Chapter 39: Then We'll Meet on the Moon
For the first time, the game's background music shifted from instrumental to a lyrical theme song.
"Everything's alright."
It was as if River's heartfelt voice was singing.
With this sorrowful melody, River gradually faded from Johnny's life. On the stairs of the school building where Johnny believed he had met River, the platypus and River, who had been sitting there, had vanished. Only a book about lighthouses whispered in the wind.
Johnny's good friend, Nicholas, walked down the hallway. In the library, River had disappeared, replaced by Joey. The two brothers chatted about Transformers and space travel. The copy of The Emperor's New Clothes, River's favorite, was covered in dust.
Johnny and his brother Joey entered the movie theater where they once watched films together. Yes, although River had disappeared, Eva had altered Johnny's memories, replacing her with his brother Joey. Meanwhile, she constantly hinted at Johnny's dream and goal: to become an astronaut.
Without River, Johnny, with Joey by his side, saw his future completely altered. The stables where Johnny and River used to ride were deserted. In front of the Anya lighthouse, only endless weeds grew, and the couple had disappeared. Not even the rabbit they had killed during their wedding was anywhere to be seen.
In Johnny's memory, his future had completely changed. Thanks to constant training and study, Johnny finally received an offer from NASA and visited the facilities. His goal was within reach. "Going to the Moon" seemed only a matter of time.
Everything Eva did seemed to work.
But all the players and viewers fell silent. Yes, Johnny would soon be able to go to the Moon. Eva and Neil would also complete their mission. But was this the ending Johnny had always desired? Going to the Moon, but without River. Did that truly make sense?
In Johnny's imagined future, they arrived at the space agency. At that moment, Jay, along with the other players, merely mechanically manipulated his characters. It was unbearable, a single sensation: unbearable!
But then Eva and Neil arrived at the space agency, and Johnny followed them on a tour.
"Not here..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Let's go anyway."
As Neil and Eva chatted, Jay seemed to notice something unusual.
"Wait! That old woman!"
"That old woman seems to be looking for something!"
In the waiting room, thinking about what had just happened and Eva's words, Jay had a bold hypothesis, which he hoped was true. But before he could express it on the live stream, the game's somewhat sad background music suddenly went silent, replaced by the sound of a heartbeat. Cheerful background music began to play.
A girl with an orange ponytail appeared at the door.
"Ah! Is that one of our new hires, River? Glad to have you here," said the anonymous director of the space agency.
"Hello, I'm Johnny." Johnny stepped forward and greeted her, as usual.
Meanwhile, the last fragment of his memory finally solidified. Eva, standing by the window, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Wow! I almost thought she was gone."
"What? Eva! But you... you erased her!" Neil said in disbelief.
"No, I told you, I only transferred her. How his life is planned still depends on... her."
"This new world... is built from public data and Johnny's personal beliefs. Since River is a person, her data should not be recorded in public data."
As Eva explained, Neil understood: "So... this is entirely from Johnny... Yes, River is still here!"
Although his life has changed, and although Johnny and River had no connection before, in this fictional world, Johnny still remembers that promise.
"What if you get lost? We'll meet on the Moon, silly!"
Yes, they will meet again on the Moon.
The tears Jay had been holding back flowed again. At the space agency, the song was no longer "For River." It had a new name: "For the Moon." Inside the room, watching Johnny play, River murmured: "I like that name."
In Johnny's fictional memory, they had both spent years training and preparing. Finally, the rocket was about to launch. Neil and Eva had invited Lily, Johnny's caretaker, along with his doctor and others, to witness the event. Under the setting sun, countless people stood on the river bridge, gazing at the distant rocket launch site.
With a roar, the rocket took off. At the same time, a heartbeat was heard. A very faint heartbeat. It was Johnny's heartbeat, who was seriously ill in real life. He was about to die. To the sound of the piano piece "To the Moon," the rocket took off. Its destination was there: the moon. Inside the rocket, Johnny and River looked at each other. Then, their hands gently intertwined.
"Then we'll meet on the moon, silly!"
As the moon appeared, the scene faded into darkness.
The next instant, Johnny's past memories returned like a spinning lantern. Recalling these memories, remembering Johnny's and River's story in the game, Jay, sitting in front of the computer, finally couldn't contain his emotion. He covered his face with his hands and pulled out a tissue from the side. This time, he didn't wipe his nose, but his eyes.
"Oh my God! The tough guy is crying again!"
"F***, I'm bursting into tears!"
"I can't see the screen through the tears!"
"What if you really get lost? We'll meet on the moon, idiot!"
"What if you really get lost? We'll meet on the moon, idiot!"
As the end credits appeared, the comments on Jay's live stream joined in. At that moment, everyone was moved by the plot. They had almost forgotten that this was a game participating in a sci-fi expedition. No one even considered whether it could be considered a sci-fi game. Everyone was immersed in Johnny's and River's story.
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