by Mason Roth
ROOKSTORM ONLINE
(Book 1)
New Game Adventure
Bluesource And Friends
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Contents
Bluesource And Friends
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 1
“Warriors shall not perish”. Piper echoed the iconic phrase as her character, Adela, spread her wings and resurrected her entire team. Warm light swirled around her fallen teammates and they rose, weapons in hand. “Let’s make a push for the point!” Piper shouted into her headset and her team moved into position to storm the dark, foreboding castle at the edge of the map.
“Fall behind me.” Javier’s strong, melodic voice filled her ears as his archer, Gendo, nocked his golden arrow.
“Get’em’, Javi!” Piper called back, giddy at the imminent destruction. She watched at the ready as Gendo released the arrow. At once, the screen filled with green flames as he ignited the opposing team. Smoke filled the air, but Javier cleared the path to the glittering black arches of the castle keep of enemies. Wait... smoke? Piper sniffed tentatively, and sure enough, she smelled it. Daring to tear her eyes away from the screen as they approached the objective point, she glanced around her dim studio apartment. Oven? No, the stack of old takeout boxes on top of it was proof enough she didn’t use it. Weird. She thought to herself, unable to find the source of the smell. As she was about to turn back to her game, she realized her left leg was warm. Uncomfortably warm - the leg by her self-built PC tower. She looked down in horror.
“No, no, no, no, NO!” She threw off her headset, ripping the jack from the plug. She could see it through the cooling vent. Flames. “Shit, shit, SH-.” A violent cough cut off her last expletive as smoke entered her lungs. “Piper, you’re scaring me...” Javi trailed off before turning to shoot the opposing team’s tank. With her headset unplugged, his voice echoed with a tinny timbre. “Don’t just stand there, we only have a minute left!”
Flinging her sleeve over her mouth, she crawled down to get a better look at her tower. She built it herself. Lovingly selected and installed each and every piece. So why weren’t the fans spinning? Why was that silvery liquid leaking from the motherboard? Why was it on FIRE?
“WAKE UP, PIPER.” Javi raged into his headset. “It’s a ranked match!” His tone changed to a pleading one. “If you disconnect now, we’ll lose the mat-” His voice cut off as the screen went dead. Piper froze in horror as the RGB display cut out on her tower. Her computer was toast. And still on fire. Panicking, she pulled off her sweater and beat it over the flaming PC.
“Fucking. Piece. Of Shit!” Tears flowed down her cheeks as she beat the computer over and over. She fell to her knees and released her sobs. What am I going to do now?
Life hadn’t been easy for Piper after college. Unable to find work with her humanities degree, she ended up as a freelance artist. She had always loved graphic design despite her parents persuading her against pursuing it as a degree as she could “do more” with a humanities degree. What a load of crap. Her degree hung on her wall barely covering a large hole, which was the only use it had.
While she managed to land a couple of advertising gigs, she made her real money in fetish art. The more depraved, the higher the price. It was debasing, depressing work. She was often in her apartment for days on end completing a slew of perverted requests at once - requests to make ends meet. As a result, she was pale, malnourished, and depressed. Ashamed of her main source of income, she withdrew from her friends and family. How could she explain it to her old friends in their prestigious internships and 9 to 5s? How could she face her parents?
She looked out the window - the only feature to her bleak, concrete studio. Despite the admittedly scenic view of the city, to Piper, everything about the city was cold. The temperature, the architecture, the people. Ice cold. She was cold too, she realized, as she locked eyes with a man in the building across from her. His eyes bored into her. She felt naked and exposed. She looked down and realized that she was at least half naked. Her bra only covered her top half, and her chest heaved in embarrassment. She dashed to the window and yanked her blackout curtain shut.
“Creep.” She scoffed.
She picked up a T-shirt off the floor and sniffed it. Good enough, she concluded, pulling it over her head. Pull yourself together, kid. She slapped her round cheeks with both hands and pushed up her glasses. She paced the length of her tiny apartment. It was only about 20 steps but it helped, regardless.
"What to do, what to do..." Piper mused aloud. Rent for her shabby, industrial studio was due in two weeks and she needed her computer for her digital art. She glanced across the room, lip quivering at the sight of the smoking machine. There was no chance of saving it.
A new computer that could handle her art programs would be at least a grand. One that met her gaming standards would be about five hundred more. While she did not need the computer for gaming, it was the only thing that kept her sane - the only way she socialized. Her friends like Javier had no reason to know her true self. All they needed was a teammate and, occasionally, someone to vent to. She could pretend to be anything she wanted to be online. The possibilities were endless, but her go-to persona was merely happy and successful. It was a welcome escape from her bleak reality.
It would be cheaper to build the computer herself, but she didn't have the time to wait for parts. As her career was neither stable nor lucrative, she was no stranger to eviction notices. Her landlord wouldn't be so lenient this time.
No time to build it but also, no money to buy it. Fuck. She stuck her thumb in her mouth and began gnawing on her nail. She needed money, and fast.
Piper pulled her phone from the back pocket of her sweat pants and plopped down onto the concrete floor. How to make cash quick, she typed into her browser. She scrolled through endless offers for surveys and scams to no avail. She laid back on the cold, hard floor. What was she thinking? There was no such thing as easy, fast, money.
Her phone buzzed and she fumbled with it, nearly dropping it on her face. It was a message from Javi.
Dude, are you ok?? She snorted.
Anything but. She replied, flipping over onto her stomach. My damn motherboard CAUGHT FIRE.
Dude... Javier lamented. Don't you need your computer for work? Out of her online friends, Javier knew the most about her. He knew she was a freelance artist. She just told him it was for children's books, not porn.
For sure. You'd have no chance without me on the team anyway -
Referring to their game of choice, Yesterwind.
Nobody plays Adela like you :). Piper allowed herself a small smile. Javi lived half a world away in Argentina, but he sure did love to flirt.
You don't make a bad Gendo, yourself. She quipped. Hey, you wouldn't happen to know a quick way to make money, would you? Really need this computer...
No response. Stupid, Piper thought to herself. Why would she ask him that? It completely contradicted her rule to keep her new "friends" at arm's length. If they got too close, they would realize that she wasn't worth their time.
Sorry... She texted again, trying to undo the damage. I don't expect you to have all the answers. I'm sure I'll figure something out. Javier replied immediately.
No worries! I was doing a bit of research. I sold plasma when I was struggling through nursing school, but that won't pay for a new PC. If you're brave though, you might want to consider a clinical trial. That's where you can make the big bucks.
Piper blinked at the message. He seemed so earnest. Did he truly want to help her? No... there had to be a catch. How many times had a man seemed sincere but only wanted nudes? Too many to count. Arm’s length, she reminded herself. Her phone buzzed again.
This site has a list of trials in NYC. He pasted a link. Maybe you can find one that won't make you eat rat poison? Piper couldn't help but laugh despite her suspicion. And despite whatever his motivations might be, Javi's advice was genuinely helpful.
Thanks, Javi!!! I'll see what I can do. Hopefully I’ll be rezzing your ass by the end of the week ;)
Looking forward to it ;) Have a good night, Piper.
She jabbed at the link, impatient for the site to load. She pushed up her glasses again before scrolling through the site. Most of the trials required participants to have specific medical conditions.
Obesity? No. Diabetes? No. Prior heart attack? No way. Despite her severe depression and lack of vitamin D, she was an average, healthy young woman. She frowned and twirled a strand of blonde hair around her fingers.
Keep looking, kid, she murmured to herself. Her eyes widened. Finally, a hit.
Experienced Gamers Wanted. Now that's a headline I can get behind. She clicked the link eagerly. Experienced Gamers Wanted For Psychological Survey. Low Risk, High Reward. Piper eyed the three dollar signs next to the posting with interest and continued reading.
Participants will interact with each other in VR world created by Key Media. The same company that made Yesterwind. This was starting to sound too good to be true. 20 participant limit. You will be selected on site. No pre-approval? That was rare, and truth be told, a little sketchy. She looked at those three dollar signs again. She needed the money. There was no denying that. AND she would get to test out an unreleased Key VR game. And with the low risk qualifier, there was nothing to lose. She scrolled through the rest of the posting to find the date.
June 25th...Tomorrow? Ha, this is too good to be true. She flipped onto her back and let her arms fall to her side. Rock bottom, she thought to herself. She thought she had been here many times but this was it. Friends, family, income, her precious computer...she did not have any more to lose but her tragic excuse for a home. Here goes nothing, she sighed, and sat up. Steadying her trembling hand, she tapped ‘Register’.
Chapter 2
How long had it been since she last left her apartment? Piper mulled the question over as she combed through her knotted, shoulder length bob. Removing the bobby pin she was holding between her teeth, she secured her hair in a low bun. Probably over a month, she concluded. With the rise of food delivery services, she had no reason to leave her house. She eyed the ever-growing pile of takeout boxes sprawling over her countertops with mild disgust. I really have to take care of that before they attract bugs. Piper resolved that this clinical trial would be a fresh start. Get the money, get the computer, get her life in order.
She met her own large blue grey eyes in the mirror. Not bad. For the first time in a long time, she actually looked put together. Despite the difficulty of buttoning her jeans (the takeout had taken its toll), she had to admit that it was an improvement over her usual sweatpants. A soft pink button down blouse completed the look. "Not bad," she said to herself, cupping her freckled face. "Not bad at all." She grabbed her backpack and reached for the front door, but her hand hesitated on the handle. Bile rose in her throat. Am I really doing the right thing? She shook her head and threw open the door. Right or not, there were no other options. She pushed up her glasses. "Let's do this."
***
Piper arched an eyebrow as she eyed the blank building with suspicion. She double checked the address on her phone. Yep, this is definitely the place. An unmarked low-rise nestled among the endless sea of skyscrapers was the last place she expected to arrive. She expected something far more clinical like a hospital or a university lab. Her nerves rose again. Why wouldn't it be in one of those places? Something wasn't right. Rock bottom, she reminded herself. Braced for the worst, she pushed open the door.
Bright light instantly flooded her vision. She squinted against the white as a cheerful voice filled her ears.
"Welcome to the Elysium Institute." Piper whipped her head around as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. There were screens on every gleaming white surface, each of them displaying the same image. "My name is Candace. We're so glad you're here." Candace beamed down at her from every angle. Her perfectly curled auburn hair bore a single streak of white and her poreless skin crinkled around her eyes benevolently. She continued speaking through her flawless smile.
"The trial selection process will begin shortly." Piper realized that all the Candaces had their eyes trained on her. She looked around the room. It was eerily empty aside from herself and at least thirty Candaces. "If selected, you will beta test an exciting new game by Key Media while we collect a teensy bit of data on your interactions." Piper opened her mouth to interject. Candace had yet to say anything that wasn't on the online posting and Piper expected some more specifics. As if Candace read her mind, she interrupted sweetly.
"I'm sure you have many questions, dear. All of which will be answered during your stay here at the Elysium Institute." Piper pushed up her glasses and squinted at the nearest screen. Were there cameras? None that she could see. Despite feeling deeply unsettled, something about Candace's "presence" quelled her doubts.
"Now, please relax and proceed to the selection chamber. Best of luck to you." The screens went black as the wall in front of her parted to reveal a dark hallway.
"No turning back", she whispered, yet she found herself rooted in place.
"Please, proceed." Despite the absence of her visuals, Candace's voice echoed forcefully.
Steeling herself, Piper marched down the hallway. It was lined with thick black wires and the buzzing fluorescent lights were several yards apart. She wondered why she had yet to see a single real person. There was no way she was the only participant.
The hallway opened into a black circular room with a single white chair on a pedestal in the center. The high-backed chair had a slightly medical look. Nothing wrong with that, Piper rationalized. This is a clinical trial after all.
"Please have a seat. The selection process will begin shortly. Do not be afraid." Piper obeyed Candace's soothing voice, despite the fact that her command to not be afraid had the exact opposite effect.
Upon making contact with the chair, it became encased in a glowing blue light. A curved screen she hadn't seen before popped up in front of her face. She waved her hand behind it. She hadn't seen it because it was transparent. "Incredible", she whispered.
"Remarkable, isn't it?" Candace's face appeared on the screen barely a foot away from Piper's own.
"Oh Christ!" Piper recoiled in her seat.
"Do not be afraid, dear." Candace repeated. She had to be watching from somewhere. Piper took a deep breath to quell the revolt brewing in her stomach. "You will be asked a series of questions to determine if you have the qualities we are looking for in a partic
ipant. Please answer honestly, as deceitful answers will not be counted." How would she even know? Keenly aware she was being watched now; Piper cracked a nervous smile at the screen.
"You may begin. Best of luck to you." Candace's face cut out and was replaced with swirling blue letters dancing around the screen. The letters surged and arranged themselves to spell "Elysium Institute". The words vanished as quickly as they appeared and were soon replaced with a question.
What do you most fear?
A. Loneliness
B. Betrayal
No stranger to either concept, she didn't hesitate in selecting "Betrayal".
What do you need?
A. To Be Accepted
B. To Be Desired
To Be Rich, Piper thought sarcastically. But, as that wasn't an option, she weighed the choices at hand. It was true that she got a unique high out of being the object of a man's desire, but what about acceptance? Had she ever truly been accepted for who she was? Her parents held her to impossible standards. Her friends, old and new, only knew bits and pieces of her true self. Did she even know her own true self, let alone accept it? With an uneasy feeling, she tapped A.
