Max Booth, Future Sleuth: Map Trap

Max Booth, Future Sleuth: Map Trap — page 3 — 21st Chapter 1 Phone and Games One thing no one ever tells you about Skyburb 6 is how many incredible gaming arcades we have up here You name it you can play it We even have arcades where people and their robo-dogs can play together and that’s exactly what Oscar and I are doing when a call comes through from our friend Jessie Today we’re playing a game called Grimecraft It was really popular 400 years ago and in this particular arcade it’s all the rage A few people have even come dressed in century clothing 1

Max Booth, Future Sleuth: Map Trap — page 4 — to make a big party of it There’s a player nearby dressed in real denim pants and a check shirt made from real cotton They must be worth a fortune I’ve taken a real liking to Grimecraft It’s a nice escape from everyday worries and we have plenty of those The aim of the game is to build 2

Max Booth, Future Sleuth: Map Trap — page 5 — a world of your own with digital blocks Other people can join you online helping you build your houses and roads It all seems incredibly old-fashioned compared to the 5D games we play these days but I can see why people liked it so much all those years ago I’m just about to put the final tile on top of a hospital I’ve been building when the call comes through Oscar’s back panel pops open and the name Jessie flashes across his screen I reach down and grab the phone goggles from inside the panel Hi Jessie I say sliding the goggles over my eyes What’s going on back there Back there means back at the Bluggsville City Museum Storeroom where Oscar and I have 3

Max Booth, Future Sleuth: Map Trap — page 6 — secretly lived since we escaped the Skyburb 7 Home for Unclaimed Urchins just over two years ago Jessie manages the storeroom and lets us live in the middle of it in an old wooden packing case It works out well for all of us Oscar and I have a place to sleep and Jessie has two of the most devoted helpers she could ever find Whenever she can’t identify an ancient object for the Museum we help her out And without meaning to brag or anything we’re quite good at it She even pays us a few dollars when we’re successful I’ve got something pretty special today she says I think you’d better come straight in and take a look 4

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