Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Seventeen - Only Human

Also not for the first time, he wondered if there was a life that he had before he woke up into this known reality of his. If he was ever something else, something more than the creation of some Japanese programers, before he came to on those rolling grassy hills that fateful night. Before he had opened his eyes for what he believed to have been the first time. However, the fact that he has lived for thirty five years and he didn't look a day older than fifteen (though there were some days he looked a year or two older) discouraged this. Software didn't age physically, he knew. Perhaps hardware did, and they were... a mixture of both? Well, not standard computer hardware, but they weren't entirely software. But weren't they? Or...

That thought process usually ended up not going anywhere helpful or new for him, and right now, his headache was really bad, so he didn't bother to try and press any further. Being human, though... for sure, part human. Playing Donkey Kong in real life, having that become his daily routine, his every waking moment in constant gameplay... he just wasn't sure about it all. He couldn't find himself falling into that rhythm, trying to achieve the temporary. All he found in the game was futility. It truly was an object of entertainment, temporary ease. And he would have to live in it. He'd been happy for Pauline―or, Lady, he knew her better as―to not be around, to not have loaded in and activated the game, commencing his foreseen hardships. Yet, at the same time, he's always felt out of joint. A little bit without purpose in his life. He could almost go as far as to say it felt like something was missing.

At times, he's wished that he were more mechanical. More digital. More computerized.

Less human.

Having what he thought to be a soul, what really would determine him to be human, was burdensome. If he just ran on code, playing the game would be much easier, he'd imagine. There'd be no conflicting emotions that he'd have to deal with. His actions would be automated. He'd probably play better too. He wasn't entirely sure of the implications of that; it just seemed more stress free than the life he currently led, or was set for. However, there was one thing that he knew for sure:

Life has value. Any life. So, even when it's hard, he resolved that he's going to enjoy his life and live it out to the best of his ability.

Jumpman finally looked up from his thoughts, and realized that he'd just walked past where he had meant to go. Taking care to not run into others along the way, he stepped backwards to his original destination. He immediately recognized a chuckle over some rapid-fire spanish a couple of friends were speaking in together as they passed by him when he came in through the mouth of the aisle. Again, he dodged the people, then walked towards one of the few people in his life that he knew the most, and stood alongside him, watching his gameplay.

"Are you alright there, pal?" QBert asked, an amused smile on his lips as his eyes stayed focused on the screen. "Too much DK?" He gave him a side glance. "I hope you found a way here okay. Didn't take too long, did it now?" Then he started to hum the chorus of a song that he recognized―Hopeless Wanderer, by Mumford and Sons; apparently he'd witnessed him walk right past the aisle.

Jumpman sighed, and clasped his hand onto QBert's shoulder. "Yup. You are definitely one of my best friends."

QBert laughed. "And you are mine, wee man. Hey, thanks for sending over that kid, by the way. He's a math whiz with gaming, which I think is an awesome combination. A genius, really―though he didn't seem entirely aware of it. One of those weird, humble types."

Jumpman glanced around, almost forgetting about Andrew. He couldn't find him amongst any of the other gamers in the arcade from where he stood. "Gone already? Hasn't it only been twenty minutes, roughly?"

"Yeah, that sounds right," QBert agreed with a nod. "Left to play other games and to find a buddy of his."

"Huh. Ah, right. Well, how was he? Teach you something new in that amount of time? Help you out any?"