Continue Online The Complete Series

by Stephan Morse

  All casinos established will welcome you, but Ray’s mark is even more noticeable inside (-50% to all luck-based activities)

  “Well.” I flicked off the notification and looked around.

  Nearby was the coin still showing tails up. This little thing had been the main reason for those negative bonuses. Still, divine attention had to be worth something.

  The proceeds portion seemed absurdly low, but after a year in the game, it might be an insane goldmine. Not that I cared about gold in a game. Especially recently. If I treated it the same as how I treated real money, I would probably end up giving most of it away. My niece might enjoy it. Maybe my parents played and could use something.

  “What’s next, James?” I asked.

  The room of chance still existed. Things tended to fade back to basics quickly after the event notice popped up.

  A cage nearby started rattling. I turned to see the drunk bird and something else crawling around hissing.

  “All right, little guy.”

  It looked as though the [Messenger’s Pet] had found his way back into our event room. Now he was trying to get at the bird inside and failing to elicit any response from it. In fact, the drunken bird almost seemed to be unaware of the dragon tearing around on the outside of its cage.

  “Whoa now. Don’t do that!”

  And over they went.

  That got the bird’s attention. One of its extra-large eyes on its fluffy head tried to zero in on the dragon. Comprehension was slowly coming to life as it fumbled both legs around and tried to sit up straight. I ran over to pry the miniature dragon off the cage. Even as feisty as it was, the thing only had claws the size of a tiny cat.

  I regretted trying to pick it up almost instantly. The tiny thing nipped and clawed at my arms. A red bar that had to be my health flashed onto the screen and went lower with each line of blood drawn.

  “What is wrong with you?” I didn’t know what would happen if he did manage to get to the bird who was still trying to figure out how to stand up.

  The thing swayed and half-squawked in confusion.

  “Identification.” I didn’t have the mental focus to try to trigger my identify skill, so I went vocal.

  Skill Used: [Identification]

  Results: [Lorlell Cova Bird]

  Details: Male [Lorlell Cova Bird]s are extremely violent toward other species of birds, or anything with wings. They are often sedated and used for mortal combat against others of their species.

  “Why are you trying to piss off the drugged bird?”

  I lost my grip on the tiny dragon, and things went downhill from there. The [Messenger’s Pet] leapt onto the bird cage and sent it rolling around the floor.

  The ensuing show was like a hamster that lost all traction on the wheel. Spinning resulted in feathers, squawking, and clanking. Nails tried to find purchase on the metal cage bars, which only resulted in more screeches. Their comedy act collided with a table, causing the cage door to pop open. An escape route only served to enrage the [Lorlell Cova Bird]. Feathers puffed up to almost double their prior size. The tiny dragon huffed and hissed. His jaw worked to spit fire but sputtered as if the tank was empty.

  I flipped a table and held it awkwardly like a shield between the outraged bird and me. The puffball fighting bird was huge now and, from its violent sounds, considered the tiny dragon an enemy. My dragon buddy seemed to be losing. I scanned the games and tried to find anything useful.

  Oh, right, I had access to tons of makeshift weapons. This was one step away from a barroom brawl movie. First up was the pool cue. I grabbed it with a free hand and jabbed one end toward the fighting creatures. Between my table shield and pool cue spear, I felt as if I were a Spartan.

  “Hey. Hey.” I thrust one end at them. It was hard to feel super worried for myself since they were both shorter than my knee.

  “Stop that.”

  I poked at the large ball of feathers. My makeshift staff hit nothing and sank deep without visual effect. The [Messenger’s Pet] was torn up and had gashes in his wings from where the [Lorlell Cova Bird] had refused to let go.

  “Knock it off!”

  I swung the pool cue down and bonked the [Lorlell Cova Bird] on the head. Which was a bad, bad, bad idea.

  If anything, it got bigger. I flinched in panic and threw a table at the puffball bird. That worked against me. The [Lorlell Cova Bird] made a noise, and its beady eyes crossed. Two seconds later, it was up and diving at me. My calf was bitten as I ran around kicking like a scared schoolgirl.

  Failure to dodge noted.

  Total health loss: 10%

  I tipped another table, then another, and finally arrived at the table near the dartboards. Everything in range became a projectile or obstacle against the bird until the bird stopped moving and laid there. The tiny dragon proceeded to huff and growl until our situation became clear. Our bird enemy was down for the count and completely out of it. [Messenger’s Pet] stood on top of the smaller creature and puffed a smoke ring into its face.

  “Yeah, all you, beating up a drugged bird. Good job.”

  The small dragon nodded and rolled the bird over with his claws.

  “Well done,” I muttered, looking at the scattered remains.

  “Why do that?” James was back and clearly amused.

  “Which part?” Had we really fought off an angry bird? The idea had me laughing.

  “All of it.”

  “With Ray, I wanted to see what would happen. With the bird, it was to keep the little guy from being torn up.”

  The [Messenger’s Pet] was looking smug and licking his wounds. Every so often, he chirped a pleased tone.

  Slowly an absolute wreck of dozens of games faded away.

  I huffed. “Next?”

  Session Seven — Wrapped up

  “Can we skip this one?” I muttered. My mouth was presently unwrapped, but the rest of me was bound and tied up in who knew what.

  [Webbed]! Movement restricted by 95%

  “Not yet, Grant Legate.”

  “But we can chat.” I gave it my best dry sarcastic tone. If only James could see my rolling eyes. Maybe he could with all his computer program powers.

  “Of course, if you’re not too tied up right now.”

  “I am, a little.”

  The Voice could deliver a deadpan line and was indifferent at my attempt to return the favor. “So try to get out of the web instead.”

  His advice wasn’t even remotely useful. I hadn’t asked him a question, though.

  I wiggled halfheartedly.

  “Not happening.”

  “Maybe some encouragement would motivate you,” James said.

  “Spiders?” I asked.

  “Spiders.”

  “Can’t feel them under this webbing.” I tried to deny that the idea of anything crawling over me was unwelcome and disturbing.

  “How about very big spiders?” he said, sounding amused. His face probably had that sly grin again.

  “That’s gross.” Me and my stupid mouth had resulted in badness.

  Now there was a clear sound in the distance. Something very, very big was scuttling around nearby. I started in earnest to struggle.

  “No, James. This is not nice.”

  “How am I to accurately measure your skills if you don’t even try?” James turned sour. He had expressed disappointment during a few of our trial events.

  “Ask nicely!” I shouted the answer to his ill-timed question while trying to roll away.

  My back jabbed into something sharp. Free fingertips felt around for the edges. A clicking noise grew closer. Images of giant mandibles and long legs went through my mind. I frantically rubbed my arms against the sharp outcropping nearby.

  Desire to hurt yourself noted

  Total health loss: 15%

  “I hate you right now,” I said.

  “Why’s that?” James asked.

  Update: Still [Webbed]! Fingers freed: Movement restricted by 85%

  “Becau
se small spiders are one thing; large ones are bullshit.” This was only just a game. This was just a game. This was just a game.

  “Spiders are extremely common in our world. There is a breed located in the Desert of Tali that can fly.”

  Location Update!

  Knowledge Received: Desert of Tali

  Details: The Desert of Tali contains spiders that can fly. Further details will be added as information is learned.

  “No, there aren’t,” I said. My immediate denial blocked out the whole concept.

  “There are indeed,” James calmly refuted.

  “I don’t believe in flying spiders.” Maybe if I said those words enough, all of them would die. It worked for faeries, according to my childhood television watching.

  Skill Demonstrated: [Denial]

  Type: Basic

  Rank: Unranked

  Specialties: Unknown

  Details: Denial is a powerful and dangerous ability. Further information will be provided upon finalization of the mentioned skill.

  System Help!

  Demonstrated skills are no learned skills. They provide no bonuses and are used by the world of Continue Online to assist in the discovery of new abilities. Most learned skills require a demonstration of the basic concept prior to being granted.

  “I’m never going to go there.”

  The noise drew closer. I could have tried to be quiet, but there was no chance of me being a stealthy person. I would sweat and stutter occasionally when nervous. Emotional speeches were the worst.

  “Why?” James asked.

  “Later!”

  Something was close by. I could feel the air shift across the exposed portions of my face and arms. The tone of chattering changed. It—they, maybe—had found me.

  I sawed enough to get my arm loose and started tearing away at the bindings around my face to clear my vision.

  “Oh, god.”

  That was a giant spider. That was a really giant spider. Oh god, there were two of them. I thought I wet myself. Only a little bit. No, I had—there was a pop-up that even told me of the condition of my digital pants.

  What happened from there on was pure chaos in my mind. I twisted out of the way of jabbing legs trying to spear me. My foot kicked at the ground trying to get an inch away. Another giant ugly spider attacked. It missed my midsection and tore into an arm. I managed to free myself a bit more and was wiggling like a fish—no, a dolphin—in a net.

  Failure to dodge noted.

  Total health loss: 20%

  “Oh, god.” But prayer wasn’t enough; this was a test. I didn’t know of what. My eyes were half covered, but there was a red bar that flashed with green as it dripped down.

  [Poisoned]! Health will reduce over time unless treated.

  Total health loss: 25%

  “Poison? Are you kidding me?!” I kicked off again and made it another few feet. These things were big, strong, scary, but somewhat slower than one would expect a spider to be.

  “No, I’m not, Grant Legate.”

  “Stop calling me that!” Panic was rapidly removing my happy place.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Grant Legate.” James was definitely entertained.

  I growled and got a mouthful of webbing, which nearly caused me to choke.

  “Come on!”

  I failed to escape the latest one. Pain shot through my leg, causing me to bunch up. This was supposed to be a game.

  “This is your last test, Grant Legate. Do try to excel. You’re woefully behind your peers who do our trials.”

  “Of course I am.” The mouthful of web in my face made the declaration muffled.

  I managed to get a foot under me and was now hopping away from spiders taller than I was. Watching myself during a highlight reel might be extremely funny. Everything was painful. My chest hurt and wheezed. My limited eyesight was getting fuzzy. My fingernails were bloody and my arms torn.

  Everything hurt.

  Everything.

  This was worse than the weapon practice James had made me do. A burly man had demanded I strike a wooden dummy for an hour before switching to the next weapon. Every time I failed or hesitated, the burly man hit me. James was smiling the whole time. I’d logged out twice during that and huffed around my house in anger.

  This was worse than the trial two episodes ago, where frighteningly realistic people from my life berated and tried to tear me down. I had spent two days offline during that ruthless situation but still came back. That army of people hadn’t said anything new to me. Plus, as I spent time outside the ARC, it became clear that those people had been missing a lot of details. My mother hated my father half the time but never told anyone in public. The game version of her acted completely loving when talking about dad, but my real mother would have badmouthed him at least once.

  The petting zoo had been nice. Odd, but nice. They even let me ride something that looked like a stocky llama. This, this weird dim cave with spiders, was hell. I kept hopping while the arachnids lumbered behind me. An exit. There had to be an exit.

  “Where do I go from here?”

  “Out!” James’ voice sounded farther away, but still fairly close.

  “Which way is that?!”

  “Why don’t you die? It’s much easier to give up.”

  That hurt. James managed to sound like every personal demon that had haunted me over the years.

  “No! Besides, it’s not like I’d die for real!” I managed to duck around a rock and pulled at more webbing. My legs were mostly free now, but the rest of me wasn’t.

  “Right, it’s much easier to give up.”

  James’s tone was starting to irk me. I had selected him, and it felt as if he was trying to drive me away.

  “Let yourself be killed,” he suggested.

  “No!”

  I got most of my arms free and found some more objects to throw at the approaching giant spiders. Their faces dripped with something unwholesome and off-color. Was that meat around the edge of their jaws? [Identification] revealed they were the leftover pieces of a former victim.

  “Why are you trying now? Was it the spiders?” he asked.

  “I hate giant spiders!”

  One of them was too close. The little flashing bar to the side was under a third. Green still flooded the inside and would pulse every so often. Fire. I needed the biggest ball of flame possible to burn them into a shrieking pile of goo. Bugs did not cope well with being lit on fire. But, but I had no matches. I had no fire.

  “This isn’t a phobia. If it were, you would be a drooling mess.”

  “I hate them…”

  Finally, I saw one spider completely unobstructed. Its face was messed up and fractured. Hair and bulging eyes made up the key features. Each of the eight legs arched higher than my shoulder.

  The digital representation of food chose that moment of terror to finish passing through my system. Part of me regretted eating so much at the King’s Feast. The rest of me hoped that it would all be over soon.

  [Soiled]! You have defiled your trousers. Relations with other people will suffer a penalty until you’ve cleaned your clothes.

  I ran, trying to find a path that angled upward. Hopefully outward toward freedom. Rocks were thrown behind me in a huff. Each vague connection would buy me another few precious seconds to escape. From my peripheral eyesight, I saw a limb reaching out and barely missing me.

  “I need fire. Need fire.” I was running my mouth in complete rambles.

  Wait.

  “I’ll give you cupcakes if you set these guys on fire!” I shouted in desperation, hoping the little dragon guy was floating around in the cyberspace nearby. “Lots of cupcakes! Cookies! More creamer!”

  I pleaded and kept running. Behind me, I heard a click and a huff. The spiders’ chattering tone changed. Heat flashed, lighting up the entire dim passageway with warmth. Shrill sounds filled the air, like a baby screaming a constant high note. I covered my ears, then risked looking backward.

&nb
sp; The little dragon stood, huffing out a stream of flame that had caught two spiders. He coughed another few little blasts and hopped around happily. Two bundles of former terror were curling into twitchy balls while the high pitched whine slowly died. Another spider was clearly fleeing into the distance.

  “Cupcakes. I owe you so many cupcakes.” My words slurred and drool dribbled out of my mouth.

  Poison had caught up with me. My health bar reached zero while Continue Online went dark to the boasting tune of a tiny dragon.

  You have died!

  With that neat message, I logged out of the ARC and stomped around my house. Death had struck a second time. A penalty of eight hours was applied, and logging back in would be blocked. It was minor overall, but after these trials eight hours in reality would be a full day lost in-game. Additionally, I would lose skills and character points. My niece had explained that sometimes other punishments happened depending on what was going on.

  I had confirmed with Beth that my prize was a copy of Continue Online. She spent an hour babbling about different bits of information and repeatedly asking for my log-in information. My refusal was taken in stride since I wanted to surprise everyone. That, and I hadn’t created a character name. I was torn between figuring out a name and punching James in the face for those giant spiders.

  After my disturbing experience, a walk outside was needed. I flashed a hand over the external ARC display to put it into sleep mode. My Atrium was a giant mess, and that little dragon was once again tearing into cabinets. I sighed and opened up the shopping interface. Moments later, there was a fully stocked counter with fruits and other goods. I even spent the three dollars on a virtual cake. The small terror sent wrapping paper flying all over my digital house. Programming should auto clean up all that trash if left alone long enough. Or maybe not. Glass shards still lined one side of the room.

  “How the heck did you alter the program that much?” I poked through the holographic display. “You better clean up after yourself this time.”

  The [Messenger’s Pet] had set two spiders chasing me aflame. Even though I’d died, it was worth the price of virtual food. Assuming he hadn’t broken the program enough to require restocking. I’d better disable remote access to my Atrium from family and friends. The last thing I wanted to explain was my new pet. A part-time miniature dragon was miles better than cats though. Odd that no one had thought of putting one into the ARC online store. Maybe they couldn’t program something that complicated or it hadn’t been approved by the company. Cats went anywhere from fifty dollars on up, all for something that wasn’t real.