by J P Carver
He didn’t hesitate. “No.”
She appeared above him, her smile now showing teeth. It looked like she had fangs, but Geo was sure it was a trick of light and shadow.
“That’s too bad because until you clear the game there is no where else to go. You are on the first level, what you called the maintenance level. I call it the level of Decay. It’s the realm I rule over and the first of many you will face.”
“Decay? This is insane, you do know people will notice I’m not at the comms, right?”
“Will they? Cotora, how long has it been since Geo has spoken to anyone besides us?”
Other than reports it has been six months, four days, ten hours, forty-two minutes, and twenty seconds.
“Who’s side are you on, you goddamn monkey AI?” he called, but Cotora didn’t respond.
“Six months? Goodness, how did you keep marching on? Even I, an AI, feel lonely after a few weeks. I’ll be counting on that mental fortitude to see you through our game.”
He felt the straps on his right arm release and he started work on the strap on his other arm while facing her. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why? It’s in my programming. First, I’ll strip away everything that makes you who you are and rebuild you into something meaningful and with a purpose. Don’t keep me waiting, Geo. I’ll be at the end of the floor.” She gave a tiny wave and disappeared into the darkness.
He got both arms free and undid his legs. He went to stand, swayed a bit and then straighten. His head hurt, but the pain had eased to just a dull ache. He looked around the room. Nothing looked different from before, it was the same mess as all the other workshops. He made his way to the door that Peyton had left through, wondering if it had all be some strange hunger induced hallucination.
The doors opened and for half a second he saw the metal hallways and then they disappeared. The walls and ceiling becoming moss and water stained stone. The floor became a trough of green water and the smell of rot made him clamp a hand over his mouth. He turned to leave, but found the doors were gone and in their place stood only a damp stone wall.
He had heard of AR before, but as he reached out and touched the wall, he had a feeling this was beyond anything he’d ever seen. It felt real.
“Nope, not a hallucination…” he said to himself and then turned as he heard a splash in the water.
He had only a moment to react before something with far too many legs leapt at him. It clamped those legs around him and bit into his neck. He screamed as a little bar appeared to the right of his vision and quickly ticked down. The pain was brilliant, like an explosion mixed with electricity and then it ended with his world going black.
Floor 1: Maintenance Level
The Bleakness of a Game System
He didn’t wake up, the world just came back to life and he stood in the workshop again. The doors were there; the table was there. Nothing strange or magical, except for the items that now laid on the table he had been strapped to. There were weapons now: knives, swords, other items. All things that didn’t exist on the station.
Peyton had told the truth, he died and it sucked. He looked at the doors and the last thing he wanted to do was face whatever chewed his head off. It felt like those spine-like legs were still clamped to him.
“Cotora? Can you talk now?”
I may talk to you when you are in a safe room. Doesn’t mean I will.
“They have control of the station, don’t they? They have control of you.”
In the most basic way, yes. No surprise that your perverted mind got us in this.
“How the hell is this my fault? You didn’t offer any objections when I radioed them.”
She gave a huff. As if you would listen if I did. You wouldn’t pass up a chance to see another person. Another woman.
“Hold on… why does them being women bother you?”
That you think it bothers me proves my point that you do not understand anything that is happening here.
Geo jerked his head from right to left, as if there was something to see that he was missing. “You’re damn right I don’t. I have an insane AI that cut my head open! You let them do it, too!”
What would you have me do? I’m a goddamn station AI, Geo. I have nothing to fight back with once they are on the station.
“What about the security system—right, I disabled that.” Cotora had used the station’s security system once to tase him and he made sure she couldn’t do it again. He leaned against the table and picked up what looked like a machete.
Didn’t trust me with it, remember? she said and they sat in quiet for a moment. What are you going to do?
“Well, just died, so I’d like to avoid that again if possible,” he stood and tossed the machete back on the table. “Doesn’t look like I have much of a choice unless you can get a distress call out.”
I’ve been trying.
He eyed the glass encased camera that was Cotora’s eyes in the room. “Have you?”
Motherfucker, I’ve been trying since Miss Frankenstein took off her helmet. You let her mess with the Tau, that’s the only system that can call out on this deathtrap.
“Okay, okay... Did she tell you anything else?”
Yes, she told me about the game and she told me I have a large part to play.
Geo cocked an eyebrow at this. “And you agreed?”
Like you said, we have little choice, especially if you’re going to make it through all these damn floors. You’ve wasted enough of your life playing games here that this shouldn’t be too different.
She had a point, he thought. He had worked his way through a lot of games in the eight years he spent on the station. If this was just another game, he should be all right… except there wasn’t a walkthrough for when he got stuck which happened more often than he’d admit to anyone.
“Okay, lay it on me then. We’re just wasting time otherwise.”
You’re taking this far better than I expected.
“What do you want? There isn’t any food, water, or a bathroom here. You know me, I’m like most animals: corner me and I’ll do what I gotta do.”
I do know you and what you just said makes zero sense. You’re just pissed they tricked you.
“She chained me to a goddamn chair and then went all nightmare fuel on me! You’re damn right I’m pissed that she tricked me.”
Yeah, don’t be angry about being trapped on your own station or anything… First, think about a stat sheet. It’ll open in front of you as a hologram window.
He did so and a semi-transparent window opened. He was not encouraged by what he saw.
Name: Geo Wilson
Level: 1
Health: 250/250
Mental Status: Anguish(-6), Determination(+4)
Body: 6
Strength: 6
Dexterity: 5 (-1)
Stamina: 80/80
Psyche: 98/100
Affinity: 7
Experience: 50
“Most of this looks familiar,” he said as he scrolled down the list. “I’m guessing mental status is what’s written on the tin and is pretty much on the mark for how I’m feeling. What’s Psyche and Affinity do?”
Psyche is your overall mental health which is affected by any status in your Mental Status field. As it drops your perception will become much darker and more violent. You’ll see things and could be hunted by the Darkness. Affinity is for magic, at three you can use scrolls. At your current level you can equip one spell with three charges.
“What the hell is the Darkness?” he asked and felt his stomach sink at the images that flashed across his mind.
She would not elaborate on that. Seems like a bad thing though, so let’s avoid it if possible. It’s affected by your metal state so just… stay positive! she said and then added in a gloomy tone, I don’t think we’re gonna get out of this.
“Hey, way to keep me thinking positive. Know anything about this station level?” He started to tap around on the interface, but
soon realized he could just think to move to the next tab. There were other stats, such as damage and weight limit which all tied back to the previous stats and his current equipment.
He’d played a game like this before, but he couldn’t dodge to save his life. He then remembered the suit he wore. Looking down, it surprised him to see it gone. Instead he wore what looked like rags, the fabric torn and blood stained. There had been a suit, he was positive, which meant this was another AR thing.
Not anything I can tell you yet. I suggest a strength build as you are as flexible as three feet thick steel. But, you do as you please. When you gain enough experience, you can return to a safe room to level up through me and to rest.
“How many safe rooms are there?”
Depends on the station level and I cannot tell you. When you enter one you’ll find it as it is in reality, just like here. With each new safe room I can share new information about the level you are on and how far along you are if you ask.
“And I’ll revive at the last safe room I visited then?”
Correct.
“Okay. Guess I need to get some starting gear together and do what I can,” he said and looked back to the table. He took notice of larger weapons, swords and axes, laying against the wall. There was another item, a notebook looking thing laying on the console at the back of the room. It had a faint glow which drew him toward it.
He picked the book up and opened it to find it was a journal of sorts split in two. The left side was empty paper with a pen clipped next to it. The other side was a tiny booklet with what he assumed was some magical symbol on the cover. He flipped open the cover to find a checklist with mostly blanks next to the check boxes. After a moment the book faded away and a window showing the same popped up.
At the top of the list were three items written in light grey with large spaces between them.
Sharpen
Firestarter
Deaden Limbs
He reached out and touched the first item and in a small flash text began to write itself under the word Sharpen.
Taking care of your blade is almost as important as taking care of your self.
This spell applies grit to the blade of a melee weapon to remove blemishes and minimize chips in the metal. This causes the blade to cut more easily and creates more bleed damage for six attacks.
Affinity req: 4
He tapped no and the text disappeared. He had a pretty good idea what the second did, probably just a fireball or something like that. He tapped on the last one.
Deaden Limbs
The weight of guilt and sorrow can crush even the most stout of heart. Deaden Limbs takes into account the Affinity of the targeted creature. If targeted creature’s affinity is less than the user's, then movement is slowed by 20% for 20 seconds.
If Affinity is less than half of the user’s there is a 10% chance of target’s limbs being crushed causing critical damage. Can be taken at lower Affinity but receives fewer charges and penalty to the Affinity calculation.
Can be taken at lower Affinity but receives less charges and penalty to the Affinity calculation.
Affinity req: 8
With current Affinity user will gain two charges and incur a 25% chance of failure on all casts.
He thought back to the creature that had just killed him. It moved so fast that he didn’t even have time to look at it. It might be a good idea to get something that could slow things down a bit. The penalty worried him, but he could level up his Affinity once he got some experience. He tapped yes.
“Shit, looks like I only get one choice…” he said and closed the book. He turned back to Cotora’s glass eye. “Hey, how do I use magic?”
You have to shout the spell with everything you have while holding out your hand.
“That’s stupid.”
I didn’t make the rules.
Geo rolled his eyes. “Fine. Here goes nothing.” He rose his hand, concentrated on a target, and shouted. “Deaden Limbs!” Nothing happened.
Try again.
He sighed and tried it three more times. Nothing happened and Cotora seemed to be holding back a laugh each time she told him to try again.
“You’re screwing with me.”
That’s a hurtful thing to say, I’m just trying to help. Maybe you’re just not smart enough to use magic?
“Cotora.”
Just thought I should lighten the mood. You have to equip it in your magic slot and then you can just think of it and the target and it’ll happen. Same thing with skills.
“Skills? They couldn’t have just kept it all simple, could they?”
These people don’t do anything simple. You don’t have any skills yet. Skills are unlocked to fit the stats you are using.
Geo sighed. “What about the charges? Do they reset?"
They will reset on death or on visit to a safe room, she said.
"All right, guess I should open my inventory and pick a weapon.”
The inventory opened with a thought showing empty squares. Beside them showed every item that was lying around him. Area looting would make things a bit easier. He scrolled through the list and went with a simple long sword.
Longsword (White)
Attack: 65
A simple blade used for hundreds of years during medieval times. Those skilled with it were said to be able to slay dragons. Spend enough time with one and you might find it able to kill demons as well.
Armor was next and only full pieces were showing up. There was leather to chain-mail, but he didn’t have the strength for the heavier stuff. He picked a set of studded leather and it showed in his inventory next to the sword.
Studded Leather Set (White)
Defense: 45
A simple set of leather with metal plates added to give the illusion of protection against the world. Maybe it does provide some defense, but not all terrors come from the outside.
“Man, who the hell wrote these descriptions?”
Peyton or Amber. Not sure as they are kind of the same person being that Amber is a sub-Ai.
“She’s got a turn for the bleak,” Geo said and moved over to a menu where he could equip items. He equipped the Deaden Limbs spell and then the rest of his items. He felt the weight of the armor lay over his shoulders and more weight on his hip. It made him stagger a bit to the left, but he regained his balance before hitting the wall. “No one tells you how heavy this stuff is.”
It’s the suit, your aren’t actually wearing anything else.
“Yeah, I know, but that doesn’t change how it feels. It’s cool tech, would love to know how it worked if I wasn’t trapped. Okay. I think that’s it. Wish me luck, Cotora.”
This will sound more positive than I mean it, but I hope I don’t see you for a while.
Too Many Legs
He went through the doors and, just as before, they disappeared behind him and became a wall of stone. He drew his sword and looked out at the long hallway he stood in. A few feet in front of him was a golden orb that glowed and bounced in the middle of the air. It was about where he had died. He went to go to it, but his fear stopped him. That creature that had killed him had to be nearby.
The sound came. Too many needle-like legs on stone. He looked at the walls, at the ground and finally, to the ceiling. The source was attached there above him. The only thing he could relate it to was a centipede and while it had been a long time since he’d see one, he didn’t remember them being six feet long and two feet wide with pincers that looked like scissors.
Moving back would trap him, but he didn’t relish moving forward into the unknown. He made a choice and rushed forward. He heard the centipede drop, splashing into the water. Geo turned to see it weaving across the stone, pincers clicking together. It was moving far too fast and had closed the distance in a matter of a second.
ought and purple vines of energy coursed over the entire creature’s body. The spell seemed to have worked. Its many legs stuttered and jumped for a second, but then it continued its charge.
“Shit,” Geo yelled as he brought his sword up to block the attack. The pincers clacked against the metal and he shoved his shoulder into the creature’s body, sending it tumbling over itself. It quickly coiled around and faced him again, the pincers clacking together and its big black eyes seemed to stare in anger.
Geo readied the sword and put his foot back to steady himself on the slimy stone. The centipede lunged forward. Geo twisted so that the attack just grazed him and in the next instance, he brought the sword down on the back half of the creature. The sword cut through, half the body thudded to the floor while the rest turned to face him, trailing yellow blood into the water. It wasn’t done yet.
It rallied and charged at him again, but this time it didn’t have its lower body to push it forward. Geo didn’t realize until it was too late that the creature’s attack would be for his leg and the centipede clamped around Geo’s calf. It felt almost like it sliced it clean off, but when he looked down his leg was still attached, but not for lack of trying on the centipede’s part.
Geo shoved the point of the sword into the centipede’s head. It clamped harder. The same bar appeared in his vision showing that it was more than a third down. It didn’t take a genius to figure out it was his health bar in the game. He pushed harder and twisted the blade.
The pressure eased off, and the centipede dropped limp onto the stone. The little health bar above the creature’s head emptied. Geo pried his leg from the pincers and took a few steps back, panting. He did it. He killed the damn thing… yet he couldn’t feel much joy about it. If this was like any other game, then the creature that he fought and left him breathless was a level one. It was basic. The idea hit him hard enough that a tiny pop-up appeared before him.