by Tony Corden
“I don’t know yet, I mean, it was a healing spell. I will need to do some research to work out exactly what happened. But I do know this, I’m glad you are alive. Come, I need to harvest the Basilisk and check out the Mine. Are you okay, or do you need to rest?”
“I am fine, my Lady.”
Leah walked back to the Basilisk and harvested the creature, obtaining some rare and dangerous alchemical ingredients including several vials of Basilisk poison. She then made her way back past all the dead warriors to the centre of the mine. Much of the smell had disappeared but there was still an enormous pile of bones. As she walked closer, she saw different objects glittering in the pile of bones. There were weapons and jewels, coins, books and scrolls. She knew she couldn’t leave all that behind and was going to begin searching it when Gèng said, “Try harvesting the pile, I think you should be able to sift it automatically.”
Leah turned to V’fali and said, “I think I can sort this using Traveller magic, do trust me to give you your share?”
“My Lady, I trust you with my life. I have no claim on the treasure and no desire for it. Please keep whatever you find.”
Leah couldn’t change his mind, so she swallowed a Luck potion and harvested the pile. The pile disappeared, and a long message appeared giving the inventory. She quickly skimmed it and was pleased to see a large amount of coin as well as spells, maps and jewellery of different sorts.
Leah still had a large mining bag, and with some difficulty, she and V’fali managed to get a large block of marble into it. Then she said, “We had best hurry if we want to catch the wagons. Are you ok to run?”
“I feel fine and full of energy. I can run all night my Lady. Please, let me lead this time?”
“All right, well let’s see if we can catch them before they stop for the night.”
The trip to the main trail was completed at a faster rate, and then the two of them ran down the trail for the next three hours. The sun had just set when they came upon the wagon train as it had stopped for the night at the junction of the trails. Y’netmek was waiting for them.
Before Y’netmek could say anything, Leah said, “I am sorry, but I have no time to talk. I am late in taking my needed rest. I will not be here in the morning but will return the day after that. I will follow after you and will try and catch up in several days. Thanks for the loan of V’fali, he was a great help.”
Without waiting for a reply, she walked into the night and logged off.
Leah logged out of the tower and after a quick meal and a long shower she logged in just before 7.30. There was half-an-hour real-time and an hour-and-a-half virtual-time before all her friends were due to arrive at the podium. Susan arrived exactly at 7.30 real-time and walked Leah through all the legal documents. Susan had convinced the owners of the property to amend the leasing arrangement to give Leah an incontestable option to extend the lease for a period of up to four years with a similar option to purchase the property at its current value during that time. Leah needed to pay one and a half million Australian dollars up front to cover the yearly lease. In addition, Susan had arranged a new state of the art DMR Sim Pod to be delivered and installed at the property at one o’clock in the afternoon. This cost another four hundred and fifty thousand dollars after the various tax rebates.
Susan had opened a corporate account for Leah and Leah transferred all her diamond and platinum coins into that account. This came to a total of 813,000 Virtual Credits of which the Dunyanin Administration charged her a two percent withdrawal fee. This left her with 796,740 Virtual Credits which was changed into Australian Dollars thereby losing another two percent. Susan arranged the payment of her tax bill, her lease, the rental of the facility for one week, the College courses, the Pod and a whole list of fees for internet connection, power connection, and various regulatory fees to establish her new company. In the end, she had 292,416 Dollars in the Account. She thought that was a lot until Susan reminded her she needed to find money to pay for security and other staff wages. Susan left after an hour-long meeting and Leah had less than thirty virtual minutes to prepare for the arrival of her friends.
As she rushed to choose something to wear, Gèng said, “Leah, I have clothing for you which is similar to my clothing the other day. I think it would be suitable for your meeting.”
Leah gave a tentative agreement and Gèng changed Leah’s to the traditional silk top and silk trousers. The top was white, rather than Gèng’s red, but with the same stylistic image of a stork embroidered on the right side in gold thread. The trousers were black with matching silk slippers. Leah checked the outfit from several angles and was pleased with the look.
Leah walked slowly out of the tower and down to the arrival podium. Mĕi was walking with her, so she slowed her walk to an amble. Leah was playing a game of tag with Mĕi when Amy arrived. Amy looked around in amazement, she had been expecting an apartment, but she found a whole new world. She stumbled down to Leah and hugged her, then said, “Leah, this is astounding, I have so many questions, but I’ll wait for the others, it’ll save you answering them twice.”
Leah introduced Amy to Mĕi who was standing back and growling at Amy. “Mĕi, stop that! This is Amy. She is our friend. Come and say 'hello'.”
Within minutes, Amy was Mĕi’s best friend, and they were playing ‘chase Amy’ when Wisp, James and Thad arrived all together. They all reacted the same way as Amy and struggled to hold back the questions until Zack turned up. They didn’t have long to wait for they had just been introduced to Mĕi when Zack appeared.
He froze and then looked around with his mouth hanging open. Hoping to forestall the questions a little longer, Leah said, “Welcome Zack, now we are all here we can head up to the Tower. Gèng is looking forward to meeting you and has prepared some refreshments for us on the balcony. Please follow the path.”
“Just hold on Atherleah. What is this place?”
“Why, Zack, this is my Virtual World, this is where I hang out.”
“But how? You had a Nascent AI installed just over a week ago. How has it achieved this, …, this fabulous place?”
“Why don’t you come with me and you can ask Gèng yourself.”
They walked up the path together, the five visitors continually pointing out new things they had seen. Gèng was standing at the front door as they approached and Amy said, “Atherleah, it looks like you have other visitors.”
“Not at all, that is Gèng, she is looking forward to meeting you. Come, and I will introduce you.”
After they had walked onto the portico, Leah introduced her friends to her AI. Gèng then said, “I welcome everyone to the Stork Tower. Please come in. Would you prefer refreshments first or a short tour?”
Zack stepped forward, “A tour please, and then some answers. Atherleah is no help at all. She just clams up and says, ‘Ask Gèng.’ Well now, I can ask you. But tour first.”
“Certainly, please come this way. We should start on the second floor.”
After showing the group the various portals, she said, “Over here we have the storage rooms with loot collected. Each room is specific to a particular dungeon. Loot is organised by value and significance.”
Starting with a room with Spider paraphernalia, Gèng led them through the various dungeons and experiences. She had decorated the walls with pictures edited from the areas and in some places had a sculpture if the event was particularly significant. When they passed a room with an ornate ‘C’ on it, Zack said, “What is in there?”
“That holds a secret Atherleah is keeping for someone. When the time comes, we will open the door. Hopefully, you will visit again and may have a chance to see what is inside.”
They finally got to the floor with all the loot from the Odyssey. Gèng said, “Before I show you these rooms I would like to show you something I haven’t even shown Atherleah yet. In this first room are some singular items that I believe you will find impossible to distribute. I have therefore organised them as a clan trophy room an
d suggest you transfer these to your clan headquarters as soon as you can.” She then walked into a beautifully decorated room which had the massive jewels on display as well as items such as the chess-set. The wall showed pictures of the Clan mines, and there was a certificate of claim from the Dunyanin Administration framed alongside each picture.
Amy said, “A marble mine. When did we get a marble mine?”
“This morning, I am making my way to the coast to catch a ship to Ticareti and came across the mine,” Leah answered.
James was reading a document beside the picture of an impressive looking mansion. He said, “This is the deed in Clan Guàn’s name for a mansion in Ticareti.”
Leah shrugged, “We needed a headquarters, and I had the opportunity to obtain the house, and I think it will do for a start. If any of you are near Ticareti, you could head there. We need to organise the servants. Also, we need to think of a way to transport the ore from the Mine at Platin. I think I will be able to lease the Marble Mine to the elves if you are happy that I go ahead with that.”
Everyone just stared at her with their mouths open. Finally, Wisp said, “You just happened upon a house, which for your information is a mansion. You came across a mine! That looks like a Basilisk in the picture. You need lessons from Zack on how to tell a story.”
All of them agreed to keep these things in a clubhouse room. The final two rooms were from their trip to Ejder. The completed skeleton of the huge Mamba was impressive but when they walked into the room with two complete dragon skeletons, the set of armour, the chest and the egg they stood in awe.
Finally, Thad said, “I was killed by an Air Chimera in the first thirty minutes, just as I was sneaking up on some goblins.”
Zack said, “I lasted forty minutes and was swarmed by thirty goblins.”
Wisp said, “I made it into the dungeon but died in an exploding trap. One hour.”
James said, “Two hours, The first mini-boss killed me when he reflected my plasma bolt.”
Amy said, “I reached the third level, four hours. A slime got me with poison.”
They all looked at Leah who said, “I had the Phoenix Potion and was resurrected. The largest skeleton is from a dragon who was already dead. The armour was made for me by the second dragon whom I killed, according to her wishes. I have a quest to the Dragon Bone Islands to return six eggs. This egg is mine and will hatch at any time.”
“What is in the chest?”
“Coins, jewels, jewellery, you know, from the dragon’s collection. They were a gift. I haven’t looked really, just removed one of each type of coin. I needed the money in a hurry. We can look now if you like?”
Amy said, “Not now. Gèng what is in that final room?”
“I am still sorting that. It is from Atherleah’s fight with the Basilisk this morning.”
Wisp said, “May we look, Atherleah?”
“Sure, I’ve only glanced at what is in there.”
Gèng had finished decorating the walls, and they could see pictures of Leah running along the trail, followed by V’fali, one of her healing him and several of her fight with the various warriors and the Basilisk. Spread out waiting to be organised was a large number of scrolls, jewels, books, coins and weapons. They perused it for a while, and then Gèng said. “Please, come sit on the balcony and have some refreshments.”
As they followed her out, Zack said, “There are several more levels, what is in them?”
Gèng replied, “Most are in the design phase, and I will keep working on them. I have developed some coding to make each room into a mini-world. The volume inside can be larger than the volume it occupies in this reality. At the moment I am considering how to render the transition to reduce any visual anomalies for visitors. The final level is my personal space, and I am trying to decide on what I, as an AI, find pleasing. This space is designed to be pleasing to Atherleah and her human psychology. I have found no research on what is aesthetically pleasing to AIs. When I am finished my research, I hope to continue the study with other AIs.”
Zack said, “Okay, that is it. Gèng will you please answer some of my questions. You are doing things that only advanced AI can, and even then I doubt they have ever tried to design their own space, to look good.”
Gèng looked at Leah, and after receiving a nod, she began discussing things with Zack. A second Gèng appeared and motioned to the others saying, “Please come this way, I think he and I will be talking for some time. There is no need for you all to have to wait. I have provided some refreshments outside.”
James looked at them and said, “Excuse me, but I’m like Zack. I’m involved in AI development and I think I’ll go listen to the questions he asks. I have some of my own.”
Another Gèng arrived and said, “If you wish you could ask me your own questions.”
The others left James to talk with Gèng.
For the next hour, they talked through their respective plans. Thad, Zack, Amy and James were heading to Pazar to meet with Wisp and then would travel to Ticareti to meet up with Leah. Zack and James finally joined them and Zack said, “Atherleah, that was amazing. If you are ok with it, I would like Gèng to visit with my AI. I think I have some ideas and a starting point, but if they could talk, then that would help.”
“Sure Zack, it is Gèng’s decision, not mine. Just ask her.”
“See, that there is what I think is at the centre of her development. You have given her freedoms that I don’t think I have ever thought about giving to mine.”
Gèng walked in and interrupted, “Atherleah, Susan is requesting a word, shall I show her in?”
‘Yes please.”
Moments later Susan walked in and after glancing at the others said, “The tax department has got back to me, and they are disputing some deductions. I think we will get them overturned, but I need another 200,000 now, and your signature.”
Leah transferred the money and signed the document and Susan disappeared. Zack said, “Who was that? And not to be nosey, but, another 200,000? I thought you were poor.”
Leah briefly outlined what had occurred and the steps she had taken. After she had finished, Thad said, “Can we help at all?”
“Not at the moment, but, thank you for asking. I need to keep progressing and finding things in Dunyanin. I’ll have some big bills to pay. I’m starting at MIT tomorrow, and I don’t know how much of my time that will take. I suppose I’ll know more in a week or two.”
They all talked for another hour when everyone logged out, and Leah was alone again. She and Gèng talked for a bit then she logged out. It was 9.30, and she had half an hour to pack everything and leave. She didn’t need all the time and was ready with ten minutes to spare.
“Gèng, are you sure everything will transfer to the new Pod.”
“Yes, I have arranged a back-up with Security Controller 11-5, and he has also given me some code to ensure this machine is completely sanitised.”
“Good! Well, let’s go. We have a new home waiting.”
At that Leah opened the door and left the facility.
Leah left her Pod apartment with mixed feelings. She was excited by the prospect of having her own place and a new SIMPod, but she also concerned with the possible reactions of the Kodoman family. She was looking forward to starting her studies at MIT, yet the burden of providing an income was already taking most of her time. She enjoyed the excitement of Dunyanin yet wanted more than to simply, play a game. As she walked, she tried to take the advice of Master Ning and let these feelings and thoughts exist without allowing them to rule her. By the time she reached the gate, she was much calmer and was ready to move forward.
When she arrived, she was surprised to see that neither John nor any other member of Jimmy’s gang was there. Instead, there was a long limousine waiting. She remained inside the fence and stood watching the car. A tall man in a dark grey suit got out, walked over to her and said, “Ms Carroll, Mrs Kodoman would like a word with you. Please step into the car.”
Leah stood still and said, “If Mrs Kodoman wants to talk I can give you my contact details.”
“Mrs Kodoman is in the car, please join her.”
“That would make me uncomfortable, please ask Mrs Kodoman to step outside if she wishes to talk.”
The man walked over to the car and talked to whoever was in it through a barely opened rear window. When he returned, he said, “Mrs Kodoman would prefer that you step into the car. I have been authorised as her employee to remind you that as of eleven o’clock you have no right to be on her property. You need to step outside, or I have permission to eject you by force.”
He used the access pad and opened the main gate. Leah stepped through the gate and began to walk towards the bridge and away from the car. The man stepped toward her, and she said, “While I was inside the gate you had a possible right to eject me. Here, outside you have no such rights. I am leaving, if you touch me in any way, I will press charges for assault. Now, step back, please.”
He stopped and glanced back at the car, his head stilled as if listening to something. He the stepped closer and reached for her saying, “Mrs Kodoman insists.”
Leah ducked out of reach and moving rapidly she placed the luggage between her and the man. She decided that fighting would bring the attention of the government and she didn’t want that so she began jogging toward the bridge leaving her possessions in the middle of the street. She heard the man call out and saw two other suited men step from behind houses in front of her. She slowed to stop; she was trapped. The man yelled, “She just wants to talk. Then you can go.”
“Then let her step outside and talk.”
“That is not going to happen, now come with us, or you might hurt yourself.”
Leah turned and walked toward the man who stopped to wait for her. When she was a step from him, she fell forward into a roll and once past him she sprinted down the street and past the car. She headed in the opposite direction to the Switch. She doubted they had people waiting in this direction. She could hear raised voices behind her and loud footsteps running behind her. She ran toward the shops where she had been with Jackson, but as she got close, she saw that the doors were barred and a ‘closed’ sign was in the window. She kept running.