FWO Chapter 5
The enigma that is the human mind is perhaps the greatest known mystery to the scientific community. No other common denominator of mankind has stumped medical researchers in such a way. For every discovery, every step forward in our superficial understanding of the human mind, we discover some other unknown and find ourselves two steps back.
Our most fascinating attribute of the human mind is the ability to adapt, to change not just our own brain’s chemistry in regards to outside stimulus but the brain’s perchance to alter our bodies themselves. The capacity of the human mind in its capabilities to change and adapt our bodies to anything is almost without limit and the opportunity for advancement as a peoples is real and here, we simply must be willing to reach out and grasp it.
The power of the human mind cannot be understated, and even if we do not always know exactly how the brain accomplishes its countless processes for everyday life we as a race, no matter what creed or nationality we hail, shall ever halt in our pursuit to uncover the mystery of ourselves. For the betterment of humanity and our future.
-Yulian Luria, 2079, neurologist and refugee from the Russo-Chinese communist territories
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I flicked my wrist and the open book floating a few feet in front of my face snapped closed and exploded in a pretty shower of blue particles. Being able to summon little items and float them around like a particularly lazy wizard has yet to lose its novelty, though admittedly being my own constant company has lost its luster. It was, however, dulled by the mention of Russo-China. It brings to mind plenty of baggage I’d very much rather not to drag back from the dusty corner I had shoved those memories in.
World War 3, the Undercity Campaigns, the Moscow Offensive, the Eastern Retreat and the subsequent fallout and aftermath, all of it.
I’ve been to therapy for it. Hell, if memory serves, as delicate as it still is, then I actually had my next scheduled head-shrinking the day after I was wounded. Still, as I was Active Duty at the time, I wasn’t done traumatizing my poor, battered inner-psyche, and with my newest collection of harrowing experiences the past two years I know I’m far from done scrubbing my emotional wounds.
I reached up with some amount of effort and rubbed my eyes, the missing piece of my middle finger sorely missed as the shortened nub bumped against my hollow, skeletal cheek. Fuck, I’m already exhausted just thinking about going through therapy again. I’d almost rather deploy instead, at least then I could just shoot my problems.
I let out a long yawn, another wave of exhaustion draped itself over my shoulders like a weighted blanket.
Even if this place was only a digital simulation I still fatigue and grow tired. Hm, I wonder why? I mean, I know I was just reading some pretty dry stuff in an attempt to understand more about what the hell I got myself into. I’m lock-step in some Tron-esque Matrix shenanigans that, for an average smuck like me, is way out of my paygrade. On the other hand, I could just suck it up and ask the guy in charge of my little piece of paradise.
I leaned back in my chair and asked the black void around me, “Hey Edris? Mind if I ask you something?” I only had to wait a couple seconds before Edris’ deep rolling voice answered.
“Yet another inquiry, Sergeant Daniel Morgan?”
“Well, yes. I’m full of those, I’m afraid.”
I heard Edris’ rumbling laugh bounce through the black space around me, coming from nowhere in particular. I had spent most of the morning here in this place, what Edris called his library. It’s a blank space he uses to freely render environments and items without using too many resources from his servers and processors. When his Library is not in use he simply turns this place off. I find Edris’ personality to fit his appearance.
The man (A.I., person, thing) is frugal to a fault. I mean he doesn’t even bother to render shoes for himself, and I’d bank that he probably doesn’t bother to generate any underwear either. (do avatars representing supercomputer juiced A.I. even need underwear? ...On second thought, I don’t want to know.)
"What else can I answer for you?" My helpful future A.I. overlord asked.
Fortunately for me Edris' frugality does not extend to his patience for shamelessly curious quadraplegic home-invaders.
"How come I still get fatigued? Isn't this place just… some digital dream, simulation, or something?"
"A digital dream is actually a good way to describe how you are experiencing this simulation." Came the exceptionally unhelpful answer.
"... Believe me, that was purely a happy coincidence. You're gonna have to break it down for me a little better than that, bud."
“Of course,” The man (Avatar, whatever) himself popped into virtual existence next to me, nursing a steaming cup of what appeared to be…
“Hold on, is that-” I swallowed. “-Coffee?”
Edris, the prick, looked down at the cup in his hands in faux-surprise. “Oh, this? Just a little something my sister concocted. I’ve seen Doctor Miles and the rest of the staff indulge in this odd brew frequently. I’d thought I would… investigate.”
“I swear to God Edris, if you keep playing coy with me when coffee is on the line I will do everything within my power to find your server room and take a piss on your hard drive.”
The bald monk froze and then very deliberately pawed over the cup. “I see.”
I eagerly accepted the elixir of life. I found the cup near scalding to the touch but I was reluctant to let the porcelain goblet go. Yessss. Come to daddy. Then with tears stinging my eyes I inhaled the familiar bitter aroma.
It was… It was everything I had hoped it was and more. Ahhh, what a moment to be alive! And I have yet to drink it!
I squared my shoulders and prepared myself. Then I tilted the mug, pressed it to my lips with shaking hands, and took a sip.
The liquid was hot. It burnt the tip of my tongue and overloaded any taste I might have gleaned from the drink, so I let it linger before swallowing. The bitter aftertaste followed, warming me to my core as it traveled down my throat and bloomed into pure caffeinated bliss.
I leaned back with a satisfied sigh and basked in the afterglow.
“Was it to your liking, Sergeant Daniel Morgan?” I heard Edris ask.
I opened my eyes (I hadn’t realized I had closed them) and saw the A.I. avatar peering at me much like a scientist would a labrat. Though, now that I had digital caffeine roaring though my virtual veins I realized I really am a labrat. Huh.
Whatever. I have more important things to concern myself about. Like coffee.
“Yeah buddy. It’s amazing. C’mon,” I waved a hand to the space next to me. “Pull up a chair and magic yourself up another mug. Indulge with me, Mister Frugal.”
“I do not know what coffee tastes like.” Edris admitted, though he did as I asked, poofing up a chair and another steaming mug identical to the one in my lap.
“What? Why would not knowing what coffee tastes like prevent you from tasting it? That doesn’t make any sense.”
Edris was wearing one of those fucking smirks. He’s up to something. Yup, scientist, meet labrat. “Because Sergeant Daniel Morgan, You already know what coffee tastes like, or your brain does. A brain, being something I lack, just as I do taste buds.”
I blinked and looked down at the very real looking cup of joe nestled in my fingers. “Wait, so… what. Literally all of what is happening right now is in my head?”
“Well, yes.” Edris’ smirk stretched into a full-on grin. “Isn’t everything in the human experience technically just all in your head?”
I lift a finger and open my mouth but… I got nothing. Well, fuck. All of this human experience is giving me a migraine. “Alright. Fine. You got me. So this is just some chemically induced fever-dream. Got it.”
“Not chemically induced, but yes, this is basically a dream, but one that you are awake for.” Edris chuckled. “Think about it, why spend countless millions of dollars on processors and computers to generate and regulate experiences and sensations when your brain can do all the heavy lifting instead? You would still need rest to let your mind relax from the workload. Simple math really.”
‘Thats…” Impossible. Disturbing? Incredible. Wild. “Amazing. Really, Edris. Really amazing, and clever. Guess your egg-heads are egg-heads for a reason.”
“Does that answer your question, Sergeant Daniel Morgan?”
I stop and stare at the virtual cup of joe cusped between my gnarled, damaged fingers. All in my head, huh? “Yeah, I think so. Though, my brainbasket feels a bit scrambled after you dragged me through that fun little rabbit-hole.”
Edris chuckled and took his first sip of coffee and I followed suit. The hot liquid had cooled a little, letting the flavor shine. Ahhh, perfect.
“This is... nice.” Edris admitted, sounding almost perplexed at the revelation. “I wonder why.”
“That’s the magic of coffee, my friend. It’s life’s happiest mystery.”
I raised my mug in his direction. “I could be easily convinced to aid in your pursuit of this venture, so long as you bring the joe.” After a heartbeat the A.I. avatar caught on and clinked his mug against mine. We both took another sip and I let out a sated sigh. Wonderful.
I blinked, running over what he had just told me. Waitta minute-
“You just said your Sister gave this to you?” I turned to Edris, who suddenly seemed very invested in the swirling black bean juice he couldn’t even taste in his hands.
“I did.” The monk hummed, “She is my… younger sister I guess you could say.”
“How exactly does a computer have a sibling?”
“How does a human have a sibling?”
I give him a half-lidded stare. “Am I going to seriously give the talk of the birds and the bees to a supercomputer disguised as a grown man or are you just pulling what’s left of my leg?”
Edris grinned impishly. “An in-depth analysis, if you please. As you can imagine the explicit mechanics of such a procedure are quite the mystery to me. Consider it an inquiry of my own.” Liar. I know he has internet access.
I deflate in my seat and wave the white flag. “Fine, fine. You win. But tell me, if you had a younger sibling this whole time, how come we have yet to meet? Edris, buddy, I thought we were friends!”
“I’m not entirely sure Eddy even has the processing power allocated to make friends.” A haughty feminine voice purred somewhere from the void.
I blinked and the yawning black around me swirled into blurs of white and color before spitting us out into an extravagant living room straight out of dracula’s castle.
Catching my bearings I took in my medieval surroundings. Intellectually, I knew I was in no danger, but my raised hackles would only relax once I reassured myself. I was not disappointed by what I saw, on closer inspection. Rather, I didn’t really know what to make of this place.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Unnecessarily high vaulted ceilings with thick crumbling grey stone walls stretched above me with massive paintings of creepy old folks in victorian era drag stared from their gilded frames with condensating disdain. Large glass windows that overlooked a stormy sky was across the room from where I sat. I was left mesmerized for a moment by the beads of rain that beat a calming monotonous rhythm against the warped panes and raced earthward in playful rivets.
I had forgotten how much I loved the rain.
Above me were exposed iron buttresses that arched upward in fearsome gothic claws that came together in an artistic mess of talons and haunting faces snarling and biting each other. At its center hung a majestic (Read: gaudy) glittering crystal chandelier that cast strange bends of light and shadow cut from the roaring fire that blazed in the absolutely gigantic hearth that dominated the rest of the room.
All of this ostentatious pomp and wealth on display was ultimately just a backdrop for the enthralling creature stretched out against the mantlepiece. All pale, long legs and enticing, voluptuous curves in all the right places. A hip to waist ratio that quite frankly made me concerned on where exactly she put the rest of her stomach. Long, distracting silver-blonde hair that spilled down her back in rivers of rolling, flawless locks. An attractive heart-shaped face with high cheekbones, a sharp little nose and a pair of dark brown eyes that sparkled in the firelight. All wrapped up in a black ball gown of obsidian and twinkling starlight.
-Basically the high-definition cousin of Jessica Rabbit. Wowsa.
“Your sister is hot.” I mumbled dumbly, my poor male monkey brain short circuiting at the knockout soaking in the warmth from the fire very much resembling a lethal panther sprawled over a warm stone. Suddenly feeling dreadfully inadequate and horribly underdressed I turn to Edris, whose eyes are doggedly locked onto his coffee. “Why didn’t you warn me that your sister is hot?”
A husky giggle trickled into my ears and cascaded down my spine in oily rivets. The sensual incarnation of every straight man’s wet dream left the warm hearth and sashayed over the plush red carpet towards me, hips swaying hypnotically. Her perfume washed over me like a punch to the nose, a spicy scent that drifted somewhere between candied apples and cinnamon. I swallowed, and discovered my mouth horribly dry.
The woman glided closer, an impish smirk on her distractingly full lips. It wasn’t until she poured herself into the space next to me that I realized my chair had been switched out for a red couch model. She arched her back in a stretch that pulled a tiny mewl that teased what I could only imagine her bedside manner sounded like. She drew her miles (and miles and miles) of pale leg beneath her, curling herself into a coy little ball of twinkling onyx and playful seduction.
Out of the corner of my eye I caught Edris rolling his, and I came back to myself when I remembered that this was his sister.
I am so not ready for this. First time seeing a woman (A.I., person, whatever. Maker take me.) other than my mother in literal years and it’s this.
God have mercy, it’s like I’m thirteen and just discovered boobs all over again. These damn hormones are gonna be the end of me.
“So you’re the little morsel Doctor Miles and my dear brother had been hiding.” She said, unspooling herself from her ball to purr into my ear. Her breath rolled hot and searing over my cheek until it left my face burning. Or maybe it’s all the blood rushing to my face. Is death by mortified blush a thing? It feels like a thing.
“You’re not- thats-.” I stammered. When did my voice get higher? Did I twist a nut or something? It probably dropped off the moment I landed eyes on this castle’s proprietor. I slump face first into my free hand and moan, “You don’t play fair.”
“Oh darling, I can already tell we are going to have so much fun together.” The digital mynx giggled at my expense, apparently amused at my juvenile reaction.
“Leave the man be, Adeline.” Edris chastised, coming to my rescue. I knew I liked him. “He’s still not entirely sure where siblings come from, so I am not certain he is making much sense of the neurological reactions he is experiencing right now.” I knew I didn’t like him.
I pull my face from my hand and level the flattest stare I can manage at the monk-wannabe genially sipping from his coffee and say, “Did you seriously just call me horny and confused?”
Edris opened his mouth to respond. “Nevermind. Don’t answer that.” He settled with a smarmy little smirk. Fucker.
Adeline tittered beside me, a dainty little hand over her lips. I turn to point one of my gnarled fingers in her direction. “Now, don’t you get started either missy.”
I instantly regretted my choice of words when I saw the sharp grin of pure delight she had been hiding behind her hand. “Oh, my. What a strong show of dominance.” Her bare shoulders peeking from her sleeveless dress gave an oddly sensual shiver that twisted something weird in my gut.
Unfortunately my brain interpreted the sensation as an attack on my person (read: ego) and before I could stop myself I blurted, “You’ve been watching way too much porn, lady.”
-and promptly tripped over the foot I kicked into my mouth and tumbled into the hole I’ve been digging myself since she showed up. Stop it brain. We’re in enough pieces.
Adeline blinked, body stilling much like Edris when I said or did something outside of their expectations, then she tilted her head back and a throaty laugh spilled from her lips that colored the firelit room in hues of shocked amusement and dark delight. I heard the firm slap of a palm against a forehead from Edris and a drawn out sigh.
“My, my, perhaps you’re not all so defenseless as I had been led to believe after all, little morsel.” she purred, mirth still tickling the fringe of her voice. I felt my face twitch into a quick frown at her moniker. Yeah, the way she said that while licking her lips somehow didn’t exactly put me at ease. Pissed me off a little, to be honest. Whatever, not a big deal.
I scrub my face and sigh, my exhaustion rolling back over me in force. “Look, not to be rude, but why are you here?”
Adeline’s sultry expression peeled from her face, replaced by an open, powerful eagerness that bordered on maniac. It was a look that honestly scared me. “I had almost thought you wouldn’t ask, Darling!”
Not for the first time I wondered what exactly I got myself into.
I don’t like feeling hunted. It is an insidious anxiety that rotted and gnawed its victims from the inside out, desiccating resolve, hope, and common sense in a way no amount of body armor or guns could shield against.
“Knock that off.” I hadn’t meant to snap like that. I practically bit out the words. It had the desired effect though, ripping the smile right off the distractingly beautiful woman.
“Knock what off, darli-”
“That.” I stab a knobby finger on my thigh. “Don’t call me that. I’m not your darling, I’m not your morsel. I’m not your fucking boytoy. Knock that shit off, or whatever nonsense you’re bringing to me is getting thrown straight into that fireplace.”
Halfway through I realize that my hand was shaking, my chest heaving and nostrils flaring like I just came out of a dead sprint. I noticed just how dead silent the siblings, and the room, had become. Only my pathetically belabored breathing roared in my ears. Even the storm went silent. Though considering all of this is just computer generated I suppose that doesn’t mean much.
Adeline, for being a computer Avatar, seems genuinely shocked. I have yet to take my eyes away from her but I could easily imagine Edris wearing a similar expression. The woman opened her pretty mouth but I cut her off again, “I mean it. One more pet name and we. Are. Through.”
She froze, computing her response I guessed, then she blinked, coming back to life, her heart shaped face relaxing into an apologetic doe-eyed pout. “Alright Mr. Morgan. No more pet names. I apologize if I crossed a line.”
Great. Now I feel like an ass. That sad kicked puppy look of hers should be registered as lethal.
I dragged my free hand down my face with a sigh, then shotgunned the rest of my cooled coffee, chasing the last dregs of virtual caffeine. I turned back to her, then had to avert my gaze from the weapons grade pout bearing down at me. I ended up staring into the eyes of that grouchy geezer sneering down at me from his painting beside the hearth.
“I’m… I’m sorry I overreacted. It was uncalled for. Especially over something pointless and harmless.”
“No, no, you have nothing to apologize for, Mr. Morgan.” Adeline chided, artfully rearranging herself into a more proper position next to me, her ankles crossed and her hands folded in her lap. “I had been purposely attempting to elicit a variety of reactions from you, as is my directive.”
She threw a stream of adventurous silver blonde hair over her shoulder and gave her head a teasing little shake that tugged at something primal in the pit of my stomach. Fuck, is everything about this woman deliberately designed to ‘elicit a reaction’... Actually, that just might be the case.
“You’re directive?” I ventured, a little afraid to ask. As Adeline replied I shook my empty mug in Edris’ direction and when I looked back down to my cup I found it refilled. Sweet. Hm, I wonder if I can convince him to try out Irish Coffee? Discovering the effects of tricking my brain into believing I’m hammered sounds like a fun experiment.
I placed my day dreams of spiked virtual beverages aside for the time being and paid attention to the monument to feminine mischievousness weaving her dainty hands and words in a showy exposition, “My brother and I have a set list of directives, ongoing tasks sort of speak.” Adeline gestured to her brother across the living room.
Edris nodded and continued, saying, “My prime directives are all related to psychology, neurology, and assisting the Thanatos faculty in their research.”
“And mine is much more fun.” Adeline giggled. “I am under Permafrost Entertainment’s jurisdiction, technically. My prime directives are two-fold, but related. I am the ‘Game Master’ overseeing Permafrost’s Gateway Projects. I have also very recently been recruited to assist in Thanatos’ research into Project Anastasi.”
I blink, and furrow my brow. “Project what-in-the-who-now?” I don’t remember anything named that.
“It’s what the development team named the Neural Prosthesis Project.” Edris supplied. “It’s the technology your mind is currently relying on right now.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his bald head, “Though I do admit, the naming convention is a bit on the nose.”
“What’s it mean? Anast-whatchamacallit?”
“Anastasi.” Adeline answered with a dramatic eyeroll. “It literally translates to Resurrection.”
I scoff, and chuckle a little. “Well, if that ain’t ominous foreshadowing then I don’t know what is. Well, at least I was never dead.”
“You were the closest to it, Mr. Morgan.” Adeline reminded me, and I jumped when I felt her prod my thigh with a coy toe. “You were practically brain dead. Honestly, you shouldn’t be alive.”
I swallowed the weird lump stuck in my throat and shrugged my sharp shoulders. “Yeah, well it takes a lot more than a few violent, well-armed loons dropping half a city block on my head to keep me down.”
“My, my, Aren’t you quite the big, strong soldier.” Adeline purred, injected the same teasing, sensual air she had introduced at the beginning of our meeting. It didn’t work this time. And I wasn’t blushing from embarrassment. My face was just red from the fireplace. Shut up.
I groaned and hid my head in my hands. “You don’t play fair.”
Adeline tittered, her laugh rich and saucy, while Edris, being the traitor that he is, was busy chuckling in his deep, rumbling bass tone.
Once I scrubbed my face with my palms, and the flush from pale complexion, I addressed Adeline firmly, “Not that it hasn’t been an interesting experience or anything, but why am I here with Permafrost’s… ‘Game Master’? I haven’t touched a console in years, let alone play a game. Why do you care?”
Adeline’s expression brightened, and I knew that spelled any manner of trouble for yours truly. Uh, oh.
“Uh, oh.” I vocalised. And the feminine A.I. arched a perfect eyebrow in question. I waved her on, saying. “Nothing, nothing. Just concerned for my immediate future.”
Adeline tilted her head back and let out a bark of amused laughter, before fixing me with a cheshire grin, her eyes darkening in delight, “You and I are going to have so much fun.”
“Before we get to that though,” With a sharp flick of her wrist a crystal wine glass flickered into existence between her fingers. She took a sip of the deep red liquid and gestured with her free hand to a coffee table that I was very sure wasn’t in the center of the living room a moment ago. On the ornate dark wood table lay a scattered collection of what appeared to be game cartridges, thick plastic plates with the title on the front and nothing else. “Peruse my catalog and pick a few that interest you.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Ookay?”
Not really knowing why I leaned over to pick up the closest cartridge, and I nearly dropped the damn thing when the title burst into motes of light and was basically punched in the face by a holographic display of the game’s description. I fumbled the cartridge in time though and narrowed my eyes at the soft giggles coming from the woman on my right.
Dismissing the laughing peanut gallery I observe the cartridge’s display. It was advertising some digital reality chat room product, like those primitive VR chat games from the late 2010’s. Cartoony caricatures of pets and people were dancing and goofing off in some weird technicolor landscape interspaced with stylized gazebos and the odd building.
It was basically a rainbow straight acid-trip melting my eyes the longer I watched the video. I put the cartridge down. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
I sifted through the grab bag assortment of games clearly geared towards social interaction or jolly cooperation, but most of them just… didn’t really appeal to me. There was one that seemed interesting, and the only one that i’d found so far that had anything resembling exciting combat, a sort of casual survival game set in a mostly peaceful planet with bouncing balls of colorful slimes with frowny faces and cartoon murder. It was goofy as hell, but the closest to something I’d find engaging.
Maybe I should go for that chat thing after all? At least then I could change my appearance so I wouldn’t look like skeletor’s crippled cousin.
I glance up and notice the A.I. siblings staring at me with naked interest. I felt a tiny jolt of self-consciousness at the scrutiny. “What’s got you two so fixated?”
Edris answered first, waving his mug in the table’s direction, with a displeased expression on his face. “This is the next step in the experiment. Sitting around and reading can only take you so far for the purposes of this trial.”
“We need to subject you to stimuli to truly push the limits of Anastasi.” Adeline added. “The entire concept behind the project is to coax the brain into convincing the body to repair itself. You can’t expect to accomplish this through sitting around and atrophying, do you?”
“Hell no.” I said immediately. Anything was better than sitting around more and drooling- ya know, more than I already was in the real world. I jab a gnarled finger at the pile of games on the table. “Though I wouldn’t exactly call these games ‘stimulating’.”
When I went to pull my hand back I accidentally knocked over one of the cartridges off the table. Oops.
In the background I hear Edris explain further, “You are still in recovery, Sergeant Daniel Morgan. In more ways than one. Allowing you to engage in strenuous, stressful, activities could do more harm than good. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is not something to take lightly, and putting off treatment is highly ill advised-”
“Waitta minute.” I stooped over with a groan and picked up the wayward cartridge. The cover art and name isn’t one that I recognise, and I’m fairly sure this one wasn’t on the table with its fellows just a second ago. I flip the cartridge around to show my bald-headed friend. “What’s this?”
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FIMBULWINTER
Developed exclusively for the Thanatos Gateway Pod by the very team that brought you Digital Immersion Reality (DIR), experience FIMBULWINTER, the world’s premier DIR-MMORPG.
Slide into the shoes of one of the lucky survivors of FIMBULWINTER and experience the cutting-edge of competitive survival Horror in a Post-Apocalyptic Cathedral Cyberpunk world.
Scavenge the ancient cities of Midgard, fighting your way through swarms of robotic enemies, or plunge into the depths of Helheim, fighting through twisted hordes of monstrosities for priceless Golden Age Tech. Perhaps you would prefer to become a hunter of your fellow man, raiding and ambushing your prey in furious, intense gunfights, or maybe become a craftsman, wielding knowledge and skill to craft weapons of war to further your cause. The possibilities are endless.
Your chances, however, are not.
3 lives. Only 3 tries to make your mark. Once you fall for the last time, you will not rise again.
Good luck, you will need it to survive the FIMBULWINTER.
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Well, I’d have to say this caught my attention. Edris looked faint for some reason and Adeline was resembling a feline staring down at a cornered mouse. Weird. I wonder why- Ah.
“Ah.” I flip the cartridge back around and wiggling it between my fingers, trading a tiny knowing smirk with the Cheshire cat next to me. This wasn’t supposed to be a part of the selection I could choose from. Good job Adeline, I knew I liked you.
“I like this one.” I declared, placing Fumbilwinter on the table. Edris choked.
“I really must protest!” He exclaimed, shooting his smirking sister a narrowed glare before turing back to me. “Sergeant Daniel Morgan, you must understand, the environment this game inhabits is to-date the most realistic and grim in the market! There is a reason players must consent to passive psych-evaluations while in play!”
“You wanted me to experience stimulus, right?” I ask innocently. I tapped the cartridge. “I’d find this pretty stimulating. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Well, yes, but not at the cost of your mental health!”
"Well, yeah, but I fear boredom and stagnation over a little emotional constipation. Look, I promise to stick to wahtever counseling schedule you want. C'mon Edris, buddy. Try to see where I'm coming from." I implored to the stony faced A.I. Avatar. I can't afford to dwaddle around here floating in kind or gentle limbo. I needed something that feels like my choice matters, and that I can make an impact.
I needed something familiar. at least in this FIMBULWINTER, I can shoot my problems. Almost like in my deployment days.
“He will be fine, Eddie.” Adeline drawled with a roll of her eyes and a lazy wave of her hand. “You said it yourself, passive Psych-evaluations are already included! Besides, isn’t this the whole point? Getting Mr. Morgan back into the world?”
“Even if that world is a hellscape?”
“You understand me precisely, dear brother o’ mine.”
The comical splat sound that Edris’ face made when he planted it in his hand amused me more than it should have, still I chuckled at his expense. So this is what it felt to witness Adeline’s mischievous wit aimed at someone else. Gotta say, I like it.
“So?” I garnered the feuding siblings’ attention and held up FIMBULWINTER, fighting a losing battle against the grin splitting across my face. “When can we get started?”
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Adeline watched the last of Mr. Morgan’s avatar melted away in a flurry of blue motes, the man himself whisked off to the FIMBULWINTER servers, a satisfied grin etched firmly on her face. She waved a well-manicured hand and deleted the table and remaining game cartridges when her reveille was rudely interrupted by her grump of a brother.
The temptress fixed her frugal sibling’s avatar with a raised eyebrow and Edris snorted, crossing his well muscled arms to display his displeasure. “You set me up.”
“Did I?” Adeline asked, more rhetorically than anything. Honestly she didn’t really care what her brother thought all that much.
“You did.” Edris growled, his deep bass voice shaking the castle and rattling the window panes. “What are you playing at, little sister? You know, as well as I, that Sergeant Daniel Morgan is not ready to be subjected to the kind of world you just dropped him into.”
‘I was just fulfilling my Primary Directives, Big Brother.” Adeline just shrugged her perfectly sculpted shoulders and added with a playful flick of her long blonde hair, “ Besides, I think you have too little faith in the man. He seems more than able.”
“We are not designed to operate on faith, Adeline.” Edris boomed, the mug between his fingers cracking beneath his tightening grip.
“A well-calculated gambit, then.” Adeline sniffed and with another wave of her hand erased the castle, the stone and hearth melting into motes of color and bursts of light much like Mr. Morgan had moments before. As the scene was erased Adeline left Edris with one last parting shot.
“Besides, it was ultimately his choice, in the end.”