Crossing The Nerdicon

So last night, Vulcan Ninja and I were preparing to retire. Her weapons had been hung with care, and I had quietly put away my attempts to explain The Trial of The Time-Lord through interpretative dance. I had just climbed into bed beneath the Batman duvet when Vulcan Ninja stopped in the doorway.

"I'm not coming to bed just yet, " she said. Detecting an uncharacteristic sheepish tone, I looked over at her.

"What did you say?"

"I--I've got to finish this puzzle thing. " She averted her eyes. "I didn't know it was a five part thing, and that I couldn't save. It'll take me five minutes."

Let me explain. Whilst listening to a 1up. podcast two weeks ago, I had heard the hosts squeeing over a puzzle game for the DS called Picross 3D. Knowing that Vulcan Ninja would also squee over it--since she adores puzzles of all sorts-- I showed it to her at FutureShop the following Saturday. After spending her usual eight minutes giving the game her Paddington Bear stare, turning it over, reading every single word written on the box, she bought it.

I have not touched the DS since.

"Let me get this straight," I said from the bed. "You are staying up late--past midnight--to play a video game."

"I just didn't know you couldn't save. I don't want to go through all of it again. It's like half an hour."

"But let's get this straight. You are staying up late to finish a game."

Silence.

"You're crossing a line," I said, triumphantly. " A line that cannot be uncrossed. A nerd line."

Defeated, she sighed. "I know."

I rarely have such triumphs.

"I just want you to realize what you're doing, " I said, then curled back into bed, knowing full well the shock the universe was now experiencing. I was in bed, Vulcan Ninja was up, alone in the living room with only a computer game for company.

In some part of the world, I'm sure rivers were running backwards and chickens were flying over the treetops. The natural order had been upset. And maybe--just maybe--a red phone was ringing in Nintendo HQ. And perhaps--just perhaps--there was a board meeting today with several black suited and somber Nintendo executives, and at one end of the long oak table, a man stood up and announced "We have achieved our aim with the introduction of the DS, my friends. We have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. Vulcan Ninja stayed up late with Picross 3D. "

The applause possibly--just possibly--lasted for fifteen minutes.

All I know is that I slept like a baby, smiling all night.