When Doug woke up the following morning, he checked his security system again. His paranoia had subsided somewhat thanks to his preparations yesterday, but he still felt uneasy. There was nothing wrong with feeling anxious, especially given the circumstances; however, he knew that worrying wouldn't solve anything.

Instead of dwelling on his worries, he decided to check his fuel reserves. Since he was able to generate electricity with his wind turbine and solar panels, he had plenty of battery storage capacity left. Unfortunately, the amount of stored power fluctuated based on the weather, meaning he couldn't predict exactly how much energy he would end up with throughout the day.

If it rains hard later today, I'll have less power available than usual. This means my lights will run slower and things won't work quite right. Not ideal.

Fortunately, he had stocked up on extra flashlights and batteries. Hopefully that would be sufficient if he ran out of power, although he worried that it might not be.

He sighed.

At least I'm safe inside here.

After taking care of his daily routine, he sat down at his desk and reviewed the latest batch of emails from Kyle.

─ You have received 1 new message

"Several members of the Cyber Police have been targeted. It seems a rumor has spread that we are responsible somehow for the Rapture. One member is dead already because of this. Do NOT let anyone near your bunker unless absolutely necessary!" Kyle wrote urgently.

Doug cringed.

As if I don’t already have a target painted on my back as it is.

His heart raced faster as he considered the implications. If word got out that he was holed up somewhere within the city limits, then it stood to reason that someone would come looking for him. Someone powerful enough to hire assassins, perhaps. Or worse, someone who had a grudge against him personally.

Just thinking about it sent chills down his spine. No doubt, whoever hired these killers would want to make sure they killed him quickly and efficiently, making it impossible for him to escape. And if they were successful, then he would never get a chance to warn others.

No!

Doug shook his head, clearing away his disturbing train of thought. He had to remain calm. Whatever happened, he had to stay focused on the present, not worry about what might happen in the future. For now, all that mattered was surviving today. Then he would think about tomorrow.

Once he finished preparing breakfast, Doug decided to go against his better judgement and log back into Conquest.

A wave of Déjà vu washed over him as he logged into his account. He spawned back on the hill overlooking the terrain where he had been the night before. Only this time there were no other players milling about.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He looked around nervously, unsure of what to expect. Maybe that player who had threatened him was lurking about, waiting for him to respawn again. As soon as he appeared, he could pounce upon him with knives drawn.

Maybe I should set a new spawn point.

While contemplating his options, he heard footsteps approaching from behind. A moment later, a familiar voice spoke up:

"Hi Doug!" came a cheery greeting. "Long time no see! How've you been?"

It was Jenn, the redhead woman he had met the other day. She walked towards him, smiling brightly.

"I'm good," Doug said cautiously, eyeing her warily.

Jenn laughed merrily. "You know, sometimes I forget how weirdly paranoid some of you gamers are…" she mused aloud.

The pair talked for several minutes, discussing the events of recent days. Although he left out the part where he had absconded with a bunch of food and the threat he had gotten. When they were done talking, Jenn asked him if he wanted to join her guild.

Normally he would have declined, insisting that he always played alone - but considering the threat he had received in-game, being part of a group of other players might not be such a bad thing.

"Sure, why not?" Doug replied. "What’s your guild’s name?"

"We call ourselves 'Harmony'", Jenn answered, pointing toward a nearby mountain peak. "Let’s go meet them for introductions together."

They both walked off towards the mountainside, chatting along the way. They arrived at Harmony's base camp, which consisted of three large tents surrounding a central fire pit. Several dozen other players occupied the area, including many familiar faces. Some he recognized from previous raids, while others were strangers whom he hadn't seen before.

Some of them greeted him warmly, asking how he was doing since their last meeting, but most simply ignored him or acted standoffish. Others didn't react at all. Either way, Doug was relieved to see that he wasn't completely shunned.

One particular person caught his attention immediately. It was a tall young woman dressed in leather armor, wielding a sword and shield. Her hair was tied back in braids, revealing sharp features and piercing eyes beneath a stern expression. Despite her intimidating appearance, Doug smiled politely when she approached him.

"Greetings," he said cheerfully. "My name is Doug."

She nodded curtly, acknowledging his presence.

"So, what brings you to our humble little outpost?" she asked coldly.

Her tone startled him slightly, causing him to pause briefly before replying.

"Oh, uh… well…" he stammered. "I was invited to join your guild."

"Really?" she responded, sounding surprised. "Why do you want to join us?"

Doug paused momentarily, trying to formulate his answer.

"…well," he started hesitantly. "To be honest, I’m in a dark place and I really need a sense of belonging and to know I can trust someone."

The woman studied him for a moment before nodding her head slightly. "I understand. We are a tight-knit group, and trust is important to us. But before we can fully accept you, there are a few things you need to prove."

Doug felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, but he tried not to let it show. "Like what?" he asked.

"First, we need to see your skills in action. We have a raid planned for later today, and we need every member to pull their weight. If you can prove yourself in battle, then we will consider accepting you as a full member."

Doug nodded, feeling a sense of relief that he at least had a chance. "I'll do my best," he promised.

The woman gave him a small smile. "Good. Follow me."

She led him to a large tent where several other members were gathered, discussing strategy. They welcomed him warmly, and Doug felt a sense of camaraderie that he hadn't felt in a long time. He listened intently as they discussed the raid, trying to absorb as much information as he could.

As the time for the raid approached, Doug felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. He had never been part of a group this large before, and he didn't want to let anyone down. But he was determined to prove himself, to show that he was capable of being a valuable member of the guild.

----------------------------------------

© Copyright 2023 R.M. Mulder. All rights reserved.