Chapter 12 (Patreon)

This sequence is just fun.

That is all. Enjoy!



Chapter 12 - Shine

Cerillion Entertainment - Control Room

Robert

On any other Tuesday morning, 8am signaled the “start” of work as mandated by corporate.  Not that Robert strictly enforced that requirement – or adhered to it himself.  Usually, his crew was slow to show up.  Trickling in with steaming cups of coffee and aluminum cans filled with a cocktail of sugar and caffeine.  Possibly even solid food.  Sometimes.

But this wasn’t just any other Tuesday.  Today was “Stream Day.”

The one Jason had announced in a cryptic message yesterday afternoon – real world time, of course.  His avatar inexplicably dead and telltale blue motes drifting down around him.  It was only 15 seconds long, but that was enough time for Jason to make a cryptic promise that he and Alexion would be sharing important “news” about the situation in Pax and the former elemental cities.  Nothing too crazy, certainly nothing concrete – not yet.  But Jason had a track record.

Which might explain why the internet had fucking exploded.

30 million views in less than 24 hours.

Worldwide media coverage across every major network.

An entire gaming and streaming community atwitter.

And the true marvel? Robert had actually shown up for work on time.

But was it really work if you got to watch a sociopathic teenager potentially murder thousands of people in a digital sandbox controlled by a sentient AI – the one you’d helped invent? 

Besides, Robert and his team didn’t usually get a heads up like this.  Normally, Jason just started murdering and they were forced to play it by ear, but not today!

Which was why the Control Room was already packed to the brim.

Personally, Robert suspected it might also be the new concession stand.  His popcorn was already warm, fluffy, moderately-to-heavily buttered, and resting in a bowl on his desk.  Courtesy of the commercial popcorn machine he’d purchased for, uh… “team moral.” Also, a tiny keg.

Apparently, it worked because his team was pretty motivated.  It typically took them weeks to push code changes.  But they’d managed to formalize their betting board into something more permanent in mere hours – a glowing screen floating overtop the room and calculating the various outcomes and odds for this new stream.  Also, the gratuitous amount of money they had each bet.

It was also possible that George paid them too much.

“Are you sure this isn’t… excessive?  Beer and popcorn?  Really?” Claire murmured as she slumped into the chair beside him, rubbing at her temples and dark circles hovering under her eyes.  It had been a long night.  Obvious now that they were cohabitating.

It was still new—whatever this was.  Still fragile.

Which is why he hadn’t forgotten her drink—

He slid a pre-filled wine glass across the table.  Rose.  Her favorite.

“Ahh, you remembered,” Claire said with a smile, taking a sniff and a delicate sip.

“Of course, I did,” Robert replied, “And definitely not because I had an ulterior motive.”

Okay, now she looked skeptical.

“Alright, maybe a small one,” he admitted with a sigh.  “It’s just the guy at the store offered a pretty good deal with the keg.  So, I sprang for a full bar last night.”

Claire winced, but that didn’t stop her from taking another sip.   However, even copious amounts of wine weren’t enough to make her forget the problem.  Or problems, plural.  It wasn’t just Jason’s announcement.  Things in the real world had been growing tense.  Millions of player complaints from those stuck in the elemental cities.  A major uptick in violent rhetoric online – including across their own servers and forums.  The AI mods had tamped down on it, but that frustration and anger was still simmering beneath the surface, just waiting to blow.

“It feels like we aren’t even pretending like we’re in control anymore,” Claire observed.

“Of the game or the real world stuff?”

“Both?” she shot back, taking another rather large sip.

Robert shrugged.  “We started the ball rolling, now we can only wait and see where it lands.  Sometimes, you just have to sit back and watch the show.”

As a recovering control freak, she seemed incredulous.  “Speaking of watching the show, have you heard the rumors lately?” Claire asked, lowering her voice. “Something about a break-in involving the lower levels?  Which is weird, I thought there were just residences down there.  And security has been out in force lately…”

Robert tensed, a fact that wasn’t lost on Claire.

Fine.  He might have also been using Jason’s stream as a way to distract himself from larger problems.  It had been a long couple of days.  However, he couldn’t talk about that—not directly.

“What?  Do you know something?” she asked, too perceptive.

“Not here,” he replied hesitantly, eyeing the heavily-armed and visored security posted around the Control Room.  A new addition.  “This isn’t the right place to—

“What the hell is this?” a voice snapped, interrupting them.

Robert and Claire both froze, turning to see George Lane at the elevator entrance.  Unfortunately, many of the other techs hadn’t noticed yet – probably because of the music.  Which meant they were all still drinking and chatting and updating their bets, the numbers on the board shifting.  “Jason killing everyone in a flurry of destruction,” was currently the crowd favorite.

Robert tried to muster an excuse – a trademark flippant response to cover for his crew.  Only to come up short.  Probably due to lack of sleep and his blood-alcohol level.

Believe it or not, Claire was the one who saved them.

“This was my idea,” she explained quickly.  “The crew has been working all night to make sure there are no problems with the stream.  At this point, the work is done.  And things have been… tense lately,” she added, looking meaningfully at the fresh security flanking George.  “Why not give them an opportunity to unwind a little?”

Then Claire just took a long slow sip of her wine while making gratuitous eye contact.

Wow.  Robert was pretty sure he’d never been this turned on before.  At least, not since Jason converted Lux into the Twilight Throne.  Maybe he was a bad influence…

“Fine,” George acknowledged. “Do we at least know what they plan to do?”

Robert frowned.  “Alex hasn’t kept you in the loop?”

“Or this Arcadia Landrey that has been giving orders to Vermillion Live,” Claire added sourly with a meaningful look at George.

Double wow.  Slightly tipsy Claire was awesome.

“They have been… busy,” the CEO answered, neatly dodging Claire’s question as he took a seat nearby.  The other techs nearby were quick to vacate to give his security room.  The others had also noticed by now, but Robert gave them all a comforting thumbs up.  They were still drinking, but kept watching the trio warily.

“I understand Alex will be participating,” George continued, anger coloring his voice.  “But he’s been less than communicative lately.  A matter I’ll need to address—"

He was interrupted as the huge screen floating overhead suddenly chimed, the entire room going quiet and as the display shifted away from their bets.  It now showed a view of Pax, the camera panning slowly, floating high above the castle in the city’s center.

The fresh perspective helped capture the massive scale of the underground cavern.  The hundreds of stone buildings stretching out for miles in every direction.  The rooftops covered in travelers – almost like ants at this distance.  The streets packed.  However, today, they weren’t fighting and shoving and cussing at each other.

Instead, all eyes were focused on the city center.

Where light condensed along the crystals embedded in the cavern’s ceiling, growing, growing, growing before launching a ray of brilliant white straight down.  That energy speared into the castle perched in the city’s center, rippling and spinning and circling around twisting spires and crashing waterfalls before exploding outward.

A wave of brilliant light swept across the entirety of Pax, floating over the towering walls that divided each of the city’s rings, through the packed throngs of residents and travelers, before crashing up against the cavern walls.  In its wake, it left twinkling motes of golden energy that seemed to hang in the air, giving off a serene – almost fairytale – vibe.  The murmur of the crowd swelled, filled with a mixture of awe and curiosity.

Another flash of light, a twist of the camera, and a massive screen formed beneath the crystals in the cavern’s ceiling – not dissimilar to the one floating in the Control Room.  It revealed someone familiar, his face visible throughout Pax.

In another world, he was called Alex Lane.

But in this one, he was Alexion.  The avatar of light.

He was regal.  Resplendent.  His skin flawless, his eyes blazing blue, and a crystalline crown perched on his brow as twinkling motes of light fluttered around him.  They accentuated his gleaming golden armor, panels of light hovering inches away from the metal to form a second protective layer.  Alex took in the crowd in all his glory, his expression practically humming with confidence as he turned toward the camera.

“Hello, and welcome,” Alex intoned.  “I want to personally thank you all for coming to see our stream, no matter where you’re watching.  Here in Pax.  Stuck within the former elemental cities, braving the outer territories and the new mobs that roam this world… or watching from our own, sitting on a couch or tucked away behind a desk.”

His expression was solemn, almost compassionate.  “Because the truth is that we face problems.  Not just here inside AO, but in our own world as well.

“In short, we have a population problem.”

A lingering silence met those words, two worlds watching anxiously as a teenage kid gave a speech inside a virtual reality game – one with real stakes.  Millions were already watching according to the statistics streaming down the console in front of Robert, the view count skyrocketing as each second ticked passed.

“Inside AO, that population problem is obvious,” Alex continued.  “Anyone who has managed to make it to Pax has seen it firsthand.  The infighting.  The lack of resources.  The wait times for quest turn-ins.  Even PVP in the Mile High Club is bogged down by huge lines and waitlists.  It’s not tenable, even with our attempts to scale up those activities.  The truth is that this world – any given city inside AO – was never designed to handle this many travelers.

“Even in our world, we face a population problem.  Namely, that we are progressively shifting our activities into AO.  Work, school, even our personal lives.  Which has led to increased truancy rates, many not showing up for work, and store hours cut.  These complaints come from employers, parents, and employees alike.  Even with modern advancements in AI, automation, and the accessibility of bots, the truth is that we still need people to keep the world running.”

“What is he doing?” George growled nervously, his Core already chiming.

No doubt, other executives and politicians screaming at him to stop this…

The odds in the betting board were also starting to shift heavily toward “digital plague.”  Which was both concerning and potentially entertaining, but Robert didn’t think that was the direction Alex was going.  Besides, Jason hadn’t even made an appearance yet.

“I know these problems seem bleak.  Unsolvable,” Alex offered, raising his hand, his wings sweeping up around him and his skin glowing.  “However, they aren’t.

“We have a solution for both of them.”

This time, the murmur that swept through Pax created an audible buzz, vibrating the very stone beneath Alex’s feet.  And the web traffic on their sister site, Vermillion Live, had just exploded.  Even with their preparations, their servers were taking a brutal hit.

“I know you may be skeptical,” Alex said, slowly pacing toward the ledge of the terrace, the camera backing away to maintain distance.  “I realize I’m asking for a leap of faith.  But sometimes, you just have to ignore the fear and take that last step…

As he trailed off, Alex followed his own advice.

He tipped forward, sailing down, down, down toward the castle’s courtyard, the camera staying with him – his eyes closed and arms outstretched as he spun lazily.

Just before striking the stone, his wings snapped out with a rustle of feathers.  He slowed abruptly and pivoted, touching down lightly with the same foot that had stepped out into empty air.  Alexion’s eyes opened then and they blazed with a brilliant white light.  His gaze shifted to a crowd of travelers milling in the courtyard behind him, the group standing before a large, circular metal contraption near the base of the castle, eyeing it nervously.

“This world – the world of AO – rewards imagination,” Alex continued, addressing the camera.  “Ingenuity.  It has tasked us – all of us – to rebuild it in our image.  The other avatars and I have taken the last couple weeks in-game to test the limits of our own imagination…

“And the result is a solution to our population problem.  We call it layering,” Alexion explained.  “We are now capable of creating separate, simultaneous instances of Pax, effectively splitting the traveler population across multiple repeating versions of the city.”

“They’re about to do what?” Claire murmured in shock.  “That can only mean—

“They stole the relics from the Crystal Reach,” Robert confirmed, excitement buzzing in his chest at the possibilities.  “Jason and Cady must have done it when they traveled back in time.”

George just looked on anxiously, his hands clenching at the armrests of his chair and his Core going off like a machine gun as the messages started pouring in.  It was almost as loud as the crowd in Pax.  Although, the buzzing drone was angrier now.  More skeptical.  Which made sense.  Most games didn’t allow players to change fundamental rules.

Then again, Awaken Online wasn’t just any game.

“But you need not take this on faith,” Alex continued with a confident grin.  “Because we have proof.  These travelers behind me have volunteered to test our new system.”

Alex craned his neck up, looking at the crystals hanging far overhead and closing his eyes once more, his mana flaring around him powerfully.  A surge of blinding white light.

And then, one by one, the travelers behind him began to disappear…

Even the techs inside the Control Room gasped, the view count surging faster and faster.

“Don’t worry,” Alex continued, his blazing eyes watching the remaining few.  “That first spell I cast was a buff – one intended to create a temporary raid group with all of the travelers in Pax.  As you can all see for yourself, the others aren’t offline.  They aren’t dead.  Check your raid UI to confirm,” he instructed, millions of travelers pulling up their in-game console at the same time.  “As you can see, they are all still alive.  They are just on another layer.”

“Sure, but how are they going to travel between—” Robert began.

But he cut off as Alexion pointed at the giant rotating metal door positioned at the base of that contraption – a larger version of what you might find at the entrance to an office building.  A sort of revolving door, by the look of it.

“This is a prototype portal created by the avatar of flame.  Finn Harris himself.  We call it the Carousel.  It allows travelers on one layer to travel to another.  See for yourself…”

As he spoke, the door began to rotate, even though no one was inside.

Then a lone traveler stepped out with a flash of emerald energy, blinking at the others in the courtyard in surprise, then confusion, then outright glee.  Followed by another.  And another.  The rest of the travelers that had disappeared.  And those standing in the courtyard could use it too, stepping inside and disappearing with another pulse of emerald energy.

The camera pivoted back to Alexion.

A snap of his fingers, a pulse of light, and the travelers all reappeared.

“This is just a demonstration,” he continued.  “We plan to apply this same layering to the whole of Pax – or, at least, the city’s outer and middle rings.  That will allow us to infinitely scale up the quest turn-ins, spreading the resident staff across those layers.  Yet that’s just the start.”

His eyes gleamed with triumphant excitement.  “We can also apply the layering to the Mile High Club.  Yes, that means unlimited PVP.  This will help resolve not just the population issues, but give the player base in Pax a way to improve their skills and levels.  Not a perfect solution, but one that will help us catch up with the dangerous world outside these city’s walls and compete with the residents and creatures that now fill this world.  To possibly even leave Pax…”

Robert’s hand was frozen, popcorn halfway to his mouth.  That wouldn’t resolve the level issue completely.  The XP from killing other players wasn’t great and the level difference between the travelers and Originals was huge, but the skill ups might be even more important.

The travelers hadn't fully embraced that point yet, but understanding and creativity ruled in this world, the two inseparably intertwined.

“And that means Pax will have plenty of room – even for those stranded in the elemental cities,” Alex continued, his body glowing brilliantly.  “It offers an escape – a sanctuary."

“One with a huge mining operations, an almost endless stream of mana gems, and dozens of reputation quests.  Those that prove their loyalty to the city and raise their reputation to Honored may access our city’s top-of-the line crafting facilities and instructors.  This includes magical schools and instruction for every single affinity.  We even plan to start issuing hunting and exploration quests outside of the city to domesticate and terraform the surrounding lands.”

“In short, we have made Pax into a bastion.  A beacon.

“And our salvation.”

Robert had to admit… it was a good pitch.

Even George looked shocked.  The Control Room was silent as a tomb.  No one had thought to add “Alex stealing our jobs” to the betting board.  Even the travelers in-game seemed stunned – all of them still processing this news.  It was, well… it was game changing.  Pun intended.

Then came the roar.  Of excitement.  Of glee.  Of triumph.

It was a palpable wave of sound so intense that even the camera stuttered slightly.

However, Alexion hadn’t convinced everyone…

“I sense a big but coming,” Claire murmured skeptically.

It was as though Alex could hear her words.  He let out a sigh, his light dimming slightly and the roar of the crowd slowly abating.  “Now we just need to discuss the cost.”

Another snap of his fingers and gleaming green contracts unfurled before each and every traveler behind Alexion – the men and women eyeing the terms in confusion.  However, it wasn’t just them.  The camera pivoted to reveal the same contract floating in front of every single person crammed into the outer ring of Pax.  A sea of glimmering emerald lights.

“Nothing in life is free,” Alex intoned.  “In order to power the layers, we will need each of you to sign this contract.  It will forcibly log off your avatar for a minimum of 8 hours during each 24 hour period.  That’s all that’s required for you to access the layers.

“As I said in the beginning, this a solution that solves two problems.  It will turn Pax into a sanctuary for our kind… and it will force us to re-engage with the real world.  To sleep, to shower, to eat – for real, not just in-game.  To show up for class, and maybe even, grudgingly, for work.  A small sacrifice to make for the greater good.”

An interesting offer.  Even George looked intrigued.

His logic was airtight.  His pitch impeccable.  Robert doubted anyone else could have done better.  Even Jason.  Why not give up a little time to improve a game they loved?  If Alex had been dealing with rational people, it would have been an easy sell.

But these people weren’t rational.

They were gamers.  Addicts.

Which is why the roar of sound that met this proposal had shifted.  The crowd’s honeymoon with Alex ended with curses and shouts and more than a few elemental projectiles – the missiles lacking the range to reach that castle or screen in the distance.  The forums had similarly exploded in a torrent of vitriolic bullshit.  Camps were forming, with some supporting Alexion’s plan and others taking a different tact.  The rhetoric was becoming increasingly hostile.

These people weren’t just going to give up a third of their play time.

They were already hooked.  Already obsessed.  Already needed this game.

Alex wasn’t ignorant of that mood shift.  He winced, the light of his mana dimming and his confidence faltering slightly in the face of the travelers’ outrage.  His eyes shot off to the side of the camera, pleading with something.  Or someone.

Suddenly, the lights shimmering through the castle courtyard winked out.  Replaced with shadows that crawled along the stone walls like living things.  The travelers behind Alex were looking anxious now, more than a few reaching for weapons that didn’t hang from their waist.  It seemed someone had the foresight to disarm them.

They had reason to be worried.

Because Jason strode from those shadows.  Plunk, plunk, plunk.

His staff slammed the ground as he took each ponderous step, the stone underfoot cracking from the force.  That was enough to break through the hurled insults and roars of outrage.  To quiet even the most diehard skeptic.  There was something ominously cavalier about that casual, languid pace.  As though he didn’t have anywhere else to be or anyone waiting on him.

It took Jason far too long to reach Alex, his bony fingers wrapping his shoulder.  “You did well, but I’ll take it from here.  This group looks like they need a firm hand.”

Alex swallowed hard, a trace of something akin to fear shining in his eyes – possibly impressive acting, but Robert wasn't so sure.  The avatar of light seemed uncertain.  As though he had no idea what Jason might do.  Although, Robert was feeling much less worried, munching away on another handful of popcorn, the control room dead quiet.

Jason just looked into the camera, his pale lips curling into a malicious smile – one without twinkling lights and cheery promises.  Only chilling darkness.

The betting board shifted again.  It looked like gratuitous murder was back on the menu.  Which was actually great news, because Robert had bet a lot of money this time.

If this worked out, he planned to take Claire somewhere nice.

And if it didn’t… well, it was still going to be one hell of a show.