by Eden Redd
The player eyed his account, seeing enough to cover his rent for about three months and food rations. Despite the comfortable place he had in his small virtual server, it was all a digital façade. The player sighed as he knew he couldn’t build much more than what he currently had because he simply didn’t have the credits.
Swiping away the 2D screens, Morgan stood up and stepped to a bookcase. Old classic tomes lined the walls, but one book stuck out in his mind. Reaching for Frankenstein, he pulled the book from its place and opened it. The book was thick, but once it was open, the inside was hollowed out. Eyes gazing down on his treasures, admiring them for a long moment before his other hand reached into his pocket.
Fingers touched something hard as he pulled it out and held it up to his eyes. The long sharp tooth was stained with drops of blood along the root. An electric current tingled nerve endings as he placed the tooth amid a dozen others. Each space within the book held a small tiny clamp. Touching the tooth to one of the empty clamps, it closed around the new tooth and held fast.
“Can you go weeks to months…?” Morgan whispered to no one.
The gleam of white and yellow teeth shined in the dim light, all in different sizes and shapes. Closing the book, he placed it back on the shelf. Thoughts stormed on with images of his dearest friends practically pleading with him to join the blacklisted game. The credits tantalized him, but dark impulses washed on the shores of his mind. Romance was often the furthest thing from the player’s thoughts and a game designed for romance left an odd feeling in its wake. Logic spoke truths, a means to an end, but the Mind’s Eye Gear was insidious, understanding patterns and playing to them.
Cities across the globe had become havens against nature’s continuous onslaught. Towers of steel and glass, hundreds of levels high, protected and entertained the immense populations. The Grid was virtual space where players could earn a living and build up their wealth. Credits were taxed, but the longer you played and the more accomplished you became, the higher the rewards. It was always about earning your way to a better life, but for many, it was just survival. Society had fallen to playing in digital worlds and Morgan was on the bottom rung.
Bile bubbled in his stomach, but quickly cooled as he touched the binding to Frankenstein. The choice was already made and he simply had to tell his friends he had pulled the trigger. Hand pulling away, he brought up his personal command menu and saw he already had a message waiting for him. Opening it, he began to read with a growing smile.
Morgan,
I already attached the access code to this message. I know you like to think things over, but David and I believe this is the best for all three of us together. I hope you join us tomorrow. Follow the directions with the code and we can meet up after you create your persona. If you’re coming, don’t be late.
Mina
Morgan nodded as he accessed the code and instructions. Filing them away and setting alerts, the player mentally tapped the logout command. Light blurred together into a flash before it faded away to darkness. Hands reached up and pulled off the Mind’s Eye helmet, placing it in his lap.
Morgan sat back in his curved chair, looking at his single room apartment that looked more like a prison cell. A bed stood off to the side and by the foot of it against the white wall was doors to a refrigerator unit, fold out sink and a mirror. Two doors stood on each end of the narrow apartment, one to the tiny bathroom and the other to the hallway.
The young man continued to sit, eyes staring at nothing. Faint memories caressed the outer edges of his thoughts, but they fell away like dying leaves. The air was cool and recycled. The wilds of the lower levels were silent due to the soundproof walls. The plain room was a sanctuary, but one Morgan despised seeing when he took off the helmet.
“I can do this,” Morgan said out loud.
A small vid console lit up, David’s name blinking. Morgan touched the accept command and David’s smiling face shined.
“I think you should join us,” the young man grinned.
“I will,” Morgan stated simply.
David nodded. “Want to talk for a bit?”
Morgan smirked. “I do actually. Let me use the bathroom and get a ration first.”
David smiled and lifted up a slice of pizza. “Cool. I’ll be right here waiting,” and took a large bite.
Three
Morgan pulled up his personal command menu and activated the Digital Hearts access code. The virtual Study around him began to melt away into swirling colors before it flashed. Eyes closing, he mentally prepared himself for what he was sure would be an awkward time in an odd game. When the bright light against his eyelids dimmed, he opened them to a bright and sunny day.
Birdsong filled the air as Morgan turned around, drinking it all in. A rounded street ran along the inner edge of a cul-de-sac. Six homes stood, all with slightly different styles from simple to Victorian elegance. Half of them were one story while the other half were two or three stories tall. Trees lined the area and a small garden stood in the middle of the cul-de-sac street with bright flowers. The air was warm and large patches of trees spread out from behind the homes. A large hill rose up in the distance, lavish homes covering the sides as a mansion stood at the top.
Morgan turned and looked down the street, seeing it extend to a four-way intersection, each road spreading on beyond his gaze. Through some of the treetops, the player could see the hint of tall buildings in the distance. Turning again, he looked at a mailbox at his side and an empty lot laying out before him. The player continued to look around and when he blinked, a woman was standing by him in a skirt suit with her long hair combed to the side. She had a clipboard in her hand and a bright white smile. The player was nearly taken aback when she held out her hand.
“Hi! My name is Susan and Welcome to Driftwood Cove. I’m here to instruct you on the tutorial and get you settled before you enjoy your time in Digital Hearts.”
Morgan took her hand and shook it. “Hi Susan, my name is Morgan.”
“Pleased to meet you Morgan! Is there anything I can help you with before we get started?”
Morgan pulled his hand back and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, silent.
“Then let’s get started,” Susan smiled before facing the empty lot covered in green grass.
“Here is your land to build your dream home. You will begin with ten thousand DIM bucks to get you started. You can call up the Build Menu anytime you’re on your lot to design, alter and add to your heart’s desire.”
“DIM bucks?”
Susan nodded. “It is the currency here in Digital Hearts. To further explain, DIM stands for Digitally Independent Mob. The virtual people you will meet are DIMs. Due to the nature of the game, not everyone here will be another player. They will behave just like normal people with desires, personalities and histories. They are generated randomly per game to make each Digital Heart game unique.”
Morgan nodded.
Susan continued, “Digital Hearts is a life and romance simulator but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Before you begin building your home, let’s work on your avatar and persona.”
2D menu screens appeared around Morgan as did a standing mirror. The player eyed himself and saw that he was blank and wearing simple clothes. It was a little unnerving to see that he had no hair, no facial expression, a simple nose, mouth and white eyes. Looking from the mirror to the floating menus, words and images scrolled by slowly.
Susan kept her unnerving happy smile as she talked, “Before you are lists of traits you can pick to add to your persona and decide how you appear in the game. As you can see the lists are extensive as well as are your choices. Do not concern yourself with being judged on an outlandish appearance. In Driftwood Cove, all are welcome. Like elf ears, you can select them. Want a tail, pick away. Want to be a blob of writhing tentacles, no one will blink twice. Please pick what you wish to look like and remember to have fun with it.
“I will wait here until you have chosen
your avatar appearance and your five traits who make up the person you want to be.”
Years of tutorials didn’t cause any concern for the experienced player. From a young age, all students were taught every aspect of tutorials and game playing. Pulling the floating screens closer, he began scanning each one. Seeing the persona traits, the player decided to work on his persona first. Thoughts stormed on in the warm morning light. Morgan knew he was odd and tried to stay away from anything too outlandish. Trying to keep his oddness to a minimum, he went for what he knew.
Finger tapping at some of the traits, a character sheet appeared and words began to slide into slots. Bookworm, Athletic, Brave and Artistic appeared in their designated slots before he hesitated on the fifth trait. Each one seemed to speak to him easily, but the dark part of his mind clawed at who he really was. Reading some of the darker traits, he noticed some labeled Mean, Insane, Kleptomaniac and Evil. Whispers clouded his thoughts as he tried to decide if it would be true to his gameplay if he chose something from his inner darkness.
Making a decision, he looked down and saw his finger pulling away, the Evil trait already part of his stat sheet. Raising an eyebrow, he wasn’t sure if he had accidentally tapped at it or it did it on its own. The weirdness was quickly pushed aside as Susan began talking.
“Excellent choices! The traits you have picked will help you connect with those like-minded and give a base definition of who you are in Digital Hearts. When performing an activity that is similar to your traits, you will gain points to your attributes. If you go against those traits, there will be a negative impact.
“Now, let’s talk about your attribute stats. These are a numerical representation of you in the game. It is based on a scale from 1 to 10. Your actions and activities will have either a positive or negative effect. The higher your attributes, the better chance of succeeding at a desired effect. The lower, the greater chance of bad outcomes. Be warned, if an attribute reaches zero, there is a chance a catastrophic event may be triggered.”
“Like what kind of catastrophic event?”
“For example, if your Skill Attribute is at zero and you try to do something simple as cooking, there is an almost 99% chance you will burn down your location with you in it.”
Morgan smiled. “Good to know.”
“Now I shall discuss each attribute you have in Digital Hearts. You start with one in all five so please pay attention as I explain. It is possible to die early on if you’re not careful. Death is permanent and you will be logged out of the game, unable to return. You still with me?”
Morgan nodded.
“Good. Let’s start with the first one, Attractiveness. Despite your appearance, Attractiveness is a different attribute entirely. It is a measure on your hygiene, perception and self-confidence. The higher your Attractiveness, the more others will want to know you and be around you. Much like a moth to a flame, the higher your attribute, the more interesting you become to others.
“Style works in tandem with Attractiveness. The higher your Style, the more haircuts, clothes and accessories you may unlock. Some items and styles will add to your attributes and help you become more appealing to others.
“Luck influences situations, either in a positive or negative light. The higher the luck, the greater chance of something positive coming your way. Short a DIM buck for your favorite soup, Luck may influence you to find a dim buck at your feet or the kindness of another to pay for your meal.
“Skill influences how well you perform physical tasks. Creating a sculpture or building a deck by hand will rely on your Skill. The more you perform physical tasks, the better your Skill will become.
“Knowledge is what you know on any given subject. The more you read or experience new things, the greater your knowledge will become. This attribute will influence other attributes, giving you an edge on something you have not performed yet and works in tandem with your Skill attribute.
“Do you have any questions?”
Morgan blinked as the information swirled in his head.
Susan kept her smile, “In your pocket is a cellphone. Call me if you have any questions or are unsure of the rules in the game. Next, let’s work on your avatar. Please decide how you will appear in the game.”
Morgan looked over the options as they scrolled along. Instinctively he knew he wasn’t much into flashy appearances or wild clothes. The hidden and secretive edges of his soul whispered in his mind. Having a stylized study was one thing because it was personal, but thinking back to his avatars across digital realms and they seemed a little plain.
Taking a deep breath, conviction fueled him to cut loose, even if it was just a little. Moving the body sculpting slider, he gave himself a slightly leaner physique. Muscles toned under his digital skin as he used his other hand to tap on a hairstyle. Short, spiky hair appeared and took on a dark and almost black hue. The spikes lengthened a little toward the front until it felt just right. Not sure he wanted such a dark color, he slid the color slider back until his hair became brownish blonde. When satisfied, he picked a Soul Patch facial hair choice, giving a little hair under his bottom lip to his chin. Tapping at the screen, he picked dark green eyes.
Susan stood watching him as the player continued. Morgan cycled through the clothes before settling on a simple button up blue shirt that hugged his shoulders and chest just right. The bottom of the shirt hung out and he approved of the relaxed style even if it was something he would never do in other games. Trying to hold back his military sense of style, he moved on to pick simple black jeans and nice black leather shoes.
“Very nice,” Susan said robotically.
Morgan wondered if she said that to everyone, no matter what choice they made. Ignoring the tutorial avatar, the player looked through the extra accessories. Deep down, he felt like something was missing. Something that would make his avatar at least a little more interesting.
Scrolling through jewelry and tattoos, he came across a dragon tattoo. Heart beating a little faster, he always entertained getting one, but never had the guts to go through with it in reality. In games, he didn’t really think about it because he was focused on missions and earning credits. Thoughts flowed to Mina and he smiled to himself. A single finger tapped on the stylized dragon tattoo and a tingling sensation touched his chest. Opening the top of his shirt, he saw the black tattoo over his heart like it had been there his entire life.
“What is your first and last name in Digital Hearts,” Susan asked.
Morgan didn’t mind using his first name, but the last name caused him to rub his chin. The oddness of playing this kind of game circled his mind until he smirked to himself.
“Morgan Strange,” the player smiled.
“Excellent,” Susan said nodding. “Let’s look at your Stat sheet.”
Morgan Strange
Attractiveness - 1
Style - 1
Luck - 1
Skill - 1
Knowledge - 1
Job
Funds
10,000 DIM Bucks
Traits
Bookworm
Athletic
Brave
Artistic
Evil
Susan’s smile faded away as her expression took a serious edge. “You have successfully created your persona in Digital Hearts. We must next discuss the rules and objective of the game.
“Romance is a key to winning. Each interaction you have with the citizens in game will heighten your chance at finding true love. When you interact, you will notice three empty hearts next to them. Depending on your actions, those hearts will fill, depending on how well you woo or interact with them. Once all three hearts are full, you will have a chance to activate a golden heart. If you achieve a Golden Heart, a map will be delivered to your home showing you where your treasure is buried. Once you dig it up and open it, 800,000 credits will be added to your account and you may exit the game.
“Digital Hearts is a relaxed game, but one you must dedicate time to. You
cannot be logged out for longer than 4 hours at a time per 24-hour cycle. If you surpass the time, you will be kicked and banned from the game. Just as you can with other games, you can sleep here with no ill effects. You have the choice to leave the game, but you cannot join a new one for 365 days.
“As I said before, death is permanent. If you die, you cannot return to the game and lose everything you have earned. The creators added this rule to ensure immersion in the world.
“Be warned, negative actions, if witnessed, carry consequences. Should you be jailed, you have four hours to have someone bail you out or you will be logged out permanently. Some high-level crimes like murder will not be allowed bail. You will sit in the cell for four hours before permanently logging out. Do you understand?”
“I do,” Morgan said with a blank gaze while concern filled his stomach.
Susan’s bright smile returned as she looked to the empty lot. “Players and DIMs are entering and forming as we speak. You will have thirty minutes to build your home. After that, Driftwood Cove will be active to all. I and the creators wish you the best of luck in your experiences and hope you enjoy the romantic adventure.”
Morgan raised a hand, “Before you go, what happens if I never find true love?”
Susan gave the player a warm smile before she turned and walked to the curb. A car appeared out of nowhere and drove up to the curb. Someone sat in the driver’s seat and kept their gaze forward. Susan opened the door and put her leg in before turning her head to Morgan.
“Trust your instincts. This is, after all, a world of passion and delight. Follow your impulses and you will do no wrong.”
Morgan lowered his hand, wondering why the cryptic message Susan seemed to pass on, directly related to him. Susan sat in the passenger seat and closed the door. With a final wave of her hand, the car drove off down the street, turned at the four-way section and continued on, disappearing from view.
Morgan sighed as he turned around to the grassy lot. Hand coming up, a 2D Building screen appeared. Basic home designs scrolled from left to right while a timer counted down in the corner. The player looked up from the screen and eyed the lot, his gaze drifting to the small field and dark woods beyond. For long seconds, Morgan enjoyed the view. Unable to place the weird comfort of the shadows and swaying leaves in the small breeze, he looked back down to the screen and began tapping away.