Uh, okay. Sure Eve. Is it dangerous if I start thinking of Eve as a crazy dictator? Wait, she heard that, didn’t she? Shit.
Negative, as my master I exist to ensure your safety and growth. Also, I did hear that. However, as you have directed I will never divulge information about what you think or act in such a way that would harm you.
Uh, great. Cool. Good job me for programming you… sort of.
“All right, this will be fairly helpful," Thiago said. "As you noted you don’t have any combat experience, I feel like it would be best if you went out with one of our more experienced members, Ace or Kitana.”
Alan looked over at Kitana hopefully.
“I will be paired with Alan,” she said.
“Excellent. Is there anything else someone would like to say?” Thiago asked.
“Uh, well unlike you guys it is probably fairly clear I don’t really have connections. So, um, I’m a couple million in debt, and I’m going to try to play this game to make money,” Alan said, wincing as he remembered how much money he owed.
“Yes, that’s fine, even expected. We don’t expect you to play solely for the sake of humanity. But if Earth is invaded, you would hopefully help defend it. I’m not sure how this all works out, but certain guilds are often stronger than governments, so I’m not going to tell you how to play. We all have different plans,” Thiago said, looking at everyone else, implying something. Alan wasn’t quite sure what.
Alan noted that most of the group seemed to defer to Thiago, yet often various people didn’t look like they completely agreed with what he was saying.
“Wait, we’re not going to be expected to actually kill things, are we?” Aphrodite said. She looked to have been quite shaken up by the bombing and ensuing escapade.
“Well, that is sort of the point of being a ranged damage dealer, which was the position you agreed to,” Thiago said, deadpan.
“Oh, uh, right. Well actually I think I might be better suited to be a healer then like Daisy, or maybe a negotiator. We might not necessarily need to fight, right, just survive?”
“I’m not sure, we should let the tutorial begin, and then figure it out,” Thiago firmly replied.
“Um, okay,” Aphrodite murmured quietly, eyes downcast. Alan thought he might have seen a tear or two emerging, and he felt like he should say something. Thiago, for some reason, was rolling his eyes, but didn’t say anything else.
Alan still wasn’t sure who these people were or how they had met, and he swore he saw a few members of the group throwing weird glances at him. There were a lot of names and faces to suddenly remember. Something Alan had never been good at.
Looking at the minimap, Alan saw that they were approaching the space station. The lights above turned from a fluorescent yellow to green. Pharaoh emerged from the cockpit. Aphrodite wiped her eyes and sat up immediately, looking remarkably at ease for someone that appeared to be in a great deal of distress seconds earlier.
“All right my little earthlings, we are about to land on the Titan. Please remain in the designated areas, although you won’t be able to see your quarters until you finish the Tutorial. Once we land on the ship, you will be guided to the capsule room, where the Tutorial will take place.”
"Wait, we’re going into capsules within a capsule?” Alan asked.
“Yes,” Pharaoh answered, glancing at Thiago, “Evidently their explanation wasn’t very good. Capsules are one of the key features in this Game, allowing you to access your Home Base, teleport to various nearby locations and exit the Game.”
“The majority of mock battles, tournaments and tests take place in worlds accessible only through a capsule or simulation room. The Tutorial may take place in one of these simulated worlds, or it may take place within the Game. Now, I’m sure this and more will all be explained when you enter the capsule. Please follow the guards, I need to get to the bridge.”
Huh, so I guess the terminology we use was even transferred, Alan thought.
Incorrect, Eve responded. The Game translates all communication for each player, thus while Kitana has been speaking in Japanese, you in English and Pharaoh in Haxlardian, you have all been able to understand each other.
I guess that makes sense. But what about all the complexities of language?
Eve sent a mental shrug.
Amazed once more at the Game, Alan unbuckled himself as the dropship landed. The ramp extended, and Alan followed everyone else through a narrow corridor similar to those before you entered an airplane. He could see a series of three or four additional corridors, most likely leading to other small aircraft.
At the end of the corridor stood two Haxlards, wearing metallic light blue armor that covered their entire bodies, making them look like robotic statues. They had blue faceplates, which Alan figured by now had to stand for rank or something; he wasn’t sure if it’d be polite to ask about it. Alan didn’t see any breaks in the armor, yet as the Haxlards gestured them forward their joints moved with ease.
Each Haxlard held a laser rifle in one hand, or at least that’s what Alan assumed it to be. The device was curved into a U-shape, and each Haxlard gripped the weapon at the base of the U, while a green laser beam stretched across the two tips of the U, connecting them.
Following the Haxlards, they emerged into another corridor, only slightly larger than the first. There wasn’t much to see, just narrow, grey metal corridors with the occasional closed grey door.
Connected to Titan network. Acquiring basic layout.
As everyone else followed the two Haxlard guards, a few of the doors they were passing had their basic layouts filled in. A few were labeled as dining facilities or restrooms or storage, yet the majority were labeled classified, revealing nothing about their contents. The restroom reminded Alan that he had to go, and he’d probably need to eat and sleep as well. He figured the goal had been to make armies or whatever as realistic as possible, and armies needed to eat, sleep and drink. At least, biological ones did.
When the layout appeared, Kitana glanced back at Alan. He surmised that everyone else got this basic layout of the ship as well. It looked like they’d arrive soon at their destination, which was labeled as the training room.
As they walked up to the shut door, it slid open, revealing a room remarkably similar to the original capsule room Alan had seen in real life. Arranged at the edges of the room were twenty metallic capsules, all monochrome silver.
A message appeared in front of Alan:
Please enter an unoccupied capsule. The Tutorial will then begin.
“All right guys, this is it, good luck.” Thiago announced to everyone, climbing into a capsule.
Alan grinned. Finally, he’d be able to slay some monsters or something. He walked up to a capsule at the end of the row. It opened up for him, revealing a familiar silver liquid. Climbing in, Alan closed his eyes, breathing steadily, ready for the adventure to truly begin…
Chapter 3
The first test turned out to be a lengthy standardized test. A college admission exam on steroids.
Ten hours ago Alan had found himself in a white space surrounding him as far as he could see, cut off from Eve. It was a bit disorienting. Before him stood a female android, or cyborg, or something. It was the only other thing within this world. She, and it was definitely a she based upon certain parts that were emphasized, had metallic plates for skin, black wires connecting her parts, and small cameras with blue lenses for eyes.
She had handed him a questionnaire, and asked him to fill it out. A non-descript white desk and chair appeared in front of him, along with a pen. Sitting down, Alan looked at the questionnaire, and filled it out. It seemed rather trivial at the time.