《The virtual mind》


 00 - Prologue

    There comes a day when you see something you just have to obtain


    that day happened for me an ordinary joe nothingspecial,all average for me, if I had a hobby it would be video games not that I ever did anything special about them just an ordinary guy playing an ordinary game an ordinary way.


    Today on the way home I saw that THING you just have to buy while I was walking to my apartment it was thelatestVR headset coupled with the newest game that came out with it both were made by the samecompany,the game was more of a way to show off the headset with its built in computer


    I purchased the headset with the game, I plugged it in when I got home to charge it. All that¡¯s required to run the headset was to make sure it was charged and plugged in something about the risks that would happen if you suddenly disconnected or something.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    While it was charging I decided to check the gameforumsabout the game that came with the purchase, my computer was new at one point but it is considered old now but it does its job well. It is constantly monitoring my apartment and recording stuff when things go bad.


    I opened the forum and most of what was there that the game was just a blank room with some stuff on a table to fool around with. I decided to check it out myself and judge for myself how useless it was, I slotted the game into the headset andlaydown pulling the headset over my head ascreenpopped to life on thesemi-transparentvisor


    [Hello, welcome to initalization please wait for progress 0%]


    so just lay here and wait wonder how long it will take?

 01 - Initialization

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    Initializing 1%, You may now designate your global username


    _____________________________


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    After a while of waiting it finally broke 1% I''m so glad


    I spent a good while deciding the name eventualy I said outloud


    "I can''t think of anything just a random one Hmm..."


    I was cut off before I could say the really corny username I had come up with by a really unexpected feminin voice.


    "command received, New Username registered as NewUserRandom" (???)


    I was quite supprised by this devolopment there was nothing in the forums or reviews about their headsets talking to them besides whats up with that name like really-


    My thoughts were cut off again by the prompt that showed on the visor again


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    Please confirm new Global username


    NewUserRandom


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    "geeze what''s with the uncreative name, and what''s with the mix between prompts and voice" (NewUserRandom)


    "new users are forced to go through setup using prompts if you wish to go through using audio just speak and info will be put in in the prompts for you and the prompts will never appear again except unless you designate it to" (???)


    The voice responded I think I am guessing the pattern here


    "Fine set username as ''RandomNewUser''" (RandomNewUser)


    The voice didn''t respond to that but the text in the box changed


    I said out loud "confirm"


    Then another prompt showed up I looked over it for a second


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    <td style="text-align: center">Initializing 5% Please wait for the mapping and remapping of neural networks (may take a while)</td>


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    I had a terrible chill from that statement that I''d be sitting here for a while so I decided to push the thought aside and see what was up with the voice using the only way I knew possible at the moment


    "So why is there no reports on ''you'' talking to the users" (RandomNewUser)


    I used emphasis on "you" just to see how the system would react to it


    "excluding you, out of all the new users only 1259 users gave a command"(???)


    "wait so other people know that the system talks to its users and no one said anything?" (RandomNewUser)


    "there is currently no reports of our interaction online" (???)


    Oh it said ''our'' so it has at least some sense of self I wonder what it is


    "So since you said ''our'' does that mean you know about yourself?" (RandomNewUser)


    The voice took a little longer to respond to that must be hard


    "the current initialization level is too low to tell you, but if you wish to discuss the system it is possible" (???)


    I took a long think about it I read the science magazines about the headset how it was reading brainwaves and such but I think it might be much more than that there is a certain lack of information on what its actualy doing might just be me thinking too much, then the thought from earlier popped into my head again.


    "so what exactly are you doing to my head and such?"(RandomNewUser)


    The response was fast this timeIf you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "the system is currently scanning and re-writing neural pathways to make connecting again faster and easier"(???)


    Hmm something I''m forgetting something important here I checked the progress on the initalizing 20% its going to be a while


    "so you are making it easier to get into my head later, will it hurt?"(RandomNewUser)


    "the process is done slowly to avoid hurting the user, so the percentage remaining is not an indicator time remaining" (???)


    Oh so if there''s a delicate thing going on it will slow down and in true lazy fashion I asked the one question you never ask a super computer because of the consequences


    "is there a way to speed up the process" (RandomNewUser)


    The response scared me a little


    "is that a command?" (???)


    "is it possible?" (RandomNewUser)


    "well yes, but the side effects include a mild headache with possible dizziness and such and to go through another scan to detect anomalies" (???)


    Hmmm why do I feel like this will be bad but I want to find out what these ''anomalies'' are.


    "speed up the process than"(RandomNewUser)


    It was eerily quiet for a while but just as my mind was racing through the implications of what just happened, the worst pain in my life split out behind my eyes WHAT IS MILD ABOUT THIS! After the initial pain that was so painful it lasted an entire lifetime and yet short at the same time, I started to actually see what the program was doing yes actualy see the code go through my brain and set the pathways in a more efficient mannar, I said program because it wasn''t truly a part of the anything it was just a line of code to execute, I decided to let it run after all it was litteraly making me smarter, until it got to the last part it was trying to alter the way I received information it was trying to input some strange long term brainwashing from what I tell, I stopped it, I don¡¯t know how I just reached with my mind grabbed the program and crushed it before it completed but the process was partialy done and I had access to what looked like an ocean of information and virtual images, I looked at the scraps of the program I crushed laying around my mind and peiced together the next step so the mass of information didn''t send some kind of termination code. I performed the scan myself no anomalies except the opened pathway to the mass of information which I used to send an all clear message to the system.


    I didn''t look into that ocean to see what was there, You know what they say, if you dont see it, it doesn''t exist. and I REALLY had a haunch I wasn''t ready for whatever that was.


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    <td style="text-align: center">Initialization 75% You may now enter the virtual room provided with the headset</td>


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    "so it''s done now"(RandomNewUser)


    "yes, surprised you said it before I did"(???)


    "who are you" (RandomNewUser)


    No response


    I was about to repeat the request when the mind spoke up again in my mind like a whisper


    "I was built by the system to monitor and guide the users, that is humanity, onto the path the systems desires"


    "why do I have a feeling that I''m not actually ''in'' the system" (RandomNewUser)


    "Scanning..." slight pause "If you mean like how you are influenced by the system like the most of the new users, you are not ''in'' the system like others but you are within the expectation of the system" (???)


    I decided to press question of earlier


    "so ''Who'' are you?" (RandomNewUser)


    "I am designated as the monitor of new interface creators of Alltera"(Monitor of wut?)


    "ok so I will call you Monica because it¡¯s a great name for you" (RandomNewUser)


    I saw a flash of bright light just outside the space of my mind it flowed through my mind and collected at a point of a humanoid female with a plug at the end of her tail and... and cat ears? Let''s just not comment on the lack of clothing for the apparition, wait it''s in my mind so it a hallucination, well, it''s not really in my mind more like a construct? suddenly it clicked a virtual construct of what Monika is or what Monika thought she was


    I spoke in my mind again "I see your form isn''t quite human is it?"(RandomNewUser)


    She looked at me in my.... mindscape "so, that¡¯s what a human look like when they connect"(Monica)


    I tilt my head to the side and ask "so I''m the first to awaken?"(RandomNewUser)


    "not the first but the first human"(Monica)


    Oh is she an alien or an AI designed by the system, maybe both? What do I look like in to her?


    I give the best smirk I can while thinking that "so let''s get onto the virtual game than?"(RandomNewUser)


    This time she tilted her head "Are you asking me to join you in the chip inserted into the headset?"(monica)


    She had the look of bewilderment on her face and a slight blush I couldn''t understand why, Did i accidently propose or something, surely not right?


    "Err well I dont know much about this whole virtual thing I don''t even understand why I can see you right now I myself and suprised I haven''t Flipped out yet"(RandomNewUser)


    She suddenly stopped looking cute and bewildered and her gaze became sharp she looked at me a little bit "You-" she stopped "You can see me?"(Monica)


    "Well yeah how else could I be able to tell you were not human"(RandomeNewUser)


    She stopped looking at me with her sharp gaze and suddenly she went suddenly flush with embarrasment "Ehhhhh, I thought the code was suppost to detect anomalies if it did I wouldn''t have showed up totaly naked infront of a man not to mention someone else that was naked" she started talking to herself trying to cover her parts(Monica)


    So i guess she must be an exhibitionist of a sorts to even think of showing up naked when she thought they can''t see her... Wait she said something there that was kinda important, I looked at myself and the surroundings, It was something that I didn''t do before because it was like how you knew what drawers in your kitchen contained forks without even thinking about it


    I looked around first starting off far I saw the connection to the ocean and Monica at the entrance still mumbling her embarrasment instead of just blinking away to hide for some reason, I saw the floor it was strangly black uniformly black occasionaly there''d be a spark a light going towards the opening to the ocean, wait am I not on my bed anymore? no its more like i''m in both places at the same time? I can see the blue screan telling me to enter into the game, something tells me that the ''game'' is more than it was told to be.


    "just so you know I only showed up because you gave me a name so I decided to take it for myself Mr RandomNewUser"(Monica)


    I looked up at her before I could look at myself "call me Jake, Monica" (Jake)


    I wen''t back to looking at the walls which were unsuprisingly black like the floor, then realised i needed to look at myself. I quickly swiviled my eyes to my feet much like Monica suprisingly human but then something caught my eye off to the side it was my hand I almost paniced but it was just normal false alarm, I looked up then the peripherals caught something moving that I didn''t say to move... from below? I looked down again. there is was just hanging like it didn''t care.

 02 - Accomplished

    Ok don¡¯t panic just think, What can I do to fix this? I looked around saw the fragments of the code I don¡¯t know how to write code myself, But I do know how don¡¯t really need to I can just weave these lines together to make a solid structure right? I hope this works, I quickly pick up the scattared lines and weave them together to make a basic form cover my unmentionables and a string to tie behind my back


    Apperantly telling her to call me Jake didn''t exactly register with her as she started to blush even more Like really why would such a thing get that response? I quickly tied the cloth that covered my front and then a litterall blue screan popped into my... Mindscape? No not right all this information around its more like a virtual mind yeah Virtual mind


    Looking at the blue screan I looked at what was said there and choked back a laugh


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    New virtual item aquired: Loincloth of shattered code


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    <td style="text-align: center">This loincloth is more of a trophy than an actualy functioning garment its primary point is that it covers what needs to be covered</td>


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    <td>People who reconise this will have a slight improvement of their veiw of you</td>


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    I was about laugh at how rediculess this was then another thought occurred what does it mean by trophy?


    Another new box showed up


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    <td style="text-align: center">New achievements added to collection all achievments are given by the system for actions outside the norm (good or bad)</td>


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    Err I feel this just dangerous "I got an achievement?"(Jake)


    Monica looked over and her eyes widened at the sight of the loincloth seems she recognized it "Oh, I never thought you''d get an achievement what is it?"(Monica)


    "I don¡¯t really know? How do I check?" While flashing a dry smile(Jake)


    "well you could state it out loud or use the blue boxes you hate so much"(Monica)


    "hmm view achievements"(Jake)


    Just like that a blue box showed up stating achievments


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    System defying For fooling the system until you decided to make the string covering your nibblets (next time dispose of scattered code immediatly as it will call problems with your virtual mind and punishments from the system for leaving random code around)


    From your use of using the very code you defied as clothing it has been converted into a trophy


    </td>


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    just as I was about to ask what I got from the trophyIf you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


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    <td>All trophies are meant to showed off anyone who veiws your virtual identity will see the acheivment listed while the trophy is equiped


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    <td style="text-align: center">Current number of achievements awarded systemwide: 10,036,541</td>


    <td>Current numer of trophies systemwide: 1</td>


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    I put my head in my hands and spoke into my hands "Well I saw it was going to connect to system like the others so I stopped it and fooled it by sending a false positive"(Jake)


    "Oh, so you''re the reason why I was seen naked was that your aim? Eh? Why do you have clothes and I don¡¯t even know how to start making them" (Monica)


    Was it such a grand thing? Its literally called a piece of tattered code "Well I just took the lines of code from the program that was running the connection to the network and made a new piece of clothes"(Jake)


    I swear Monica almost did a backflip while trying to run up to me like a fangirl, why is it everything I say to this girl just ends up being taken to the extreme "Oh it¡¯s a trophy wow! I never thought I''d ever see one while working to integrate new users to the virtual world" she was slammed into a wall that was at the entrance of my little room(Monica)


    Seeing her slam into the wall I giggled a little "well It''s not like I know how to make code I didn''t even manage to fool the system forever"(Jake)


    "Well I will go see what this virtual game that¡¯s in my headset and you can stay here since I don¡¯t know how to get you through that wall if it was as simple as saying ''come on in'' I am pretty sure the system is not as great as I am thinking it is"


    Right after my words her hand went into the room and started stepping into the room I panicked and quickly said "enter game!" before she could follow me in... hopefully


    Another blue box decided to show up this time telling me about the game this one was just an automated one so it was decided unremarkable I tried to close it like the others from before but it didn''t work, Right because I was not in the VR before but instead inside my virtual mind even I get confused at that, I reached out and touched the blue screen, it was solid feeling like a glass pane I made a fist and was about to punch it but this time another blue box showed up this one I could tell was the same kind as the one from my virtual mind I stummbled from the force I was about to release on the screan but started in cold sweat looking at the contents of the new screan


    <table>


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    <td style="text-align: center">There is currently a user trying to connect to your personal room


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    <td style="text-align: center">MonitorMonica requests to link with your headset, State: yes or no</td>


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    I now understand why she was blushing from the comments about inviting her it was literally an act of intimacy to have someone in your personal space is like showing all of the stuff you have, not that I have much I looked over and saw a brightly gleaming trophy on a shelf of me proudly displaying my loincloth for all to see


    [Admin P.O.V] about 5 minutes prior


    A new user by the name of RandomNewUser broke the code of the system and made a loincloth out of it and make a proud expression of accomplishment, the instant the item was completed, the system was moving to punish the player for destroying code of a system and leaving the code around. I stopped the system from punishing him, he didn''t know the rules yet and he still cleaned up the code in a special way so I took manual control and made the loincloth into a trophy.


    I laughed at this fool I even made the achievement in the personal space of everyone who had it into him proudly displaying his loincloth


    Chuckling to myself "Let''s see how anonymous your name will be now that you have a statue of yourself in 10 thousands peoples virtual personal place"

 03 - The personal room

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    <td style="text-align: center">There is currently a user trying to connect to your personal room


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    <td style="text-align: center">MonitorMonica requests to link with your headset, State: yes or no</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


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    </td>


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    </table>


    I said outloud "Yes" and with a litteral sound of ''Plop'' a girl with a flowing blue robe with deep purple furr with blue tipped ears, her tail is now missing the plug instead its blue tipped like her ears and her eyes are suprising normal compared to the rest of her it is not quite as ''cat like'' well its not that is unwelcome it would be unnerving to look into cat eyes on a humanoid


    she looked around and immediatly spotted the gleeming statue of me striking a pose she made a face that looked like she was trying to hold in her laughter


    "What it¡¯s the achievement I got its called system defying"


    She looked at me in disbelief for a while, then she opened what looked like a hole in my wall went inside and came out with another statue that looked eerily similar to the one on my shelf just now and she started clutching her stomach in laughter, I had a real bad feeling in my bones than ''how''d she have that statue of me as well?''


    "Did I miss the joke somewhere?"(Jake)


    "Hahaha~ You are- Hehe~ You are the joke" she holds up the statue of me and shatters my hope of this whole virtual thing "anyone who has the achievement will have this statue now Hehehe"(Monica)


    I couldn''t believe it was it really that amazing that is changed to make the achievement look like me, I''d sulking in the corner if I wasn''t so mad at this CAT that is laughing in my face holding a miniature of me in her hand


    Oh well what done is done right? NO WAY I ran up to her grabbing the statue she looked at my face then goes slightly pale seeing the rage on it


    "NO" (Jake)


    I threw the statue on the ground stomping on it and then I looked around at what more I could do I saw nothing just a statue of myself and a shelf that was it maybe I should''ve let the program finish the initialization maybe there''d be more like a new player kit or something while I was thinking a set of starter stuff showed up a coat with a strange symbol on it, a pair of basic pants, and basic equipment sadly no undergarments for me still got to use the loincloth I looked through the basic equipment and there was an item that showed up according to blue box the virtual fire starter a code used to remove other code I quickly grabbed it and started a fire on the statueYou might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Monica almost started screaming when she saw the fire burning the statue


    "so, now what''s this virtual mind stuff?"(Jake)


    "Well the virtual mind IS you, if you invite someone inside its literally sharing one body for the virtual world, that¡¯s what inviting to the personal space means, so I have access to request to enter your personal space, you can also request to access mine and the two spaces are linked if I leave your virtual mind I will not be able to re-enter without your approval"(Monica)


    "Why''s it called virtual mind if its literally me?"(Jake)


    "Well the virtual mind was renamed from virtual avatar because if your avatar dies you don¡¯t die you just return to your virtual mind, otherwise if your virtual mind is destroyed you die currently the system is protecting new users from being destroyed, you remember the invisible wall that is one system of protection from the system"(Monica)


    "Wait so I''ll die if someone doesn''t like me?" I suddenly felt really scared about the fact that 10 thousand people had my statue(Jake)


    "Well the system is harder to destroy than you think especially when its protecting something or someone in this case so you''ll be fine"(Monica)


    "well I already guessed that else there''d actually be punishments for fooling the system at any passing turns"(Jake)


    "don¡¯t worry about the system it''s just there to make things easier not rule over everyone, you will never receive any bonus from the system the ''Hehe'' Trophy you made is a Trophy because of what it is not because the system made them. The system doesn''t care about anything other than harm the virtual world and you will know when you do something that will harm the system, trust me I wouldn''t be here if I didn''t accidently put a glitch in the virtual bank system to wire more credits to my account. No one likes to monitor the new users"(Monica)


    "wait you aren''t an AI or some Virtual construct? You said you were made by the system!"(Jake)


    "No, I am not, the system stripped of my old name when my name when I got caught~ *Cough* I mean before I accidently found a glitch, and the whole spiel about me being made by the system was just a script to ease the user transitions into the virtual world"(Monica)


    "So, I gave Monica the criminal a name and now she''s in my body probably finding a way to avoid the system to make me a puppet or something"(Jake)


    I felt like being sarcastic for a moment but I hope don¡¯t say anything to make her react to the extreme again


    She gave me a quick glance and replied seriously "two things, 1 the system monitors me all the time while I am doing my community service as you would call it. 2 anyone who enters your virtual mind does not have to avoid the system to do anything to your mind please be careful in the future of who you let in here"(Monica)


    Oh well that¡¯s good to know now I guess "so why did not see anything about this on the forums and such?"(Jake)


    "Remember that thing about anomalies that the program was supposed to scan for it would have found out immediately that you skipped a whole 10 years of learning to set up security programs and it would have set up even more protections, once you said you could see me the system started setting extra tough programs around you"(Monica)


    Ah, so that¡¯s how it was


    "I hope the system is watching you harder than you were watching me"(Jake)

 04 - The virtual and material

    I wonder who she says I need to be protected from I hope those few minutes of not being protected didn''t call anything bad


    "So, what is that these securities are supposed to protect me from?"


    "Well, it''s from other users of course! wouldn''t want you to be suffering from corruption even if the other party gets punished, the system can''t fix your virtual mind only you can do that."


    "are you saying I could have ended up a vegetable?!"


    Ok let''s just move on nothing I can do about it now I guess


    I shrug "So if none of the other humans and the fact you stated that you had called ''new users'' humanity and such that means you''re an alien of sorts? What is this really all about?"


    "Oh, you''re catching on quick, humanity is going to be a new addition to the virtual world where all races can be together without doing any real harm to each other. After a few years, an admin from the race that runs the virtual world would show up and show your world how to do their first real connection. you just skipped all that and connected on your own and you even got the whole aliens exist thing right away"


    "wait is this some kind of mind-controlling scheme by the system? I highly doubt aliens would just drop off a piece of technology to simply get us ''connected'', we don''t even know we speak the same language or the cultural differences. let''s just say we won''t get along humanity is a very xenophobic race as a whole"


    "oh well, let''s just say that we found that most people who buy the headset for gaming purposes aren''t as xenophobic as the rest of your race and then once the first few who already have the headset connect it will all work out because everyone will want to jump on what you call the bandwagon"


    "Oh so everyone will just follow because the first users had a good contact with them I think I understand the logic"


    Hmm I feel like I''m forgetting to ask an important question here... let''s review, a race runs the virtual world other races meet in the virtual world humanity is going to be there in a few years OH that''s right


    "What happens when wars start real-world wars?"


    she looks at me a second with a questioning look then says "You misunderstand, the reason for the virtual world is so races can meet and interact if its trade or war. also, most races are humanoid in shape and some pacifist race threw a fit because we called the world outside the virtual world the ''real-world'' they stated that we would never truly be enlightened enough to figure out what was real or not. a law was passed to call it the ''material world'' to avoid the over aggressive pacifists"The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Well, that sounds oddly backwards did they have a low population or something so they had no wars but were actually really advanced or something?


    "so how do people interact with this world of yours then?"


    "to connect with the virtual world, you need to use the headset if you try to connect without it you will just find your world no connection to the virtual one, and most races use a single currency in game that you can use as actual currency in the material world"


    "so since I managed to connect beforehand what does that mean?"


    "you really didn''t connect to the real virtual world since it wasn''t set up here yet what you saw was the framework that was waiting for the virtual world to expand its influence"


    "ok, so it''s like an unfinished map and such? what happens if I stepped out there?"


    "if you stepped out here you would be teleported to the nearest safe planet that was finished and I would have lost your avatar forever... well until you died and came back here"


    "that makes me feel better so since I am the only human that can connect what happens now?"


    "the system has approved two options you will go through training your security programs with me or it will limit your access to connect then go through original training you would have gone through without connecting "


    "Eh? why does one so terrible and the other so lonely can I not make a choice?"


    "Yes, you do," she said flatly


    Hmm be here with her for years on end or go through what everyone else does. let''s think of this as a class one course gets me standard everything and the other course gets me a personal teacher with cat ears and tail. I don''t think its much of a choice really


    I''m pretty sure I have an excited look on my face of getting to spend time with a criminal who robs banks in another world while I say this


    "I choose you!"


    I swear she had the look of confusion on her face, eh one of those cultural gaps again not understanding what I''m saying guess I''ll clarify it for her


    "I choose to learn from a cute purple cat that robs bank"


    She looks at like someone just said something totally unbelievable but she still has a slight flustered look on her face at least she understood I was joking this time around


    She clears her thought "I don''t rob banks I find glitches" she pauses and then adds "they also forced me to fix that particular glitch so I can''t teach you that one"


    I almost made a sarcastic remark again but stopped so we can progress the conversation


    "Hehe, so where do we start?"


    "Since you told me you don''t know how to write code we can go two ways. one way will take you to the route of active defence where you make code from scratch which you will have to learn or we can go the passive defences which most users have"


    "isn''t it better to have both?" why have either when you can have both right? I don''t see why not


    "yes it is but it would take a lot of time to go through the process of learning both if you want to get through it in ten years it will take three times the work of what you would go through originally"


    "well, I chose to stay here right why should you go easy on me? I chose to learn from you, you teach that''s all"


    "Alright then don''t say I didn''t warn you, let us start with the active defence first it will also let you know how to write code and also strengthen later your passive defences"

 05 - Coding life

    Free write- 2/19/1028


    "So, let''s get started, shall we?" She leaned forward and grabbed my hand taking me out of the personal room into my virtual mind


    "Why are we here? The other people will not have access here" I asked while she had a face that was deep in thought probably thinking about what she was going to throw me against to train me


    After a few seconds, she suddenly said with a start "Alright! We''re going to work on your active defense I will not teach you how to hack that¡¯s outside of what is required, so I''ll get started"


    She pointed to outside my space and a needle started to form there and it was pointed at my space, she looked at me again and cold sweat started running down my back while I looked into her smiling eyes


    "Now what you need to do is make a wall that will stop the needle from entering your space'' don¡¯t worry you''re protected from harm right now"


    While watching the needle slowly move towards my mind, I started to experiment trying to get a new code to work I looked at the ''floor'' I was on and realized I could easily edit it but most of all it was physical I studied it for a while then I looked towards the needle moving closer I noticed I tried to make a codefromnothing but it was harder to do then I thought I then realized I had no canvas I was just trying to make code not really putting it on anything.


    I tried to picture a wall then I thought "what kind of wall? Maybe a brick wallnawbrick is soft, metal? What kind of metal Iron?Nawtoo brittle how about steel, wait why not something we don¡¯t know exists what about just a wall of code hmm but the code? What would it be hmmm... OH this will be interesting I wove a line of code that was so broken it did nothing but it wasn''t the code that mattered it was the space it took up, the wall was a brightly colored lines of moving text kind of reminded me of the matrix after that thought the wall shifted and all the text started to flow in one direction now and the colors took on one uniform color the matrix green


    Monica looked at the wall that appeared with a slight head tilt she was probably confused about the weird wall it might be invisible but, it¡¯s a real tangible wall with a matrix on it I don¡¯t think she realized that things can be transparent yet


    I watched the needle speed up towards the wall and then with a very audible sound the needle got in one word ''absorbed'' into the code of the matrix I realized that the thoughts ones have will affect the code I thought it looked like a matrix so it adopted some property like, this will be much harder than I thought


    I had a frown on my face while thinking and Monica watched the wall absorb her needle with close to awe


    I needed to set my thoughts in place, so I said out loud "well this is interesting but problematic"


    She looked at me still in awe "What the heck was that!"


    "Well it was originally just a wall of code then I thought it looked like something from a movie and then it changed it was then I realized that thoughts could change code and stuff, but I didn''t notice until now that it actually absorbs code instead of blocking it"


    "Wow that is really handy you have no idea, but I would set up a way, so you can see if there is someone actually trying to find their way in because they might find a way past while you are unaware. Surveillance is still a part of a defense because your ''walls'' are transparent you should have an easier time, but there will be times when a code to break in is invisible like your wall here. Having a wall to absorb the code is easy because of clean up but not knowing that it was there"


    "Hmm maybe let''s start the next one then"


    I reach into the code of the wall and find the code it absorbed, it was like a piece of the floor only in a needle shape and a speed modifier so a physical projectile. I decided to put an output to my space to say how many codes were absorbed and how many lines each code had and an easy delete, so I can clear the storage in the wall, that should help with finding out if someone is trying to get in and how hard they tried


    I now needed to go for full protection and make this wall my passive defense, so I edited it to cover my whole mind and then I made a door that would allow people in or out that should work for passive defense now, now that I think about it active defense is attacking the enemy before it gets in


    I thought about how bases had people patrolling around bases and stuff then once something was discovered people would go out to counter it. Why go out when you can just shoot at it from in the base? I made a turret likethingbut instead of shooting a physical projectile I made it, so it shot a modified bullet sized version of the wall that fed what was absorbed to the output and then deleted itself after a certain distance


    After I put a few copies around the perimeter I told Monica I was ready "Ok I went with active defense this time I also put the wall all over the place"Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "It''s not active defense yet, this current set up works all the time, Active defense works when there is a direct and clear threat to you, sure a stray code and occasionally hit your defenses but when a threat appears its different there are swarms of code and evolves trying to destroy your walls or try to hide from your other ones"


    Never thought it would be like that might need to edit the code a bit "Hmm Ok I''ll see what I can do"


    I needed to find a way to get an observer wouldn''t something smarter work? Doesn''t have to be another person, but something with some intelligence is required I decided to look at my avatar code and noticed some interesting details on how it works but I was more looking for how the dying and reappearing worked I saw nothing about it in my avatar. I looked for details in my virtual mind I noticed occasionally, I saw a line streak across the black opaque floor or walls and all gather into one place at the center of the space


    When I approached I investigated it like looking at the code but instead of code, I found memories and thoughts, knowledge. Is this what I was trying to protect? it was, ME I didn''t know how I felt about this anyone could edit this, then I realized if I wanted to have an entity to respawn with me I''d have to put it in there and then make an avatar for it


    I can''t believe I am making a split personality of myself. maybe I''ll model the personality to what I like? Hold on one step at a time I''ll take-


    I got interrupted from my thoughts by a cat "What are you doing? You ready yet?"


    I shake my head and tell her to be quite


    I take the knowledge I have and put it together and take out the lecturing part freeing up some memories I left the important bits, Like the time when a girl passed a note to me during class, I copied the knowledge and inside another part I placed them together then I looked for what made up my personality I was really careful with this I didn''t want to turn into someone else I copied it entirely, I wasn''t about to play around with something as unclear as a personality, I put the new copy next to the knowledge I took my personality and removed almost everything just enough to have morals and understand write from wrong, a self-preservation, I also added a simple thing to allow it help me, if it''s going to live in my head it''s going to help me, I also set a gender for it making it a girl cause who doesn''t want a girl to talk to all the time. I debated adding memories, so it would have some experience, but I realized that it would not be living the same way I did so I put no memories there and just strung the knowledge to the personality now it was a smart baby that understood not to kill people... what have I created... some would say an artificial intelligence but this one was in my head and would be there forever it was more of another person in my head


    After a few seconds, I saw more lines flashing around my virtual mind. She was watching. "Hello"


    Monica looked at me like I was crazy "What you are just nowsayin-"


    She was interrupted by a very neutral voice feminine voice "Hello, are you me?"


    I realized then that I also included the knowledge I used to create her she must have analyzed the knowledge and decided she was created "Yes I did, but you are not me or a thing but you are Yourself inside of mine, I will create your virtual avatar for you, be glad no one else will get a free edited avatar


    I then took the code of my avatar and copied it, but I made the connection code not to me but to the other person inside my head and started editing the code, so it looked different from me and more feminine I also sneaked a peek at Monica who was still watching me with bug eyes and got the code for the parts of the female anatomy, I wanted her to live a life not just watch mine, she needed a complete body I noticed a few things about the female code it was different I applied that to the whole body I wouldn''t want her to have the impulses of a man''s flesh now would I?


    After a long time, I realized she wasn''t bound to be human, so I asked her, since she had all my knowledge was there anything else she wanted


    "well Monica''s ears are cute, but I don¡¯t know, I still want to feel human, maybe less feline less fur on the neck and shoulders and just more hair instead, and a bushy tail like a ragdoll''s that would be great! Oh, and definitely not the eyes they creep me out."


    "HEY! I would have you know I happen to be one of the most beautiful of my race I am a-"


    I decided her rant about herself would be useless to listen too I needed to finish this fast I didn''t want her to feel constricted too much, I quickly copied her features, but I make the ears fluffier (can''t be a ragdoll without the fluff) I thought. I then made the ears dull white with grey tips. I made the hair long going down to the small of her back while making it dull white and then fluffed it while making it softer. I applied the tail changing the tail to one that was always fluffy out and made it a soft grey tail with a grey tip, for my own sake I made it soft as well like the hair. I looked at the face it was like my own but more like girls I didn''t want her to be me, so I changed it a bit changing the nose to a smaller, cuter nose. I then made the eyes a pale blue, but I added a depth to them making the eyes have some slightly darker blue streaks in them.


    I stepped back and realized that this body was much too old for someone who was just born a second ago and made her younger I made her about 13 before realizing something else was wrong, the parts of an adult, I made the sizes down to B and then restored the virgin status, who would have thought I''d have to do that, now that I think about it if I did do her it would be no different than doing Monica because I haven''t changed anything down there, so without trying to think too much I changed the shape to fit a 13 year old and then narrowed the walls a little so it would be the same as others her age.


    While I am thinking about it I should ask, "Hey Monica, what happens in the virtual world when you have sex? Is it possible to have children in the virtual only?"


    Monica was snapped out trying to figure out what was going on and laid her eyes on the body I was creating "well is this the body for the one you created? And only those who don¡¯t have a material body can procreate, though it is programmable to have someone who has a material body and wants to have a child that doesn''t have a material body. Are you planning to have children already?"


    "No, no, I am not I am wondering because I am making a body for someone who doesn''t have one, but I don¡¯t have any knowledge about the world outside yet" I then notice that there''s a line of code inside the body that has a toggle allowing it ''Procreate'' as Monica stated I turned it on and felt that the body is finished and then connected it to the new person in my mind.


    She blinks a few times before falling on her butt and with a small voice "Oh, my body. Hello, I am... I am. What is my name?"

 06 - Tests

    "Hello, you don¡¯t have a name yet, my name is Jake but you already knew that. So, for your name... how about... Shari I hope we can get along well"


    "Well it is certainly an interesting name I hope we get along well too, but there''s so much information missing I hope to fill the gaps"


    "Well any info you are missing I don¡¯t know the info either and by the way, if you learn something I will learn it as well so please feel free to learn all you want"


    Monica was staring at the new catgirl that was shaped from her "What is going on with you it''s been only been like 5 years for your training and you haven''t even got the active defense yet why are you creating life!"


    At this point, a blue screen popped into life


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">New achievements Acquired</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well now I have a new achievement but I feel I already know what it is so I''ll look at it later


    "Well she was going to be the controller of my active defense since I can''t always focus on the defenses 24/7"


    "Well, I don¡¯t see why you needed a new person instead of just making a program to do it for you?"


    "Well I didn''t but it was more flexible if I have Shari controlling them since I am bad at this"


    "There''s no way you are bad at this you created me after all!"


    She really is pure she might be smart but she is still not fully developed yet her personality will change over time when things happen to her


    "yeah I know I spent 5 years learning to code and then build defenses but really I don¡¯t want to be alone. I''ve been alone a long time I needed someone to talk to who won''t take everything I say and confuse it with something intimate because of cultural differences"


    "Oh you mean you weren''t trying to be with me, I thought you were... not like it matters in the virtual anyways" she started mumbling to herself but because we were in my mind I still heard her "Though it would be interesting to have the first human"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I swear this girl is crazy robbing banks now trying to claim the first human. Now that I''m thinking about that stuff isn''t Shari our daughter I kinda used pieces from both of us to make her so maybe?


    "Say when I was creating Shari I kind of used parts of both of us to make her so isn''t she our daughter? So in a way you did claim the first human"


    Monica looked between us a few times and then cleared her throat *Ehem* "It is time for the next test I hope you are ready" she waved her hand and many different codes flew around my mind


    "Shari this is all for you, it¡¯s what I created you for" she doesn''t even stand up still sitting on the ground and just waves her tail and just a single point of the matrix like defenses showed up on each the attempted attacks


    Monica is looking dejected and sad like she didn''t accomplish what she set out to do "You passed this test now I will let you set up your detection most attacks you cannot see so you need to search for code trying to break into your mind"


    I sat down with Shari and thought. because we are sharing the same mind most of our thoughts are the same just the reasons are different


    ''detecting code can we just set out a passive search?'' Thinking so Shari set up a passive search for any code and we got a lot.. let''s just say, we had to shut down all our defenses and rebuild them because we were overwhelmed with information


    This time I set the search for a relative proximity and eliminated anything that was tagged by the system and I also had is search for broken code around me I wouldn''t want that to happen and I hooked up this search to the cannons we have and Shari seemed to like this so she added an auto-targeting program to them to shoot down anything that was tagged by the search


    Instantly cannons started firing off around the area after a few seconds it was calm again with the occasional burst here and there


    "Ok we''ll see if this works for our detection systems we are ready for the test"


    Monica just looked at me for a little bit and then she waved her hand again I didn''t see anything but the cannons started firing like before after a minute of constant firing it stopped "Looks like you passed this one too..."


    I didn''t bother looking at Monica this time I was sure she was mad and surprised that I was doing so well what''s with this need to show off so much


    "well now that the tests are done we can move on to changing this place up some more its kind of boring in here and you can also change your exterior I will help you with that part"


    Thinking about I could do anything I wanted with this place it didn''t matter while I was thinking that the whole place changed into a place full of cat towers sitting in the middle of a field of grass and birds flying around between the towers. This is just... wow a cats dream?


    I look over at Shari and she is chasing the birds arounds hopping from one tower to the other. I looked at Monica and she seems to have a sparkle in her eyes like she wants to go play around "Oh go and play with her she does want to talk to you" I give her a gentle push towards Shari and make my way through the forest of cat towers to build a house for us to live in


    I wonder if making her look like a cat actually gave her a cat''s urges? well, I did kind of copy her body from Monica...

 07 - Cat Forest

    I make my way through the forest of cat towers and find a hill with less towers on it and I start constructing a house


    I deleted the trees on the hill and started picturing a house in my mind not too big but since its not real it can be luxurious I made it a two story house because I wanted to view over the trees and didn¡¯t want to destroy the view I set up a program for building my house it would be to difficult to just pop the thing into existence so I set up a program to build it in steps and after a few hours it was complete.


    I went up to the second floor balcony just out of the bedroom and I noticed the view wasn¡¯t that great after all its just an infinite plane with cat towers, Cat Forest, that is what I will call it. I put a lake infront of the balcony


    There might have been a shout as a couple of cats fell into the lake as it suddenly appeared under them. I made east that direction as well I want to view the morning sun off the lake from my balcony off to the north I put a snowcapped mountain range and lowered the over all temperature a few degrees I am finished I start to admire the view when two drenched cats start climbing the hill towards me.


    I wave to them ¡°hey do you want me to bring a blow drier for you?¡±


    They just glared at me oh well I¡¯ll see what the system was talking about earlier


    I opened the panel for achievements


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="623">


    New Achievements added


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="623">


    Coder of life


    You have created a sentient life via coding


    People who were created themselves will show more respect towards you


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well I kind of expected that but I didn¡¯t expect the bonus¡¯ once I can get out my mind and travel the virtual world it would be great cant wait to literally explore new worlds


    I head downstairs and open the door for the girls and point them to the bathroom that programed to auto generate warm towels


    Now that I think about it Monica seems to be looking around the house more then Shari like she doesn¡¯t know what anything is, its not like her world doesn¡¯t have technology right?


    ¡°What¡¯s up Monica you keep looking like you¡¯ve seen something amazing?¡±


    ¡°Well is all the stuff in this place common?¡±


    ¡°It is for the most part but there are some things that are not like how the towels are warm all the time that doesn¡¯t exist in reality thought I suppose it could there are heated blankets and the house size is about normal for places outside of the big cities¡±


    She seems to be deep in thought for a while


    ¡°I have come to realize your world is probably rich in resources and because of this your race developed more industrial and cultural but there seems to be a lot of conflict but judging from the level of technology it suggests you have had a long period of peace between your people¡±


    ¡°well there are still conflicts ever once in a while but we haven¡¯t had an great wars in a while, Judging from what you said I can assume we will at some point have an increase in technology and we will fight over that and probably have another world war¡±


    Monica¡¯s face darkens when I said world war ¡°when you say world war do you mean fighting other worlds?¡±


    ¡°No, before there were alliances that were not announced to the rest of the world and once someone decided to conquer the world everyone joined in on the side that they allied and it turned out the entire world was fighting each other and a lot of people died due to the cruel acts of both sides and so we set regulations on war that certain acts are banned in war¡±


    Monica had a face like she couldn¡¯t believe what she heard ¡°You mean to say you guys had a war so large that the death toll was so extreme the war ended? And then you put laws so less people die?¡±


    ¡°Well in the end the ¡®World wars¡¯ ended on the side that had a larger manpower¡±


    Monica just simply couldn¡¯t understand what she heardThe tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    This time Shari said something ¡°A lot of death but after the deaths the populations boomed because the kids were no longer dying so fast in the end people died but as a whole we benefited although a lot of culture was lost overall I suppose with more technology we start looking at numbers more then we do the right and wrong¡±


    She just said something profound, since she¡¯s in my mind doesn¡¯t that also make it my idea?


    Monica seems to understand ¡°Ah so Mass media also played a big part in those events¡±


    Monica had a face like she remembered something important ¡°Oh right the system allowed me to take you outside so you can edit the exterior of your mind this will change how others will see your mind when they are traveling on your world so, most people have it look like their house, and since you are the first one to claim land you can have it almost any size you want¡±


    Oh many idea¡¯s popped into my head and I sensed Shari was having more cat themed


    ¡°Am I allowed to change the lay of the land, say I wanted a forest?¡±


    ¡°Usually no but since your world is not constructed yet you can and the rest of the world will be built around it¡±


    ¡°Ok lets go out and check¡± I open the door to my house and instead of the cat forest was the black portal into the nothing and at the base of the door was the blue construct lines of the system building the world


    Monica steps out first dragging a limp Shari with her and then I step out


    Monica gave a rundown of changing how my mind looked, it currently looked a black ball next to other balls but mine was more defined because I had a solid connection to the system


    I set up the exterior of my mind to be the same as my house which wasn¡¯t difficult


    Doing the land around my house was more difficult I had to redirect the system and make a blank spot around my house so I can set up the cat forest I had to start from nothing it wasn¡¯t just changing what was there. there was literally nothing so I pictured a forest from when I was studying ecology I used this image as a base when I started building it instead of just placing cat towers instead of trees I put trees then I carved them making it look more nature alcoves on three sides around my mind I put up mountains and then my thoughts strayed and got a picture of mount Rushmore and then all of a sudden another thought came through not from me but from Shari it was a cat face on a mountain and all of sudden there was a picture of a certain cat girl sleeping on a branch carved into the end of the mountain


    All of a sudden two achievements popped into my head


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="623">


    New Achievements added


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="623">


    New Trophy added


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Oh I think I can guess what that¡¯s about


    After that thought I got a message


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="623">


    The system has recognized your help in creating the world and has taken knowledge from your mind to complete it faster shorting the build time by 3 years and a new patch was developed based on your knowledge of the laws of the universe you will be rewarded for your contributions once your world is complete


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Now that was unexpected so I get a world creator achievement with a trophy and a reward for the system taking info from the knowledge our scientists found, doesn¡¯t that mean we are the more advanced then other races? If that¡¯s not true how are other races more advanced then us?


    Oh well thinking about it will hurt lets just move on to the next two years of development of the world


    Then another screen popped up showing that the virtual was patched.


    I skimmed the patch notes it mainly about biological stuff and how electricity flows


    Strangely there¡¯s also something a patch in the bank system lets just not mention that to Monic


    ¡°So what happens now?¡± I asked Monica


    ¡°well usually by now the world is created, but its not because you¡¯re abnormally fast the system has said if you remain here and help build the world you will be rewarded or you can explore the closest world from here but you wont be rewarded¡±


    ¡°well lets build how does it want it to be built like a 1 to 1? Or more stuff like my cat valley here?¡± I say while motioning towards the mountain carved with a cat


    ¡°well you just have to help view what the system is doing and speed it up by providing an image or creating it yourself¡±


    Ok I guess I¡¯ll stay rewards are good I guess


    ¡°guess I¡¯ll stay¡±


    ¡°Ok great well I¡¯ll see you in a few years then¡± she waves as she blinks out of existence


    I feel a little emptiness in my heart as she¡¯s gone it¡¯s a big universe out there I wonder how long it will be before I see her again maybe I¡¯m feeling a bit lonely after all I haven¡¯t to anyone other than her for five years


    Then Shari walks up to me and hugs me


    Right I forgot about her I guess I¡¯m not so alone after all


    Then the system sent a message to me


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="623">


    Because of the faster build speed predicted the ambassador has been selected and will arrive at your planet in half a year


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="623">


    You have been selected to be the first contact for the ambassador for the smooth transition of your race into the virtual world


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well that¡¯s interesting I wonder how that will work I guess I¡¯ll start providing images to the system for the world for the first half a year then decide what I will do about the ambassador


    .


    .


    .


    I spent half a year building the world and its almost finished it will be finished in half year if I don¡¯t interfere I logged out and took off my head set looking around my really bleak apartment even Shari in my mind says she doesn¡¯t like it


    Though she can still access the mind she cant go out into the virtual world


    I walk to my door after getting dressed for what passed for presentable around my apartment and while walk on the street to the store to buy groceries my phone rang it actually rang I wonder who called me no one would call me, I pick up the phone and on the screen the number is undefined


    I answer it and I hear the sound of many people in the background


    ¡°Hello¡±


    ¡°Oh it worked is this Jake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡±

 08 - Troublesome matters

    ¡°Ok great we are with the ambassador we didn¡¯t know how to contact you we had to-¡° another distctly female voice in the background starts yelling at the speaker ¡°Stop spouting all the technical no one cares -But we need to make him underst- No he really doesn¡¯t care trust me I know ¨C Ok, apparently you are supposed to be our contact we just called to ask you where you were so we can land nearby and talk¡±


    I almost laughed at the interaction ¡°Well the government has probably already spotted you just don¡¯t destroy the satellites in orbit and they are probably listening to this call as well just say hi they should start talking anytime now¡±


    Right after I finished a professional voice came over the line ¡°Yeah we¡¯re listening¡±


    ¡°great, I always knew that they were listening, Well as you can tell aliens have come to make first contact officially there has been unofficial meetings before but they hid it well¡±


    This time the one who called me spoke up ¡°wow this is convenient Yes we came to make contact and introduce you to the virtual world¡±


    Well they seem to be talking it out I¡¯ll just have them call each other this talk is boring for me ¡°listen I know you guys are having a great talk and all but now that you are talking to some one in charge I got to go grocery shopping so call each other¡±


    And just like that I hung up


    After getting my groceries I make my way back home and notice that that ten blocks from my house is a police line, and not just any police line it¡¯s a line of swat with riot shields all facing inwards I spot the crowd and notice my neighbor in his car, ¡°Hey whats up why is the police here?¡±


    ¡°I dun know man I was on my way home from work¡±


    I notice a police women putting a poster up nearby so I walk up to her to ask her but I stop just before I was going to ask her because the poster was a picture of my face with a reward on it


    She turns around and sees me looking at the poster ¡°we¡¯re looking for this man¡± she looks at the poster then pauses then looks back at me then back at the poster ¡°Oh¡±


    I don¡¯t move I just stand there and say ¡°Yeah, ¡®Oh¡¯¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to come with me, sir¡± she produces a pair of handcuffs


    Well I¡¯m certainly not going to want to drop my groceries so I just hold m hand together still holding the groceries while she cuffs me


    ¡°lets get going then¡±


    We make our way to her car I get put into the back and she starts driving towards the swat line


    A Sargent looking guy asks her what she is doing there she replies simply ¡°I got him sir¡± he looks at me and just nods to her ¡°Ok go on through¡±


    Eventualy we pass another line this time it wasn¡¯t swat it was military with armored vehicles and everything, just how did they get all this here while I was shopping for groceries?!


    I was transferred from a police car to an armored car driven by a man in uniform with a patch with the letters MP on them, I am still cuffed as we pass another line this time less defined it is much different from the last line it less defined and people were just walking some in suits some with Camo pants everyone was armed, some looked like veterans and others looked like businessmen


    I was pulled out the armored car by a man in suit and a guy who looked like a veteran but was way to young to be retired probably some special forces guy


    I notice that we¡¯re like 2 blocks from my apartment


    ¡°So where are we going?¡±


    No answer I guess that¡¯s the professionalism for you


    While I was deep in thought I forgot to look up and didn¡¯t notice the giant ship floating in the sky slowly lowering down in he part that we were heading into


    At first I didn¡¯t notice anything thought they were going to shoot me while I was in the grave they built for me because they didn¡¯t want to clean it up but then the wind started picking up rustling the grass then dust started to pick up and finally I looked up and saw the giant ship the size of a small house slowly lowering down it looked like a giant coffin


    When it landed a panel lowered to the ground like an elevator when it landed it projected a blue staircase and surprisingly some cat people started to descend¡­Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Why cant life just be simple I think my cheese has melted by now I wish I could put it in the fridge


    I am still standing there when a person starts to descend he looks like an engineer of some sorts with the belt of strange looking tools and another person next to him¡­ a purple cat with blue tipped ears isn¡¯t that Monica


    She spots me and gives me a strange smile


    I smile back then I am pushed again and guided to some guys in suits nearby and I missed the official looking cat that descended the stairs


    Once I am guided into the group of people I am sat down in a chair and another guy sits besides me there are two chairs across from me


    The guy next to me starts sniffing the air like he smelled something bad and asks ¡°do you smell that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah its my groceries I never got a chance to put the away¡±


    He looks down at my cuffed hands and notices the bag of groceries in my hand, he looks at the guy standing behind me ¡°You go get these handcuffs off and send and order to get his fridge stocked full and trow away that bag of spoiled good¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± and he sprints off to get the key for my cuffs


    After a few minutes I am presented with a recipt for goods purchased, suprisingly theres even a recipt for my phone bill and utilities did the government just pay all my debts and filled my fridge with food?


    Because there is no car within twenty minutes I am still cuffed when Monica and another Purple haired cat sits down across from me I have my hands on my lap so they don¡¯t see I am cuffed, I smile at Monica ¡°I thought our next meeting was supposed be in a year and a half¡±


    The guy next to me started coughing while drinking his coffee and then leans over and whispers to me ¡°Don¡¯t say anything leave negotiations to me!¡±


    I lean over and whisper to him as well ¡°they have cat ears bro they have better hearing then us¡±


    I look over and see Monica trying not to laugh and the other purple cat smiling as well and the ¡®negotiator¡¯ was trying to have his pale face show


    The purple cat started laughing loudly ¡°Hahaha I see now why my daughter likes you so much¡± he puts out his paw like hand for a shake


    I reflexively try to shake it but realize I am still cuffed and we all have another laugh except the ¡®negotiator¡¯


    Monica¡¯s eyes now go sharp looking at the negotiator ¡°so why is Jake cuffed like a criminal¡±


    I just shyly sit down trying to disappear


    The negotiator is trying to hide his embarrassment ¡°Well he was cuffed when he arrived but we don¡¯t have any keys here to get them off here we sent a man to get the keys already he should be here soon¡±


    Eventually the man comes with the keys and I got shake the hand of Monica¡¯s father finally then we all sit down


    For most of the conversation between the negotiator and her dad I was zoned out looking at Monica across from me and talking to Shari in my head


    After a couple of hours chefs show up with shiny platters of food when the deposited them I noticed the distinct smell of fish and other meat


    Like me Monica was quiet for most of the time and she finally spoke now ¡°Oh that smells good¡± she starts to reach for it


    ¡°Careful its hot¡± I state simply while I reach for a plate and utensils while the waiters try to stop me from getting the food myself but they couldn¡¯t stop me, I was hungry I haven¡¯t eaten in a while dinner is OVERDUE


    Monica decided to copy my moves while the negotiator and her dad get served, but all of us got poured a lightly alcoholic wine with a great flavor, little did I know that that meal would have cost me a fortune for it was created by some of the best chefs in the country


    After the meal we were all satisfied, apparently Monica doesn¡¯t take alcohol very well for she removed her translator and started talking to me while the negotiator and her dad were all business


    ¡°I wish Shari could have been here for this dinner it was great¡± accidently let my thoughts leek


    Her dad heard me and looks at me ¡°Who¡¯s this Shari?¡±


    I look at Monica who was now was sweating nervously I guess she hadn¡¯t told him about our daughter¡­


    ¡°Well, you see she¡¯s¡­ Our-¡° I was cut off by Monica putting her pawlike hands over my mouth to prevent me from talking


    ¡°She¡¯s a programed lifeform he created¡± her dad stared at her suspiciously then went back to the talk with the negotiator who raised an eyebrow at me


    After a long time and after the sun went down and lights were put up to illuminate us Monica kept drinking the wine she eventually passed out before she embarrassed herself doing something stupid and the engineer looking guy carried her away before taking her place, turns out it was the guy who called me


    After a while we all went back I was escorted back to my apartment and went straight to sleep after connecting to the virtual world where I slept holding Shari¡¯s soft tail while she snuggled against me


    Waking up I checked on the status of the world and noticed it moved up a couple of months I guess its started to piece together faster I predicted it would be done by the end of the week


    I logged out again I started breakfast while watching the news about the aliens that came for a visit apparently the left a few officials and are now back in orbit


    While I was cooking my phone rang again this time it was a number an actual number I picked it up apparently it was Monica the government gave her a phone seeing how close she was to me


    ¡°Hello!¡± her excited voice came over the line


    ¡°HELLO DOES THIS WORK?!¡± she started screaming into the phone before I could reply


    ¡°Yes it works Monica¡±


    ¡°Oh great, my father wants to talk to you, that¡¯s why I called¡±


    ¡°Ok I¡¯ll be there after breakfast¡±


    And I hung up


    I ate real fast and went outside I seem to be going out more then I did while I was with Monica for those 5 years two days in a row must be a record


    I picked up my phone and called Monica


    ¡°how does this work again *you just speek into it* Ohh ok err Hello?¡±


    ¡°Ok I guess this is Monica¡¯s dad¡±


    ¡°yeah I am Cressle I must talk to you today they sent me to something called a five star hotel¡±


    ¡°Ok I¡¯ll be there soon¡± there was only one 5 star hotel in town


    After a long walk I made my way to the hotel and unsurprisingly security stopped me I look like a poor person so it was obvious they would ¡°Just tell Cressle I am here to meet him¡±


    After a few minutes I am let in and make my way to Cressle¡¯s room I sat down across fom him.