Jay's
method of saving Pride is startlingly
effective: he simply asks Pride if he
would take Jay with him, to which Pride
readily agrees. Then a quick knockout blow and he's in
Salene's arms!
Salene and Jay
get Pride to bed. He needs round-the-clock
observation, but Salene can't do it because
she must go to the hospital to receive the medical supplies promised
by Ram? It will have to be Mouse
and Sammy. While Salene
goes to fetch them, Pride thanks Jay
for the punch that saved his life. Pride
poses an important question: what if The Game is going to make
everyone in the City end up like him?; or
is that is it's purpose?
Salene
discovers that instead of watching over Pride,
the kids are stuck in front of CityNet
again. Turning the terminal off, she forbids them to watch it, and
sends them to look after Pride. Patch
suggests that it might after all be just a harmless game. Salene
reminds him of his two brothers taken by the Technos.
Jay arrives on the
scene soon followed by Dee. She is most
agitated that Ved has forcing people
to be scanned, and Cloe is to be first
into The Game. Salene and Jay
leave for the Hospital. |
 |
Lex has good news and
a bunch of daisies for Siva. She has
spent the night in hiding in Alice's
barn, but Ebony persuaded Ram
to call off the manhunt for her. As he is approaching, a scream from
the barn gets him running the final distance.
Lex
finds Siva armed with a pitchfork, ready
to do battle with a thing she saw behind the glass door of
a shelf-unit. Lex thinks it must be a
mouse, but Siva knows it is far worse
than that - it's a thing, and it saw her. Lex
takes the pitchfork, while Siva covers
him with her zapper. Is it dead? Yes, the blueberry pie looks
dead enough! Recovering from her near-death experience, Siva
begs to be taken to the Mall, though Lex
warns she might not be accepted by the others.
 |
|
| Ram
and the Technos; The Game |
Ram takes
one look at the CityNet Ad. for The Game and is not at all
pleased with it. Scanning is not proving popular among the City kid
Virts and this ad. is hardly inspiring. Java
is supposed to be in charge of P.R., yet Ved
has done his own thing without consulting her. Ebony
asks why all the fuss? It is just a game isn't it? Apparently not;
Java warns Ram
that Ebony cannot be trusted with information
(about the hidden agenda). Ram resents
Java's interruption, seeing it as petty
rivalry with her sister, warning that she is in danger of going the
same way as Siva & Jay. Before leaving
them, Ram tells Java
to supervise the business at the hospital, then to see what Ved
is up to. He wants 100% participation in The Game. Ebony
asks Java what Ram
meant by "going the way of Siva
and Jay". Java,
obviously in the know, answers, What do you
think?
When Dee tries to
warn the kids against being scanned, she comes up against Ved.
He orders that she be forcibly taken
to the scanner. When you are picked up bodily by two Techno
guys, no amount of You put me down right
now, is going to change anything!
 |
| The
Mallrats & the Hosptal |
|
|
| When Jay, Dee
and Salene arrive to inspect
the old hospital, their hearts sink. Inside, it is totally
derelict. To add insult to injury, Java
brings the supplies: three small boxes containing out-of-date
drugs. That's the best Java
can do for now: for Ram only
listens to Ebony these days
and Java is expecting notice
to quit pretty soon. Jay
was also expecting personnel to staff the hospital. Java
lays down the Techno line:
it's a Virt Hospital for Virts and to be run by Virts.
Java cannot understand why
Jay would mix with them:
he seems to be making all the wrong choices. |
 |
|
|
|
| Cloe
gives CityNet good P.R. |
At the scanning center, Cloe
is about to be scanned, and because she is so enthusiastic,
Ved has the procedure broadcast
on CityNed for P.R. purposes. He explains about the two Tribes,
Red & Blue, who have to zap each other to find the Magic
Key. Whoever finds it has power over Game City.
Behind the scenes, Ram
is up to something, for on his laptop, we see a picture of Cloe
being morphed into May, whom we
next see playing in The Game. In her hand is a scrap
of paper bearing a Pentacle in a circle: home. |
|
When Lex
brings Siva to the Mall, Mouse
and Sammy instantly stop their water-fight.
Shouting It's one of them!, they
run to fetch Pride & Patch.
Pride takes one look at what Lex
has brought in and wants her out. Lex
explains that Siva has been thrown out
of the Technos and is seeking sanctuary.
Pride relents, but if Siva
should put one step out of line, he will show her the door. |
|
| Ram
hints at Jay's imminent demise |
Ebony,
rather bored, thinks she will leave Ram
to his laptop and do a workout. Ram has
come to the conclusion that she is very different from Java
in that she not only hankers after power but also understands it.
Perhaps he will have to find something for her to do?
Jay
comes in, not at all happy that Ram didn't
provide anyone to man the hospital. Ram
says he is too busy with phase 4. Jay
thought phase 4 was the Hospitals, Schools and Libraries; Ram
says it is The Game. Ram lists
what he has already provided: Food, Water, Power, and a Hospital,
with the rest to follow. After The Game?
No. When I'm ready. Jay
leaves no happier than he arrived. Java
comes in with news of Ved: he is forcing
Virts to be scanned. Left alone again with Ebony,
(Java listening at the door), Ram
asks if she would like to take over from Jay,
though not just yet. Together they could rule the world. Ebony
likes the sound of that. |
 |
| Patch: Just
1 minute, okay? |
| Mouse
talks Patch into allowing her and
Sammy just 1 minute's watching
The Game. |
May
is doing well and on her way to finding The Key. Zapping all opposers
in the Red Tribe out of the way, she uses her zapper to blast through
the lock of a mesh gate then moves on to a door marked with a Pentacle.
A voice warns Energy level critical,
and she disppears from The Game.
May
is really annoyed to be back in the real world, because she was so
close to finding The Key. Ved is waiting
to ask her if she saw Cloe, who is apparently
stuck inside. For the viewers, Ved asks
if she is hurt; May just wants to get
back into The Game to find The Key. Ved
demonstrates to the CityNet viewers that clearly here's a girl who
was having fun, and he allows her back in. In desperation concerning
Cloe, Ved
tries to contact Ram. |
 |
 |
| Siva
and The Mallrats (don't get along) |
 |
| Why
don't you go away? |
Curiosity draws Mouse
to watch as Siva sorts out her things,
though Siva wishes she would just go
away. Mouse asks how come she has so
many clothes? Siva tells her not to go
anywhere near them, because they are clean (and Mouse
isn't).
Without thinking, Mouse
tells her that it wouldn't matter because they have a washing machine.
Before you know it, Siva has loaded her
laundry onto Mouse and Sammy
with the threat of torture if they don't do do it for her. |
Salene
checks up on Pride who is watching kids
from all over the city playing The Game on CityNet. But he's
okay, back to his old Techno-hating self:
How do you stop kids playing? - you can't.
I don't know what to do, Sal. Salene
tells about her own impossible situation at the Hospital: she had
thought there was no way through, until Dee
suggested the Public Announcement channel to ask for volunteers. They
got 50 and had to turn the rest away. The moral of the story is that
there is always a way if you look for it. Pride
and Salene share a hug, interrupted by
Dee (who says
sorry) and Patch, who has
an idea. After Dee tells him to stop
babbling, he gets to the point: he wants to use a couple of computers
as diagnostic aids at the Hospital, and is sure he can find some medical
books. Asked if he is volunteering to help, Yes...No....Yes....
kind of says he is (sort of).
 At
this point, two piles of Siva's laundry
come up the stairs with a kid under each. As soon as Salene
hears the story behind this, she's on the warpath towards Siva's
room (and the kids in unison throw the laundry to the floor - it's
quite comical.)
 How
dare you?, is Salene's
simple message for Siva; she was promised
only one chance to stay at the Mall and this is it (and she only got
that because of Lex). Siva
asks who, then, will do her laundry?
Salene gives up talking with her and
switches to Lex. Siva
had better start changing and fast. Salene
tells Mouse and Sammy
(yes, they have followed her to Siva's
room) that if they have any more trouble from Siva,
they are to let her know. Siva gets treated
to another of Mouse's stick-out-tongue
insults that have become one of her hallmarks. Siva
tells Lex that she just cannot do her
own laundry. |
|
 Jay
finds Java by the pool and presses
her for more information about Ram's
vision for the future.
Phase 4 is all about getting the Virts hooked
on The Game; but Jay already
knew that. He used me; all this time.
Needed me to do his donkey-work. [Jay has been saying
this for the last few episodes]. Java
is now very tipsy from drink, and is not very subtle about her
feelings for Jay. You
wouldn't take advantage of me would you Jay? [meaning:
yes please!] He says she needs to be in bed (Mine
or yours? I really don't mind, Jay!). Jay
calls for 3rd party assistance. |
 Ved
is in trouble with Ram, who just
doesn't understand why he can't carry out a simple job: which
is to get the City people on their side and signed up for The
Game. Instead he has been throwing his weight around. Ved
explains that there were troublemakers and he decided.... Ram
cuts him short: Ved isn't to decide
anything; he is there to obey Ram's
orders: no more; no less. Ved loses
his cool: he is the one who is making it all happen: over 50%
of the city is playing The Game and he doesn't need Ram
or his new wife telling him that he isn't doing his job
right. Ram slowly closes up his
laptop, and concedes that maybe he doesn't know what it's like
at the sharp end. In which case he needs to be congratulating
Ved on his success! But just one
thing: if Ved ever again implies
he no longer needs him, his friends will never see him again.
Bye Ved. |
|
| May
wins the Game |
But where's Cloe? |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ved
still cannot find Cloe in The Game
and he is becoming frantic trying to find her. He watches as May
runs for a closing door where she has seen a box. Once inside the
room, the box opens full of light, and inside is The Key. May
has found The Magic Key, and she holds it triumpantly aloft for all
watching CityNet to see. She has won The Game.
|
 |
 |
 |
Episode
36
Siva tries really hard to be accepted at the
Mall, but she has a lot to learn. Cloe is still stuck in The Game somewhere,
and Ved asks May, Mouse and Sammy (who have been scanned) to look for her.
Ram provides supplies for Salene's hospital, though it's nothing like what
she hoped for. Jay brings in a sick girl who reminds him of the girlfiend
who died. This girl's name is Ginny. Ebony gets a real cold, so Java resumes
doing Ram's massages. She talks to him about his vision for the Future.
Jay learns that he is on the way out. In an argument about Cloe, Ved challenges
Ram (who knows more than he is telling) to a Reality-Space fight.
| Will
Siva ever learn to fit in with the Mallrats? |
 |
 Because
of the unpleasant smell (of Virts) in the Mall, Siva
takes a perfume spray all round the place to make it smell better.
The trouble is, Dee and Lex
find the new smell worse than the old one! Dee
isn't too impressed with her new wardrobe-sense either.
Just then, Siva spots
Mouse and Sammy in her room (sorting
through her clothes) and runs in to stop them. They disappear into
their own room, only to emerge with water pistols. Through her tears
(which can't really make her any wetter) she says she hates everyone.
Lex has started to find her a pain too,
and advises her to live in the real world, beginning with being nice
to people.
Dee
is needed at the Hospital; her parting comment for Siva
as she leaves: the wet look suits you!
|
Salene
and her helpers work hard to get the Hospital in order, with Patch
following his text book on how things should be done (like the beds
have to be 6 feet apart). Jay brings
in a sick girl who fainted outide. Patch
has no idea what is wrong except that she has a high fever, and orders
that she be placed in isolation and given antibiotics. Jay
is troubled because she reminds him of the girlfriend he once lost.
Jay
leaves the Hospital to meet with Java.
|
|
| Mouse
& Sammy get Scanned |
Mouse
and Sammy would just love to play in
The Game, and all they need to do is get scanned. Maybe when
Cloe gets back...? But where is she?
Mouse & Sammy
turn up at the scanning centre, and while Mouse
is being processed, Ved asks Sammy
to find Cloe as soon as he is in The
Game. He then issues instructions over his comms system:
scanner control: what's the word on the intensity encoders? ....Give
me an extra 10% on rematerialization; and move on it! [whatever
that means?] |
|
 Ram
and his circle are out enjoying the sunshine. Ved
is finding it difficult updating Ram
on the latest scanning figures, because Ram's
attention is mostly on Ebony and Java
practising martial arts, and though there are meant to be rules, Ram
seems to like it better when the girls don't keep to them! Ved
reports that 90% of the city has been scanned and participation in
Game 2 looks promising. Ram wants 100%:
make it happen. Ebony
sneezes, alerting Ram to his fear of
germs: Ebony has a cold and until it
is over, he will only allow Java near
him.
Ebony
abandons the work-out in a fit of pique. |
| Java
Invites Jay for Dinner |
Jay
calls on Java (who is in the shower)
still hoping for more information on Ram's
plans: the voice from the shower says that Ram
has been working on a big project which has something to do with Pharaohs
and Pyramids. Java comes out of the shower
with no more than a towel round her, and again comes on to Jay.
 Maybe
she could find out more for him if.....
and right now she is the only friend
he has. She obviously knows something
and he accepts her invitation to dinner to talk about it. They part
with a gentle kiss.
 In
the corridor outside, he passes Ebony,
and there is no doubt she saw him leaving Java's
room; several long seconds pass, each weighing up the scene; then
Ebony sneezes and is gone. |
|
| Cook
a Meal or Something! |
Siva
sits on her bed sulking like a spoilt brat unable to grasp how to
fit in with Virt life. Lex warns her
that unless she behaves properly, she will be thrown out and he won't
be going with her. In desperation Lex
suggests: be nice / be useful / do something.....
cook a meal. [that's rich coming from Lex!] |
At the Hospital Dee
cracks a sick joke about a doctor cutting an arm off. Patch
is not amused by the joke or the saw, and rushe up to take it off
her; then, not looking where he is going, he stumbles into a trolley!
Dee thinks he needs some attention to
his bedside-manner along with some walking lessons! Salene
just wonders if Dee and Patch
might be the next Tribeworld couple. Pride
doesn't think so! Jay comes in to check
on the sick girl: she isn't good, and Patch
suspects pneumonia. Jay holds her by
the hand and wills her to live.
 |
|
| Mouse
& Sammy enter The Game |
Mouse & Sammy
are back in their room at the Mall, but now they have headsets, and
wonder what to expect: they have heard it makes you dizzy at first,
but it soon passes. Then all you have to do is think where to go and
it happens. Remembering about Cloe, Sammy
says going there is one thing, coming back is a different matter.
In the Game, Mouse &
Sammy are both in the Red Tribe, about to be zapped by May
(who is Blue). For some reason, May's zapper
malfunctions and Mouse zaps her. Sammy
wanted to zap May himself, so he zaps
Mouse instead!
 |
|
| Ved
& Java argue about Ram & Ebony |
Java
brings Ved the latest figures. Using
this information, Ved reports into his
mike that expected participation in Game 2 is 95%. This is a lie!
Her figures suggest 85%. A big argument follows about who should dare
tell Ram it's only 85%; Ved
wonders if Ram is losing the plot and
whether they need him at all. And what about Ebony?
As soon as her cold is gone, Java will
once more be sidelined. Java thinks this is dangeous talk, warning
Ved that if he were to go against Ram,
he would be ground into the dust.
For now, they agree to keep the real figures from
Ram, but Java
strongly advises Ved to get the real
figures up.
 |
The CityNet continuity announcer
comes on with the expected Game 2 participation figure of 95%!
As she is speaking, Ved finds data
for a female Virt playing The Game.
It's Cloe
|
|
The sick girl is
giving Patch and Jay
cause for concern; Patch has no idea
how he should be treating her and can only trust in the antibiotics.
Jay tells about the girlfriend who died
and who looked so much like this girl:
| |
I let her die... it was my
fault... it all started with her cutting her finger - just a
small cut - it was obvious it was getting worse; Ved said I
had to do something - get some medicine; but there was trouble
with the tribes; I was the leader so I was trying to make a
peace. So I had to leave her. I was gone one day, just one day,
but it was a day too long. I realised when I got back from the
Council: we went into the city and scrounged for medicine; but
it was too late.... If I had found medicine sooner, just one
day, a few hours and she would have lived, I'm sure of it. People
shouldn't have to die because they cut their finger. There should
be hospitals in this world, and the knowledge to heal; that's
why I joined Ram. You understand? I knew there would be a price
to pay, but I thought it was worth it. |
Patch
reminds him that his two brothers were part of that price.
Jay realises that he is late for his
dinner-date with Java and leaves in a
hurry. |
|
Back in the Real
World, Sammy is very annoyed that Mouse
zapped him out of The Game. Salene
hears the argument and they have just enough time to hide away their
headsets before she comes into their room. Supper is ready, and Salene
wants everyone to be present. Do they know where Cloe
is? Mouse says Ved
is asking the same question; Sammy invents
a story about Ved loving Cloe
to cover up what Mouse might be about
to tell Salene.
Sammy aks Mouse
the very obvious question: how come they are back from The Game
and Cloe isn't?
That's a very good question |
|
|
While Ebony has a
cold, Java has resumed her duties as
shoulder-massage queen, and quizzes Ram
on his view of the future and how the Virts fit in. He sees the Virts
as having no vision and going nowhere - a slave mentallity - but he
refuses to call them slaves; he is trying to set up a future civilization,
and that's a big project, and as such will require labor.
Ram really appreciates Java's
strong fingers: no one does it like you.
Java asks: Not
even Ebony? Ram hates the
jealousy between the two sisters and he shakes her off:
| Ram |
|
Why do you have to spoil
it? |
| Java |
|
I can't help but be jealous:
every moment you spend with her is a moment I can't spend with
you; and I'm frightened... |
| Ram |
|
what of? |
| Ram |
|
That she'll twist you
against me until you push me out. Like Siva |
Ram
assures Java that he is pleased with
her loyalty and goes on to ask if she
would like to live forever.
He knows he has been bad-tempered and invites her to give him another
massage tonight. |
| That Night
|
 |
|
|
|
Jay
is three hours late for that dinner-date with Java,
and she is really mad, accusing him of leading her on, feigning interest
in her.
Of course, Jay never did feed her with
false hopes and he explains that he was delayed by the the sick girl
at the hospital. Java has no concern
for the sick Virt at all, but only that Jay
kept her waiting. Jay concludes that
there is no reason for him to stay any longer.
Before he leaves, she warns him that Ram
intends to get rid of him as soon as he ceases to be useful; and that
his precious Ebony is in on it.
Java doesn't want to hang around either:
she is late for Ram's massage. |
Siva
brings in the meal she has made for the Mallrats.
Most of them express their appreciation - and only Mouse
speaks the truth: it's really horrible!
But she may not be referring to the food but to Sammy,
and to save Siva's feelings Sammy
says so. The lid is now off, and Mouse
complains bitterly that Sammy zapped
her out of The Game and that Cloe
is still in it, and Ved is really worried
about her.
Mouse and Sammy
have gone to bed. Salene
and the other Mallrats are getting more
and more worried about Cloe. If Mouse
is to be believed, she is still stuck in The Game.
While they are talking, a long-lost friend staggers
up the stairs towards the cafe. It is May
and she doesn't look at all well.
|
|
Ram
watches Ved on one of his monitors, asking
a fellow Techno to look out for Cloe
and to put out a red alert in all sectors for her. Ram
comments to himself: I don't think you're
ever going to see her again, Ved - Ever! (chuckle, chuckle)
Java
has come to give Ram his evening massage
as promised. Ram seems mesmerized by
the video cameras all showing that the streets are virtually empty
- the whole city is playing in The Game; we've
got them hooked, Java - they're all hooked.
Soon it will be running itself, or that's the idea.
Then Ram won't need Jay
or his morals any longer. Ram might even
let Java decide what will happen to him
when the time comes.
| Ved
Challenges Ram to a Fight for Cloe |
Although it is late, Ved
comes into the room to ask about Cloe:
he wants her to be allowed to stay with him in the Hotel. Ram
won't allow it because she is a Virt (Ved
mentions that Ebony is also a Virt -
not a good idea!). Ved challenges Ram
to a Reality-Space fight for Cloe. Ram
agrees, on the understanding that all the safeties will be off (whatever
happens is for real). Ved still wants
to go through with it. |
| Next Day
|
 |
|
 |
Jay
wakes to another day, still sitting by the sick girl's bed, and immediately
realises he cannot hear her breathing. Patch
listens to her chest and has better news: she is breathing normally,
that's all! The antibiotics have done the trick! |
 |
| As
soon as Siva leaves her room, Mouse
is in there looking for her zapper to pay back Sammy;
it is not hard to find and she powers it up: Sammy;Sammy;
where are you? |
|
