you're an idiot, you know that? what're you going to do when you get out of here?
you making another one, greg?
shit. i'm out.
that's the new slip-stream game. those guys are good. it's supposed to be interactive. graphics are unbelievable.
i'm game.  greg?
super computers, micro-processors.  that's the future we're looking at.
so what's so different about arcade? you guys've been talking about it for months.
that's impossible.
who snags it out of mid-air and grins.
"escape"?
the best.
so what's the scenario? am i saving a princess? fighting zombies?
so how do i start?
nick.
he's practically hyperventilating, sweat pouring down his face. he leans over, resting a hand on the control board. and for a moment, everyone is silent. then.
you gotta try this thing.
sign me up.
yeah, outside.
guess he took off.  you have his keys, right?
hmmm. he said you were going to have dinner?
so take his car home. wait. i'm sure he's up to something.
it's nothing, okay? just take his car home. he'll show up.
don't worry about it.
hey, kid.
have you played the game yet? it's incredible! i was just.
what the hell are you talking about?
you there? hello?
we are talking.
it's twelve-thirty!
alex, you don't know how long i've waited for this.
isn't it amazing? it's a sort of rest position in the game, when you're between levels.
they're fractals. visual representations of mathematic equations. the game is totally brilliant. i mean, look at it, it's like a dna molecule or something.
what do you mean by "weird"?
i'm in the middle of it.
happy?
alex, i think you're freaking out. greg's gone, i'll give you that. and maybe he's in trouble. but it's not arcade that's doing it.
how?! it's a machine, alex. machine's don't think. they're not alive. it's a good program, a brilliant program, it was designed so it would act as if it were alive, but it's not alive.
you imagined it.
quiet. i do have parents, you know.
no it didn't. it's just a faulty relay or something. it happens.
just shut up! enough already, okay?
sorry. maybe i need the valium.
i'll try stilts. he's got insomnia.
okay. laurie, then.
benz.
it's the middle of the night. they're asleep. phone didn't wake them.
look, why are you fucking with me like this?
it's two o'clock in the morning. go home. go to sleep. we'll figure something out in the morning.
it's not this weird. it'll make sense. everything gets weird this late anyway, right?
so what do you want me to do?
no way.
okay. we'll see what's up. but if things are cool, i don't want to hear anything more about this. life's too short, know what i mean?
just stay here, stilts.
just do what she says, stilts. and if we're not back.
look at me, stilts. am i laughing?
just do what she said. don't watch television.
well?
where to now?
it doesn't necessarily mean she's.
no, alex! alex, wait a minute.
what is it?
see what?
jesus christ!
what?!
who are you?!
moves without thinking, picking up a nearby chair and slamming it into the television. it explodes glass, sparks, and smoke.
is she breathing?
then leave her.
we'll call 911. look around alex. we broke in, smashed the t.v., no one's going to believe what happened here!
i believe you now. i don't know what the fuck just happened, but it did. now let's get the hell out of here.
my house. i want to try something.
around back.
i'm not taking any chances.
okay. i'm going inside. if i'm not back out in, say, two minutes, you get the hell out of here.
we need to find a pay-phone.
that's what i thought.
it's not just the cable system. it's in the phone system as well, the electronic net. it's everywhere.
maybe it is alive in a way. some sort of electronic intelligence. it's like a computer virus that developed a personality or something. it's self-replicating. it mimics life.
it's growing. getting stronger. maybe it's only localized now.
right. and then communication satellites, and then anywhere.
it's already out.
give me a break, alex. what are we going to tell them? excuse me, officer, but there's some sort of electronic monster loose in the phone lines. i'd think twice about calling any of those 976 numbers.
i don't know.
what?
you mean we learn the rules.
you realize that in order to do that, we'd actually have to play the game.
no, but it's important and if you'd.
if difford's not out here it one minute we're calling the news and informing them that your fucking games are whispering in our ears and telling us to commit suicide. i'm talking public relations nightmare here, buddy. satanism, virgin sacrifices, backward messages, the whole bit.
drives 'em crazy every time.
that's gotta be the understatement of the century. it's killing people.
what alex is trying to say is that it "seems" like it's alive.
we're not getting very far into the levels and we kind of thought maybe we could talk to a programmer, learn some tricks and stuff.  i mean, you don't want us kids running around school saying your game's too hard, right?
the air-force is working on the same thing.
does that thing work?
what do you mean?
how do you stop the screamer?
what's the riddle?
just tell me the fucking riddle.
how the hell did you do that?
could you play arcade with that?
thanks, albert. think you could print up those schematics?
go outside, get your car, and meet me out front with the engine running. and make it quick, okay?
get that helmet. if we're going to play arcade, i want every advantage possible.
thanks again.
shit.
screeches to another stop, twists, and starts pumping down another hallway.
pumps like mad, and he's really moving now. either he'll make it, or he's going to hit that steel door at about forty miles and hour.
jesus christ!
everything.
i've been thinking about that. arcade's like a virus, so it seems like the place to hit him would be where the virus started. you know, like his point of origin?
yeah. the inferno.
okay, your turn.
is standing on the other side, staring at a game screen which pulses with a dim light.
alex.
shit. it's like a trance or something.  okay. i'm fine. really.
put it out of your head, alex. it's just trying to psyche us out.
a way to hook this helmet into the game. i'm sure there are interfaces.
there. now we're wired in.
i don't understand. it wants us to play the game. it's been taunting us .
it can turn itself on, alex! it doesn't need a quarter.
change machine.
there.
you're not coming, alex.
i know how to do this! i'm good at these games. you never play, you'd be nailed in an instant.
no. if you're smart, you run like hell.
you don't get it, do you?
i don't want anything to happen to you. i care about you.
i know. it sucks.
what can i say? tough being a hero, isn't it?
here goes nothing.
hold on!
we're actually inside, aren't we?
okay. give us a kiss?
don't even say it.
thanks. always wanted to do that.
that's what i was hoping you'd say.
i'll take the lead and handle the physical threats. you watch the elapsed time and look for exits.
you steer by pivoting your back foot.  okay?
which way do you think level two is?
oh shit! what if they didn't come with us?!
okay. it's west.
and then we go to the final level. hey, don't worry about it. it's a game. how bad could it be?
right, then.
i don't get it. this is supposed to be the end of the level, but it doesn't go anywhere.
and we've still got time left. this was a piece of cake.
hey, my strength's low. look out for fireflies.
shit.
you're right. it worked.
according to this, the doorway should be somewhere around here.
what?! there's nothing here!
i don't see the doorway!
what the fuck is that?!
we can't reach that!
peddles his arms and legs furiously. down, down, down.
doubles his efforts, but his lungs are straining.
so that's what we almost died for?
i don't want to talk about it.
christ. no time.
we can take the dunes down like a ski slope. pretend you're on a snowboard.
we're fucked. that's it.
what is it?