag #2579 said.

Lost in the depths of his helpless sorrow, #936 did not reply.

"If you want, we could always use the lottery system," the flag continued. #936 nodded numbly. He had learnt about this in school; and the lottery would help him make the decision he didn’t want to make. He couldn’t think anymore... they were all going to die and he knew it. It was only a matter of time.

The numbers ran through the screen, visible both upstairs and below as they slowed down to settle on one number...

#1121.

Smiley #936 lifted his head from his desk, watching as the result of the lottery registered on the face of the young Smiley. The latter looked up, the expression on his face one of fear, disappointment and yet... worst of all for #936... trust. Dimly, the older Smiley recalled their meeting the week before, his heart aching once more at the memory...

"When I grow up, I want to be jus’ like you," #1121 had said, beaming up at #936 who had smiled in return at the kid.

"Why?"

"’Cause the teachers all say that you’ve got the best smile ever, an’ I want mine to be that good too," was the reply.

"Well then, all you’ve got to do is work hard, all right? You’ll be out of school next week and then we’ll see how good your smile can be."

#1121 had nodded happily at his hero, then bounced off cheerfully to his next class as #936 watched him go.

And now that kid stood waiting for #936 to tell him to go, willing to take on whatever lay in store for him. He stared up, scared yet excited, for this was the real thing; his eyes full of trust as he gave #936 a wan smile.

"They’re waiting, sir. All you’ve got to do is give the word."

All he had to do was give the word" but that was so much easier said than done.

"Why did it have to be #1121?" #936 cried in his mind. Of all the Smileys down there"

But the lottery was final; he could not use it more than once for any one game. And he could not tell another Smiley to go... the lottery was final. He had made his choice to use it, and he had to accept its result.

Flag #2579 stood by the door of the room, the top of his body bent slightly down as he looked away from the king. He understood the dilemma #936 was going through... but he couldn’t do a thing to help. It was his job.

"Sir..."

#936 got slowly out of his corner, nodding solemnly. He had made up his mind.

And then, in one swift moment, he turned, bowled over #2579, and rolled out as quickly as he could out the door.

The Minesweeper banged frustrated on the keyboard.

The stupid computer had hung again.

Chapter Three: Flight to Freedom

The whole of the Smiley Kingdom was in chaos. Never before had such a thing happened; and now that it had, everyone was at a complete loss as to what to do following the sudden rebelliousness of the newest Smiley king, #936. It was the first time a king had left without naming the next Smiley to play The Game – true, #1121 was technically next according to the lottery results, but the king needed to acknowledge the results before the lottery-chosen Smiley could play. That had always been the way for the couple or so years since the birth of the Smiley Kingdom on the Minesweeper's computer, but #936 had not done so.

Rebelliousness was not something new. Some of the Smileys, the older ones in particular, could remember several occasions where a particularly mutinous Smiley would refuse to enter The Room to play and had to be forced in against their will. Such happenings were rare, though, and never talked about among the Smiley community more than necessary. The names of those disobedient Smileys were taboo for many: #278, #716, #583... and the first who dared oppose the rules of the Smiley Kingdom, thus setting the way for others, #39.

Those names were whispered in fear whenever mentioned, for their owners were not Smileys to be proud of.

No one knew what made them the way they were – so resistant to the rules that were diligently followed by every other Smiley. No one knew what made them fail to see something that was so clear for everyone else: the role of the Smiley was to play The Game.

If they died in the outcome, too bad, that's life. If they won the sunglasses, good for them; they'd be spared from being chosen until the next got the sunglasses. And if the Minesweeper broke the high score – after winning a level for the seventh or more time – with their Game, why... they would be safe then forever from the murderous clutches of the Minesweeper, never again having to mingle with the common Smiley crowd. They would be of the highest position possible for a Smiley, higher even than the kings and queens, who could lose their position any time. They were the Elite, the best of the Smileys, looked upon with awe by everyone else.

But such Smileys were rare. Currently, only seven were known to exist somewhere in a place known as the Upper Realms; a place young Smileys dreamt of at night and everyone else thought of with longing. Anything, The Game or otherwise, was worth it if it presented even the slightest possibility of entering the Upper Realms. All the Smileys held some hope of the Minesweeper breaking the high score on their game for the seventh or more time for that level. This only applied, though, for the Intermediate and Beginner levels – the Expert level had only been conquered once, by #936. Such Smileys were very seldom lucky; yet, the rest of the Smileys never gave up hope. The rebels, of course, were the exceptions... but these until now had always been one of the commoners.

For the first time, however, it was a Smiley king who had refused to follow the rules. And as a result, life at the Smileys knew it ground to a halt as the emergency alarm sounded.

It rang loud and clear, a sound never before heard in the Smiley Kingdom, from the palace to the school to the waiting room that held a hundred or so Smileys. On all of their faces were etched similar expressions of panic and fear as a flag, possibly #2579, yelled an announcement into the Smiley Public Address System (SPAS).

"Do not panic! I repeat, do not panic!"

This served only to send the until then relatively quiet crowd into a screaming state of further chaos. It was as much as many could do to make out the voice of the flag over the din.

"The computer has been shut down!" – gasps from the crowd – "Flags have been sent out after His Majesty. We have everything under control! I say again, there is no need to panic!"

More screams arose from below.

Among the crowd, however, one Smiley was silent as he stared up at where the king had just moments before sat. #936 had done it for him, #1121 – for the sake of his life, #936 had broken the rules of his position and run...

Tears started to roll down the young Smiley's face as all around him, Smileys were breaking down into various stages of hysteria. "Thanks," he whispered, blinking the tears away and evaporating them. If it hadn't been for #936, he'd probably be dead by now.

Meanwhile, in another part of the Smiley Kingdom, #936 had not stopped moving. Hurtling through the myriad of low white corridors that filled this part of the Kingdom, he paused only occasionally to catch his breath, hovering in the air for several seconds before zooming off again. At the corners, he lowered himself to the ground and rolled around them; but otherwise he flew most of the way.

#936 had absolutely no idea as to where he was going. He had heard the flag's announcement over the SPAS, and it gave him only more reason to move faster. He didn't know why he was running away in the first place. All he knew was that if they caught him, it would all have been for nothing and #1121 would almost certainly die... followed by who knew how many others until one of them got the sunglasses, whereupon he would return to the common crowd. The new king or queen would then take charge, and everything would continue as per normal. His current kingship was only a brief respite from the terrible life each Smiley was forced to live. And that was if he wasn't stripped of his position the moment they caught him. Sooner or later he would have to die, and all the other Smileys too. It was just a matter of time.

"It's not fair. It's just not fair!"

"Nothing is. So bear with it. It'll be over before you know it."

"I'll be dead."

"Big deal. We all die someday. The Minesweeper will too, one day. And when that happens... we'll be free. All of us. No longer slaves to the Minesweeper. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Not if we're dead."

"Even if we don't make it, there will always be others. Other generations of Smileys. And one day, somehow, we'll be free. I know it."

One day. When? Now?

#936 didn't know. He just kept moving on through the maze of corridors, caring only that he put some distance between himself and the security flags before they caught him.

**

The crowd was getting more restless and more angry with each passing moment. Never before had they experienced a time when nothing happened, a time when no one was playing The Game. Rest Times were different. Those happened when the Minesweeper stopped playing and switched off the computer. Then, they were allowed to move off to their own areas of residence in the Smiley Kingdom to wait until the Minesweeper turned her computer on again, whereupon they had to go back to the waiting room to be put on Standby. And even Standby was different, because they always knew what was going on. The big screen in the waiting room displayed short messages that told what the Minesweeper was doing on the computer. They always knew.

Now, however, nobody had any idea what was going on. They weren't playing, on Standby, or having a Rest Time. The king or queen was the Smiley who gave an announcement whenever one of those situations changed into another. But now their king was gone, and they were all at a loss. The screen was still; there had been no directions other than the plea to not panic that had been issued through the SPAS what seemed ages ago.

"What IS this?" an angry voice sounded loudly from the crowd. "How could our king just desert us like that? Doesn't he know what he's done? I mean, look at this! We're just standing here doing nothing! We're not on Standby and there's no Game going on. I want action! I want to do something! I say we charge up there and demand our king back!"

Murmurs and nods of agreement followed #674's short speech.

"No," another voice relied flatly. Eyes turned towards the source, staring as #1031 floated up onto the platform that housed the screen. "Don't you realise what #936 is doing?" she asked. "He's trying to sae us. If he hadn't run, who knows how many of us would be dead by now?"

"That was how it was meant to be, and you know that," #674 shot back. "We're Smileys! We were created so we could die!"

"You know that doesn't have to be. You heard what #936 and #841 said earlier, before either of them played The Game. We can fight this, I know!"

"Oh yeah? So you expect us to take advice from three young, inexperienced Smileys, one of whom is dead, another of whom has abandoned us, and the last of whom is a freak?"

The room fell silent. Most of them had already noticed the slight disfigurement of #1031's face. Half of it was perfectly normal, but the other held one half of a frown. Together, the half-smile and half-frown combined to give her a look of perpetual confusion. Unique, yes. Accepted, no. Until then, the crowd had made no comment about it; but #674's little outburst drew their eyes to #1031's strange deformity.

The Smiley gave a thin, crooked smile. "Do you think it matters? So what if I'm different? It's not as if that's going to change anything. You all know what happens to most of us in The Game. Normal or not, it doesn't affect how anything turns out in the end. We're all going to die, sooner or later. And now, when someone like #936 tries to do something that will change this, you become angry? He's trying to save us, don't you see?

Down in the crowd, #213 shook his head slowly. An ex-Smiley king, he was one of the oldest members of the Smiley community. "Always wanting to save the world, these youngsters. No respect for tradition, that's what it is. You mark my words: nothing good is going to come out of all this. Just rouble. You don't go against the rules like that and expect nothing bad to happen. A king, too." #213 gave a weary sigh. "Times have changed, oh yes. Back then, kings and queens knew what a privilege it was to be what they were. They didn't go running off whenever they felt like it."

"He saved my life!" #1121 yelled, lifting himself slightly off the ground to glare at the crowd. "An' he saved yours too, an' you know it! If it hadn't been for him, who knows how many more of you might be dead by now?"

"You shut up, kid!" #674 rose up too. "Don't talk about things you don't know about! Didn't you learn anything at school? This is life, understand? Everybody has a part to ply in it. We do what we have to, the flags do what they have to, the Minesweeper does what she has to, and everything will be fine. Disrupt one part of that balance and who knows what disasters might come of it? We can't take the risk!"

#1031 almost had to shout to make herself heard in the growing commotion. "What do we have to lose? We're all going to die, anyway! We must as well die fighting!"

"Fighting, fighting!" #213 mocked. "That's all you young lot ever think about. Always rebelling against the ways of life that generations of Smileys have been following for years. May I remind you that to be a Smiley is an honour! We live for The Game, we die for The Game, and we do it with pride! Why, would you rather be one of those flags?" The Smiley snorted derisively. "Living forever... how boring is that? Have you ever seen a flag smile with happiness the way a Smiley does?"

#1031 looked ready to cry. "You all don't care, do you? You're all going to die, and for once someone tries to do something about it, but you all don't care." She turned to #1121. "Come on, kid, let's get out of here. We've got better things to do than stay around with this bunch of losers." She hovered up to the balcony where #936 had been, then looked back at #1121. "You coming?"

#1121 took a last apologetic glance at his fellow Smileys, then whooshed up to join #1031 as the others stared on in various degrees of disapproval.

"Where're we goin'?" he asked.

"I don't know for sure," came the reply. "We're just going to get away from here. And maybe, if we're lucky, we'll find #936." #1031 threw a wry smile at #1121. "Are you scared?"

The young Smiley shook his head determinedly. "Let's go."

And the two Smiley outcasts zoomed off through the door and down the white corridors, flying off in search of their freedom.

Chapter Four: The Upper Realms

They probably wouldn’t be able to find him here. Smiley #936 had never gone so far from the Smiley Kingdom before in his life. Already the white cubic passages were widening slightly, and the place was getting brighter. He figured he could afford a short rest.

#936 wondered what was going on in his absence. They probably wouldn’t have sent #1121 to play The Game since he hadn’t acknowledged the lottery results yet. If anything, the Smileys were sticklers for rules. If the rules said they should die, they probably would do so, and willingly too, #936 thought bitterly.

So what had happened, then? Were the other Smileys just staying put, not knowing what to do now that something as unexpected as #936’s departure had happened? Sooner or later, the flags would have to give up. At least, that’s what he hoped. He couldn’t run forever.

Ahead of him, the passage turned to the left into another, perpendicular to the first. #936 thought he detected a slight drought coming from that direction, as though there was some open space up ahead. Perhaps he had come to the end of his journey… wherever that was.

Smiley #936 speeded up and whizzed around the corner, and then he suddenly found himself in a vast room, so huge that the corridor leading out at the other end seemed only a small dark speck against the complete whiteness of everything else. The room was just one large, white cube, and #936 looked around in awe as he rolled in. For the first time in a long while, he felt strangely at peace.

"Hello?" he asked, and his voice echoed off the four walls, floor and ceiling after several seconds.

There was something moving out of the corridor nearest to his, and as it got closer, #936 saw that it was a Smiley... one somehow different from the rest in a way he couldn’t quite place.

"Hello, #936," the Smiley said in a lilting, musical voice. "We’ve been expecting you."

"What... where is this place? Who are you?"

The other Smiley smiled. "I’m one of the Elite," she said. "I used to be known as #172, back in the days when I still played The Game. Welcome to the Upper Realms, #936."

"The Upper Realms..." #936 whispered in reverence. "You knew I was coming?"

#172 did the Smiley version of a nod. "We’ve been watching you from here," she continued, leading the Smiley King down the corridor she had come from. The walls here weren’t as glaring as the others had been. "We all agree that that was a brave thing you did back there. However, you needn’t have worried. #62, the Head Elite, is quite fond of #1121. He wouldn’t have let him die. He’d probably have let him join us, too."

A sudden realisation hit #936, and he stopped moving, turning to face #172.

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"You mean you can control who enters the Upper Realms?"

"But of course," #172 answered with a gentle smile. "From here, we can see all the mines in The Room. We can also change their positions accordingly if we want to, though most of the time we leave them alone."

You could save all the Smileys then! None of us would have to die!"

#172 raised an eyebrow. "What’s the point in that? If everyone who plays The Game wins, there would be no more suspense; there would be no more purpose. There would be, essentially, no Game. There always has to be losers as well as winners, because only then can the winners feel good about winning." There was something very wrong about all this, #936 thought, the peace he had felt earlier all gone. He thought of all the young Smileys he knew, of how each of them dreamed of becoming one of the Elite and entering the Upper Realms" what if they knew the real truth behind it? "And who decides who lives and who dies?"

"he Head Elite, of course," #172 replied, as though that were the most obvious thing in the world. "With all due respect to you, it is actually him, and not the kings and queens who really control what goes on here. That’s why it’s always important to make sure he is happy. Who knows what he may do if he’s not? I was lucky to have known him in the early days. If not, I wouldn’t be here now."

"But" that’s not..."

"Fair?" #192 continued for him with a condescending smile, as though #936 were a young child.

936 nodded numbly.

#172 sighed and started walking again. "Nothing is fair, #936. You should have learnt that by now. Every day, Smileys die for no reason while the flags live forever. Is that fair? The Minesweeper gets to destroy us whenever she feels like it. Is that fair? Justice and fairness don’t exist in the real world, #936. Over here, if you want to survive, you just have to know the right people and not do anything stupid. It’s every Smiley for him or herself. That’s life. Live with it."

"It doesn’t have to be that way. What if all the Smileys refuse to play The Game? What will the Minesweeper do then?"

#172 stopped and turned to face #936, the expression on her face suddenly serious. "The Minesweeper can do a lot of things. She is more powerful than you can ever imagine. If the Smileys don’t play The Game, bad things are going to happen, #936."

"What kind of bad things?" the Smiley King asked, curious now.

"Total wipe out. Everything you know will be gone, and it will all start again, with Smiley #1. You won’t have any memory of anything that happened in your life. It would be as if none of it had ever happened. And this time, when it’s your turn to play The Game, you might not survive."

"Then... you mean all those Smileys who died might become alive again?" Hope appeared for the first time in #936’s eyes.

#172 shook her head slowly. "Yes, but it won’t be the same. They wouldn’t remember anything. And most of them will die again, anyway."

The hope left #936’s face. "Then what can I do?"

"Nothing," the Elite replied simply. "At least, you can’t do anything to change that once it happens. But you can start by preventing it.

"You mean it’s going to happen? The total wipe out?"

#172 looked at him. "When you left, everything stopped. The Smileys don’t know what to do. So the Minesweeper couldn’t play, and if she decides there’s something wrong with the system, she might give us a total wipe out." #172 paused to let the words sink in. "The Elites have discussed this matter, and we want to strike a deal with you. Tell the Smileys to continue playing, and you and #1121 can live in the Upper Realms for the rest of your lives. It’s an offer you can’t refuse."

"What about the other Smileys?" #936 half-yelled. "You can’t just leave them!"

#172 shrugged. "They’ll die, I suppose. As usual. But it doesn’t matter; you don’t have to worry about them. You just have to make the choice. You and #1121 can live here in the Upper Realms, forever, and everything else goes on as per normal. Or you don’t do anything and put everyone at risk of a total wipe out. It’s your choice.

"Everything’s arranged if you choose the former, as you should. We’ll send you back, you apologise to the Smileys for leaving, #1121 plays The Game, he wins and enters the Upper Realms, another Smiley plays the expert level game, wins, gets the sunglasses, becomes the next king or queen, and when you’re called up to play you’ll get the sunglasses if it’s an expert level game or you’ll enter the Upper Realms if it’s a beginner or intermediate one. Sooner or later you’ll get here, anyway, and no one will be the wiser."

#936 blinked uncertainly. He wanted so much to just give up and go along with what #172 was saying... it made so much sense" why keep fighting the system? What was there to gain?

The lives of Smileys, a voice in his head was telling him, but #936 wasn’t so sure anymore.

Well?" the Elite asked. "What will it be?

#

They had been moving for a long time, and already #1121 was beginning to tire; the young Smiley just wasn’t used to this kind of distance. #1001, too, was starting to feel the strain of the journey. At every fork in the tunnels, she felt their chances of ever getting anywhere were diminishing, and so were their chances of ever finding the Smiley King.

It would be too easy for them to get lost here. To prevent that as best as they could, they were sticking to just one side of the wall and following that side wherever it went. Sooner or later that would eventually lead them all over the maze, and hopefully they would get somewhere.

Then again, their purpose in setting out in the first place was just to get away from the other Smileys. And on that, at least, they were succeeding. No one had bothered to come after them. The Smileys figured that if the two of them wanted to put themselves in danger, that was their own problem and they were on their own.

Chapter Five: Decision

It was the hardest decision #936 had ever had to make in his life. That wasn't particularly surprising, considering that he'd never had to make many decisions in his life, but even if he had, this was still a difficult decision.

On one hand, here was the chance for him to spend the rest of his life in the paradise that he and every other Smiley had always dreamed of. He and #1121 could be guaranteed a coveted place in the Upper Realms if he just spoke the word, while the rest of the Smileys continued their lives as usual, content but oblivious to the truth of the system.

Or he could refuse the once in a lifetime offer and take his chance at a revolutoin. Let the Smileys know the truth and then... and then try to find a way to end this once and for all, somehow. But as #172 had said, that would put them all at risk of a total wipeout.

It all came down to Life or Trtuh; what was better, after all? To die – for the wipeout's corresponding memory erasure would be akin to death – knowing the truth, or to live a life of ignorance?

#936 knew, of course, what the morally correct choice would be. It would be pure selfishness to live in luxury while the rest of the Smileys suffered... but then again, that was the life they had alwyays known and had been more than content to live. The Smileys were fine with that way of life; why else would they be so angered at his escape?

Slowly but surely, #936 felt his thoughts sliding towards the less morally correct choice. What was the point of a revolution, anyway, if nobody wanted it, and if it was likely to end in death? He had tried to save the Smileys and they evidently didn't want to be saved; why keep on trying to get them to see sense and imagine how much better life could be? They didn't want it; it served them right to continue with the pathetic life they loved so much.

"All right," #936 found himself saying, trying to ignore the sudden pang of conscience that hit him at his words.

#172 smiled. "I'm glad you made the right choice," she said. "The Smiley Kingdom awaits your return for now, and we await your eventual arrival back here in the Upper Realms."

The Elite glided away silently around the corner and disappeared around the corner there, leaving Smiley #936 to make his way back, feeling alone and curiously empty.

#

He was nearly bowled over as he rounded a corner and met #1031 and #1121 moving in the opposite direction.

"#936!" #1121 said. "We've been lookin' all over for you! Are we gonna run away? Are we-"

The young Smiley broke off as the King shook his head – or his whole body, rather.

"No," #936 said softly. "We're going back."

A look of incredulity formed on #1031's face. "But if we go back, he'll have to play the Game, and he could die!" she protested.

#936 shook himself again. "It'll be all right," he said, then rolled on ahead past them, leading the way back to the rest of the Smileys.

"But I thought-" #1031 started, only to stop when she realised that he wasn't listening. She looked down the corridor that #936 had emerged from, and hesitated. "Follow him back," she finally said to #1121. "I want to see where he went."

#

#1001's eyes opened big in wonder as she entered the vast front room of the Upper Realms.

"What is this place?" she whispered, feeling the impossibly smooth floor slide under her as she moved.

"Welcome to the Upper Realms," came a voice, and #172 soon appeared out a corridor. "I thought you would come. You're a curious one, aren't you, #1031? In more ways than one, of course" – the Elite's eyes looked briefly over #1031's deformity – "but that can be fixed easily."

"Who are you?" #1031 interrupted.

#172 chuckled"I see that you're not to be distracted. Don't want to change the subject, huh? Friends call me Jiby. I used to be known as #172."

"Was #936 here?"

"Oh yes. Charming fellow. Very sensible, too." Jiby smiled.

#1031 narrowed her eyes. "What did you tell him?"

"Why does that concern you?"

"He's the King!"

"The King's business is not yours to question."

#1031 still looked suspicious. "He said that everything was going to be all right when I asked him about another Smiley playing the Game. What did that mean?"

Jiby did the Smiley equivalent of a shrug, which was a quick bob up into the air.

"Is the Game rigged?" #1031 asked, eyes fixed on the Elite.

Jiby laughed. "You're a smart one."

"Why would anyone do that? How could anyone do that?"

"Questions, questions..."

#1031 shook. "It's not fair," she said. "I... I have to tell the others."

"I don't think so," Jiby said, as the way out closed into solid wall. She smiled. "I think you're going to stay here for a very long time."

"You can't-"

"Yes I can."

A sudden flash, and suddenly the surroundings changed. The white room was gone. In its place, a bedroom, dimly lit, richly furnished, thick red curtains across the window. A bed. A desk, with an ornate gold-framed mirror above it that #1031 found herself looking into even as she overwhelmed all over with new sensations that she had never before imagined possible.

In the mirror, her reflection was human, and perfect.

"Welcome to the real Upper Realms, Aocea," the Elite whispered through human lips, into a left ear that moments ago had not been there.

Chapter Six: Sunglasses Darkly

Click.

The gleaming vista of far-off stars spread past the reach of the wide viewport window. Aocea, once #1031, tried a reflexive roll backwards but instead stumbled on her newfound feet. "What is this place?" she gasped.

"A simulation," Jiby replied.

Aocea knew about simulations. She had gone through some back at The Smiley School, where they showed you just what it was like to play The Game.

"You're still plugged in on the ship, so you can't see the real thing yet," Jiby continued. "But this is as close to reality as you'll get for a while. You see those lights in the darkness out there? Those are stars. Each of them has the potential to be home to a new planet – a new permanent home – for our people. But as you can see, they're so very far away. Our people have lived and died on this ship for generations spanning thousands of years. Do you know what a year is? A year is about the time it would take to play over 500,000 Games."

Aocea was shaking her head.

"People went crazy after a while, spending day after day in this endless night with nothing but each other and the cold stars for company. So many lives, so many years, doing nothing, morale sinking lower and lower into despair with each unsuitable planet we discovered." The Elite paused for dramatic effect. "And so we invented the Minesweeper simulation. Or, what you always knew as your life. A solution. Activity. Control.

"Where once there was mindless tedium, there now was The Game. Where once there was God, there now was the Minesweeper. Where once there was this thing known as democracy, now rulers are chosen by chance; and of course, now and then by the Head Elite. Every time one of you die in The Game, your memory of that life gets wiped, you get a new number, and emerge as another young Smiley ready for school. After so many repeats of the cycle, life in the simulation starts to seem perfectly normal. So almost no one questions it. The system is perfect."

Aocea looked at Jiby in despair. "Why are you telling me this?"

Jiby smiled. "So that you know what's at stake. And why you musn't go back and mess it all up."

Click.

The scene changed again, and now they were standing high up on a catwalk overlooking a view of perhaps a hundred suspension chambers arranged in neat rows on the lower levels, each of them holding a person whose eyes were closed to the world, their minds far away in digital yellow spherical bodies.

"Behold the people of the Smiley Kingdom," Jiby said softly.

#

#1121 found the Smiley King waiting at the opening of the final corridor before the Kingdom.

#1121 rolled tentatively up to him and looked into the curiously sad face of #936. "I don't want to die," he said in a small voice.

#936 gave a grim smile. "You'll be fine," he said in a faraway look in his eyes. "It's going to be all right." A pause. "I promise."

And when the kid won the Game and the sunglasses and the free pass into the Upper Realms, the other Smileys broke out cheering. It had been some time since a Smiley had entered the Upper Realms. #936 saw his joy and could not bear the idea of ruining his happiness. Soon it would be his turn, and his own retirement from this tortuous cycle. And the secret of The Game would become once more a complete secret, fully hidden from all who played it.

#936 looked down on the faces of his fellow Smileys, each one so unsuspecting, none of them knowing that they were all being played with by beings other than the Minesweeper. Helpless, each one of them, caught up in a game they knew nothing about and were powerless to control. And he himself just as helpless as any one of them.

Think of the Upper Realms, #936 told himself. He would soon be there. Soon he would no longer need to be bothered with all these worries. Soon he would be in paradise, and he would be able to forget.

He could forget.

Epilogue

For now we see through sunglasses, darkly...

"So these are the Upper Realms."

In reality they awoke and stumbled on unused legs, blinking unused eyes in the fluorescent glare of the ship's interior light. All around lay the rest of the Smiley Kingdom in blissful ignorance, minds trapped in a cyclical world of Game after Game.

"And you can never go back." The Head Elite's face wore a smile of grim satisfaction. "Not everyone can handle the truth."

"What makes you think we can?"

"Because you questioned the system, and you dared to dream," said a voice out of the darkness, and into the light walked a group of ten. #39 led the pack, his eyes still sparking with the old defiance that had freed him. "The system has no room for those like that," he continued, looking each of the newcomers in the eye. "And now you know the truth."

Another voice rang out: "#936?"

The once Smiley king shifted his gaze from #39 to the new speaker.

"I told you we'd be free one day."

but then face to face.

And as #936 gaped at the one he'd given up for dead, #841 broke into a familiar smile and extended a hand to help his friend forward.

"Welcome to the real world," he said. "It's a big place."

#