Episode Twelve: A Reason to Live

    “You know, William, this world you have created really is amazing, but there is something missing.  Something I hoped to find.”
    Troy and William were watching the sunset from the lodges balcony.  They sat at a table covered in remnants of a large dinner. Troy had his feet propped up on the table.
    “I never thought it would become a prison.  I sorry things happened this way,” said William.
    “No, its not that.  When I was climbing the stairs up the cliff became glad to be stuck here.  I was off on an adventure with no time time limit.  Finding time to explore had been one of my biggest worries.  But being trapped, I had all the time I wanted.  That feeling only lasted a few days.  After that I was miserable.  At first I blamed it on the lack of any animals.”
    “That is my fault.  I haven't figured out how to make anything with a brain.  They all just fall over dead when the program starts.  So I left them out of this test run.  I was hoping to work with Dean on it.  He understands brains a lot better than I do.”
    Troy laughed.  “I never thought I would miss flies and ants, but even they would be nice to have around.  But it is more than that.  I don't even know what I am looking for.”
    “At least you're looking.”
    Troy wasn't sure what William meant by that, so he just remained quiet.
    “A few days ago when Jim left, I knew I should go with him.  Or better yet go in the opposite direction.  But I am still here.  I don't even have the will to try.  Every night when I go to bed I think to myself, in the morning I will leave and chase the horizon.  And then—well—here I am, still delaying.
    “I hate this place now.  I've been working on it for years, long before you ever hired me.  And now that it is nearing completion, a madman takes control of it and shows me what evil could be done.  This is only the beginning of the crimes that can be committed.  The possibilities for torture and brainwashing are almost endless.  I wanted to open up a world of wonder and excitement.  Instead I created a world of darkness and terror.  I don't deserve to escape.”
    Troy took his feet of the table and put a hand on William's shoulder.  “No, Dean made the terror.  Even if you hadn't made the Endless Frontier it was only a matter of time before Dean hired someone to make a program for his machines.  Most likely their program would have been much worse then yours,  not even resembling reality.  Dean is the criminal, not you.”
    While they were talking the sun had set.  The sky was full of brilliant stars.  Troy noticed a shooting star and marveled at how real the sky seemed.  Soon he saw another streak of light across the sky.   After a while they appeared more and more often.  In his long nights on the plain he had seen shooting stars from time to time, but never as many as there were tonight.  He watched mesmerized as the whole sky filled with them.  Hundreds appearing one after the other randomly across the sky.  There was enough flickering light that the forest shimmered.
    William began to weep, deep painful sobs.  Confused at Williams reaction, and realizing that nothing he could say would help, Troy just stood gazing into heaven, but his hand remained comfortingly on his friends shoulder.
    Fifteen minutes later the meteor slowed and faded away.  Williams voice broke the pervading silence.  “Today is April third.  Sarah's birthday. That meteor shower was for her.  I thought by now I would be able to bring her here and we would watch it together.”
    “It would have been a romantic evening.”
    “I should have married her years ago.”
    “Why didn't you?”
    “I was afraid I wouldn't be a very good husband, too caught up in my work.  Now, I'll never get the chance to tell her I love her.  I won't even see her again.  I've been such a fool.”
    The silence was painful.  Troy wanted to end it, but had nothing to say.  After a moment he turned and walked back into the lodge.  He found his room and prepared for bed.  So much had happened since he woke up that morning at the foot of the mountains.  For a long time he lay on the bed thinking, sleep far from him.
    He heard a knock on the door.  “Troy are you still awake.”
    “Yes.  What are you doing?”
    William cracked open the door and peered in.  “I can't wait for tomorrow.  I'm leaving.  I'll take a canoe and head down the river.  There is a boat for sailing where the river meets the ocean.  I think think that is the best route because a boat will cover ground faster, even if it doesn't take as much memory.”
    “I thought you had given up escaping.  Has something changed, are our chances better than you thought earlier.”
    “No, it looks as bleak as ever.  I guess, I just found a reason to live.  Goodbye Troy.”
    “Wait, don't leave yet,” said Troy climbing out of bed.
    William opened up the door wider.
    “Which way did Jim go.  When I leave in the morning I don't want to accidentally follow him.  We need every square foot the computer will generate.”
    “East.  Jim went east.”
    “I'll go west then. Good luck, Will.” On impulse they embraced each other for a moment.
    Later as Troy slept soundly, William pushed off his canoe and floated into the night.