Initializing

by K. T. Hanna

  She shook her head, suddenly feeling an intense urge to kill shit. “We should head out.”

  Rash glared at her, even if a small smile curled her lips. “No. We should check over this town for our trainers—I know I, for one, just reached my hidden skill trigger, and I want to find it out now, not later.” Her grin was contagious as she bounced on her light monk feet.

  Murmur rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. How about we look around a bit and meet back here in an hour?”

  She watched her friends file off and into the city, still standing next to the waterfall in all its glorious art. A light spray of the water peppered through her hair, and she glanced up to see that the figure on the bow stood in a slightly different stance, its hand raised now, pointing toward Pelagu.

  If she hadn’t been studying it so intently, she’d never have noticed the subtle gesture.

  You have noticed the statue in Frangit has changed its hand position. Or has it? Is this just in your head? There’s only one way to find out—just be careful you don’t fall down a rabbit hole.

  She did her best to ignore the sarcasm inherent in the quest prompt, but her gut twisted as intuition took hold making her immediately want to head back to Ululate and see what its statue was doing. Either that, or she was tipping over into crazy.

  Only heading to Ululate wasn’t the best option right now. Murmur sighed as she waited for her friends to get back from their trainers. It seemed more and more people were unlocking their hidden branches of skills, and not just hidden abilities. They were all getting that much stronger, that much more like a machine with intricate parts that worked really well together.

  Or at least, that’s what she thought they were like. Sometimes, when everything escalated out of control though, she thought they left a lot to be desired.

  “Why are you sighing, Miss?”

  Murmur turned around, kicking herself for not paying attention to her thought sensor. Except it was cast out, the man in front of her with his face a complete blur, was just not registering. She took a step back, readying her stun in her mind, just in case she needed to stun this fucker.

  “What? I’m not allowed to sigh here?” She raised an eyebrow, maintaining her distance. The way his face sort of trembled and shook to maintain that blurry focus hurt her head, and strained her eyes.

  “You’d do best to keep those thoughts to yourself, not everyone will understand what you can do. Not everyone will appreciate your predicament.” The words became sibilant, and shook with the same frequency as its face.

  Murmur stumbled to one knee, blinking her eyes rapidly to clear her vision and her mind, but all it did was make her teeth chatter instead. She looked up as the binder bent down beside her, his words so soft it was difficult to hear them, and yet they managed to echo in her head.

  “Don’t strain yourself. It’s better to lie down and just let yourself be absorbed. Trust us.”

  And then he was gone.

  Storm Entertainment

  Somnia Online Division

  Software Development Team Offices

  Fourth Day—Before Dawn

  Laria clutched her coffee cup in her hands, eyeing the servers’ activity on her interface as it gently spiked and dipped. She was pretty certain they knew she was keeping a close eye on them. How they knew, she wasn’t entirely sure, but she’d definitely made them wary with her previous line of questioning. Even though she’d received help from them before, there were certain things about the AIs that tugged at her uneasily. Their development had increased instead of stalling since Michael’s death, and while she knew engineers tinkered with them constantly, she also knew none of them were on the same level as Michael had been.

  Add to that the growing unease she had about the type of military work the headsets were being aimed at, and Laria wasn’t sure the AIs had the best interests of Somnia at heart. Their ability to run her game seamlessly fascinated her. Class allocations went far smoother than anyone had anticipated, and the data extrapolation team received so much data, they needed to expand. But was the data a bit too smooth? Had the launch not gone a bit too well? High subscriptions numbers from the start, and as more online footage emerged of the game, more subscriptions flooded in. Right now they were keeping up with hardware demands, but if their players kept increasing at this amount, there was going to be a shortage.

  Still, Laria frowned, and whispered into her room. “What are your plans? What is it we don’t know? What the fuck are you hiding from us?”

  “Speaking to yourself again?” Shayla edged into the room, a half smile on her tired face.

  Laria blinked at her friend, her boss, her college teaching assistant. After all, she’d been so engrossed in the numbers she was running that she’d not noticed her approach at all.

  Ever since Michael’s accident, ever since Ava’s death thereafter, there were aspects of the AIs running Somnia that nagged at her, and yet she couldn’t place it. All she knew was they were keeping her daughter entertained and safe in the world of Somnia, and for that, she had to trust them. So she smiled at Shayla before laughing self-deprecatingly. “I’ve been here too long. I really need to take more breaks.”

  Shayla raised an eyebrow. “We’re not even a week in yet. What, are you growing soft?”

  “No, just trying to juggle a lot of things at once.”

  Crossing her arms, Shayla looked directly at Laria. “How’s the containment capsule coming along? Any results for me yet?”

  Only hesitating briefly, Laria shook her head. “I have David on it. Don’t worry, I’ll have your data for you soon enough.”

  Shayla sighed. “And when you do, I hope you’ll tell me just what the fuck is going on in that brain of yours, because even though you say you’re juggling everything I feel like you’re about to drop a ball at any given moment. Don’t keep it all to yourself, Lar. There’s no I in team.”

  “Ha ha. Look at me laughing.” Laria’s glare was just short of lethal. “I promise, it’s all good for now. I’ll share when it’s relevant. But thank you for worrying.”

  “Can’t help it. Just make sure you do share when you can.” Shayla pushed herself away from the wall, gave another pointed look, and left the room.

  Laria shook her head and glanced at her watch. She had work to do here, but she had to get home tonight. Cracking her knuckles, she put her hands behind her head and began sorting through the cesspool of useless coding to see if she could find out just what the AIs were up to.

  Real World Day 4: Somnia Online

  You have been directly approached by the binder in Frangit. Their features were indistinguishable and the only proof of their existence were the words they spoke to you, words that keep resounding through your mind. Heed their warning, and heed their advice. After all you’re in an absorbing predicament.

  “Murmur?” Sinister’s voice held a huge note of concern in it, and slowly Murmur started to regain her senses. It wasn’t that she was unconscious, simply that her mind had frozen for a few seconds.

  She stood up, brushing off the edge of her robe and trying to gather her thoughts. Not only from the binder, but from the quest message that still hadn’t completely faded from being burned into her retina. ‘Absorbing’ her ass, more like annoying.

  “I’m okay, just had an encounter with the binder from here.” She glanced around, trying to find him over by the inn where he’d been, but no one was standing there anymore. To make matters worse, there were people loitering around apparently waiting for him. Perhaps they were used to him wandering off. Murmur would have loved to ask him what was up, to have a clear head around one of them. But no matter what she tried, it was difficult to get words out while they were around. Hell, it was difficult to string thoughts together.

  Devlish stepped next to her, looking at her with concern furrowing his brows. “I can’t get a focus on them either. There’s no way I’d be able to describe them to a sketch artist. But none of them have ever talked to me.”

  “Half you
r luck.” Murmur muttered. “Today marks the second time one talked to me. Ululate and now here. If I could just make sense of the nonsense they spew, I’d find them a whole lot less irritating.”

  She looked around, frowning as she did. “Where’s Ver and Rash?”

  Mellow shrugged their shoulders. “Might have needed a more in-depth from their trainer. I know my skill ticked over just before I hit sixteen, so I got it in our break before. I have Cauldron Coals. Every ability I use a cauldron for adds to its build up. It’s sort of different. Still getting the hang of the whole concept.”

  “Wow.” Murmur contemplated the amount of work that must have gone into these hidden classes. “So what are you now?”

  Mellow sighed. “Still a witch. Nothing special, which was sort of annoying considering you got a new class title.” They winked to take the edge off their words, but the point was valid anyway.

  Finally, Rash and Veranol joined them.

  “Anything new?” Murmur asked them.

  Veranol shrugged. “I may have just got on the first step of the path to become a defiler. Although I don’t have that powerful shit Darjin did yet. I think the NPC cheated.”

  Beastial smacked him on the shoulder. “That is awesome. Defiler. Sounds sort of R-rated.”

  Murmur blushed. “Shut it Beast, what about you Rash?”

  “I’m just a monk. Apparently there’s another type of monk, but my path will remain just a monk. I’m perfectly okay with that.” She smiled. “I still get to kick ass, so that’s okay.”

  “Pfft, who told you that you kick ass now?” Exbo laughed, dancing out of the way of her quick attack.

  “Just you wait, ranger.” But even Rash’s good mood couldn’t be ruined.

  “Well,” Murmur put her hands on her hips. “If you’re all done? Time to go kill some dark elves.”

  “Wait.” Sinister looked around and hesitated. “You realize three of us are dark elves, right?”

  “Not you, obviously.” Murmur paused and winked at her friend. “Unless you’re stupid, and then I’m not saving your asses either.”

  One by one the whole group appeared on the hearth of their island. Murmur almost stumbled as she landed, a wave of disorientation catching her off guard. But she moved just in time for Sinister to hit the place she’d just vacated.

  “Would have been stupid for us not to Gate home first. I told you so.” Jinna was grumbling as he moved off the hearth. “Would have taken us almost an hour to get to where it’ll take us not fifteen minutes from here.”

  “Shhh. Stop your whining, little dwarf.” Rash pet his head fondly, and then dashed off when he all but growled at her.

  Telvar came walking out to meet them, his tail swishing irritably, and concern etched on his face. “What happened?”

  Devlish laughed. “Nothing. We just took a short cut.”

  For a moment Telvar seemed a bit perturbed, but then he smiled and visibly relaxed. “I didn’t even think of that. Good call.”

  “Told you so.” Jinna muttered, seemingly out of sorts.

  The dragon frowned and turned to Murmur. “I didn’t expect you back so soon. You seem pale again?”

  About to respond, Sinister butted in. “One of those weird binders spoke to her and shook her up a bit.”

  Understatement, but at least Sin had the gist right. Telvar’s expression changed and his eyes narrowed. For a moment, Murmur thought he might be angry, but then his expression smoothed over once more and he half-smiled. “Shook you up? By binders, you mean those who bind you in major cities, yes?”

  Murmur nodded. “He just said some weirdly cryptic shit. Surprise, surprise. Just another day in Somnia.”

  Telvar’s eyes narrowed again, but this time the expression didn’t bounce back. He took a step forward, but hesitated, his eyes momentarily blanking before he sighed and focused on Murmur again. “Just be careful, and make sure your shields are tight as they can be.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the crystal clear help there, Tel.”

  He scowled, although it appeared more like a snarl. “I don’t know everything, Murmur. But I do know you should be careful.”

  “Sorry.” And Mur regretted her sarcasm. With everyone withholding information from her at every turn in this game world, she’d just assumed. “Just thought it was par for the course, you know?”

  “Not really, but you should be off if you’re trying to level.” Telvar bowed to them all, and smiled genuinely. “Please be safe. Return shortly.”

  They set off taking the path to the north when they crossed to the mainland. Eventually it would veer them north-west.

  Dansyn pouted. They’d told him he couldn’t use Speed Song to carry his group to the castle, because then they’d just have to wait so they could form the raid. It was much more fun to experience everything as a large group anyway.

  It was late at night as they passed the city of Pelagu—the hub where all four peoples of Tarishna gathered for trade and commerce. The huge city was lit up like a Christmas tree, mage lights floating everywhere, even illuminating the outer walls.

  “Now those are some pretty next level defenses.” Jinna said, the awe in his voice palpable. “I mean, walls like that don’t come cheap.”

  “And definitely not within our tiny budget, my dear dwarf,” Havoc slung an arm over his friend’s shoulder, causing the dark elf to slouch slightly. But Jinna was a big and hearty dwarf, and there wasn’t too much difference in height.

  “This is going to take forever.” Sin whined, already draping herself across Beastial’s shoulders. “I can’t anymore. Carry me, Beast.”

  He laughed at her. “Only if Havoc can give me a box for it first.”

  Sin scowled and fell back to walk with Murmur.

  “Putting him on your no heal list I take it?” Mur asked her friend.

  Sinister nodded. “Never healing him or his stupid cat again.”

  Murmur threw her head back and laughed. After all, healers might say that, but when it really came down to it, their conscience often got the better of them and they healed regardless. Having preventable deaths on one’s record was never a viable choice.

  “What are you laughing at?” Sinister sounded a little offended.

  “Just you, and how you can be adorable when you don’t mean to, and how you’re the best friend in the world.”

  “Oh,” Sin smiled, slipping her arm into Mur’s. “Then do carry on.”

  They walked arm in arm for a chunk of the way, Sin just smiling, and Murmur watching all the little groups as people filtered back and forth. Rashlyn and Dev seemed to be speaking about tanking tactics, from what she could pick up. The ranged casters were arguing over something Murmur didn’t quite get, and Beast and Jinna were talking to Veranol about some sort of weapon buff the shaman received.

  The moons were high in the sky as they walked next to the marsh of Vahriri. In the shadow of the haunted castle, the contested mob had quieted down and gone to sleep, content with having announced his presence to the continent of Tarishna.

  “Hey Mur.” Sin’s voice was soft.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m glad you’re playing this. I’m glad we can spend so much time together.” Sin’s tone had a tearful tinge to it, and Murmur frowned.

  “We always play together, and yes, the summer is letting us spend way more time together, and it seems like double because somehow this world compresses time or something. But why would you be so morose?” Murmur watched her friend out of her peripheral vision carefully for any signs that Sinister might know something that Murmur didn’t. “You’re acting like I died or something.”

  Sin laughed, but there wasn’t much effort behind it. “No, it’s just that lately it’s felt like you’re not there much.”

  Mur digested that information with a frown. They’d still been playing that other game she’d already forgotten about up until the last bout of finals— so she didn’t understand her friend’s concern. Still, there was a pang in Mur�
��s chest at the idea that Sin was down. She squeezed her arm. “Well, I’m sorry for not being around as much. I just had to nail those exams.”

  “It’s okay. At least we’re here now, eh?” Sin hugged Mur back.

  Murmur tried not to listen to the voice in the back of her head asking her where it was they truly were.

  Murmur heard people mention Hazen Swamp before, but she hadn’t connected the idea of a swamp to the fetid smell that emanated from it. Sinister was already fake gagging as they crossed into its territory. With a marsh on one side and a swamp on the other, this was definitely the less desirable part of Tarishna.

  “Why didn’t any of them warn us about the smell?” Mellow choked out the words amidst a very fake coughing fit.

  Devlish slapped them on their back. “You’ll be fine. Suck it up, buttercup. It’s a bit of a stench, nothing we can’t fight through.”

  “Well, that’s good.” Merlin ran back to them from where he’d been scouting ahead with Exbo. “Because we’ve got to fight through a whole portion of the swamp to get into the castle at all.”

  Devlish paled a little and looked down at his armor. “I guess it’s getting a wash when we get back to our castle.”

  “We’ll all be,” chimed in Rashlyn. “Our castle, guys. Can you say that three times out loud and not be impressed?”

  The group laughed, only Veranol held his hand up for them to be quiet. If Murmur peered into the swamp, she could see multiple gator forms slinking through the grass. These wouldn’t attack them on sight as such, but would definitely choose to surprise attack if they felt threatened.

  “Let’s leave the nice gators to their peace and quiet.” Beastial motioned everyone to back away from the edge of the swamp and stay closer to the marsh side of the road.