Universe Online - Enter the Game: Complete Edition (3 page)

The woman starts talking without preamble, and I'm left shrugging my shoulders as I pull my gaze back up to her face, with something like a wry smile on my lips.

“It was fun.  There wasn't any reason to draw it out.”

“Eh?  I guess that must be true.  Still, it's more than a little amazing.  Even the programmers who wrote out the level couldn't do what you did, and with the Engineer's preset, which is arguably the hardest choice.”

*DING*

The blue holographic projection comes up over the table, and I take my time reading it before nodding.

“It counts me as a survivor as well.  We were lucky that we only lost a single marine.”  I say after a moment, feeling quite proud of myself.

“The clock is still ticking for the other Beta testers, but you're already done.  That's a great achievement, regardless.  The best time for one of the staff here was just under four hours, and he lost three of the marines and the engineer.  He'd chosen the officer preset.”  The woman says then, flashing a great big and almost blinding white smile at me.

“Well, I basically just went with the flow.  The starting briefing really helped, as did the tutorial.  Especially the tutorial, given that it was in the same station.  All I had to do was memorize the basic layout and play around with the available equipment until I was comfortable enough to know what I could do with it.”

My words are a bit modest, given that I'd spent over five hours in the tutorial, doing everything I possibly could do in that instanced zone.  I'd basically given the Help function a fit with all of my questions.

“Hahaha!  That is true.  You're one of only
four who went through the whole tutorial, and we're already rewriting the Help function so it can provide better support for the crazy questions you asked.  But that's part of the beta testing process.  Anyway!  Not only are you getting the Beta Tester bonus, as the first person to complete the test and with such a high score, you're also going to receive bonuses and extra support when the game launches.”

The woman was rather excited, and even I have to raise my brow in piqued interest.

“Oh?  Can you tell me about these bonuses?  We were told we'd receive tester bonuses during the briefing, but no other information.”  I ask without any preamble.

“Hmm...  Hold on and let me see if I can say, 'kay?”  The woman suddenly looks mischievous, and I nod as she pulls up her own panel and starts typing away on the interface.  I cannot see anything from where I'm sitting, but I'm not to worried anyway.

“And the answer is...  No can do.  Apparently the higher-ups want to make sure all it comes as a surprise.  Sorry!”

“Ah.  Oh well.  I'll find out as soon as the game launches anyway.”  I reply, a little put off.  The game is still six months away from launching.  That's quite a bit of time to have to wait.

“Sorry about that.  But I have been told that you are allowed to jump back into the Beta Test again.  The management team is interested to see what you can do with the other presets.  If you can beat the test in under three hours with the Soldier, Officer, and Manufacturer you'll get an even better surprise.”   Now she's starting to look like a wolf wearing sheep's clothing.  There's a catch there, I just know it, but I'm still not too worried.

“Sure.  I'll need a couple of hours though before I log back in.  I can only stay in the pod for five hours cause the doctors get worried.”  I say, shrugging a shoulder.

“Oh...  Hold on.”  The woman says, suddenly taken aback and once more brings up the holographic panel.

“EH!?  Allec Renn?  The ALS patient?  Oh my.  Sorry, I didn't realize.  No wonder management is interested in you.  Also, the technicians will be coming to modify your Dive Pod in a couple of hours as well.  So just log back in when you are able to.  The Beta Test is going to last for the next week, so you have plenty of time.”  Her response was expected, but I still sigh and shrug my shoulders.

“Alright.  Thanks.  I'll be seeing you later then.”  I say with a cheeky grin, swiping away the notice that's still floating above the coffee table.

“Logout.”

The world fades to black.

-|- -|- -|-

Fun Fact #1: Yes, there is going to be mecha in this story.

Six months.  That's the amount of time it takes to completely change the world.  At least according to the news broadcaster yelling on my TV screen, reporting live from Solar Dynamics Headquarters building in Los Angeles, California.

The launch of SD's flagship game, Universe Online was already underway, with only two hours left to go.  After nearly six months of waiting, I'm ready to dive into the sci-fi universe that has been taking the planet by storm.  Especially after videos of the Beta Tests were put up on the internet.  Including several of my own.

But first, I should backtrack just a bit.  Over a year ago, SD came out with their Dive Pod, which was hands down the best equipment for VR players and games when compared to the old helmets or VR Goggles that other companies had been using.  Sure, while they are able to project VR into the retinas in order to translate data into brain waves and vice-versa, thus simulating the VR’s environment, there are issues. 

Mainly concerning immersion.  Simply blinking could cause a noticeable 'lag', for instance.

That, and there is a hard limit to how much information can be translated directly through the optical nerves.  Especially for someone like me, who cannot freely use their eyes.  As games got more advanced and graphic quality started soaring, they started hitting the limits of information transference.

The Dive Pod does away with that by using direct neural connection.  Lay in the pod, close it, shut your eyes and WHAM!, you're somewhere else.  It is truly awesome.  Even I'm not sure how it really works.

It’s such a great breakthrough that other game companies have been trying to lease the pods for their own games and development.  SD cuts them down every time however.  Their Pod is completely proprietary.  It was also basically useless.  At least until now, a year and a half after its unveiling, the Dive Pod finally has its own game.

Sales have jumped through the roof.

The sole reason is because of Universe Online.  A true Science Fiction experience.  Gone are the classes, skills, and abilities of fantasy games.  Well, not really.  In a sense, skills and abilities still exist in Universe Online.  Just not in the format most people would recognize.

The second reason was the scope.  It isn't just a single large world, or even multiple 'realms' tied to the mortal world like in most of the fantasy games that have come and gone.  No, Universe Online is one super-massive galaxy, with an estimated two hundred and fifty billion stars in a stellar formation shaped similarly to our very own Milky Way.

No one really knows for sure about the total number of stars, though.

There is also more being found and added all the time.

No two stars are the same.  The planets, moons, asteroid fields and the potential for wealth and life are all unique and distinct.  It is so realistic that it’s driving not only gamers crazy, but scientists, geologists, and cosmetologists crazy as well.  Not to mention the spaceship fanatics or the alien 'lovers'.

If you thought the world was full of crazy, deranged people... You have no idea.  Half of all people with
-religion-
are blasting Universe Online for being heretical in the extreme.  While the other half are being tempted to worship it as the birth of a new god.  Like I said, crazy peoples.

As for me... I just want the experience.  The ability to move, to do what I want.  To strive for something.  To build and destroy and start all over again as my fancy takes me.  To test myself with everything I can or could do.

It is why I blink at the TV, triggering the sensor that shuts it off while I lean back into the custom Dive Pod in my hospital room.  While the vast majority of Dive Pods are oval egg-shaped machines with a sliding top door; mine is an open one without a door or most of the sides.  It is also full of a slightly warmed gel that allows me to sink into it before hardening around my body.  It was custom built with safety measures in case something goes wrong.

The truth of the matter is that my muscles are so atrophied that I have to use a full body brace in order to move even the tiniest bit; while being hooked up to all sorts of sensors and an IV in my rather useless left arm.  A personal ventilator is also wrapped around my throat like a thick white and blue collar.  The only thing missing is the 'WHHHHMSSSH' sound to make me Darth Vader, Jr..

Sad to say, I cannot even keep my own lungs inflated without the assistance.

But the real feature of this custom Dive Pod is how it’s wired directly for my neural pattern.  Unlike most people, who move around and run and jump without ever really considering how or why they are able to do so; I know that the neurons in the brain connect and reconnect to form various patterns that the brain uses in sequence to perform bodily actions.

What happens when you've never been able to use them?  Those patterns don't form.  And it is the vast majority of those patterns that VR's tend to look for when reading the mental map they create by reading your brainwaves.  I've jumped into quite a few games where once inside, I was unable to do much more than sit down, not able to move much at all.

To say it’s embarrassing is an understatement.

My new Dive Pod is different though, and it was one of the first things that I expressed my doubts about when I was chosen as a beta tester, six months ago.  Solar Dynamics got back to me and did a full brain scan without showing even a hint of hesitation, and uploaded the data directly into the pod they'd delivered only hours before.  I was able to jump in without any issues at all.  It was... heavenly.

It's part of the reason why I was able to kick so much ass during the beta.

Just the memory of it brings a weak smile to my lips as I lean my head back slowly into the rest and close my eyes.

-Dive Begin-

-|- -|- -|-

-User Detected-

-Beta Tester Recognized-

-Loading Meeting Area-

The soft feminine voice sounds against my ear before the blackness clears from my vision.

I'm back in that white space, sitting in the same chair as before.  This time, there isn't a table in front of me; and instead there's a large curved console, with the self-same woman from the Beta Test sitting behind it, reading through a holographic panel with line after line of scrolling text.

She's so involved that she doesn't even realize I'm there until I clear my throat.  She jumps a bit, and it’s quite cute, especially with the bounce.

“Ah! Don't scare me like that!”  She yells with a mock pout, and I simply chuckle.

“Sorry about that. But it was still a good response. Thank you for the meal~”

I tease her just a bit, bringing a blush to her cheeks before she clears her throat.

“For someone in your situation, you are quite the flirt apparently, Mr. Renn.”  She comments somewhat dryly.

I only smile in response.

“What can I say?  I have no reason to hold back here because I can actually talk.  I haven't been able to do so in real life since I was what?  Seven or eight years old?  You should have access to my complete medical history, given it was one of the prerequisites for my participation in the Beta Test.  Also, just call me Allec.  Mr. Renn is too formal for my taste.”

My own reply causes her to nod, and she gives a slight rueful chuckle of her own.

“That's true, Allec.  I'm Gabby, and I've been waiting for you.  No doubt you were wanting to jump right into the character creation process like the other 13 million other users that have bought their Dive Pods and then wait out the time until launch, but we need to talk first.”

Her words take on a professional tone, and I straighten up in the seat, getting comfortable.  To interrupt the character creation process for a personal meeting wasn't something I was expecting.  So this is likely to prove rather interesting.

I motion for her to continue.

“Okay.  Your outstanding performance during the Beta Test caught most of the company by storm.  You were able to use the presets in such a way that we had programmers and managers face-palming themselves and screaming at their screens while watching the videos of you.  It ended up being quite the riot.”

“But afterwards... well, lets just say that it took months of constant meetings and arguing to figure out what to do with you.  You have a talent, a great one that could prove most useful here in Universe Online.  But there were those who were afraid of what you could so as well.  Management is particularly scared of what you'd be doing during the interaction with other users.”

Her words are candid, and after a moment I nod my head to her.  She bites her lower lip before letting out a slight sigh, reaching forward to type something into the large console separating us.

“So here's the deal.  We can give you the regular Beta Tester bonus and ship you off through the classic character creation process and you can join the other users in the starting areas...  Or you can take this specially prepared starting bonus and go through a trial before joining the other users.”

Her words cause warning bells to ring in my head, but I take a deep breath to calm myself.

“Give me the details.”

My words bring a fleeting smile to Gabby's lips, and she presses a few more keys and suddenly a series of panels pop up before my eyes.

*DING*

“Do you accept?”

I'm very careful to read everything that is put up in front of me.  Even so I'm still forced to swallow, as if my throat had gone suddenly dry.

Advanced Character Creation?  I'd never heard of anything like that.  Then again, SD leaked almost no information at all besides only the most basic of information in a User's Guide.   Even I've read the guide several times over the last few months while waiting.

But this...  It flips everything on its head.  The extra penalties balance out the helpful traits, but simply being able to do more from the start is also a big boost in itself.  My mind is running a thousand miles a second, going over the pros and cons of what is being offered.

And the 'trial' Gabby had mentioned before.  The Beta Test had been like that.  A trial to see what users could do in a dangerous and serious situation.  I wonder how this is going to be any different.

The thought excites me though, and a slow wolf-like grin spreads across my lips as I reach out and press the 'Yes' on the screen.

The screen flickers, before disappearing with another 'DING' sound.  I enjoy the feeling swelling up inside me, but after a moment I turn to look at Gabby with a raised brow.  She's rather surprised, and her mouth is hanging open.  At least until she shakes her head and gives a slight cough to catch up.