Chapter 5: Player One Ready?

Chapter 5: Player One Ready?

Some people had sunk to their knees, others were in tears. The soldiers, who acted like this was just another day at the office, quickly got everyone up, barking orders at those still in a daze to snap them out of it.

We have to move, called out Captain Grayson. The corpse will attract scavengers. We dont want to be here when that happens.

Slowly the shock wore off and we formed a vague line. With the soldiers on either side of us, we set off through the trees.

Nobody said anything as we all concentrated on working our way in and out of the densely populated trees, keeping an eye out for further attacks. Without shoes it took all your attention to avoid stepping on something painful. Ohs and ahs and shits rang out as people hopped around clutching their feet. Met by shushing from those fearful of drawing the attention of more monsters.

I was too excited to be scared. If this really was a game, would you have to collect experience points to level up?

Perhaps wed be able to gain abilities and skills.

People returned from the bathrooms looking unhappy. Most RPG games didnt take their realism all the way to needing toilet breaks, but I assumed facilities would be on the basic side. A hole in the ground, even.

As I tried to look for clues as to what kind of world this was and what it required from me, someone sat next to me. I turned to find the squinty black guy with the Batman onesie. I wondered if he was even a real person. If I really had become part of an advanced virtual reality game without knowing it, these people could all be computer-controlled NPCs.

Then again, who would program a character to look like this? Clearly he was another player, and judging by his appearance, maybe a huge nerd. He might actually be better at these sorts of games than me.

Hey, he said, its like were inside some kind of computer game, isnt it. My names Maurice, by the way.

Colin, I said with a nod. So, are you good at video games?

Cant stand em. Im a board game purist, myself.

Turned out he was such a huge nerd, even in the age of nerd empowerment, he ranked as totally useless. The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))