by Sergei Katz
CHANGING WORLD:
The Beginning
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
CHAPTER 1: Chance
CHAPTER 2: The Conference
CHAPTER 3: Rebirth
CHAPTER 4: Getting to Know the World
CHAPTER 4.1. Fairies: The Educational Council
CHAPTER 5: The Meadow in the Forest
CHAPTER 5.1: The Fairies - Work and Pleasure
CHAPTER 6: The First Encounter
CHAPTER 7: A Kind Competitor
CHAPTER 8: Gifts Can Be Different
CHAPTER 9: Head to Head
CHAPTER 10: Forest Etiquette
CHAPTER 11: The First Step
CHAPTER 12: A Village Without a Name
CHAPTER 13: Everything Will Turn Out Right
CHAPTER 14: First Quest
CHAPTER 15: Sometimes It is Just the Beginning
CHAPTER 16: Back on the Road
CHAPTER 17: New Acquaintances
CHAPTER 18: Twists of Fate
CHAPTER 19: To Fight, Or Not to Fight?
CHAPTER 20: The Unusual Can Become Common
CHAPTER 21: The Forest Chase
CHAPTER 22: The Usual Concerns
CHAPTER 23: Mirage Games
CHAPTER 24: A Hard Day
CHAPTER 24.1: Another Hard Day
CHAPTER 25: Twists of Destiny
CHAPTER 26: Time to Make Decisions
CHAPTER 26.1: Sons of the Desert
CHAPTER 27: A Fair Fight
CHAPTER 28: An Honored Guest
CHAPTER 29: Life is Never Simple
CHAPTER 30: An Unexpected Turn of Events
PROLOGUE
Anticipation: at that moment in time my thoughts, dreams, desires and plans were all mixed together in my head. I sat and looked out of the window. There was a living breathing city outside. Who gave a damn what the city was called? People and cars - everything was in motion. There was a fusion of colors, scents and flavors - things that are accessible to almost everyone. However, I just happened to be one of those who were deprived of all of these sensations. For me there were only two colors: black and white; two tastes: edible and inedible; two scents: I was indifferent to one, and the other one made me feel sick. Who was I? Just an ordinary person who hadn’t been very lucky in life. My name’s Dave. I was 35 at the time, I worked from home, and only from home, as an analyst. I was unique in this world, as I had a gruesome incurable disease with some unpronounceable name. However, this day, perhaps I was going to finally be able to start experiencing all the senses that my illness had deprived me of.
CHAPTER 1:
CHANCE
I was deeply engrossed in the analysis of a completely new innovation in the gaming industry. The Okkama Company had announced the creation of a new computer game that enabled the player to become completely immersed in it. The program developer had promised that any person, even if they happened to be blind or deaf, could experience their lack of feelings by immersing themselves inside the world of the game. The developer had also ambiguously hinted that the feelings could be even more intense than those experienced by a normal person.
The news had quite literally taken the whole world by storm! There was chaos on the stock exchanges, so I found myself snowed in with work. I had enough orders to keep me going for at least a year. Although I couldn’t describe myself as the top analyst in the world, I was pretty well known in my field nonetheless. I preferred not to communicate in person: I had a ton of competitors who would be happy to see me gone. I also had plenty of enemies as a result of my work, a lot of conspiracies had been thwarted and innumerable scams had been stopped in their tracks. So, the fewer direct contacts I had, the better. However, if someone wanted to contact me, especially if it was someone that I respected or admired, I would gladly agree to speak to them in person.
Once again, a call came through: my communications program tracked all the calls that came to my address. A small window popped up, giving me full information about the caller, even though that wasn’t what it was originally designed for. As soon as I agreed to take a call or if I called someone else, one of several thousands of computers scattered around the world would do this for me. All my communications were transmitted this way. The program used hundreds of other computers and constantly changed the flow of information, passing it on in an absolutely random order. Of course, the program used all sorts of protection, encryption and God knows what else. It was priceless for me, because the program allowed me to make decisions promptly: it let me decide who I needed to answer immediately, and who I could call back later.
Without thinking, I looked at the information window on my computer: the caller was from the Okkama Company. You could safely say that I was surprised! I told the program to answer the call without a doubt.
— Good afternoon, Dave, — she said. She was a very beautiful Japanese woman, dressed in traditional oriental blue robes, embroidered with flowers and birds. — My name is Ayano; I'm Kiyoshi Akiyama's personal secretary. Perhaps you are familiar with the name?
Of course I was familiar with the name: it was name of the man who was behind the Full Immersion project, the game was created under his leadership.
— If you have no objection, then I'll put you through to him now, — Without waiting for my reaction, I was connected to the person that everyone wanted to talk to at the time: from journalists to the owners of corporations. I suspected that even the presidents of some countries would drop important matters of state for the sake of such a conversation.
As far as I knew, it was very rare for Kiyoshi to personally communicate with someone outside of work and family. You could practically count his appearances on TV on the fingers of one hand.
— Good day, Dave. I'm sorry; I do not know your surname.
An elderly Japanese gentleman was looking at me via the monitor. Kiyoshi was dressed in casual clothes: he was wearing a monochrome black sweater and jeans. If I saw him sitting in a cafe or walking around the zoo, I would never in my life believe that he was the head of the richest corporation in the world at the moment, as a result of whose innovations the entire stock exchange had literally been turned upon its head.
— Good day to you too, Sir, — I replied. — It's no surprise that my surname doesn’t appear on the Internet. When I started out as an analyst, I created my profile from scratch and didn’t mention it anywhere, in order to remain completely anonymous.
— That was a very clever decision. These days only a few people realize how much personal information can be gleaned from the Internet, — the businessman smiled. — However, I don’t pay my analysis department and security service a lot of money without a reason. So, I apologize in advance, but some information came to me. We were searching for people who would benefit in their recovery from the game that we have created, and who know how to safeguard their identity. So you, as an absolutely unique individual, appeared on our radar for both reasons. Our analysis department reported that the only chance that you would agree to our proposal would be in the event that I contacted you personally. — You could say that I was in a state of shock, but it lasted only for a moment, after which my curiosity took over.
— I'm listening. — Apparently, my curiosity was noticeable even through my avatar, which amused the person I was talking to very much.
— I am aware, — Kiyoshi began, — that you are fond of fantasy books and like popular online gaming. I also know that several interesting programs have been developed for your personal use and one of them calls out the colors of a particular object when you hover your mouse over it. I also know that you are an excellent stock exchange analyst who can quickly give advice, make a recommendation, or even propose a strategy
for the development of a company from practically any industry. I understand that it is useless to offer you money and fame. However, I wish to offer you something that no one else can offer you: a world full of feelings and colors, unforgettable adventures and most importantly - a hope for a cure.
CHAPTER 2:
THE CONFERENCE
After selecting one of my anonymous avatars, I entered the data and joined a videoconference I was supposed to be a part of. The rest of the participants in the videoconference couldn’t see me, observing the avatar chosen by me instead. The avatar behaved exactly like me, waving his hands around, mimicking my speech and display of emotions. He had his own name and his own history on the Internet. No program could track the real me or paint a portrait of me.
The participants in the video conference appeared in the program as if they were seated in a concert hall. Gradually the hall filled up. As soon as the last spectator had taken his place, a young Scandinavian looking guy appeared on the stage.
— Greetings to all of those gathered here together! To make it simple for us to communicate, just call me Sam. I'm one of the creators of the game, and the only person who is currently allowed to talk about it. You all signed agreements prohibiting the dissemination of any information, including the name of the game, outside of this conference. In case of any violation, you and those who receive the information will face lawsuits and many other unpleasant consequences. If anyone doesn’t agree to these terms, — Sam looked around the room with a piercing gaze. — then I advise you to leave right now.
A wave of indignation swept through the hall, but no one left.
— I'm delighted that everyone decided to stay. — Sam smiled disarmingly, in a somewhat childish manner. — So then, the working title of the game created by our corporation is ASTAT. I don’t believe that many of you know what this word actually means. In fact, it is very simple: this is the name of the most unstable element in the world. The name was chosen for a good reason: the world inside of the game is constantly changing, and the players themselves will constantly make changes to the game as well. Believe me: these are not mere words. The player is able to create new scenarios, breed new kinds of plants and creatures, and build everything from a chair to a palace. The players are also able to create new quests and new locations. All this will be limited only by your abilities, the availability of the right tools and your imagination.
A roar of approval passed through the hall.
— All of this and much more, — Sam winked at the whole audience, — is possible with the development of certain abilities and talents. By the way, as I have already said, you can learn almost everything in the game for yourself. Of course, you can find a mentor, and he will explain and show everything in detail, but if you don’t have a mentor holding you by the hand, then just try to find your way around the program by yourself. There is yet another nuance to the game: the features in the game only grow through action and training. The main thing is that we decided to completely abandon the system of levels, so you will need to find different ways to evaluate your progress. Another fact, which is very vigorously discussed in all of the world’s mass media these days, concerns the fact that an artificial intelligence controls the game, and this is actually true. Everything from the behavior of NPCs (non-player characters controlled by artificial intelligence and not the gamer), ending with the creation of new chains of quests, which is the work of iSkins. They can also expand the game’s world and organize global events. Most likely, you also heard the corporation's statements about sensations and feelings available in the game. So, all this is true. Even those who are unable to feel certain sensations in life will be able to feel the whole spectrum of known sensations and much more while being a part of the game. Pain and orgasm are no exception.
At the mention of orgasm the mood in the hall brightened up a little. Realizing that Sam had finished his presentation, the hall literally exploded, followed by questions and exclamations.
Sam waited until the hall calmed down, and continued:
— I am not authorized to give out any more information than I already have. All of you have been selected because you meet certain requirements, so you can participate in the closed beta testing of the game. The testing itself will last a year in real-time, which is equivalent to three years in the game. After the first year of the game, a second larger group will be allowed to participate. The following year the game will be available to everyone. However, you must remain in the game for another year at that point. You will have a connection with the real world, and access to the game forums and sites dedicated to the game. Yes, okay! — Sam put a stop to the growing murmur. — Due to the fact that our technology is similar to what people can see in a dream, time within the game goes three times faster than in reality. I want to emphasize this once again: becoming a beta tester means that you cannot leave the game for three game years, and within two years you will no longer have any communication with the outside world. However, when the game is officially released, your characters will have an advantage of two years development within the game. How developed they’re going to be will solely depend on you. Trust me, even those who invest millions in the game will not be able to develop their characters quickly, although the game will still be easier for them. However, you can still lose the rank of a beta tester in certain situations within the game, so before it officially becomes available to everyone else, you will have to remain on the company’s premises without a contact with the outside world. Oh, and that’s not all! After the official opening of the game, the corporation will allow the exchange of virtual money for real currencies and vice versa. So, in terms of your material benefits, this proposal is also very, we could say, sexy.
A roar of approval passed through the hall. It seemed that most of those present were professional players who understood perfectly well what the 2-year handicap for an online game of this standard meant.
— This concludes our conference. All of you will receive a letter with the name of the game in the title. If you agree to our terms, you just need to answer “Yes”. If you decide not to participate, just ignore it. The following day all the participants will be collected by car at the same time. Thank you for your attention and I hope you all agree to participate in the beta test.
Sam left, and the others also started leaving the conference. Eventually I was the only one remaining. All that Sam had said was interesting of course, but I had already decided to become a beta tester beforehand. An opportunity to experience colors and tastes had always been my dream from a very early age. So, for the sake of making my dream a reality, I was prepared to do almost anything, even spend the next few years inside a virtual world.
CHAPTER 3:
REBIRTH
I was brought to one of the secret centers, where I was told that apart from myself, there were also going to be other ninety-nine beta testers, with the rest of them scattered in similar centers around the world. After a huge number of tests and analysis, which lasted several days, I was finally admitted to the gaming capsule.
When I saw it for the first time, it seemed to me that this was just an excellent bed: a soft feather bed with a jelly-like pillow, and everything perfectly adjusted to the contours of my body. However, once I stretched out in the bed, I was covered with a dome, and the entire structure got filled with some kind of a dense gas. Strangely enough, it became even easier to breathe, and I no longer noticed what it felt like to be in a new place.
I was in a stone cave, the walls of which were illuminated with multicolored flashing lights, but it was not clear where they originated from. And then it hit me like an electric shock: the flashing lights were in color! I realized that I could see in color! Until that very moment I did not believe that I would ever be able to see in color! Well, if what I had been told about the other senses turned out to be true, then I intended to stay in this game until I could see and feel all the same sensations as people in the real world did. Kiyoshi told me that it
was possible that my illness could be cured, but he had no idea how long I'd have to stay in the game.
— Good day, Newcomer, — a deep voice sounded as if the speaker was right in front of me.
I tried to see it, but I only saw a wall decorated with colorful ripples.
— Do not try to see me, — it said, guessing my intentions. — It can’t be done.
I had already come to my senses and so I concentrated: I only had one opportunity to create a character, and then I would have to live with him for 3 game years at least, so I restrained myself and bit my tongue.
— Greetings, Cavemaster, — I smiled in a friendly way.
— What is your name, Newcomer?
— Call me Marten. That will be my name in this world.
— It's a very interesting name, — the voice said thoughtfully. — Names and titles have a special power in the world that I will open for you. Satisfy my curiosity, Marten: what does your name mean back where you came from?
What a strange character, I thought: it created the impression that I communicated with a living being. It seemed that the AI was just brilliant at playing the role of living beings! If that was the case, then I had to take care when communicating with all the NPCs.
— With pleasure, — I smiled into the void again. — This is the name given to a type of small and very fast animal.
— Ha! — The voice responded cheerfully. — I believe that, if I am not mistaken, they may be small but they are still predators, which are quite dangerous even for larger animals.
— That's right, — I agreed.
— Thank you, Marten, you have fulfilled my request. For this you shall receive a small gift from me, but you will need to find out what kind of gift it is by yourself. Perhaps it will only happen once you become stronger. So, whether you can use it or not, depends only on you. As for now, I'll give you a piece of advice: do not say disclose your user name, and do not speak about your abilities to anyone other than those who you can trust completely. Actually, it’s better not to tell them either, if you can avoid it. Better not to give out your real name either.
