2
I sat back in my chair, holding the soulink headset in my sweaty palms. I looked over at that clock. 11:57…. Only 3 more minutes until launch and I could barely sit still. Damnit time speed up!
Max was already jacked in, patiently waiting for the server to come online. I for one hated staring into the black empty screen, so I held out til the last minute. Instead, I sat back, impatiently fiddling with the soulink. The headset was quite a technological feat… It started by partially blocking out the user’s senses, then tapped into their subconscious through a series of rhythmic messages to the brain. It allowed the user to ‘full dive’ into their game or application of choice, though with enough jostling (or in my case, yelling) you could pull the user out of the immersion.
At first, the technology was shunned upon. A few prominent ‘health experts’ claimed that such a link could pose a risk to the user’s brain. Others complained that jacking into the soulink was just another way to escape a world that was already full of its own problems… Then they tried the soulink and realized how much better it felt to be spell-slinging wizard rather than living the dreary life they were given. Jack in and you could be anything you wanted to be, you could live the life you deserved to live. The device was truly revolutionary…
12:00am! I threw the headset over my head. It blocked out most of my senses, but I had no trouble finding the power switch. After all, I’d been doing it everyday for the past six years.
Everything was dark and silent for the briefest of seconds. Then, a bright white light illuminated my vision. The words “Aether Gate Online” materialized in front me. I waved the menu away, eager to dive into some gameplay. Almost immediately, stone walls began to rise on either side of me. The once empty space beneath my feet was quickly populated with floorboards of solid oak. I gazed around as the room came to completion… a dark chamber with no exit and a pair of sculpted stone dragons on either wall. Cozy!
I inspected the chamber, though it had little information to offer.
“Your name.” a melodic voice echoed through my ears. I searched for the source of the voice, but the room was still quite empty.
“Your name, traveler…” the voice echoed again. I pondered for just a moment. This must be the character generator module… damn. I hadn’t even come up with a good name yet! I thought on it for a few seconds more. I wanted to start with something fresh, a new name that I could build a legacy on.
“Zander” I said aloud. “Zander Darkblade.”
Suddenly, the space in front of me began to blur, as if the area was in some sort of flux. Small pixels that looked like tiny sparks began to light up in front of me. Eventually, the tiny specks of light fused as they took bodily form. Eventually the light faded, leaving the form of an elvish maiden just feet in front of me. My eyes went wide as she approached, her long violet gown flowing despite a lack of wind in the small chamber. I gave her a quick look over. Her features were nearly perfect, from her smooth pale skin to her golden hair. The realism was uncanny…. she was quite beautiful, even if she was just an NPC!
“Welcome Zander Darkblade, to Aether Gate Online.” She said in her melodic tone. “Please select your class.” She stepped aside as 3 separate projections appeared side by side. I held my hand up to the first projection, which pictured a heavily armored warrior cleaving his adversary in two. The picture faded as a circular menu appeared in its place.
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The words Combat Domain illuminated above the menu. I scrolled through the myriad of classes…there was so many! Warrior, rogue, ranger… I dropped my hand and let the menu fade. The next projection pictured a spellcaster firing bolts of fire from his hands. I pulled up the menu.
Magical Domain. The first few classes displayed were typical spellcasters… mage, warlock, illusionist. I was never much of a caster, so I released the menu and moved on to the third and final projection. It displayed a savage-looking fellow wielding an axe imbued with blue fire.
This was the Primal Domain. The first pair of classes displayed was shaman and druid. I dropped my hands to my sides and thought on it for a moment. The elvish woman continued to stare, awaiting my decision. The fact that she looked so real made It all the more creepy. After some deliberation, I pulled up the physical classes once more and gave the circular menu a spin. I’d went straight to warrior in my last few MMO’s, but this time I wanted something different. I thought back on my life for the briefest of seconds. I was sick and tired of getting pushed around. I wanted to be powerful. I wanted to play something that invoked fear by name alone, but could back up its namesake with brutal efficiency.
I paused as something caught my eye. I read over the class description. A combatant skilled at dispatching single target foes. This class specializing in removing strong and elite threats. “This.” I said aloud.
“You have selected the Slayer class.” The woman said. “Your character model will be generated upon entering the game. Please remain still why I format you for your role.”
“Wait, what did you say?” Before I could react, the elf pressed her hand against my forehead. I lurched back as a rush of data… no, of knowledge, flooded my mind at an exponential rate! Basic battle maneuvers, various fighting stances, deadly skills, it all filled my brain so quickly that my eyes rolled back in to my head!
Moments passed as my brain struggled to process the information. I took a knee, breathing deeply as the rush finally subsided. Slowly, I began to rise when another wave of knowledge crashed into my mind… the history of great and powerful slayers, battles won and lost. It all came so fast that I could barely keep track. Then, abruptly, it all stopped.
I fell forward, my head spinning from the experience. I tried to recall some of the information I had taken in but I just couldn’t seem to access it, as if there was some sort of blocker. “What did you do to me?” I gasped, holding my head.
The elf hovered near me, the soft silk of her violet dress brushing against my face. “I have given you all that you will need for your journey. In time, as you grow stronger, you will find access to more of the knowledge you have been granted.
“But,” I began to speak, but she floated away from me, ignoring my call. Suddenly, she turned about.
“Prepare yourself, traveler, for the culling.”
“The…culling?” I had no idea what she was talking about.
“All those who enter the Aether Gate must prove themselves in the culling. Survive, and you will be rewarded. Fall, and you will perish. Good luck traveler.”
Before I could ask any more questions, the elvish woman faded into tiny particles of light once more. I jumped as the stone dragon statues on either side of me began to move. They inched closer to each other, there stone claws extending downwards as their snouts met at a point. The room lit up as a fiery portal emerged between the effigies. I stepped towards the portal… the Aether gate. I could feel the heat from the gateway on my palm. The immersion was truly amazing!
I took a deep breath, then stepped through the portal. It was time to shine!