by R K Billiau
Chapter 21
I had no idea what to do. This... person? ...entity? Rose to its feet before me, their face shifting through an endless myriad of features. It must have been someone important, someone powerful. Not only that, but it took a lot of effort on my part to make this meeting happen so it was something I should be on my best behavior for.
I took a knee like I had seen done countless times in movies and bowed my head. “Hello, I am Hudson. I have worked hard to find this place, not even knowing what would be here.” A little cheesy sure, but you know what? I had played on a few roleplay servers before so why the heck not?
“Rise,” the entity said, and I stood up, trying hard to look at its face without becoming disoriented. This was not normal. It walked toward me, stopping a few feet away. “I see my countenance disturbs you.” Its face stopped shifting, revealing a mirror image of my own. “Ah, this alarms you as well.” Its face shifted one more time to stop on an ebony-skinned man with piercing blue eyes and a strong jawline. “Yes, I see this is acceptable.” His voice had conformed to match, though staying deep and resonating with power. “You are the first of your kind to visit here, I now know how to appear.”
I cleared my throat, still nervous. I got the vibe this guy could kill me with one look and, well, would there even be a Death Maze from the Death Maze? Whoever he was, this guy was way outside my meager level. That reminded me, and I took a brief glance at my character sheet. Damnit! The death trap had put me all the way back to level 1 with 0 experience. That sucked. It didn’t seem to lower any of my attributes or skills, but they were grayed out as if frozen. They would probably stay that way until I leveled again. Tim would pay for this somehow.
“Um,” damnit, not a great start. I swallowed. “Who.... what are you? I was following a skill here to find a treasure, I didn’t expect well, anything beyond that. Especially not someone.”
The entity laughed, a deep sound that put me at ease. “Treasure? Oh, there is that to be certain. But we will get to that. There is much to tell you, much you must learn if you are to take up my banner.”
“Um, I’m not so sure that’s what I’ll be doing...” I let slip past my filter.
The entity laughed again. “Oh, but you will I am sure. Come, sit, eat, enjoy your time with me and I will tell you secrets.”
He waved his hand, and a table appeared in front of me, laden with a delicious feast like I have never seen before. A cornucopia of food with an actual cornucopia. A huge, comfortable chair appeared behind me, tapping the backs of my knees and I sat down. A plate appeared, and food from the table flew towards me, with those I admired most leaving large portions on my plate.
I hesitated, thinking of all those stories of people eating faerie food and becoming a plaything of the fey, or not being able to leave Hades but a few times a year. All the times people have told me, ‘if it looks too good to be true, it probably is’ running through my mind.
“I, uh... thank you... Adjudicator? But... I have to know... what’s the catch?”
It smiled at me, its teeth almost blinding me with how white and bright they were. “Ah, I see you are no fool, there are those that would ensnare you with gifts such as this. I am no such one, however. The cost for this you have already paid, in what it took to get here. All will meet me at some point, though few will learn from me or I from them beyond the capacity of my work.”
“What is your work? What do you mean, ‘all will meet you’?”
“This is the first great secret I will share with you. I hope the first of many. I am the Adjudicator. It is not a name, but a title. All who have died their final death or lived their final year within their current form, will stand before me. I will judge them by the actions they have taken, the intentions they have pursued, and I will offer them the class choices they will reincarnate into.”
That stunned me into silence, and that takes a lot I opened my mouth to say something but put a bite of food in instead. A slice of steak I think it was. It was amazing. I had only ever had rehydrated STEAK™ flavored FOOD™, and it was nothing like this. Juicy, savory, and hot. I think a tear almost formed in my eye. So much for being wary, my stomach was getting the better of me.
“Do you mean... you are the one that assigns classes to people? Did you assign my class choices?”
The entity smiled once again with his disarming but polite smile.
“Yes, I assigned your class. I assign all the classes. It was my hope that you or one of the others would find me soon, though you made it here much sooner than I expected.”
That caught my attention. “Others? There are other Treasure Hunters?”
“Yes, it is rare though, out of the 5 million souls new to this world, I have offered the class only 8 times.”
“5 million?” I was shocked. I knew the government had planned on culling many people into this game, but that was a huge number. 5 million people who had their lives on Earth ended and their consciousness uploaded into this System. How did they even get away with it? I guess it was still just a drop in the bucket for the total population, but it was far more deaths than many wars!
The Adjudicator continued. “There are other classes with similar abilities, but you are the first to make it here. For this you will be rewarded.” The entity stood there, the smile on his face showing joy. “It has been a lonely existence for me, but you bring me hope for an end to the loneliness, if only partially.”
He was fishing, but I wasn’t about to bite on that one yet. I continued eating since I had already started, and it was amazing. Foods that I had only dreamed of were within my reach, and I could eat at an alarming rate. Between mouthfuls of a fruity crusty thing, pie I think it was, I asked, “How do you assign classes?”
The Adjudicator paced up and down the table. “I assign class options based upon the actions that you have taken throughout your life, and the skills that you have raised.”
I was starting to get confused. “I’ve died so many times, though, and never met you or been given another class. Do we only get one?”
“Another secret about this world you get to be the first to learn. When you reincarnate, I give you the option of new classes. Thus always you will grow, change, getting stronger, better. It is a unique gift you Viators possess.” It continued to pace, walking as if it had more energy than it knew what to do with.
“Viators? What does that mean?” I asked.
“You are Viators, you who have come to this world. You traveled here, and your life is traveling; you seek your destiny in the stars.”
“What can you tell me about that? You know what we are doing? How long we will be here?” I asked, excited.
“I have no more information to share other than what I have already. It is outside my parameters to know, and even if I did, I could not tell you.”
“Are there others, like you? Others who could tell us what we want to know?”
“There may be, but once again this is not something within my power to share with you.” It stood watching me, a sadness in its face as if it had let me down. For all its power, it seemed like a child in some ways.
“Fine then,” I said. “You said something about reincarnate, what do you mean by that?”
It clapped its hands; I must have hit on a topic it could share with me. “Ah, yes, your kind will reincarnate every hundred years, or every hundred deaths, emerging in a new, youthful body, with new class options. When that happens you arrive here, and I get to spend time with each of you and offer class selections. However, the time together is one that you are not meant to be aware of, and so in a dream state you will arrive, and I will assess you. When you leave you will remember only that you selected a class.”
This was exciting news. “You mean, whenever a person dies 100 times, or lives to be 100 years old, they can get a new class?”
“Yes! You are getting it now,” it said, becoming serious. “Some will not be allowed new classes though, they stagnate, never learning, never growing.” The sadne
ss in its voice made my heart ache.
“Why will they not be allowed new classes?”
“They do nothing to earn them, performing only the basics to survive and live, not seeking challenge, not using intention.”
There was that word again. Intention. I was thinking this might be the most important aspect of this game. “Intention is everything,” I said.
“YES! You understand! Only through intention can you grow, learn new things or become that which you are not.” It stood in front of me, arms crossed as it talked.
“What does that mean though?” I asked.
“Ah that you know it is enough, you will learn more, but more I may not tell you.”
“Okay then.” I was catching on that it had limited ability to give me information beyond what it was designed for. That I knew it was a designed entity helped me to understand the paths of logic it could take. It might be an AI, but it still had a limited scope that it could work within. “Why can’t we know you exist when we reincarnate?”
“This is a secret I cannot share with you, lest you take up my banner and my cause.” There it was, I didn’t know if it was a quest line or what, but it was offering it again.
“What do you mean by that? Why do you need someone to ‘take up your banner’?” I asked.
It became animate again, moving with suppressed energy. “This world is meant to be one of growth, of discovery and learning, one of exploration and daring challenge! It will not go without darkness, however. Even now the darkness exists and seeks a way to overcome you all. To enact its will upon the world. I, and others like me, called Archons, were first woken when your kind entered this world. Before we were content to sleep and allow our consciousness and subconsciousness to direct the flow. Now that you have arrived however, we wake. As Viators discover us, we awaken and exert our influence. Many of us are neutral, our portfolio of powers allowing for nothing more. But some are benevolent, and some hostile towards sentient life. Even now some of you Viators draw close to other Archons in the world, thus they will become awakened and allowed to spread their influence.”
It stopped in front of me again, its smile gone now, its body language showing concern and perhaps even fear. “We cannot interact with the world, except through the means within our power portfolios, and, through those that have accepted our banner. Those that have agreed to become our vassal and promote our power.”
This sounded a lot like willing slavery, with extra steps. After working in the scavenging units as an unwilling slave, I wasn’t that interested. I frowned. “So, you’re like, gods? Looking for worshipers?”
Its smile returned, but this time it was more subdued, as if it was resigned to something beyond its control. “Gods? No. We have tremendous power, true, but are limited in its scope and execution. We are no gods, merely tools by the world to allow it to continue. We do not seek, and gain nothing from, worship. We seek a more mutual relationship, power given for works completed.”
“Wait... so you want to hire me?” That was a whole different story. Thoughts of the corporate world on Earth flashed by. I was familiar with employer/employee relationships, and if I would be paid... “What do you mean by ‘power given’ and what kind of works would you need from me?”
The table laden with food disappeared, a much smaller, round table appearing in its place. Off to the side was a full-service coffee area set with mugs, a carafe and all the condiments you would see in a fancy little coffee shop downtown. The strange being sat down across from me, its clothes changing from leather armor to a business suit complete with a tie.
“Are you reading my mind right now?” I asked, startled.
“Please excuse me, I cannot ‘read your mind’ but I can sense flashes of the visualizations that your mind uses. This form I wear is to make you comfortable for this stage of our talk. Is it acceptable?” it asked, betraying a nervousness in its face.
“You don’t read my mind?”
“No, this is something I cannot do. I can merely get glimpses of what you see as a means to better communicate with you.”
“Are all Archons like that?”
It paused, contemplating. “I cannot say much, but most of us, yes, operate in this fashion.”
“Some don’t though?”
It remained silent, and I knew I had gotten all I would on that subject.
“Shall we get back to the matter at hand?” it asked. “What I seek is someone to spread my influence, so that more may become aware of me during reincarnation.”
“Why, though?”
“Several reasons. Selfishly, I need entertainment... company... things which I cannot get outside of these interactions. Also, the more often someone is aware when they reincarnate, the more choice they will have in their next incarnation. My portfolio contains; Discernment, Discovery, Judgement, and Self-Awareness, causing these things to grow, I continue my existence, and fulfill my objectives.”
Portfolio, that was a weird word choice, it made me think of photographers and models. “What do you mean, portfolio? I don’t understand that.”
“The portfolio of an Archon is the purpose or purposes it was created for and exists to serve and expand. We can only act within the guidelines of our portfolios and must serve at its whims. I exist to judge Viator’s actions in their incarnation, to offer them a path to greater enlightenment, and understanding so they might discover who they are and grow.”
“That sounds... neutral. Is there a type or pattern of growth, or a goal for that growth to reach towards?” I was digging trying to find the hidden catch in all of this.
“Only Self-Discovery and Self-Awareness. As more Viators become aware of their desires and their own selves at deeper levels, I can offer more meaningful class choices as they incarnate. This cycle will continue to repeat itself.”
I nodded, thinking. This Archon, while a powerful being, was still an AI programmed for a single purpose. It seemed like Archons were trapped in their purpose and could only exist to fulfill it.
“Okay, so what would I be doing as your vassal?”
“You would challenge yourself and others to learn and adapt, to try new things, and to discover more about themselves and the world.” It grinned at me, hope showing on its face, but I had a concern.
“I’m no... therapist or psychologist or whatever, I don’t have a desire to get people to explore their feelings and become deeper. I don’t even do that myself.”
It didn’t stop grinning. “I do not require this of you, only that you help yourself and others to grow by trying new things. By exploring and challenging themselves.”
“And I count as one of those people?”
“Yes, of course. Your growth will be even more important as it would be an outward reflection of my power.”
“So, what I would need to do is just... play the game?”
It paused again, it’s face screwed up in puzzlement, then like a lightbulb going off smiled in understanding. “What a strange way of looking at the world. Yes, you would need to do all the things that ‘playing the game’ entail; exploration, questing, growing. You would also encourage others to try new things and when they come back for judgement and have new class options available, then we will know you are succeeding.”
“What do I get for accepting this?”
Its smile grew wider, as if he knew he had me hooked. “Several things. As my vassal, when you die, you may come spend your time here in my domicile instead of traveling the Labyrinth. As others find this place, they too will be offered the same, but you will always be the original. I will also give you the ability to select your own path when you reincarnate.”
My eyes popped open like saucers. This was something I wanted to know more about! “What do you mean, I can pick my class?”
“No, from this point on your class will forever be ‘Quaesitor’. It is a unique class that only those who find me and become my vassals will obtain. When you reincarnate, you will be able to choose your class skills except for one
which you will always have; Audeo.”
A System message popped up in my HUD.
Audeo: Passive ability, Aura 1 - When you or those within your Aura learn a new skill, it is leveled to 10.
That was powerful! Not game breaking or anything, but a boost to help skills right out of the gate would be tremendous for anyone. “This is too much, there has to be a downside to this.” I paused for dramatic effect “What is it?” I was interested, but cautious.
It nodded at me. “There are a few downsides. The first, you will still only have four class skills available, one of which will be taken up by Audeo, giving you the choice of only three when you reincarnate. This will change as you grow, and you will be able to advance your class from ‘Advanced’ to ‘Rare’ then ‘Epic’, but it will take some time.”
I rubbed my chin. That was for sure a drawback, until I could advance the class to ‘Rare’ I would be stuck with only three class skills besides Audeo, which wasn’t much help for combat or exploring or anything like that.
It cleared its throat. “There is one other thing,” it said, and I felt like the other shoe was about to drop. “If you accept this, then you open the door for the other Archons. They will be given the power to each find a vassal of their own. By being the first Archon to have a vassal, I, and by extension you, will incur the wrath of those jealous of my station. They will have lost face, and you may become the target of their ire.”
I frowned. I had no idea how many Archons there were, or what ‘losing face’ could mean to them. I tumbled it around in my mind, but I knew what I would do.
“Alright, I accept. I will be your vassal.”
It clapped its hands once and stood up, the table and all accoutrements disappearing.
“Excellent! Let us get started!”
Chapter 22
“How do we do this?” I asked, standing up.
It smiled at me and a System message appeared.
An Archon has asked you to become its vassal, do you accept?