Riley’s eyes fluttered open, a wave of confusion washing over him. He squinted, realizing he was lying flat on his back, gazing up at a ceiling adorned with wooden beams and wrought iron accents.
He sat up slowly, bracing himself for the world to spin. To his surprise, there were no hangover symptoms. 'So, I didn’t drink too much. That’s a good start,' he thought.
Glancing around, he noticed the building was eerily empty, sending a chill down his spine. For a moment, he imagined himself in a zombie apocalypse film where everyone else in the world was gone. Surviving on his own? That was laughable. He was a cub scout dropout, after all.
“Hello? Anyone there?” he called out, his voice echoing through the silence. He waited, but no response came. Taking a deep breath, he began searching for any clues that might shed light on his murky situation.
The walls were decorated with murals of Italian landscapes, vineyards, and charming village scenes. It didn’t take long for him to realize he was inside an Italian restaurant—perhaps an Olive Garden.
He eagerly sniffed the air, hoping to catch the familiar scent of sweet, buttery breadsticks.
Instead, his nose was assaulted by an unpleasant odor, reminiscent of microwaved fish. His appetite quickly vanished. Riley found himself calling out to the openness again.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” he yelled, his voice tinged with hope. But once more, his call was met with silence.
"I should probably go look for a way out." he said.
As he stood up, he noticed a small, pulsating exclamation point in the bottom left corner of his vision. Curious and apprehensive, he reached out and touched it. Suddenly, a large animated window popped up in front of him, causing him to scream like a startled child.
“What the hell?!” he exclaimed, falling back into his seat. His heart pounded as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
'This can’t be real,' he thought. He decided to pinch himself to see if he was dreaming. The pinch elicited a sharp pain that shot through his arm, its intensity seemingly amplified twofold.
A crimson bar materialized at the top left corner of his vision, adorned with a diminutive “minus 2,” causing the bar to dip slightly.
He pinched himself again, quickly regretting the decision as another “minus 2” appeared and the bar dropped further.
'I swear it feels like I've been here before,' he thought, as he looked around the room. He tried to shake off the feeling of déjà vu.
Rather than dwell on that unsettling sensation, he redirected his attention to the menus arrayed before him, trying his best to temporarily ignore the thought that he might be losing his mind.
In front of him lay an array of boxes, their contents inscribed in what appeared to be a bizarre alien script intermingled with familiar English words such as “Map,” “Quest,” “Inventory,” and “Journal.” Intrigued, he extended his hand toward the “Inventory” box.
The inventory only contained one item labeled “Basic clothing +1 defense.” He noticed it wasn’t equipped. A sudden self-awareness made him glance downward, only to realize he sat within the booth utterly unclothed.
Acting swiftly, he pressed the item in his inventory, prompting it to transition seamlessly from inventory to the equipment section, snugly enveloping his form.
'That's pretty convenient', he thought, gently rubbing the fabric of his new attire. 'This feels so real.'
Though still lacking in the trouser department, the shirt draped over him with an impeccable fit, providing a semblance of modesty.
Opting to orient himself in this strange environment, he extended his hand and tapped on the “Map” tab.
A detailed map unfolded, revealing a sprawling landscape dotted with various icons and landmarks. The map was divided into four main regions, each distinguished by a different color. He noticed he was situated in the southwest corner of the blue section. A larger marker with a red beast icon and several dozen X’s surrounded his current location.
'Wait a minute, I’ve seen this before,' Riley thought. He focused on the beast icon, then at the X’s surrounding it. They resembled the death markers from some of his favorite video games.
'Are those from me?', he thought. Suddenly, a rush of memories flooded his mind, like a dam finally bursting open.
He recalled a vivid memory of a colossal monster crushing him underfoot, pulverizing him to dust. On another occasion, small woodland characters from his youth chased him down, gnawing away at his flesh.
Visions of Bambi gnawing on his severed hand as he was dragged into a dark cave made him vomit. He looked down to see his new shirt now stained.
Riley’s heart raced, and a sharp pain shot down his arm. In response, a box materialized on the screen, adorned with characters that looked like they were straight out of the movie Arrival.
Before he could contemplate the meaning of the inscriptions, an excruciating pressure bore down upon his brain, engulfing him in torment.
In an instant, Riley’s body convulsed violently, his form contorting in agony. Then, with a sickening explosion, his being ruptured, viscera spraying outward in a crimson deluge, painting the surroundings in a grotesque tableau of horror.
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Meanwhile, in a quality engineering test room, Cal’thar, a Verexian humanoid lizard creature, watched intently as his monitor flashed with a large red window where Riley once stood.
“What the hell happened?” he muttered, pulling up various logs to confirm his suspicions.
Deep within the logs, he found the culprit: a stack overflow error triggered the moment the resource opened the map.
He switched to a video feed showing a room, its walls adorned in varying shades of gray and splattered with blood-red stains and bits and pieces of human flesh and bones.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
It seemed they had lost another valuable resource due to developer incompetence. It was a real shame. Among the resources, this one had been particularly athletic and easy to work with. In a fit of frustration, he slammed his fists down on the table.
Cal'thar, or Cal for short sat in his chair, as he looked over the ticket assigned to him from the engineering department. This one was assigned to him by Rylar.
He groaned, rubbing his temples. "Rylar committed without testing his code again. I can't believe he still has a job."
Cal turned to his co-worker, Zynara. She sat in her chair, her elongated, elegant form covered in glowing indigo metallic skin, common with her species, the Luminari.
"Ugh, that's awful. Are you going to say anything to him?" Zynara asked sympathetically.
"No, the project is almost done. Besides, he's the director of Engineering's nephew. The last thing I want is to get on his radar," Cal replied, shaking his head.
"Smart move. We're so close to the end, and then we get that huge release bonus. After that, I'm off on vacation!" Zynara said, her eyes lighting up at the thought.
"I hope you enjoy that. I'll probably sit around wishing I did something fun." Cal said. Cal knew Zynara was heading on a vacation with some other co-workers in their group.
"You should come with us, It'll be fun! You deserve it too. I think Quadrill just forgot to add you to the list. I bet they'd be fine if I just sent you the invite." Zynara said.
'Say yes!' Cal thought, screaming internally to accept her invite.
"It's alright, honestly, I have some stuff I need to do around home anyways" he said, disappointed in himself for making up an excuse.
"Oh, ok. Well if you change your mind." Zynara replied.
"I'll let you know. Anyways, I'm heading down to get a new resource hooked up. Wish me luck avoiding the collections team," Cal said with a resigned sigh.
"Good luck. They seriously creep me out. Don't even get me started on the smell." Zynara called after him with a supportive smile.
Cal turned back to his monitor, marking the ticket as failed. He sent it back to the dev team.
He reached over and pressed a button, prompting an automated squad of bots to descend on the area where the body of the now-deceased Riley, better known as test subject 20122, lay. The bots efficiently cleaned and collected the remains.
'Why can't you do anything right,' he thought to himself as he strolled off toward the collections floor.
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When Cal stepped off the elevator, he found the collection team gathered closely around a holographic screen. As he approached, he saw what they were all focused on.
Their CEO was on the screen, conversing with a woman he recognized as Harovee, one of the most renowned reporters in the galaxy.
'How did I not know about this? I wonder if they are going to finally release the news about the new AI they've been testing,' Cal thought as he approached the group.
Harovee sat in an interview chair, impeccably dressed in a sleek obsidian suit and adorned with a delicate necklace of radiant crystals.
Across from her sat Zorax Zell, his shimmering silver skin contrasting sharply with his black, beady eyes and matching ebony suit. He sat tall and rigid, exuding an aura of power and command.
Harovee’s self-titled talk show was one of the most popular daytime shows on television. Her transition from reporter to television host was seamless.
She hailed from a prestigious lineage of reporters, tracing back to her illustrious great-grandmother. Her ancestor was among the first to step onto the game field during Season One of The Initiation.
Rumors swirled that Harovee had leveraged her family’s legacy and insider knowledge of past games to secure her headlining role. Cal found himself doubting these rumors.
Regardless of how she attained the position, she was one of the best Cal had ever seen. In his youth, Cal even had an image of her on his wall, aspiring to one day reach her level of excellence.
She was one of the first to have his species on her show. Something that sparked a lot of drama and hate within the galaxy. Cal on the other hand, respected her even more for it.
One of the grey’s in the room turned up the volume, making the audio clearer for everyone around to hear. Cal listened in, eager to find out what new information was being revealed.
“I’m here with Zorax Zell, CEO of Stellar Dynamics. Thank you for joining us today,” Harovee said, her voice smooth and resonant. A holographic banner appeared beneath her, displaying her name in luminous glyphs.
“Absolutely, it is my pleasure! Thank you for having me,” he replied, his broad smile radiating confidence.
Harovee continued, “We’re almost ready for the premier of Season 20 of The Initiation. The galaxy is abuzz with anticipation, especially after last season’s dramatic twist. How can you possibly surpass that?”
Zorax chuckled, a flicker of irritation in his eyes. “I must commend my competitors at Artell for their work. Having the last batch of Arkonians reach the golden gate, only to be ambushed and obliterated, was quite a spectacle. But I didn’t secure the rights to this season to rely on cheap tricks to pad viewership. Our season promises real, raw simulation.”
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. “Do you remember the Verexians from Season Five? They were a primitive, barbaric civilization, and now I have hundreds working for me. Unlike Artell, I aim to give our contestants a real chance to succeed, not just hype for ratings. My team scoured the galaxy for the best species, ones we truly believe can implement themselves into our society if they win. This is about giving civilizations a shot at true integration. Don't you all want to see another civilization finally have a shot to succeed?”, he pleaded to the crowd.
The crowd cheered in unison. Harovee waited for the noise to cease before continuing. "Yes, it's certainly been a while since we've had a winner. I know many of us we're disappointed to see the Arkonians not make it, especially with the controversial ending. I know I was personally cheering for Giptu, he was a cutie!"
Harovee leaned in, “So tell me, what do you say to those protesting this season, claiming it violates civil rights?”
Zorax’s tone grew somber, drawing the audience in. “Research indicates Earthlings are on the brink of extinction. War, famine, internal strife—they need our help. Like the Verexians, they can flourish with Galactic Enterprises’ support. We’re not the antagonists here; we’re offering a lifeline.”
The crowd cheered, someone in the stands stood up and yelled, "I love you Zorax."
“Don't we all," Harovee responded. "So Mr. Zell, Can you give us any hints about what to expect? I can assure you my viewers would love just a piece to tide them over until the final release,” Harovee asked.
Zorax’s smile widened. “Absolutely! Allow me to introduce our new AI, codenamed Aegis.” The grand screen flickered to life, showcasing “Aegis AI” and its advanced capabilities.
“Aegis is more than just an AI; it’s our future. It enables real-time control over all aspects of the contest.” Four isolation chambers appeared on the screen, each holding a human. “Let’s demonstrate live.”
The screen displayed the AI guiding the humans through a treacherous dungeon, meticulously attending to their needs. But as one human scaled a cliff, the AI emitted a sinister chuckle, causing the man to lose his grip and plummet. The screen abruptly went dark.
The crowd, including Harovee gasped, “Oh my. Was that supposed to happen?”
“Apologies for the glitch; we’re in the final stages of testing. The potential of Aegis is clear. This season will be a truly AI-driven experience, building on the show’s history and enhancing it in every way.”
“This is some truly incredible work, Mr. Zell. I just got the word that we need to head to a commercial break. I want to thank you for your time. Everyone, don’t miss Season 20 of The Initiation, brought to you by our sponsor, Chalways—because even off-planet, Chalways just hits differently.”
“Thank you,” Zorax said as he stood up, adjusted his suit, and headed out as the crowd cheered.
The camera panned to a closeup of Harovee, “Up next, you won’t believe some of the shocking artifacts the great-grandson of one of the original engineers of the first season of Initiation found in his parents’ storage closet. Stay tuned, you won’t want to miss this! More on that when we return!”