The Story

Things started off as you'd expect, I suppose. I'll admit I was wary when Gerald Neomailed me and said he wanted to meet - let bygones be bygones he said - but still... I missed my brother, and all the fun we had together when we were young. I agreed to meet him. If there was even a small chance he regretted his past actions then I had to know.

That was perhaps my biggest mistake. So ready was I to believe the best in my brother that I forgot what he's been subjected to since we left home to try our fortunes in the world. We both had it rough at first of course - we were young, and incredibly naive. But it was always worse for Gerald. He was... different, and people didn't understand. Then I landed this job, and suddenly I was catapulted onto the world stage and Gerald sort of faded into the shadows. He learnt cunning - he learnt to be dangerous.

But I saw very little evidence of this when we met again, down at the old pier on Kiko Lake. We used to like to fly there, when we were younger. He did seem nervous, but at the time I put that down to his worry that I wouldn't forgive him. We had a wonderful morning together, he really did seem to have shaken off his dangerous associations of the last few years.

It was when we were having lunch that he brought up the Challenge. It was something our father used to do with us - create puzzles, and let us work together to solve them. At first I took it as a sign that he too wanted to return to who we'd once been.

"A Challenge, brother?"

"Yes - my intelligence pitted against yours, and that of anyone who will agree to help you. If I manage to stump you at any point, then you give up your job and return home."

"Give up my job? Return home? What are you playing at Gerald - what is this really about?"

"What do you think, Jerry? I want what I've always wanted - your job, your fame, your life. If I beat you, I will have it."

"No, you won't - I will never accept your challenge, not with these terms. I thought you'd changed brother, it seems I was wrong."

"Do you really think I'd give you a choice? You will participate in my Challenge - and you will lose."?

I guess I was wrong - my brother is beyond hope. I wish it wasn't so, but I doubt very much now that he will ever cease to lust after all that I have. Will you help me with his Challenge? I daren't think what will become of this place if I lose, and Gerald was always better at this type of thing that I was. I'm going to need all the help I can get.