GodsRealm- Betrayal

by Luke Isaacs

  “I think you might be a brat to outsiders,” Rick also added. “But not to us, we are family.”

  “Wow,” Edward said. “I am overwhelmed guys, thanks, I love you too.”

  “So, what are your plans?” Dana asked.

  “I want to be normal,” Edward said. “I know I have a life of privilege, but solid shackles also bind me to my father and his image. The celebrity status from winning would be the key to getting out of his shadow.”

  His teammates nod and finish their refreshments before Rania breaks the silence.

  “Hey weird boy,” she calls out to Rick. “What are your plans then?”

  “I am not a boy, Rania,” he said indignantly. “I am the same age as you.”

  “My point exactly,” she answers quickly. Dana and Mario try to stifle a laugh and receive a sharp look from Rick. “So, again, what are your plans?”

  He looked at her, wondering if she really liked him or if it were just playful banter she would use on anyone.

  “I want to start a powerups store, at least in the beginning.”

  “This would practically consume all of your winnings,” Edward commented. “But in the long term and with some patience, you could be the next N. Hassan.”

  Norbert Hassan was a legendary name on GodsRealm; originally, he was champion in the first-ever championship. With his winnings, he started a business designing powerups to his own class, Rogues. This became a huge business when he was approved and licensed by GodsRealm.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” said Rick, lowering his head. “I will use most of the profit to hire a real detective to track down my missing parents.”

  Again, silence covered the room in a thick blanket. Again, Rania sliced through it.

  “You’re alright in my books, weird boy.”

  Only Dana noticed the tears pearling in the young girl’s eyes.

  “So, I guess we all have plans,” Mario said in a serious tone. “The question is, how can we go through with them?”

  “Meaning, how we can dodge the cheating bullet?” Rick asked him.

  “Exactly,” Mario added. “I didn’t cheat, and I am certain none of you did as well.”

  “Well, we could have.” Edward walked to the recycling bin and dropped his tea cup into it. “Remember, we used our new powers.”

  “But we didn’t cheat!” Rania said excitedly. “Our powers just evened the odds to balance our reduced game-world abilities”

  “Yeah, true,” Dana nodded in the direction of Edward, “but to an outsider, we sucked at the battle for some time, then, boom, we were unbeatable!”

  “Technically, we didn’t cheat, and they can’t prove anything related to cheating in our performance,” Mario said. “Rule set 74c defines cheating as using illegal powerups, modified powerups, code altering the stats of the player or an opponent, code altering the equipment or powers used by the player or an opponent, code snippets altering time or environment in the game and/or code snippets affecting the AI in favor of the player.”

  “You know it by heart!” Rick exclaims.

  “As I said, I have a lot of time on my hands.” Mario smiled.

  “So, since there are no powerups or code involved with our new powers,” Rania said. “We didn’t cheat.”

  “Are we certain that there is no code involved?” Edward asked the group.

  “Sure, there isn’t,” Dana answers him. “None of us used any code to get or utilize our powers.”

  “None that we know of,” Rick countered. “Edward is right, we might be using the code without even knowing.”

  “How could there be a code?” Dana objected. “We didn’t code anything.”

  “Every action we take in the game or in VNet activates a code already present as part of the programming of the environment. Otherwise, any action will have no effect on the virtual world,” Edward answered her objection. “And since our powers have differentiating effects on the game world, there had to be a code for it to happen.”

  “But this means that the game granted our powers in the first place,” Rick said. “How could it transfer to the real world?”

  “There have been trials…” Mario starts then stopped, suddenly looking unsure.

  “Trials? What are you talking about?” Dana asked him.

  “I am not really supposed to talk about this,” he added. “I mean, I didn’t sign a non-disclosure agreement or anything, but it was something to do with the military.”

  “You’re not in the military anymore,” Rania countered. “Plus, you said it yourself, you didn’t sign an NDA, so I guess it’s not much of a secret anyway.”

  “I really need to hear what you have to say,” Dana said in a dangerous tone. “Because, like it or not, it doesn’t concern you alone or your precious military! It concerns our very lives, all of us.”

  Mario looks at her a long time, but just as he appears to have made his mind up to speak, Edward piped up.

  “I know what he is talking about,” he said, looking at Mario, who nodded permission to continue. “Back before the China wars and after the mega-crisis, all the surviving governments were desperate for an edge. Any edge. It’s a conspiracy theory – the oldest VNet creepypasta. The story goes that there have been trials to reprogram the human brain, that failed of course. But then sophisticated AI arrived, and they began to work on the idea of ultimate AI, AI that has the will and the drive of humans. AI that could be made patriotic and willing to sacrifice itself in the line of duty. This could only be achieved through melding AI and human intelligence.”

  “Wait, I know this one,” Rania waved her hand fast. “It has to do with the Illuminati and other crazy stuff.”

  “Yeah, the one where the AI created through the process, revolted on its makers and is actually lurking in the bowels of VNet, waiting to exact its revenge on its tormentors in the worst possible way, enslaving the entire human race,” Rick said.

  “Yeah, they lurk in the Blackout Zone, right?” Dana waved the very notion away. “All of these conspiracy theories, are just rantings over Holo tube by sad men and women who skipped their medication.”

  “Not entirely,” Mario spoke with a grim look masking his features. “There are elements of truth to it. Not the Illuminati part or the lurking AI of course,” he continued before anybody could interrupt. “My brother was one of the soldiers who volunteered for the experiments, and as far as I know, it did work for some. It involved Electric Shock Therapy to weaken the electrical bonds of the neurons and allow the AI to be programmed in the subject's brain. My brother was one of the volunteers whose trial was a failure; he entered a vegetative state because of the experiment and died a few years later. He never woke up.”

  “Sorry for your brother,” Dana said softly, regretting her harsh words earlier. “But how do you know any of the experiments worked?”

  Mario sighed, committed to finishing his story now.

  “In the war, I had an augmented woman as my direct commander, Lieutenant O’Hara. She was not normal in any way you can see and call a woman normal.” He stood up and paced. “In fact, the day our units were destroyed, she knew it hopeless. Knew that we would be decimated. Six hours before our final defeat, she gave a speech about sacrifice, about our duty to give our life for the homeland. She was the first to fall, charging into enemy fire. I tried to save her. As she died, she said, ‘it’s better this way, I hope you all die as well. Give your life Mario, it’s your duty.’”

  “What the hell?” Rania said, and shivered.

  “But this has nothing to do with what happened to us!” Dana said. “We got electrocuted, went into a coma and our brains did the trick! We don’t have AIs joined to our minds!”

  “Are you entirely certain?” Detective Inspector Jones stood in the open doorway. “Hello, Dana. I have to remember to call you by your new name. Mario is right; this was the result of the war era, just like mine.”

  In the years following the global economic crisis, several nations coalesced togethe
r in trials to face the global fall of conventional money and its value.

  The Americas joined with the weakened European Union and Israel, while China, Russia and the Arabic middle east joined in another, and finally, India, Japan, the two Koreas and most of the Asian countries united in the last front of global powers.

  Australia remained passive and remote to the growing troubling machination of the world of that period.

  Before the war erupted between these three forces, came an era of racial fear and propaganda as the Right filled the vacuum left by the failed Globalist leftist agenda. This eventually resulted in the 2028-2029 Name Change Call, the campaign started in the American-European Federation, with several warmongering talk shows starting the call for people holding Arabic and Asian names to change them to good old-fashioned European names.

  Not unlike the Left’s push for multiple genders and controlled speech, it gained momentum to turn into state-sanctioned legislation. Surely a name was the least a patriot would give for their home country? In the beginning, there was a public uproar at the act, but the riots and protests were silenced with extreme prejudice and the act eventually became a fact to be accepted and respected.

  Dahlia Jones, formerly Dawa Abbas, addressed Dana who used to be known as Dunia, their Arab-sounding names altered to pass the rules of the act.

  Recognition dawned in Dana’s eyes and she stood up.

  “Talk about creepypasta. Hello sister. I didn’t recognize you.”

  Dahlia touched her face subconsciously.

  “Nano-whitening,” she said simply.

  Dana looked at her pityingly then approached the stiff Jones and awkwardly embraced her to the puzzlement of the rest of the group.

  “We used to be sisters in the same sorority in college,” said Dana, explaining.

  “So, are we chill then?” Rania asked.

  She’d been born in the former Chinese Confederation, and her family immigrated to the USA after the war ended, thus safe from the now obsolete act.

  “Sit down please, all of you.” An unsmiling Jones ushered them to sit as another policeman entered the room carrying the familiar shape of VNet suit containers. “We are certain that cheating had happened, what we don’t know yet is the how.”

  “We didn’t cheat,” Mario refused to sit down. “If you review our playtime, you will find no cheating in any of our playthroughs.”

  “I was listening to your conversation over the last few hours. You mentioned real-life powers?” She asked as she pointed to the other policeman to drop the suit containers and leave. “What exactly are those?”

  “A better understanding of the game,” Rick lied. “And a powerful bond between us.”

  “Were you spying on us?” Rania stood angrily. “You are not allowed to record us unless we give written approval.”

  “I did not record you,” Jones pulled a floating chair from the wall and sat on it. “Trust this kid, I know every law you can quote, and I haven’t broken any of them.”

  “But you were monitoring us,” Mario continued standing up, “even this needs approval on our behalf to be used against us.”

  Jones smiled, “Relax please, I will not use anything against you except what was publicly shown in your playthrough during the game itself.”

  “So, where is our legal representation,” Edward laid back on the mattress and spoke casually. “You do understand that your interrogation of us would not be approved unless our legal advisors are present of course.”

  “I understand that Mr. Yu,” Jones was still smiling. “In fact, your charges were revoked by GodsRealm themselves before I even escorted you here. Hence the need for the lawyers, according to the game rule set, is uncalled for.”

  “Then why are we being held?” Rania raged.

  “Haven’t you already noticed that this is not the usual interrogation room or even holding cell?” Jones looked defiantly at Rania.

  “What of it then?” Dana asked her. “If we are not incarcerated, then what?”

  “Oh, you’re incarcerated alright,” Jones adjusted her suit casually. “Just not by any of the corporate police forces.”

  “Meaning?” Mario asked her.

  “Meaning that the thing that we are investigating is far bigger the usual squabble of corporate cronies.” She stood up. “You are under the main jurisdiction of the UN, charged with attempt of, or successful integration of AI to human subjects, namely yourselves.”

  22

  The China wars, as they were known, could also have been called World War Three. Because of the very fast and violent battles involved, when the UN gathered forces from the remaining nations of the planet and forced the fighting superpowers to cease fire, an order enforced by freezing the assets of said superpowers, China took a major hit making them the biggest loser of the war and the name stuck.

  Then the UN took charge of all armies in 2031. Nations surrendered leadership in the Brisbane treaty of 31 masking the United nations the most powerful body in the world. It wouldn’t last.

  Ironically, the unification of planet Earth came following the worst war of its history and all nation states involved emerged as losers to varying degrees. Concentrating military power in the UN allowed the rise of the corporate ruling class, who if they had enough money and power could use the UN for their own nefarious purposes.

  Detective Inspector Jones was one of the few officers directly employed by the UN to represent it in civil law and order. Even though their presence was minor in day-to-day life, the UN still was the ultimate controller of power on the planet with most of the military equipment and personnel under their jurisdiction in their new headquarters in Australia.

  Any corporate lord who cared for his continued state of their nouveau nobility status knew they always had to appease the UN. This included giving total reign to their representatives and, when needed, surrendering all the information needed for them to do their work.

  Right then, it meant that the lawyers of Valhalla Greatest team and even the far-reaching hand of Jamal Yu, could not aid them in their predicament.

  To complicate matters more, Jones was a wild card, since she had been planted in the employ of VRNS by the UN.

  *

  Selma called the competition panel immediately after the Jones woman arrested Rick and his teammates. She was happy to hear that Realms of VR themselves never filed a cheating complaint against Valhalla Greatest, nor did they condone the actions of Detective Inspector Jones.

  She was also informed them that the championship panel would later in the day announce that the actions of Jones didn’t represent the championship and her allegations of cheating were unfounded. GodsRealm would call for the dropping of all charges unless evidence of wrongdoing could be produced.

  Selma was relieved and, at the allotted time, watched the Holo to make sure they did what they said they’d do. They did, and also announced the names of the players to pass to the next stage. It included Ricky’s name, which only added to Selma’s relief. They also announced the championship would again be postponed, and that in the meantime, they would be pressing charges against Jones, who had quickly become the most maligned person on VNet, for unlawful suspension of the championship.

  All of this was of course very nice to hear and watch, but Rick was not home yet, and Selma tried to call him several times to no avail. So, she sat alone in the apartment consumed with worries as to his fate and his teammates.

  *

  On the other side of the town, Rania’s parents were making their own calls to the coding department of GodsRealm, pushing the limit of their small influence in the coding scene to get any information on the whereabouts of their daughter.

  To their chagrin, they only received the same news as in the Holo and were informed that the championship’s panel didn’t know anything about where the Valhalla Greatest were taken or held. Furthermore, they were informed by the chief coder off the record that all traces of Jones herself were now bouncing back as forbidden access.r />
  “To tell you the truth? I think she’s a UN agent – only UN has this kind of power over VNet.”

  *

  Jamal Yu finally came to the same realization. The covered tracks of Jones were hacked to a limited degree by his own team, and he knew that the place where his son was taken was off the grid, hence no access to its location on VNet.

  He continued searching, a little more carefully. He had the connections and money to eventually find his son, it was just a matter of time. That scared Jamal Yu. Time was the only asset he had no control over whatsoever.

  23

  “Now, you will suit up,” Jones pointed to the suit containers stacked on top of each other on the floor. “Once suited, you will join me in a special auditing area of the VNet controlled by the UN, to review your playthrough together.”

  The team accepted the presence of the UN as a given; it was something that even children were taught to accept in their own schools. Occasionally teachers or staff would disappear or be demoted, and nearly always in these cases, another teacher was revealed to be a UN plant. They were everywhere or at least gave that impression.

  “How are you certain of this AI amalgamation anyway?” Rick asked her, as he approached the containers of VNet suits.

  “We aren’t,” Jones started to undress to put on her own suit. “This is the reason we monitored you for five hours before we decided to use a complicated simulation to determine if it’s true or not.”

  “And if it’s not true, what then?” Mario was already down to his standard issue synthetic skin underwear and began pulling the VNet suit on.

  “Then we issue a public apology and compensate you for your troubles.” Jones pulled the self-adhesive front of the suit closer and it self-sealed over her body.

  “Where are the half gravity globes that we’ll use then?” Rania asked she was already jacking her visor and earpiece in.

  Jones laughed.

  “You will enjoy this.” She gestured around the room. “You’re in it. The whole room works as a half gravity platform.”