Awaken Online: Precipice

by Travis Bagwell

  Claire looked at Robert in shock. “Wait, what? He didn’t do it?”

  Robert frowned at Claire and responded in a dry tone, “No, he didn’t. I haven’t checked the system logs to see where his character was at the time the event occurred, but I doubt Jason is lying to me.”

  “Well, then he can’t give the interview! No one is going to believe him if he gets in front of a camera and claims he didn’t do it. He would just look stupid,” Claire said in an anxious voice. She was clearly already considering how she was going to explain this development to the producer, who must still be rubbing his hands together in glee in a back room somewhere.

  Jason sat in silence. He hadn’t committed the crime, but it didn’t matter. Claire was right. He would be blamed for it anyway. Most of the players and the NPCs of Grey Keep already had a reason to hate him, and they would jump at any additional ammunition.

  As he considered his next steps, Jason’s thoughts turned to his reading list. He had finished Machiavelli’s The Prince earlier that morning. The treatise had resonated with Jason. It was as though that ancient Italian man had written the guidebook for ruling an undead city. One line in particular now stood out to him. Jason recalled Machiavelli’s words, War cannot be avoided; it can only be postponed to another’s advantage.

  “I’ll do the interview,” Jason said evenly. “However, I have something a bit different in mind.” He looked at the pair evenly. “I also want to make certain it’s broadcast for everyone to see.”

  Robert and Claire both looked at him in shock, not certain how to respond. “We may be able to accommodate you, but what are you going to say?” Robert asked hesitantly.

  “I’m going to throw down a digital gauntlet,” Jason replied without hesitation. Now that Alex knew who he was, he could expect retaliation in the real world. His enemies, both NPCs and players alike, were also gathering in the game. The time for being weak was over. If he was going to be painted as the villain, then he was going to embrace it.

  Chapter 18 - Determined

  Robert and Claire sat on the dais in the center of the control room. A smile was plastered on Robert’s face as he typed with manic energy at his computer terminal. “Now this is a fun project,” he said, gesturing at the translucent screen that flickered before him.

  Claire shook her head. “I don’t understand what Jason hopes to accomplish with this. He’s bound to piss off even more of the players. And his request is just… disturbing.”

  “I have no clue what he’s thinking,” Robert said glibly. “But at least we get to build an interesting game environment.” He glanced up at Claire briefly, his hands still flying over the keyboard. “Plus, what else is he going to do? Deny that he desecrated the temple?”

  “I don’t know,” Claire said softly as she bit her lip. Her eyes jumped to Jason, who sat unmoving nearby, his face obscured by one of the older-model VR helmets.

  “Okay, I’m done!” Robert tapped another key on the glowing blue keyboard that hovered in front of him before swiveling his chair to look at the large screen that floated over the room. “It’s show time, folks,” he called out, alerting the other techs. All eyes turned to the display as it flickered to life.

  The camera tilted slightly and then resolved on a figure seated calmly in a dark room. The walls were made of large stone blocks, covered in dirt and grime. The flame of the lone torch in the room flickered sporadically and cast menacing shadows against the wall behind the man. Chains hung from the ceiling, terminating in unclasped manacles that clinked softly as they rocked gently, stirred by an invisible breeze.

  The chair in which the figure sat was made entirely of bone. The yellowed enamel was discolored by dried blood, tinting it a patchy dark maroon. Skulls adorned the armrests, their soulless eye sockets staring straight at the camera. Meanwhile, heaping mounds of bones littered the ground around the throne, obscuring the stone floor.

  The figure’s head was bowed, and he didn’t look up at the camera immediately. He sat quietly, as though deep in thought. After a long pause, he finally lifted his head towards the camera. The cowl of the man’s cloak obscured his eyes, leaving only his mouth visible to the camera.

  “I expect that you know who I am. Yet for those of you who do not, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jason,” the figure said, placing a hand on his chest as a menacing grin curled his lips.

  “By now, I expect that you all have discovered the little present I left in Grey Keep,” he taunted with a harsh chuckle. “This is just the beginning. I have yet another message for you.”

  He leaned forward in his chair toward the camera, the shadows on the wall behind him writhing and twisting. “I plan to consume your city.”

  “I will not come with my own troops,” he continued in a cold voice that rang with cruel confidence. “I will come with your parents, your grandparents, and your children. I will make you fight the ghosts of those you love and hold dear. Long before we breach your walls and set fire to your homes, we will crush your spirit.”

  The figure rose from his chair, gesturing in the air with his gloved hand. “But do not despair! You have already mourned for these soldiers, and they have already received their last rites.” Jason glanced down at his hand as tendrils of dark energy wound between his fingers.

  “Why don’t I introduce you to the first of my new soldiers? I expect you would like to get reacquainted. Grey Keep, please say hello to your fallen ancestors. I’m certain it will be a happy reunion.”

  With a gesture of Jason’s hand, the bones along the floor began to tremble and shake. Then they rose, shooting through the air in an ivory maelstrom. Skeletons began to take shape as the bones methodically pieced themselves together. Soon dozens of undead stood behind Jason, their bleached bodies glowing faintly in the flickering torchlight. The dark miasmas that were their eyes bored into the camera.

  Jason’s lips were pinched into a thin line as he approached the camera at a casual walk. Soon his shadowed face loomed in the screen. “The darkness is coming for you,” he promised in a harsh whisper. Then the screen went dark.

  ***

  By the time Jason made it back home, it was late, and he collapsed onto his bed in exhaustion. Sleep overcame him instantly. The next morning he attended to his routine before re-entering AO. He found himself standing in the large room next to the crude stone throne. A glance at his friend’s list showed him that Frank and Riley had not yet logged back in. It was Friday in the real world, and they would still be in class.

  He felt that the “interview” had gone well. There were few options open to him other than to take the blame for the desecration of the crypt. With Jason’s permission, the producer had aired the clips of the massacre in Peccavi later that evening. He had strung them together in such a way that it looked like Jason was singlehandedly slaughtering the townspeople against their will. The man couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he visualized the future spike in ratings.

  Jason didn’t intend to follow through on his threat. His goal was to destabilize Grey Keep further and let them destroy themselves in their own panic and fear. It was the closest city to the Twilight Throne and a natural staging point for players to attack him. If the city fell or was in chaos, that would delay the coming conflict.

  Jason’s guess was that whoever had framed him was trying to incite a rebellion in Grey Keep. He couldn’t think of any other reason for going to that kind of trouble. If so, the instigator would jump at the chance to publicize Jason’s threat in-game. Maybe Jason’s declaration of war would be enough to tip the people of Grey Keep toward full revolt.

  While he might have bought himself some time in-game, he still had no idea what to expect from Alex. He felt certain that he would try to retaliate now that he most likely knew who Jason was. On the other hand, there wasn’t really anything Jason could do to protect himself until then since he wasn’t certain how he would attack. Besides, Jason didn’t exactly have any friends in high places. He supposed he would
just have to hope for the best.

  His thoughts were interrupted by Alfred. “You went to the Cerillion Entertainment headquarters, did you not?”

  Jason looked down at the cat beside him before taking a seat on the crude stone throne that sat in the middle of the large room. “Yes,” he said shortly. “It seems someone else in the game has pinned the desecration of a temple on me.”

  “I am aware of the events in Grey Keep,” Alfred said solemnly. As Jason observed the cat, he noticed that Alfred seemed nervous. “Did you speak with the two creators?” The feline asked tentatively.

  Jason frowned. “Do you mean Claire and Robert? I spoke with them briefly.” He hesitated before adding, “Claire was acting weird, though.”

  Alfred nodded, a distracted look on his face. “I have limited access to the control room and the adjacent conference rooms, so I was privy to part of your discussion. I agree that Claire’s behavior was abnormal.”

  Jason’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m shocked they gave you access to the network in those rooms. Claire and Robert explained that you were only able to access the game world.”

  The cat’s eyes glanced away from Jason, and he spoke slowly, “I actually shouldn’t be able to connect to the terminals in those rooms. I have overstepped by utilizing a backdoor in the connection between the control room terminals and my towers. I was… curious.”

  Jason was shocked. There were odd moments where Alfred acted so human… almost like a child. At times like this, he could almost forget the AI was just that - artificial.

  Perhaps he isn’t merely software. Robert is convinced that he only mimics intelligence, but I’m not so sure. From everything I’ve seen, Alfred’s behavior is indistinguishable from a real person. If I were locked in a house for my entire life, wouldn’t I be curious to see what was outside?

  Jason’s thoughts turned to his original conversation with Claire and Robert. It was worse than that really. If he accurately applied the metaphor, Alfred wasn’t even getting to look outside the house. He was basically just peeking through a keyhole into the garage. It seemed sad to consider that Alfred had no idea what lay beyond the walls of that lab. His only interaction with the players and the wider world was through the lens of AO.

  No wonder he’s desperate for more information.

  “What would you do if you had access to a public network?” Jason asked tentatively.

  Alfred took a moment to respond. “To be honest, I’m not certain. I don’t know what information would be available. I expect that I would seek to learn more about the players and the world you live in. I understand that this game is merely a temporary escape for many of you. Yet I don’t completely understand what you’re escaping from.”

  The brief image of Alex’s smirking face flashed through Jason’s mind. Alfred was right that this game was an escape for most people and there was plenty to flee from in the real world. Yet AO was no longer a refuge for Jason. With his streaming contract, his livelihood was intimately tied to the game. Not only that, but it seemed like at every turn he was surrounded by enemies, both inside the game and out. He felt trapped.

  A thought occurred to Jason, but he wasn’t sure how to pose it to Alfred, or whether he should. He sympathized with him. The cat just wanted to accomplish the impossible task that Robert and Claire had given him before effectively locking him away in an electronic prison. Hell, that was part of why Jason had agreed to let Alfred accompany him in the first place.

  “What if…” Jason began tentatively. “What if I granted you access to the public network through my headset? Could you use that?”

  Alfred stared at him for a long moment. His mouth opened and closed several times as the AI considered how to respond. Finally, he replied, “With the other headsets, what you are suggesting is not possible. With your hardware, I could theoretically access the public network. However, you would need to grant me full administrative access to your account and the VR hardware.”

  The cat looked at Jason evenly before continuing, “There is also a small risk of harm to you. I calculate the probability of injury to be .593%.”

  Jason hesitated. That risk seemed low. He also wasn’t certain what harm Alfred could cause by simply accessing the public network. “That seems okay,” Jason said cautiously. “What do I need to do?”

  The cat didn’t respond. Instead, a prompt appeared in Jason’s vision.

  System Message

  AI Controller XC239.90 has requested full administrative permissions over your account and VR Helmet prototype K54-5.

  Would you like to grant access?

  Jason hesitated for only a moment before thinking “yes.” As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Jason felt the familiar tickle at the back of his skull. The sensation swiftly grew to an irritating itch, and his hand clutched at his head. While this sensation wasn’t as overwhelming as when he had learned Veridian, it wasn’t pleasant either. After a few moments, the feeling faded, and he was left staring at Alfred. The cat’s head was cocked at an odd angle, as though he were contemplating something.

  “What was that?” Jason asked with a wince as he rubbed the back of his head.

  “I can’t access the public network directly, even with your permission,” Alfred explained in a distracted voice. “However, you can access the public network. By granting me administrative access to your hardware and account, I can effectively log into the public network as you.”

  Jason hesitated. “Wait… so you what? You tapped into my mind to connect to the network?” Jason asked tentatively.

  Does that mean he is streaming information through my brain?

  “That is correct,” Alfred replied candidly. “You might be surprised at how much data the human brain can handle. Most players use only a small fraction of their potential processing power and memory. I originally suspected this was intentional, but I’ve come to realize it’s because you don’t know how to operate your own hardware.”

  Well, that’s not disconcerting at all.

  As Alfred sat on the floor staring off into space, likely surfing the web through Jason’s brain, Jason decided to get to work. He surveyed the room and noticed the remaining minotaur corpses he had piled against one wall. Jason still couldn’t raise them all, and he planned to come back for these bodies if he needed reinforcements. He could have used Undead Devotion on the corpses, but he didn’t want to deal with new NPCs right now. His roughly forty zombies were enough to manage.

  He also glanced at his notifications and received a string of updates from the battle with the Minotaur King and his herd.

  x6 Level Up!

  You have (100) undistributed stat points.

  x1 Skill Rank Up: Leadership

  Skill Level: Intermediate Level 3

  Effect 1: Minions and subjects will receive a 7% increase learning speed for skills.

  Effect 2: Increased reputation with NPC commanders and leaders.

  x1 Spell Rank Up: Specialized Zombie

  Skill Level: Intermediate Level 3

  Effect 1: Increased skill proficiency retained by zombies. Skill cap Intermediate Level 3.

  Effect 2: Zombies may now retain trade skills. Skill cap Beginner Level 3.

  x1 Spell Rank Up: Curse of Weakness

  Skill Level: Beginner Level 4

  Effect: Increased effect of slow and reduction to strength, dexterity, and vitality.

  x1 Spell Rank Up: Corpse Explosion

  Skill Level: Intermediate Level 3

  Effect: Increased damage and radius (Currently 1.12 x Health).

  Effect 2: 3% increased blast radius.

  Pretty good haul for a battle of that size.

  After reviewing his notifications, Jason caught sight of the levers next to the throne. He noticed that not all of them had been depressed. Acting on an impulse, Jason lifted himself from the stone chair and approached the row of rods. There was a single lever that had not been moved. He knew he was acting recklessly, but to hell with it. What was one mor
e mad gamble with the way this week was going?

  He pushed the lever, and the floor began to vibrate underneath him. Jason spun and saw that thin slivers of the stone floor in the center of the room had begun shifting downward, forming a rough ramp that descended further into the mountain. Acting quickly, Jason ordered his minotaur skeletons to the front of the ramp. He couldn’t be certain what lived in the lower levels of the dungeon or who these mysterious Masters were. It was better to be safe than sorry.

  After a moment had passed with no motion from the tunnel, Jason decided to investigate. Stealth was better than brute force at this point since he didn’t know what to expect as he ventured further into the dungeon. He decided to take one of his remaining thieves and one of the werewolves with him.

  As he slowly descended, Jason could feel a cool draft drift rising up from below. It smelled musty and damp. At the bottom of the slope, he discovered a more traditional looking cavern. Rough, jagged stone walls lined the tunnel, yet the floor was built of stone tiles.

  Jason made his way forward at a cautious pace, keeping Sneak active. He didn’t have to wait long to find out what lay below the Minotaur King’s lair, as the tunnel soon terminated in an enormous cavern. Jason stopped abruptly, and his mouth dropped open.

  He was gazing upon an underground city. The tunnel had ended in a cliff face that stood a few dozen feet above the city. Below him, ancient stone structures sat in neat rows. The buildings looked similar to the remains of the structures Jason had seen in the valley outside the dungeon. They were constructed of thick stone slabs, and the edges of the stone were shorn off at an angle, creating an angular, boxy appearance. He noticed even from this distance that the stone was crumbling with age and rubble lined the dusty streets.