With Abriel losing his pretest battle against Unica, he replays the uppercut he just took in his head. Wondering what he could’ve done better, he wonders what’s going to happen next. Unica walks over to Abriel and sticks her hand out, “Don’t feel so bad user Abriel. This was only a pretest.” Abriel looks at Unica and reaches for her hand.
“I was completely caught off guard with your SP Technique. I wasn’t expecting a SP Technique to be performed. Usually, an SP Technique isn’t learned during the pretest. Other users that I already tested didn’t have an SP Technique created during their pretest. In other words, you might be one of the talented few I’ve tested so far.” Unica explained.
So that was an SP Technique.
“So that was called an SP Technique?” Abriel wondered.
“Yes. You might haven’t noticed, but your SP decreased by 5 when you used it. As you keep fighting and growing as a user, you will eventually learn new techniques. To learn new techniques, the app analyzes three subjects: Technique, Growth, and Spirit. As all three grow and improve, you know when your ready to learn and register a new technique. You can register up to 10 techniques in your queue. Once all 10 techniques in your queue are learned, you can only replace your already learned techniques, so be careful what you replace and imagine.” Unica explains.
As Abriel is listening, he plays back the technique he used named: “Beam Slash”. “So I have a question. What if I imagine some technique that requires more SP than the SP I currently have?”
“The app analyzes your brain patterns and the technique your attempting to come up with. Then the app converts that technique to SP. If it cost too much SP, then it will not register and nothing will happen. However, your SP will increase as you grow each of these areas.” Unica answered.
“I see.” as Abriel takes in her response, “Can you explain more about the three Subjects?”
“Yes! I was actually going to go over that. First, I shall go over Technique.”
Technique can be a multiple of things. It can range how you stand with your weapon, how you use your weapon, or even how you defend with your weapon. Using your SP Techniques can also be considered since it depends how you use them. So in your case, you have to improve how you swing your sword and improve your form in the art of sword fighting. As you improve that area, the app will analyze your Technique and you’ll be a better with a sword. “
“Then we have Growth. Growth is not only improving how you use your class but also it depends on your physical and emotional state of mind. You will eventually learn how to read different situations and adjust how you will strategize. Doing this will exercise your brain and help to handle stressful situations you’ll come across. Not only exercising your brain will help but exercising your physical health. Staying in shape and top form will help you grow but also benefit the Technique area. During your pretest, I can tell you haven’t done any extreme exercising for quite some time. I would recommend you start doing some cardio and weight lifting exercises so you can prevent being winded early in a fight.”
“Last is Spirt. Spirit is a more complicated subject to explain for me. But the information my publisher programmed within me is still somewhat… beyond my comprehension. To some degree, Spirit is what some of you humans say from a religious stand point...the human soul I believe.”
Did she just say what I think she just said…the human soul?!
“The Spirit is the main core of your wellbeing, which is who you are that makes up your individuality. The BattleCube app is able to analyze the very core of your essence from the values you hold dear to what type of individual who you truly are. But to grow this subject…I have no clue.” As Unica shrugged, “This was all according to my publisher. I tell you, the human soul is so complicated that computer algorithms have a difficult time understanding what it truly is.”
As Abriel was trying to process everything what Unica explained, “Alright, I think I get the gist of this. But what I’m confused about is how this app can analyze all that information about a person. An app to do this is not only unheard of but it’s nothing I ever heard about on any forum board.” as Abriel started to wonder, “So can you answer me this… Who created this app?”
“I’m sorry but according to my program, I’m not allowed to answer that question.”
“And why not?”
“Because the time isn’t ripe to reveal that. For now, you just have to play BattleCube to find out that answer in due time.”
“Okay. So how does this game work then?”
“I’m glad you asked! I’ll explain the rules and how all of this is going to work. First, this is known as BattleCube where you will encounter real life players or generated monsters the app will generate. “
“You can use your class to fight but also anything you see fit in the environment to bring down your opponent(s) HP to zero. Since this is a beta, your job is to report anything suspicious or bugs in the app. To report, just go down to the “Notes” section and type what you think we should investigate. I already have full access to all the user’s notes so all you have to do is type anything that must be fixed or investigated. Since this app is still in beta, we ask you to keep this app as secret as possible to only you and the rest of the 300 users. If sensitive information gets out about this app, I will require to take action upon you according to the contract you signed.” Unica explained.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you but… did you just say you have the right to take action?”
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“Yes. According to the contract you signed, you must keep all information about this app to yourself. If not, then I will have no choice but to enforce severe repercussions. Of course, you will have full right to state your case and reasons behind an information leak for me to determine the best course of action to take. If the explanation doesn’t balance your reason, then according to my publisher, I have full right to do what I must do to prevent ANY information leak about the BattleCube app.”
Is this app that secretive? I’m starting to wonder what I really got myself into. I wonder who in their right mind would create such a thing. And she did mention “severe repercussions” as in what? Maybe I should’ve thoroughly read the contract before I agreed to anything. I guess I’ll ask more about this later. If I have to guess, this app must’ve been created by someone who works for the government who wants to test what impact this technology would on a small number of people.
“Moving on now. When you open your app, you will notice that your menu will have new tabs now. The tabs are as follows: Items, Equipment, SP Techniques, M&Locations, Party, Messages and Notes. However during battle, you can only access the Items’ tab. If you open your Item tab, you will see an inventory of items you can use during a battle that can restore your HP, SP and abnormal statues. During a battle, if you browse into that tab, all you have to do is select the item and select the name you want to use the item for. Unfortunately, you can only hold up to 10 items so be careful.”
“In your Equipment tab, you can always change your equipment if you earn or buy a new sword or armor. It’s very important to keep up with your equipment as time goes on. This tab can only be accessed when you’re not in battle. Then we have the Map and Locations tab (M&Locations), the map will show locations of other users and Monster Zones. You will learn to use this as time goes on.”
“We then have the Party and the Messages tab. The Party tab is if you decide to party up with another user and Messages tab if you need to message another user. You can play solo if you want but I would recommend you get to know some of the others since they’ll be like your co-workers during the beta test. At the moment, you can only have three users in a party. So including yourself, you can add two more users. Once in a party, you can share items or heal each other or even if you want, fight one user in a battle. However, you can’t heal another user if they’re not in your party.”
***
“Now I’ll explain the ground rules:
1. You can only talk or acknowledge about the BattleCube app with other users. Talking to non-users about the BattleCube app that have no knowledge of the app is strictly prohibited.
2. You are permitted to fight other users if both users and/or other users acknowledge each other with the phrase, “BattleCube Start” simultaneously.
3. In extreme conditions if your life is being threatened or in danger by a non-user, you are permitted to use the app to protect yourself to protect the privacy of the BattleCube app. Advise CAUTION as battling a non-user will have repercussions if the user loses.
4. If you are defeated by a non-user, your rights as a user will be forfeited and the app will uninstall itself and destroy the phone the app was installed on to protect privacy of the app. At the same time, your memories of the app will be erased.
5. If a non-user is defeated in battle, the app will erase all memories and recollection of the battle from the non-user.
6. After a battle is over, you are prohibited from physically harming the other user and/or non-user as the loser will mentally be fatigued from the battle. Physically harming the other user and/or non-user after a battle will suffer repercussions.
7. You are prohibited starting a battle within 3 feet of the user’s home/residence as these act as Safe Zones. If you are within 3 feet of a Safe Zone, a battle cannot be started.
8. You are prohibited from abusing the BattleCube app for illegal activities for self-gain and/or that will harm users and/or non-users.
***
“These are the ground rules my publisher told me to withhold. But I’m given full authority to edit the ground rules or add more rules if necessary. Well… that wraps up the tutorial. Any other questions before the Battlefield Zone collapses?”
Thinking to himself for a moment, a question comes to mind.
“So before I opened up the app, I was on my way to school on the bus. I’m not going to be late am I!?”
“Oh yeah. Your currently still on your bus. But how do I explain this that will make sense without using vocabulary that will confuse you. When you activated the BattleCube app, you observed a cube come out of your phone screen and quickly increased in size. The cube that came out your phone screen is a type of void space created by the app that takes your consciousness and being to a different dimension entirely.”
“As the dimension is created, the cube freezes the current flow of time temporary which I’m calling your flow of time Reality Rate. This explains why everything within range of the cube is frozen in place which to create the Battlefield Zone. As inside the cube, a new temporary flow of time is created which I’m calling Cube Rate, a rate parallel to Reality Rate but at a faster rate. In simpler terms, your brain will perceive Cube Rate as the norm but in actuality, you’re really going at a faster rate than Reality Rate.
“At the same time you’re in this dimension, perception of reality is also changed outside the cube. The app uses your phone to send out signals to the brains of non-users to trick their perception of reality. By doing this, the app is able eradicate your existence while in a battle. As an example, everyone around you on the bus cannot recollect you being on the bus or even feel your presence on the bus as if… you’ve become a GHOST!”
WHAT??!!!
“However, these signals are not full proof just to be warned.”
“Once a battle is over, the cube will stop its Cube Rate and put you back onto your current flow of time. You will then pop back into Reality Rate in your original position where you activated the app and the world will perceive you again as if you were always there. You will feel some type of after affects as your brain adjusts back to Reality Rate, but it’s just temporary.”
“If a situation occurs where you defended yourself against a non-user, the non-user will greatly be affected by the loss. The app will register the being as a non-user and send a signal to their brain to make them so fatigued that they will have no choice but to rest. Just think of their loss as shooting them with a powerful tranquilizer gun.”
“Alright user. The Cube Rate will now collapse and you’ll be put back onto Reality Rate. The beta for the BattleCube app will officially begin once I explain the tutorial to all users. I will send a message out with further information. Till then, make sure your ready and start strategizing now.” As Unica waves goodbye to Abriel.
Without a notice when Abriel was about say goodbye to Unica, the environment around Abriel collapsed and with a blink of an eye, Abriel suddenly popped back into his seat. Trying to realize his situation, noticed his stop was approaching…
“Well I better get to class.”