My hand rests on something slick and wooden. I lift it up and examine it.
Wooden bow. Weapon. A well-made and sturdy weapon for ranged attack.
“There’s more,” I say.
Reaching into the depths of the trunk, I find arrows for the bow, a trident, and a lightweight, but durable metal shield.
The trident is silver with hints of green in the metal. It’s very light to the touch. The middle prong is twice as long as the other two and hooks out on each side of the tip. Tridents were designed as a multi-headed spear for catching fish, but work just as well on enemies. The shield is bronze in color, but unlike any bronze weapon I have held before. It’s lighter than I would have thought possible,
“Oooh, ooh, ooh! I want the trident!” Carter’s orange eyes glow bright with excitement. “I mean, if neither of you want it. Reminds me of the pitchforks I use on the farm. I’ve scared off a coyote or two with my trusty pitchfork back home.”
“Be my guest,” says Kindra. “What about you, Esil? You want the shield or the bow?”
I weigh the pros and cons of each. While the bow is nice and would give me the ability to fight from a distance, that has never been my style. I run into things without thinking nine times out of ten, trusting my gut to carry me through.
I lift the shield and run my arm through the straps on the back. There is even a wooden handle to wrap my fist around so that the shield can be used as a blunt force weapon. Yeah, this definitely suits me.
“I’ll take the shield.”
Kindra takes the bow and I hand her the arrows from the floor.
“I was hoping you would say that.” A wicked grin dances across her face.
“Want to practice for a bit since we have nothing else to do until you disappear?” she asks.
“Sounds good to me. A little practice never hurt anyone.”
Inside of the two clay pots, I find several burlap bags filled with sand. Each bag is about the size of my head and they are the perfect size for target practice. I set a few of them up outside for Kindra to shoot at.
Carter holds his trident like a pro, twisting and stabbing at the air. At his side, Florian uses a twig as his weapon and mimics his movements.
My new shield is lighter than I would have imagined. I don’t know what it is made of, but I can swing it almost as fast as my sword. In the heat of battle, a quick defense could be the difference between life and death.
After taking a few practice swings and defensive maneuvers, Carter and I settle in to watch Kindra with her bow. She sets three of the sandbags on top of a nearby tree stump and takes her aim.
“You ever shot a bow?” I ask.
“Once or twice as a child,” she answers. If she doesn’t know how to use it, then why did she want it so bad?
She nocks the arrow and releases. The first shot goes low and sticks into the stump with a thud.
The second misses completely.
She shoots another and another, faring no better until she has emptied her quiver and has not hit a single target. In spite of all her misses, she doesn’t seem angered. I applaud her persistence.
“You know, we could switch if you wanted,” I offer. Not that I think I could do much better, but I could hardly do much worse.
“It’s okay,” she says with a smile. “I think I’m just too close.”
“I don’t think that is how it works,” mumbles Carter, too low for Kindra to hear.
She steps back until she is so far away that I doubt she will come within ten feet of the targets. If nothing else, she’ll have all night to practice while I’m gone. I wonder, do NPCs actually need to sleep?
Kindra nocks the arrow, pointing it high into the sky, and fires. The arrow soars amongst the clouds before it arcs and dives back toward the earth. It pierces the ground, but misses the target completely.
Kindra just gives us a shrug and nocks another arrow. This time she points it straight at the target. With that trajectory, it won’t even make it halfway.
She releases and the arrow flies perfectly straight. It soars like a bullet, never dipping, and pierces the sandbag. Tiny grains of sand pour out of the bag like a water spout.
Nocking another arrow, she lines it up the same way. The arrow soars across the field in perfect line with the sandbag. Just as it is about to hit, the arrow comes to an abrupt halt and hovers in the air. It vibrates menacingly before flipping one hundred and eighty degrees and soaring right back into Kindra’s hand.
Taking another arrow from her quiver, she nocks two arrows and fires them both into the air. They soar, arc, and fall towards the earth. As they are about to hit, they change direction and run parallel to the ground, weaving in and out of the wildflowers like snakes. They break off and go in opposite directions, each arrow in perfect symmetry with the other.
“Holy—” starts Carter.
“I never would have thought…” She’s controlling the arrows with her mind. I can’t begin to comprehend all the ways to use such a skill, but it’s evident that even with poor marksmanship, her ability to change the course of the arrows means she will never miss a target as long as she remains focused.
The arrows cut through the air, zigging and zagging, looping and twirling, demonstrating their own deadly dance. When they come to rest in Kindra’s palms, she is visibly drained. Her face is pale and sweat beads around her temples. It must have taken a ton of mental energy for her to control those arrows.
“Did you know you could do that?” I ask
“I thought it might be possible. When I first began learning my magic, I used to push pebbles across a table. When I learned I could interact with other people’s minds and influence their thoughts, I put all of the physical stuff on hold. It takes a lot out of me. Correcting an arrow to aim on target is easy. That last part though, I feel like I need a rest.” She stumbles forward, and Carter is quick to catch her.
He takes Kindra by the arm and leads her to a spot in the grass where she can lie down.
“Take it easy.” He gently squeezes her hand and she gives him a genuine smile. “We’ll have all night to rest while Esil is gone. It’s good you pushed yourself. It means next time, you will be stronger.”
The sun has started to flirt with the horizon. Soon, it will be night and I can go back to the real world.
I help Carter and Kindra carry their packs into the cabin. They place their rolled-up blankets on the floor and I offer them mine as well since I won’t be using it.
I’m putting the rest of my belongings in the corner when I see a glowing pink orb in the center of the room, right above Carter’s head. It definitely wasn’t there when we first came in. Clearly, I am the only one who notices it because they carry on like nothing is happening.
When I focus on the orb, a prompt appears in my vision.
Would you like to bind your body to this location? Y/N? Selecting a bind spot will return you to that spot upon reentering the world. Refuse to bind and your body will be randomly assigned throughout the kingdom.
I select yes and feel a little better knowing that I’ll be reunited with my group once I return. It also explains how I ended up in the alley earlier today.
Carter pats me on the shoulder. “Oh, Esil, I was meaning to ask you—”
His words are cut off and everything goes black.
Chapter Thirteen
I’m pulled from the immersion capsule and my legs buckle as soon as they touch the floor. My body feels like it weighs a thousand pounds. My head spins. I’ve never felt so tired in my life.
“Easy there,” says Marty. “Let’s get you down from here and in a comfortable seat.”
Everything blurs for the next few moments and stars swing through my vision like a pendulum. Seconds or minutes pass, I’m not really sure. Someone wraps me in a towel and muffled voices surround me. Two firm hands guide me along until I come to rest on a soft surface.
I can’t really think so I accept the feeling and let my heavy eyelids close.
I w
ake up in a pristine white room. It smells clean, but not like freshly-washed clothes. More sterile than anything. The kind of smell that is nothing more than the absence of other smells. Lights flare overhead. A monitor beeps by my bedside and several receptors are attached to my chest and head.
“Oh, thank heavens you’re awake!” Aleesia wraps me in a tight hug and kisses my cheek. Her black hair falls around me, sending tiny tingles through my body. Her smell reminds me of the wildflower fields. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better.” The cloudiness that fogged my brain and weighed me down has left. Pressing my elbows into the mattress, I try and sit up. My body feels rejuvenated as well. “What happened?”
“The doctors just stepped out. They said your brain was processing so much that it needed a rest. It’s nothing to worry about, kind of like when you work on a math problem too long and you start to feel tired. Like that, only amplified by all the stimulation this new world has to offer.” She takes her finger and draws it down the side of my face, her big, brown, almond eyes radiate interest. “What was it like?”
“Amazing. It felt so real, like you and me right now. Everything. Sights, sounds, smells. It’s like I was really there. I got a cut on my arm and it hurt like hell.” I look down to make sure that it isn’t still there. “And then game stuff started happening. I got prompts, skills, item details. I could literally feel the AI changing as I progressed. It felt like the real world suddenly became a game, not like a game that was realistic.” Talking about it has me excited to return already.
“That sounds wonderful. I followed you every step of the way. I didn’t even get up to pee,” she says, and we both laugh.
“The craziest part was the NPCs. They behaved like real people. I swear they had their own thoughts, not just generated lines.”
There’s a knock on the door and Benjamin enters. His black suit is as crisp as ever and not a hair is out of place on his head.
“Well done, Esil. Congrats on finding your first quest. It seems the AI has taken a liking to you and started adding some of your input into the game’s visualization. Very well done, indeed.” His blue eyes stare at me intently. “I know you are probably ready to dive right back in, but we’re going to keep you out for a day or two.”
“What do you mean a day or two? Carter and Kindra are waiting on me to proceed with the quest. I told them I’d be back in the morning.” My heart races. I made them a promise.
“Easy, now. I know that full-immersion takes a lot out of you. I wanted you in there right away to see how the AI would change its interactions with you after becoming self-aware, but it seems that everything is progressing the same way in that regard. If we’re going to keep sending you in for extended periods of time, you need your rest. Your body will adapt and your mind will become stronger the more you play, but let’s just take it easy.”
“But, I prom—”
“Esil, it’s a game. I know the realism is like nothing you have ever experienced. It may become hard to identify distinctions between the game and reality. Everyone you met today, they aren’t real. They’ll be fine without you.”
He doesn’t understand. He didn’t talk to them or look them in the eye and see that they were more than just commands in a computer. There was life behind their eyes.
“Go and stretch your legs. Eat a nice meal. Hang out with your girlfriend. Log in and explore Pangea. You can literally do anything else but this for a day or two.”
With that, he exits the room.
“What a jerk!” I say, ripping the receptors off my chest and head. Aleesia takes me by the hand.
“It’s for the best, you know that, right? You were logged in for a long time today. I think it’s made you a little grumpy.”
She pinches me playfully on the elbow and some of my anger disappears. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I’m not thinking straight.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Am I good to leave yet?”
Aleesia checks with the doctors and they give the okay for me to go home. They prescribe me some medicine to help me sleep. I doubt I’ll have trouble falling asleep, but they say it’s a precaution to make sure I’m well rested for my next session.
We walk home in silence. I’ve been so caught up in my experiences in the game that I didn’t even think to ask Aleesia how she is. We stop in front of my apartment and I place my hands on her cheeks. How did I not notice how tired she looks? Bags hang underneath her bloodshot eyes. She must be putting in more work than I realized.
“You sure you don’t need these more than me?” I shake the pill bottle in front of her.
“No, I’m fine.” She gives me a halfhearted smile and her eyes look to the side.
“Are you still enjoying yourself?” It feels like there is something she’s not telling me.
“Yes.” She pauses. “It’s just… I feel like there is more going on than I know about. I don’t know what, but I get the feeling that this world is more than just an add-on to Pangea. The way they monitor your brain, it’s like they are looking for something. Why else would they force you back in before knowing all they could about this new AI development? That’s not safe. That’s not how development teams handle themselves. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”
“Have you said anything about it?” I ask.
“Are you kidding me? If I say something like that, I’m off the project tomorrow. I’m lucky to even be in the room. If not for my dad, I never would be. Pangea doesn’t just let college kids in on their advanced research because they’re good students.” She wraps her hands around mine. “I’m sorry to drop all this on you after your day. Try and get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The sleeping pills knock me out the second my head touches the pillow and the next thing I know, I’m being awoken by a loud buzz.
Someone is calling me.
“Hello?” I say groggily and my in-room intercom connects the call.
“Are you just now waking up?” Amusement coats Aleesia’s voice.
“What time is it?” My blinds are drawn, and the apartment is in total darkness.
“Two in the afternoon.”
Wow, I must have been even more tired than I thought. I know mental stimulation is exhausting, but it might take more out of a person than physical exercise if used correctly.
“You there?” she asks.
“Yeah.”
“My dad wants you to come over for dinner.” There is a certain hesitation in her voice when she says it. I’ve been living at Pangea Headquarters for a while now and have yet to meet Aleesia’s father. He’s always busy with meetings and work. The first time I meet her father will be at dinner.
Shit.
With so much going on, the last thing I can think about is how to impress her father. Actually, maybe I can talk to him about doing something better for those who live in The Boxes. If he’s on board, then Benjamin will have no choice but to take me seriously when I bring it up.
“Esil?”
“Uhm, yeah, sounds good. What time is dinner?”
“Six. Don’t be late.”
A pod comes to pick me up at five forty-five. The Pangea Headquarters Campus is sprawling. Many of the technicians, developers, and others who work for the company live here. Many of them raise their families here. I always thought it was strange that Aleesia and her family didn’t.
I climb in the pod and the door slides shut behind me. A holographic map details the route to Aleesia’s.
“Would you like to listen to music or any other entertainment on your journey?” a digitized voice asks me.
“Uhm, no, thanks.”
The pod lifts into the air and the campus grows smaller as we fly away. It flies farther north, through mountainous terrain and acres of forests. It seems the farther we get away from The Boxes, the more beautiful the world becomes. I can’t believe I spent so much of my life living locked away while this was out here. Even at the orphanage, we had no freedom, no beauty. It’s so messed u
p that it is only available to the rich.
We begin our descent and several monstrous houses come into view. They are all so far apart. Privacy. Another luxury of the elite.
Aleesia’s home is solid white except for the mirrored windows, which reflect the beauty of nature back to whoever looks upon them. A large swimming pool in the shape of a bean glistens like a diamond in the afternoon sun. There’s freshly-manicured grass that surrounds the property, flower gardens and even a fountain that depicts an elf holding a bow with water squirting out of its arrow.
Most people spend their money on things like this in Pangea. I guess Aleesia’s parents aren’t most people.
“You have arrived.”
We come to a stop in a landing spot out front of the house. Aleesia is already coming down to see me as the door to the pod unlocks and slides open.
“How was your trip?” she asks, in much better spirits than we parted the previous night.
“Wow, you look amazing.” She wears a red dress that clings tightly to her body. A pearl necklace dangles from her neck. It’s the first time I have ever seen her dress up. At the headquarters, she is always wearing either a button-up or a labcoat. This is a side of Aleesia I have never seen.
She blushes at my compliment.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” She winks.
I’m wearing a green button-up shirt and a pair of khakis, the modern-day version of my character in Pangea.
“You nervous?” she asks.
“A little. I didn’t know you were so…”
“Well off?”
“Yeah.” We really are from different worlds.
“Esil, this is all for show. It’s my father. It’s not who I am. I grew up in Pangea just like everyone else.” She takes my hand. “Now, let’s get this over with.”
The inside is even more resplendent than the outside. Paintings larger than my body adorn the walls. Sculptures sit on tables and marbles floors reflect my face when I look down. Do people even live here?
Pangea Online: The Complete Trilogy Page 34