《Hero City》 Renewal: Chapter 1 ¡°Dad,¡± a distant voice droned. ¡°Dad!¡± the voice continued. ¡°Dad, snap out of it!¡± Suddenly pulled from the distant world that his mind had wandered to, Bob found his son, Tommy, standing next to him. ¡°Oh, sorry son.¡± Bob smiled wistfully. He sat at his desk, staring at the small medal he held between his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Tommy chuckled lightly. ¡°Just don¡¯t let yourself get too lost.¡± Tommy dumped himself into the chair next to the desk and faced his father. Tommy very much resembled his dad. He had strong features that made one think of etched marble, his dark hair cut short to match his professional attire. ¡°Still getting used to things, I suppose.¡± The ache of recent experiences was carved onto Bob¡¯s face. His life had taken an unexpected turn six months prior, and Bob still found himself fairly discouraged about the outcome. ¡°I know it¡¯s been tough,¡± said Tommy, ¡°but I still love you the same even if you are a national hero now.¡± Bob looked up at his son and smiled. ¡°I appreciate that, Tommy.¡± He really did appreciate his son trying to help him through his existential mess. ¡°You just visiting today?¡± He wondered why his son had randomly decided to see him. ¡°Just wanted to check up on you. I was on this side of town for a business meeting,¡± Tommy said. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday soon, y¡¯know, Dad.¡± Tommy smiled and tossed a pamphlet onto his father¡¯s desk. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Bob thumbed randomly through the pamphlet, feigning interest. ¡°I know it¡¯s not exactly up your alley, but one of our subsidiary companies has just finished its development and testing of a new way to play video games. It¡¯s known as ¡®full immersion.¡¯¡± Bob looked at his son, perplexed. ¡°What does that mean?¡± The confusion on his face made Tommy chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much now. There¡¯s a new video game that is part of the gift and I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll really like it.¡± ¡°If you say so, but you know I¡¯m not very good at these video game things.¡± ¡°Oh, I do. Just trust me on this.¡± Tommy got out of his chair and began to walk to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s delivered and help you get everything started, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he said to his son. ¡°Thanks for stopping by.¡± He heard the door close and looked back to the small medal in his hands. The blue ribbon draped down his fingers as the bright gold V reflected the light from his desk. This small Medal of Valor had cost him so much. Everyone now called him a hero, but he didn¡¯t feel like one. He had managed to save many lives in the explosions that shook several city blocks, but what had it cost him? His legs, his livelihood, and maybe his sanity. Many more had died, and while Bob understood that he could not have saved them all, he still wished that he could have done more. But hero? No, he was simply doing his job to serve and to protect those he had sworn to. There wasn¡¯t anything special about his actions; at least that¡¯s how he thought about it. ¡°You¡¯d be telling me to get off my ass, wouldn¡¯t you, Mary?¡± he thought out loud as he gazed over at the small picture of his family on his desk. His wife Mary had died a few years earlier to cancer, but the panic and shock of the aftermath of the explosion probably would have done her in too. She was an incredibly strong and inspiring woman, taken well before her time, yet you never heard her complain or worry. If Bob could label anyone a hero, it would have been Mary, for she truly had it in her. Putting the medal aside, Bob looked at his calendar. He would have to return to work soon, back to the force. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about it. He knew everyone would be nice and understanding, but he also knew everything would be different. Previously working as a patrol officer, he knew that since he had now been saddled to a wheelchair, he would be stuck behind a desk until his retirement. He didn¡¯t want that. He wanted to patrol the city, meet people, and to continue to serve and protect. Mary definitely would have told him to stop being so sad and to see it as a new challenge. Bob smiled fondly thinking about the verbal thrashing Mary probably would have given him. Even still, Bob was unsure about his future. He didn¡¯t want to get bored, he didn¡¯t want to be boring, and that¡¯s the only outcome he saw. Everything was changing, and Bob was not a fan. As much as he wanted things to go back to normal, he knew they wouldn¡¯t return to that.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Bob looked at the clock that sat on his desk, sighed loudly, and rolled himself away from his desk in search of dinner, leaving the pamphlet for the new gaming device on his desk, already forgotten. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Welcome back, Bob!¡± A modest party had been thrown to welcome him back to work and many of Bob¡¯s coworkers stood around waiting to shake his hand. Bob had been worried about being the center of attention but relaxed and appreciated that the party wasn¡¯t too eccentric or jovial; it was just enough. ¡°We got you some plain ol¡¯ vanilla cake, your favorite,¡± one of the older ladies who worked in the records department declared. Bob smiled and thanked her and eagerly took the piece that was handed to him. He knew that many people were genuinely glad to see him, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he was glad to see them. Yes, they were his old coworkers and work buddies, but things would be different and he knew they all saw him differently now. He wasn¡¯t just Officer Robert Kipp. Now he was a ¡°hero¡± too, whatever that really meant. ¡°Alright everyone,¡± a loud voice boomed. ¡°I know everyone is very excited to have Bob back, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can slack off. Let¡¯s please get back to work.¡± The partygoers all complied and slowly began to shuffle off back to their desks. ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, Bob.¡± Bob wheeled around and saw Captain Henry McDonough standing behind him. He was a tall, well-aged man who seethed discipline and rigidity. ¡°Ah, thank you Captain. It¡¯s, uh¡­good to be back,¡± he said as his voice trailed off. The Captain noticed his reserved mood. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bob. I do recall that you¡¯re not a huge fan of change. Your desk is where you left it, the way you left it.¡± A small smile emerged from Bob¡¯s face at this news. ¡°Thanks, Cap.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The Captain smiled. ¡°You may find yourself behind your desk more often now, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be any less useful. You¡¯ve got a mind full of experience and I plan to utilize that as much as possible.¡± The Captain shook Bob¡¯s hand and walked back to his office. Bob decided to go find his desk and get it set up for the coming days. It felt weird rolling up to the desk instead of sitting down at it, but it was exactly the way he had left it, aside from the small stack of envelopes on his keyboard. A small note was stuck to the top of the stack. These are some letters from fans, but mostly from the families you helped during the explosion. I hope they help you. ¨C C. It looked like his old partner had left them for him. His old partner, Catherine Mobley, had been reassigned. Barring his change in position, he was still happy to see the note from her. Bob spent the next few hours reading the letters and writing letters of his own in response. Reading all the letters opened his eyes to the fact that he really had helped these people. Many of them thanked him and told him about the family they were still able to be with. Some of them even told him they would name children after him. One letter in particular really hit home with him. It was from a small girl named Lacey, whom he had personally carried out of danger. She had lost everything, her home, her pets, and even one of her parents, but her letter was still bright and full of hope.
Dear Officer Bob, Hello Officer Bob. My name is Lacey. I do not know if you remember me, but you saved me after our building started to fall over. I know that you got hurt carrying me away from the danger and I¡¯m very thankful you saved me. I¡¯m very sorry that you got hurt and I hope things are okay. My Mommy and my dog Jack did not make it when all of the craziness happened and that does make me sad a lot. But I¡¯m still thankful that I still have my Daddy and I know he¡¯s happy I¡¯m still here too. I know he hurts sometimes because my Mommy is not around anymore, just like me. But we both do our best to think about the good things now since we have what he calls a second chance. I like to look at it that way too. We both have a second chance because of you. I want to do something important when I grow up. Maybe I¡¯ll become a police officer like you or maybe a scientist or something. It¡¯s something like an adventure in a book, and it''s exciting in a way. I hope that you too don¡¯t waste this second chance and know that me and my Daddy are always thinking about you and praying for you too. Thank you always. Love, Lacey
Bob wrote his response to Lacey, thanking her for her kind words and her letter and telling her that he would always take what she said to heart. Bob decided to keep this letter from Lacey on his desk at all times as a reminder of the good he had done, and like her, he decided he would do what he could with this new chapter in his life. Renewal: Chapter 2 ¡°So, you got it?¡± Tommy asked his father over the phone. ¡°Yeah¡­I think so,¡± Bob replied as he hefted the box onto his desk from his lap. His birthday gift from his son had arrived, and Bob had completely forgotten about it since resuming his life back at the precinct. Cutting open the package, Bob was presented with a small black box and a small visor-like object. ¡°Alright, so the small black box is actually the main processing unit. Imagine the computer tower part of a computer; that is essentially what it is,¡± Tommy continued over the phone. ¡°The other item is the immersion headset, kind of like the monitor portion of the computer.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± said Bob, unsure of what to do with his gift. ¡°Plug the black box into the wall, then plug the headset into the box. Everything else will do what it¡¯s supposed to.¡± Tommy''s voice was getting more and more excited. ¡°Right, then what?¡± Bob asked, still confused. ¡°You¡¯re going to want to lie on your bed, put the headset on, then say ¡®Log on,¡¯¡± responded Tommy. ¡°And that will take me to the video game you bought me?¡± Bob inquired. ¡°Sure will,¡± replied Tommy, and Bob could actually hear him smiling over the phone. ¡°I¡¯ll call you from inside the game in a few minutes. Give it a whirl!¡± Bob really wasn¡¯t interested but decided to humor his son, who had spent God-knows-what on this piece of equipment. When the call ended, Bob followed Tommy¡¯s instructions and then hoisted himself into his bed. It took him a few moments to get the visor on his head correctly and figure out that the glass portion of the visor sat over his eyes like glasses. ¡°Well¡­here goes nothing,¡± Bob said aloud, then deliberately stated, ¡°Log on,¡± and the world suddenly shifted, then went dark. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Various beeping sounds could be heard, then light slowly grew and Bob could see again. Things soon became almost too bright, and Bob had to cover his eyes with his hands. His hands¡­where was he? He wasn¡¯t lying on his bed any longer. He seemed to be standing in an endless white expanse. He was standing?! He looked down and saw legs. He assumed they were legs, though they looked like mannequin limbs. Upon closer inspection, he found that his arms matched the design of his legs. He tried taking a step and the legs moved. Was he walking again? What was this? ¡°Call from¡­Thomas,¡± a mechanical female voice declared, startling Bob. How did he answer the call? The female voice repeated herself. ¡°Uh¡­answer?¡± Bob said, unsure of himself. ¡°Hey, Dad!¡± Tommy¡¯s face suddenly appeared in front of Bob¡¯s head, floating in a box, which also startled him. ¡°What is this, Tommy?¡± Bob continued to look around, confused. ¡°This is the main lobby. Imagine your home screen on your computer.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing here,¡± Bob said, exasperated. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a brand new system! Everything is still loading, but frankly, there¡¯s not much to begin with anyway.¡± ¡°Okay¡­well, what do I do?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to want to load the game that¡¯s already on the system.¡± ¡°How do I do that?¡± Bob was starting to get used to the sensation of this weird new system. ¡°You¡¯re going to say, ¡®Load Program: Hero City.¡¯¡± ¡°Hero City?¡± Bob asked incredulously. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a brand new VRMMORPG.¡± Bob stared blankly at Tommy¡¯s face in response. His bodily features were slowly being loaded onto his avatar. ¡°It¡¯s a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game,¡± Tommy continued. ¡°It¡¯s a fully immersive video game, where you get to play with a ton of other people.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Bob looked back at his legs. ¡°And¡­I get to play like this?¡± Tommy smiled wide in response. "Yes, the visor takes your nerve signals and sends them to the computer system instead of your body. Even though your real body can¡¯t utilize the signals to your legs, this system can translate them to your avatar.¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± Bob said in reply as tears began to form on his avatar¡¯s face. Adjusting to a wheelchair had been a difficult transition for Bob, having previously been able to walk everywhere he needed within the city; being wheelchair-bound had made things¡­different. Even the mundane activities like showering, getting ready for bed, or even making himself a meal had proven to be somewhat challenging to get used to. As much as he tried to look at it as a new challenge to overcome, the emotional toll definitely got to him many times and there were several occasions where he broke down and wept. ¡°This was one of the main reasons I wanted to get this system for you. Even though you may not be able to walk in the real world, you can escape here to this virtual world and continue to walk, run, leap or even fly!¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Bob managed to get out between sobs. ¡°Thank you so much, son. This means so much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± Tommy said sincerely. ¡°But this is only one part of the gift. Load the game!¡± ¡°Load program: Hero City,¡± Bob declared, complying with his son¡¯s request. A small terminal slowly erupted from the ground in front of Bob. The front face presented a small keyboard and screen. ¡°You¡¯re going to create a username. This will allow you to log in. It won¡¯t necessarily be your character¡¯s name, though,¡± Tommy continued while Bob walked up to the terminal. The screen presented him with a bold logo that read ¡°Hero City¡± with an area to enter his own information under it. ¡°Now before you jump in,¡± Tommy continued, ¡°to access the logout menu, all you have to do is say ¡®menu.¡¯ Then a small menu will appear that you can interact with through your fingers.¡± ¡°Thanks for that,¡± Bob replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what will happen when you enter the game, but from what I¡¯ve heard it should be quite a bit of fun.¡± Tommy smiled at his dad. ¡°If you need to get ahold of me, just say ¡®Call Thomas¡¯ and I¡¯ll get the call anywhere, alright?¡± ¡°Thanks again, son. This really means a lot to me.¡± ¡°No worries. Have fun!¡± Tommy smiled, then his face disappeared as the call disconnected.Stolen story; please report. ¡°Here we go,¡± Bob declared to himself. He finished creating an account and then selected the ¡°Login¡± option on the screen. Like a dream, Bob now found himself in a small room with a desk, a computer and a chair. Following his instincts, Bob sat in front of the computer and was presented with a prompt.
Hello, New Hero. Before we begin your adventure in Hero City, we must create your avatar. There are two main options for doing this. The first option is typically the easiest option and good for new players, as you can select a pre-generated ability to play with. This limits growth and flexibility but does allow new players to acquaint themselves with the new system more easily. The second option is the more traditional option and allows you to build your character as you please as your adventure progresses. This form of playing is a bit more unforgiving to new players, but if you can manage it, we really do suggest this option. Make your Choice: Option 1 Option 2
Bob considered this for a moment and decided he wanted to experience this game the way it was meant to be played and selected Option 2.
Great. Now we can begin the first phase of character creation. In the beginning, your character will resemble you as you are in real life. As the game progresses you can make changes to your features if you like. Therefore, this character creation process focuses solely on helping generate an ability designed specifically for you. We will generate a series of tests for you that will help us assess which ability and perks to assign you. The tests vary, but please be honest with yourself and who you are as you participate. This will produce the best results. Are you ready to continue? Yes No
Bob stared at the small computer screen, worried about how exactly the game would be testing him. Bob really had no prior knowledge of video games and was reluctant to continue, but he pushed that aside and selected ¡°Yes.¡± The desk in front of him immediately vanished, and Bob now found himself in the dark inside a small storefront¡ªmaybe it was a deli or a small market, he wasn¡¯t completely sure¡ªbut looking down at himself, he found that he was outfitted in a police uniform. Before the shock could set in, he heard a small crashing sound from the back room behind the counter. His experience and instincts kicked in, and he quickly drew his pistol from its holster and gingerly leapt over the counter. From behind the door, he could hear whispered shouting and various objects crashing to the floor. Taking a deep breath, Bob pushed the door open and aimed the gun toward the noise. To his surprise he found a man holding a young woman against a counter, choking her. It was the woman who had been knocking the items over in herculean effort to free herself. ¡°Stop! Police!¡± Bob shouted as he had many times before, pointing his weapon at the assailant. The man looked straight into Bob¡¯s eyes and smiled. The woman¡¯s face was growing bluer and bluer. ¡°Sh¡­.oooo¡­.t-him,¡± the young woman managed to get out. Bob knew he needed to take action, and his training taught him that he needed to save this woman. Raising his pistol higher he took aim at the assailant and fired his weapon. Upon the bullet¡¯s impact, the man immediately released the woman, who then dropped to the floor gasping for air. Before Bob could make it over to the young lady, the room shifted once more and he now found himself at the very top of a large office building. Looking around, Bob was unsure how he was to proceed. With the wind whipping past his ears, he finally heard something that drew his attention. On a neighboring building was a small child screaming for help, but at this distance, Bob couldn¡¯t see what was wrong. Deciding to take action, Bob moved as quickly as he could to the side of the building nearest the child. Still unsure as to what was ailing the child, Bob did not know how to help. As if in answer to the question, three floors below where the child sat the windows suddenly burst out and flame erupted on all sides, slowly grasping upwards as if reaching up toward the child. Quickly gauging the distance between the buildings, Bob ran back a few feet to get ready to jump. As soon as he had made enough distance, he ran as fast as he could to the ledge and leapt, quickly realizing that his jump was not sufficient as he began to dip below the top of the building. Before panic could begin to fester, Bob splashed into a pool of some liquid, saving him from the fall. Opening his eyes, Bob could not figure out where he was or even where the surface began. He couldn¡¯t see anything other than water, and this time panic began to set in. Without much thought, Bob started to swim upwards as quickly as he could, feeling the breath slowly draining from him. He knew he would need air soon and he continued to swim but felt no nearer to any surface, if there even was one. He knew he couldn¡¯t give up. The seconds passed like hours as he continued to swim as fast as he could upwards. Where was the surface?! There had to be a way, so Bob continued forth as his lungs began to burn like he had inhaled fire. How much longer did he have? The moments crept by, and just as he was sure he would lose consciousness, he found himself back in the room with the desk and computer. Was he done? What had just happened? Everything had happened so fast, his brain had had almost zero time to process everything. In most of the instances, Bob had acted on pure instinct. Moving toward the desk, Bob sat back down in front of the computer and saw a new prompt.
Success. You have completed the three exams. These exams were not pass or fail but were designed to see how you would react to certain situations. In the first phase of the exam, we assessed your ability to act on a very limited amount of information to either subdue or rescue. The second phase was designed to assess your problem-solving analysis and how willing you would be to put yourself into harm''s way. The third and final phase was designed to assess your will. Would you give up, or would you continue to fight the odds stacked against you? With these assessments, we have decided to award you the ability labeled: Strength. This is a relatively rare ability, but not entirely unique, though this ability can be built to your own specifications and therefore can still result in a more distinctive and individual play style. In regards to perks, we have decided to award you with a select few.
  1. This perk allows you to stifle your fear and do what you might not normally do in any given situation.
  2. This perk allows you to push beyond your limits in times of need. Be careful as it could have negative effects along with the positive.
  3. This is a unique perk we have chosen for you based on your performance in these assessments. Full details will become available at a later level.
Accept? Yes No
Bob looked at the screen displayed in front of him. He really had no idea what any of the information meant, but he did feel as though ¡°Strength¡± was a good option. With this in mind, he selected ¡°Yes¡± and a new prompt appeared.
Hero City is a game filled with Superheroes and Supervillains. How you play the game and which direction you choose is solely up to you. At this time, all you will do is assign your avatar a name before you start. Please Select a Name: _______________
A superhero, huh? Bob now understood why his son had purchased this game for him. Now that he was always called a hero, at least this way he could sometimes feel the part. Playing the part would be interesting, and Bob could see how this game could end up being a tremendous amount of fun. What should he be called, though? He had always liked superheroes as a kid, the comics, the TV shows¡­but who would he be? Bob sat and stared at the small computer for several long minutes before typing in his desired name and hitting ¡°enter.¡±
Please Select a Name: Titan Thank you for playing with us here in Hero City. Please proceed through the door.
Bob looked up and noticed that a door had materialized on the other side of the desk. He quickly stood up as the desk, chair and computer slowly disintegrated. The door wasn¡¯t anything special, but Bob found himself a little nervous. Grasping the door handle, he pulled it open and stepped through. Renewal: Chapter 3 Through the door, Bob now found himself in a tremendous park in what seemed like the middle of a massive city. It spanned a great length, and Bob felt it was similar in size to Central Park in New York. He could hear the intense bustle of the city, the cars, the people, all the various chittering and chattering, and it made him feel oddly at home. As he gazed around, he found a large fountain nearby, but what surprised him the most was the size and number of buildings that surrounded the park. They were incredibly large, larger than any he¡¯d ever seen, and they were built with such a futuristic architectural style. It was impressive. ¡°You look super lost,¡± an excited voice behind Bob exclaimed. He turned around and noticed a small man in a bright blue and black spandex suit populated by a variety of differently sized stars. ¡°Are you new?¡± ¡°Uh¡­yes. Yes, I am,¡± Bob admitted. ¡°Well, welcome to Aegis City!¡± the spandex-clad man exclaimed. ¡°My name is Starshift and I like to welcome newbies whenever I can.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s nice of you,¡± Bob admitted. ¡°No problem, just doing what I can for a fellow hero!¡± His face quickly changed. ¡°You are going to be a hero, right?¡± he asked awkwardly. ¡°Oh,¡± Bob started, ¡°of course, that¡¯s the plan. I guess I remember the prompts mentioning supervillains.¡± ¡°Yes, depending on how you play the game, you can progress as either a hero or villain. Those are the main play points, at least.¡± ¡°Play points¡­¡± Bob repeated with confusion written on his face. ¡°Have you ever played an online game like this?¡± Starshift inquired. ¡°No,¡± Bob admitted. ¡°My son bought this game for me as a birthday gift.¡± ¡°Well, happy birthday!¡± Starshift exclaimed. ¡°Would you like me to show you the ropes?¡± ¡°That would be very much appreciated, thank you.¡± Bob smiled. Starshift pointed around brightly. ¡°You¡¯re currently in one of the main hubs of the city, Infinity Park,¡± he began. ¡°This is a neutral zone or what you may call a safe zone. No PvP here, or Player Versus Player; it¡¯s a great area for newbies.¡± ¡°So players can fight each other?¡± Bob inquired. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s your typical PvP where heroes and villains fight each other in areas outside the neutral zones.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Bob said. ¡°Yeah, and frankly you won¡¯t really have to worry about dealing with villains for a while anyway.¡± ¡°So how do I get started?¡± Bob inquired, ready to begin his adventure. ¡°That¡¯s a great question,¡± Starshift said. ¡°You see over there?¡± Bob looked and noticed the large government-esque building in the distance. ¡°That¡¯s City Hall. If you¡¯re going to lead the life of a superhero then you¡¯re going to want to register there.¡± ¡°Great. Thanks,¡± Bob said. ¡°Here.¡± Starshift tapped a small band on his wrist and his menu popped up. ¡°I¡¯ll send you a friend request. This way you can contact me anywhere you are.¡± He made a few more selections and a prompt appeared in front of Bob.
Starshift has sent you a friend request. Accept? Yes No
Bob selected ¡°Yes¡± and noticed Starshift¡¯s name pop up on his new friends list. Next to his name it showed his location and whether he was online or offline. A new, smaller prompt appeared suddenly.
Achievement Unlocked! Friendly: Register Someone on your Friends List. Reward: 10 XP and Title: Friendly
¡°Thanks,¡± Bob said and shook Starshift¡¯s hand. Bob tapped the small X button at the top of the prompt to close it. ¡°See you later.¡± Starshift saluted, then disappeared in a magical flare of blue and black light. Bob stood there in amazement at his new friend¡¯s sudden evaporation. Looking past where Starshift had been, Bob began to make his way to the City Hall building. Gaping at his surroundings, Bob actually saw a few people flying in the sky above him. Wow, he thought. The inside of City Hall was vast and marble-clad, bustling with people and superheroes alike. Gazing around Bob spotted the receptionist and figured she would know how to help him. ¡°Are you a new hero?¡± the receptionist asked as Bob approached. She was dressed in a smart-looking suit, with her blonde hair tied in a tight ponytail. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Bob declared. ¡°Great.¡± She pulled a paper out of her desk and stated, ¡°Luckily, registering as a hero is free and allows you access to a variety of quests.¡± ¡°That sounds good,¡± Bob said. ¡°What do I have to do?¡± ¡°Just fill out this document.¡± She handed him the sheet of paper. As Bob grabbed the document a prompt appeared in front of him.
Quest Alert! Register as a Hero: Part 1 You¡¯ve started your journey as one of the righteous and just. Fill out the paperwork to proceed. Reward: 10 XP
Bob quickly scrawled his information on the paper and handed it back to the young woman. ¡°Alright, Superhero¡­Titan,¡± she said as she read his avatar¡¯s name on the document. ¡°As a hero, you¡¯ll be protected by certain liabilities and an array of insurance coverages that are taken care of by the city,¡± she continued. ¡°For example, if you damage a building, injure someone or do anything that could hold you personally liable, being a registered hero will protect you from any legal wrongdoing.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Bob admitted. He hadn¡¯t even considered anything of the sort, but he was glad it was something he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about. ¡°Since you¡¯re a new hero, your first costume will be done for free by one of our tailors.¡± A new prompt appeared.
Quest Update! Register as a Hero: Part 2Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. You¡¯ve filled out the proper documentation! Now continue to get your costume. Follow the receptionist''s directions to continue. Reward: 10 XP and Costume Slot #1
Bob hadn¡¯t even realized that he would be getting his own costume! ¡°Please proceed down the hall to the right and you¡¯ll find one of the tailor rooms down on the left. There they will be able to help you with your costume.¡± Bob thanked the woman and proceeded the way he had been directed. Bob found himself amazed at his surroundings. Everything seemed so real that he legitimately couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the other players and the non-players. The environment was so incredible and realistic, he didn¡¯t really feel like he was in a game. Bob finally found his way to a series of rooms labeled ¡°Tailor.¡± Seeing no other receptionist, Bob randomly opened one of the doors to find himself in a completely white room. ¡°Well, hello!¡± a bright young woman exclaimed. Bob turned to see the woman coming from a back room. She wore a long lab coat over a tight gray dress that screamed ¡°professional.¡± ¡°My name is Anna and I¡¯ll be your tailor today.¡± Anna sat herself behind a desk in the corner and tapped a button on her computer, which in turn raised a small dais in the center of the room. ¡°Please step up there, if you would.¡± Her brown eyes smiled behind her glasses. ¡°Sure.¡± Though a bit confused, Bob complied with the woman''s request and stepped up onto the dais. A small arm with a scanner at the end descended from the ceiling and stared menacingly at Bob. ¡°This arm will scan your body so we can accurately design a costume.¡± She smiled in a way that almost suggested she enjoyed Bob¡¯s apparent discomfort. Bob watched as the arm emitted a bright blue light and scanned him. ¡°Alright, great,¡± Anna said as the arm finished scanning him. ¡°Please come and sit down.¡± Bob stepped off the dais and sat across from the woman. ¡°Now we will begin designing your suit,¡± Anna said. ¡°Hero name¡­Titan? That¡¯s a unique name,¡± she told him. ¡°Strength, huh? I can work with that.¡± She tapped a few things into her computer and mumbled to herself a bit. ¡°Let¡¯s look back at the platform.¡± Bob turned and saw a mannequin materialize on the platform. ¡°So why ¡®Titan?¡¯¡± She accentuated the name with her fingers. ¡°Well, two main reasons, I guess,¡± Bob began. ¡°A Titan is a powerful or important person. This is a new chapter in my life that I want to embrace.¡± Anna nodded in understanding. ¡°Titans in Greek mythology were giants and were the pre-Olympian gods. The word also means ¡®great strength.¡¯ In a sense, I¡¯d like to be the ¡®great strength¡¯ that protects people.¡± Bob hated how cheesy it sounded, but it was true that he had thought of that when coming up with the name. ¡°Well, I can definitely work with something like that,¡± Anna declared excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­¡± She began tapping and clicking away at her computer. Suddenly, a spandex suit materialized on the mannequin. It screamed superhero. The top of the suit was a dark teal, with a large white T that covered most of the torso. The bottom half was a darker gray, with flared boots reflecting the dark teal from the torso. The gloves matched the flared style but were white like the T. The face was only covered by a small black mask around the eyes. He liked it. ¡°Wow¡­that¡¯s really impressive,¡± Bob admitted. ¡°I do good work,¡± Anna replied haughtily, chuckling at Bob. ¡°Will this work?¡± Bob got up and slowly approached the mannequin. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Bob stuck his hand under his chin, analyzing what stood in front of him. ¡°I really like the design, but I want a splash of another color in here somewhere.¡± ¡°What color?¡± Anna inquired. Bob thought about it for a moment. ¡°Could we try red? It was my wife¡¯s favorite color.¡± Bob asked. Anna nodded in reply and tapped a couple more buttons on her computer. ¡°How about this?¡± Anna motioned again toward the mannequin. Nothing had really changed, except the T had become embossed, and the shadow side of the emblem had become a dark red. Bob stood a moment and took it all in. He really liked it. ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect,¡± Bob declared confidently. ¡°Wonderful,¡± Anna said as Bob sat back down in the chair. ¡°The material is designed specifically with your ability in mind. It¡¯s extremely durable, so it can take a beating without deteriorating. It¡¯s also very flexible and will adjust with your body as you improve your skills,¡± she advised matter-of-factly. ¡°Right.¡± Bob had not thought about the beatings aspect, but he understood fights to be a normal part of being a superhero. A new prompt suddenly appeared in front of Bob.
Quest Update! Register as a Hero: Part 3 You are now the proud owner of your Hero costume! Follow the tailor¡¯s directions to continue. Rewards: 20 XP + Smart Band
¡°I¡¯m going to be loading this information for you to access once you receive your Smart Band,¡± Anna began as Bob accepted the new quest. ¡°From here, exit out this door, turn right and follow the hall until you find the Tech Department. Your Smart Band is waiting for you there.¡± She motioned to a new door next to where the two were seated. ¡°Thank you,¡± Bob said as he made his way to the door. ¡°No problem. Have fun.¡± Anna smiled and returned to the back room from which she had originally come. Bob left the room and looked for the Tech Department. He found a sign that directed him to where he needed to go. Within a few moments, Bob found himself in a large room filled with all sorts of science-types. Lab coats and goggles filled his vision, but he was surprised to find that this room was filled with heroes as well. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Bob turned around to see an older gentleman decked out in a long lab coat. His scalp glistened under his wispy hair. ¡°Uh, yes. I¡¯m here to pick up my¡­Smart Band?¡± Bob said without confidence. ¡°A new hero,¡± the lab-coated man said as he sized Bob up. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve come to the right place. Come with me.¡± The man turned on his heel and walked to a nearby desk. Bob quickly followed. ¡°Hero name?¡± the man inquired abruptly. ¡°Titan,¡± Bob replied. The gentleman gave a quizzical look but tapped a few things into his computer. ¡°Found you. Let¡¯s load you up.¡± The man grabbed what Bob assumed was a Smart Band and plugged it into the computer. After a moment of awkward silence, the man handed the small piece of equipment to Bob. ¡°What do I do with it?¡± Bob asked the man. ¡°Put it on your wrist first.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Bob said as he slipped the device over his wrist. In the next instant, several new things filled his field of vision. He saw two colored bars on his top right, as well as a longer bar on the bottom of his view. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your HUD, otherwise known as a Heads-Up Display. This will help you on your journey as a hero,¡± the lab coat stated plainly. A new prompt appeared in front of Bob.
Quest Update! Register as a Hero: Part 4 The process of registering as a Hero is almost complete! Equip your costume to finish. Rewards: 50 XP + 50 Prestige
With the completion of the previous portion of the quest, Bob noticed the bar at the bottom of his HUD filling slightly. Must be my experience bar, Bob thought to himself. ¡°How do I equip my costume?¡± Bob asked the man. ¡°Ah, good question,¡± the man replied, more excited. ¡°You¡¯re going to tap your Smart Band and you¡¯ll see the menu pop up. Scroll on the band to select other options.¡± Bob followed his directions and the man continued. ¡°Under ¡®Character¡¯ you¡¯ll find ¡®Costumes.¡¯ That¡¯s where you¡¯ll select to equip your costume. Give it a try.¡± The man nodded toward Bob¡¯s wrist. Bob looked at the small item on his wrist and followed the instructions the man had given him. Upon opening the menu he saw several options but figured he could explore them after completing the quest. Excited to actually wear his costume, Bob selected the ¡°Equip¡± option underneath the first Costume Slot. Several things happened at once. First, his costume began materializing from his Smart Band, quickly enveloping his body. Second, his HUD changed, and more options became visible. The two colored bars at the top right became more apparent and were now labeled. The green bar on top was now labeled ¡°Hit Points,¡± with the bottom blue one labeled ¡°Power.¡± Above the experience bar on the bottom now sat the numerical notation 50/100, which Bob surmised was the remaining amount needed. Along with those changes, there were several other changes to the HUD, though Bob was unsure what they were for aside from the compass that sat right above the experience bar. Third and finally, with his costume being equipped Bob received the experience from completing his quest, which brought the experience to 100/100. This signaled a double prompt to appear.
Quest Complete! Register as a Hero Success! You have completed this quest and finished your registration procedures! Good luck as you continue your journey! Rewards: 50 XP + 50 Prestige
Achievement Unlocked! Newbie: You¡¯ve gained your first level! Congratulations! Award: 10 XP and Title: Newbie
As the level change processed, Bob''s body emitted an intense light signaling the change in level. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve gotten the hang of it now,¡± the gentleman said, snapping Bob back into the Tech Department. ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you for your help.¡± Bob shook the man¡¯s hand. ¡°How do I get back to the foyer?¡± After listening to the man¡¯s instructions, Bob finally managed to find himself back outside facing the park he had started in. It had gotten dark, yet the park and surrounding areas were still lit by the numerous street lights and light pollution from the city itself. It was still a magnificent sight to behold, and it filled him with excitement. Deciding he¡¯d had enough fun for one day, Bob called up his menu and logged out, feeling he¡¯d had a fairly successful first day.