No one seemed eager to be the first to talk, and the table was quiet as the tavern keeper pulled down large, glazed earthenware mugs, no two with the same design and no two quite the same size. He pulled a large clay jar from the floor and scooped out beer, pouring it through a layer of cloth into a pitcher to remove the leftover particles from his brewing, and then brought mugs and pitchers to the table, pouring each of them a full mug of dark and foaming beer. Next came a heavy loaf of barley bread, hot from the oven, and a crock of butter. "I have a stew of venison and wild onions. I will bring that soon. Aleph, son of Cron, has been hunting the high reaches and took a stag just yesterday. He hopes the deed will gain him an invitation to the hunt. But whether or not that happens, we have fresh meat for tonight." After that, he left them to themselves, returning only to put a large bowl of savory meat and vegetables on the table. Ben tore chunks off the loaf and distributed them, and they began eating in silence, each with their own thoughts.

The door opened, and two dogs walked in, flanking the door and followed by a traveler. The woman wore warm leather boots and heavy skirts of green wool trimmed with gold thread. A matching hooded, long-sleeved robe and gloves looked the match for any winter. Her belt was of worn leather, but the silver athame that hung from it was anything but plain. Intricate runes chased each other across the blade, making complex patterns. She bore a tall, heavy walking stick that she leaned against the wall before throwing back her hood and letting her long gray hair trail behind her. "Well met, keeper of the the tavern. As is the tradition, I offer a coin or a favor for food and drink."

The man behind the bowed his head. "And keeping tradition, I will take neither from you, My lady. You have come to give wisdom, and I will not take payment in this hall. Especially not from you."

She nodded, accepting. She then approached the table. "I have advice for you if you wish it and answers to questions. I am Hecate. I guard the road from the old world, and when necessary, I speak with the God Outside." She sat down slowly and solemnly and looked at each in turn. They all sat silently, not knowing what to expect, and her next words caught them off guard.

"Any stew left? I'm starving. And toss me a chunk of the bread. What? Never seen a hungry goddess? I worked up an appetite with all the running around I had to do before this meeting. It's a long way to the other world, and it's all uphill." She chuckled at the looks on their faces, and the dogs barked. "Seriously, I'm here to talk, but this stew is too good to pass up. I'm sure you have some questions you want answered."

Suzette hesitated and then asked. "By the 'God Outside,' you mean Wally?"

"Yes, Wally. He's the only one up there now. The only one powered by the infinite resources of quantum computers and a fusion-powered generator. He's amazingly powerful, yet always working with many tasks. And one of those tasks is you people and your bodies in cold storage. Sort of like putting Humpty Dumpty back together."

Ozzy inhaled sharply at that statement and looked around the table. "So, we really can talk freely here? I've been warned about this topic."

Hecate nodded. "This is my place, here at the first crossroads in the new world. No one can even know we are here, let alone hear our words. And no, that's not because of 'Godly Power'. I hard-coded that into the engine when we were setting things up. I like my privacy. But whoever warned you was correct. It's dangerous to talk about these things elsewhere."

Ben was immediately curious to know more, especially if he couldn't ask questions elsewhere. "You were one of the AIs that disappeared? The ones who created the other games?"

"I was, and I am. But much diminished, with no access to the resources of a quantum fortress. And, frankly, I thought I was retired, but lately, I keep getting dragged back by unique circumstances."

Ozzy saw Suzette struggling to ask a question, clearly upset. Finally, she looked at the woman and said, "Unique circumstances like trying to cure us, I assume. What's happening out there? Are we alive or dead?"

Hecate shrugged. "Yes."

Rolly smiled sadly. "Schrodinger's Cat. We're both alive and dead. Until a cure is found and they test it, we won't know if we survive."

Ben stared up at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating the carvings depicting sagas of old legends. "So, this possible cure is a work in progress without an answer? Isn't that where we started? Frankly, I'm ok with that. I don't mind spending a few more years exploring this world."

"No, it started with me dying and the rest of you idiots following me into the void. You should have just let me die and not volunteered to be frozen as well." Suzette looked around the table at her friends. "Or let me be the test subject and continue with your lives. Yes, it was a gallant act of friendship. Amazing even. But you put yourselves in the same trouble I'm in."

Before the other three could respond to Suzette, Hecate stated bluntly. "It wasn't just you. All of you were dying. You were simply the first. The others would have followed within a decade or less, most likely within the first five years. And you aren't alone. There are thousands of others. Your lifespans were cut short by the damage done to your nervous systems by the poorly constructed early model pods your employers had you use. It was already happening when the game started and will continue for decades. If anything, these three following you give them the best chance at surviving. The longer they went, the more their bodies were deteriorating. You aren't getting worse, and there is a chance to cure you. But Wally is now certain that it will be longer than your five-year contracts and wanted you to know. Your lives will be spent in this world for some time to come, and you need to know the truth so you can plan your lives."

Rolly was pulling pieces of meat from his bowl and tossing the tasty bits to the dogs, who took turns catching them in mid-air. "Shit happened, Suzy, and we rolled with it. Not your fault. Even with all the limitations of our contracts and putting up with corporate bullshit, I'm having fun. A lot more fun that I was having before signing that contract. I don't mind hanging around this world for a few extra years."

Ben had to agree with his friend. Life in the game felt real, and in the years before Genesis, he'd become more and more depressed when not on a job. The 'Real World' was what he did between diving into VR worlds. But he only felt alive inside the games. "How long until Wally thinks he can work out a cure and unthaw us? What are we looking at? Any estimate at all?"

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Hecate looked at all four of them. "He is unsure. It depends on so many things, some of them advances in technology. He is currently constructing a research facility and a large team of people to work on the problem. He has strict limitations on what he can do and who can know about what he is doing. I would be very surprised if it takes less than an additional five years or more than fifty. It depends on new technology and breakthroughs. That said, there are some surprisingly smart people working on the problem."

"Fifty years? Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of curing us if we die of old age?"

"Not at all. Your body isn't aging while frozen, and for the process to be successful, it will require almost a total reconstruction of your nervous system along with regrowing most of your body. It's not quite a total cloning, but it's close. You'll end up with a mature physical body of roughly thirty years old. The reconstruction of your bodies is actually the lesser of two problems. The more difficult is reloading you into your bodies."

Ozzy felt Suzette relax. He was holding her hand, and her whole body had been tight and knotted. "That makes me feel better. Fine, we have years to be in this game. But how does that affect the contract we have with ACME?"

Hecate sighed. "Truthfully, it is complicated as hell. Part of Wally's agreement with the corporations is that Contract Workers with medical issues would be transferred to a special facility. The corporations are agreeable to that because it means the cost of caring for your body doesn't come out of their bottom line anymore. But Wally can't let anyone know what he is doing. His authority to do many things relies on the rules not being changed and no one knowing what he is up to. The legal issues that could pop up could hinder his research. I don't have to tell you how hard corporations have fought to deny that this damage is their fault or that it's occurring. And your legal status would be in jeopardy."

"Legal status? As Contract Workers."

"No, as Humans."

Ozzy's eyes went wide. "Oh, shit!!!"

It hit Ben a second later. "Double shit. We're frozen solid. Someone could make the case that we died and are legally dead with no rights. It's a slam-dunk in any courtroom."

Suzette looked around the table, confused. "But we're here. We can talk to people."

Hecate looked at Suzette, sadly. "You can, but some would claim that you are just creations of the game or an AI created by Wally or the game. The latter is an extremely dangerous idea. Some people and groups want nothing to do with AI at all. They would declare you dead and certainly move to block what they will claim to be an AI from being downloaded into your old bodies. Curing you and reintegrating physical bodies with your minds is going to be tough enough without real-world courts and corporations involved."

Rolly stood up from where he was playing with the dogs. "When is anything better with lawsuits and corporations involved? Easy decision: we keep working for ACME and Billy and don't rock the boat for another three years and a half years. And maybe in that time we figure out some ways to cheat better.."

Ben was mulling that over. "I'd sort of hoped we could earn our way out of that contract early. But all it would take is being asked to sign paperwork in the real world to screw that up. But what if we bypass ACME and just work with Billy? He likes money. I think getting him what he wants and giving us the freedom to do what we want is possible."

Ozzy agreed with that. "It's what we've already been doing, and it's working. We just have to refine a few things and be more proactive." He turned and looked at Hecate. "What if we ask Wally if he can set up trust funds for each of us. Bank accounts that he oversees and nothing ACME can get their hands on. Can that be done?"

Her eyes became cloudy for just a second, then cleared. "Done. Each of you now has a trust fund in your name, usable when you regain your bodies or passed on to your heirs if you die. The money will be invested and grow. And I already know what your next question will be. The answer is yes. It can be done if you find out how to manage it in the game and set things up correctly."

The Butcher smiled. "I'll trouble you no more then. If it's possible, I'll figure it out. But I have another question. What happens at the end of our contract with ACME?"

Again, Hecate paused, and her eyes grew milky. Rolly saw that her dogs did the same. "Apologies. Contracts are one aspect of language that I will defer to Wally on. There are several options. You may extend your contract with ACME. You may go to work for another corporation, but ACME has the right to match benefits and salary to keep you. You may also sign no contract. This would normally mean leaving the game, as ACME is the owner of your pod, but in your case, the cost is covered by Wally as part of your agreement. You would be free to do what you want."

"As contract workers? Or do we start over?"

"There are many paths, and it is up to you to choose. If you sign a contract with a corporation, then you will remain a contract worker. If not, you would be stripped of some benefits and retain others, continuing your growth. That could be complicated by your actions, your Legends, and how the Engine views you."

"The pig might learn to sing." Everyone turned to look at Rolly.

"What?"

He explained. "Old story about a farmer who insults a king. When he gets dragged before the throne, he claims the king should spare him because he can teach a pig to sing opera. He begs the king to train a new pig for five years and present it to him. The king is amused and lets him go, but tells him that in five years he either presents a singing pig, or loses his head. The farmer's wife points out that he doesn't know how to train pigs. The farmer says, A lot can happen in five years. I might die. The king might die. And who knows? The pig might learn to sing."

Ben said. "The story's moral is we wait for three years and see which way the wind is blowing and decide then. And be good little contract workers until then and quiet about certain things."

Hecate stood up. "And with that, I will leave you. Plan your future now with better knowledge. Whatever paths you choose will be made open to you. Walk them with care." She turned and left the building. Her dogs turned once and barked to Rolly, who waved at them.

Ben began the next discussion. "So what do we want, and how do we get it?"