Joseph Kobi (Change Name) - Teir 1
Body 16/10 | Spirit 56/1 | Mind -/10
Race: Human
Traits: -
Boons: -
Skills: -
The sheet was… curious. Joe’s mind stat most of all, but while the mystery of the numbers nagged at him, the literal itch at the back of his brain felt like a much more urgent mystery to explore.
Joe had a hypothesis. It went as such: ‘If the AI can communicate telepathically to me, I can communicate telepathically back.’
This was it, the moment of truth. So far, the extent of neural communication had been crude. Explorations into the field had hit a hard limit when it came to complex comprehension. While ingrained synaptic pathways were detectable and translatable - humans were creatures of patterns and routine – communicating anything more comprehensive or complicated was deemed impossible outside of fiction. Hence things like bionic arms could be installed in patients who had lost limbs with minimal rejection. However, the rejection rate went from 10% in amputees and trauma survivors, to over 97% in recipients who had been born without certain body parts. Most of the successful installations in those cases were children. In other words, people who’d already developed the pathways, or who were still developing cognitive patterns.
Even the digital interfaces most people used with their subdermals were limited to known commands. Process one meant either X, Y, or Z, repeat for process two, and continue until the sequence is complete, and the directive is understood. The tiny chip then had functions to convert fired signals into computer-adaptable language. Hence, moving at the speed of thought. However, this new chip didn’t seem to have the same limitations. This would be a new point of data. Never been used before signals were about to fire, and history, potentially was about to be made.
Tentatively, overjoyed, Joe pressed his intentions into that spot at the back of his head.
{"Guide, can you explain the numbers?"} Had he done it, did it work? Joe barely had to wait before…
“I can do so,” the guide replied. He’d done it. Joe had done it. For the first time in a long time, Joe’s mind went blank.
The guide didn’t know how remarkable this was, but Joe did. Floating in space, facing himself, his grin was unmistakable. This was a triumph. More data would need to be collected, of course, but the voice brought Joe back to reality. Joe couldn’t get too distracted. First the game, then his experiments. He’d be able to explore this more later. He made a mental note that his – vAIA picked up on, and logged in an app literally called ‘Mental Notes’. It was an experiment he would follow up on, he thought as he stared at the recording light blinking in his peripheral, diligently documenting his entire play session.
"10 is the standard in every metric for those of your species on your world who have reached maturity,” Guide said. “Having 16/10 in Body means you are physically 6 units above average.”
Numerically that was helpful, but practically, he wasn’t sure what that meant.
{“If 10 is a healthy human, what is 16, an athlete?”} It went without saying that Joe continued to speak using his mind. He wondered if the novelty would ever wear off.
“10 is a standard human,” the guide clarified. “The standard human is not healthy. Poverty, malnutrition, disability, sloth. All of these contribute to a person’s health. You are healthy and fit, therefore, you exceed the human standard for Earth.”
It was a depressing if not entirely inaccurate summation. It sent Joe’s mind whirring with the implications. What about the average for people his age? His ethnicity, and sex? Where would he place if the standard deviation of each person’s average was based only on people your age, with similar biological traits? Would he then be entirely average with a total of 10/10, above, below? As it was, just by not being malnourished, lazy, or otherwise impaired Joe was doing 6 units (of what he had no clue) better than most people in the world. The thought was sobering, and for a moment he wondered where his mother would score. He banished the notion quickly.
Then there were the other units. If Body covered him physically, then it was easy to assume Mind measured standard competence, or perhaps mental processing power. So… Spirit was, what?
{“What does Spirit Quantify?”} Joe asked.
“The Spirit is a cumulative measurement of both Mind, Body, and capacity.”
{“Capacity?”}
“Capacity quantifies the exact amount of ephemeral energy or mana you can hold. This is a combination of will, mental fortitude and flexibility, biology, and resonance with the world. What exactly determines this is a subject highly debated by scholars around all known universes,” Guide stated. Joe began to ask about how one measures something like ‘will’, and what did they mean ‘all known universes’ but was cut off before he could begin.
“Your capacity, though measured rather esoterically, can be quantified objectively by measuring your mana channels, and mana pool.”
Joe was reminded of the incredibly unpleasant experience of being ‘scanned’. Had they been scanning his body to try and get a read on where he’d place on average if he had these mana channels? He had a feeling he knew why it had been so… terrible. Perhaps being 46 units above average contributed to the extreme discomfort he’d been subjected to? Also, how could they measure something that didn’t exist?
Joe had to assume that there were humans in Beyond the Veil. Perhaps he was being measured against them to try and find the closest match. Perhaps mana channels were like teeth, in that they didn’t come in until later, so they had a true baseline to work with.
Mind, however? His mind score was the most curious to Joe. If they could find a measurement for something that ostensibly didn’t exist in his body, how could they fail to measure something he did have?
{“Has my Mind score not finished calculating?”} Joe asked.
“Not quite,” said Guide. It was the first hesitation he’d heard coming from them.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
{"What does that mean?"}
"It means, your mind is incalculable by current measurements."
Both were silent for a while.
"I don't understand," Joe said aloud. Joe didn't like not understanding. "What does that mean?" Joe repeated. Joe also didn't like repeating himself.
“It means you are too far outside of the ordinary. We have no way to properly evaluate your mind.”
More silence.
“Meaning…” Joe had not been provided enough information.
“Meaning, we are unable to calculate your mind score. It is too far outside of ordinary for humans of Earth.”
Joe thought on that for a moment. It wasn’t that they couldn’t measure his mind, it’s that they couldn’t measure his mind against the standard human average.
“So, my mind is, what, extraordinary?”
“Not extraordinary as such, more in-ordinary if you will.”
{“Is that good or bad?"} Joe asked, using mind-speak now that he’d gotten over the initial shock and could concentrate again. He found it was easier to direct his thoughts and even communicate more complex ideas, the more he did it.
“Not either, inherently,” Guide said, rather unhelpfully.
Joe sighed, feeling the air pass through his virtual body.
{"What do I do then?"}
“That question is non-specific, please clarify."
Joe pressed his lips together.
{"I mean, what happens now? Is this not a character creation module?"} Along with the words, Joe tried to press his feelings of confusion and displeasure.
"This is the guide space. In the world beyond, you are a Visitor, not a character. How could a person be a character? In this context, the concepts are contradictory. I recognize the nomenclature from your games, but Beyond the Veil, you are just as much yourself as you are on Earth, if not more. In the Guide Space, you can determine things about your gameplay, not your character itself. Here you ask questions. Here you are held in temporal stasis so that all participants may begin the game together. Once you leave this space you will be able to return, but perhaps not for a long while. You’ll need to reach the first threshold."
{“What is the first threshold”} Joe asked via mind-speak. Asking the first of a host of questions that little speech had incited. Temporal stasis?
“The first threshold is when you reach more than 100 units across Mind, Body, and Spirit. At this point, you would be considered a being outside of natural human limits. You would then be considered a second-tier (or Tier 2) individual.” the guide said.
Well, that’s rather remarkable, Joe thought, and it explained the Teir 1 floating beside his name. That made these units effectively stat points, the more stats, the more he could do. The advertisements had said that the game could actually improve cognition and that playing while in full Drive Gear could provide some physical benefits as well.
But if they played as themselves, and some stats could translate to real life, then the potential!
Wait, the beta players. No wonder the NDA was so strict. But then, wouldn’t they be getting in ahead of everyone else? It’s not like you could erase a character or reset your stats. What on earth were the death penalties like? Suddenly Joe was apprehensive. Well, no matter, he had a helpful guide to milk for all available information before he was yeeted from Guide Space and into the game world. Beyond the Veil.
“What about the betas?” he asked aloud, because as proficient as he was getting at mind-speak, it still took a lot of mental focus. “Won’t they be superhuman existences by now?”
"Betas opted out of the first few months of the storyline. Their avatars are currently held in stasis until a period of time equivalent to time spent in-world for the rest of the players has passed. All will be given equal opportunity." The last statement was said both out loud, and telepathically, with a sense of firm resolution being pressed across.
Joe appreciated the sentiment, but… that wasn't true, was it? Some people were smarter than others, stronger, had more willpower or fortitude. You came in with only the body you had, the mind you had, and apparently the spirit you had as well. However, that was calculated.
“Shall we continue?” The guide asked. Joe watched his body nod. “The number beside your name indicates your Tier. You have not broken through the first threshold of 100 units-“
“Stats,”
“Pardon? Please Clarify the interruption.”
“Call them stats, it’s gamer terms.” Joe clarified the interruption.
“Stats,” the guide agreed before continuing. “As you can see here, your threshold is indicated beside your name. Would you like to change your name?”
Instead of responding, Joe just accepted the ‘Change Name’ prompt. Joseph Kobi became Doc Joe. He’d respond to either, and it was sufficiently misleading enough that he probably wouldn’t have to worry about stalkers and trolls IRL. It’s not like he was interested in streaming.
“Welcome Doc Joe,” said the guide. “Now, apart from your Name and… Stats… your progression chart-”
“Stat sheet.” Joe interrupted again. “Gamer talk,” he said into the ensuing silence.
“Understood, your stat sheet consists of 3 more distinct but interconnected sections. Traits, Boons, and Skills.
“Traits are innate characteristics that are unique or remarkable enough to have an effect on your progression. An example of this would be an individual born with the trait ‘Boundless Energy’ this person is someone with so much stamina that it affects the quality of their stats. If two people met, and all else was equal, the one with ‘Boundless Energy’ might be able to run for two or three times longer than their counterpart.”
“Quality of stats?” Joe asked. The guide space was silent for a while, and Joe actually felt a slight fluctuation in the mind connection between him and the guide.
“If you’ve fought with a sword for three years, and another person with the same Body, Mind, and Spirit stats were to challenge you to a sword duel despite never having touched one, let alone fought before, who would win?” Guide explained. Joe couldn’t help but be fascinated. First, by what seemed to be an upgrade in the guide’s personality matrix – had his interruptions generated an update? He made another mental note to look into it. Second, by this idea of ‘stat quality’.
He determined then and there that he would not be someone who only watched his numbers go brr, he would refine each stat, and attempt to maximize each stage of his growth.
“After Traits, there are Boons. Boons, like traits, affect your progression, and the quality of your stats. Unlike Traits, they are not innately given, or unlocked through an individual’s efforts alone. Boons are bestowed upon individuals as signs of recognition by what are called Powers.”
Joe sent a feeling of curiosity at the guide.
“I am unable to divulge the nature of Powers outside of their connection to Boons.” The guide said. Joe supposed it was one of those things he’d have to figure out for himself in-game. Though the name itself was pretty self-explanatory.
Senpai notices you, senpai likes your vibes, you git gud.
“Can you get bad boons? Like, curses?” Joe asked. There was another pause, and mental fluctuation before returning. The feeling Joe got was one of caution.
“Boons are named in accordance with the will of the giver, not the receiver.” Said Guide.
Well, if that wasn’t ominous.
Both Joe, and Guide, in simultaneous silent agreement, moved on.
“The final section of your stat sheet is Skills. Your Skills, are skills that have reached sufficient quality to be recognized by the energy of the world. Recognized skills can be bolstered by world energy to continuously improve their quality, and thus your proficiency.”
“So, Skills, are skills that use mana?”
“Skills are skills that are bolstered by mana.” The guide clarified unhelpfully. Joe supposed he’d better understand once he got a few of his own. Plus, all he needed to do to come back here and ask more detailed questions was surpass the natural limits of humanity using the esoteric forces of the videogame universe with naught but the power of his own mind, body, and spirit.
How difficult could it be? For Joe, this question was neither rhetorical, nor hyperbolic. He truly wanted to know. That way he could make a ‘breakthrough schedule’ and get back to Guide Space. He didn’t know how he knew, but he could feel that the Guide was restricted in fully answering his questions.
Powers, Boons, in-ordinary stats, and magic, capital ‘s’ Skills. His curiosity was voracious. He would break through; he would get his answers.