This was it. This was the moment. The fridge had been empty for 37 minutes and the children would be home in another hour. Noa paced back and forth in front of the large sliding doors which led out of the building, glancing at the controls on her wrist.

 

‘Ok, ok’ she thought, ‘this time’. “Load ‘Lost City Adventure’” she spoke aloud, with the calm cadence of a seasoned explorer. “Level 2. Home start. Map destination to Magdi’s Market.”

There was a click in her ears as noise cancellation kicked in and the music in the foyer was replaced with the sound of insects and the pattering of rain on a thatched roof. Her retinal display flashed a dull white light before fading to reveal an old wooden archway.

 

“3…2…1…go!” came a disembodied and overtly encouraging voice.

 

She leapt outside and into the vivid colour of a dense tropical jungle and was immediately sideswiped by an amused looking Tapir. “Shit!” she exclaimed before determinedly making her way off into the underbrush.

The Tapir laughed. So did the Tapir’s friends, as they all jumped back on their skateboards.

 

The jungle was busy today. Insects were everywhere. Obnoxious parrots swooped across her path. A parade of monkeys flung themselves from tree to tree sending palm fronds and fern leaves hurtling towards Noa’s face. And a column of about thirty rhinos stood nose to tail on her right. It was a vast and poorly researched mess. But up there, in the distance, she could see it. The great pyramid. Monument to the gods. Filled with ancient treasures, and a 20% discount on microwave meals.

 

She sallied forth.

 

Expecting the column of rhinos to give way to a path at some point, Noa was disappointed to find no such access. Instead the wildlife seemed to mock her as she wove gracefully between confusingly mobile foliage. After coming almost parallel to the entrance without any sign of a crossing, she decided to brave the smelly menagerie that lay in her way.

“Excuse me!” she called, as she approached the small gap between two of the beasts. The rear rhino rolled its eyes and snorted. The one at the front stepped forward and farted. Noa slipped through, wiping the sweat from her brow with a sense of intrepid accomplishment. She checked her wrist. 40 minutes left.

The entrance to the pyramid was covered in vines and strange symbols indicating the price of coffee. A large stone tablet embedded in the wall served as a warning to trespassers. She recognized the inscription. “Better be careful,” she thought pointlessly.

 

Inside, the pyramid was surprisingly well lit. Flickering torches revealed vast stone columns connected by rows of what looked like, but obviously weren’t, supermarket shelves. The not-shelves were conveniently inscribed with the names of all the treasures she had come in search of. Golden apples, ruby tomatoes and a variety of ornate pastas. But before she could extract her prizes, a shadow appeared.

 

There, at the end of the colonnade, looking towards her with orange and black stripes glowing in the torchlight, was the jungle’s apex predator. She froze, hand gripping a bag of fusilli, hoping the creature would pass her by. But alas, it lowered its gaze and advanced.

Noa looked around. There was a gap in the wall about a metre behind her. Perhaps she could get through. If she could make it to the mortuary, the animal might be distracted by the smell. She took a deep breath and leapt, scraping her arm as she rounded the corner and sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her towards the back wall, ducking under vines and narrowly avoiding a barrage of arrows that sprung from a carefully concealed indent in the wall.

 

Magdi stood behind the counter and watched as the customer ran like a maniac towards the deli. Maggy, the old lady from upstairs, looked at him and shook her head before reaching in for a half dozen golden delicious and placing them in her shopping cart.

 

She had made it. The tiger had moved off and Noa was left panting, leaning against a totem that depicted the ritual used to create her favourite salami. She took two and moved silently towards the rear of the structure. Here were the most prized treasures of all. Frozen in time. Bolognese. Butter Chicken. Beef Stew. If nothing else, these would certainly appease her illustrious benefactors. She took as many as she could and glanced furtively back down towards the exit. There was the final challenge, designed to prevent brave travellers from leaving, unless they make an offering worthy of the gods to whom the temple was dedicated. Only something of sufficient value could ensure against their wrath. She took a deep breath, patting at her satchel and hoping David had paid the credit card bill.

 

Arriving, she saw that which had eluded her before. Visible only from this angle, a life size statue, its arm outstretched, pointing towards a surface inlaid with gems. She withdrew the golden mastercard and laid it down gently. There was a beep.

“Thanks,” it said. “You can take that with you.”

Noa withdrew the card, graciously nodding towards the ancient figure. She picked herself up and cautiously made her way towards the light of the jungle outside.

 

Magdi turned his head and watched as she left.

 

“Who was that?” asked Maggy.

 

“I have no idea,” Magdi replied. “But this AR nonsense is really starting to piss me off.” He turned his attention back to the next customer. “That’ll be twenty seven fifty.”

Meanwhile, outside the pyramid, Noa was taking a well earned breath of fresh air. ‘I did it,’ she thought. ‘I finally did it!’.

“New High Score!” exclaimed the disembodied voice. “Would you like to try level 3?”

“Perhaps tomorrow,” she replied. “The kids have soccer practice.”

She turned to face the journey home. The level was over. The rhinos had moved on.

But there would be other challenges.