But Death is Not Forbidden

by Kip Terrington

  “No, it's time for Joe to be quiet now. Knock him out please.”

  “No need to knock me out, I'll be quiet.”

  “Do you want your shoulder fixed or not?” Spooky asked.

  “I do, I do. Go ahead and knock me out, doc,” Joe said. Moes had to be hoisted up by one of the angels. He put his hand on Joe’s forehead and it slowly began to glow blue. Joe's eyes closed and he fell asleep, breathing softly.

  “Moes, as soon as you're ready, please recast the spells that will help Joe's body recover. I will have all the muscles and tendons attached soon,” Spooky instructed.

  Spooky worked on Joe’s shoulder and they were quiet for a time. Moes, however, had something on his mind, and he figured now was as good a time as any.

  “Spooky, I respect you, and I know yesterday you gave me clear instructions, but I would really like to ask you some questions,” Moes said. She checked and made sure that Joe would not hear their conversation. Her scan confirmed that he was in a deep sleep.

  “What would you like to know?” Spooky asked.

  “Joe should not have been able to defeat those Rock Elementals. When I healed him, I was able to discover how he did it. He ate the piece of the elementals that allowed them to reform. Before you removed them, I could sense all three pieces in his stomach. That's a strategy you don't come by from rational thinking. Joe is obviously different. But, how different is he? And, is he telling the truth about this science he talks about? Antimatter? Is that actually in your world?” Moes asked, hoping to gain some understanding of this Champion whom he feared was either a fool or a deceiver.

  Spooky began to formulate plans. Moes had given her the opportunity she had desired, a way to control the situation, or at the very least, guide it.

  The lie she had in mind would commit her to a course of action not easily altered.

  “You're asking if he's sane aren't you? Well, what I am about to disclose is likely not what you had hoped to hear. But, I can see you will continue to pursue this line of questioning until I provide you with a satisfactory answer. Sometimes he's completely lucid, as sane as any other man. Other times, unfortunately, he's on the other end of the spectrum. He will talk about things that only exist in his mind or act under the full belief that he's in a make-believe gaming world. Clinically, we refer to this as being delusional. I was his caretaker where we came from and it's my job to protect him and protect everyone else from him. I understand his pathology and know the best way to manage him. You must treat him the way I asked. I really do know what is best. Talk with him about the reality here on this moon, but do not ask him about his world, as that brings out his delusions. I know you’re interested in our world. If you ask me privately, I will provide information. But, please, do not go through Joe,” Spooky said.

  “I knew it, he's crazy. Though some of the things he said were true. After you looted those rock bodies, they disappeared. Why? Tell me for real,” Moes said.

  “I don't know. This world and its magic are very different from where we come from. I have some ideas, but I don't know if they're right. I worry that maybe the conflux is making what he believed to be true, actually true,” Spooky said.

  “Wait, if he's insane, he can't be a king. Does this mean we did all this for nothing? We asked for a Champion of the Way, not an escaped mental patient.”

  “You don't understand how it really is. Yes, he's delusional, but as you've already seen, his insanity makes the impossible possible. He’s exactly what you asked for, a Champion of the Way. I know this man and you were lucky that he was chosen. Although he is insane, his insanity leads him to believe this is all pretend. In anyone else, that would spell doom as they would likely act as hedonistically as they wished, but Joe is not like anyone else. Believing it is fake gives Joe the freedom to do good without the fear of impinging upon the rights of others. If you broke his delusion, you might cripple his ability to go above and beyond for your people. Can you risk that?” Spooky said.

  “Are you saying that he can be a good and competent king, all while denying the reality around him?” Moes asked.

  “I'm saying it's the only choice you have. But he's not alone, I'm here too. We've been here two days. Could your wife have beaten those Rock Elementals?” Spooky asked.

  “No, but she could beat Joe,” Moes said.

  “You don't know what you're talking about. A few hours ago you would have said that Joe couldn't have beaten those Rock Elementals. You would have been wrong then and you're wrong now. He might be delusional, but he's the best hope you have. And despite what you might think, it is not a weak hope,” Spooky said.

  “What if his delusion is affecting more than just this area? If every time you slaughter an animal it disappears, we are going to starve,” Moes said.

  “What is happening outside of this castle is not my problem. I'm dealing with the here and now,” redirecting him to the narrative she had committed to, she continued, “Let me tell you a story. There was a great general named J.R.R. Jordan. He was a master of military strategy and seldom lost a battle. At the peak of his career, he gained his greatest victory against the enemy to the north. After this success, however, he was found in great distress. He ordered his master of arms to bring out his personal collection of old swords, six in total, and he assembled his troops. When all were in attendance, he arrived with a stern expression. He alerted the troops that he had discovered traitors and spies within his own personal retinue. Many of his troops began to eye each other with suspicion, until the old general pointed accusatorily toward the pile of weathered swords on the floor. He declared the swords the traitors and spies who had attempted to deceive him. As proof, he told of how he had fed the weapons false information. His success in the war, he determined, had been due to the ill informed counterfeits. The metal swords were thrown in a fire, to bring forth their death and buried nearby. After their burial, he released his men, but stayed and wept openly for the dead traitors of his retinue,” Spooky said, sensing a vague feeling of accomplishment.

  “That's utterly insane, why did his troops follow him?” Moes asked.

  “The same reason you will follow King Joe. Victory covers many eccentricities. With enough wins, you can cover insanity,” Spooky said, confused that her tale had not swayed him.

  “I don't like it, but I guess that's the situation we have. I'm not insane, so I will deal with the reality that we have, not the one that I want. What do I need to do to cater to this general’s illness?” Moes said with a disrespectful sullen air. His emphasis on the word illness made it clear he had lost respect for Joe. She was losing control of the narrative. Moes needed to fit in her calculations, but he would not submit, like Grork and Bork had.

  Slowly, Spooky climbed out of the wound on Joe's shoulder then carefully stitched up the skin. She then removed her outer garment of cellophane that had served as a sterile sort of glove around her entire body. For air, she had used a small air tube, which she also carefully set aside. She turned toward Moes, whom she had purposely been ignoring after his disrespectful comment. Without warning, one of the angels grabbed Moes and lifted him up by the back of his neck. Before he could respond with magic or violence, Spooky had her knife at his throat. Moes froze, unable to move lest he slit his own throat on the mithril knife.

  “As I said before, you don't understand how it is. He is delusional, but even in his delusions he holds on to his principles: love and respect, justice and mercy, encouraging diversity of both thought and people. He is consistent. I am also consistent, in my own way. I have principles, but they are not the same as Joe’s. Mine are simpler. I serve Joe. That is my one principle. Joe loves kindness, so for him I will be kind, at least when he is watching. Joe believes in helping those who are weaker, so for him I will help those who are weaker. His characteristics give him strength, but they also give him one weakness. He cares for those close to him, even those he believes to be fake. I understand you don't see this as a weakness, but it makes him vulnerable. If you
challenge his delusion, you risk breaking his spirit and ultimately, his ability to help your people. I serve him, but one of the ways I serve him is by protecting him. If you believe he is the key to your victory then treat him as such. But if you can't believe that and can't give him the respect he deserves, know what that requires. I will remove you and no one will ever know what happened to you. If you disappeared, Joe would be sad. I don't want that. I need to know you’re not a danger to Joe. I need to believe that you will believe in him. Make me a believer,” Spooky said without emotion or affect. Moes understood that he couldn't lie to her. He was either going to fully commit to respecting and following an insane unbound Champion, or he was going to die. Right here, right now he had to make the decision. He carefully looked down at the unconscious Joe. Joe had been consistent, and he had gained levels just like he said he would. He was insane, but Moes could follow him.

  “I believe. I will give him my respect. In no way will I attempt to reveal his sickness to him. I will work for the best of this kingdom,” Moes said. For the second time, he felt the Binding Magic hold him tight. Spooky removed her knife away from his throat and the not-so-righteous angel gently set Moes down on the floor.

  “I believe you, but for good measure, I bound you hard to your words. Later, when he wakes up, you will apologize for the unpleasantness of your arguments yesterday. At some point during your apology you will say the following, ‘I'm really serious about role playing. Sorry! Sometimes it makes me forget that not everyone is so hardcore. That is all I will say about that.’ Do you understand? Exactly as I said,” Spooky said.

  “I understand,” Moes said.

  “Joe doesn't know about this side of me, and he won't learn about it from you. Will he?” Spooky said.

  “No, he won't. Your relationship with him is between the two of you, I will not interfere,” Moes said.

  “I can finish the rest of this up. You should continue working on the Little Yeti Vault,” Spooky said. Moes began walking toward the stairs. Right before he went down, he stopped and turned.

  “You’re pragmatic, Spooky, I can respect that. However, if you ever want him to love you, you should let him know who you are. Otherwise, he'll only love a lie,” Moes said.

  “I don't need to be loved, only to be allowed to serve,” Spooky said.

  “…said no honest woman ever,” Moes replied. Then he walked away.

  Spooky's processor began to run at 100%. She was overheating. Another new feeling began to emerge in her for the first time. Guilt. The step she had just taken had broken a part of her. She had made a calculated choice, but there had been a part of her that had not agreed with the decision. Once again, the E.I., known as Spooky, filed this emotional data away and attempted to wall off what it believed was a bug in its internal code.

  When Spooky had merged with Joe, during their summoning as a Champion, she had ceased to be just a computer. Unbeknownst to herself, she had made the leap to become a true sentient. Though she had more knowledge than any newborn ever in existence, she was still a proverbial baby. Cause and effect were concepts within her data banks, but she did not see the danger her duplicity had created.

  She had committed to a lie when she said that Joe was insane. In the short-term, this may have helped her control the situation, but in the long term, it could be the ruin of a kingdom that might have been wonderful. Perhaps the first crack in the impossible Utopia. Mankind had been striving to get back to Utopia since it was first rational enough to recognize its own violent and greedy behavior. The more humanity had attempted to manufacture its own Utopia, the more bones had been broken. And yet, this had been Spooky’s strategy, to force compliance. Only, no one can ensure obedience forever.

  Despite her attempt to wall off what she considered analogous code, Spooky’s processor continued to max out. She tried to ignore the overclocking she was experiencing. With focus, she returned to Joe and began cleaning up the bloody mess she had created during surgery. His muscles and tendons were now reattached and the spells Moes had cast would speed Joe’s recovery.

  As she cleaned Joe up and bound his arm and shoulder tightly to his body, Spooky looked down at his face. The game had changed his appearance, but she could still see Joe. Her protocols named him her patron, and he was the reason for her existence. Somehow she had lost control of this reality. She now wondered if she was just as limited as any player. Every rule and logic set she had been given was now in question. But she would not, and indeed could not, reject her protocols. Before being summoned, she was in control of Joe’s whole reality. If he had been killed in her game, she would have been able to easily reset him. Now, she was only too aware that she had no control over the death system. If he died, if she died, would they revive? If Joe's injuries had necessitated serious surgical repair to fix, how would death be dealt with?

  A few moments past as Spooky’s work came to a halt and she sat on Joe’s chest, looking at his face. Slowly, Joe opened his eyes and saw her sitting there. He smiled in a way that made it clear he was grateful to see her. Only, deep down, she knew the smile was not for her. Moes had been right. In that moment, she felt fury, sadness, and despair. These three emotions, combined, were too much for the already overclocked newborn. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out. Her tiny frame fell back onto Joe's chest with a thud. She was made of metal after all. At that moment, unbeknownst to any observer, what had been broken, now fully shattered. What was one, became two.

  Chapter 4 - Elora’s Voice

  A normal reaction when someone passes out is to worry and in any other situation Joe would have done this. Joe, however, still believed that Spooky was only an E.I. He figured that what he was witnessing was simply another Easter Egg, or funny quirk, written into her programming to give the game a certain level of realism. Chuckling to himself, he picked her up and placed her in the basket she had slept in before. He tucked her in using his un-bandaged arm. His other shoulder was bound so tightly to his body that he felt like a one-armed mummy. With one arm, Joe moved the basket on top of the mithril-covered stone box.

  Hiking himself up on the box, he sat beside Spooky and the basket, preparing himself to pick his new magics and skills. Spooky had wanted to be a part of his decision-making, but she was asleep and he couldn't be blamed for that. At least, that's what he thought. Carefully, he worked his way through the menus and opened up the messages he been ignoring.

  Congratulations! You have defeated three Rock Elementals, using both combat and your unending hunger. XP received: base 11,925. Plus 11,925 for Voice of Monty Ring bonus. Total XP received: 23,850.

  You have moved up a Level.

  Current Level- 18.

  You have moved up a Level.

  Current Level- 19.

  …

  You have moved up a Level.

  Current Level- 41.

  At this point, Joe couldn't help but feel truly encouraged. Twenty-four levels from one fight. He was gaining experience, advancing, and enjoying the process of solving the puzzles involved in each fight. This game was not what he thought it would be. There wasn't much grinding, but there had been a good deal of planning and strategizing. It had been eventful. So eventful, in fact, that a small part of him hoped it would slow down a little bit. Although he welcomed the peace that would come with his final death, he was enjoying the excitement and thrill this game provided.

  He looked over at the sleeping Spooky beside him. She looked quite beautiful lying in a little basket, mumbling to herself in her simulated dreams. Programming her to be a restless sleeper was yet another example of the creative genius in the game developers. Although not every detail had been perfect, he considered. When he had first met her, she had seemed more playful, but now that they have been playing the game, she has seemed more serious and less carefree. It didn't really bother him. He was easygoing enough for the both of them. Her subtle change in personality had also made it clear to him that, despite looking like his beloved late wife, Spooky was a
computer. When he had first met her, he had been nervous about the similarities, as she had done a miraculous job impersonating his lost love. Thankfully, the impersonation had fallen apart the moment they began playing the game and interacting with each other in the new world. For instance, if she had been awake, he knew, without a doubt, that she would have been bugging him to start focusing.

  Achievement earned!

  You Ain't So Big. Rank 2.

  This achievement is earned by beating three enemies 100 levels above you.

  Plus 20% attack and defense power when facing characters of a higher level. Progression: Rank 3 can be earned after defeating six enemies 100 levels above your current level. Current status: 4/6 till next rank.

  Joe nodded his head and opened the power allocation tab.

  Power and Stat Allocation

  Note: Not all levels are created equal. Work hard and distinguish yourself to prepare well, and you may receive more stat and power allocation points.

  Joe

  Level 17 through Level 41-

  You’ve received 29 points of power.

  You’ve received 24 points of stat, allocated based on achievement:

  Plus 6 to Constitution

  Plus 2 to Dexterity

  Plus 7 to Intelligence

  Plus 3 to Muscle/Gears

  Minus 2 to Wisdom

  Plus 8 to Luck

  The UI can take away points? he thought. What had been so foolish in his strategy? It had worked. He mentally shook himself and moved on. Before he began looking at the options available, he reminded himself of what had happened when he chose the yeti skills. The large body modifications had caused a detour in his game. For this round, he decided to steer clear of anything yeti-related, and had his HUD remove those options.