HC:Pacifist | Ch. 179 - Lights Out

Roth sat by the fountain, rocking Lin as he listened to his mother’s voice. It had been a while since he spent hours on the phone with her like this. He chuckled at the thought of many players waiting to hear back from the Union Collective because their secretary was chatting with her son.

“It’s been fun to experiment with all these new ingredients,” she spoke in a high register, excited to share her baking adventures. “You’ll have to taste my new pie. It’s to die for.”

Hearing the verb to die made Roth shudder, but he kept his smile.

“Uh?” His mother looked surprised.

“What’s wrong, Mom?”

“Why does it say I’m being forcefully logged out? Baby, there’s something wrong with this computer hat thing. Give me a second, OK?”

The call dropped, and his mom was gone. That meant the Ogres had already sent some people to get his mother. Roth leaned against the fountain, looked up, relaxed, and smiled. After a few moments, he felt his muscles tense at the thought that it could be the other way around. What if her being forcefully logged out meant Loki had gotten to her?

Without his mother around to distract him, his anxiety was becoming harder to manage. He stood up and paced. Whatever the case, he was about to find out soon if the Ogres were good for their word.

His nervous pacing had woken Lin up, who now squirmed uncomfortably in protest.

“Hush, now, lil’ Lin. It will all be OK. It will…”

Roth’s vision suddenly went dark.

*

Roth opened his eyes and found a message he had never seen before.

Welcome back to AstroTerra!

“What’s going on?” He looked around, confused. He was back inside the auction house in Hilsford. “Why am I still in the game?”

This wasn’t making any sense. He should either be dead or out. Waking up inside the game should have never been an option. The last thing he remembered was talking to his mother. Then his kitten had woken up, and, all of a sudden, his vision went dark.

A cascade of notifications filled his vision.

Bucky, the Husky, has run a trade between Solomon, the Gardener, Mario, the Alligator, and Golden Mountain Inc.

Broker 12,000XP; 3%(x75%x15%) of the profit (1 gold, 21 silver);

+18 reputation with the Cyborg Union;

+13 reputation with Golden Mountain, Inc;

+16 reputation with the snakes.

Bucky, the Husky, has run a trade between Antioch and Golden Mountain Inc.

Broker 300,000XP; 3%(x75%x15%) of the profit (431 gold, 84 silver);

[Broker Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

Roth dismissed these and several other notifications about his peace treaties and pets.

How long had he been out? The notifications suggested more than a few hours. He looked at the system clock, and his eyes widened. “Two days?!” His yelp irritated several shoppers around him, who shot him an annoyed look. Embarrassed, he quieted down, looking at the clock and trying to understand what was happening.

His vision was drawn to the flashing message icon. He had received several messages, mostly from the guilds that had come to the auction. He ignored those for now and opened the one message from Drake.

“Roth, don’t worry. You’re OK. We’re OK. I don’t know where you were when they unplugged your capsule, so I couldn’t be there to welcome you when you returned. When you see this, meet me at the Rolling Hill Inn. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

Although he had many questions, knowing that his family and Drake were OK took a huge weight off his shoulders. Now, all that remained was to figure out what had happened to him and why he was still in AstroTerra. Thankfully, it was a short trip from where he was to the Rolling Hill Inn.

Roth left the square where people traded and crossed the lobby. But just as he was about to leave through the auction house’s massive doors, he paused. He had taken the [Witness Protection Mask] off for the auction. After so many weeks running around, always looking over his shoulder, it felt unwise to walk out in the open like this. He looked for an empty corner inside the auction house. It was easier said than done because the building was packed. Fortunately for him, it was also a huge building.

Once he found a little corridor with no one in it, he looked left and right, and put his [Witness Protection Mask] back on. His features twisted until he became the slightly shorter and uglier BridgeFinder. He then tugged little Lin into the folds of his toxicologist jacket. The little kitten was meowing, and Roth could tell it was hungry. Even though he wanted to rush toward Drake’s location, he couldn’t endure the pleading look the kitten gave him.

He returned to the trading square in the auction house and looked for things to feed Lin. He hastily sorted through the listings, chose pet-related items, and found something the kitten could eat.

Colostrum Baby Bottle (Pet Consumable)

Milk that helps babies grow strong.

Item effects:

Satiates baby pets for a while.

Roth bought a stack of 99 bottles for one gold and, grabbing one, pushed it into little Lin’s mouth. Smelling milk, the little kitten bit into the baby bottle excitedly and started to suck the bottle. In a matter of seconds, the bottle was depleted.

Lin appreciates the snack. But it’s not nearly enough! More milk!

+1 affection.

The kitty stared at him with famished eyes and his mouth dirty with milk. Roth pulled out another bottle and brought it to Lin’s mouth. Just like the first one, he drank it dry in seconds.

Lin appreciates the snack. But it’s not nearly enough! More milk!

+1 affection.

What a hungry kitty! He grabbed another bottle and gave it to the cat while taking off toward Rolling Hill Inn, his identity now hidden.

The auction house was strategically situated at the border of the crafting district and the academy grounds. Its main roads also provided quick access to the citadel and the slums, thus serving well all main classes of the game and their hangout places.

From the last time Roth had been here, he noted that more players wore those human defender sets. Moreover, unlike what he’d seen two days ago, where the majority had brass equipment, there were many more silver sets everywhere and more golden ones too.

The stench and the dilapidated brick walls told him he had just entered the slums. He checked his map, and after a few turns, he found the inn with the sign board dangling in the wind, causing a rusty squeaking sound that Roth wasn’t sure was meant to attract customers or scare them. It had taken him 10 minutes to get here, and Lin had already drunk thirty-five bottles. Fortunately, it looked like he’d finally had enough. His eyes were almost shut. He would fall asleep soon.

The moment Roth walked in through the door, he spotted Drake, wearing the same equipment he had two days ago: a mustard-yellow leather vest and cargo pants. His cybernetic arm, however, looked shinier than last time. Maybe he had upgraded it or something.

“Roth!” he exclaimed. He jumped from the armchair in the inn’s lounge and ran to him to give him a hug. Roth stretched his arm to keep him away and showed him the little kitten.

“Sorry, you’ll hurt the baby,” explained Roth, apologetically.

“Uh? You’ve got a kitten now? Where did you get one?”

“Well, I was in the middle of the auction when… Never mind. That’s not important. Drake. What’s going on? Why am I still in the game?”

“Let’s go into the meeting room,” he said quietly, looking over his shoulder. Seeing Drake display this level of caution did little to put Roth at ease.

Drake took a coin from his pocket and threw it at the innkeeper, a man whose body was shaped like a barrel of ale and smelled like one, too. They made it through a corridor and opened the door to a side room, which Drake promptly closed after Roth got in.

“I’m glad you’ve kept your head on your shoulders and put on the mask before coming here. Well done, boy.”

“Thanks?” Roth said, confused. “What’s going on, Drake?”

“Sit down,” Drake said invitingly.

Roth chose the seat that looked the most comfortable and the least stained. Lin had fallen asleep now. Roth tucked him into his jacket while studying Drake’s tense expression. Butterflies in his stomach, Roth asked, “What happened?”

Drake took a deep breath and looked at Roth right in the eye. “First things first. Your mother, brothers, sister-in-law, niece, and I are safe.”

“So you told me. Where are you?”

“We’re in one of the Ogres’ safe condos.” Drake leaned his back against the door and folded his arms together.

“Are they treating you well?”

“Oh yes. Like kings. We have access to a gym, swimming pool, spa, all the works. Your family’s outrage at being forcefully relocated vanished as soon as they saw you had brought them into a resort like this.”

“And is it safe?”

“Very. Very, very safe.”

Roth sank into the chair. Despite the chair’s creak and the room’s moldy scent, his mood lifted. His family would be safe for four months. It all worked out.

“Wait. What about me? Am I not with you guys?”

“Yes. You’re also with us.”

“Then why am I still here?”

“When the Ogres’ security staff got to you, they ran into a complication,” Drake explained. “They found your capsule was boobytrapped.”

“What?! Boobytrapped? As in armed with explosives?”

“Nothing so bombastic, but lethal to you anyway. They hooked the capsule to a battery, suspended it, and brought you here. Getting you out of this capsule won’t be as simple as we thought.”

“What? But can’t they disarm the trap?”

“They tried. But whoever did this is good, Roth. And don’t forget that this thing is plugged into your brain. The techs say it will fry your brain at the slightest sign of tampering.”

Roth gulped and felt his heart race. His vision fogged, and his breath quickened. He was having a panic attack.

“Calm down, Roth. You’re safe, don’t worry. You’re not in any immediate danger.”

“But I’m still trapped,” whined Roth.

“I know, son. I know. But it’s not all hopeless.”

Roth hung to the words of hope. “No? Can you get me out?”

“This is where things start to get tricky. According to the Ogres’ tech staff, there seems to be a backdoor programmed into the trap. They still don’t know what it is, but they’re working on it.”

“A backdoor?”

“Yes.” Drake searched for words, trying to explain. “Something that can help you unlock the trap from inside. A secret condition. Kind of like a hidden quest.”

Roth gasped at the memory of arriving in AstroTerra and being surrounded and beaten by the IronIre squad.

“What?” asked Drake.

“When my teammates tortured me. At the end. They said I could get out if I reached the top 10.”

“Top 10 what? Top 10 players?! Of the whole game?” Drake exclaimed.

A part of Roth’s mind noticed how Drake had gone from someone who didn’t know anything about gaming to someone who understood how difficult getting into the top 10 was. Roth nodded. “Could that be the condition included in the programming?”

Drake shrugged. “I don’t know. But I’ll pass that intel on to the tech staff. Maybe it will help them,” Drake said bitterly.

Hearing his friend’s tone, Roth’s eyebrow shot up. “Wait. You don’t trust the Ogres’ tech staff?”

Drake shook his head. “When we discovered the trap, I asked BlueFire to contact Nexus and have them look at your capsule. For some reason, they won’t let us do that.”

“Uh? Why not?”

“I don’t know.”

Even though Drake feigned ignorance, Roth didn’t buy it. His friend was holding back on him.

“Do you think they want to keep me in the capsule?” tried Roth.

Drake looked away.

“Come on, Drake. Level with me.”

Drake sighed. “Look, Roth. This is a multi-billion credit industry. Having a guy trapped in a capsule raises a lot of concerns and issues. I don’t know why they are blocking me from getting to Nexus. It could be that they think it’s unsafe to reach out to Nexus because they suspect Loki has people there. It could be that they fear what this will do to the gaming industry. I just don’t know. What I do know is that I don’t trust them, and neither should you.”

Roth shuddered at the memory of trying to call Nexus through a passerby and being given the cold-shoulder. “Can’t you call Nexus yourself?”

“I tried. At least, I think I have. They ignored me.”

“What do you mean, you think you have?”

“How can I be sure, Roth? This is the Ogre’s safe house. They control the phones, the internet, and all the VR equipment we use here. How can I be sure that my calls are getting through?”

Roth frowned at the thought of the Ogres having a team of actors that pretended to be Nexus’ customer service. “Now what?”

Drake unfolded his arms and sat in a chair near Roth. “Now, we wait. I’ve been talking to the 14th. We’ll come up with a plan. Whatever the case, we have to look on the bright side.”

“Which is?” prompted Roth.

“The bright side is that you’re alive and well for now. So is your family. We’ve also bought enough time to figure things out.”

Drake was right. Ultimately, they had guaranteed their safety, albeit temporarily.

“By the way, what happened to Brian?” asked Roth. “You never told me what your plan was for him.”

“Oh, that? The 14th put him in a safe house. Don’t worry about him.”

“So, what do I do now?”

“What else? Play the game. We don’t want the Ogres to keep us here forever. If that condition really is what unlocks the traps from within, then you have no choice but to give it your all.”

Ch. 178 - Calling Grandma

INDEX

Ch. 180 - Soul Searching