Ingame: Virtual reality enabled

by Kieron Uchee

  I collected a variety of different coins as I made my way towards the buildings located near the rear of the park. Looking at the map I saw that I was almost there. Following an overgrown path up a small hill crowned with trees, I saw the three white buildings situated at the bottom of a narrow vale. Stopping under the trees, I sat down on an overgrown rock bench. Glancing at the time I noted it was about 2:00 am. The two full moons were chasing each other in the dark sky. It was light enough that one could read a book if one was to be had, just a beautiful night.

  I opened my bag and began to count the coins I had collected, using Twinks ability to access both forums and the Auction House I obtained a value of fifty thousand and seventy-five gold for the evening's effort if the Mithril sold. A job well done I thought as I stared down at the buildings. I glanced again at the time it was now 3:00 am.

  Deciding that I would return here tomorrow night to find the large treasure, I turned around and began my journey to the front entrance of the park. I was on breakfast cleanup duty and did not want to be late for that. It was important to be able to curry favor with all the NPC that I would have dealings with, especially the ones that I lived next to.

  Chapter eleven: Shopping

  I stretched and with a yawn sat up, the morning had dawned and I had almost missed it. Getting up I made my way out and down the hallway to the common wash area on the second floor. Once my morning absolutions for the late night were complete, I started downstairs towards my morning shift at the Inn. I could smell the rashers of Bacon and the spicy sausages on the racks cooking in the open-air ovens of the kitchen. It smelled damn good. I had always been a breakfast person and being Ingame and not changed that.

  Once downstairs I made my way through the crowd of people eating and drinking kavaa, the local version of coffee. I noticed that most of the people who had finished breakfast had once again lit up pipes and were relaxing with the kavaa before leaving for work. I wondered why I saw no one smoking cigarettes, being Ingame there were no ill health effects. Another mystery I mused to myself as I walked towards the kitchen entrance.

  Entering the kitchen, I grabbed an apron and quickly started on the dishes. Working all those years in the kitchen of the orphanage had prepared me for doing this type of work. A couple of hours later and the kitchen was clean with everything put away.

  As I was about to leave I noticed the innkeeper gestured at a plate full of meaty goodness. There was a whole rasher of smoked bacon and a link of five spicy sausages. It was all sitting on a mound of cooked potatoes with four freshly fried eggs on top. It looked like a heart attack on a plate and I could not wait to eat it.

  After sipping my second cup of kavaa and discretely trying to loosen my pants, I stood up and slowly made my way to the door. As I left, I held open the door for an NPC and gestured for him to precede me out. As we both walked down the street, I asked him why the Inn was so busy at mealtimes. He explained to me that it was the only Inn still open near the abandoned area. He then mentioned that most people did not do any cooking in the small apartments and tenants that they lived in.

  As I continued on to the main Bank of the city, I reflected that in a large urban area without electricity there would be no way to keep food cool. Indeed, it would be difficult to cook, as a fuel needs to be located and then distributed. In addition, all dwellings would need stoves. To achieve all of that would be a huge undertaken. Glad I had worked out why so many people ate at the Inn, I arrived at the bank.

  Looking up, I could see several pairs of City Watchmen strolling along the portico. Climbing the steps, I walked through the large open doors and entered the bank properly. Once inside I joined a queue to speak to the first available teller. I guess that the bank would not have ATB machines within a fantasy world. Still what a pain in the ass it is to wait in a slow line. I was glad that waiting like this had disappeared in the nineteen nineties.

  Finally, it was my turn and looking at my teller, I noted he was green and had long ears and sharp teeth. A goblin I would guess. He spoke in a surprising professional tone, “Hello sir, how may I be of service?” “Hello, I would like to open an account and deposit some coinage. In addition, I would like to use the banks anonymous auction house feature to list an item.”

  Within the span of several minutes, I had my account opened and the Methrill bar listed. The little goblins eyes had widened at the sight of the bar and his forked tongue had darted in and out in an involuntary movement. Clearly, he had recognized the bar and had made a fast estimate on its value. I give him credit for his discretion as he had only asked once at where I had located something so valuable.

  Leaving the bank, I began to explore the second level of the city. My forays had all been at nighttime near the abandoned area. I decided that I wanted to meet more NPC from this area and see if I could find any quests to do. Having received all those Dragon buffs and abilities was nice but I really needed to start the leveling process. I could not stay at level one forever. Heck, I am not sure what path I should take once I hit level ten to develop my skills and abilities.

  I knew that I would have to prepare for PVP, for those player killers, as I would not have the protection of a Guild or the Guards. At the same time, it was exciting knowing that I was making my choices and doing what I had to. I felt renewed and ready for this game.

  This thought persisted as I walked along the street. I knew that I was going to be here Ingame for a year as far as subjective time was concerned. Perhaps that is the problem; I was not accepting the reality of the situation. I was still thinking on some level that this is just a game. I had to deal with the fact that for all practical purposes this was not a game but my life for the next year. I had had some fun and things were looking up but I needed to do more. To put forth more effort and succeed in whatever I was doing.

  Feeling strangely challenged by my thoughts I approached several shops along the street. Being level one, I could only wear cloth and leather gear. Finding the leather section of the nearest shop, I began to peruse through the selection of items. Most of the items were a drab brown or a sickly yellow. However, there was one complete set of leathers. All done in black, the outfit had slots that were designed for armor inserts. These inserts were made from what appeared to be bone; they were light but very strong.

  I called out to the shopkeeper “Sir what are these inserts made of and what was this leather set made for?” The shopkeeper waddled over; clearly, he was as fond of breakfast as I was. “Aha good sir,” he began. “I see that you have found the black set with the Drake bone inserts. I took it in on trade, it was a custom design for a rogue however it was never finished.” “It looks complete to me, I don’t think I see any pieces missing,” I spoke up being somewhat puzzled. The store owner then said, “It is all there sir. However it was never enchanted and as such is just a slick set of leather armor.”

  “It has no bonuses and no special attributes. The leather has been in my shop a long time and I will make a deal to get rid of it. Today only, I will sell the set for two gold pieces.” I considered it; I did not want to barter with the shopkeeper. I had seen his eyes gleam as he named his price. I had the feeling I would end up paying more than his first offer. “It is a deal sir” I replied and with that paid him.

  He invited me to use the change room to put on the leather. Enchanted it might not have been, but I had never purchased anything that fit me so well in my life. As I walked out the shopkeeper made the appropriate noises about my appearance and then offered to sell me a new cloak. It was as dark as what I now wore and was leather. Costing ten silver coins, it seemed like a bargain and I quickly purchased it.

  Thinking of the saying, if you look good you feel good, I stepped out of the shop feeling damn good. Looking across the street, I made eye contact with a Donator Guildsman. Well shit, it was that A-hole I had the run-in with at the park. Well sucks to be me I thought just as the dimwit realized who I was and began to yell.

  Chapter twelve: The fight


  I stood there as the player charged at me, I did not know what his intentions were but had the feeling he was not coming over to give me a hug. Suddenly I began to get mad, my anger was neither incoherent nor out of control but a deeply felt emotion. I knew I was on the edge when I began to plan the Jackass’s take down and then neck break. Hey, death is not a permanent problem Ingame and this Jackass deserved it.

  It is funny how a person’s mind reacts in the fight or flight situation. For me, I was thinking I had already named the player the Jackass in my mind and watching him running towards me did nothing to dissuade my thoughts. Maybe I was too cerebral, spending too much time analyzing every situation.

  Once the Jackass reached me, I let him try to grab me. Then using a traditional O Goshi throw I tossed the Jackass onto the steps of the shop I had just left. Spinning around I stepped to the side to keep both the Jackass and the group he was with in my sight. Seeing that they were not coming towards me I looked at the Jackass getting up. Once he saw me, he began to yell like a crazy person and then started towards me once more.

  I could not understand his apparent desire to inflict harm on me, after all, I am a lovable person, at least, I think so. Sure, I had burnt his leg off and embarrassed him in front of his peers. He was a donator with great gear and he was seven levels higher than I was. I could sympathize with his feeling somewhat silly but he was taking it to a new level. This was a game for God’s sake.

  I had by then decided that if he attacked me once more time I would use the Kani Basami. I had learned this illegal Judo move years ago. The international Judo association had banned the move as they considered it too dangerous for use in competition. It would be perfect for the Jackass.

  Being in the orphanage, we did not have much. The government is cheap, to put it bluntly. We had the opportunity to participate in one sport, as long as it had a low cost involved. Turns out Gi’s are not that expensive. After studying Judo for 8 years, I had managed to earn my red and white belt. For those that do not know that is the belt above black. There is only one other belt above it and that is the red belt.

  I do not think of myself as a fighter but prudence and common sense dictated that my first few years at the orphanage would be difficult if I could not defend myself. Therefore, when they offered the Judo lessons to us orphanage kids, I had eagerly taken them. It turned out that I had a natural ability and progressed rapidly in the classes. My natural ability was about to be presented with force to the Jackass.

  As the Jackass shambled towards me, I suddenly heard one of the other players yell “Stop.” Being peaceful individually I was more than happy to not have to fight this imbecile as I had determined that this was a waste of time and that the other players looking at us were witnesses. I did not mind the idea of tossing him around but I would rather do it on my own time and place, one I would choose.

  Looking at the player who had yelled stop and who was now approaching me I relaxed. He was level 40 and I had no hope of defending myself if he tried to attack me. Suddenly the Jackass was in my face trying to swing his fist at me. The new player looked at the Jackass and with a disgusted tone and said, “Kirov and Jules, remove this initiate from my presence and from the guild.” Hearing a “yes sir” spoken in a Slavic accent I turned my attention to the man who stood in front of me.

  Most players when creating their avatars would create someone that is young, strong, and good looking. This was only partially true for this person. He had made a human of medium height with the same well-muscled figure that most players had. He was also somewhat different in that his character was clearly older. We both studied each other for a minute and then he spoke. “I see that you are a capable young man, may I ask what fighting style you used?” Seeing no sense in denying my abilities, I stated, “I am a student of Judo.”

  Seeing him nod I relaxed and then asked a question that had just occurred to me. “Why are you with the Jackass?” Hearing my name for the obnoxious player he began to chuckle. “It is a bit of a story, I will make you a deal if you tell me your story I will tell you how I was saddled with the Jackass.” “I will even buy you lunch for you troubles.” Seeing that it was now noon and I was beginning to get hungry, I agreed. If this player wanted to hurt me, he already would have.

  Chapter thirteen: Lunch

  “My name is Archon and I am one of the leaders of the House of Yethra within the Guild of Mars.” “Tor, I replied.” “That was once a name of a publishing house a long time ago, they did mainly Sci-Fi and Fantasy,” Archon spoke in an easy tone I could tell he was not a kid playing Ingame but rather a mature individual. I had the feeling he was someone who commanded respect both in the game and in RL. “I had heard that” I replied as we made our way up to an Inn near the Mars Guild house.

  “If you don’t mind eating here, the guild has a special relationship with this Inn. This entitles us to some perks, the use of private rooms being one of them.” “It suits me as long as the food is good and the place is clean.” I considered both of these facts; they were something I also thought of as important and politely nodded.

  Entering the Inn I took in the crowd of players all eating and drinking and smoking pipes. It was loud and boisterous and everyone seemed happy. There were few NPC seen as all the tables had players sitting around them. The Innkeeper seeing my companion hurried over and giving a small bow asked: “sir shall I prepare your room?” “Yes thank you Jera, while we wait we will have a drink at the bar.”

  Making our way over to the bar we found two stools tucked around the corner. As we sat down a curvaceous female player joined us. She did not have the diaphanous gear all female players started with. She had on expensive-looking cloth that shone with eldritch light to my Dragon Eyes. Looking at her level, I was surprised to see that she was a level 55. Clearly, I was hanging with the power players. The question I needed to know was why.

  “Hello, Archon, who is your pet?” Even her voice sounded dangerous, attractive but deadly. “This is Tor, a new player and someone who caught my attention.” Archon sounded amused. “Tor this is Kaie, the co-leader of the house of Yethra.” Looking at Kaie I saw a woman who radiated a competence and maturity far beyond the young appearance her avatar represented. Nodding my head at her, I politely greeted her and then took a drink from the huge tankard that had appeared in front of me.

  Kaie looked over at Archon and smiled, she then stated: “he is a smart one” then smiling at me she rested her hand on my shoulder and leaned into my arm. I became very conscious of her heavy breast resting against my arm. I tried not to notice her physicality but I could tell she was aware that I was responding. In an attempt to try to salvage the situation, I ignored my reddening face. Taking a deep breath, I could smell her scent of coconut oil and spice.

  Speaking before I lost my ability for rational thought, I asked her if she was single and would like to go for dinner tonight. If silence changed to gold, I would have become very rich at that moment. The silence disappeared with Archons laughter and a softly muttered “OMG” “he asked you out.” Abruptly pulling away from me Kaie looked at me and then suddenly her face began to redden. Turning she began to walk away from us at the same time telling Archon to “keep me informed.”

  Looking at Archon I asked, “What was that about?” Archon just looked at me and then shaking his head, he nodded at Kaie as she left the Inn. “You, of course, would not realize this but Kaie is a very important person in RL and in the game. To be blunt, she is used to manipulating men and getting her own way. I believe you caught her by surprise. In fact, you are probably the first man to ask her out without having an ulterior motive. I think that you caught her off guard and that is something that rarely happens.”

  “I have to tell you I am impressed more by what just happened here then when you were tossing the Jackass around.” Not sure how to respond to this I just nodded and had another sip. The Innkeeper made an appearance at that point and gestured to the corner where a private booth was waiting. As we beg
an to walk over, I started to think about this rather strange situation, I had lots of questions, hopefully, Archon had some answers.

  Chapter fourteen: The meeting

  I raised my tankard in a toast to Archon and patted my belly, “If I keep eating like this my new leathers will not fit.” Giving me a taciturn smile Archon nodded in agreement. “Thank the Gods that we cannot get fat here,” he stated. Looking at me, he nodded, “So you probably have a few questions as do I. Of course, I will not be revealing all the details nor do I expect you to. Why don’t you begin,” and with a nod, he folded his hands on the table and looked at me expectantly.

  Looking at this man sitting across from me I let my thoughts flow for a minute. Let me begin by asking the obvious, who are you and who is Kaie? You are clearly not one of the hormonally challenged teen players that make up most of the current populations of Gods and Men.”

  “Very astute, we certainly are not. We are members of a group of people who have been extremely successful in the real world, “Archon answered. “I see, but what are you doing in this game, this whole artificial construct that was created for kids,” I asked.

  Archons smiled at me and then spoke, “As I have said, we are members of a group of people, many of whom are now elderly and whose health is failing.” “Do you understand the difference between real world time and subjective time?” I nodded; it was becoming clear to me where he was going. “Is this a service that a company offers or have you folks just had a meeting of the rich and famous and decided to make your last few months turn into years or perhaps decades?” “Damn you are quick; if I was not here in this game world with you I would hire you on the spot.” Smiling at Archon I thanked him, and then asked again, “Is it a company that offers this service or are all you people doing this privately?”