O l i v e r B e n j a m i n
she exploded. Set aloft by Barth’s frantic convulsions, his flaming
cigar landed in her hair and detonated it like a bomb.
It didn’t take long for the flames to engulf the stage, sending the
celebrants screaming to the exits. Designed with the idea that the
gods would be there to prevent any catastrophes, no safety measures
had been taken, and the flames soon brought the historic studio to
the earth and into the air in ashes and in smoke.
Bob, Muchoman, Doug, Wade and Leonard watched from a safe
distance as the fire trucks arrived. Crowds of onlookers showed up.
Thousands descended upon the wreckage, hoping to salvage a piece
of the historic and mangled monument to human victory.
An army of police vans also arrived to arrest the Millennial
Liberation Front. Jewel watched sadly as Vlad was whisked off. He
had become a shell of his former self. To some extent, she felt, so had
she.
By the time the sun came up in the morning, there was virtually
nothing left of the small building where Armageddon had played
itself out, and the multitudes who continued to arrive from all over
the country had to be content to merely snap pictures of the empty
lot and the scorched earth.
“Well, I guess that’s it,” said Muchoman, staring wistfully at the
space that had showcased the scenes of his greatest glory.
“You guys were awesome,” Wade said, putting his thick arms
around their shoulders.
“Thanks, man,” Bob said to his friend, “It’s hard to believe it
really happened. It was, like, the most intense video game ever!”
“Because it was real!” suggested Leonard.
“Exactly! But you know,” Bob said, suddenly somber, “I feel kind
of sad. You know, like, that feeling you have when the movie’s over,
and even though everything came out good, you feel kind of bummed
because, like, that’s it?”
“Yes,” Muchoman said, patting him on the back, “That means it’s
time for a new movie.”
As they were speaking, Bob noticed a group of ordinary citizens
pointing at them and waving. He waved back and smiled.
“It’s them!” the crowd shouted. “Our saviors!”
Soon Bob and Muchoman were surrounded by admirers who
wanted to express their immeasurable gratitude and news crews who
wanted to express their innumerable microphones. They were
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