[Player Log Start!]
[Log Holder: Lucky Paine]
[Level: 2 (Sub-Level)]
For all the buildup that it took to get to this moment, Lucky did not think it was worth it.
All the had done so far was tour through this uneven basin, looking at cottages and small businesses and subsistence-based farms of this utopian society. Everything here was perfect and there was lots of free time and no one ever fought or even disagreed, and she was sick of it. They already knew all of this, simply by standing and soaking in the atmosphere for a few moments. Hearing it all over again was just an invitation for a headache.
“And here, you can see the library.” Danny spread an expansive arm towards a lopsided building with wide circular windows and a roof that was patterned with charming red shingles shaped almost like a hat. Through the smudged glass, they could make out shelves of books.
Lucky lit up, and made to steer her chair in that direction, only to find it being blocked by a stern looking Linda, with her hands on her hips.
“Where are you going?” She demanded, “The tour’s not over yet.”
“It might as well be.” Lucky shrugged, “I am here for answers. And as far as I’m concerned, you are not very forthcoming in that sense. Libraries, however, are hubs of knowledge that will not try to dodge the question. So, I am going to try my luck there.”
Was it a bit gauche to use your own name as a pun? Maybe. But it wouldn’t be the first time Lucky had done it, and it certainly wasn’t going to be the last. Linda didn’t move, glaring at Lucky until even they felt a little perturbed. What was the world coming to if they were being cowed by a child?
“Maybe Lucky’s right…” Tench hummed next to them, “You’ve been telling us that you’d explain to us how this Game works, or even how it exists at all, and yet all you’ve done is talk about Delica and what a wonderful place of residence it is.”
“You misunderstand.” Danny told them, “I said that I would show you our Game. And this is it. This village. These cottages. The people and the crops and the music. All layered together to provide the most soothing experience to man. Is it not working?”
There was an intensity in her eyes as she looked at Lucky, awaiting a response. The person suddenly felt as if she would be struck down on the spot if she were to give an unsatisfactory answer. They cleared her throat, and smiled, “…I wouldn’t say that, no. This place is plenty calming. I just… well, I like answers. Concrete, solid answers. And you seem to know an awful lot about this mess, so if you could explain the Developers, and this Game, and all that rubbish, please get a move on.”
Danny didn’t reply immediately, instead looking around. Everyone in the group nodded too, even the three children Asadullah had stolen from that terrifying woman from earlier. Everyone except for Linda and Paterson, one who seemed uninterested, and the other looked visibly uncomfortable with the idea.
“I… don’t think that’s a good idea, do you, dear?” Paterson asked Danny, who looked worried.
For an antsy moment, Lucky half-expected her to go along with his gentle nudging. It was disappointing, considering how she had thought of Paterson as a kindred spirit, but they supposed that not everyone could have similar morals to you, no matter how they were drawn to similar interests.
“Well, I suppose that everyone has to learn at some point.” Danny replied, not looking particularly concerned. No, wait. The way her lip curled as her teeth bit down on it slightly. That was a tell. She was more upset than she was letting on.
Lucky didn’t get the chance to press her on it, as the woman directed her gaze at them, “Well, if you insist. What do you think a Game is?”
“Programming. Code. Designed to reward you points for certain actions and place you in an environment. We all have had to get familiar with the concept.” Lucky told her shortly, “The way the Harbingers talk about it makes it seem like the Developers are responsible for creating the Game, which means that either the Consoles which run the Game are projecting it onto a natural world or worlds, or that none of this is real and we’re just simulated pawns.”
“Yes, and no.” Danny replied, “You are their pawns, but nothing about you is simulated. You’re as real as the ground as you stand on. Which… isn’t a good analogy, but you know what I mean. The Consoles aren’t projecting it onto anything, either. Consider the idea that the world has its own naturally made code, that can be translated into video game data.”
“-and then they modify that data to work to its whims!” Paterson finished excitedly, “Truly a remarkable process.”
“Why are the Developers doing this, though?” Asadullah asked with a frown, “What’s the point?”
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Danny shrugged, “Never looked into it. Guess they just like being shitheads.”
“Well, that’s clearly not right.” Jared scoffed, “No one’s evil just for the sake of being evil. There’s always some justification for even the most immoral things. There’s something they’re getting out of this. Something that we don’t see. You guys have been around here longer, so surely you gotta know something, right?” The question wasn’t directed at either Danny or Paterson, almost like he had given up the idea of getting any answers from them. Instead, he was looking intensely at Nancy, Simon, and Katherine.
The youngest of the trio shrugged, “I dunno, I was six when we came here.”
The boy shook his head, “Listen, my father married their mother, I don’t know anything about this.”
It was Nancy, however, who remained silent, her forehead scrunched up as if she was contemplating some great truth, “I was eleven. And Mom told me everything about the process of being outside. She was playing a Game… almost exactly like yours, I think. Except it was more of a fetch quest. Go to each world, find an item, escape, and on and on and on. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, but I’ll try to answer any questions you have?”
This was not the right thing to say to a needlessly inquisitive group of outsiders, and Lucky could already see the list of queries building up in Jared and Terry’s head.
At least Terry would be polite enough to not badger her too much, they supposed.
“You know which dimension these Developers are hiding in?” Terry asked, surprisingly being the first one to ask a question. But his eyes were sharp and intentional, the question picked out deliberately.
“I… er… no.” Nancy replied, brows furrowed, “What’re you going to do even if you did know that?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Asadullah replied with a flash of teeth, “We take the problem right to the source and end it right there. Very clever, babe.”
Terry flushed, rubbing at his cheek, “Thanks. I mean, anyone could’ve thought of that, but thanks.”
“That won’t work.” Danny replied with a frown, “If you’re holding a Console made by the Developers, they’ll have made sure to not let the Console transport anyone into their base. It’ll just reroute to somewhere else, even if you manage to figure out the code for the Developer’s world.”
“I suppose you speak from experience?” Lucky asked, stroking a finger down the edge of her Console.
Danny laughed, “Something like that. You sound like you don’t believe me about this.”
“It is not that I do not.” They responded, picking their words carefully, “It is simply that I believe I may have something that may circumvent this.” She held up the tablet that made up her Console. Everyone looked at it, not quite impressed.
“This was made by the Developers too, though.” Paterson pointed out, “Has more similarities to their original tech than even ours. What makes it different?”
“See, this comes directly from the source.” Lucky explained, “Made specifically for Harbingers, who have mentioned being able to communicate with the Developers. Presumably through this.” She waved the tablet a little for emphasis.
Paterson’s eyes lit up, “How clever. And you’ve been using the same operating system as the Harbingers, too? Because that doesn’t seem too smart.”
“I- er-” Here Lucky stalled as she tried to remember what an operating system was. In the end, all she had to offer was: “I switched modes?”
All the locals exchanged intrigued looks, “What are these… modes?” Paterson asked, “Would you mind if I were to take a look at your Console?”
Lucky didn’t know why, but she rankled at the thought, clutching the tablet close her chest. Danny didn’t seem to be at all surprised, laughing, “Of course you don’t want to give it up. I’d be scared to part with my Console too. Though, mine is welded to my body, so perhaps I have a bias in that regard.”
“A Console is just as important even when not connected to the body.” Simon pointed out, “What if Paterson’s fiddling turns it off?” He shuddered, and all the locals reacted in varying levels of horror.
“Wait, what happens when a Console gets turned off?” Tench asked, looking around.
“Bad things.” Kathy whispered.
“We shouldn’t be talking about such things in front of Kathy. She’s too little to understand this.” Nancy cut in, a protective hand on her little sister’s shoulder.
“Don’t be stupid, Nancy, I’m old enough!” Kathy whined, “I know what happens to people when they lose their Consoles.”
“Well, we do not, so if you could tell us, that would be very much appreciated.” Lucky broke in before another argument could start up between the siblings. She didn’t know why they had agreed to bring the child along to such a dangerous expedition if they understood that Katherine was young, but she was not one to judge parenting techniques.
Simon wrung his hands, “Okay, so, er, when you lose your Console, you lose your place in the Game. If you’re very, very lucky, you had a backup file or managed to switch over to a different Console, or do something to anchor yourself to the place you are now. That almost never happens.”
“If you’re slightly less lucky, but still get favored by fortune, your old place in the System will still be waiting for you and you’ll just be rebooted.” Nancy took up the explanation, “Which generally means being demoted right back to NPC status. Or Mob status. Or whatever you were doing in the System before you got the Console.”
“And if you’re not lucky?” Jared asked.
“Then you’re wiped from the system forever. Dead. Gone. Kaput.” Linda whispered, and Lucky was startled to remember that she was still in the room. Danny brought a hand forward to shield her from the others, a regretful look on her face.
“Linda’s mother went away that way.” She explained, softly to the others, as if lowering her voice would somehow soften the blow.
The words didn’t have their intended effect, as Linda sprung away, hot tears in her eyes, “She didn’t just go away!” She half-sobbed at Danny, “She’s dead! You keep acting like she’s just gone somewhere else, but that’s not how it works!”
“Of course not.” Danny soothed, “I just- I need you to-” She shook her head, turning to look at the rest of the group regretfully, “I need to leave. You all… do what you want. I have business to take care of.”
With that, she marched away, arms full of sobbing little girl.
Paterson hummed, “Yes. A right shame that. Linda’s mother was a talented programmer in her own right. One of our best. Now… can I see that Console?” He turned pleading eyes towards Lucky.
They sighed and handed over the Console.
[Player Log End]