Uplift of the 17th Universe confirmed.

The Company welcomes you to the Multiverse, new hire!

Your onboarding and integration will begin momentarily.

The ancient oaken door opened, and a young woman stepped out wearing something that looked a lot like business casual crossed with a Greek chiton. “Mister Solus, Luke Solus?” she asked with a glowing smile that dazzled Luke.

“That’s me,” he said automatically, his interviewing instincts kicking in. Having been thrown into such strange and unexplainable events, he latched onto any semblance of familiarity.

His superpower might help him be forgetful, but that worked against him with interviews. He had to work extra hard to be personable and memorable since most hiring managers forgot his name the moment he was out the door.

One embarrassing instance, the overworked guy had forgotten him mid-interview and seemed shocked he was there when Luke cleared his throat.

“This way, please,” she said, holding a glowing tablet in her hands that she kept pressed tight against her flowing white dress. Her hair was done up in a series of towering curls that made her look like some sort of Greek goddess out of antiquity. In fact, he was pretty sure he’d seen this exact person at an art gallery Marcy had dragged him to earlier that year.

Inside the room, Luke found he was much more comfortable than he felt he should have been. It was a standard interview room, set up exactly like the countless rooms he had haunted trying to get a job in the cutthroat post-pandemic world.

Luke started to wonder if this person was real. If any of this was real. Was he hallucinating, or did he hit his head so hard that he was out in a coma and this was all a trippy dream?

Maybe I had an aneurysm when Alice wouldn’t stop talking?

He realized, rather abruptly, that wondering wouldn’t help things any. It was best to interact with his present situation as reasonably as he could. He could freak out later.

Luke dropped into the chair woodenly, staring at the desk at which the woman gingerly sat. She clearly had some OpSec training because she put her glowing tablet face down so that it showed the etched stone back instead of whatever was on the screen.

Okay, that’s an odd tablet cover.

And then he began to notice the rest of the room.

While it looked familiar at first, closer inspection revealed something very different. Like trying to speak a foreign language using only pop culture terms. There were inspirational posters, potted plants, the typical office minutiae you’d expect, but they were all subtly wrong .

The “hang in there” poster had a creature that, if you squinted and probably had cataracts, you might charitably call a cat, dangling above the inspirational message.

The desk was made of wood he wasn’t familiar with, and the chair seemed to blossom out of the ground, rooted to the spot by a thick trunk.

The woman smirked at him. “So, you noticed. You’re a bright one. Not many can see past a level 3 glamour.” She folded her hands atop the stone tablet. “Well done!”

“Who are you? What is this?” Luke found himself asking. He didn’t want to be cliche, but what else could you say in a situation like this? He needed answers. Any answers, in fact. “Where is everybody else? What was that weird message about? It looked like a startup self-test.”

“Very good indeed, Mister Solus.” She tilted her head to the side, shadowing half her face, and something blurred on her face. Almost as if the moment she dropped into the shadow, her “face” lagged behind a fraction of a second.

He didn’t like what he saw in that instant and decided he’d just ignore it for the time being. He could only process so much weirdness.

“This is, if you wouldn’t mind confirming that you can read your System Log, as the notification said, an onboarding process conducted by the Company.”

Luke stared. “What company?”

“ The Company.”

Luke had been raised at his dad’s knee reading Tom Clancy novels and then later the movies and TV adaptations. “You mean the CIA?”

The woman smiled and shook her head. “I’m afraid not. The CIA is the public-facing intelligence office of your people, yes?” She flipped the tablet over and held it up so Luke couldn’t see the glowing etched words on the other side.

It definitely wasn’t a screen.

“Ah, the Black Chamber?” she asked curiously.

Luke shrugged, the confusion plain on his face.

She set the tablet down. “Well, in any case, the answer is the same: no. We are the Company. And you are our newest hire.” She tilted her head the other way. “Technically, until your universe completes the uplifting process, you’re an intern .”

“I already have a job.”

The woman raised a peremptory finger. “You had a job.” She cleared her throat, launching into the spiel that any new hire gets but with words Luke had never thought he’d hear in a sentence together.

She used typical words like “onboarding,” “orientation,” and “pre-onboarding” as well as words like “initialization,” and “uplift” which made little sense to his addled mind.

Observe, orient, decide, act, he reminded himself to still the spinning thoughts freewheeling through his mind.

“Suffice to say,” she said with a practiced smile that didn’t quite look right, “that your universe had hit the required threshold for being brought into the greater multiverse. Your people had theories on multiple universes, I take it? Good. Then you’ll be at least passingly familiar with the concept.”

“This is the strangest interview I have ever done,” Luke said slowly, unsure what was next.

The woman tittered mechanically. “Oh, you. This isn’t an interview. You’ve already got the job! This is pre-onboarding before your assessment!” She tilted her wrist and glanced at the golden bangle there in the age-old symbol of checking the time. Not that Luke saw a watch there.

“My assessment?” he asked. “The Company needs a programmer?”

“Not unless you know Quad-K? No? Well, no surprise. Only the Precursors knew the source code of the System.”

He stared mutely.

“I’m rambling. Forget about all that, okay? Thanks!” Her dainty hands folded over the stone tablet. “Your universe is no longer alone. But before you can be brought in, we need to make sure you’re a good fit for the Company. Thus, the assessment. Before you begin, you’re allowed to ask a few questions, but I’m afraid we’re already running behind. Lots of new hires to process, got to keep the flow moving, you understand.”

“What’s the status of–” he began just as a pinging sound, a System prompt appeared before his eyes.

Status

Name: Luke Solus

Race: Human (G-Grade - Level 0)

Class: N/A

Profession: N/A

Vital Resources

Health Points (HP): 40/40

Mana Points (MP): 40/40

Stamina Points (SP): 60/60

Stats

Strength: 5

Dexterity: 8

Endurance: 6

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Fortitude: 5

Vitality: 4

Perception: 7

Willpower: 9

Wisdom: 4

Arcane: 6

Fate: 0

Free Points: 0

Luke did the typical thing, reaching out his fingers to trail through the lines of light that seemed to be roughly an arm’s length away. His fingers trailed through the light as if they weren’t there.

“Ah, you’ve already seen your status. Good! You don’t need to say it in order to use it though. Just between you and me, that’s an easy way to give away that you’re new.”

Luke stared at the stats. He was a programmer, so of course he’d played countless games. Some of the first coding he had done was modding popular games.

For some reason, Luke found the video game RPG-like information reassuring. It made a simple sort of sense. It was interesting that Willpower was his highest stat, followed shortly behind by Dexterity. Perhaps those were his defining characteristics?

The stats were a little bit of a hodgepodge from various sources, but he wasn’t unfamiliar with them. Fate was new. He’d never seen a game with that for a stat but… well, this wasn’t a game, was it? Not really.

He looked up, his jaw set. There were countless questions he could ask, and a saner person might have asked if they were serious, if this was real, on and on.

He could do that, but now that Luke was oriented, had observed the reality before him, it was time to decide.

And he decided that, if this was all some fever dream, or the last dying synapses in his mind giving up the ghost, he would rather dive into the deception and enjoy it for as long as he could.

Besides, he didn’t want to be an idiot, spending all of his short time with her arguing over what reality was. She had told him they were running behind, and he intended to get off on the right foot.

“Do I get a class?” he asked.

The flicker of surprise that crossed the woman’s face was delightful. She had clearly expected him to question everything. With a knowing smirk, she made a gesture with her manicured fingers and a series of notifications flashed across Luke’s vision.

He found, much like accessing the System Log, that he could willingly scroll through the text in any direction he wanted, even all the way back to the first message he had seen.

Luke glanced at the woman. “Got any advice for me?”

“Against the rules,” she told him. “But I am here to offer answers to common questions, most of which you seem unbothered by.”

He shrugged his narrow shoulders. “Time is short.”

“You have no idea,” the woman said. “I have another half-million to process before lunch!”

Luke hardly heard her as he turned his attention to his first choice, hoping he would find something that fit him.

[Healer]

Starter Class. The Healer is focused on mending wounds, empowering allies, erecting defenses, and removing afflictions. Their power comes at a cost, however. This starter Class is offensively weak and relies heavily upon spells to bolster their allies and their own defenses. When their mana runs out, they are incredibly vulnerable. Though their solo survivability is among the lowest of the starter Classes, they can amplify the survivability of even the most novice group several times over. Class stats awarded per level: +2 Arcane, +2 Wisdom, +1 Perception, +1 Willpower, +1 Free Point.

Hard pass, Luke thought. He’d done his time as a healer in other games and had heard “healer adjust” one too many times to ever want to do it again.

[Mage]

Starter Class. The Mage rends and tears its enemies by systematically manipulating mana through spells. They favor attributes that enhance their magical prowess since without spells they are little more than a target. Lacking mana attunements of any kind, a Mage is capable of learning and using any type of basic elemental spell. They possess moderate solo survivability, provided they can keep their mana topped up, but excel in group combat with sturdier allies to defend them. Class stats awarded per level: +3 Arcane, +2 Wisdom, +1 Willpower, +1 Free Point.

Interesting, but this class seemed reliant on mana, of which Luke had precious little. Without knowing if the Mage got any spells or a way to replenish their mana, he wasn’t inclined to pick them.

Besides, whatever he chose would need to excel at soloing. It was where he felt most comfortable. He still shuddered remembering the time that Johnathan had tried out “paired programming” on the group before quietly shelving it the next month after nearly all performance metrics were missed.

[Archer]

Starter Class. The Archer prefers to keep their distance, firing from bows and crossbows, but is capable of handling any enemies that get too close with an assortment of light weaponry as a last resort. Agile and accurate, Archers possess great potential at solo combat due to their hard-hitting distant attacks, ability to blend into their surroundings, make traps, and create ambushes. However, in a group setting they are truly a force to be reckoned with. So long as they have a solid defensive line, an Archer can rain death upon the enemy. At least until they run out of arrows. Class stats awarded per level: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Perception, +1 Free Point.

He wasn’t into archery. His sister had taken to it like a duck to water, but he just couldn’t get into it. There was no thrill. It wasn’t until he had found fencing that Luke had truly found something he enjoyed.

That young kid in his first fencing outfit in that ridiculous-looking mesh helmet had dreamed of going for the gold in the Olympics one day. He might have made it too if he hadn’t gotten that scholarship.

A Computer Science degree was just more realistic, he had convinced himself.

Back on track, Archer seemed to fit his stat distribution. Dexterity and Perception were some of his highest stats. Since he always focused on practical exercises instead of bodybuilding, his Strength wasn’t anything amazing.

Let’s put a pin in Archer, he thought.

“Can you tell me anything further about the classes?” Luke asked.

“I am afraid not,” she told him. “However, once you are finished, I can answer questions pertaining to your chosen class–within reason–and give you the option of picking your weaponry.”

“Does it change with what class I pick?”

The woman looked meaningfully at him, and Luke got the hint. She couldn’t tell him anything until he chose.

Fine.

[Rogue]

Starter Class. The Rogue is the close-and-personal twin to the Archer. Capable of using ranged weapons, but excelling at close-quarters combat, a Rogue often uses their ranged weapons to mark a target before moving in for the kill. Specializing in covert actions, Rogues aim for the perfect opportunity to assail their target. Their potential for solo combat is the highest of all starter Classes, however it is predicated on whether or not they can assassinate their target before they’re spotted. In group combat, they are able to pick out vulnerable targets and put them down, turning the tide of battle with a single stroke. Unfortunately, this also means they are often exposed behind enemy lines, making their survivability the third lowest of all starter Classes whether solo or grouped up. Class stats awarded per level: +2 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +1 Perception, +1 Free Point.

Okay, this is a little better.

It was like Archer except risky and in-your-face. Like fencing.

Low survivability, but if he worked it right, it wouldn’t matter. Taking out a target before it ever noticed him definitely had an appeal compared to fighting something out in the open or judging for wind speed and angle drop for a bow and arrow.

Not to mention, Rogue’s stats seemed a great fit for his current stats. If only it had Willpower, he might be convinced it was purposely picked for him.

Besides, picking vulnerable spots to attack was a lot of what fencing was about. You parried, feinted, and lunged for that one unguarded spot. It was, of course, significantly more complex than that, but Luke could see the way Rogue might fit his current skill set.

Especially seeing that his programming skills weren’t going to be in much demand.

[Warrior]

Starter Class. The Warrior Class is highly adaptable in close-quarters combat, capable of wielding nearly all weapon types. As a result, they are able to fulfill various roles both in and out of a group. Warriors are capable of donning heavy armor and serving as second-rate defenders, providing protection to their comrades against enemy attacks if their group lacks a Gladiator. Warriors can shift from defender to attacker and back again as the battle necessitates, their martial adaptability unmatched by any starter Class. This adaptability comes at a cost. While they can serve as both an attacker and a defender, they excel at neither role. Their solo ability is among the highest due to their capacity to exploit any and all weaknesses with their wide weaponry proficiency. When in a flexible group, they excel, but in a fully formed group, they suffer from a lack of a defined and specialized role. Class stats awarded per level: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Vitality, +1 Free Point.

Warrior didn’t seem to be a bad choice either, but running around in heavy armor didn’t appeal to Luke at all.

Being flexible and having high survivability seemed nice, he preferred to be adaptable. Unfortunately, the stat distribution was mostly wrong for him. Dexterity was the only stat he had any decent amount of, but Strength and Vitality were among his lowest aside from the non-existent Fate.

Moving on…

[Gladiator]

Starter Class. The Gladiator Class, much like the Warrior, is built to go toe-to-toe with any and all challengers. Where the Warrior’s focus is wide, the Gladiator’s is narrowed on defensive attributes and skills that enhance their survivability to staggering degrees. Gladiators utilize one-handed weapons and shields to both protect and dish out pain. Though their damage output is the lowest of the starter Classes, their survivability, whether solo or in a group, is unmatched. They don’t have to deal much damage if they’re the only one still standing at the end of a battle. Functioning as an anchor in group combat, a Gladiator often dictates the ebb and flow of battle. When paired with a Healer, Gladiators are nigh-unkillable. Class stats awarded per level: +3 Vitality, +1 Endurance, +2 Fortitude, +1 Free Point.

The Gladiator class went deep in the heavy armor territory. Once again, not Luke’s style at all. At least Gladiator specialized in a role, whereas Warrior seemed balanced rather than exceptional at anything.

He’d rather specialize than generalize, but Gladiator pulled it in the wrong direction. He never could stand to tank in games, but if he had to be part of a group, wouldn’t it be good to pick something in demand?

Tanks and healers were always needed in every game he ever played. Some DND groups never got off the ground because nobody would play Cleric.

But in his heart, he knew which he would pick. Besides, these were just the first classes. The first step on his new journey.

You have selected [Rogue] as your starter class.

Confirm? Y/N.

Luke nodded. He was sure.

Class unlocked: Rogue.