The Protagonist Speaks

Dear readers, you would have heard of the Virtual wars, that arrangement that was supposed to end wars as we know it. When diplomatic relations fail,  the armies of New Pangea fight it out in a virtual reality simulation. The winner gets the spoils, but no one is supposed to die.

Tonight with us is a young girl with a different story. A survivor of the virtual wars, she is here to tell us of her adevntures and narrow escape.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I was in and out of orphanages as a child. Half of them are in buildings nearing collapse. There’s no reason for that. There are plenty of abandoned buildings that aren’t falling apart although much of it is located in areas where plant life have taken over. The Enforcers tried to keep me caged at these dilapidated prisons for children, but no one can cage this ninja!

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

My PEL, I guess. Everyone has one, so it’s not anything special. I did learn a lot from hackers on the dark net, but they’ve all since been arrested. They taught me how to hack my PEL device to disable tracking. It’s hard to escape when all the Enforcers have to do is track your PEL. I had to learn that the hard way.

What do you do now?

I’m currently in school studying whatever I feel like would be the most useful of skills to be a spy. That’s what I really want to be.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Do you mean the Virtual Wargames? Those are pretty fun! The virtual reality rooms they put you in for that are so cool.  Fine white grains, similar to sand, morph and shift into the terrain of whatever map they load into the room. Each match is a simulated battle, but no one gets hurt… usually.

What did you first think when you met Miri?

For such a cute boy he is really naive. When he shows up I keep hoping for him to take off his shirt, but then we talk. It’s not like he is stupid, but he is so unprepared that I swear he must have been raised by bears. I keep expecting him to growl at me when jab him in the ribs.

What was the scariest thing in your adventures?

Having the Enforcers chase you is never pleasant if they are shooting at you, but at least it isn’t the Trackers. Those guys scare the crap out of me. I’m glad that any petty crimes I may have committed aren’t enough to warrant their involvement.

What is the worst thing about New Pangea?

It’s hard to say what the worst thing is. I would have to say the X zones. I’m glad that I wasn’t around for the Great War or the Resurgence when things were much harder, but in their aftermath vast nuclear wastelands have helped cause plenty of horror stories. The Trackers are the boogeymen parents scare their children with though.

What is the best thing about it?

The technology is by far the best. I don’t know what I would do without my PEL. Every bit of information you could possibly want is at my fingertips. Hover cars and virtual reality rooms have also had a major impact in our lives. To think that before my grandparent’s generation many people thought peace on Earth to be an impossible dream.

Tell us a little about your friends.

I try not to think of them as friends. I moved around a lot from orphanage to orphanage, so making friends wasn’t a priority. I wasn’t going to stick around. The other kids felt the same way, in hopes of being adopted. There is Miri I suppose, but I really like him even if he can be annoying. I would say my best friend other than Miri would be Catalina. She is a strong smart girl and one of the captains on the virtual wars team.

Any romantic involvement?

I’m hoping so. A girl needs her fun after all. There are always some cute boys around, but my focus is on Miri for now. I don’t know if I would say he is the one, but maybe someday he will be. I do enjoy torturing him! Haha!

Whom (or what) do you really hate?

Oh jeez… James would have to be the worst. He is so arrogant and persistent. He is the worst kind of bully. I want to punch him in the nose, but he would probably enjoy that. He’s always trying to pick a fight.

What’s your favourite drink, colour, and relaxing pastime?

Pizza is always the best, pizza and lemonade. My favorite color is probably pink, sometimes purple, I like black too… It really depends on what color I want my hair to be at the moment. I spend most of my time preparing for what is coming up. Research is fun! I have to know how to exploit my enemies! That is like Spy 101.

What does the future hold for you?

I’m going to be a total ninja-spy. Who knows? I may end up fighting alien robots to save the world!

Can you share a secret with us, which you’ve never told anyone else?

That’s classified information sir, I can’t divulge state secrets. What kind of spy would I be if I go around willy-nilly telling everyone all the secrets? OK OK… I have a good one. Miri wears whitie tighties! Haha!

Brian Basham is an American author, blogger, and social media shenanigangster. He enjoys playing Texas Hold ’Em poker tournaments, putting together complex Lego sets, making small plastic items with his 3D printer, playing softball, and watching his beloved football team in Washington. He lives in Virginia Beach.

You can find Hannah on the pages of Booting Up, the prequel to the Virtual wars series. Miri can be found on the pages of Initialization.

Join us next week, when when an intergalactic adventurer will tell us about his adventures. Please follow the site by email (bottom-right), via Twitter, or like our Facebook page to be notified when the next interview is posted.