by Mars Dorian
“What’s up?” she said to him.
“Just thinking.”
She snuck close, fumbled with the short hair on his chest.
“Don’t overdo it, Staxio. This is the world you created for yourself.”
He wanted to follow up with a clarification question, but a sound beeped from his eScroll.
Laci saw that it was encrypted.
“Your second girlfriend?”
“No, guys in suits.”
She knew what that meant.
Get out the bed, leave Stax alone.
Business is for boys, he’d say.
Boys in black suits and serious faces.
She picked up a shirt, some random trousers and left his loft.
In front of the slide door, she blew him a kiss.
Stax accepted the call and waved her goodbye.
Laci went out and smiled.
She knew exactly who called him.
So far, so good.
81
Next morning.
Meow, meow, meow.
Cat alert went catzy.
Violet opened her sleepy eyes and saw the morning sunray squeezing through the window cover cracks. The clock displayed a sharp seven am, the earliest wake-up call in Blogbuster history. Violet dragged herself from her cozy bed and crawled into the shower.
The daily ritual.
Mint-water stream, check.
Coconut Aloe Vera Exotic Skin Soothing mix, check.
And the suit? No more casual for Violet. She elected another piece from her Urban Wearfare collection. Hard shell jacket with its classic thin, light, synthetic, weatherproof jacket, dirt resistant and stretchable to support sweaty body exercises. Not to mention the Violet Gear logo in big, neon-white letters placed across the sides. Because with millions of live viewers, you wanted to make sure everyone remembered your name in style.
Because, branding.
Violet grinned as she watched herself in the mirror.
Her techwear fit like a second skin and looked twice as sharp.
Top to bottom, a visual masterpiece perfected for physical activities in urban surroundings.
Bring it, mission two, Violet was ready for some action.
Because with the right Gear,
there was nothing to fear.
82
Eight am, straight up to the digital pixelpoint.
The vloggers assembled outside in the compound, where Stax’ limo came to a humming halt. The man himself stepped out, this time with a classic, tailor-made, onyx-black premium suit called Stax Deluxe.
Because, deluxe.
He pranced along the red carpet, waved at the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of fans held back by the security.
Because, fans.
They cheered.
They snapped.
They even selfie’d from afar, hoping to catch a close up photograph with the CEO himself, but not today. He ignored all of them and headed straight for the row of vloggers, lined up like recruits, waiting for their drill instructor to arrive.
In the row, Violet gazed at the masses. She counted three times as many fans as last time. Either people preferred to wake up earlier, or the Blogbuster just reached another level of fan madness.
“What’s up, vloggers. Stand corrected.”
Roman Stax’ greeting was a light saber cutting air.
“I hope you are well-rested, because today is going to push limits you didn’t even know you had.”
He paused and made sure everyone paid attention to him.
They did, since the second he swaggered out of his limo.
“Working for me is tough, but rewarding. My modus operandi is simple — I just want the best.”
Giggle smeared sleepy vlogger faces. Roman continued with a smirk.
“As my Head of Online Content, you will oversee my company’s visual media output. You will approve, disapprove and have final say over the vids that will shape millions of viewers online. Kind of a big deal.”
He posed his victory sign. Why ? Nobody knew.
“But you’re not just playing ninja shadow behind the operation, you will be in front of the cams just as often.”
He pointed at the dozens of Vorbs circling above their heads.
“Which means you will represent Stax Media. Even bigger deal. Because the better you act in front of the cam, the better my company does.”
Pause.
“And one big part of a representative is his or her ability to command online communities, which brings us to this moment.”
Stax clapped his hands and grinned a perfect smile for the Vorb live cam. He turned to his left and whistled. All eyes went to the limo, where Laci Steem jumped out. She tiptoed across the red carpet and stopped next to his side.
“Hey, listen.”
She span around in her green garment.
“Vloggers, this mission is all about the fans, and how much power you have over them.”
Pause.
“Do you know what I’m wearing?”
The vloggers inspected her bottom to top.
Medieval-brown shoes, white tights, an emerald green tunic and its matching bedcap over the sandy hair.
“A female knight,” Bam said.
“A fantasy video game character,” Violet said.
Trigger didn’t say anything.
“Laci rag wear?” Fitnessy said.
“Some elven hippie costume?” Whizzard said.
Laci stretched her legs and posed like a hero.
“Violet’s guess came the closest. I’m cosplaying the protagonist of one of the world’s best adventure games, ‘The Legend of Letty’”
Whizzard shrugged.
“Never heard of it. Is that a game that parents let toddlers play so they shut up?”
“No way, unless you happen to be the coolest parents on the planet.”
Violet chimed in.
“I’ve heard of it. You control a little elven boy, play a flute, ride from dungeon to dungeon with your horse, beat monsters with your mega sword and solve puzzles to save some princess.”
“Ohhh,” Laci said, “someone’s geek-girling. Me so luv it.”
Violet shrugged.
“I’ve never played it, I’ve just heard of it.”
“Sure,” Whizzard said.
Laci interrupted the chatter that was about to occur.
“Anyhoos, I’m cosplaying because I’m a huge fan of the game. Like, otaku-style. I bought the games, the merch and the outfit you see me wearing now. Because it’s that kind of fan commitment that defines a true success, and it will define your vlogger destiny today. The big question is — do people just watch you, or do they want to actively help you win? Well, today, we’re going to find out if your fans are just as committed as I am.”
She pointed towards the Vorb above her head. It projected a hologram into the air, turned pixels into font-sized shapes.
Laci said,
“Boyz and girlz, get ready for the second mission. Get ready for…
fan warfare.
83
Laci, ever to her credit, broke it down for the vloggers. In her trademarked, Laci-lingo.
“Oksey foksey, so all the viewers know by now, you’re giving it all to your fans. But the real question is — would your fans do the same for you? Would they miss you if you were gone? Would they return the luv luv flavor or are they just a bunch of freeloaders who press the ‘luv’ buttons on your vids but don’t even know your names? NOW’S THE TIME TO FIND OUT.”
Like, Laci really screamed. Which wasn’t a surprise to anyone, because to the vloggers, ‘Laci went crazy’ was not a statement but her brand motto.
“Here’s how the mission works, yo. You have to get three points to win. We created a digital raffle for your eScroll. You have to swipe it with your hand to get assigned a random task. Tasks are ranked by difficulty. A single-point task is easy, that’s why you only get one point for it. A three-point task is hardcore, that’s why you get three-points f
or it. But if you win such a hardcore task, you win this mission. The catch? Every task will demand involvement from your fans. You will soon find out how. Is that clear, or is it claro-clear?”
84
Questions shot up. Laci silenced them all.
“You will learn along the way. Let’s not bore our viewers. Ze show must go on.”
She paused.
“Oh, I forgot — we create new teams.”
Violet swallowed hard and watched Laci separating the vloggers.
“Roman Stax wants to see some changes in the group dynamics. Last mission was great, but I believe we can bring an even better interaction.”
Gleam.
“Team Gold Crush will consist of Bam, Elli and Whizzard. Team V-empire will be Trigger, Violet and Fitnessy.”
Bam’s stomach turned inside out. Whizzard was back in his buildup, man, the nasty body odor he couldn’t shake off. The crooked vlogger squinted his eyes, smiled like a car salesman that sold you a piece of crap for a fortune.
Bam clinched his teeth.
It’s for the money, he reminded himself. Just for the money and the fans and the bill and his destiny. So he bit his lips and focused his attention back to Laci who made the final announcement.
“Go to your team now and activate the digital raffle. Let the fan warfare begin.”
85
Mission two. Ready? Let’s start.
Go.
Elli stepped forward to Bam and Whizzard, aka team Gold Crush.
“Listen, sausage carriers. It’s unfortunate I’m stuck with you, but hey, life. Nevertheless, I’m going to win this mission, and I’m going to win it my way. If you have objections, or if you start mansplaining to me, I’m going to be your worst nightmare since the equality act of the 21st century.”
She paused for dramatic effect.
“Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”
Bam nodded. This girl wasn’t on fire, she was a leaking nuclear reactor with radiation issues. But he wanted to win this mission as well, so he agreed. As long as he got enough brand exposure for himself, he could still work with Elli, no matter how much she hated his guts.
And Whizzard? He gnarled, but didn’t object.
Elli looked satisfied. Her freckles danced like LED lights in the gray concrete.
“I’m glad you both possess a smidge of intellect.”
She looked at her eScroll and ‘turned’ the raffle wheel by wiping across the screen. The digital animation played. The wheel span around and ‘round and ‘round and ‘round till it stopped. The two-point task popped up for everyone to see. A digital voice that sounded just like Laci appeared.
“Welcome to your two-point worthy task :
Find a fan within three hundred meters of the Blogbuster compound and persuade him/her to break his/her leg. Live in front of everyone, ok?”
Elli squinted as she read the last line.
“Does it say what I think it says?”
Laci nodded. The real one. She tiptoed over to team Gold Crush.
“Wow, you picked up a rather harsh first task.”
“I have to convince a fan to break her own leg?” Elli said.
“Yes, but don’t worry. Stax Media covers all medical costs for the duration of the show. Your fan will get the best treatment on the planet.”
“Still, that’s pretty insane.”
“Insane in the fanbrain,” Laci said, before she trademarked the line.
“It will show whether you have truly committed fans or not.”
Elli nodded.
Crazy mission.
But she wasn’t going to give up now.
So she waved the boys over.
“Watch and learn, primates.”
86
She took them to the fan line on the compound. Elli scanned the crowds, saw at least three hundred people cheering on. The Stax security tried their best to keep them in line.
“Hey, everyone. Who of you wonderful people is a fan of me?”
At least fifty people raised their hands and cheered. Elli smiled.
“Okay, but who of you is a truly obsessed fan?”
At least fifteen people raised their hands now. Their faces painted with sunny smiles. Elli walked them up and inspected their gender. She counted eleven girls and four guys. She moved straight to the guys. One had short-trimmed hair and the build of a bull. Bingo.
“Heya, big, strong man. What’s your name?”
“Cassius,” the guy said.
Elli clapped her hands.
“Cassius, what a splendid name. Do you know it’s an ancient Roman family name which was possibly derived from the Latin word cassus, meaning ‘empty’ and ‘vain’?”
The muscle mountain shrugged. Elli tiptoed closer to him.
“Doesn’t really matter, does it? What matters is that you consider yourself to be a true fan, is that true?”
Cassius nodded.
“Hell yeah. I’ve subscribed to your channel for many years. Love your psychology stuff. Especially the vids where you like manipulate the other people to make them do what you want them to do. It’s like you got that Jedi mind trick power.”
Elli nodded.
“Yes, like a Jedi mind trick, except what I do is based on cognitive science and not on second class science-fiction storytelling.”
Cassius nodded. Elli continued.
“So, you have subscribed to my channel, and obviously watched my videos. That’s fine, but why does that qualify you as a true fan?”
“Cause I supported you. Bought like copies of your self-published books. Donated money to your site. Anything to make you become successful, cause you’re like my little star.”
“Your little star?” Elli said.
Cassius grinned like a farmboy. A tinge of red flooded his cheeks.
“You know, I think you’re actually pretty cute, heh.”
Elli sighed.
“Is your fervent support solely related to my physical appearance?”
“No, I mean, yes, I mean, no, you’re just pretty, that’s all. I also like your videos and stuff.”
“So you’d still support me if I were ugly?”
The guy looked left and right. Hundreds of fans stared at him in silence. Whether he liked it or not, the crowds were watching, just like the millions of live viewers in front of their screens.
“Of course,” he said, “cause inner values matter more than looks.”
The crowd cheered, Elli smiled.
“You’d support me no matter what?”
“Hell yeah,” Cassius said.
The fans around him hugged his shoulder, cheered and clapped. For this moment, Cassius was the man du jour.
“Prove it,” Elli said.
Confidence’d up, Cassius nodded too fast.
“Tell me what I can do for you, and I’ll do it.”
And the fans cheered even more. Shouted, “Go, Cassius, go.”
Elli looked at Bam and Whizzard who stood behind her like leftover puppets. Turned back to Cassius and said,
“Then break your leg for me.”
Pause.
“Em, what?”
Frozen face à la WTF expression deluxe. Served chillingly cold. And because Cassius’ vocabulary was rather limited, he said it again, albeit with more volume.
“Em, what?”
Elli Mental spelled it out for him.
“Break. Your. Leg. For. Me.”
Cassius = no comment. Elli continued.
“Listen, if you have financial fears concerning the medical bills, don’t worry — you don’t have to pay a single credit. The costs are covered by the Blogbuster, so you’re going to get a premium treatment for free. And with today’s super-fast nanomed, you’re probably back in less than a month. Even better, you’re going to spent the month in a comfortable hospital room, eating delicious meals and watching your favorite manshows for free. So, it’s not really a big deal at all.”
Cassius didn’t move or even
twitch. He was stiff like a muscular statue.
“But I have a weight lifting competition next week. I’ve been practicing for almost a year.”
Elli snarled.
“Are you my biggest fan or what?”
He nodded in slowmo. The kind of nod that followed up with a ‘but’.
“No ‘but’,” she said.
When she realized her tone was rather harsh, she switched back to honey voice again.
“Listen, it’s no surprise that I’m not very fond of men. Mostly because they have devastated our planet and treated us like second-class trash for the last thousands of years. Men are selfish, small-minded and destructive creatures. But I’m willing to change my opinion. No, scratch that, I want to change my opinion. I want men, like you, to change my mind and prove you’re more than aggressive, testosterone-infested primates. Cassius, my dear, convince me of the good your gender is capable of. Convince me right now. After all, you love women, don’t you?”
The fans around Cassius shut up. They wanted to hear him say it.
“I love women,” he said.
“And you love me, right?”
“I love, love, love you,” he said.
Elli nodded and waved over the nearby security guard.
“Give me your baton for a second.”
The guard gave it to her, no questions asked. She took the baton and handed it over to Cassius.
“Be the change I want to see in the world.”
87
Silence.
Cassius stared at the baton in his hands.
Silence.
“I thought you were going to break my leg.”
He sounded like a mouse in muscle-monkey’s body.
“No way. You are going to break your leg. I detest violence.”
Cassius = clueless.
“But—“
Elli sighed.
“You sit down and smash your shin with the baton as hard as you can. It’s going to be painful, yes, but remember what your one small action will mean to the world. Remember what it will mean to me, your greatest idol. Cassius, you can be the beginning of the change. Make me man-belief again.”
Cassius swallowed. He turned around and saw the hundreds of fans looking at him.
Elli tiptoed over to Bam and Whizzard and whispered.