Chapter Twenty-three – 'I have returned'
"I think nap time is over." Jasper said as he stood up and stretched. "That was a long nap. It's dark now, and I hope I didn't miss my turn."
He walked from his battleship back to the guardhouse and tapped on the glass. The security guard woke up and took his feet off of the desk. He went to the door and opened it. "Can I help you? Do you need me for something?"
"Yes. I do. I need you to open the gate so I can leave." Jasper pointed to the closed gate. "It's dark, and I need to continue this game." He raised the MyPad to show the security guard the roll icon was displayed.
"How long were you asleep?" The security guard asked. "I didn't want to interrupt your nap."
"I don't know how long I was asleep, but it's dark now. It's probably past my bedtime, so I need to take my turn so I can go back to sleep." Jasper answered. "Can you open the gate?"
The security guard looked at the gate and explained. "The gate opens automatically when your token approaches it when you are riding it. This is to prevent anyone from escaping, or anyone from breaking in."
"Why would anyone break in?" Jasper questioned. "I could see preventing escape. I don't see why someone would break in."
"You never know." The security guard said. "You should return to your battleship and roll to continue your game. I hope I don't see you here again."
"Me too. I hope I don't return here either." Jasper said as he turned and walked behind the guard-house and sat on his battleship. He pressed the roll icon and loud booms echoed as Jasper smiled. "I feel like the great war is happening every time I hear those noises. Seven." He said as he looked back down at the MyPad.
The battleship pulled out from behind the guard-house and the gate opened as it passed through. Jasper waved at the security guard, but he had fallen back asleep. He turned left and rode along the fence in full view of the tall prison as it loomed in the darkness.
He continued the ride looking up at the tall towers with search lights mounted. "Looks well guarded." Jasper continued to look as the battleship made another left at the end of the fence as it traveled behind the prison. "No sentry towers back here." Jasper commented as the battleship veered to the right. "I'm glad to be getting away from this prison. I hope I never come back."
Jasper rode on the battleship as it came to an intersection with a traffic light. The battleship stopped at the traffic light as a few cars turned onto the street in front of him. The traffic light turned green and the battleship turned left and went down the street to the next traffic light and turned right. Another left and another right before the battleship rode along a straight highway. Several buildings passed on both sides and a few more traffic lights passed as the battleship continued to turn left and right around the buildings.
"I'm starting to get seasick." Jasper said as he looked around at the buildings. "These buildings could all be the same and I'm just making circles."
He slowed down and eventually stopped in front of a gold-colored building. Several pedestrians looked at him as he waited on the battleship while he decided what to do.
"You have arrived at a Special Space." The MyPad announced as it showed the seven spaces Jasper had traveled.
He dismounted the battleship and looked both ways up and down the street. "I still don't understand how that was seven spaces." He walked up and peered in the windows of the gold building. "This doesn't look special at all. What is this place?" Jasper asked to the next person to walk past him. "Is it really special?"
"It is special." A woman said. "I walk here everyday to receive free money from that machine."
"What machine?" Jasper asked as they looked at the front of the building.
"That money dispensing machine." She said. "Follow me. I'll show you."
They walked up to the money dispensing machine at the front of the building. "What is it? What is this place?" Jasper questioned as she pulled him back far enough to look at the top of the building.
"This is the Second Street Bank." She said. "This machine dispenses money to us everyday. We were told to start saving money as the price of everything is slowly rising."
"That's inflation." Jasper corrected. "The price..."
"I know what inflation is." She interrupted. "I lived through the Great Depression and the great war."
Jasper stared at her a second. "I did too. Wasn't sure how to answer."
"It's fine. I just need to get my money so I can save it for a rainy day." She answered again. "It is forecast to soon rain." She pressed a few buttons and a blue fifty dollar bill fell on the ground. She bent down and picked it up. "Fifty! More than yesterday. Be sure to save some money." She said before she walked away.
"Let me see if I can figure this out." Jasper walked up to the machine. "Looks fancy. A screen, a few numbers, and the money output slot." He stared at it before pushing a few numbers. Nothing happened. He looked at the screen and pressed a few more buttons. Still nothing. He pressed one more button before the screen went blank and dropped a single piece of paper.
Jasper picked it up and read it: 'Players can receive free money. See bank teller inside for details'. He folded the piece of paper and put it in his pocket.
"Any luck today on receiving the big money?" A gentleman asked Jasper as he approached the machine. "I heard the big money is a dark gold five hundred-dollar bill. It is only a rumor as no one has received one yet."
"The machine went blank when I tried." Jasper explained. I pressed random numbers and..."
"I can try and let's see what happens. I really need the money." The gentleman said as he stepped between the machine and Jasper. The screen lit up again and he pressed three random buttons and the money slot opened and a green twenty-dollar bill fell out. "Twenty. That's better than the five dollar bills I seem to get everyday. What did you get?"
"A paper saying go inside." Jasper said.
"Go inside and give it a try." The gentleman said before walking away.
Jasper watched him for a minute before turning around and walking toward the front door. He entered and saw a line of people waiting to speak to the tellers.
"I guess that is where I should go." He stood at the end of the line and waited.
The lady in front of him turned around and started to speak. "I haven't seen you here. You think it's easier to walk in and get your money than try the machine outside?"
"The machine out there told me to walk inside and speak to the tellers." Jasper said as he took the piece of paper out of his pocket. "Figured I should listen."
"I come inside, because I can't figure out the machine outside." The lady said as she was called up to the next available teller. "Wish me luck."
"Luck for what?" Jasper said as another patron started cheering.
"Five hundred." He yelled. "I got one. It's dark gold, just as rumored." He held it up as he ran out of the bank.
"Next in line!" The teller motioned for Jasper.
"Your fancy machine outside told me to come inside and speak to a teller. This piece of paper says..." Jasper said before being stopped.
"Dwight. I have a player for you." The teller said into an intercom speaker before addressing Jasper. "You must be a game player, because every other person receives a random amount of money. Can I see the paper?"
Jasper handed it to her and waited as she read it. "Did I win something good?"
"I don't know. You will have to speak to our mayor. He is currently busy, so if you wait over there he will call for you in a minute. Next in line!" The teller said again while motioning for the next patron.
Jasper took a seat in the corner of the lobby and waited to be called into the mayor's office. He glanced at the magazines sitting on the side table. "These must be the magazines the young kids are reading. I've never heard of any of them." He shuffled through them, but found nothing of interest.
A man approached him and introduced himself. "I'm Dwight Diddlehopper, the mayor of the banking system. How can I assist you today?"
"The name is Jasper, and I was dropped off here by the battleship out front. Your money machine told me to come inside. The bank teller inside sent me to talk to you. All this running around is making me tired." Jasper explained.
"Well come with me and we will get you some free money also." Dwight said as he pointed to the second office.
Jasper stood up and walked in. He froze as the sight of a stone statue could be seen beside the office window. "This is what I need to find."
"It's just a stone statue. It was delivered and placed in my office. It doesn't do anything. It's decoration." Dwight said.
"It does do something. I can show you." Jasper placed the MyPad into the statue's hands and an orange hologram appeared beside the statue.
"So I lied. It does do something." Dwight admitted.
"I can't do anything until you show him where to get a number from Dwight." The orange hologram scolded Dwight. "Take him to the vault, then come back."
Dwight choked up slightly and agreed. "Let's go the vault. I was hoping that no one ever showed up here, or at the other two branches." He sarcastically said as they exited the office and walked toward the tellers. "Can you buzz us through to the vault?" Dwight asked the teller.
"Certainly." The teller said with a smile. "The door is open."
"This way. Follow me." Dwight said as he led Jasper toward a back hallway and to a large metal door with several complicated locks.
Jasper watched as Dwight entered in several codes and one by one the locks opened and a turn of a large wheel opened the vault door.
"Inside." Dwight motioned. "I finally get to see how this works."
"I'm not sure I want to walk inside." Jasper hesitated, but entered the vault with some encouragement from Dwight.
Inside the vault was hundreds of drawers that were all the same size, the size of a note card. Floor to ceiling and around all three walls.
"This is impressive." Dwight thought as he picked up an envelope from the pedestal in the middle of the room. "It's addressed to me, so I guess I'll open it." He did that and read the instructions inside. "To the mayor of the banking system, when a player finds you, lead them down here and have them select one vault drawer to open. Inside is a random number to be given to the Burns statue. Further instructions are given by the statue. Do as it says."
"Any drawer?" Jasper confirmed. "So many choices."
"That's what it says." Dwight also confirmed. "I will just stand here and let you pick any vault drawer you want.
Jasper studied the drawers to see if there were any markings or patterns, but found none. "How do I know that each drawer contains something different?"
"I wouldn't know that. I just work here." Dwight said with a blank look. "I guess just pick one and we will find out what happens."
Jasper looked around a little more before picking a random vault drawer from the left wall. "I would like this one." He opened the drawer. It contained two envelopes. One addressed to Dwight, and the other addressed to 'player'. Jasper took his and handed the other one to Dwight.
Dwight opened his and read it silently as Jasper did the same thing. "We should head back to my office." Dwight suggested. "Back to the statue as it said to do."
"What does your note say." Jasper asked. "Mine just has random numbers."
"We should just head back to my office." Dwight nervously suggested again.
Jasper exited the vault as Dwight closed the large door, spun the wheel, and reset all the locks. "You look slightly familiar." Jasper asked him as he finished and turned around.
"Sorry. I don't recognize you." Dwight said as Jasper thought deeper.
"Your name and face seem familiar to me." Jasper thought again. "But I can't place it though.
Dwight led Jasper back the same way and into his office. The orange hologram reappeared. "We have returned." Dwight announced to the hologram.
"Indeed you have." It answered. "Did you get a number?" The hologram asked.
"I did. Should I give it to you?" Jasper asked the hologram.
"Just type it in the MyPad." The hologram suggested.
Jasper approached the MyPad and read his note again. "1712." He said as he typed it into the MyPad. Nothing happened. "That was a bust." Jasper said to the hologram.
"Patience. You will get what is coming to you. It just takes a minute to process." The orange hologram reassured him.
"Dwight!" A voice yelled over an intercom. "Can you come here. Now!"
"I'll be right there." Dwight answered. "Excuse me. This may be urgent."
Jasper shrugged as he stood staring at the hologram. "So..." He started to say.
"So... what?" Replied the hologram.
"So, what happens now, or are we still waiting." Jasper continued.
"Just a few more seconds." The hologram reminded.
Jasper waited for a few seconds before noticing that Dwight wasn't coming back. "Did I miss something?"
"You haven't missed anything. In fact, here is your answer." The orange hologram said before disappearing.
"Answer?" Jasper said. "Seems like a waste. Nothing happened."
"Stay where you are!" A loud voice called from outside. "We have the place surrounded. Don't move!"
Jasper looked confused. He turned around and could not see anyone else in the bank. "Something isn't right." He tried to remove the MyPad from the statue's hands, but he couldn't. "That's not good."
"We are coming in. No sudden movements." The loud voice called from outside again. "Lay down, face down on the ground and this will go smoothly."
"I'm confused. It's not like I'm trying to rob the place." Jasper said as he laid down.
The orange hologram appeared for a second as a piece of paper printed below the MyPad. "I almost forgot. Here you are Officer Lou." The hologram disappeared again.
"I am Officer Lou and I have been called here. Let me read this to you." Officer Lou said as he grabbed the piece of paper. "It reads: 'Go to Jail. Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.' Do you have any questions on what I just read to you?" Officer Lou said before placing a set of handcuffs on Jasper. "I am sorry, but it is part of the game."
Jasper stood up and Officer Lou grabbed the MyPad and escorted him to the front door. They left the bank and passed Dwight along the way.
"I'm sorry for your temporary bad luck. Come back and it should be better next time." Dwight said before Jasper was led to his battleship and set upon it.
"Just stay seated and we will be at the Jail shortly." Officer Lou informed Jasper. "I'll keep the MyPad for now."
The battleship started to move and made a full turn to follow the exact path that Jasper had traveled a bit ago. Lou followed in his police car with the lights flashing and the siren blaring.
A few turns left and right and a long stretch of road and the top of the stone prison was in sight again. A few more turns and the battleship was driving along the fence. Lou turned the lights and siren off as the battleship approached the gate. The familiar signs of 'Just Visiting' and 'Not Visiting' were seen as the battleship chose the latter this time.
Jasper smiled as the security guard stood up to greet him. "I thought I told you to stay on the right side of the law, which is actually the left." The security guard said as Jasper's smile disappeared. "Now you are the right side, which is the wrong side of the law. Thanks Lou." He said as he waved back at the police car. "I'll take it from here. Do you have his MyPad?"
Lou walked up to the guard-house and gave him the MyPad. "Do you need a report or is this card enough?"
"I'll just take the card. Thanks again." The security guard said as Lou walked back to his police car and drove away. "You were just here." The guard said as his attention focused back on Jasper. "Any questions?"
"Is it Salisbury steak day yet?" Jasper nervously asked.
"The Warden is going to love to see you again." The security guard said as loud booms echoed. "Let me call him right now, as your turn is definitely over." He picked up the phone. "Hey Warden, you will never guess who came back to see you. He can pick him up right now. I'll see you then." The security said as he smiled and hung up the phone.
