Unfinished MMO Story Version A pt2

Chapter Two

Inhibitor leaned back in his chair and place his feet on top of his desk. “Thank god they asked him to take on this mission. I didn’t think I was going to be able to take that vacation. I could just leave a copy of myself here to guide them I guess. It’s not like they would know the difference.”

A voice spoke from the intercom on Inhibitors desk. “Keith and Crin are …excuse me… Arzada are here to see you sir.”

Inhibitor stood from his soft reclining chair and pressed a button the intercom. “Good. Send them in.”

“Yes, sir.”

Keith and Arzada walked into the office. Red wood had been used for the construction of much of the office. The desk however was made from oak but painted and polished up to try and give a failed illusion of being red wood. Bookcases lined the sides of the walls. Each book was filled with past cases that the agency has dealt with both successfully and unsuccessfully.

“Good to see you Keith.” Inhibitor shook Keith’s hand. “And this must be the one I’ve a lot about. I hope you’re as good as they say you are.”

Arzada bowed his head. “I truly hope so too otherwise I am no longer needed in this life time.”

“Well, then lets go ahead and get down to business. I’m going to assume Keith informed you on what was going.”

Keith sat down on the sofa. “Only small details.”

“Very well then,” Inhibitor waved his hand and the wall in front of them slid open and revealed a large flat screen. An image of the agency’s logo appeared and then faded out as a map of the city appeared. “This is the city. As you can see it looks pretty normal. Now as we back out to see the areas surrounding the city you can see that everything is normal. But watch carefully. The phase shift is every thirty seconds.”

Arzada stared at the screen. Slowly, the abandoned buildings outside of the city vanished. The roads dissolved into grass and dirt. Trees and bushes appeared in place of streetlights and walls. The image flickered and he could see the original world superimposed over the fake world. The area continued to change until it had returned to its original state.

“As you can see, the world outside of the city changes into a whole new world. It’s like this almost all over the planet. There are currently only four cities that are unaffected. The phase shifts seem to be in zones so not all of them change every thirty seconds. Some zones change randomly and others change every couple days or so.” Inhibitor waved his hand and the screen moved back into the wall and was concealed once again.

Arzada took a deep breath. “So what exactly do you want me to do then? This looks like something that’s just way out of my skill. I can’t exactly snap my fingers and the world is back to normal.”

“We are currently working on how to end this problem, but for right now the only thing we need from you is to investigate a few locations. Our operatives have been sent into these locations but have never returned. We always loose contact with them as soon as they enter the zone.” Inhibitor handed Arzada a leather binder. “This is all we know at the moment. We know that Rayne Corp. set up operations on this planet and became the leading organization in virtual gaming. However, it was mainly used by the military in order to train soldiers. The technology was simply amazing. I myself had a chance to be part of the beta. The experience is amazingly realistic and can sometimes be a little to real. I remember I slipped from a mountain during one of the trainings and had to wait till my life meter ran out before I could spawn in a new location. Sure was terrifying to fall and not be able to fly. I don’t know how you humans handle those kinds of restraints. But, anyways, Rayne Corp. decided to market this technology and bring people into a game world that they called Celestia Prime. It was to be the first online game that was a virtual reality game instead of a console or computer game. The launch was huge and with in a matter of hours more then fourteen million gamers jacked into the game. The game was doing fine with a steady increase in sales, but then one day something happened. Gamers couldn’t get out of the game. System administrators thought that maybe by kicking gamers out of the game that it would allow them to jack out. They were wrong. When a player is booted they find themselves at the main menu screen and only have the option of going back into the game. Meanwhile, in the outside world a diagnostic would show the player is in a coma, but the reality is that the player never truly left the game. It was about this time that the planet started to suffer random earthquakes. When the quakes stopped the planet began going into phase shifts. Gamers that were lucky enough to jack out of the game recognized the new surroundings as locations in the game. As the phase shifts continued they become large and longer lasting. At first things seemed pretty bad, but things grew worse. Reports started being filed. People were seeing monsters, humanoid creatures, and massive robotic machinery that gamers recognized as Goliaths. That’s when things got fun. Monsters terrorized. Humans and humanoids either joined forces or went to war. Those lucky enough to have the resources to building a Goliath ended up being a winning force. Now the world is covered in non-existing creatures and creations and it’s never sure if it should be the game world or the real world. It makes it really hard to adjust, especially, if your house vanishes into a tree or a mountain. You also never know if you are going to wake up with a wall through you.”

Arzada placed the folder on the coffee table. “When a zone shifts to its original version then what happens to all the non-existent creatures in that zone?”

“They used to disappear with the zone. However, know they actually stay. We believed that the ones that don’t disappear are actually players that can’t escape. But, new information shows that to be right and wrong. One humanoid we talked to identified themselves as one of the trapped gamers. A few other humanoids that we communicated with could not identify themselves as a gamer. So whether or not they were simply role playing or not the chances are that the game world is slowly taking over our world and the humanoids that don’t disappear with the phase shifts are proof of that scenario.”

Arzada stood from the sofa and picked up the folder from the table. “I’ll need a little time to get prepared and then we can go over the tactics.”

“Very well, then. Don’t take to long though. Time is something we don’t have anymore. Something should have been done long ago, but every time we tried we’d have a mob of angry gamers suddenly appear at the footsteps of all governmental buildings. So because of them this project has constantly been placed on hold by the government itself.” Inhibitor sat down at his desk. “Once you’re ready travel to the coffee shop at Franks & 1^st street. Speak with the waitress. Ask her for a cup of hot chocolate with only three marshmallows and a cherry. Take care. And remember, this is a very important mission. You only get one chance. So make it last.” He turned in his chair and faced the large window behind him.

Arzada stared out the window. “It’s hard to believe that only four cities remain unaffected.”

Keith watched for the traffic light to turn green. “Yea, it is a little weird. We’ve been trying to figure out the reason but we don’t know where to start.”

“How is it technology hasn’t upgraded here? It looks like a normal city struggling to reach the future.”

“During the Age of Technology, many citizens expressed concern that humanity was moving to fast and that we simply weren’t ready for the future. This is the only city that tried to get a bill passed in order to slow down technology, but it didn’t make it pass the first stages. But, not all technology was kept out of here. Some made it through due to popularity.”

“Like what?”

“For starters, no one carries CD players or radios anymore. Technology advanced far enough that it allowed for people to install networks into their heads and allow them to listen to the radio at anytime they wanted. At the time this technology was illegal and only used by street gangs. An underground radio station was set up and acted as not only a station to provide music but a station to provide the latest news on what street gang is currently dominating what areas through the use of graffiti wars. As pirated music became more popular the radio station slowly lost more and more listeners until finally it closed down. Not wanting to admit any kind of defeat many listeners decided to create their own radio stations. Only a few of those stations are still active. Once these networks were legalized everyone seemed to have one. People could store all the music they wanted into their brain as well as access massive archives of music. The technology continued to evolve though and hackers upgraded these networks to allow them to gain access into computer networks without the actual use of a computer. This allowed a hacker to crack codes even faster as they were no longer limited to how fast they could type. Nowadays, people are trying to find ways of removing those networks from their heads without damaging anything. So far they have proven unsuccessful. Many that have tried have ended up with either serious trauma or death.”

“Are there any side effects from these networks being installed?”

“Not really. The mind seems to be pretty powerful and can store almost an unlimited amount of information. The only side effects that have been discovered have been linked to fault installations. People have downloaded music and that music will suddenly override a memory or something important. Some people have died after downloading a song and suddenly could not remember how to breathe.”

“Can people access the minds of others?”

“Not yet. But, I’m sure there’s some teenage boy trying to figure that out so that he can score with a girl in his class.”

Tell me something. What’s the percentage of people in this city that have those networks installed into their heads?”

“Hmm…I don’t know. I see one every place I turn so its possible that majority of the city wears them.”

Chapter Three

Arzada unpacked his bags on the bed. “So what do you think of this place.”

“Many of the people in this city are so wrapped up in their own selfish lives that they no longer care about what is happening to the people outside of the city limits.” Spoke a soft voice from the shadows.

“If one of those creatures made it through the gates and into the city how do you think the people would react?”

“Probably, panic like headless chickens and do more damage to the city and people then the creature.”

“You’re probably right.” Arzada slid his empty bags under the bed. “Guess I better meet up with Keith downstairs. ......................

Unfinished MMO Story Version A pt1

The following is part of a story that was never finished. Forgive all the grammatical errors. I never went back to edit it. So this is a straight rough draft. The next following posts will be just this story.

“Oh my god. The Dead Zombie is standing as if that throw didn’t even hurt him.”

“Look! There comes the Paladin’s of Light. The Dead Zombie is cleaning house!”

“Join us next time on Death Bringers!!”

“Look out!!...”

He could hear the television turn from behind.

The bartender groaned and tossed the remote on the back counter. “There’s really nothing but drama on that show. Hey buddy, bar is closing.”

He stood and walked towards the counter and tossed a few credits onto the counter. “See you tomorrow Frank.”

“You have a good friend. No driving now.”

He stumbled outside and looked at the sky. Night time had never looked so clear. Stars twinkled and the sky was clear enough to see them at their brightest. The cold air filled his lungs. He put on his heavy cloak and walked down the sidewalk.

Groves Nine is known to be a very peaceful side of the city. Even during the day traffic is rarely seen in this area. Businesses keep from entering the area. The only reason to travel to this part of the town is to visit the various gentleman clubs and bars. Many of which are not as seedy as the ones in the red light district but the service is much better and friendlier.

He leaned back in his chair and stared the window. The apartment shook as the train passed the building. The lights from the train illuminated his empty room. A few blankets rested in the corner of the room while unworn clothing dangled from broken hangers in the closet.

He leaned forward in his chair and tapped his notebook with a pen. He took a deep breath and sighed. He tuned out the sounds around him and began to write:

To whomever finds this letter….

MMORadio

As told by Arzada Solace

Chapter One

In all my years I never thought that someday I would find myself living a most uneventful life. Had I know this then maybe I would have savored the adventures I had before coming to this planet.

In my younger years I lived on a planet named Blythe which in their language stood for, never-ending. Blythe was a strange planet. I traveled there one day and found myself caught in a complex series of storylines. From the story about a man that never lost his memory of his past life to a girl whom possessed the ability to control the demon and angel inside of her which allowed her to defeat the deadly underworld leader, Queen Lilith.

I escaped from the planet and traveled deep into the galaxy of dragons. It was here I found myself trapped in a war between two boys. One had been labeled the Prophecy while the other was named the Prodigy. Both of these young boys were given the ability to change the galaxy.

I have seen the ends of time and I have seen the beginnings. I have even traveled to the unconsciousness of the cosmos and have lived in the fantasies of the dimensions.

Yet in all my travels I have never come across a planet where music was used as a weapon and as a way of uniting the people together into peace and harmony. However, something like that wasn’t easy, especially when the planet is plagued with technology.

This planets history is a strange one. Much of it has been rewritten in order to keep a form of piece amongst the inhabitants. It almost reminds me of Blythe.

In the year 34XX, technology on this planet advanced so far that it allowed for better entertainment. An old corporation which I have battled for years known as Rayne Corp., appeared once again. They became the leading company in online gaming. Using the latest technology, Rayne Corp. gave players the ability to wire in to a network and live within an online game. However, I have always known Rayne Corp. to cause trouble and that case still remains true. On October 22, online gaming took a turn for the worst. Gamers could not jack out of the system. They where forced to stay in the game world and live out their lives as their alter ego. This marked the beginning of the troubles and the start of Rayne Corps power. Only four days later, a program in the system was activated. Citizens awoke to find their homes had changed. Their city had been altered and turned to a city found in an online game. Before long states and countries changed into lands that only existed in computer code. Gamers united and saw this as the only chance to play an online game for real life. Unfortunately, they had not expected that death remains the same.

I can remember it as if it was just yesterday. I stepped out of the shuttle and looked at the crowd. I wasn’t sure what my mission was going to be or what the problem even was. I then spotted the person that summoned for my help. It was at this point, that our story begins…

“Hey, Crin!! Over here!!”

Arzada smiled and walked over to his caller. “Hey, Keith, it’s good to see you again.”

“Good to see you too, Crin.” Keith shook Arzada’s hand.

“Its not Crin anymore. I left that name a long time ago. My name is Arzada now.”

“Arzada? You don’t mean that same crazy old man do you?”

“He wasn’t that crazy. Besides, he was my mentor and it’s just a way of honoring him.”

“I don’t know. Arzada De Laric doesn’t exactly have the same ring to it anymore.” Keith walked with Arzada towards the check in terminal.

“Actually, I dropped that name also and changed it to Solace.”

“A crazy old man and man of evil. I don’t understand what was wrong with your original name.”

“It’s not like I really wanted to. I struggled to get off that planet and the only way to fully break free of its grip I had to change my name and basically start life over again as someone new.”

“Well, I guess. But, still you’re the only remaining De Laric in existence. To change your name is like killing off the De Laric’s.”

Arzada placed his passport on the counter. “Arzada Solace. ID number 102280. Destination, St. Locust.” He took signed his name on a form and handed it to the lady behind the counter. “Thank you.” He picked up his bags and headed for the exit. “Don’t worry, just because I changed my name doesn’t mean I killed off my family’s life line.”

“I would surely hope not. Otherwise my job has become useless.” A figure covered in shadowed leaned against the wall.

Keith leaned over to Arzada, “He’s still following you?”

“Sadly, yes. What about your guardian? I don’t see her around.”

Keith smiled. “Due to a glitch in the system she was reassigned and I was recorded as being dead. So I don’t have this feeling of death standing over my shoulder anymore.”

The figure sunk into the wall. “We can have that changed.”

“Uhh…he’s not really going to tell them is he?”

Arzada continued to the exit. “He’s just joking around. Besides, it’s not his concern anyways.”

Keith turned off the car. “Well, doesn’t look like we are going anywhere. This traffic jam seems to be a mile long.”

Arzada rolled down the window and listened to the horns and radios. “I always wondered why people honk their horns at times like this. It’s not like its going to help any.”

“Humans are idiots. Just the other day I was cooking something on the stove and reached for it and wasn’t even thinking to use the pot holder. Burned my hand and dropped the pot on the floor. So now I have burned hands, burned feet, crack in the floor, and a pot with a dent.”

“That’s because you ARE an idiot Keith.” Arzada laughed. “Anyways, so what’s the deal? This city looks like a pretty normal city.”

“Actually, this is the only normal city left on the planet. The rest of the planet is stuck in phase changes.”

“Phase changes?”

“I don’t really know how to explain the situation. I’d rather Inhibitor give you the briefing.”

Arzada rolled up the window enough to cut down on noises from around them. “Start from the beginning.”

“Ok. Well, do you remember Rayne Corp.?”

“How could I forget? I’ve used to spend most of my time hunting down their operations.”

“Several years ago Rayne Corp. set up operations on this planet.”

“What? There’s no records of that happening.”

“I know. That’s the weird part. We investigated and turns out that Rayne Corp. had a second division. They dealt mainly in gaming technology. It was to be used to train soldiers in virtual worlds. However, after we took down Rayne Corp. this division fell into the shadows.”

“Until now.”

“Correct. Rayne Corp. Second Division has been established. And according from to our operatives, this is not the main headquaters.”

“So there’s more.”

“Yea, lots more.”

“Do we have anything on who’s running these operations?”

“Not really. We do have something though. Do you remember Project Celestia?”

“Yea, it would have wiped out a quarter of the Dragon Galaxy had it not been stopped.”

“Do you remember the creator?”

“He was digital dictator that was deleted when his database crashed after we infected it with viruses.”

“The CEO of this Rayne Corp. Second Division, seems to have the same abilities that the digital dictator had only though our reports show that it’s not the same person. Now all we need is a name for this shadow boss.”

“Not many have the ability to control the digital world. Only three people that I know of can do that and one is deleted. I wonder which this one will be.”