Irrelevant Jack 3

by Prax Venter

  “The guards will become more effective. They gain a Health and Damage bonus for every Town Level and a Fort would increase that bonus. It would also house a bigger Sparring Yard where teams could train together in preparation for larger-sized armies. Good place to train climbing parties, too.”

  Sol spoke from his usual place, leaning against the bricks near the back of the Town Hall.

  “Blackmoor’s wall did just receive a massive upgrade with those frighteningly powerful lightning towers.”

  “Aye,” Harrak said, his face growing red. “But as I said, we could always use more defense.”

  Demi held out her palm toward Harrak, one eyebrow raised. “Given the potential difficulty Andor may cause us, I still say we should focus on Blackmoor becoming a place people want to visit. I propose a cliffside vineyard. Our brand of liquid warmth would raise morale while also creating another unique trade commodity that would not only fetch some value for the Town, but also get our name out in the world again as a refined destination worth visiting.”

  The room was quiet as everyone thought about the innkeeper’s proposal.

  Jack spoke first. “Well, that certainly is creative. What would you call it? The wine that is.”

  Demi smiled. “I suppose whoever we get to fill the job would need to invent the recipe first. Then I assume we’d taste it.”

  Sol spoke up again. “A vineyard is a complicated structure and would take weeks or more to become fully operational. And not anyone can run a vineyard. Assigning the right person for the job might be yet another challenge.”

  Demi frowned. “I see you are skilled at poking holes, Farmhand. Let’s hear your luminous idea, then.”

  Sol shrugged. “I’m not sure I possess the mental flexibility required for creativity. I still think a basic General Store will have the most impact on our Town, so I plan on using my vote on someone else’s suggestion- if one seems worthy.”

  The innkeeper rolled her eyes. “Never change, Sol.”

  Jack shook his head. “Okay, that’s one Fort and one Vineyard.” He turned to the petite Bastion and the young Dark Prism. “Ladies?”

  “A Scribe,” Haylee blurted out, her normally calm demeanor slipping. “What this world needs are books and a custom, written record of the way things truly are- and a way to copy them. I’ve been visiting Thymus early in the morning attempting to absorb some of the stored knowledge that spawned in the Athenaeum, but if we are truly going to impact this world, we need to begin re-educating ourselves with our own real rules. Imagine a book for Climbers, detailing experiences for others to learn, or perhaps a book filled with cooking instructions, Demi. We could pass our personal knowledge and ideas to others and over vast distances.” She pointed to the crude map of Emberstone Jack had drawn on the back wall. “There are no books that Thymus has read that contain any information about the Demons or how the Corruption operates.”

  Jack was impressed, but there was something bothering him about the idea.

  “Haylee,” he asked quietly. “Do you know how to write?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  Lex put her hand on his arm. “We all know how to read and write, Jack. It’s one of those things everybody knows.”

  “Then what’s stopping you from writing a book about your experiences as a climber tonight? Is it paper or ink or something? What would a Scribe get you that you don’t already have?”

  Haylee pulled in a breath and then held it, her lips pressing tight. When she looked back up into his eyes, he saw her fighting back tears.

  “I know you don’t believe that your… fluid, free type of thinking is miraculous, but even with focusing on this so fiercely… My mind still remains blinded by the old ways.”

  Jack walked over to the young Hero and grabbed her shoulders.

  “Don’t misunderstand me, Haylee. Your idea is exactly what needs to be done, and I don’t know how long it would have taken me to think of it. I want you to get started on organizing a Library, now. Let me know what you need. As all-powerful Mayor of Blackmoor Cove, I will do my best to make it happen.”

  These were his own words and actions, but Jack could feel Alt desperately wishing to be in the room at this moment.

  “A General Store should be able to provide paper and ink,” Sol said. “If the proprietor deems there is enough demand.”

  Haylee swallowed her embarrassment. “I withdraw my suggestion, but I am resolved to make this library of truth and spread it across System Sana as we force back the Corruption.”

  “I have no doubt in my mind that you will,” Jack said, stepping away.

  Then, all eyes turned to Lex.

  She took a deep breath before she began. “I listened to what all of you said yesterday, Father, Sol, Demi. You are the most experienced with what a Town will need as it grows. I tried to think of something that would satisfy all three of our Town Leaders. To imagine something that I would never think of… In the end, I gave up on that impossible task and came to think on a place I’d seen in the Tower- from Jack and Alt’s worlds. A place that exists nowhere in System Sana.”

  She paused, her large golden eyes on his, and Jack’s mind searched through the hundreds of Floors they’d seen.

  Then Lex materialized Molly the Moppet in her hand, accessing it from her inventory.

  “It’s called an Arcade, and it very well might be the most wonderful place I’ve ever seen.”

  Jack blinked. “An… Arcade?” he repeated.

  “Well, what is an Arcade,” Harrak asked, crossing his huge arms over his chest. “Some magical nonsense?”

  “The doll suggests toy shop,” Demi said, her silver eyebrow arching.

  Lex began to speak quickly. “It’s a place where people play games and win prizes, and I’ve come up with some ideas for how to make it exactly what we need. Sol, this building will be a place Townsfolk and Heroes will want to spend their coin. Demi, once people hear of this absolutely unique structure, they will come, and they will want to stay. Father, this building could house a sparring arena for something called prize fights.” She stopped and hugged the stuffed Artifact to her chest. “Oh- I have so many ideas to make this the perfect place to choose, but it’s going to take some explaining and an open mind.”

  Jack was beginning to see where she was going with this, and his first reaction was to query Alt.

  “It’s possible,” the AI responded directly in his mind. “Creating a custom structure like she wants is still tricky, but when I borrowed some of your mental resources during dinner, I worked out a few things about how the system quantifies buildings. An Arcade would generate no resources like the Wharf or the Farm, nor would it process them like the Inn or Mill. And despite having another instance of a Sparring Yard, it is also rated extremely low on the military bonus scale. There are no direct, system-level benefits to the addition, so it should be perfectly safe- especially if I copy existing elements already found within the Tower’s randomization database.”

  As always, the mental connection that linked Jack to the AI who existed outside the simulation allowed the information to be conveyed much faster.

  Sol cleared his throat behind him. “I’m prying my mind open, but I’m not hearing any explaining.”

  Lex turned to face the owlish man. “Prizes,” she said. “People will pay money for the chance to win prizes. For Townsfolk it could be coins but for Heroes, we could offer rare equipment from the Tower- maybe even a whole chest of them to choose from so they can get what they need for their Class and Build. We could stage contests- um, Alt called it Prize Fighting. Around the arena will be games that operate on coins that defy explanation as none of you have ever seen anything like them. And as word spreads of our Arcade, people will come from all corners of System Sana to see it. Heroes to possibly earn some risk-free upgrades and Townsfolk to possibly strike it rich.”

  Jack’s mind started to race as he thought of the impact of what she was suggesting.

  “Maybe more like a casino...”
Jack mumbled.

  Alt responded. “I did steer her a little when she asked me about it in the Tower today. The idea is… intriguing.”

  “Games that defy explanation?” Harrah said, his thick brow coming down. “How can anyone have time for games at times like these?”

  “Father,” Lex said softly, “fighting the Corruption will mean nothing if we forget to live our lives. And Blackmoor needs Heroes more than anything because we’ll need to spend time taking back our world outside the Tower. Right now, it all comes down to the best way to draw interest to our Town.”

  “This Arcade,” Sol began. “It will need to have coin before it can give it away. I would assume a large portion of the profits would also need to be reinvested. I must admit that I agree with our Combat Master, in so far as people spending time in such an establishment. Although, I could see the appeal of Hero duels as entertainment.”

  “Promoted duels,” Jack said, his excitement growing as did the possibilities. “If we take Haylee’s spreading knowledge idea and advertise the events with enticing fliers, we could-”

  Lex put up her hand. “Jack, what are fliers?”

  “It’s um, a one-page book dedicated to persuading people into doing something. Or spend their money somewhere.”

  Sol took a step forward. “Yes, Haylee told me about advertising earlier, and I cannot believe I didn’t think of something similar sooner.” He locked his large eyes on Jack. “Will this ever stop with you? I can almost physically feel my mind expanding, and it’s starting to make me uncomfortable.”

  “Someone needs to fill me in on Advertising,” Demi said. “I swear, I feel like I’m always two steps behind.”

  Harrak snorted and took a seat at the table. “If you are two behind, I’m fifty.”

  Lex turned her liquid gold eyes on Jack, pleading to help explain what she was envisioning.

  “Okay,” Jack said as he moved over to grab the pot shard he’d used to draw the Emberstone layout. “This is an important decision, and I want everyone walking as one. No getting left behind.”

  He approached another wall and began by boxing out a large rectangle.

  “The best way for you to understand advertising is to just see it. Believe me, you’ll know it once you see it.” He finished and turned around to face his students. “The more I think about this idea, the more I think it could accomplish multiple goals.”

  Internally Jack sent a query to Alt about the maximum size of the building and of the Arena.

  “Max dimensions are 40 yards by 40 yards, which in my opinion is overkill for these purposes. Size works in our favor, however. If a building’s value is low, using it to take up more Town real estate actually reduces its impact on my restrictions.”

  Jack sent back the concept of respecting Alt’s opinion, but said out loud, “I just found out that the Arena can be bigger than the Eye ‘o the Storm. This place could be epic. If we spread gaming tables around the edges, people that come to watch the battles could be encouraged to spend coin while they’re there. Lex, I think you are on to something. I of course would initially load all the entertainment devices designed to dispense coins from my own useless pile.”

  “Mine too,” Lex said quickly.

  “I’d like to help as well,” Haylee said.

  “Hold still a moment,” Harrak said, raising both of his huge palms. “We haven’t voted yet. Although, if I can get access to that large of a training ground, I’d settle for a compromise I could live with. Can’t say I understand much else of what’s been said.”

  Sol crossed his Arms. “And before everyone goes throwing around large sums of coin, remember that the General Store will be open tomorrow- that is if this Alt… person is right about its guaranteed appearance.”

  Jack pointed at the tall man in the black silky robe. “Now that is the spirit of advertising! That pressure to get you to spend your hard-earned coin in one place over all others. Hey, Lex. What should we name this place? It needs to be memorable.”

  “A name?” she repeated, biting her lip.

  “Like Fun Zone, or Wacky World. Maybe Lex’s Land? Wait, do you people name your children, or do they just pop into existence with their character panel pre-filled out?”

  Harrak rubbed his hands down his face. “No one picks their child’s name, Jack.”

  “I’d like to pick the name of mine,” Haylee said quietly, and everyone turned to look at her. The digital entities filling the room all took a hard look at the rules of their universe once again before Lex broke the silence.

  “I want to call it Our World Arcade.”

  Jack turned back to the wall with a smile growing on his face. At the top of the empty flier layout, he drew the name in large balloon letters, then scattered in a few quick stars around for decoration.

  “It’s perfect,” Jack said. “Let’s get into some details.”

  The group discussed how the Prize Fighting would work first. It was Lex’s idea that any entrants should donate a valuable item as an entry fee. If they won, they’d be able to pick another item with some value above the one they’d donated. Those specific details weren’t important now, but the fact that the Arcade would gain one additional item for every fight would keep the place self-sustaining. Jack insisted on donating a few choice items to sweeten the deal.

  He and Lex then took turns trying to explain the allure of a pinball machine while he added more to the advertisement intended to promote their nonexistent building. As they talked, Jack thought of more types of games they could add and introduced everyone to the simple concept of a “coin-dozer” machine.

  Sol picked it up right away.

  “It’s genius,” he said, rubbing his chin. “The mechanism that balances the ratio to ensure more coins remain trapped inside is beyond my skill; however, I can see the merits for such a gambling device.”

  “Remember, it has to be fun,” Jack said, wagging his finger at the owlish man. “People have to win or else no one will want to play.”

  Demi smirked. “Then you shouldn’t let Sol anywhere near the place.”

  “Sarcasm aside,” Haylee said coolly, “I do not believe my father is the same man he was.”

  The silver-haired innkeeper held the young Hero with her piercing gaze for a moment before nodding.

  “I believe you are correct, little one, and should not be so harsh to our previous Wharfmaster. With the winds of change so turbulent recently, perhaps I still cling too tightly what I’ve known.”

  It was a masterful way to remind everyone that he’d hurt the Town in the past with his profiteering, but there was enough to imply that Haylee was right about giving him a chance.

  Harrak pushed back his chair and stood up. “I can’t say I fully understand the importance of the pinball entertainment contraption, but I do like the concept of Heroes battling over useful drops from the Tower. As long as I get to use it for larger military drills, you have my vote, daughter.” He lifted his brows as he pointed at the advertisement Jack had crudely drawn. “And that strange combination of portable art and begging… If I were a Hero from another Town, and I saw this insanity posted somewhere, I might have to go see it for myself.”

  Sol then read the text on the flier mock-up out loud.

  “Win piles of coins or rare gear upgrades. Blades, bows and staves. Cloth, leather, and metal. Townsfolk or Hero, we have what you’ve been looking for. Come visit Our World Arcade located in scenic Blackmoor Cove, today.” He turned his eyes to Jack. “The Combat Master is correct. This is art.”

  “Art?” Demi responded, standing gracefully. “Maybe, but it is unlike anything I have ever seen and that in itself holds value. This Arcade could draw people to Blackmoor Cove, and your advertisement concept is indeed revolutionary. If these unique game devices are as entertaining as you claim, I trust that they might stick around- or if not, sing of their experiences when they return home.”

  Jack looked all the Town Leaders in the eye before ending on Sol. The tall man appeared to
be lost in thought then met Jack’s gaze and nodded slowly.

  “Excellent,” Alt said. “I can’t do the coin dozer machine as I don’t have anything that matches in my available database. Someone will have to make one from scratch, but I’ll leave some space for growth. Also, the claw machines are going to start empty, too. This building cannot generate anything on its own. However, I have some wiggle room with everything else. The building will be permanently powered by the magic of System Sana’s Aether Field. Deposit the items whenever you are ready.”

  “Thanks, Alt.” Jack said looking up to the ceiling. Harrak turned his eyes up carefully, as if he were afraid he’d see someone watching him from above. Jack continued.

  “We’re all set. When I feed the Town, everything will happen at once. Anyone have anything else to say before Blackmoor hits Town Level 5?”

  Demi rested her arms on the back of the larger chair. “I want to say ‘slow down’, that everything is happening too fast. But, we are on the move and you, Jack, have already brought us too far. So, I suppose I’ll say, thank you for bringing the winds of change to our stormy cove.” She turned her ice-blue eyes upward and then added, “And you too, Alt. If you’re up there. Thank you for your wonders.”

  Jack felt a brief flash of anxiety from the AI tethered to his mind, and the emotion found a sympathetic echo in his own thoughts. Lex was giddy with excitement over the Arcade becoming a reality. Was he really going to tell her the sad truth of her world tonight? After all this?

  Alt whispered in his mind. “I created these people and tossed them in front of a monster to protect others, but the only other choice I had was to let it consume me and then everything else.”

  “He can hear you,” Jack said after a long pause. “And we truly do have too much momentum to slow down now.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” the pointed-eared Bastion said, heading for the door.

  Their meeting apparently over, Demi went to alert anyone at the Inn while everyone else moved with Jack toward the Fountain. The Tower was less impressive in the pitch black of night. The sky was still clear and relatively warm with billions of stars all fighting to outshine each other in long milky swaths, yet the infinite silver structure reflected it all, appearing to vanish completely.