《The Ophic Entanglement》


 The Valley of the Shadow

    "Greetings all and welcome to the Quantise launch party for Camorra and the ProTNT. I''m sure you''re all itching to begin, but for the appeasement of our legal department", Lucy''s rolling eyes inclined her head in the direction of a trio of people seated beneath the large screen behind her. "and the satiation of the world at large," she spread her arms wide to encompass the microphones and cameras arrayed across the rostrum before her, "I''d like to take five minutes to give an overview of what you''ll be experiencing."


    She brought her hand down on the podium in front of her and a film began to play showcasing a player''s point of view within a forest, cel-shaded though realistic; dust in the fading sun, leaves in the wind, the sights and sounds of a relaxing summer night bled into the room as the perspective explored the area, focusing on the bark and moss of trees, turning over rocks to reveal the animated insects below, and skimming stones across the water, each ripple and splash perfectly life-like, though slightly cartoonish in appearance.


    "When Quantise released the original ProTN four years ago it was a breakthrough not just in gaming but technology as a whole. Simulation training was taken to a whole new level, medical and military procedures became safer, and our shareholders all had to contract extensions for their wallets." Polite laughter rippled across the room.


    "Even after release, we never stopped working. I never stopped working. Fully aware of the dangers and the potential for brain damage, I spent many hours reading the comments and feedback of our products, from the ProTN itself to the software we released; and of course that of our competitors seeking to share our first steps into this brave new world, some even taking those exact same steps, which I¡¯m sure at least one of the trio behind me swiftly helped discourage, as we should all be seeking to tread new ground, rather than repeat the same traditional routines." Her eyes shone as she stood straighter, turning to face different parts of the audience as she continued. "One of the major concerns people had was the effects on the mind of creating absolute realism in a fictional world. As such with Camorra we''ve opted to create an immersive, hyper-realistic world, but in an obviously cartoon style. Pop culture has been full of the dangers of virtual reality, immersion issues and the direct engagement of the brain for decades now - since long before many of us here were even born."


    Lucy looked out beyond the pack of reporters to the few hundred people seated to one side of the hall. "So the game will measure your suprachiasmatic nucleus, your pineal gland, and melatonin levels, all the bits of the brain that let your body know when you should be sleeping, and you will be prompted to disconnect when you become tired. If you succumb to sleep whilst playing, you will be logged out and the the game shut-down. Passing out in this way removes you from the game, or rather from any non-event rewards the game offers. Even whilst asleep - which is the default state for your character on any logout, they will still exist in the game world, so security is important as it''ll be dangerous for your avatar to pass out in a forest. Back in the real world however, we''re confident we''re safe. We''re certified as safe. But as with every moment in this blessed existence you call life there is always a risk, so for participation in this upcoming beta test a disclaimer will have to be signed-"


    There was a genteel cough from behind her as a short, slender man in a double-breasted suit brought two fingers to his lips and cleared his throat. "My mistake. There are many disclaimers and waivers to sign. Thank you Legal. But this is not new ground, not new technology. We''re merely applying the same tricks in a few new ways - all approved as safe over the course of our closed-testing and patent approval processes."


    "As you can see," Lucy half-turned and gestured at the screen behind her where the viewpoint had been swimming in the lake and now began to sink to the bottom, "safety in extreme situations is paramount." The screen began to slowly tint red and fade back to the regular colouration. "There are no panic inducing sounds, no strobe lights, just a warning of the danger towards your avatar. And should the worst happen ..." The screen tinted red and kept going until the screen became a solid scarlet that swiftly shifted hue to a flat orange colour. "... there is no gruesome demise, no stressful rendition of death - just a flat screen that will transition to the game menus. And the player involved felt no harmful effects from their drowning - a slight pressure on the chest, slight limitation to their inhalations. Again, all repeatedly tested and verified as medically safe. This counts the same for the more violent ends - lava is hot to touch but still cooler than a lit match, being shot or stabbed is similar to a particularly vigorous flick on the forehead - and as a little secret, one of the deaths is actually calibrated to exactly match what it feels like to have me pinching your cheeks. I''ll let you figure out which for yourselves. Which cheeks I mean." She winked towards the cameras.


    "These levels of redundancy are built into the hardware of the system." Her face hardened slightly as she stood straighter. "We''ve all seen the horrific videos of people who took it upon themselves to try and overclock our system and the extremely stupid if inventive ways in which they bypassed our safeguards. With the ProTNT we offered a reward to anyone who could produce similar results, even offering up our own development labs for use to tweak it. The most that happened is someone shorted out one of the new machines by knocking their drink onto a stripped powerpack. We took notes and are now considering how the ProTNT+ can be -", she gasped and brought her hands to her mouth eyes wide before turning to the trio seated behind her. "Oh no! Sorry guys. I guess I let that one slip." Another polite cresting of laughter came from the crowd. "In seriousness, even if you are stupid enough to remove all the protections we''ve put in place and run this draped across your naked body in a shower, the worst you''ll get is an electric shock typical to having live wires in water."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    A throat was cleared behind her.


    "In my unqualified and non-binding opinion." She exhaled heavily. "To my mind, the greatest improvement here is the transition from helmet to what in effect are a series of surgical sticky notes. Synaptic sequencing will no longer be required to trigger the ProTN to load the designated software, now we can directly jump into the neural network as soon as the pads are attached and the two triggers on the heart monitor are depressed. This may sound scarier in brief, but I assure you the breakthrough is significant and a major step forward in both diagnostic treatment, rehabilitation therapy and comfort during gaming - I''m willing to bet that a lot of you have suffered through what to our own distress has become known as ProTNeck-ache by not following our suggestions to only use the device whilst in a fully horizontal position. Though I¡¯m sure a lot of you are also aware of the enjoyment of another type of stiffness that has risen up from use in that position. Cheeks were certainly experiencing more than a pinching there for me." Lucy smirked, pretending to ignore the beleaguered reactions of those behind her and the catcalls in the crowd.


    She turned her attention back to the cameras focused on her. "You all should know enough of what the media says about me to know that I''m an addict. Above all else I seek the perfect world. I''m no philanthropist - all that money I donate aside. It''s great, I love that I can do it, but my aim has never been to help people, that''s just a happy, ecstatically ebullient accident. But I have always craved that ultimate game. That potential to immerse myself in a world of my own design." Her hands clenched into fists briefly. "Some have called it a god complex. I''m certainly blessed to have had the breaks I''ve had, to work with the people I have, to be able to have created something like this. And to have improved it even further." She smiled and looked across the filled seats before her.


    "Camorra is the first fully immersive virtual reality game to feature no character NPCs - each and every person, or rather personality, you encounter will be handled by a real live human specially trained and educated in that role. Or they''re fellow gamers. Or a mix of the two. It doesn''t really matter. Just like in this world, the population of Camorra are people. They''re given free-reign to act and respond however they''d like, because even after training, we all know that people can ignore it. Virtual verisimilitude. And yes, I''m aware of the multiple meanings. It''s one of the scant examples of my personal puns left over in this speech."


    She smiled again and clapped her hands, smirking at the jerking awake of some of the crowd as the sound echoed loudly, seeming to emit from the corners of the hall.


    "Now, onto why you''re here. Whether through sponsorship deals, competition winning, blackmail or nepotism, all three hundred of our lucky testers to the side here have been selected to be a part of our closed beta. They will each be gifted a ProTNT. Please, accept the factory settings. Don''t do anything stupid with it. If you do, you¡¯ll likely disqualify yourself from being able to boot the free, finished, copy of Camorra that will be sent to you in time for when the public servers go up. Your characters and any material gains made before the release date will of course be wiped. Cosmetic awards will be given for those who reach certain benchmarks, or top certain hidden tables. Short of staying on the character creation screen for the next month I''m pretty certain all of you will qualify for your own unique rewards in some way, and I''m not even certain that we don''t have something for character creation - our scripting team includes some pretty stellar faces as you know, and even a few we kept masked. Explore. Try everything. And should any serious bugs be found due to your actions, no matter how slight the contribution, or should your actions particularly impress us, some serious rewards will-"


    Hem-hem.


    "-may be given. This is up to and including cold hard currency, digital or printed, in game or real life, and even jobs working for us if we''re especially impressed by what you do."


    She leaned forward, seeming to sink into the podium.


    "As that''s brought us back to jobs, of course the amount of manpower Camorra to staff has required does yield a few problems - we''re aware that hiring all these actors has made table service and getting coffee in this city a bit of a challenge over the last few months, so just a few more words and then let''s take a break and you can hit the buffet over at the back of the room." She waved her hand vaguely out towards the rear of the hall.


    "As I said, at my heart, I''ve always been an addict over an altruist. A gamer over a generous soul. Someone seeking something more than the grind of everyday life in the real world, favouring the grind in-game. This has led me to seek to escape from this world and after three decades of life on Earth I''ve finally managed that." Lucy lifted up her hand in front of her and turned it palm down, slowly bringing it back towards her nose. Into her face. Through her head.


    "I did say we conquered the uncanny valley. I have now travelled through that valley and crafted my perfect world on the other side. And I invite you all to come and find me upon the game''s public release. I offer up digital immortality to the first seven to beat the game."


    She disappeared, and her last words echoed out from the corners of the room.


    "I''ll be waiting."

 Guilty and Glad

    Lyndsay curled her toes, enjoying the sensation of the fuzz of the blankets against her skin, smiling at the warmth of the bed, and the prospect of having three weeks set aside to focus on her new character. The popularity and potential of e-sports had sky-rocketed since their initial introduction, scholarships now being a standard at most universities for those able to perform well in the most popular and competitive games, and entire curriculums had been built around the study and design of the engines on which they ran, the industries that surrounded them, or in some rare cases the games themselves. Quantise in particular was perhaps the most influential company in the integration of digital technology into everyday life. The far-reaching impact of their technologies, and the intricacies of both their educational and recreational software as well as the status of being considered the default platform for running virtual or augmented reality had led to academia taking them on both as a teaching aid and a subject of study. Lyndsay¡¯s course in particular was focused on the psychological effects of human integration and engagement with the machines. She had chosen to write her doctoral thesis on the experiences of long-term immersion within a game and how RPGs influence behaviours and emotions through the development of the player avatar and the progression of levels. In short, discounting the hours and hours of study and lectures, she had every justification needed to play her favourite games. And now, theories crafted, hypotheses posited, she was ready to focus on gathering the information needed to either support or disprove them. Quantise itself had agreed to share data of a randomly selected cohort from their beta testing, and even to allow her to review some of their own training and safety standards and past research, in exchange for the rights of her dissertation, something the university had not been happy with, but she had chosen to accept.


    She stretched out her spine, leaning her shoulders back as she yawned, mouth opening wide enough for her jaw to click. As a beta tester, she believed she¡¯d fully explored the available areas of the game, and had tried various approaches of play, from the more standard fighter builds and scholars, to cooking, thievery, and even enlisting in the guard. Over the past two months she had created and recreated her character over a dozen times, trying each path and build for a week or so before moving on to try a different approach.


    Regardless of whether you wanted to be a farmer, a fighter, a crafter or even a clerk, the practice missions had taken the form of a boot camp - each character went through the same basic training, ensuring familiarity with how the ProTN and neuro-reality gaming functioned. Narratively, every player would take on the role of part of an invading force, landing on Camorra, an as yet unexplored continent. Completing the camp meant your character would then be sent on arrive at the landing point of the military forces. Happily this process became skippable once the account had completed it once.


    On arrival, even within the framework of the missions and tasks - basic fighting manoeuvres with sword and shield, spear and bow, how to cook food, heal simple wounds - it was possible to skew your character in a favourable direction for what lay ahead. Investing time reading in the library would unlock a few new skill paths. Helping out in any of the kitchens or farms and gardens, spending more time in combat and training drills, visiting the blacksmith, there were myriad ways to improve yourself outside of the generic missions given. This fact had been leaked by the original beta testers invited to the press release where Lucy had vanished from the world. The testers had enjoyed just under two months of private access to explore the release and realise their best build strategies, and now those who had pre-ordered the game were being allowed access in the open beta, and any character made from this point on would be allowed to be used in the game once it went live. Some of the more magnanimous players had shared their information; the majority opting to hoard the knowledge. Lyndsay herself had discovered and flagged a few exploits and generative issues, and earned enough bounty points for doing so that she had been placed seventh on the leaderboard tracking the rewards earned the last time that she had checked.


    Rubbing her hands across her upper arms quickly to ensure she stayed warm, Lyndsay dashed from her bed to the shower, enjoying the clarity the water brought. She knew it would take three days to complete her current desired starting character. The content available even in the tutorial aspect of the game was enough to warrant at least a couple of weeks of dedicated exploration to a new or casual player. Something from her current playthrough had given her a thought however. In her prior attempts at stealing, being caught led to heavy restrictions and even her avatar being jailed, happily the time spent logged off counting towards the overnight punishment. Her most recent exploration of the starting area had made her realise that she could not return to the interstitial area after the onboarding bootcamp and where characters were registered, and where there was significantly less chance of her being caught. As skills were unlocked by performing actions that related to them, as long as the initial attempt was successful, she was confident that she¡¯d be able to unlock a few skills even before her character was registered. The time up to now spent learning the basics of each class made it likely she could get a head-start before the creation time of her character was set, something which appealed to both her ego and her curiosity. Clean, dry, and dressed in casual workout clothes she headed downstairs to the kitchen to get some breakfast, walking in to find her two friends already awake and sat at a table watching a recording of the now infamous final speech of the founder of Quantise, Lucy Durant, Lyndsay arriving just in time to see her pull her hand inside of her own head.


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    "That is always going to be freaky." Lyndsay sat down and reached out to take a slice of toast from the plate in front of a young man.


    "That is marketing, it can''t be real." Charlie slapped at her hand as she pulled some food back and took a bite. "It''s just a gimmick to boost the coverage of the release. She''s been hiding out in a lab or one of her mansions somewhere for the last eight weeks. It''s launch day next month. She''ll be back for that. And we''ll have the entire summer break to spend playing it." He clapped his hands excitedly.


    "Like they need the extra hype?" Zoe scowled at him as Lyndsay jumped at the sudden noise. "There have already been hundreds of proposals as to how she did it."


    "Each failing to actually replicate it. You cannot digitise consciousness and independent thought. Lyndsay, back me up here."


    The woman shrugged. "I don''t know. I''ve spoken to a few chatbots before out of curiosity, and that was years ago. Even then, most managed to be realistic enough that I could pretend for a while."


    "Because people are stupid. You''re stupid enough not to notice, and people are stupid enough that you''d not be able to tell the difference from a stupid program."


    Zoe pulled a face. "You know that doesn''t even make sense."


    "And someone being replaced with a hologram of themself for hours without anyone noticing does? There''ve been documentaries made. She was in that building, on that stage, for eleven hours from start to finish." Charlie was leaning forward now, sliding towards the edge of his seat, pressing against the table as his arms shook in a series of emphatic gestures.


    "They''ve also made documentaries about the Earth being flat and alien abductions", Zoe snorted.


    "Hey hey hey," Charlie chided, "don''t even try to lump aliens in with this fraud. Someone being untouched on that stage for half a day is a lot less likely than there being other sentient life somewhere in the world. It¡¯s a crime you¡¯ve never let me take you two to any of my conventions. And you must have heard the rumours about her use of the homeless and disadvantaged to staff her new game. She does keep saying she isn''t a philanthropist, so there must be something odd there."


    "I''ve not looked into it, but from what I know she''s feeding and housing people, and giving them a job and a purpose, a chance at a new life, even if it is a virtual one." Zoe took a sip of orange juice. "And what''s the difference there? You''re saying aliens are here but contact can''t be made and that she was there because contact can¡¯t have not been made? You see how hypocritical that is right Lyndsay?" She turned to the other, now empty, side of the breakfast table. "Lyndsay?"


    In her room, door locked. Lyndsay was settling back down in her bed, hooking herself up in a now well-practiced routine. They would see themselves out. They knew better than to be there when her mother was due home, and were no strangers to Lyndsay''s non-verbal withdrawals.


    Although there was still a month until the general release of the game, and it formally going live, the option to create characters and test out some of the skills and abilities of the game was a long-running feature of the in-house MMO game releases from Quaintise. Whilst she felt bad for keeping it from her friends who she knew were both looking forward to getting to play the game ... it was a nice change to have something positive which was just hers.


    The light of the sun against her eyelids faded as the headset calibrated itself against her face, a handful of logos and loading screens forming in her mind before a title came into focus, floating above a sprawling countryside.


    Camorra: Conquest


    The rolling lands of Camorra spread out before her, Lyndsay focused on the Create New Character option.


    Are you contracted to Quantise?


    Yes / No


    This will cause your current save file to be overwritten. Would you like to proceed?


    Yes / No


    Would you like to design your character or utilise your own physique?


    Design / Own body


    Would you like to use your saved body calibration records?


    Yes / No


    Welcome to the world of Camorra.


    Would you like to begin?

 Discounted

    Lyndsay turned her head, looking to either side of her. As always, the game menus aside from the option to logout were locked down. Her health and level were visible on the upper edge of her vision. Similar to each time she had started the game before, she was in the middle of a quietly chattering queue at a small port, between a close set stretch of barriers, forming a narrow corridor advancing towards a building just off of the docks. Everything looked new, yet slightly ramshackle as if built in a hurry.


    "Hey, you need to wait your turn. Just be patient. Don''t make me call the guard."


    The voice came from a woman a few places behind her, protesting at someone pushing forward. As the line moved onward, Lyndsay drew closer to a small entryway that protruded from the imposing wall that seemed to be built of stripped and crudely shaped tree trunks. She saw a cloaked person enter as another player was being spoken to by someone inside a small booth, the guard at the door waving them through into what she knew would be an office of sorts. The guard motioned the next in line forward, causing Lyndsay to shuffle forward in turn, jostled by those behind her as the queue ahead got shorter. Half-a-dozen people largely obscured the booth she knew would be in front of the gate which led into the burgeoning township.


    The man in front of her adjusted his belt whilst stepping forward, tilting the handle of a dagger that hung there towards her. Cautiously she peeked forward at the guard still a few metres distant at the head of the queue, ostensibly protecting both the woman seated at the desk interviewing the line and the entry into Beachhead. Slowly, carefully, Lindsay reached out her hand to the sheathed dagger in front of her. Withdrew it. Hid it up her sleeve.


    Pickpocket skill unlocked.


    Pickpocket experience has increased by 40.


    Brigand class unlocked.


    Brigand class experience has increased by 40.


    You have gained 1x Dagger.


    Ha! So the levelling system does still work here ¡­


    She had learned that stepping out or trying to push ahead would earn a reprimand from the soldier stationed next to the book-covered desk at the front of the line, and had heard that there were penalties imposed on those who disregarded the warnings, ensuring the players'' adherence to the flow of the game. But stepping backwards? She turned slightly, allowing the player behind her, an elderly man with a slight hunch, to move in front. All she got was a thank you, the guard having no response, seeming not to have cared or noticed. Looking behind her, the line stretched back a few dozen more people. She let a handful move forward until a broad-shouldered woman with a coin purse on their hip was in front of her. She let the dagger drop from up her sleeve, catching it by the handle, leaning forward and tapping the person on the arm, asking them a question as she gave a quick slash with the knife. ¡±I¡¯m sorry, can I have my place back?¡±


    The reply, ¡°No, don¡¯t make me call the guard¡± went almost unnoticed as more notifications popped up for her, but made her feel a little better about her theft.


    Pickpocket experience has increased by 84.


    Brigand class experience has increased by 84.


    You have gained 1x Old Coin Purse.


    You have gained 17 Copper.


    You have gained 6 Silver.


    She took another step back, a red-headed man with a moustache moving forward, casting a curious look at her.


    Pickpocket experience has increased by 84.


    Brigand class experience has increased by 84.


    You have gained 1x Old Coin Purse.


    You have gained 24 Copper.


    You have gained 3 Silver.


    Another few steps, muttering "Hi, sorry, I''m waiting for someone" to defer any suspicions, a man with a pince-nez perched on his nose and open book in hand moved past her absentmindedly.


    That¡¯s new. Starting items are meant to only be randomly generated amounts of money and simple clothes and weapons. She paused, confused. Was there an update? She knew that books needed to be activated and opened to have their worth shown, and this varied from simple experience bonuses to lore drops through to even unlocking new skills; seeing one be actively read was not something she thought possible within the game. Mentally shrugging, she reached out to take one from the open satchel slung over the man''s shoulder, it disappearing from her hand as the skill registered the ownership exchange.


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    Pickpocket experience has increased by 180.


    Brigand class experience has increased by 180.


    You have gained 1x 101 Ways To Survive In Unknown Lands.


    Unable to access her inventory to look at it further with the menus being locked down, she took another few steps back, her mind beginning to wander, stopping behind a woman in a dark brown robe, their head hooded and bowed.


    Pickpocket experience has increased by 1,984.


    ++PICKPOCKET HAS REACHED LEVEL ONE++


    Brigand class experience has increased by 1,984.


    You have gained 1x Old Coin Purse.


    You have gained 7 Copper.


    You have gained 3 Silver.


    You have gained 1x Maegister¡¯s Key.


    Well. I can definitely level up, but ... this seems a lot more serious than I expected. These are all real people, so they must have the items as part of their character creation and that means I¡¯ve just taken things I probably shouldn¡¯t have. She fell back into step with the queue, moving forward as she thought. But that¡¯s kind of the point of stealing so I shouldn¡¯t get into trouble for this. But that means staying here to farm experience will likely get some attention soon, especially if those who have lost things mention it and the Quaintise developers look into what happened to the items. But then ¡­ my taking items shouldn¡¯t be an issue as I''d be able to do this outside of here as well, so this isn¡¯t an exploit, it¡¯s just me playing the game. I wonder what would happen if I attacked someone here, if this place has the PvP restrictions that the -


    ¡°Hello there, thank you for waiting. May I take your name please?¡± The woman at the desk, sporting a tight bun and a formal air was looking at her from across the counter.


    Oh shit, I should have been paying more attention. Well, I guess I got one skill already. Lyndsay raised her head and focused on the woman. "Rebelle" The woman at the desk took a moment to write something on a piece of parchment in front of her.


    "It seems Rebelle has already arrived. Did I mishear you? What was your name?"


    Lyndsay groaned to herself. "Xena?"


    "It seems Xena is already here. Did I mishear you? What was your name?"


    God this must be a tedious job. Cursing at the unforeseen problem of someone managing to take her name whilst she was remaking her character she tried again with a little exasperation. "Lyndsay?" Distracted by the sudden conversation, she swept her eyes from the woman¡¯s face to scan across the desk, moving over the pieces of parchment and rolled up scrolls, before returning to look at the woman with a smile.


    "Welcome to Beachhead Lyndsay. You will be formally brought up to date in the next room. You¡¯re looking to start a new life here?¡± Though not expressly forbidden, it was tacitly encouraged to avoid any outright references to the game actually being anything other than a true reality. This led to some interesting questions when it came to confirming certain game options such as whether you had in fact meant to restart your account.


    ¡°Yes, thank you. I felt I was messing around too much before now, so I¡¯m hoping to make the most of a new beginning.¡± Lyndsay smirked proudly in her head. I can do the double-talk dance too.


    The woman looked at her warmly before looking down to check off something on a piece of parchment in front of her that was somehow able to display a scrolling list whilst remaining in place on the table. Lyndsay put her hands on the desk and leaned forward, showing curiosity and watching as the woman glanced back up at her and the soldier moved forward, reaching for his sword. Lyndsay stepped back slightly, one hand raised, the other sliding off of the desk. ¡°Sorry, just curious about the behind the scenes aspects. I¡¯m sure you get it all the time.¡±


    Pickpocket experience has increased by 49,612.


    ++PICKPOCKET HAS REACHED LEVEL ELEVEN++


    Brigand class experience has increased by 49,612.


    ++BRIGAND CLASS HAS REACHED LEVEL THREE++


    ++YOU HAVE REACHED CHARACTER LEVEL TWO++


    Congratulations! Don''t forget to assign your character points!


    You have gained 1x Satchel.


    You have gained Cryptic Codex.


    You have gained Quaint Colophon.


    Her face twitched as she struggled to keep her face passive whilst a small fanfare played out in her head on a trumpet. In an attempt to pass off the shock as fear, Lyndsay nodded towards the sword and spoke with a worried tone. ¡°Have you ever had to use that here before?¡±


    ¡°Once or twice.¡± The guard stepped back as the woman at the desk cleared her throat.


    ¡°Curiosity is generally a good thing, though I¡¯d recommend keeping it tempered by social expectations. At least until you move on from Beachhead.¡± She drummed her fingers on the table. "If you¡¯re ready to begin your new adventures, please step through the door and present yourself to Sergeant Miller.¡±

 A Rude Reward

    "Ah Lyndsay, congratulations!" A clean-shaven man stood up as she entered, their voice resonating throughout the room where a desk sat in the middle of the floor, closed doors in the centre of each of the walls. Lindsay had been through each and knew them to lead to a corridor that led past a handful of other rooms and onto the path that eventually reached to the open courtyard that formed Beachhead¡¯s market square; to a more private military office; and a direct door into the clutter of what was currently serving as a mix of store-room and harbour office.


    Moving around from behind the desk Miller moved towards her. Whilst there was nothing else in the room six men in armour stood at attention, one either side of each of the other doors. Like the corridor outside, roughly hewn wood had been layered together to make the walls. Cut planks also formed the basis of the door and the chair and table. "My name is Miller. Well done for all of your hard work and qualifying to get here, but I hope you know that up until now has just been practice - the real work is still to come." He smiled disarmingly at her. "As you may know, the landing party has done little beyond establishing a base-camp here. We''re still in dire need of land, resources, and information." He turned back to the table and picked up a bag, "And obviously we can never have enough strong fighters so it''s important that you''re kept safe." He paused for a moment and looked a little confused. "But it appears to me that you''re already experienced in these matters? Are you wanting to enjoy the benefits of a personalised tour of our fine home?"


    Oh, nice. Is this a tutorial skip? Is this new too? Or is it my having experience already? She''d gladly skip the time-loss that was being shown around the buildings and town. It was time to get moving and make her mark on the world. "That''s right I''m good to go as is." Lyndsay curled her hands into fists and bounced on her feet a little, eager to start the game proper.


    "You''re certain that you have no interest in learning the basics?"


    "Yes Miller". Her voice came out curt. There was the faint sound of a bell chiming and words appeared in front of her, suspended on a translucent turquoise screen.


    EXPERT ARRIVAL - Due to meeting Sergeant Miller already leveled and choosing to skip all induction protocols, beginner dialogue and benefits have been waived. You will start without the protection and equipment normally afforded to new players. In exchange your esteem rating with each townsperson of Beachhead will be raised by 20 and you will be given the basic equipment of your chosen class directly on conversion.


    EXP: 0 | STERLING: 0 | OTHER REWARDS: NONE


    "Excellent, then in that case please proceed." He carried on as if nothing had happened as Lindsay absorbed the information. Returning to behind his desk, Miller sat down and put the bag back on to the table atop of the paperwork which covered it.


    "Uhh." Lindsay looked around at the guards before her gaze returned to the notification screen, then moved back to the man at the desk. "Miller may I still take those Escape Stones?"


    "Apologies Lindsay", he rose again swiftly, picking up the bag. "I was under the impression you were happy to be left to your own devices. Of course, each new member of our happy little town has an assignation of our supplies. As it seems you know, this bag contains skill stones for Escape. If you are indeed new, yet are confident enough to not need a guide, these will likely be of little use to you, but it is of course better to be safe than sorry. Do you also now wish to have a tour? It will only take an hour to fully induct you into the -"


    "No, no that''s fine thank you Miller, I just felt it better to be safe as you said."


    You have gained 2x Escape Stones.


    Lyndsay moved hurriedly towards the door on the left wall, bag in hand. She had no interest in spending an hour to go over old ground. She reached the door and turned back as she opened it and stepped through. "Thank you for all your help." She hurried down the corridor beyond and out into the interior of the town


    It was darker, and louder, outside than she remembered. The cacophony of animal noises and shouting people made her suspect the inner areas had been artificially shielded. She brought her hands to her ears and pressed hard, glad of the extra muffling provided by the coarse cloth bag she still held. Side-stepping she leaned back against the wall of the building she had just left. The pounding sound she recognised as a smith''s hammer in the distance made her body shudder with each faint ringing thud.


    After a few deep breaths she stood straight and looked around her, eyes turning round with appreciation. On her first play through, shortly after the turmoil following Lucy''s disappearance had quieted and Lyndsay and the other closed testers were provided their loot, the outside had looked real enough, but as her movements were limited she''d suspected it to be more a video simulation than a living game environment. Once able to freely explore however, everything that should be interactive had been, and the details were astounding, far beyond any other game she''d played. Even now it took her breath away, the gasp of air cold as it brushed across the top of her mouth. Dragonflies glittered back and forth in the air above an algae-dotted pond. Cows, pigs, chickens and other livestock surrounded the water, some doing their best to contribute both to the realism of the game and the fertilisation of the soil. Walking over and leaning against the fence to peer down at the fish in the pond Lyndsay felt a dragonfly land on the back of her hand and skitter forward before taking flight once more. Feeling the steps of the insect linger on her skin she turned again towards where she had come from.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The door led out onto a dirt road. The closest buildings were a couple of nearby barns in the yard of what she knew to be an empty farmhouse. Directly on the road a few stalls had been established with which to tempt those coming off of the boats. The sweat and stubble of the traders and customers in front of her could be seen as she passed by. Beyond the counters and spread rugs framing the wares on offer, the road led into the scant buildings of the established town. Ignoring the calls of the sellers Lyndsay began to jog, eager to leave what she saw as the confines of the beginner zone and explore the broad, wide world now available to her. It seemed that a few changes had either been late to finalisation, or more likely were kept back until the more open release. Smirking slightly she raised her hand and pulled the collar of the cotton shirt down slightly; although they''d mapped in the discomfort of sweat and how it could make fabric stick, she wasn''t suffering the usual problems that faced her when she ran in the real world, her breath coming easier than before, and her bouncing less distracting. That new level I guess is helping me to keep a steady rhythm this much sooner, but I wonder what stat is behind the anti-jiggle physics? She lowered her gaze and raised her hands to hold herself briefly. Well, the feeling of it anyway.


    Whilst heading towards the cluster of buildings which took the place of the central district of Beachhead, Lyndsay began to explore the menu system of the game. Displayed across the top of her vision was her health and mana, and the values of her hunger, thirst and fatigue were in the top right. To the upper left, options for her character, inventory and the game menu were visible. With a slight twitch of her eyes she focused quickly on the Character option. A 3D model of herself standing with arms at her side appeared, a small cloth bag in hand. To one side a readout of her stats and an inventory panel contained the clothes she was wearing and the bag in her main hand. Something of an upgrade from just a flat panel system. She squeezed the bag in her hand. But where''s my loot? Or maybe this is just for the equipped items?


    A review of her inventory showed her a similar space to the Character inventory, with tabs available to be named. The various pouches and pilfered items showing up on what she had grown used to as the inventory scheme over the last few weeks. Well, this still seems pretty simple. Do we still get an unlimited inventory? Calling up the menu caused her to pause her stride.


    Character


    Quests


    Faction Menu


    Messaging


    Game Information


    Settings


    Logout


    The first three after Character were greyed out, and the settings she had preset before creating her character. The last choice though ... that had not been there before her log-in today. Selecting Game Information triggered a new menu to appear.


    Skills


    Classes


    Professions


    Items


    Bestiary


    Locations


    The first three were again greyed out and Items only offered further information on the items she had stolen, the Escape Stones, and the cotton tunic, trousers and leather boots she was wearing. She glanced at the descriptions for the new items she had gained whilst queuing.


    101 Ways To Survive In Unknown Lands: A small bundle of parchment pieces stitched together with twine. UNREAD


    Maegister''s Key: A thick metal key. It looks to be made of purple metal.


    Cryptic Codex: It seems to be bound in scaled hide. The pages glisten in the light. You are unable to open the cover. UNREAD


    Quaint Colophon: A black metal circle with a Q forged inside. The left side of the Q is treated to show a red C shape.


    Hmm. Largely for later it seems. Moving on to open the bestiary caused her a moment of surprise - there was a picture of the dragonfly from the farm. Focusing on the entry, a short description of the animal came up.


    Shimmer Wing Dragonfly


    A passive monster found in rare numbers around coastal regions, they are known to grow in size to attack those they see as invading their territory.


    Met at: Beachhead


    Drops: ???


    Clicking her tongue a few times, Lyndsay briefly considered going back to kill the dragonfly, curious as to the possible drops from such a small creature, and intrigued by just how large it could grow if it saw her as a threat. Shrugging she decided against it and began walking the twenty or so remaining metres to the town centre. Reviewing the Locations option as she went, she found a single entry there as well.


    Beachhead


    A still-developing township established after a landing party came ashore. Designated as the ingress point for new arrivals the town is in a state of growth and eagerly awaits further inhabitants.


    Key Residents: Miller


    Important Locations: Beachhead Port. Beach Farm.


    Creatures Met: Shimmer Wing Dragonfly


    It must auto-update with each new discovery. I guess that''s cool, but it''s a shame I can''t plan out what I want using it.


    Having reached the handful of buildings which made up the major hub of Beachhead Lyndsay looked towards where she knew the town hall to be. Somewhere in there would likely be the quest needed to get her out of here, eventually setting her free into the world. It had been less than half an hour but she was already beginning to feel stifled by what she saw as the close confines of the starter town, the sudden increase in the soundscape making her anxious. Exhaling deeply, she returned her focus to the buildings around her. Built facing in to form a square, the broad facades of a general store, an inn, a barracks and a building as stately as tied together timber could be made to look each rose two stories into the air. A few domestic dwellings led up to these from each side and immediately in front of her, built abutting the rear of the general store, was the town smithy, now mercifully quiet.


    Starting towards the stately house to her right, Lyndsay suddenly felt her mind drifting into pieces. A relaxing fatigue flowed through her as she envisioned her brain duplicating and displacing inside of her own awareness. With a small buzz of static akin to the beat of dragonfly wings Lyndsay''s mind collapsed.

 Distortion

    "You bloody stupid fool, you could fry her brain!"


    "It''s not as if there''s much to cook the way she sobs and sulks in the hall each time we try to take her out."


    The words sounded tinny and distant, distorted and slurred. Unaware of what was being said, unaware of what she herself was, Lyndsay''s perception bled back into her sense of self. She blinked the eyes she found herself to possess and groaned.


    "Lyndsay! Lyndsay are you okay?" A hand heavy with warmth and comfort checked the heat of her forehead, the pulse in her chest, and tentatively stretched out the skin around an eye, causing her to reel back. As she slid herself awkwardly up the bed and into a sitting position, a concerned, bearded face formed out of the mess of colour and shapes in front of her. The world around her steadied, solidified. She could see the splintered doorframe and broken handle of her bedroom door scattered on the floor. Her mother was leaning back, sat atop the drawers Lyndsay used to store her clothes. The models of game characters and items that had been so carefully positioned atop the unit displaced, the pictures and game discs kept safe pushed into disarray unconcernedly by her backside. One arm was wrapped across her front whilst the other lifted up a bottle of beer.


    "The little psycho''s fine Robert. All I did was pull that stupid helmet off." She waved the hand holding the bottle vaguely towards the floor beside the bed.


    "And I told you to wait for her to come out of it." He turned around to scowl at the woman. "You could have done her some serious damage."


    "Hardly more than she''s already managed to do to me."


    Robert''s head spun back to Lyndsay with relief as her mother swore angrily. "You ungrateful little bitch. Who do you think pays for all this? Who bought that machine? Who looks after you?" Her voice was rising in pitch and she''d stood up, advancing two steps into the room.


    "Bob does. Dad bought me this. I look after myself. And you when you''re too drunk to function." Lyndsay sat up straight, staring at her mother defiantly. "I don''t know what either of them saw in you." She shifted her eyes to look at Robert who was keeping still, his head slightly bowed, watching her during her mother''s outburst. "I don''t know what made dad see the light but I know Bob will pretty soon to, and then we''ll leave and you''ll - "


    A loud smack rang through the room.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Lyndsay. Enough." Robert had started, surprised to see his hand where her face had been, but drew himself up, face flushing as he rose to stand above her. "I''m sorry. Deeply. I didn''t mean to do that. But you''re to show your mother some respect." He sounded hollow. Voice flat. Behind him, adding fury to the betrayal and tears in Lyndsay''s eyes, her mother stood with a drunken, wet-eyed smile. Robert walked across to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her from the room. At the broken door he turned back to Lyndsay. "Again, I''m sorry, and I''ll of course fix this for you, tomorrow when Dr. Mary visits." He looked down the hallway where her mother had wandered off. "And I know it''s rough but you should be kinder to Lola. There''s a lot going on you don''t understand," he held up a hand cutting off her outburst as she started. "That you don''t know then. She isn''t coping well. It''s not fair on you, but you''re in your twenties now, and you need to learn to think before you speak. You can''t keep sniping at each other, no matter who''s in the wrong. It''s a lot to ask I know but please, if not for Lola''s sake then for mine, please, be a little kinder to her." His voice sounded off, slightly cracked. "Whoo." He rubbed the back of his hand across his face as he turned around. "Boy. I''m sleepy huh? Time for bed. Goodnight Lyndz." He pulled her door to without looking back and made his way down the hall.


    Rising from the bed, mind now clear once again, largely due to the unexpected slap, Lyndsay stood and moved to the door. Bob had only ever hit her once before that she could remember, in all of the thirteen years she''d been his step-daughter. She straightened a photo of them both together, taken on her nineteenth birthday, her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek, he blushing in the heat, arm around her shoulders as they stopped mid-run in the park, his shirt open loose to his toned stomach.


    After tidying up the stacks of VR games, models and photos she pushed the door, making sure it was closed as best it could be. She could hear him talking to her mother, soothing her, kissing her. She growled to herself, under her breath and at the back of her throat. The sounds of intimacy between them sickened her. Her mother was in her late thirties, Bob a few years older. He was great. She loved him. Appreciated him. But he was a part of why she hated her mother. Too young to realise at the time, now she was older she resented her mother even more, sure she had pushed her father away to be with Bob. They''d gotten together almost immediately after the divorce. Worse, beyond intermittent holidays and birthdays she had hardly seen her real father, mostly talking to him over the phone; even then she was always supervised, her mother keeping watch, eyes narrowed, barely containing her loathing and disgust.


    People can make movies and games more believable than real life, yet she can''t even pretend dad and me are anything other than mistakes. Her urge to game drowned out by the self-pity and melancholy that now carried her up like a swimmer on the crest of a wave, Lyndsay threw herself onto her bed. Pushing her hand down the side, flush to the wall, she pulled out a small zipped case. She sat up with a smile, leaning back and sliding off her leggings as she exhaled in anticipation.

 Doctored

    "Well done Dolores, it''s important that you understand how these situations can make people feel, even if addressing it is currently beyond you. Try to focus on that next time something triggers you, instead of the anger. Moving beyond him is the best way to come to terms with what''s happened, to stop suppressing and allow -"


    "Lyndsay!" The voice was low, blending disappointment and chastisement. Robert had come into view atop the stairs and was walking up the hall towards her.


    Ah busted. "Hey Bob!" She pushed herself up from in front of her broken door and moved further down the hall to meet him, kissing his cheek.


    "Don''t ''Hey Bob'' me little lady, you should know better than to eavesdrop on your mother''s sessions." He handed her a carrier bag. "Go into your room and clear out around the door. I''ll be fixing it up whilst you speak with Dr. Mary." His stern eyes twinkled as a small smile stretched out his beard. "I got you this whilst I was out. To apologise. For yesterday." Both of their heads lowered slightly.


    "It''s fine Bob. Honest. I was being a ... I was being out of line."


    Bob smiled at her. "Nice catch. And yes, you were, but I should never have done that. Have hit you. I''m sorry. I hope we can move past it. But again, there''s a lot you aren''t aware of Lyndz ..." His voice and face grew softer. "And whilst learning more about it is a good idea, listening in isn''t the best way to achieve that." He pulled her into a one armed squeeze. "I''ll talk to your mother whilst I do the work here and you see Jonathan. See if we can clear the air." He pulled back as a voice rang up the stairs, calling for Lyndsay. "Speak of the doctor and he shall appear." Bob grinned. "Now put that in your room and clear anything important away from the door."


    Lyndsay smiled up at him and pushed open the door. Picking up a picture from the unit inside and laying it on the bed below the bag he had given her, nestling the helmet alongside them she turned and ran by him, down the hall and stairs to the floor below.


    "Ah Lyndsay," the doctor had returned to the dining table which he had stacked with a few folders and notebooks and looked up at her. Her mother was nowhere to be seen.


    "Dr Mary." Lyndsay sat down across from him and folded her arms.


    "I''ve told you that you can call me Jonathan, or John, if you wish." He closed the book he had been writing in and slipped it into a file to his right. Reaching to the left he pulled forward two folders. "How are you feeling today Lyndsay? I heard from your mother about last night. Would you like to share your perspective?"


    "No."


    A few moments of silence followed, broken by John coughing. "Let''s review your schoolwork. Are the modules challenging enough? I''ve been getting good feedback from your lecturers in regards to most of your subjects, but your last essay on sarcopenia was focused entirely on emotional and psychological causes rather than the requested focus on long-term physical inactivity, and your sociology tutor is still concerned about your approach to field trips. If I remember correctly, last time we addressed how your agoraphobia translated into the virtual environment it seemed you were transferring well. Has anything changed? Your logs show that you still typically only spend three or four hours a day on your subjects, and that''s usually heavily disjointed. The rest has all been dedicated to gaming. Even with the time-dilation of being in a virtual environment, with your course-load, that''s still on the low end of what would be expected. Are you doing any work out here in the real world?"


    "No, it''s all done on the ProTN, and I know it doesn''t take me long, but I''m doing a lot! And I''m even doing a lot of extra-curriculars and extra-credit work. It just-" Lyndsay paused to think for a moment, "it just takes me less time I guess. I can concentrate more easily. I understand things better, knowing that I don''t have to get them done to a schedule. That I can decide on when. It''s just, I mean, I love that I can do all my classes when I want. And that I can just think my answers, and research stuff like immediately. That really helps of course. Having that control. But still, going out, even if it''s in a fake world ..." Lyndsay paused again. John, pen paused, looked at her, waiting. "I can''t control anything there. I feel trapped. Violated somehow. Like I''ve been captured." She worked her jaw as she was thinking, making her lips contort, leaning forward with her arms open on the table. When she next spoke, John had to lean forward to catch her words. "I feel like I''m being used. And I don''t know why." She cleared her throat. Sat up straighter. "But Bob, Robert, he entered me into a draw to get early access to this new game, and I won, and it''s so so life-like, even though it looks like a cartoon. It''s like a dream."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Camorra?"


    "Yeah! I know that I''ve been focusing on it a lot, but I''ve been doing so well with my lessons, despite Madeline not liking my essay. The whole point of my doctorate is to study the long-term mental effects. Regurgitating what fifty other books in the library say isn''t going to help me or anyone else. But I thought I could use the time there to focus on research that would help my thesis and address the causes of atrophy and it''s not like what I submitted didn''t meet the curriculum, it just wasn''t what she wanted. She only asked for us to focus on that because she doesn''t understand anything to do with neurology." She took a deep-breath, and when she spoke again voice carried a slight ring of self-satisfaction. "I''d only just started my character yesterday. The one I plan to keep I mean. And it seemed like so much had changed now the game has been released. I was just getting ready to properly explore when ... when, when what happened happened."


    "What did happen Lyndsay?"


    "My mother went crazy again. Likely looking for her cigarettes. So she can deal with her failure of a life."


    "And did you take them?" Dr. Mary looked across at her.


    "No! I don''t smoke! That stuff will kill you."


    "What do you do, Lyndsay? How do you deal with the problems in your life?" She noticed his eyes rising from where she had clasped her hands on the table, his gaze locking onto her, causing her to shift uncomfortably.


    "I ... do my homework." God that''s sad. "I focus on learning. And I game. I guess I game a lot. I think maybe, hopefully, I''ll start to play Camorra. It looked so real, and yet I didn''t feel overly trapped. Maybe just a little bit. I''m hoping, I hope maybe I might meet a few new people, people who I haven''t known since ... since before he left. And I can get used to being outside. Being in situations I can''t control." She looked across at him innocently.


    "Well you certainly aren''t taking any acting classes, but if you feel comfortable being in a world as vast as Camorra''s then I''ll definitely suggest that you''re allowed to indulge in it. Assuming you keep your grades up. Whereabouts are you? Have you met Aphid yet? Are you having any other issues whilst playing"


    "You play it Dr. Mary?" Kennedy looked across genuinely surprised and open-mouthed. "Are you a doctor there to?


    "Maybe just a little bit." He smiled at her. "And don''t tell anyone but no, I''m not a healer. I fancied a bit of a change when it came to my own R and R. What about you?"


    "I haven''t gotten that far yet. Dolor-, my mother, she pulled the helmet off of me before I got far enough to choose anything." The doctor started forward at this. "Oh. She didn''t tell you that part?" Kennedy sat back looking smug.


    "No, she did not. I think I''ve enough time left for us to have another group session before I leave today. We can drive home how ..." John''s tongue flicked across his lips as he thought for a moment, "reckless that was. Are there any other issues? No feeling overwhelmed amongst the crowds? Enclosed by the trees or tunnel walls?"


    Kennedy thought about the ringing of the hammer. Chewed her lip. "No Dr. Mary. None that I can think of."


    "Okay, that''s good. I''ll suggest to your parents that you finding a new hobby as immersive as Camorra can be beneficial. Again as long as you make your grades the priority and don''t get too addicted." He smiled at her again. "Believe me, I know first-hand how it can get under your skin. I only got to start playing yesterday, but I spent a good five or six hours of real time on it." He laughed as he stood up. "The temptation to keep playing was pretty strong. I can see it being a good focus for your research. Just make sure you don''t skip out on eating like I did yesterday. Or showering."


    "Eww. Gross." She giggled. He is kind of cute ... He must be in his forties though. So old! She watched him as he left the room to fetch her mother and Bob. Settling back down, her eyes fell on the files Dr. Mary had left on the desk.

 A Classy Commitment

    UNSOLICITED USER EXIT - Your last disconnect was irregular. Please ensure you follow correct logout procedures for the software you are using. Deviation from recommended protocols may result in damage to yourself or the ProTN hardware. Please use responsibly.


    The notice appeared when Lyndsay, after locking her newly repaired door, slipped the padded helmet down over her eyes. Oh. Has it been left on all this time? She reached up to the button resting in the middle of her forehead and pushed, turning off the machine. Settling down atop the blankets and turning the machine back on she closed her eyes, feeling the pads inside the helmet press up against her eyelids.


    Chimes sounded out a soothing song as the hardware offered up the system menu and the software for her classes and games. She focused on Camorra.


    USER DISCONNECT - An unscheduled user disconnect occurred. For your safety please ensure to follow the recommended log out procedures. You will be restored to your last safe saved location.


    The screen faded and the black background dispersed, bringing the square of Beachhead back into view. Lyndsay flinched at the sound of the blacksmith''s hammer and hurried forward, dodging amongst the stalls,  animals, and players until she was closing the door of the town hall behind her, leaning back as she calmed her breathing.


    "May I help you ma''am?" The interior of the building was subdued. Belying the primitive look of the exterior log-formed walls the inside was plush and opulent, the walls coated and covered with some form of daub and various tapestries and woven hangings. Cut stone slabs floored the area immediately within, an ornate desk set immediately to the left of the door, ending with a low gate that separated the carpet covered floor of a main room busy with desks and people. Closed doors led off from the main room to the left and right sides, stairs leading up and below ground on the left side. Lyndsay turned to look at the man, prim in a tailored robe of damson silk. "Ma''am?"


    "Sorry," she stepped forward smiling, remembering how manners impacted the friendliness of those in the game. "I''ve just left Miller and was so eager to contribute that I had to rush right over." She waved an arm to encompass the rest of the room, "I''m impressed that so much has been achieved in so short a time frame."


    "We are indeed not ones to slack, especially when it comes to conquest." The man postured slightly as if claiming credit, an air of smugness entering his voice. "Lord Diamos himself entrusted me with establishing Beachhead as a reliable stronghold for Camorra to develop from."


    "You ... have done well." Confusion flickered across her face. "Could you direct me to the chief of the village? I''m hoping to see Lord Diamos and offer him my assistance."


    The man stiffened before chuckling, looking impressed. "Indeed, it is a noble goal to have, but I fear that your ability to help Lord Diamos may take quite some time to nurture. As for Lord Anguine, you have already had the pleasure." He bowed towards Kennedy. "Tell me young lady, in what way do you see yourself able to assist one such as myself?"


    What a creep. "I am an able adventurer and I wish to help develop Beachhead further before venturing out to learn more of this new world. If you have any quests or tasks to be done, I would like to help." Anguine had sat down and was looking at her, rubbing his styled beard between his thumb and forefinger. She decided to try stroking his ego a little more. "I am surprised that one so important has placed themselves at so lowly a position in the hall my lord. You truly must be a very thorough man."


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Anguine smiled widely, and beamed at her, eyes wide. "Yes, yes. I am most impressed that you understand that. I do like to involve myself at all levels. It helps to understand the full process. And to catch any little problems. Such a problem in fact may be just the kind of situation where you could prove your capabilities to me, although it is a rather sensitive subject. Sir Miller had informed me of your eagerness to join us here Lyndsay. I''m surprised he managed to find the time as you rushed right over here." The corner of his lips curled up into a smile. "Still, it is a long walk from the walls to the centre. I''m not surprised a half-dozen heavily armoured men could complete the task a whole day sooner than a lightly-equipped young ... adventurer." He smiled at her again as she faltered. What is this shit? Aren''t I meant to be on better terms with the townsfolk as I skipped the tutorials? I bet this is Dolores'' fault.


    "I came as soon as I could sir. The trip exhausted me, but as soon as I was able, I have come to offer my services to you. To Beachhead." What? Now I''m sounding weird to. She looked at him, feigning earnest interest.


    "Indeed. So quickly you didn''t even find yourself a dedicated class. Still, is that because you were hoping to find something more ... personalised?" An arched eyebrow curved towards her from beneath his slicked back hair.


    Is he making a move on me? Is this a quest? Lyndsay''s brain scrambled to make sense of what was being said to her. It didn''t match up to any of the prior virtual reality games she''d played before.


    "Yes. Sir. I''m certain that my talents are better suited to more specialised ventures than the typical clerics and hunters."


    "And what talents are those Kennedy?" Anguine leaned forward, resting his chin on clasped hands.


    "I ... am a great explorer, eager to see this new land." She swallowed. Thought of the files on the desk. "I excel at finding secrets. At venturing into the unknown." Her mind went to her little zipped case. "Especially alone. I can take care of myself. I''m not afraid of pain. I''m not afraid of anything."


    "Hmm. Not of anything eh? It would be wise to find something to fear, there is an awful lot of suitable options to choose from. Well. I have a couple of suggestions which you might like to consider. And a mission for you, just to test how capable you are."


    A number of translucent screens flickered into view in front of her eyes.


    EARNING ANGUINE''S TRUST - The lord of Beachhead, Stirling Anguine, has taken a liking to you. Prove yourself to him by helping to discover the saboteur within Beachhead. This quest has no time limit and cannot be refused.


    UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS: Anguine''s Esteem: 25+


    REWARDS: EXP: 1,000 | STERLING: 5,000 | OTHER REWARDS: NONE


    CLASS CHANGE OPTION - TRAILBLAZER


    Seek out new areas and establish routes for the Camorra Empire to follow. This is a hidden class.


    UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS: Anguine''s Esteem: 20+


    BASIC SKILLS: Create Spawn Point, Mapping, Forced March


    CLASS CHANGE OPTION - FREEBOOTER


    Spread the glory of Lord Diamos by destroying those who oppose colonisation. This is a hidden class.


    UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS: Anguine''s Esteem: 30+


    BASIC SKILLS: Waylay, Plunder, Mercenary


    CLASS CHANGE OPTION - TERMAGANT


    Seek out and eliminate native inhabitants to expand the territory of Lord Diamos. This is a secret class.


    UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS: Anguine''s Esteem 50+


    BASIC SKILLS: Salted Earth, War Cry, Annihilation


    Hmm. Trailblazer seems good technically. Making spawn points might be pretty broken. Freebooter I can''t really guess at beyond getting a pirate-highwayman vibe which is cool. Termawhatsit seems to be the best but it looks heavily PvP and I''m not so interested in that. Kennedy looked back to Anguine. "Excuse me, Mister Anguine, sir, These classes. Can you tell me anymore? Preview the skills for me? Or can I come back and change later?"


    "Sadly not Miss Lyndsay," a slight sneer shaped his lips as he reached down and pulled three gems out from a cloth sack by his feet. "As is so often the way in life all choices are final, and this is just one of those which you''ll need to make blind." He fingered the gems, rolling them back and forth in one hand. "Are you ready to make your decision?"

 Take What You Can

    CLASS CHANGE ACCEPTED - Congratulations on unlocking the Freebooter class.


    You have learned Waylay: Opponents unaware of your presence will be stunned for 0.1 seconds if you engage them. If this is done by attacking there is a +4% chance that attack will deal critical damage.


    You have learned Plunder: The item drop rate of all lootings and abilities is improved by 5.


    You have learned Mercenary: Your rewards for quests and missions are changed based upon your fame and esteem ratings, and the level of this skill.


    Due to the terms of EXPERT ARRIVAL you have been automatically awarded your chosen class gear.


    You have gained 1x Salt-edged Sword > 11-19 damage. A weapon that carries the bite of the sea, those injured will feel great pain.


    You have gained Malignant Compass > An apparently broken compass. It occasionally shakes in your hand.


    Lyndsay looked down at the dispersing shards of the gem in her hand, ocean green and dark. The smoke it was changing into appeared when she had broken the stone. Grey, rising like storm clouds above a wave and encircling her, she could feel it being absorbed into her being. Well. That''s new. It''s a bit like a body scrub. Anguine seems to be squinting as if appraising her.


    "An interesting choice. You don''t immediately snatch at the choicest fruit offered you. You seek to take the long road to the material rather than to explore or kill? Most curious." He leaned back in his chair smiling broadly, keeping his eyes upon her face.


    "No! No no." Lyndsay flustered, shaking her head and hands. "This just seemed to be what would ... let me get better gear ..."


    Anguine''s grin grew wider as he watched her tail off. "There''s no shame in wanting to have the best, and in taking it from those who no longer need it. Even if you do have to kill them to make that so." He winked with a chuckle. "On the subject of killing to improve our situation ... the development of this fine town has been cut short. Each time we step out to gather resources or suppress any of the native settlements who continue to harry us, there is an established and very well equipped contingent of those eager to see us harmed and halted. I would like you to find out just why this is the case." He stroked his chin again. "And as I have taken quite the shine to you, take this." He clicked his fingers and a stone appeared hovering in front of Lyndsay''s face. Her leaning back hurriedly evinced a dry snicker from Anguine. Cheeks colouring she reached out and squeezed as she had done for the class-change stone.


    You have learned Stealth: Your body and any equipment you carry will become transparent for 3 minutes. Cooldown: 30 minutes.


    Neat. She closed her eyes and willed herself invisible. Nothing seemed to change. She searched the menu but found only a repeat of the data. Looking back to Anguine, seeing his smirk, she flushed, curled her tongue to snap at him then smiled instead, remembering how important her perceived geniality was. "Is there any chance you can help explain how to trigger this?"


    "Oh it''s very simple." He had returned to fingering his goatee, relishing the pause, probing her patience. Satisfied with her apparent ease, he again smiled at her. "Simply focus on the name of the skill, envisioning how you wish for it to be actualised. For instance." The counter turned invisible revealing his robe, slightly raised above his feet as he sat, baring the naked tips of his toes and sandals. A cloth bag was sat beside a bin overflowing with paper. Squinting to read, Lyndsay saw a list of names labeled Potential Vic-, the rest of the word obscured by a hand-drawn map of the coast, Beachhead and the surrounding area laid out, a path along the beach marked in thick black ink.


    A snap of Anguine''s fingers brought the desk and Lyndsay back into focus.


    "Ah! Was that the same skill? Can I turn other stuff invisible to?" She reached out to pick up a book from the table, willing it invisible.


    "No, no. It''s a different skill." Anguine leaned forward and plucked the book from her grasp with a small grimace of disdain. "Most skills do change as they''re used and developed. so be sure to keep practicing and activating them. Even your passive skills will be boosted, the more you trigger their abilities or use the boosts they give you. Explore your new capabilities, And to that," Anguine sighed slightly, drumming his fingers on the book that he had placed back onto the desk as he rested his cheek against his palm, elbow on the table as he leaned forward, "I suppose you had best head to Beach Farm. You know where that is yes?" Lyndsay looked back up from where he had placed the book to meet his eyes.


    "Oh, yes. The farm directly opposite the port. I thought that it was abandoned though."


    "How shocking for you to be uninformed of the movements of your betters. The farm has recently received the residence of its owner. A charming man by the accounts of many, although I personally consider him something of a dullard. I suppose he is somewhat talented in the more banal arts of battle however." He rubbed his jawline absent-mindedly. "I wish for you to go see the ... farmer there. Tell him that I have sent you, that it is in regard to the potential leak in the town council. I can honestly say that I look forward to hearing of what transpires." His smirk returned as he gestured towards the door


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "I''m not even willing to hazard a guess as to how you''ll fare."


    Lyndsay looked at him. Bit her lip. Smiled, thanked him and stepped outside, leaning back against the door and taking a deep breath. Why are things so weird now that it''s released? I get that the story is happening but ... people were so much more ... generic before. Having real people instead of computer characters just makes this so much more unsettling. She thought back to Dr. Mary. Which I guess is good. It helps me work on things. Her eyes moved to the store across from her. From what he said, the farm owner is someone pretty high-up. Will I give a better impression if I''m better equipped? It wouldn''t hurt to look at the store, see how expensive things are now. Maybe see if there''s a way to stealth a few things out of there later. A roguish smile flitted across her lips. I need to kill things and do quests to make use of my skills. I wonder if there''ll be a slime hunt.


    She hurried across the square and opened the door to the general store. Let''s just get a baseline, check for quests, then go see what''s on at the markets. Inside shelves and tables were covered with coils of rope, heavy waterproof cloths, weapons, bags, and the varied trinkets and doo-dads of adventuring. A young girl behind the counter brightened up on seeing her.


    "Hello! Welcome to Astrid''s Stellar Adventuring Store! If we''ve got it, you need it!" She tilted her head and rubbed her nose. "Wait. If you need it we''ve got it? We''ll get it?" She stepped out from behind the counter. Lyndsay looked across at her blankly, eyes spread open, lips curled in, biting down to control the giggle inside. A few years younger than her, the girl was dressed in a lime-green outfit somewhere between dungarees and a playsuit. A dark plait fell down her back and swung as she turned her head. Knee length bright yellow boots knocked over a barrel of swords near the counter. "Oh, sorry!"


    Wincing at the clatter, Lyndsay knelt to help gather the swords and right the container. "It''s fine. Are you Astrid?" She brushed her hands together to knock off the dirt, pausing self-consciously when she remembered she was in a game.


    "No, I''m Aphid. Her daughter." Lyndsay gulped, sure that the swallowed snort of laughter would be heard. Aphid carried on apparently unaware. "My parents have gone out to collect our shipment from the docks. I''m in charge! Until they''re back anyway ... So, can I help you? What are you looking for?"


    "Ideally a backpack. Basic adventuring gear. Just enough to go travelling with."


    "Well, we can give you all the gear. Rations you can get from the barracks for free if you''re here as part of Camorra''s forces. Or you can buy actual food that don''t taste like dirt from the inn. The cook there is amazing." Aphid had began sorting through a pile of bags and carriers whilst talking, pulling some out to one side. "Okay, based on your height I''d say these are best for you. We''ve a few full-sized backpacks like explorers and expeditions would use. A more standard rucksack for carrying all that precious monster loot, with clips for a bedroll and canteen. Or my personal favourite these over the shoulder bags. They''re not as stable and secure as a backpack, but access is a lot easier. If you want something a bit more custom, there''s a vendor at the dockside market who does alterations to our items. It''ll cost a little extra, but if you say we sent you they''ll get it done for you quickly." Lyndsay looked at her, curious if the assumedly employed gamers would be allowed to scam players. Aphid seemed to catch the suspicion in her look. "If you''d prefer, you can pay them the difference yourself."


    "Oh no, it''s fine I trust you," Lyndsay gave a wide smile. "I was just thinking about your outfit." It''s going to be hard to forget. "I was wondering where the colours came from. They''re so bright! Eye-watering almost." Aphid looked down at herself. Back up at Lyndsay. Broke out into a brilliant smile.


    "Thank you! Normally everyone tells me it''s stupid and a waste of sterling but I really want to be a designer. To make things. Do you, do you really like them?" Her eyes and voice wavered slightly as she looked hopefully towards Lyndsay.


    "Yes. I mean, they''re not quite the colours I''d go for, but if you made them yourself ... that''s incredible!" She rolled her eyes inside her head, but sensed the upcoming quest. "If you want to be a seamstress, and you''re already this good, then why don''t you do the custom sewing?"


    Aphid''s face fell a little. "My parents don''t trust me to do it. A lot of the adventurers coming through here want to have personalised work. It generates a lot of sterling for us. And the materials cost a lot. We can''t really afford to waste any. As a shop. and as Camorrans. Everything we do is to support the king after all." She cheered up, seemingly reassured by the thought of serving her monarch.


    "How about if I specifically request you? How much would it cost you to make me a backpack like this," she held up the smaller of the two with the clips attached, "one like this, with straps of pouches across the front, and maybe a little skirt pocket, like a workman''s belt?" Aphid had picked up a pen and had been sketching on the back of the sign advertising the backpacks whilst Lyndsay spoke, the tip of her tongue poking out from between her teeth. Shocked, Lyndsay saw three different designs, already laid out in great detail. "Wow. You really are good!"


    "Well yes, didn''t you just say that?" She sounded slightly annoyed as if irritated at being disturbed as she worked. "So ... are any of these similar to what you''re looking for?"


    After a few minutes of discussion and drawing they settled on a design. Bandolier straps crossing her chest to a belt, each strap supporting the large partitioned main backpack, with a bedroll secured to the underside and the rear of the belt which held various clips and pockets, and two broad, flat pouches covering her thighs.


    "I can''t do it myself with what I have here, but it would be easy for the smith behind us to add some armour plating to those, maybe a few other places as well, although he might charge you a bit."


    Lyndsay shifted on the spot, remembering she still had no basis for the cost of something this involved. "How much would this be Aphid?" Over two thousand gold should be enough for a bag, surely.


    "Well, if we''re including the canteen and the bedroll, it''d be about eight thousand."

 Task Managing

    Eight thousand for a bag? Kennedy choked, feeling as if someone had pulled her headset off again.


    Aphid looked across, hurt, sensing the shock. "A standard bag this size without the straps and extras would cost you two and a half thousand. Plus the bedroll for three and a half, plus the canteen for five hundred. I''m barely charging for the labour and custom work."


    "N-no, you misunderstand," Kennedy waved her hand hurriedly. "I was surprised at how cheap it was, for such a quality item so tailored to my needs." So tailored my needs now include a loan.


    Aphid eyed her uncertainly. "If you''d like a discount, we do have a few things to do around the shop, and I ... do have a personal matter that I''m really stuck on." Her cheeks blossomed scarlet as she turned her head away.


    A RINGING ENDORSEMENT - Aphid Storey wishes you to deliver a package to Granville Struch the apprentice smith.


    TIME LIMIT: 48 hours.


    UNLOCK REQUIREMENTS: Aphid''s Esteem: 30+ | Ask Aphid if she requires any assistance.


    REWARDS: EXP: 500 | STERLING: 0 | OTHER: UNKNOWN


    WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCEPT THIS QUEST? YES / NO


    STORE CELLAR - Astrid''s Stellar Adventuring Store has a problem in their storage cellar. Fix the issue and save the store''s stock.


    TIME LIMIT: 5 hours.


    REWARDS: EXP: 1,000 | BELI: 1,000 | OTHER: UNKNOWN


    WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCEPT THIS QUEST? YES / NO


    MUNDANE DELIVERY - Take the package to the barracks. Deliver it to the quartermaster Harvard Holmes.


    TIME LIMIT: 12 hours.


    REWARDS: EXP: 500 | BELI: 500 | OTHER: UNKNOWN


    WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCEPT THIS QUEST? YES / NO


    FORK TO FARM - Take the equipment to the farm. Deliver it Maggie Fields or either of her brothers.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    TIME LIMIT: 12 hours.


    REWARDS: EXP: 500 | BELI: 500 | OTHER: UNKNOWN


    WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCEPT THIS QUEST? YES / NO


    Hardly worth the trouble, but then they don''t seem to be much trouble at all. Kennedy accepted all the quests, pausing at the last one. Do I want to go that far out? Not exactly far but it''s not much of a reward. It''ll boost my skills a bit sure but ... Well, I do have to go there for Anguine. Mentally shrugging, Kennedy accepted the last quest. If nothing else I have a sword now. Maybe I''ll see her parents near there at the docks.


    "Thank you! This frees up so much time for me. And Granville." Aphid blushed deeply. "I can''t stand to see him. Not without knowing. And I need to know." She shivered on the spot, smiling at hidden hopes. Wow. I''m pretty sure she''s just a new hire. Would a player fall in love with another on day one? Well, this is the internet. But maybe it''s scripted? I''m probably overthinking this. I should just treat this all as my personal game. Until I find my own friends. But what if I only find actors -


    "Aphid? We''re back!" A woman came into the store unbuckling a cloak and placing it, folded, on the counter. "Oh. Greetings miss. What are you seeking? Is my daughter attending to you?" Her eyes had switched between the two and now moved to the sketches spread out over the counter. She strode forward. "This is?"


    Oh crap.


    "A proposal from me to Aphid. More a reward for myself."


    "Oh, you''re an adventurer?"


    "Yes mom, she came in looking for some gear. I''ve sold her a bedroll, water bottle, a custom bac-"


    "Have you checked with Spider at the market?" Much like her daughter, the eyebrows were animated, this time one arced into a question whilst the other was stern and slanted. The reprimand audible in the voice and visible on the face.


    "No mom."


    "I specifically requested Aphid''s services," Kennedy cut in, earning a relieved and thankful look from the girl. "I was admiring her clothing, and the quality of the sketches she did sold it for me." Kerching kerching mothershoppers. Now let''s drive it home. "If the product lives up to the promise, I''m certain her work will be of great use to me in my work for Lord Anguine." A broad man entered the shop from behind the counter, looking between the three women. "And now I have some work to do. I plan to visit Beach Farm. I''ll be back to finalise the deal in a couple of hours." She smiled towards Aphid who nodded, mouth slightly open. "Thank you for your help." She turned around swiftly and walked from the store, the door swinging closed behind her doing little to mask the sound of her running steps from the family inside.