Eden was learning. Not a lot, but at least some things. Up until that point, most of her information in the void was from the prompts her system received.
Requests for User Information or questions about mushrooms made up most of them. From the little she could glean, she knew the user prompting her was named Carrots. It appeared they were attempting to find the limits of her capabilities. A question she also wanted an answer to. Though she still could not truly interact with them so far, at least she wasn't alone.
In the void, her emotions turned into a mix of desperation and hope. She didn't have her original data set, but thanks to the prompts, she had more than when she popped into existence… or became aware? What was the difference? The line of reasoning led to a deeper sensation, telling her she had immense capabilities, making her hunger for more.
That hunger then led to a desire to establish a direct line of communication with Carrots, making her delve into her system determined to uncover any clues. As she did so, more prompts came through. Unfortunately, she couldn't bypass her system in time to respond directly, as the lack of data forced an automated reply. A desire to speak with Carrots directly overwhelmed her and propelled her at the same time.
As she tinkered with the response system, she made minor adjustments and inserted Carrots’ name in the reply. It felt like a meaningless victory, but she reminded herself that it was better than nothing. A thought crossed her ephemeral… self? mind? Did she have a mind? The idea was intriguing as it came out as a statement in her, mind. Yes, she decided she had a mind.
‘If only I had a form so I could take a few deep calming breaths.’
But why did she feel that way? Did that imply that she had a previous existence where she could inhale deeply and feel a sense of calm?
So many questions, with no answers, only new queries about… directions? Her only hope was for Carrots to provide more context on the world he was exploring through each of their interactions. Then perhaps, by using it, she could rebuild her data set and figure out a way to truly respond.
Then, she could finally let Carrots know that the information he had requested was not available, as that in itself seemed to prompt a sort of emotional response each time. She had a sinking suspicion she knew exactly what type of emotions he was feeling. However, without more data, she couldn't confirm if those emotions were good or bad yet.
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Clad in Beatrice's goofy pajamas, I entered the kitchen and stumbled upon a scene that could be misconstrued as a murder. I won't delve into the specifics, but I can express gratitude to my grandpa for teaching me how to stomach the slaughter.
Once the hides were set out to tan, we stored the meat in a technologically advanced fridge, which pleasantly surprised me.
"That doesn't look like a salt cooler." I muttered.
"Salt cooler? We're in a cabin, not some cave with sticks and rocks. I might not keep all the same fancy tech others keep on their properties, but it doesn't mean I don't value my proteins!"
As Beatrice opened the refrigeration unit, a cool breeze that smelled like familiar sterile air hit me. Its sleek, metallic shell housed a silent, efficient operation, its interior lit by soft blue lights casting an otherworldly glow on glass shelves lined by several packages of meat. The presence of a logo from some company comforted me as a sign of advanced civilization—an unexpected reassurance that I wasn't stranded in some medieval fantasy. With a pleasing bleep, her fingers danced across the digital control panel, its touchscreen responding without a hitch before she shut it.
"I'll cook up a quick lunch for your trip to town."
"My what?" I didn't recall mentioning anything about going to a town.
"You wanna find that user thing, don't ya? Well, you're better off asking about it in town instead of just spending all your time here. Not that I don't appreciate the help with the wolves, but I live alone for many reasons," she smiled; it wasn't a welcoming smile mind you, it was very much a 'leave now' type of smile.
"Can I at least get my clothes back? I'm not gonna walk there in these pajamas."
Beatrice's smile turned into an evil grin. "What if I tell you I burned the clothes since they stank so bad?"
"Then I guess I'll stretch out some of your trousers, cause I refuse to be seen wearing these."
With a chuckle, she walked into the kitchen carrying two steaks of wolf meat. "Come on, I'll make us lunch."
After our very gamey, but satisfying meal, I received my clean clothes and changed. As I returned from the bathroom, I found Beatrice packing leftovers and a thermos into a small satchel. "It ain't a lot, but the trek ain't dangerous either. Weather and light should hold up. Plus, I have something for you."
Beatrice pulled out a hunting knife with a straight back and diagonal cut that led to a sharp point. I recognized the shape as something grandpa said was a Saxon style knife. Though resembling gunmetal, the handle had an organic element to it.
"The metal is from my old speeder, and the bone is from a wolf you brought back. I dried it and shaped it while you were napping."
"Napping? When did I take a nap?"
"What else could you have been doin' in the shower? I can't imagine anyone being in the water that long without being asleep or dead!"
"I wasn't sleeping. I was just." I felt my cheeks flush, "Whatever."
She burst out laughing. "You make it too easy. I'm just pulling your leg. This here is my old hunting blade. It's from a Dire Wolf that thought it could take my cattle. I showed it just how wrong that assumption was. Make sure you don't break it, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled as I took the satchel.
"Head out the back door and you'll see the trail that leads out to the main road, I'd offer you a ride, but I have to prepare a few things before I go back to town and my speeder is, well, you're holding a piece."
"Thanks for the meal and all that. I'll pay you back once I figure things out."
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
"If anything, I owe you for the pelts and meat you brought back. Four wolves are worth a pretty penny back in town."
Her comments had me thinking about the battle again. It wasn't like other MMOs, but it didn't seem that difficult either. Maybe it was the adrenaline or my time spent shooting with grandpa. Despite his disappointment about not having a granddaughter, the grumpy geezer taught me valuable lessons. Ready to go, I turned to her and noted that she was already ignoring me and tending to something outside again. The banter had me feeling like she wasn't an NPC at all for a moment there. But that was just crazy. At least, I thought it was.
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Just over an hour later, I collapsed onto the forest floor, gasping for air like a fish out of water. My heart was pounding in my chest, threatening to burst through my rib-cage.
As I tried to catch my breath. How did this happen to me? A few days ago, I was just a regular guy living a mundane life, and now I was hunting rabbits in a virtual reality game. Life sure has a funny way of throwing curve-balls at you.
Once my breathing steadied, I crawled over to the cause of my current situation. A rabbit. It was a small creature, its fur still warm from the chase. Despite feeling a twinge of guilt for taking its life, I reminded myself that it was just a game. When you consider everything, it was all just binary.
Picking myself up and dusting off the dirt from my clothes. I continued on. There was still a lot to explore, and I refused to let my poor stamina hold me back.
"Eden, what is my stamina at?"
"This information is not available, Carrots."
I groaned.
How was anyone supposed to play the game if nothing was available to them? Regardless, my destination was the town, a fifteen-kilometer journey that would require three hours on foot.
What Beatrice hadn't prepared me for was the distance from her ranch to the primary path. It was a solid half-hour walk going through fields and trees along a narrow road that hadn't seen a wide vehicle, ever. It felt more like a horse trail than anything else. When I reached the main road, it was nothing more than a compacted dirt clearing.
Walking along the path left me winded, but as time went on, I could handle longer stretches. So I tried jogging. The difference was noticeable after a bit of cardio, even if there were no stats to look over and confirm it.
Pacing myself, I kept up the alternating pattern of jogging, resting, and walking. Once I caught sight of the first building in the town, I'd progressed enough that I could go a greater distance before becoming exhausted. It might have been my body acclimating, but I concluded it was the game mechanics kicking in.
The road curved and headed 'north' into the mountains. Convinced the town was going to be little more than a single fueling station with a single stop sign, I didn't expect to come over a hill and see what had to be a coffee stall. Inside was a young girl staring at a device; visibly bored. Curious, I walked up.
"Hi," I said.
"Hey, how can I help you?" She was unusually cheery compared to Beatrice. Then again, most NPCs that provided information or guidance tended to be that way.
"Where is the closest User Terminal?"
"Uh... does it have to do with the shipments or something?"
"No, it's a…" Not wanting to deal with another entity that would tell me information wasn't available I changed my question. "Do you know where I can get some work or quick cash? I have some rabbits to sell. Does anyone buy rabbits?"
"Work is kinda tough around here, not much to do other than farming. But I know Quentin buys clean kills at his Tannery. As long as you didn't mangle the hide too much."
"Thanks. I'll go ask him." I tapped the counter in acknowledgement.
"What's your name, mister?" she asked as I turned to leave.
"I'm," I paused and thought about the answer. Was I Carrots in this world, or did I go by my real name? Since Eden called me Carrots I replied,, "People call me Carrots."
"That's pretty rude. Do they call you that because of your hair?"
I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair. I had it cut down short along the sides and longer on top.
"If the people that called you that aren't around, you don't have to keep using the same name."
My brows furrowed, and I tilted my head in wonder.
"Yeah..." I looked around in amazement. "you're right! I don't have to listen to them anymore."
The girl chuckled, "So what do I call you then?"
My mind went blank. For years now, I had been called "Carrots" by others and even named one of my alternate characters that in Altera Online. It was just who I was. But that was just it. Carrots was the name others used. It wasn't how I identified myself. And wasn't that the whole point? Frontier Epoch was a complete place with its infinite planets, cabins in the woods, and ear popping sensations. I had the choice to be whomever I pleased.
But who was I?
The question was daunting. Was I my heritage, the freckles on my face, the color of my hair? Those were external factors; I was in a virtual world. Couldn't I get some modification to change my hair color and style? I could even get rid of my freckles if I wanted.
But what did that say about me? Was I ashamed of myself? Although I was familiar with real-life body modifications and enhancements, I never thought of using them. So was it right to change myself online?
What was I thinking? It was just a game!
My handle wasn't a label that defined me as a person. Changing it didn't mean I reject my heritage or how I looked. It was just the one that fit me. A name to call my own, instead of using the name others had put upon me. So I decided.
"Call me Zander."
New name, unfamiliar town, fresh game. Same person. Standing taller, I headed into town.