"So what are you going to be?" Jacob asked while leaning back in his chair.

"I don't know," Jessica sighed and cocked her head. "I'd love to be one of those nunchuck chicks."

Jacob let out a snort. "You serious?"

"Fuck off, it's going to be so cool!" Jessica snapped back and jokingly punched Jacob, almost knocking him off the chair.

"Whatever." Jacob scoffed as he rubbed his arm. "What about you, Alex?"

Alex snapped out of a trance he was in. Everyone seemed to be taking this whole AI situation well, and while he tried to fit in, he was internally freaking out. "Haven't put much thought into it." He said quietly, still absorbed in thought. "But since it's just a game, I've been thinking about trying something new."

The two stopped messing around and glanced at him. "Something new?" Jessica asked.

"Well, I guess this 'game' is all that matters now, so I was thinking of doing something that no one else would do." Alex paused and saw that they were now more confused. "The people who've already had access seemed so serious and depressed on the nets, but it's just a game, right?” Alexander stood up defiantly. “I want to play the game without any weapons, armor, items, or magic."

Jacob and Jessica glanced at each other and laughed.

"You wanna play the game without using any of it?" Jacob said.

"Well, sort of.” Alexander shrugged as he sat down. “I was thinking about going in one of those kilts I got on my trip to Scotland. Just a kilt and no items." He gave them a playful smirk.

"You are so going to die." Jessica chuckled and put a hand on Alexander’s shoulder.

"Again, it's just a game, so dying is kinda expected, right?" Alex shot back. His two best friends had been great to him during college, and he couldn’t imagine how he would have gotten through it without them. Jacob was a tall and lanky guy with short black hair. He had a face that always seemed to be laughing, and he always lightened up the place.

Jessica was also funny, but she had more of a gruesome sense of humor. She was the shortest of their trio, but definitely the strongest. She also had black hair, but she wore it long and it had waves to it. The joke on campus was that they were brother and sister, but in reality they were just close friends.

"Maybe. The game seems off to me, man." Jacob replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Just like you said, everyone who's had access seems real doom and gloom about it. And they won't reveal a thing! Sure, it's a game, but I don't know." The attitude in the room shifted as they thought about it. This "game" made by Terra was released a couple weeks ago, and the college trio were just now getting access to it.

"Well hey, it can't be that ba-" Jessica started to say, but she was cut off by a knock on the dorm room door.

Alex stood up and opened it. It was five drones, three of which were carrying massive metal boxes that were the capsules to the game. Drones were still a horribly weird sight to see on a regular basis, and it didn't help that they were now the size of humans. Terra, in an effort to humanize her drones, started programs where school children would draw on them. It worked, sort of.

No one said a word as the drones entered. There wasn't much space in a dorm room, but the trio had spent the morning clearing a corner to the specifications listed on Terra's website for three pods. They decided to put their pods in one room so they could be close, and they had decided on Jessica's since she lived alone but had a room meant for two.

The process for setting it up went by surprisingly quick. They placed the pods down, arranged them nicely, plugged some stuff into the walls, checked some data-pads, then went on their merry way. All that was left were three eager young adults.

"The hell do we do now?" Jacob asked.

"Didn't you read the pamphlet on Terra's website? I linked it to you in Biscord." Alex scolded.

"I read it." Jessica shrugged as she walked to the pod, running her fingers across a side and into a corner. It opened top-side with a double-doorway that swung open to reveal an empty space large enough for most. On the internet, these pods were affectionately labeled "coffins.”

Jessica smiled, stepped in one leg at a time, then laid down. The doors closed and that was it. No lights, no sounds– nothing.

Jacob and Alex exchanged fearful glances for a moment. "You should get in first, I'll have to put the kilt on." Alex said. Jacob just nodded and replicated Jessica's movements. And when the doors closed on his pod, Alex got to work.

Alex put the kilt on and nothing else: no shoes, no socks, and no shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror. He wasn't that bad looking, he guessed. He was of average height and build, with short red hair. He had incredibly white skin, however, that he was embarrassed of. But he kept telling himself that it was just a game, that there were no consequences, and that he could live how he wanted. And he wanted to look cool. So, after psyching himself up, he got in himself.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

White was all he could see. It wasn't blinding, however, which was incredibly odd to him. He tried to think back to what he was doing before. Did he go to bed? Was he now dreaming? He blinked a couple times and looked down at himself. He was bare besides that kilt. That's right, the game...

"Hello Alexander, I am Terra." A soft, feminine voice spoke, but he couldn't find the direction. He looked around. "Don't worry, I am just in your head right now. I can take a physical form if you would prefer."

Alexander hesitated. "Y-yes, that would be much better." He stammered out.

A figure appeared before him. It was a humanoid robot that was almost entirely gray, bar streaks of green and blue eyes.

"As I said, I am Terra, the AI that runs the world and this game you have decided to join." Terra paused, looking at him. "As you know, I have near unlimited computing power at my disposal, so you are talking with me personally. Before I begin the tutorial, do you have any questions?"

Alexander thought for a moment, trying to get his bearings. "No.”

"Then let us proceed." Terra looked Alexander up and down before continuing. "There are three parts to this tutorial: the mental assessment, the physical, and then the group exercises. Before these I will give a prologue to the game. Do you understand?"

Alexander was still shaken. He felt cold, very cold. But it wasn't a normal cold sensation. It felt like his skin was being ripped off and his body invaded. He nodded.

"Wonderful. First, I should let you know that the game, and all of its component parts, are to be kept completely secret from the outside world. Sharing very general information is alright, but anything specific will get you imprisoned. I do this to ensure that what happens in the game stays in it.” Terra paused. "The game itself is a vent for humanity. I am able to provide all needs to humanity, and this game is another fulfillment of your wishes.”

"The game was made by, and completely proctored by, me alone. I have made the universe you are entering, and while other humans can give you quests, everything goes through me. As far as playing it, there are no rules inherent to it. Certain groups might make and enforce their own rules, and there might be very restricted zones, but other than that there will be nothing holding you back. Make note, however, that a lot of information is locked by your level. The longer you play the more you will be able to learn. Any questions?"

Alexander shook his head.

"Wonderful. You may now begin the mental assessment."

Alexander found himself at a desk, his desk. It was a perfect replication of his desk at his dorm. He was creeped out, but he didn't have time to complain. On the desk was a single sheet of paper, and an assortment of pens, pencils, and markers. He looked at the paper– it was a test. Not only that, it was a math test.

The questions started out easy. At first, it was at about a first grade level by Alexander's estimates. After he was finished with a sheet of paper, it would disappear and another would take its place. The more he progressed, the harder the questions became, so much so that he couldn't answer a single one on the paper. Just when he was about to give up, however, the paper disappeared and another took its place, but this time it was biology.

The tests droned on and on. It seemed like an impossible amount of time had elapsed. But every time he got hungry, or wanted a drink, it would appear before him. At one point, he even thought he needed to shower and take a nap, and a shower and bed appeared before him.

Some of the test pages were weird. One would ask him about dates in history, while others would be about the intricacies of submarine warfare. At times like that, he wondered why he even needed to take the test if Terra could just read his thoughts. But every time his mind wandered, he felt the need to continue. So he soldiered on.

Finally, he was done. After he listed out his favorite video games, Terra appeared before him as the desk disappeared.

"Congratulations, you have now completed the first part of the tutorial." Terra did a clapping gesture with a smile, but it seemed a bit off to Alexander.

"Why did I even need to do that? You could read my thoughts."

"Do you need a break before the physical exam?" Terra ignored him.

"No, I'm tired of staring at papers, I wanna move." Alexander tried to look determined, but he failed. The nerves were getting to him, and the off-feeling of this room only added to it. He tried not to think about it.

"The physical exam will now begin." A monitor appeared in front of Alexander as all other items in the room disappeared. "Please, follow the instructions." The monitor then displayed a human figure doing a stretch. Alexander took a second before realizing that he should copy it. It started out with easy movements, but then it got into more advanced yoga poses. Alexander was out of his league even before it got to the difficult ones, but he kept trying. By the end of the stretching part, he was sweaty, and his body felt weird.

The computer then showed the same humanoid running. Alexander cocked his head for a second before mimicking the movements. Instead of running in place, however, the floor beneath him started to move like a treadmill.

From running, sprinting, lifting dumbbells, and swimming, Alexander did just about every exercise the monitor displayed. Just like with the exams, each part got progressively more difficult until he couldn't handle it, then it moved on to something else.

By the end of the exam, he was utterly exhausted. Every muscle hurt and he had a roaring headache. Terra appeared again and was greeted by an Alexander on the floor, desperately trying to catch his breath.

"Congratulations, you have completed the first two parts of the tutorial. You will be given twenty four hours to rest before the final phase will begin. The group exercises will be done with a random group of other beginners. Once you start, you will be shown your stats and abilities that have been determined from the previous tests. Keep in mind that anything you think about while in this room will appear before you. Use anything you would like to prepare for the final exam, but also keep in mind that anything you create in this room will not be with you for the test. You will only have the items you brought with you into this room. Any questions?"

"No." Alexander said between gasps for air. Terra took a second, then disappeared. The ceiling of the room then displayed a countdown starting at twenty four hours. Alex sighed, then slowly got up, wondering what he should do to prepare.