No. Hell to the no. I stared blankly at the log out screen. I had attempted five more times and each had prompted the action but not made it. My one mental task manager started to fry my more organic based CPU. This could not be happening.
Quickly pulling up the help selection, I waded through the process of clicking this link and that link to pull up my specific issue. After a few minutes of searching, I elected to simply submit a ticket to customer support. It asked the reason why and I put ‘Unable to log out/please help I am stuck in a freaking video game’. Hopefully the honesty and currently supposedly small player base saw to my situation with expediency.
With nothing to do but wait, I decided to go back to Stiles and see if he had anything to do.
“Hey there friend! Back so soon, are ya? You didn’t take the deal to steal did you?”
That made me laugh, just a bit. The situation left me feeling kind of numbly afraid.
“No. I was wondering though if you or anyone had any tasks you would like for me to accomplish.”
“Well, besides finishing out your deal with me, I can’t think of much in the way of issues to be handled. I suppose I always need raw materials, but I think you mean something a little more interesting. Like a Quest, perhaps?”
The emphasis on the word made it clear that quests would be a little more involved than ‘collect ten pieces of firewood’ or ‘lick the frozen pole’. The second might have been funny though. I hoped that is what he was getting at though.
“Yes, I think I do mean like a Quest.”
He shook his head.
“Any task I would need of you is vastly outside of your current strength. Perhaps in ten years when I am bed ridden and you have some more hair down there, I could send you. But I think you’re far from facing a Titan Treant.”
I was more amused than insulted, but he had me intrigued.
“A what now!? Like a giant, humongous tree person?”
“I see someone has some knowledge of Monstrology, even if not the skill for it yet. Yes. I won’t go into detail, but I have a history with one specifically. I will see that monster dead and turned into paper to wipe with.”
The venom and spit made it clear he was having none of it.
“I see… is there none you can think of that might need aid within my power? I might be here for longer than I thought. It would be nice to learn, earn, and grow while stuck.”
His anger dissipated.
“Aye, that’s good on ya for such a thought. If more were like that then there would be far less painful happenings in the world. Young Frond, if you remember your brief aquatinting, is always in need of a set of eyes while hunting. He mentioned something about finding a dungeon, which the foolish boy had better not set foot in alone. Esme, my niece, also could use a strong young Beleste to come around and help her with some work around her tavern. She just started, you see, and has had the oddest string of bad luck. She refuses my offers of aid but that is because she sees it as too easy to get used to. Stubborn girl she is, but she’ll gladly offer reward for service just like her old uncle. I might know a thing or two beyond, but I’ll have to check first.”
That was more than options enough and said so. Giving him my departing words once more and a promise to give his hellos to both youngsters, I started off heading towards the directions that he’d given as I left for the tavern. I arrived within only a few minutes and heard a small din coming from the inside. Entry showed me a nice and relaxed looking setting. The place looked more luxury than I’d expected, seeming to be targeted towards being upper crust but not too upper. The smell of a sweet smoke drifted over. His niece was a drug dealer. Or at least allowed them in the establishment.
“Welcome stranger! You’re a new face, we don’t often get those. Mind, we haven’t been open longer than a year and still grow but still, nice to meet you!”
The exuberant greeting came from a beautiful redheaded woman sitting behind the counter. Smoke wafted from a lit and rolled something in her left hand. I strolled up to her, happy to keep my mind off my current status. Just had to wait till they checked the ticket.
“Greetings. Are you Esme? Your uncle said you were in want of some help?” I avoided saying need, her uncle’s words reminding me that some people really resented needing others.
“Want indeed. I’m not sure I know which uncle you mean though. Nor if it is your help that it is I want. You seem… fresh and I do not know the pleasure of even your name.”
“Old man Stiles? Down in the market. It is that freshness that had him eager to send me this way, hoping we could help one another. I am Sivfur.”
She appraised him openly, looking him up and down in contemplation before nodding and gesturing with her head towards a room off to the left of her and right of me.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Well spoken and correct on my uncle. He’s not often one to mention his familial relations to completely unworthy and incompetent strangers. That says something. Fine, come into my office and we will speak about matters. Maybe work through a few if you can. Alius!” The last was yelled out and a man from the doors behind her popped out with an apron on and nothing but skimp shorts on under.
“Yes, Madame Esme?”
“Watch the front for me. I have business with the adventurer here.”
He nodded and shot me a look I could only interpret as hostile and jealous. Ahhhh lover boy, trust me. I had no interest in anyone anymore. Following Esme into the room and shutting the door, I noted that it cut off all the noise. Sound proof.
“Sit. Would you like a glass of anything while we discuss? The topic is better had with liquor in hand.”
“Sure, I suppose. Not usually a drinker. Or drink with strangers.”
“Can’t be a stranger if family is willing to do an introduction. By the way, how did you con the old geezer into talking? You, I have never heard about, and he has been away for too long to know anyone I don’t.”
“I thought Frond was going to steal from a sleeping old man and tried stepping in. Stiles then showed me how high I have to go before I could even think of helping him.”
That made her laugh and broke the ice she’d been displaying up till then. The look really suited her face. She took a sip of her drink first before handing me mine.
“That boy is really still doing that bit? Ha, he was always a better tracker than thief. He only does it to keep Stiles happy and check on the man. He told me one drunken night that he has saved every coin earned from the guards for it and plans to buy the old man a shop. Like the man doesn’t have a probably mountain of gold and silver hidden away somewhere. Still, that makes you and he both sweet.”
“Well had I known he was faking sleep, I might have not done anything. It was well worth the experience though.”
“Oh he wasn’t. He can wake up and fall asleep fast as thought. And I’ve never seen anyone except his ex wife manage to catch him off guard while he was. That’s how they married, from what he says. Anyways, this discussion is off topic. We have matters to discuss.”
I motioned for her to start.
“I opened Enjoyment, this tavern, little less than a year ago. It started strong and I have managed to keep a level of continued patronage. The problem started four months ago, when several other taverns in the area banded together and started driving off business. I hired several people to deal with things that started doing and returned a level of normality operations. They haven’t stopped their tactics entirely, however.
“How so?”
“At first they simply posted people to poach, harass, or bribe people to not come here. Their latest attempt is different. Two of my employees were murdered. The guards were paid to announce their deaths as accidental. Like both being bagged and suffocated was accidental. This has escalated things. Most of my employees are too scared to work. The only one consistent is Alius. He’s my most trusted and longest ally in all of life. I refuse to let this place or them take him from me.”
I stared at her. This was good. Insanely good. I almost forgot she was a computer from how complex her entire energy and expressions came off.
“What would you like from me? I’m not sure I can handle fighting them all. Especially if the guards would take their side.”
“The guards will take the highest payer and when we strike that will be I. No though. Killing them in retaliation will bring more back unless we hit them beyond repair and that would be difficult as it stands. But if we weaken them first? Then we can kick their knees in and take their heads at will.”
I couldn’t help but shiver at her words. She was ruthless, that much was clear, but she was also prepared for war.
“How would we do that, if I decide to help?”
She grinned at me menacingly. The shiver returned twofold and I gulped.
“How do you feel about giant rats, tunnels, and crashing a party?”
“…. Okay, this I have to hear. How is any of that a plan!?”
“You’ll see. First though, I need your word and to speak of your price. I presume this is not charity out of your heard, much as you seem to keep a good one beating there, but I can only offer so much. And I will be ruined if you betray my plans and they plan a counter offensive. So I ask you, Sivfer, would you be my ally and assist me in bringing harm to murderers and their masters?”
She stuck her hand out to me and reminded me very much of her uncle in both bearing and manner. I took it and grinned what I hoped was a matching ruthless smile to her own.
“I’m in. So what is the plan?”
“Excellent, so here..."
----------------------------------------
It was ten minutes later that my ticket was addressed to. Instead of a reply message, suddenly I was simply one sitting in the tavern Enjoyment, sipping on the same drink and thinking over the plans and the next moment I was in a white, featureless room in front of a man. My own features were now back to matching the ones I knew from reality.
“Mr. Shah I presume? I am Anthony Rodriguez with the development team for Endless Online. First I would like to ask, how are you doing?”
The transition from everything to hardly anything was disorienting, but I kept that to myself.
“Good, better now that I have a response. What is going on? Why can’t I log off?”
“Unfortunately it appears there was an issue with the installation of a specific line of code within the Cradle that is causing compatibility issues with the process of logging out. It was only in a handful of units but we have been rushing to fix the issue and assist the customers as fast as possible. We are so very sorry for the inconvenience and scare. Your health and safety is the most important part of this entire trial run and we have failed to meet standards on day one. We do hope you can forgive as and are offering to either wave the fee for the next year of usage for your Cradle or a settlement. Either are your choice. The problem will be solved within the hour.”
I gapped at him. A whole year free would save me about six grand. A settlement was probably going to be in that range too but would get taxed. The choice was hard, considering the pro and con of both. Raw money would be great but I might end up with a considerable amount less. A year free would just be a year free.
Reading my face, he pressed on.
“Don’t worry about choosing now, papers will be sent to you for signing ans your choice of at time of. Would you like to wait here or return to the game world? You will be notified in game once you can log off.”
“The game please. You folks really did incredible work. A hiccup is a hiccup but this, the world, the system, the feel of actually interacting with everything… absolutely mind blowing. You and your team must or at least should be proud of this advancement in technology and media. But… maybe next time can I receive a message first? The sudden change in everything is very disorienting.”
He looked exceptionally pleased with me then mortified that they hadn’t thought of that. Nodding in agreement, he sent me back into the game proper to continue. Back in my objectively cooler body, I stood and stretched my imaginary virtual muscles. Time to go round up some rats.