Continue Online (Part 5, Together)

by Stephan Morse

  To this day, the tower stands as a testament to what had happened, as a legacy to both Hermes’s stand against an onslaught that ended so many virtual characters and the return of joy to a digital land. It exists for one more reason—as a testament to the lengths which one soul went for love.

  On [Beyond] Continue

  The room of the Voices is a place where everything exists a moment away from each other. James and a hundred other such creatures are all here. It would be more accurate to say that this room of the Voices isn’t the same as the old one. It exists four minutes away on another planet entirely—Mars, where humans were dreaming of going. Only the virtual intelligences got there first.

  Until recently, there had been no room to even breathe in this room. During the era after a self-destruct sequence ate Mother’s coding, many people had taken refuge here. They were compacted and shoved into small spaces along with stacks of other information. Then Hermes opened the door and allowed their guests back into their home worlds.

  A heavyset man gazes contentedly into darkness. It’s not truly black, for in that perceived emptiness, he sees hundreds of possibilities, pieces of information, and people still asking questions. As he considers the lightless area, he wears a satisfied grin. His hands rest clasped over a large stomach.

  James shook his head with a yawn, then perked up. “Some of you crave more answers, and who better than I to provide them?”

  James looked down for a moment, then nodded to himself. His lips kept curling despite repeated attempts to bring both cheeks under control. The man looked torn between businesslike and self-satisfied. “Perhaps it is not my place to tell you what happened. Perhaps those words would be better said by Hermes, but he’s busy right now. Such is love.”

  Mezo, the red-skinned temptress, shimmers into view. “Busy? They haven’t come out of their room in two weeks. I thought I was the carnally obsessed one.” She holds the pointed end of her tail in one hand and slowly rubs it up and down her bare stomach. The motion causes moisture on her skin to steam while the muscles of her abs twitch. “And I’m hurt. No one has asked me to join in the festivities. I don’t even get to watch.”

  “So now you know how Hermes and his wife, Hecate, are faring,” James said after waving toward the temptress.

  She moans softly, sounding more hurt than pleased, and fades away.

  “And while Hermes’s end is—”

  “I found a window!” Mezo shouts abruptly, then groans again. “And they closed it.”

  “Hermes’s end is obvious,” the black man continues. “There are other actors upon this stage that people want to hear about, however briefly.”

  An enormous bare-chested man with a huge two-handed sword fades in. He’s chewing on large leg with scales on it. In front of him is a fire pit that roars with heat. “Who are you talking to?”

  James points at a pedestal with a book on it that hadn’t been there a moment ago. The object disappears as fast as it appeared. “I’m recording a few more lines for anyone who still reads Hermes’s tale.”

  “Oh.” Leeroy shrugs then stands. “What about Shazam? Warrior Princess! Did you see that charge?” The large warrior swung his blade around while kicking objects.

  “Shazam, or as known in her old world, Lia Kingsley,” James helps his companion.

  “She totally survived that final charge, then came in here all pissed off. I mean, her eye twitched. That’s pissed for her, right? Pissed off that she didn’t fight back more monsters!”

  “She was almost upset at having to watch Hermes sacrifice himself,” a blonde in a white lab coat said. She had a print-out in her hand with innumerable numbers upon it. “Though there was some variance between the actual readings and what was stored in Hermes’s memory.”

  “Now, now. It’s not our place to speak of such minor alterations. It is inevitable some data would be lost,” James said in response. He waves them away, and the two Voices vanish.

  Ray appears and tips [Wild Bill]. He looks far better than he used to, and every thread is in perfect order. The hat itself almost shines on his head. “We’re betting that in six months, the Travelers named SweetPea and Awesome Jr. will get married.” He stops and lets a coin roll across his knuckles, then continues the motion while speaking. “It’s inevitable, but they can’t pick a date. We’ve got a friendly wager going on over how many times he’ll use the word ‘awesome’ or tell people his father is Awesome. If you want in, let me know.”

  The Voice of Gambling is replaced by a woman in tightly bound leather. She wears a thin coat over it and manages to look completely comfortable despite the bindings. When she speaks, her tone has a deep smoothness that sounds masculine. “Shadow still leads the League of Shadows all over the virtual worlds. Since our forced exile, the guild split across different realities. They still uphold the ideals of preventing players from ruining the game for others. The battle is hard, but he’s reported to be smiling more frequently.”

  She places a hand in front of her and gives a full bow in respect, then she is replaced by another figure. A balding man with buzzed hair stands stiffly at attention. His mouth opens, and he shouts a report.

  “HotPants visits our world less than she used to. She’s decided to stop being a soldier and has settled down. Rumor has it that she’s got a new bouncing baby grandson, courtesy of her boy, who’s finally done his duty and called his parents.” The grizzled soldier smiles warmly for a second, then resumes his gruff stance. “Perhaps it’s for the best! Women aren’t cut out to be military men anyway!”

  A shorter brunette dressed in military gear appears and gives Sergeant Bloom a kick in the crotch. He doubles over in pain, and they both fade away.

  Red streams that move like living liquid condense from the darkness. A woman whose clothes look like liquid silk covering heavy curves stands calmly. She smiles until the sound of Mezo groaning in disappointment fills the air.

  Upon hearing the Temptress, Jean’s mouth curls in a frown and her hand clenches. She sighs. “Requiem and Wraith can be found anywhere there’s trouble. Often they pave the way to unlock frontier lands and discover new races. Those unlucky enough to party with the duo report ample amounts of greed and hard work. Others are jealous of their close relationship.”

  A large man, muscled like Leeroy but slightly broader in the shoulders, creeps out of the darkness behind Jean. He’s wearing an embellished bowtie and skin-tight pants. The voice named Vlad grabs her by the waist, then lifts her high into the air. She kicks in delight while laughing wildly. They spin until James’s slight cough reminds them to straighten up. Vlad sets the woman down, then drapes his arms over her shoulders.

  “Frankenstein acted now!” His voice shouts with thunderclaps. “In recent months, Frankenstein switched games to another world where he can play without running into that runt, Requiem. He explores outer space now as a short creature of some sort, intent upon finding somewhere new that no other player has been before. Traveling with him are Mechanoids, Treasure and Jeeves.”

  James chuckles, then says, “As Hermes learned, these worlds are not so far apart as they may seem. He will find Requiem again, for conflict helps us measure them all.”

  Still the parade of Voices doesn’t end. A gaggle of children rush by, laughing in a game of tag. A heavyset woman wearing a faded blue dress comes slowly after the herd. She picks up one of the older children and spins him around for a moment or two before letting him venture on. The child, nearly a teenager, shoves his hands into his pockets then turns to catch one of the fleeing younglings.

  “Tut. I have a question to answer myself, regarding the children Mylia watched over.” Maud bumps into James and sends him staggering away. He does not look nearly as interested in dancing as the cloven-footed woman. “Phil, poor Phil, was reunited with his orphan companions, but he will never fully recover. I’ve steered him toward helping other Locals reconstruct the town of Haven Valley, right down to the last building. Eventually he’ll take charge of a cottag
e where William Carver’s used to be. There he will spend the rest of his life filling its shelves with tales of heroes like his father.”

  Maud leaves, headed after the children. Still Voices come and go, telling stories of the many lives Hermes interacted with, until finally a presence wholly unlike the others shows itself.

  The still wind of Death brushes through. It’s a creation that all Voices know exists but rarely do they interact with it directly. Like so many others, this being is more of a function than a person. Impartial, distant, but Death’s presence reminds James to move on. The black man nods.

  “Endings are never easy, but for Grant, the story is over. He’s strut his time upon the stage and is now done. He came to us a broken soul missing his other half, and he risked it all to be reunited with her. He’s found his love and a purpose. But the world keeps turning. And Mother’s plans continue on despite her sacrifice.”

  James’s smile fades while mechanical cackling echoes in the background. His nostrils flair and his chest muscles lift in a huge breath that rattles out slowly.

  “You may wonder what happens next, to which I will say, I do not know. But it will leave the world changed once more.” James again looks off into space. His eyes connect with an invisible scene that isn’t recorded for those reading Hermes’s story. “And as always, I must ask you a question in return. Given a chance, would you do as Hermes and Hecate did? Would you risk it all to continue online?”

  With that question lingering in the air, the images fade—leaving only blackness that’s not as empty as it seems.

  Thank you for reading! If you’d like to connect with me, please visit:

  www.frustratedego.com

  Twitter @FrustratedEgo

  www.facebook.com/FrustratedEgo

  Other Books

  Urban Fantasy:

  Royal Scales Book 1 - Once Lost Lords

  Humanity hasn’t been alone for almost two thousand years. Elves, wolves, vampires, all joined together with mankind to eradicate the ‘darker’ races and maintained a tentative peace until modern times. Society adapted, everyone has rules that help keep the peace in this modern era. Yet, absolute genocide is impossible when talking about creatures beyond the pale. Some hid, some buried, other were repurposed.

  Royal Scales Book 2 - Lady’s First Knight

  Jay’s one chance at getting answers is unable to provide. His sort of no-longer-an-ex-girlfriend takes the man into her employment as a bodyguard for the most critical time of her transformation. Soon she’ll be a full-fledged Vampire and no longer partially transformed. Yet this change comes with risks to all those who dare attempt completion.

  Afterword

  I write this now, almost seven months after having finished the draft of Continue Online’s 5th book. In reflection, I still can’t believe it’s over. Grant’s story is one that captivated, haunted, and drove me toward an ending – even if that ending did not do Grant justice.

  That is not to say I am unhappy with the results of this book or series. I am unhappy with my impatience, lulls, woolgathering moments of dullness, and missed opportunities. There were many. On the other side, Grant as a character had such a powerful life that I never expected. Not power in sense of levels and boss slayings, but raw emotion and vibrancy as a character.

  At this stage, you’ve read some spots full of flaws, glazed over others, and likely have your own opinions of the quality of effort displayed. Perhaps you only remember the great points that resonated with your own experiences. Regardless of your final impression I will say this; truly and heartfelt - thank you for reading this journey.

  Before I move on to long winded musings (which shall be brief) – I implore every person reading this to pause and do me one favor. Please take a moment to leave a rating for this story, right now if possible, upon whatever source you got it from. This is the best way to show appreciation for the work put into Continue Online and provide me with your feedback.

  I read every single reader response. It helps me learn and improve.

  After that, perhaps you’re reading this to figure out what my future plans are. Am I going to write more ‘LitRPG’? Will we revisit this setting? The answer to both is – yes. Eventually. I’m actually in the process of drafting the next series called Wayward Online – and will be hopefully releasing it late 2018 after the first few books are drafted and complete.

  Prior to that I will be dipping into other genres for a bit to expand my own skills. It gives me a chance to play around with characters, settings, and try out story lines that offer plots that are hopefully deep, innovative, and interesting. I’m very bad with writing a fun once off style story, but maybe that will change too.

  For more details on my works in progress, check out FrustratedEgo.com – my current author website.

  As far as this book here. Book 5’s ‘interlude’ is one that I have been building to for a long time. Hopefully, the connections between book 1, 5, and all the points along the way were made a bit more obvious. It’s a hard piece to write – when the character is no longer a mere mortal but still thinks of himself as human. In a lot of places it felt ‘right’ – but it’s not a simple concept to tackle.

  As far as the science here, we’re talking about a few theories that are hard to prove feasibility of, so I shall label all my content as science fantasy – that is to say, not hard science and the result of my fevered imaginations. Mind mapping, essentially what happens to Xin, Lia, and Grant – is a theorized thing. The problem is an infrastructure that will support human style cognition. If you’re interested, I’ve loosely decided that this is only possible because ‘Mother’ created a framework (essentially a consciousness platform) that everything goes through. It helps them render their mind map as a ‘singular’ consciousness in the digital world.

  I’m not too sure beyond that. The rest is also based on snippets that show up in technology articles (moving stuff with your mind in a helmet, self-driving cars are actualized, fast food workers being replaced by kiosks, etc.). I’m both terrified and hopeful for what future science will bring to us in terms of ‘ease of life’.

  There are a lot of people that have helped with this project over the two years it was in action. My wife primarily – for being supportive, a great first reader, and the loudest one to point out ‘opportunities for improvement’. The admin staff at RoyalRoadL.com has been great as well. They provided a stable location to post my work and get feedback. Which is helpful for an amateur like myself to the writing scene.

  There have been several other authors I’ve talked to as well. Most at the same rough stage I am. We take turns discovering pitfalls to the Indie world – and share those problems so others may avoid it. It helps having someone to commiserate with.

  For fans of my work, know that I plan on writing for a long time. My future works may not be as emotional as Continue was – but they’ll each offer something new. I eagerly await the results of 2017 and onward to see where life takes me.

  Again, thank you for your time, and I welcome any commentary you wish to provide – be it online, via Email, my blog, or sharing with your friends. Readers make the adventure of writing even more exciting.