System Break

The technicians sat around a long oval table. They wore colourful shirts under their white lab coats which hung down to their knees.

Shiyan Shi sat at one end of the table and his second at the other. There were no directors at the meeting just technicians from the UI branch.

Shi read from his tablet. "Marketing sold all 250 pods in three hours." Most of their faces were lit with shock or bewilderment.

"So many rich people." One observed. The pods were a million USD each, which meant you not only had to be rich, you had to have that sort of money lying around. You also had to care about this technology, game genre and have the spare time to play.

"Is it kids?" another asked.

Shu shrugged. "Who cares. Our job is to create classes and progression using the assets we currently have. We cannot wait any longer for the beta players."

"Wait," the second said, "How can they pay a million and still be a beta player?"

Shi frowned. "They all want in the game early; they are paying to have a head start as much as they play for the escapism. Our problem is this is a lot of money and we don't want complaints from rich people."

"Yeah they whine so much more than regular people." One of the junior techs added his unwanted opinion.

"What about races?"

"The director only wants human. No more wood elves."

"We don't have any other races from the military?"

Shi shook his head. "They encountered dwarves, but no one has done what subject eleven has."

"Why don't we send in some subjects with model one bodies and the aim to get the dwarf race?" the second in charge asked.

Shi frowned. "No. No more research, we need to focus on launch now."

"So, we don't need subjects anymore? They may interfere with the players."

Shi nodded. "We're to pull all the subjects except 13 and 11."

"Why them?"

"Eleven is the one who keeps discovering things," the second said. "And thirteen is a director's nephew."

"Oh."

"Okay, I need you all to report what sort of skills fit into the three starting archetypes. We'll give them 10 in each."

"But it's open?" the junior asked.

"Yes. We've decided on open classes. You can do anything, but the beta testers will start off with equipment, abilities and skills aligned with their archetype."

"Why don't we just leave it all open?"

"Because they won't like it. They're used to other games where everything is handed to you. It will be a shock when they don't get exp for killing a monster just some skill in their weapon and defence."

The second reported. "I've finished the weapon definitions; it won't be under the umbrella melee anymore. There's a different skill for fifteen different weapon types."

"How do we fit fifteen weapons into three archetypes?" A technician asked.

Shi said, "That's why we're here. To work this out. Submit your proposals and I'll review and then get the directors final approval."

"Paladin, we have to have a Paladin." The junior offered is unwanted opinion.

They began to debate archetypes at the table and Shi banged his fist down. "Stop arguing and make your submissions." He stood and walked towards the exit. "Those pods better be ready," he mumbled as he walked out the door.

<break>

"What's his name?" Ailen asked. He was looking at Benzhi's grotesque bird.

I shrugged. "Crow eater?" And then felt a twinge in our connection. "Guess not. Something will come to us." The bird flew across my back and perched on one of the vines circling my waist.

Sakaala joined us and nodded at Ailen.

"Benzhi we need to talk to you," Ailen said and looked around. "Alone."

I looked at Sakaala and she smiled. It couldn't be that bad. "Okay, let's head south for some training."

"You can train us?" Sakaala asked.

"If I can train Gisael I can train anyone."

Ailen laughed.

Sakaala pursed her lips and they followed me. "Why is that funny?"

Ailen snickered. "Because she's stubborn as hell."

"But that's not what I meant."

Ailen sighed. "We know. How can you be so smart and so dense at the same time?"

Sakaala grumbled. "It's not my fault you two share - stupid man humour."

I stopped and turned. "It's time for you two to learn qi-body techniques."

Sakaala jumped and clapped her hands. "Yippee. I'm so sick of being left behind - even Reyas is faster than me."

Ailen peered at me. "How do you know we can learn new abilities? And don't you want our news first?"

I put my spear behind my neck and twisted my shoulders. It was an enjoyable stretch. "Whatever."

Sakaala just stared at my chest.

Ailen lightly clipped her head with his hand.

"Oh," she said. "We had the induction last night. The ones all the new players are getting."

"What new players?"

"Two hundred and fifty new ones."

"Where?"

Ailen looked south and pointed. "Not the Reach. Some place down south called Dawnharbour."

"So, on the ocean then," I guessed.

"Tell him," Sakaala jumped up and down on the spot.

Ailen gave her an annoyed look. "Why?"

"Well you have to tell me now."

Ailen sighed. "We tried to buy you a pod and have you transferred to our place. But they denied us."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Sorry," Sakaala said, "I'll try again. Don't worry."

"You did it?"

She nodded.

Ailen huffed. "We need to tell him about the induction. It's important."

"But my news!"

"Fine tell him."

Sakaala smiled. "Now whenever you get a first kill the server will recognize it."

I smiled at her. "You know I don't give a shit about that."

She frowned. "I had to argue so hard just for that. Be happy."

I threw my hands up. "Happy as Larry."

"The induction," Ailen said, "They told all the new players that they had to stay in character. If they talked about the real world in front of NPCs, they would react badly. Even throw you in jail or whatever passes for a mental asylum."

I paced. "Really?"

He nodded. "You know what this means?"

"It could be a few things," I said.

"That's what I think," Sakaala said. "It could be they want escapism and by making this known it will encourage players to play like it's real. Making the game better."

"Or," Ailen said, "The inhabitants are real, and they don't want them knowing we come from earth."

"Or they're AI and they don't want them realising it's a simulation and then trying to escape," Sakaala countered.

I sighed. "So really. It could be anything." I circled them and tapped their stomachs with the shaft of my spear.

"I want you to engage your core. You've been slowly growing them as you eat a tiny portion of qi each day. I want you to tug on it until it comes out."

"How will we know?" Sakaala asked.

"I can see it," I said.

Sakaala's mouth dropped and Ailen peered at her. "Haven't you been paying any attention?"

She shrugged. "I mostly just follow you two around and daydream. I do like shooting stuff with my bow though."

I laughed. "You do you Sakaala. You do you."

They tried hard for an hour and made no progress.

I paced and thought. "Maybe we need to shock you into it."

"We just use the quickbar. We're not like you," Ailen said.

"But you could be. If I can do it, if Gisael can learn a new ability, why can't you?"

Ailen stared at the ground and kicked some dirt. "I'm trying," he said.

"Imagine being rushed by half a dozen hell hounds. You need to sprint to the tree and the only way to outpace them is using qi body. You need to push a stream down into your legs."

I watched as they tried. Ailen seemed constipated and made a funny face, but I held my laughter. Then I saw it, the tiniest of movements of his qi.

"There," I said loudly. "I knew it. I knew you could do it."

"Did I do it?"

"Well you moved your qi the length of a bees dick, but it still moved. So, you can do it. It's just a matter of practise."