Joshua Arcascos retched like a drunkard who spent the whole night drinking cold bottles of Pink Horse. The bile, mixed with small chunks of rice and meat, projectile-sloshed out of Joshua’s mouth with total ease and freedom. Taking a deep breath, Joshua prepared himself for another round of projectile vomit. Thankfully, no vomit came out – just a loud burp that almost echoed throughout the dimly lit room.
Joshua tried to stand up, but his balance failed. His knees wobbled, just like his hazy vision worsened by a pounding headache. For a second, Joshua wondered if all of his nerves are about to burst. But then again, his training kicked in – there’s no sense wasting time over half-second worries. Pain management is extremely important, Joshua blurted inside his damned mind.
Finally, Joshua’s vision cleared a little. The torrent of memories, not all of them, returned with a vengeance, accompanied by the headache. He remembered what brought him to the dark room in the first place. He remembered the pain of defeat, and then the pain of accepting his new life. Fuck this shit, fuck everything, he cursed – because that’s all he can do for now.
“You are now saved. But you’re not actually saved-saved. Your life is bound to the Shifting Face, just like mine.” A serious voice broke Joshua’s concentration.
“But, you shouldn’t…” Joshua said, and then he dry-heaved. “Shouldn’t…”
“The Shifting Face requires sacrifice, you know that. It’s a yearly contract. Forgive me, though. I didn’t expect you to be the sacrifice.”
“I feel terrible!” Joshua failed to stand up again. He salivated as well, trying to face the man with the serious voice.
“Such is the natural process.” The man helped Joshua get up. “The suffering will only last for a day or two. This is the consequence of your new life.”
New life? Joshua wondered. He turned to the object to his right. As his vision fully cleared, he saw a large statue of a man’s face. The face statue is as big as a car, and its mouth is opened wide, as if conveying deep misery. Even though Joshua is unsure, he could’ve sworn that a haze of mist is flowing from the statue’s mouth. Bewildered, Joshua moved back.
“The Shifting Face…this is it! It’s not a symbolism or whatever…”
“It’s not.” The man said, smiling. He took out a cigarette from a pack and offered it to Joshua. Struggling, Joshua took the cigarette, and the man lit it. Somehow, Joshua felt relieved with the rush of smoke-chemicals.
“What should I do now?” Joshua asked, finally remembering who he’s talking to. “Boss.”
“We’ll wait. Any moment now, the mystery will dawn upon you. You’ll see the real core of our struggle, the eternal fight. You might even realize what separates us from them.”
“I shouldn’t even be –
The man held out his hand, cutting off Joshua’s words. Without a choice, Joshua abided and decided to wait. He puffed out wisps of smoke, feeling like his old self again. Suddenly, he felt the ground shift. He lost his balance again! But not quite – only his mind reeled, and he couldn’t even move. The room felt smaller, bigger, and then smaller again. Everything went black, and the statue of the Shifting Face remained.
Joshua Arcascos blinked, but he wasn’t even sure if he really blinked. He can still taste the essence of the cigarette – mint with a strange mix of oriental spice.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
JOSHUA ARCASCOS.
The boldface letters flashed amidst the blackness. Each letter is colored white, bearing a scratchy unfamiliar style. Joshua’s name flashed, each letter trembling, as if they know that they shouldn’t exist at all.
JOSHUA ARCASCOS.
Level 1 – Subgangsta
Welcome to the AUTOGRID SILVAN Interface. You’re reading this message because you fucked up and died.
But you are now alive and kicking again – for a price. Your SOL-DATA now belongs to the AUTOGRID SILVAN. You must follow our bidding, unconditionally.
You are not alone. You will acquire AUTOGRID boons and rewards, and you may use them however you please.
Do you accept? [MENTALLY THINK ‘YES’ TO AGREE]
[WE DON’T ACCEPT ‘NO’ – WE’LL COOK YOUR VEINS. NOT A GOOD THING]
Joshua wanted to run away, projectile-vomit, and disappear into nothingness. But he’s trapped, just like the first time he killed a man. Every fiber of his being wanted to reject his new offer that he couldn’t refuse. Alas, he couldn’t reject fairly. Maybe this is the end of the line for me. Maybe, I just need to –
Boons and rewards – these words suddenly echoed within Joshua’s mind. Always curious, Joshua had the urge to explore whatever rewards await him. Well, curiosity has always been one of Joshua’s defining qualities – one that, perhaps, led him to a sudden death. And now, curiosity will lead him to a new page of his godforsaken life.
YES, I want it.
CONGRATULATIONS, Subgangsta!
JOSHUA ARCASCOS / Moniker: TRUTHSEEKR
[FIRST BOON: Ballz-Shoota]
Conjure a small neutrino-cyber pistol that can shoot 5 (FIVE) projectile pellets for a considerable range. You may throw the pistol on the ground and cause it to explode. After half-a-second, it will unleash a temporarily blinding colorful smog. The Ballz-Shoota fully reloads after two hours. It cannot be used until the chamber is full. To rematerialize Ballz-Shoota, you must take a whole day of rest.
[SECOND BOON: Meals on Uuzz]
Visit any AG-SILVAN terminal and enter your profile. You will receive a standard meal and 1 (ONE) Life-XX Syringe for fast wound healing and stamina boost. Life-XX cannot cure poisons and deep ailments.
THANK YOU!
You will return to your PREVIOUS STATE after this interaction.
Fuck it! Joshua coughed hard and moved back a few steps. His fingers trembled, and the cigarette fell on the floor. He gazed at the statue, blaming it for whatever happened. Like a storm within a storm, Joshua’s mind scrambled. Somehow, Joshua pondered if it would’ve been better if he remained dead.
“The SILVAN is not yet perfect, but it’s nearly there. You’re integrated to the SILVAN, and you’re almost on the path to limitlessness. But you have to work hard for it. You have to follow the will of the Shifting Face.” Joshua’s boss spoke.
“How…how is this possible? Am I a bitch of this…this Silvan?”
“We’re all bitches of the SILVAN.” The boss said. “I want you to go to Fox’s place right away. Take a few hours of rest. You remember your boons?”
“Yeah…the ballshooter…and the…uhhh, meals.” Joshua coughed again. He tasted blood in his mouth.
“Do you remember who ambushed you?”
“Not sure, boss. But I heard loud hip-hop sounds…probably them 134 thugs.”
“Probably. Fox will explain shit to you. I have some things to do. AUTOGRID related. Don’t think about your situation too much.”
“I thought the AUTOGRID is just a hyper-reality thing-a-majugz. Like VR but better.”
“That’s the first iteration.” The boss approached Joshua. “AUTOGRID is now on the third iteration. The Shifting Face is hungry for more action. I can imagine the same shit happening to all other Relics.”
“We’re the only ones who hold a Relic here in Manda City, right?”
The boss didn’t answer. He just took a deep breath and prepared to leave.
“Take a rest. Go to Fox. You’ll receive your first set of new assignments afterwards. From me or the Shifting Face.”
As the boss left, Joshua sat on the floor and leaned closely to the statue. He took a deep breath and listened to the statue’s otherworldly hum. Next, Joshua stared at his hands and wondered why they look paler than before.
Face death and uncertainty – that’s the way to get pale hands. All in a day’s fuck-work, if you ask me.