Video Games

Up, down, side to side, triangle, square, circle, x! Pow! Pow! Bang! Boom! The digital violence was like nothing Todd had ever seen. He immersed himself fully in the dystopian game. His eyes were bloodshot, and sweat was pouring down his face. Todd's fingers were numb for playing many hours straight. This was the last game he told himself. This was going to be the final match. He bit his lip in anticipation of the fatal blow he would give to O'Neil, and then... BAM! Todd threw down his controller. He raised his hands in the air in celebration. "That was a good match." O'Neil says, trying not to let Todd's gloating get to him. "You want a rematch?" Todd asks with crazed eyes. "No, no more rematches." "Are you chicken?" "No, but I realize it's good to stop every now and then." "I think you're chicken." "Sure." O'Neil says, rolling his eyes. "That was a great game." Todd says, still very much filled with adrenaline. "It is fun. Supposedly it will help us prepare, but I don't know." "Prepare for what?" "The inevitable." O'Neil replies, expecting that to be enough information. "What is the inevitable." O'Neil sighs. "Surely, you can't be that naive?" "What is the inevitable?" Todd asks again. "We have a shaky relationship with many different extraterrestrial civilizations. It's only a matter of time before they attack us. Hence the game. We have to be prepared." "You have a relationship with hostile aliens?" Todd asks. "They aren't hostile now, but it's only a matter of time." "I don't understand. What makes you think they'd want to harm us?" "You don't have to understand." O'Neil responds. "But why would they come all this way just to hurt us?" O'Neil shakes his head. "Who knows how they work. But that is what will happen."  Rather than continue to debate how murderous the aliens can be, Todd chooses a new approach. "Is there anything we can do?" "Develop technology faster." "Is that why they all went to find that thing?" Todd asks. "You're a smart cookie." Todd shakes his head. "Na, I'm just putting the pieces together." "Well, you're doing a better job than me." "I guess, I just don't understand why you tore apart my house." "We had to know." "Know what?" Todd asks. "You know, that you weren't an alien." Todd glares at O'Neil. "Besides we wanted any technology you had." "But it doesn't belong to you." Todd says, defiantly. "You were on our property. Therefore it belonged to us. I don't feel good about this either." "You don't feel good about it? How about we make it right then?" "How do you suppose we do that?" O'Neil asks. "You give me back everything you found from the wreckage." "I can't do that." "Yes, you can. You give me back everything. I'll fly so far away. You'll never see me again. Ever." O'Neil takes a deep breath. "Ok. I can make a deal."