Interlude - Brandon

## Chapter Breakdown

Interlude Brandon

1 - uncle leaves boy in care of Southwest Children's Centre

2 - General Donovan meet's Samson Thorn at dinner, has wanted to meet for some time. Brad is fired. General and Thorn set appointment to meet

3 - Brad is pleased he escaped the General. General call and activates an implanted bomb in Brad.

4 - Administrator - Problems with Brandon, with Wesley instructor. Brandon is 5 and Wesley advises they promote the boy to the Games Facility. Usually kids are sent there at age 10. The administrator agrees.

5 - the General meets Thorn. Discuss Games and how the General uses them - Infinite Solutions Division

6 - Brandon goes to the train that will take him to the Game facility - Wesley is going there as well

7 - Thorn demos the VR potential. General shows ring, admits any wearing it belong to him and many in society do. General offers money, demands to also have control. Thorn says no, walks out on deal. President speaks with General, not pleased, tells General to make sure no one else accepts offer to with with Thorn.

8 - Day one for Brandon at the Game Facility. Sleeps, goes to jungle in Dream, meets Sloth - rats

9 - Brandon has a run in with Lohkam at the mess hall. Brandon meets Cooper

10 - Thorn comes back and agrees to work with General. Price has increased but they make a partnership. Discuss starting, Cooper will go in first

11 - new kids to the facility are called Baggers. Brandon meets Tony, calls Brandon 'killer'. Musical chairs game, Tony and Brandon work together to stay in

12 - Wesley talks with administrator and realizes Brandon is doing just enough to stay in, but not being as good as he can be. Brandon formed a right hand of players. \*\*\*Cooper and hand attend acceptance ceremony. Cooper tells Brandon to not hold anything back for later.

13 - Brandon, Sloth, kills the rats and repeats it

14 - General makes an appearance and speech. Introduces a new game - VR - Brandon vows to qualify to play it.

15 - General no pleased that the only way to get into the VR is by being put into a coma. The General asks Thorn is he has ever gone in and Thorn answers with "maybe we are in a simulation now"  General is concerned about the safety of the coma process and will not use it. There are enough tables for 100 children and 100 adults. \*\*\*Cooper on table goes into the sim.

16 - Cooper and Hand sit at Brandon's table and talks about the importance of having a leader and not taking turns and tells them to get their fifth member soon.

17 - Kay, tony, Brandon, Alan - interview Easton who is a bit older than them and offer him the spot.

18 - General asks how Cooper did in the sim. General assures Thorn that the 5yr old will qualify for a spot.  The General reveals Brandon's last name to Thorn and that his parents had both died. We learn the General took over their company when they died and now suspect him of having them killed.

19 - Brandon in the dream state, becomes an owl and meets the old man, Owl says Brandon will not return for some time.

20 - Cooper in the sim meets thorn, orientation and drills begin.

21 - Wesley, meeting of instructors, it is reported that Lohka is cracking slightly. Wesley decides to keep an eye on him

22/23 - we see Brandon and his hand play and win Monkey see, Monkey Don't

24 - Thorn tells cooper General is making orphans and taking children. Shows Cooper a deep memory of the general killing Coopers parent's (Charles and Genevieve)

25 - Brandon's hand meditates and General visits them to congratulate them on their big win with the Monkey game. Offers to put them into the VR early

26 - Thorn has developed a helmet to enter the VR, there is a time difference that Thorn wants expanded. He keeps the helmet info from the General.

27 - Lohkam's group intimidates to get a win on the Monkey game

28 - Wesley asked to meet Thorn, doors closed we see Wesley has been a mole for Thorn. They talk about imprinting before age 10 - best chance to imprint is with Brandon. "Law of Imprinting"

29 - Brandon and Hand enter the sim. Brandon meets Thorn privately

30 - Harold, tech is working on the time variance of sim. More explanation. Thorn asks if Cooper has decided to side with him, not yet. \*in sim Brandon separated & meets cooper and Thorn, they show him how to levitate the pen. Cooper remarks that Brandon seems older than his age. Asks to learn quick or else he will not be a good teacher.

31 - General looks at files of projects, says it is thin, simple simulations so far. game with gem in middle of river. General asks for more regular updates.

32 - Group is getting confused as to what reality they are in. Kay and Brandon always seem to know. Brandon says it doesn't matter where they are "why only matters if you can use the answer to change the now" if it doesn't, then be where you're at and do the best you can. Brandon says he can tell the difference as the sim is different if you pay attention. he tells them the sim is different and the adults are lying when they say it isn't. they go back in and he shows them the levitation of a small coin. "anything is possible, this is our advantage"

33 - snow game

34/35 - Cooper and thorn. Dying inside sim hurts like hell on purpose, if it did not players would not care about failing as much. Cooper wants to be hypnotized by a friend before deciding which side he is on. Thorn says okay but at the facility  and then the friend is to be killed regardless of outcome.

36 - Cooper believes Thorn and joins him. Together they must work specially with Brandon, universal law of imprinting. Thorn tells him they have 10 years to train as many kids as possible \*re-read this chapter for more specifics

37 - General on video introduces the sim and the Game Designer Class, only 100 beds atm for 145 students. Winners get to play more

38 - General asks about the headset, thorn lies and says he is not having any luck. General still refuses to be put into a coma, thorn says players can now play each other, up til then it has been players against NPC's (when more than 10 players) \* Benefits of NPC's can have them perform exactly the same way multiple times. General praises Thorn. Blurring addressed is good. General asks if they can be blurred the other way - make the kids think they are in the sim when they are still in the dream. Thorn doesn't see the point byt the General wants it done anyway.

39 - Brandon - Game with just him, left the boy in the cage -  he helps the boy and is betrayed.

40 Team gathers and agrees to buy the wings perk

41 - Thorn and tech watch replay of Brandon's group flying. We see a smokey shape, smudge, always near brandon.

42 - General and Thorn - 4 yrs of the sim now, up to 3k students playing and 1.5k adults in the sim. General wants children to face off against adults. \*Dropouts, blurred, General says to dispose of them, changes his mind, he has an idea

43 - Blurred can't tell if you are in the sim or real life. Terporary confusion is called being Blurry

\*\*\*General shows military leaders and president how effective kids are using the blurred subjects and making them try to take a very difficult enemy out - PROJECT SIM

44 - Brandon meets Thorn is solo flying program, asks Brandon about the boy in the cage, 11 times he has tried to help him and 11 times he has failed. Brandon want to figure it out. Brandon calls Thorn Father

45 - Introduction to Carl. 8yrs old, turning 9 that day. Dream, calling this reality that is mentioned.

46 - 6 months later, carl and brandon in a game with the little fairies, Brandon flies even though it is not supposed to work in this game - his lesson to carl, don't believe what they tell you (the mistake). Carl suggest it might be possible to fly without the wings.

47 - Hand is confused where they are , even Kay, they meditate and confirm where they are. Brandon is 12, rest close to 18 but rumours they would be allowed to stay. Brandon tells them to always ground and operate from reality they know they are in, never to try to fool the ones watching. Technician is watching and keeping note on them

48 - Thorn and brandon, new challenge asks them to be beta testers of his private and new game. 10,000 citizens will be in the beta also. NPC's talked about. Announces the beta sim will be named Tygon

49 - Cooper meets an old Brandon (mentally 120+). Cooper smells of candy apples and vanilla. 30 years passed for Brandon, cooper is there to eject brandon - shoots him

50 - Brandon meets carl in hallway, sees carl is blurry, tells him to go meditate. \*\*\*monitor - wesley and Thorn watch cooper, ejected tony, 10 groups did 30yr sessions. Tygon 3.0 release copy of game. Thorn tells wesley he intends to have General kids be the super beings of the new game. Wesley recommends NPC's - Thorn says no. When warned about the general not liking it, Thorn says the General will not be able to do a thing about it.

51 - General informs Thorn the enemy has developed VR tech. 1st graduates of sim project are in field and fearsome soldiers. Thorn offers General portion of profits from Tygon 3.0 - General politely declines, Thorn tells General he has created a headset to use (finally admits it). General says he had his own group make one.

52 - Brandon and group all out of their 30 year sim, ask if they want to remain together - all say yes. Next he tells them they will play games with civilians. \*\*\*debriefing of teams. 2/10 kept from more work. 8 groups going into new game tomorrow "why so soon?" Wesley asks. Thorn allows them to have a day off. Thorn - Game (tygon 3.0) same as sim on to start, but will evolve as players shape the reality over time. \*\*Thorn takes a moment to pause before launching much of his plan the next day

53 - General tries helmet - can't get out of room

54 - Wesley does orienation for Tygon 3.0 character creation etc \*\*\*Brandon and his hand enter Tygon 3.0 to test critical systems before civilians go in. he tells them not to hurt NPC's, they grudgingly agree

55 - General is angry at Thorn. Thron tells him he can't go in without Thorn knowing due to security. Show the General the guy who tried to hack in. Tells the General whoever built his helmet would have known - General questions loyalty of his helmet designers.

56 - Cooper appears in Tygon 3.0 - imparts his disdain for NPC's. Beta done - civilians entering soon. Brandon says "the game is life"

57 - President call General - she is pissed about Tygon 3.0 and the trouble it is causing. "has swept the world and could drown us" Samson now richest man in the world. Adults and kids neglecting real life and responsibilities to play. President has been in the office for 18yrs. Turn of helmet, the player drops dead. It is an infection - digital plague. General says he can fix it, with her permission - she grants it.

58 - Player who is country singer

59 - Meeting of special leaders inside Tygon 3.0 Thorn, dream is in danger of us extinct. most don't care, don't feel of that reality anyway. power is still needed to run this reality. \*one year left\*\*  Thorn asks them to complete another lifetime sim (30yrs). Most don't want to - especially Lohkam. \*sim will last 3 months vs 3 weeks (like it did before) computer drain from having tygon 3.0 live. Thorn asks all to specialize is quantum computing, design and programming.

60 - Lohkam says he won't do the life sim. Thorn tells him fins he doesn't have to.

61 - Carl is killing gamers but thinking they are computer sim targets - he extremely blurry.

62 - brandon asks cooper to add carl to his lifetime sim team. he is on assignment. Revealed the true purpose of sim - to make the kids into killers.Stories of players starving to death rather than take breaks.  Brandon asks cooper who to side with. Cooper answers quickly - Thorn Brandon says he can fix the tygon 3.0 problem and save millions of lives, but he needs the people he asked for - including carl. cooper agrees.

63 - Lohkam discovers he has been tricked, grudgingly agrees to help

64 - Thorn asks General if he plans to kill him. World is crumbling and they agree they need each other to save it. General agrees to put on and use a Thorn helmet, something goes wrong, General is not where he should be in the sim

65 - Brandon takes 12 into the sim - him, alan, tony, kay, easton, carl, wesley, clive, autumn \*\*\*regular mess hall, Brandon and his group, consensus on NPC's they are real to him and his group. Thorn protects the sim

66 - General is in sim, Brad is there - he his brad's prisoner

67 - Brandon enters his sim. Thorn is there, tells him he is rich kid - all enter at their true age they are - some of the others are close by. carl is in an unpleasant situation. a white door appears and thorn leaves. \*\*\*Thorn and cooper eating, discuss, wonder if any group can do it. Thorn says they have 30 chances. 30 teams deployed in their own lifetime 30 yr sim. General plans for world domination in it's 30th year. Cooper has done 3x30 life sims. Thorn has done 6 life sims.

68 - General tortured by brad. Brad explains how he survived.

69 - Brandon is now 16 in sim - decide to change their names to have no history and be untraceable once it all starts. Virtdyn is a VR company. Brandon says he will take control of it in a couple of years. new name Wesley - Daniel, Tony - Gabriel, Kay - Angelica, Alan - Raphael,  Easton - Shane

70 - Cooper , 10 levels down, General comatose with helmet. Helmets are now recharging from the energy released by the wearer. not hooked up to life support, letting him die (if a wearer is in stress they are supposed to be ejected so they can obtain medical help).  Enemy owns the companies that build the components for the helmets. General is tortured more by brad, General is pulled out.

71 - Brandon and Easton - Brandon tells Easton he knows he was working for the General. Easton assures he was always loyal to Brandon

72 - Brandon turns 18, celebrates with his friends and says it's time to get to work

73 - Lohkam's team (in his life sim) destroys VirtDyne & everything else developing VR \*\*\*Cooper, watching - wonders that there is a VirtDyne in both Lohkam & Brandon's sim - told that sims are same in many ways. Cooper asks why limit the experiment to only 30 elite teams instead of millions of Tygon 3.0 players. Thorn says power is limited, can only do 13. Hoping to avoid omega option

74 - Brandon offers to infuse $ into VirtDyne and save the company by fixing/producing VR. Share holders agree to get paid instead of lose their investment

75 - Investors (BertrandCrain, major) are angry at offer, but accept it and Brandon is now the majority shareholder by VirtDyne.

76 - Carl kills someone who was speaking out against Brandon.

77 - Thorn meets Brandon in Tygon skyscraper - talk about NPC's. Thorn tells him the problem in the Dream has escalated. People are getting 'sucked in to sim, tygon 3.0, when they go to sleep. They are forgetting they are in a game. Can observe players inside 3.0. Brandon says he can simulate that in his Tygon. 6 months power left to power Brandon's sim. Thorn guesses 30 more years to figure it out. Tells Brandon not to worry or bank on one of the other 29 solving it as Brandon is the one. \*\*\*Thorn asks cooper about General not talking, maybe coming around  Other 29 teams are dead, unplugged because limited power.

78 - Lohkam and his team think something has happened, glitch or we aren't in out sim anymore as they see the VirtDyne bldg

79 - Joe enters game by accident, forgets who he was/is. Earth mentioned 1st time? timeline POV

80 - Emily (little girl) explores house, group grabs her. old man saves her (1st time he is in the dream reality

Epilogue - Brandon alone at top of his office. \*\*\*Someone has been watching this story (book) Thorn showing it to them, Sylvia there too. we see it is Trew. Tygon is all NPC's - Trew too. Who is the Shadow??