“And can you contact me while I’m in game?”
Marty pulls the mask over my face and checks that the fit is tight.
“We can send you messages, but you can’t contact us. And just like in other gameworlds, you have to be in-game to communicate with other players directly. Enjoy your time in The Broken Lands.”
Broken Lands, huh? It has a nice ring to it.
Once everything is secure, the harness lowers me into the tube. The liquid is warmer than I expected and almost jelly-like in consistency. I’ll definitely need a shower once I get out. I open my eyes once I’m underwater and everything is a blur. I’m briefly aware that I’m still naked before everything goes black.
Chapter Three
I open my eyes, disoriented. Wooden beams run across the roof overhead. Something buzzes next to me. When I turn to see what it is, a strong whiff of manure hits me in the face and my stomach churns for a second. Flies buzz back and forth through the air.
My back itches when I sit up. I must be in a stable. Hay sticks to my backside and I brush it off.
Holy cow! The hay made me itch. I can actually smell the manure. This is amazing!
It’s hard to explain the difference, but it feels like an invisible veil has been lifted. I know I’m in the game, but damn, does it feel real.
The gentle neigh of a horse in the next stall catches my attention. My vision is completely clear. There are no icons or maps, even when I focus for them to appear. It’s almost lifelike. Hell, it is lifelike.
I rub the hay off my back and realize I’m not wearing any clothes, aside from a pair of underwear.
Well, this will be interesting.
“Hey, get out of there!” A woman rushes into the stable, brow furrowed. Her hair is a straggly mess and she waves a frying pan animatedly in my direction. “I’ve told you vagrants before, our stable is not a substitute for the inn! Now get out!”
I stand up in all my naked glory. The chill of the morning air nips at my uncovered skin as I try to decide on my next move. Before I get that far in my thoughts, the woman lets loose the frying pan and it hits me in the shoulder. I expect my vision to go red, but instead, a sharp pain shoots through my shoulder and across my chest.
“Ouch! That really hurt,” I say.
“Yeah, and there’s more where that came from if you don’t get the hell out right now!”
I pick up the frying pan and use it to cover my nethers as I run past the woman before she has a chance to deliver on her promise. My shoulder still throbs as I run by, and the skin is flushed and puffy. The pain feels so real. I’m not sure how much players will enjoy full-immersion if it hurts like this. I can’t begin to imagine what being stabbed would feel like.
Running past the woman, I escape into the yard. Cornfields abound in every direction as I pass the small wooden house and rush down the dirt driveway to the road. The outline of a small town looms several miles in the distance.
A cawing crow squawks at me from a nearby field. He sits on the shoulder of a scarecrow, unafraid of the straw man. A thought dawns on me.
The papery husks of corn scratch against me while I walk through the field. When I arrive at the scarecrow, the crow caws again and then flutters into the sky. I unlace the tunic from the scarecrow and put it on. It’s a little large, and stiff from who knows how many days in the sun, but at least I have clothes now. His pants are a little baggy, but they work as well.
Once I’m dressed, a bar briefly flashes in the corner of my vision and I see my experience go up. It disappears just as quickly and when I try to focus on it again, nothing. Whatever stats are happening, it’s going on behind the scenes.
I’ll have to tell Benjamin to work on that. It’ll be infuriating for players to not be able to access their stats and achievements in-game. I’m sure they are going for the most realistic version possible, but people still want to be able to know what they are working toward and how to gauge their progress.
With my new clothes, I set off toward town. After a while, my feet begin to ache and I am once again painfully aware of the realism. Tiny rocks stab at my feet with each step. I’ll need to find shoes somehow, but I don’t have any money.
The rhythmic trot of a horse announces a carriage approaching from behind. I step to the side to allow the carriage to pass, but it slows down and a man wearing a wide brimmed hat stands to greet me.
“Howdy. Need a ride into town?” the man asks. He has shaggy hair that falls to his shoulders. His face is weathered and worn, probably from years in the sun. Dark gray eyes stare out at me.
“That would be great! My feet are killing me.”
“Hop in the back and I’ll give you a lift. Try not to squish the vegetables.”
I climb in the back of the wagon loaded with carrots, beets, onions, and a dozen other vegetables.
“Name’s Carter,” he says as he snaps the reins and the horse starts trotting again.
“I’m Esil. Nice to meet you. Where are we headed?”
The wagon bumps along and I feel every rock and hole we pass over.
“I’m heading to the market in Carolton to sell off some of my produce. How about you?”
“Nowhere in particular. I was hoping to buy some shoes, but I don’t have any money.”
“Times have been tough recently, that’s for sure. There’s a lot of dark things going on across the land. Say, if you help me out with some work, I’ll buy you a pair of shoes. What do you say?”
“Sounds like we’ve got a deal.”
We journey along in silence for a while before the wagon comes to an abrupt halt.
A group of men wearing black cloaks block the road. Five in total. They stand tall, holding pitchforks.
“Dammit,” moans Carter.
“What’s going on?” I ask. He obviously knows something because he seems more resigned than panicked.
“Bandits. They’re gonna take a cut of my produce before they allow us into the city. They’re usually only out at dusk, taking the money we’ve earned, which is why I tried to get an early start, but I guess people caught on and now they’re changing their ways.”
A fire ignites inside of me. If there is one thing I hate, it’s bullies. “We can’t let them do that. You worked hard for this and they can’t just take it away from you.”
“Two of us against five of them. We don’t have a shot.”
I don’t expect much from Carter, he is just a farmer after all. But I can’t sit by and watch him get robbed right in front of me. They said the world evolves based on the choices we make, so maybe I can inspire the common people not to sit by while thieves and bandits take what doesn’t belong to them.
But how can we possibly get past them?
“I’ve got an idea.”
Carter looks at me, eyes wide.
“How fast can this wagon go?”
“Pretty fast, but it’ll be a bumpy ride.” The five men still stand in the middle of the road twenty yards ahead.
“Let’s run them over. How can they expect to stop a speeding wagon with only pitchforks?” I hold the frying pan in my hand and give it a twirl. “Besides, I’ve got this.”
A smile dances at the edge of his mouth, but I can still see the concern in his eyes.
“Come on. If you stop, they’ll always take from you. Put up a fight and you might never see them again.”
He slowly nods and then pulls the reins in his hands, mumbling something under his breath.
With a crack of the whip, the wagon jerks into motion, gaining speed down the bumpy dirt road. The cloaked men look at each other for a moment, unsure of what is happening. I grip my weapon, ready for whatever happens next.
We’re seconds from crashing into them when they jump to the side. A bandit attempts to lodge his pitchfork in the wheel, but it snaps like a twig, sending splinters flying. I bring my frying pan down hard on his head and the man falls to the ground. A rush of adrenaline courses through me when I see them in our dust. I turn to congratulat
e Carter, but he is hunched over in the seat, blood dripping from his shoulder.
“Oh no, what happened?” I ask.
Carter grimaces and pulls on the reins, slowing the wagon to a more moderate pace. I climb into the front and take a look at his wound. Three large punctures flow freely, spilling blood down his arm.
“The bastards got me as we passed.” For a split-second, I see a health bar over his head at about fifty percent. Just as fast, it disappears. I need to get him into the city and see if we can find some type of medical help.
I move Carter to the side and take the reins. I speed up the wagon and soon the outskirts of the town come into view. Carter continues to bleed, forming a small puddle in the seat around him. His face has lost all color, leaving him gaunt and white.
Two guards stand outside the town gate. They aren’t resplendent by any means. Their armor is dented and tarnished in places, unlike the guards in the Mortican Mountains with their shimmering plate polished so well I could see my own reflection. No, these guards are far from their home castle. The low men on the totem pole. They scowl at me as we come to a stop at the gate.
“What happened to him?” one of the guards asks, not a hint of compassion in his voice.
“We were attacked by bandits but managed to escape.”
The guard glances at the other and raises a brow.
“Managed to escape, you say? Why didn’t you just pay them and be on your way?”
“And give up what he worked so hard for? Listen, we need to get inside and get my friend some medical attention. Will you let us pass or not?”
“You plan on selling those vegetables?” the guard asks, looking in the back of the wagon.
“Of course.”
“Then it’s two copper to get into the city. That’s the cost of selling.”
This doesn’t seem right. And I have a strong feeling these guards are in league with the bandits we just passed.
I’m about to argue when Carter reaches into his pocket and pulls out the two coppers.
The guards move aside and the gate opens.
People hustle back and forth inside the town. I search for anything that looks like a healer, but all I see is the market, a blacksmith, and row upon row of houses.
A young woman passes by, carrying a basket of herbs. Her dark hair is braided down her back and she wears a blue tunic.
“Excuse me, miss. Do you know where I can find a doctor?”
She looks up, startled.
“Doctor?” she asks, evidently not knowing the word.
“Uhm, a healer?”
Recognition dawns on her face.
“Ah, yes. Our healer is on the other side of town. There is a white mark on the building. You will know it when you see it.”
As we make our way through the heart of the town, I can’t help but notice how downtrodden everyone looks. No one makes eye contact and they all keep a healthy distance from one another. Something is definitely going on in this town.
I recognize the healer’s building as soon as we come across it. It’s a small cottage, painted black, with the outline of a white hand on the door. A few rats scurry underneath as I pull the wagon to a halt and tie up the horse. An aura of darkness surrounds the building. I don’t like the look of it, but the woman said this is where we would find the healer, and Carter doesn’t have much time.
He barely acknowledges me as I lift him from the wagon and carry him towards the entrance. At the door, a smell more rotten and sour than I have ever experienced overtakes me, stopping me in my tracks.
The door is locked, and it takes a few moments for anyone to come after I knock. I’m surprised when a beautiful woman in a white dress opens the door and invites us inside.
“My friend was attacked. He needs help.”
She nods and motions for me to step inside.
Skulls and shrunken heads hang from the ceiling. A snake coils in a jar sitting on an ivory table. Several potions and frothing liquids bubble and brew as she leads me into a room in the back. The woman seems out of place with everything here. What have we just entered?
She points at an empty table, instructing me to place Carter there, but says nothing.
His eyes flutter as I lay him down as gently as I can.
“Can you save him?” I ask.
A blank stare is the only reply I receive. She steps over to Carter’s body and places her hand on his injured shoulder. Her lips begin to move, silent at first, and then more audibly. She chants in a language I cannot understand. As she chants, her white dress darkens at the edges. Small tendrils work their way up through the fabric, changing it to gray and then black, until finally it is as dark as a starless night. Not only that, her beautiful face is now wrinkled and full of warts.
She continues chanting. The black tendrils that worked their way through her dress now move down her arm. I’m too shocked to move.
They reach out from her arm, injecting themselves into the wounds on Carter’s shoulder, and he jerks violently. His eyes shoot open, wide and white.
I rush to help him, but something stops me in my tracks.
The next thing I know, my vision goes black.
Chapter Four
The warm gel smothers me. I stretch out my hands, reaching for Carter, but everything is a blur. I want to rush forward and stop the old witch from hurting him, but I can’t. The harness pulls me out of the tube and up onto the deck.
“What the hell!” I scream as soon as the mask is removed. “She was killing him and you pulled me out right then? Why?”
“Easy there, Esil. It’s just a game.” Marty tries to calm me, but it felt so real. “We told you only thirty minutes. Besides, things never should have gotten that far. You were supposed to walk around and explore, not attempt to start a riot.”
“A riot? I was just protecting an innocent traveler. Besides, it’s not like I had any kind of direction. There were no prompts or missions. I basically had to find my own way.”
Marty hands me a robe to cover myself with. Everything about the experience felt incredibly realistic and it feels like part of me is still there.
“Pretty great, huh?” asks Benjamin. He looks up at me from the floor below as I climb down. “Don’t worry about Carter. He’s an NPC, he’ll be just fine. Now, tell me everything. What was it like?”
“It felt as real as standing right here,” I say. Maybe that’s why I felt such a strong desire to help Carter. “I think you’d do better to make the prompts and stats more visible. I saw flickers of them but could never focus on anything and see what it actually meant.” I talk to Benjamin for a while as he asks questions about the user experience, the characters, and quests.
“I think you’ve already set the world moving in a different direction than it was this morning,” he says, a devilish grin on his face. “The witch was never supposed to appear day one.”
There is a small table towards the back wall. I take a seat and pull my robe tight. “What did she do exactly? To Carter.”
“I guess you’ll find out tomorrow when you log back in. Now let’s get you cleaned up. There is a shower down there on the right. After that, check in with the doctor and he’ll run a few tests.”
“Tomorrow? I have to wait an entire day before I can find out what happened to my friend? Why do I have to wait? Put me back in now.”
“Friend? You’ve known him for less than an hour. I’m sorry, Esil, but you’ll have to wait. We’re not exactly sure how this type of immersion effects the body, so we’re taking it slow so we can monitor you and make sure everything is okay.”
I get it, but dammit, I need to know what happened.
The steaming water washes over me as I sit in the shower. I close my eyes, remembering the dark tendrils that crept into Carter’s body. After the transformation the witch went through, it couldn’t be good. And what did Benjamin mean by the world is already moving in a different direction?
Aleesia wraps me in a hug when I return.
“T
hat was so cool, the way you took charge and changed the game. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
“What do you mean ‘took charge’?”
“The initial quest was just for you to explore the city, but you changed it. Now who knows what will happen? There could be political or magical ramifications based solely on what you did. The way the AI works is that it changes based on the player base. Every choice you make effects the world, and today, you made some big choices. We put in the initial coding and commands, now the AI does the rest. We just monitor it.”
“So are you saying the game is still going on while I’m not there?”
“Exactly.” A wide smile stretches from ear to ear. “It’s just like the rest of Pangea. Time keeps moving, but instead of the NPCs waiting around for users to interact with them, they carry on their lives as if they were real people.”
All the more reason to go back and check on Carter.
“What now?” I ask.
“You wait until tomorrow to log back in. I have some details to take care of for now, but maybe we can meet up later this evening?”
“Sounds good.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek and then disappears.
There is not much for me to do for the moment, so after checking in with the doctor, I go back to my apartment and log into Pangea.
Fenrir waits for me in my home portal. It’s been a while since I last took him into a gameworld. I should take him out and let him stretch his legs.
“Want to go exploring, boy?”
His ears perk up and his giant tail wags, smashing into the couch and inching it across the floor.
Welcome to Obsidia, Land of a Thousand Volcanoes.
Fenrir and I spawn on the side of a cliff. Far in the distance, mountainous volcanoes smoke and glow against the gray sky.
Something falls on my head, turning my vision bright red, and I look up to see a monkey tossing coconuts in my direction. It hugs the tree with long, spindly arms, its brown fur blowing in the mountain breeze. Between throws, the monkey howls, its eyes wild with fury. What the hell did I do to him?
Pangea Online: The Complete Trilogy Page 26