“Family aren’t those who share your blood. It’s those who stand by your side.”

– Lisandra

***V.C.***

***Vizir***

I rub my fingers and breathe onto them, trying to warm them up. They are clammy and white from the cold and it hurts to rub them. My breath crystallizes before it even reaches the skin, creating a white mist that drifts away into the winter landscape of the little starting town.

The bone-chilling cold is all-encompassing and the rugged clothes on my body are barely enough to keep me going. For a second, I consider simply lying down and dying. I would respawn at the town hall where it’s at least warm.

Unbelievable that I would ever think of dying as something that comes with benefits, like having a roof over my head. The only problem is that it’s not allowed to stay there for long, and the NPC who manages the place would throw me out after a few minutes, denying me access.

Wincing, I study the dark, foreboding clouds on the horizon. A large storm is building and I have no shelter.

A group of four adventurers strides past me, their steps are long and purposeful, full of confidence and power. One of the men glances at me and smirks, whispering ‘noob’ to his colleagues. A short glance at my state is enough for them to judge me. The whole group breaks out into laughter and continues onwards.

A little voice in the back of my mind tells me that I should be glad that they are just laughing. It could be much worse, as Fantasyworld isn’t a kind place to those without power. Seriously, why didn’t Lester send me to one of the other realms? Why did he choose this one? Shivering, I study the rest of the broad market-street, trying to figure out how I ended up in this place.

It all began when Lester offered me a final test before Jill would visit me again and – naturally – I refused. The last thing I wanted was to meet Jill, the Blue who I hold responsible for this mess in the first place.

So Lester threw me out to fend for myself. As simple as that. I didn’t expect him to let me go, but apparently, he deemed whatever agreement he had with Jill as honoured. I want to hate him for everything he did to me in the past month… or was it months? At some point during my re-education, I lost the track of time.

Anyway, thanks to his questionable methods I now know a lot more about this world and the humans. Probably more than I ever wanted to.

Enough to tell that I am in deep shit.

The term noob was originally intended for beginners, people who are new to a game, or even in this world. I am in one of Fantasyworld’s starting towns. At least it should be a starting point for any newcomers to the game, but that was a long time ago. The issue is that this world didn’t see any newcomers for ages. The few who happen to appear from time to time are usually sponsored by their progenitors or some faction.

What it comes down to is that all the starting towns are economically dead. Few people have a reason to return to a zone with low-level content. Therefore, the use of the term ‘noob’ changed with this development.

Now, a noob is a mentally retarded person. Someone who, despite decades of living in this world, couldn’t climb the social ladder or collect any amount of wealth. Just by looking at my clothes it’s clear that I don’t possess anything, hence I will be seen as one of those untrustworthy personalities.

I hate it, but I can’t argue the point. Why should anyone trust me? Or help me? Let’s face it, after decades in this game, a low-level person without any equipment must have some kind of problem. I wouldn’t want to associate with someone like that either. And it’s not like I can just tell them that I am an… a personality who illegally hacked her way into this world.

And despite this world being virtual, not everything is for free. There is a reputation system which is organized and sanctioned by G.O.D., the system which overlooks and manages the V.C.

Shaking, I approach one of the stalls at the side of the street. The inside looks warm and cosy, but I have no access rights. Frustrated, I hit the window and am rewarded with a warning message. It pops up in my field of vision, informing me that the shop is off limits to people with less than a thousand reputation points.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“I hate you, Lester,” I grumble at nobody.

I could gather reputation, but Fantasyworld is a group-oriented role play simulation. It’s indefinitely harder to gather any reputation without people who can help me. One of the few manageable quests at my level is hunting rats in the side-streets. After a whole day of doing so, I got a single measly reputation point. In exchange, I have no food and no shelter.

At this rate I would have to slave away for years, just to get to look into this shop. I don’t want to imagine how much it might cost to change servers. I may have gotten my wish of immortality, but I only just begin to understand that the price was everything I had.

My life, my career, my friends. What would’ve happened had I not injected the alien nano-tech into my body? Would I still be alive? Maybe I could have survived in one of the rescue capsules. Did Ouluk make it out of the station? He seemed smitten with me when we discussed the possibility of programming the nanites with our own code.

My cringing belly returns my thoughts to the actual problem at hand. Food and shelter.

For a moment, I consider eating the dirty rodents which I had to hunt for my first quest. The thought just popped into my head and I involuntarily check my stats, noticing that my satiation levels are down to thirty percent. At this point, I am not quite desperate enough to do so, but it might happen.

My eyes widen in horror when I realize that continuing down this road is a very real possibility. Lester’s lessons taught me that having no food comes with a feeling of real hunger, which is followed by stomach aches and an overall weakening of all stats until the affected person dies under horrific pain and considerable discomfort.

Ah, how deep have I fallen?

A gust of wind blows down the empty street, forming into a little dust devil of snowflakes and I curse Lester for throwing me out into the worst part of Fantasyworld. He could have chosen an area with acceptable environmental conditions. A place with a few players at least.

It would hurt my pride, but I could’ve tried my luck as a beggar!

Not that that would have helped me. If Lester’s picture of humanity is even remotely accurate I would have ended up as some kind of servant as best, shunted and despised more likely, and as a punching bag for some scumbag at worst.

The V.C. has laws, but they are few and mostly aim at the freedom of will. Nobody would raise an eyebrow if one person killed another in the streets. After all, the killed party would simply respawn, one experience richer.

A second gust of wind almost topples me over, announcing the impending storm on the horizon. Maybe I won’t die of hunger – this time. I’ll die because I am out in the cold when a blizzard buries the town under snow.

But this time, the resulting dust devil of snowflakes doesn’t disperse. It forms into a humanoid figure. The chorus of voices which follows the appearance of the strange being causes my blood to chill in my veins.

“Hi, I heard from Lester that he deems you ready.”

“H- hello, Jill,” I reply warily.

Jill’s body compacts down, compressing the snowflakes which are supplied by the wind into a featureless, female figure. The contours of her body are gentle but unmistakably sinuous. At last, I am confronted with a female version of an elaborate snow sculpture.

The gears in my frozen mind slowly catch up with the Blue’s words and I try to spin the situation away from my refusal to join her. “Ah, no. I told him that I would rather stay in the V.C.” I take a step back and my clothes crack, shedding the layer of ice and snow which formed on them.

The Blue floats closer and I feel the temperature dropping by several degrees if that’s even possible. “Are you sure? You know, I still haven’t punished you for hacking your way into our systems.” Jill’s chorus of voices sounds happy and cheerful, but I notice a certain menacing undertone which spells doom for anyone who might displease this creature.

“P- punish? W- Wasn’t the time with Lester already p- punishment enough?” I chatter, the cold creeping from my limbs further into my chest. A visit at the town-hall might come earlier than expected.

“How is preparing you for your new race a punishment?” Jill sounds genuinely intrigued.

I have no logical answer for that. At least none that the Blue would likely understand. Lester was very clear on what the Blue are and how to best deal with them. I may dislike him and his modus operandi, but I see no reason why he should have lied to me about that.

Remembering my lessons, my lips curl in sudden disgust when I realize why Lester threw me out to fend on my own. No wonder. Lester must’ve been happy to get rid of me before Jill’s return. He knew all along that Jill would show up again, and to avoid a meeting with her, he got rid of me.

Oh, that little piece of sh-

“So? Why was teaching you about humans a punishment?”

My attention is returned to the impatient Blue and I stutter, “I- I- don’t know. Why don’t you just explain what you want from me?”

“I want you to be my sister.”

The answer leaves me baffled. “But we aren’t sisters!” We aren’t even remotely related! How can I be this thing’s sister?

“Bah! Once we are reborn, we will be! With your background, you are the perfect choice.” Jill reaches out and drops her chilly hand heavily onto my shoulder. “You just had all this training about what it means to be human. I am also struggling with the idea. Can’t you see? We are kindred spirits… and it will be so much fun.”

“Fun? Reborn?” I ask. My brain, I can’t keep up with this nonsensical conversation while I am freezing! Where did Jill’s mind derail to come to such a conclusion?

“Yes! Just wait until you meet your new mother. Oh, that will be interesting!” Jill wriggles and twirls around herself, barely able to restrain herself.

I feel my chin quiver in fear of what’s to come, knowing very well that whatever I may want, the Blue is in full control of this situation. To be honest, I don’t even understand why she didn’t simply delete me.

Surveying the empty street, I try to estimate my chances with a different punishment, or even by just staying here. Running away doesn’t seem like a good option. As an admin, Jill can probably simply teleport to my side whenever she wants. It would only make her mad.

Thinking back to the rats, I decide that whatever the nutty Blue has in mind, it must be better than staying here. “Is it at least warm there?”

“Oh, yes! It’s warm and cosy, and full of love. I’ll make sure that you like it, sister.”

Without waiting any longer, or giving me the chance for further questions, Jill takes my hand and a strong gust of wind carries us up into the air.

Shocked, I scream, realizing with horror that the streets below us are quickly getting smaller and smaller as we rise. Jill’s laughter chills my spine and her hand tightens around my wrist as we are carried up, up into the sky.

… and towards the storm.