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point. They need to see it.”
    It was true. The concept of Pluto’s Playground was to orbit through space, deflecting the array of usual videogame obstructions, like asteroids, black holes and a truly gruesome selection of aliens. That, and navigating your own spaceship, was the fun part. The educational part was figuring out mathematical coordinates and applying scientific facts in order to win. Children learned without realizing. That was Marvelworks motto: fun and education , and the education part set this company apart from the flock.
    Le vel six was particularly appealing on a visual level. Here, players explored Pluto, trading their spaceship for a vehicle which allowed them to travel across the planet surface, fighting winds and gasses, or going underground and doing battle with giant subterranean worms.
    That was the way it was supposed to work. Instead, while poised to slice off the creature’s slimy head, the player suddenly found himself back at the beginning of the game, reading the game title and being prompted to input the number of players. Highly frustrating.
    Gil was pacing antsily. “I’ve got the design team coming for the weekend, plus the full production team. No one leaves this office until the glitch is fixed, okay? They eat, sleep and shit here.”
    “Oh, damn.”
    “What?” Gil stopped pacing and abruptly ran his hands through his silver hair. “What?”
    “I’ve got a conflict. Plans for the weekend. Unbreakable.”
    “Break them anyway.”
    “No, you don’t understand, Gil. I promised the kids –”
    “Look, I don’t care if you’re having a fucking heart transplant, you’re the only person who knows what’s going on. This was your brainchild and you need to fix it. So pick up the fucking phone and cancel your fucking plans, or else.”
    Jake’s eyes narrowed. “I beg your pardon?”
    “You heard me. Pick up the fu–”
    “Yeah, I heard you, I just didn’t believe you. Are you issuing me an ultimatum, Gil?”
    “And if I am?”
    “Then you can take this shitty job and shove it up your ass. My children are more important. They’ve been through enough heartache already without me disappointing them again.”
    “You need to examine your priorities, Jake.”
    “That’s exactly what I’m doing. Look, I’ll take the game with me and work on it over the weekend, and I’ll keep in touch by video conferencing. That’s the best I can do, take it or leave it.”
    Gil’s eyes were cold. A chill reached out and grasped Jake’s heart, and momentarily, he felt a stab of fear. Absurd, yet there it was. “You leave me no alternative,” Gil said finally, glaring at Jake. “Do it your way. I’ll be in touch.”
    Gil left the room, and once again it seemed empty without his presence. Only this time, another feeling permeated the room. Something ominous. Dark.
    Jake thought about Skeeter’s words: ‘I don’t like them. They’re creepy’. Well, something definitely felt creepy right now.
    Your imagination is working overtime, old boy. Gil is a great guy. A wonderful boss, a good friend. Yeah, so why the sudden personality change?
    Many reasons, Jake rationalized, bending to retrieve his fallen papers. Gil has tremendous pressure on him to deliver a workable game . His company and reputation were in jeopardy. He was stressed. He was a type A. He was...
    Oh, Christ, he was grasping at straws. Next he would be chalking it up to Gil’s birth sign, Gemini, the twin personality. The fact was, Gil was pissed off and mad as hell. Pluto’s Playground wasn’t working. Jake had to fix it, end of story.
    He thought about cancelling the weekend with the kids. Skeeter would be disappointed, Amy would be furious. He would let them down... again. He would fail... again. There was no way out. They were going.
    **
    In the end, Jake should have stayed. The weekend was a complete disaster, start to finish. He stayed late on Friday, desperately trying to locate the design error. Consequently,