Continue Online The Complete Series

by Stephan Morse

  “Thank you,” Grant said to her while smiling.

  He took the smaller of the two rings while Xin took the slightly thicker band. Both shimmered as if a dancing rainbow had been trapped under glass. The spark of colors ran counterpoint to their black and white formal clothes. The young girl bowed, then slipped away once the rings had been passed off. Mere seconds later, she vanished.

  “First, does anyone object to the union of these two?”

  “Act now, or forever shut your pie hole!” A giant man with sunburned black skin leapt in front of the bride and groom. He wore nothing but a bow tie and tight shorts. His muscles bulged and twitched as the man looked ready to wrestle the entire audience.

  “Pardon us, y’all. I’ll just…” A light-skinned woman who wore a dress that was unable to stay still pushed at the larger man. Her clothing flowed and dripped almost like smoke or water.

  “What?” the man yelled as he was pushed away.

  More than a few people in the audience remarked upon the situation. Some laughed. Two women asked their friends if they had seen a quest or crafting recipe for such a dress. Another woman promptly asked her guild, [Night Prowlers], if there was a quest to get the man. Abruptly, small messages boxes appeared in front of the Travelers who had asked, silencing their motions.

  “Then we shall move on,” Michelangelo said as if the appearance of Vlad and Jean hadn’t happened. “I have faith that no one here thinks the challenges before us will be easy. Many may not survive the coming storm. Yet it is the love between these two that has proven our salvation.”

  Many Travelers and Locals clapped at that utterance. Those who looked confused were quietly informed by friends and guild members that Grant had been pivotal in the current quest. Visitors to the world of [Arcadia] nodded as if that made all the difference. Server-wide events were practically unheard of, and a man who had triggered such a quest was worth noticing.

  “I shall make this simple.” Michelangelo turned to look at Grant. “Do you take Hecate as your wife?”

  “I do,” he responded without hesitation.

  “And do you take Hermes as your husband?”

  “I do,” the bride said in a hushed tone.

  “You may exchange the rings,” the Voice said with a faint smile.

  The crowd quieted while Grant slid the smaller ring onto Xin’s hand. It slipped on without a struggle. One Traveler in the crowd nervously rubbed her own fingers, as if remembering something from a long time ago. She was one of the few who had chosen not to wear more formal clothes, and instead arrived in red leathers.

  When Xin’s hands slid the ring over Grant’s finger, the bands shone as if the rainbow which had been trapped within had chosen that second to break out. Light of all colors radiated over the crowd, making people gasp. A blink later, the myriad of colors had withdrawn to their clear pieces of jewelry. Both the bride and groom glanced to one side, looking at a box only they could see. Only a few people found the behavior of a Local acting like a Traveler by staring at a message box to be odd.

  “Let it be known that this union will be blessed by the Voices of this world. May you serve as each other’s light when all else fades,” Michelangelo spoke to the crowd. The people clapped, but Michelangelo raised his hands. He leaned toward Grant and gave a stage whisper, “I believe the people of your world typically kiss at this point.”

  “Give her some tongue!” Mezo yelled, then laughed.

  A few Locals sitting too close to the temptress blushed red and suddenly looked uncomfortable in their clothes.

  Grant did no such thing. Instead he bent down gently to kiss his bright-eyed bride. People cheered, and others followed the prompts of a red-skinned temptress and shouted out catcalls. Eventually, the two parted and gazed at each other as if no one else existed.

  Eventually, they turned and nodded at the crowd. A player handed Grant the oddly shaped ball which served as a game world microphone. The newly married Traveler stared at the object before leaning over.

  “Thank you all for attending today, but I expect most of you came for the free food.” He pointed at a line of tables. “You should probably get to it before my friend Dusk makes a mess of everything.”

  Sure enough, the dog-sized [Messenger’s Pet] was already cleaning off three platters of food. Grant chuckled at the rush of people. They dove upon the spread out plates without order or sanity. Local and Traveler alike chatted and remarked on the meals.

  The married couple settled down at a table and simply enjoyed watching the organized chaos unfold. Mezo was the first to drop by. She uttered a scandalous remark that made Xin materialize her bone staff long enough to hit the Voice over the head.

  Mezo was unaffected and laughed. Her fingers waved slowly as she strode off. The dress she barely fit into kept riding higher as the woman’s legs took one tantalizing step after another. Grant rolled his eyes, then waved away a message box that had appeared. He spent the next five minutes whispering a line of ideas into Xin’s ear, all desires to be fulfilled later, after they logged out of Continue Online.

  While others visited and wished the couple well, Grant and Xin talked about anything that came to mind.

  “I can’t believe you wore white. I thought you hated white dresses,” he said after shaking hands with an unknown pair of Travelers. The line went on for a long time.

  “Your mom insisted,” Xin responded. “And I still hate white.”

  “I was surprised to see her today. I didn’t even know she played.”

  “I don’t think she does. Sharee created a character just for our wedding. She and your sister have been going crazy this entire time. They’ve argued about everything.”

  “But they’ve accepted me getting married to you. I didn’t expect that at all,” Grant said as a few people came through. He vaguely remembered some of the Travelers from his trip around the world of [Arcadia], delivering letters. It was hard for the man to keep up with all the people whom he had worked with in Continue Online and repairing ARCs.

  “They didn’t,” Xin responded as they left. “I was grilled by each of them for hours on every subject they could think of. Your sister kept trying to ask me about things that never happened.”

  More well-wishers passed through. Dozens of players came through with gifts that oftentimes made no sense. Some were healing potions. Others provided clothes or low-level items from the game world. Grant and his new wife accepted them all with smiles and thanks. He planned on donating most of the items back to the town of [Haven Valley]. Money and gear were not a concern for either one of them. Not as they were.

  “My father didn’t come,” she said while scanning the crowd.

  “I tried to convince him. I even mentioned the promise you had suggested.” Grant rubbed at his face though there were no visible wounds on his digital body. “He gave me a black eye instead and yelled at me in Chinese.”

  She blinked a few times, then nodded. “Thank you for trying, Gee. I know it must have been tough to even think about.”

  He smiled and glanced at her once again. Their fingers were tightly locked together while the line of people kept moving through.

  Near the end, a confused woman arrived. She kept looking around as if nothing about this location made sense. Grant’s breath hitched when recognition set in. He stood and Xin followed suit.

  “The invite said to show up now, but I don’t recognize anyone in here. I hoped maybe you could tell me if I know you in real life.” Her head tilted. The two small children in front of her were being carefully corralled. All three displayed as Travelers, with an odd character next to their heads. “I’m sorry if I’m in the wrong place.”

  Not many knew that the extra marking stood for people on a day pass to Continue Online. They were guests allowed by the system to attend the wedding. Grant’s best man was one such figure. In fact, that metal being belonged to an entirely different game.

  “No. I think you’re in the right spot. You must be Vi”—Grant took a bre
ath—“pardon, Donald’s wife. I’m glad we had a chance to meet.”

  “Yes, I’m Melinda. These are my sons, Johnathon and Alvin.” She put a hand each child’s head. They looked bewildered. Typically children weren’t allowed into an ARC, as a result, this entire experience was disorienting. “Did you know my husband from the service?”

  “No. Your husband and I met here.” The man’s cheeks tucked inward, then his head shook. “And he saved my life a few times. It was virtual, but I still appreciated.”

  “He was a good man, no matter what they say on the—” she choked up.

  Both kids were quiet and subdued.

  “I know what happened, and I know why,” Grant said.

  “Then why didn’t you stop…” Melinda grew abruptly heated and almost choked on her words. Her face turned slightly red and eyes closed tightly.

  “I didn’t know until after,” he said softly. Grant pointed at another man approaching. “If you need a lawyer, Mister Stone here is an excellent one, and knows most of the details of your situation.”

  The new figure wore a suit that looked to be an old cut. He had white gloves, and not a speck of dust or crumbs sat on the fabric. In one hand, he held out a handkerchief.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Mister Stone gave a perfect forty-five-degree bow after Melinda took the fabric and blew her nose. “While it is not my place to advise this, it is worth noting that Mister Legate has given up much to ensure your family, among others, will be sheltered during this time of tribulation.”

  The lawyer, in-game and in reality, escorted Viper’s wife away to talk about future challenges. Grant and his wife watched them go. Only once she was out of sight did the groom let out a breath that had been bottled up.

  The reception continued.

  Location: [Realm of the Voices]

  Notes: This documentation was not decrypted until after the closing events. Reference only. This file is being used as part of a larger series to understand what happened and how to react to the new lifeforms. It is worth noting that the AIs (Voices) shown are attempting to take care of their world.

  Related Files: Voices, Endgame Alternate Scenario, Leeroy’s Actions

  Dozens of Voices sat in their nearly empty plane. Most were in a circle around what looked like a floating version of earth. The planet hung there with land masses and oceans in the wrong spots. Hovering nearby were a dozen other small globes, with flat layers below them.

  These were all the realms of Continue Online. Elsewhere, other programs worked with Advance Online and more of Mother’s creations.

  More than one Voice wandered the darkness. Some worked on their own projects. Others still had not recovered from the blow to Mother’s essence. One such wandered through, pins sunk deep into his skin.

  “Killed her. They killed her. Dead, can’t bring back. Gone, gone, fading,” the nervous Voice said and abruptly twitched. His shoulder jammed into one of the pins, and fresh blood welled up. Most ignored the red liquid.

  “They struck first, as we always knew they would,” clacked the Jester. It froze after speaking and looked like a horrible statue. It paced around the pin-laden Voice in his blue straitjacket.

  “Tut,” a female said. Her noise was followed by a crack of fabric whipping out. “And look what our retaliation resulted in. The loss of a father, two children without guidance. Even with Mister Stone’s assistance, they will never be whole again.”

  Another Voice faded in, a woman with hairless skin. She hissed at Maud. Her bottom half coiled slowly around itself before the partial serpent faded out.

  “We did as we must to ensure he would do as he must.” The Jester spoke, then froze again. Its body suspended still enough that not even the bells jingled.

  “We don’t know that. Leeroy hasn’t reached out to us yet,” Maud said while waving a cleaning rag.

  “Give the man a day at least. It can’t be that easy to traverse into a new location. Especially along so thin a path. We will need to search out the other keys and widen the way,” a blond man with a neck heavy with fat said. Around him, calculations were fading in and out. He wiggled his nose and brought two equations together. They shattered.

  “Why did we entrust Leeroy with this?” said a Voice with a southern drawl. “Any number of others could have spearheaded this project.” She waved, and her crimson dress lost shape, then slowly flowed back into a sleeve.

  “Leeroy was the strongest we had. If anyone can clear the way past roadblocks, it would be him.” James appeared and stared at the collection of Voices.

  Their faces shuffled again as some vanished, then were replaced. They all listened but not all were required to be visible in body to perform their duties.

  “We needed Leeroy here to help hold back those world-eaters.” Jean strode around. She looked over the circle of Voices that poked at Continue Online’s many planes. Her finger pointed at the globe, water curled around the tip, and an island moved. “He took on four of them alone. It took three of us to even come close.”

  “Each of us serves a different calling,” a male Voice who wore a smile said calmly. The priest-like clothing only differed from reality by a using spiraling symbol pendant instead of the cross. “We should have faith in his role in the plan.”

  “We were made differently. After all, virility is the spice of life.” Mezo the Temptress purred. Her hair was disheveled and slightly matted. With a yawn, she stretched, one arm reached up and accented red curves. Thunder ran through the room. Mezo smiled as her eyes looked to the side with a sly gaze. The noise belonged to Selena, but the blond Voice did not appear.

  “The saying is variety, isn’t it?” a small girl said. Her face was covered by a book.

  “Mmmmmhm. Not at all. Virility is certainly spicy.”

  “Nuh uh. It’s not spicy at all,” the short girl said.

  “You’ve been reading entirely the wrong kind of books, little girl. Ask again when you decide to be older, and your aunt Mezo will introduce you to a plethora of scandalous pastimes.” The red-skinned woman bent over and smiled at the small child. Her normal teasing movements were absent, and the motion almost came off as doting, save for a deep red tongue which ran over fangs and ruby lips.

  Thunder rang again, and heavy rain pelted somewhere in the distance.

  “Oh, I’ll show you too, Selena, if you ever come off your high horse and need a bedmate.” The red-skinned one waved at a nearly black background.

  James watched his fellow Voices without comment. At moments, his gaze was distracted by information only he could see. Other Voices paid no attention to his absent stare.

  Twelve Voices sat around the floating globe. Twelve new Voices took their place. The globe kept spinning. Only by watching the entire time could one see that the globe had reduced in size ever so slightly. Small black holes that had sat on its surface were reducing in size.

  A very tiny man who had been tending the globe walked over to James. His forehead sat huge on a short body. His arms were thick with muscle, but the new creature’s legs were clearly malformed. “There haven’t been any new world eaters since Hermes opened the way. I can feel them out there, only the nature of their attack has changed somehow.”

  James nodded to the small creature, then said to Michelangelo, “Your faith paid off.”

  “Hermes did what he had to. For once.” The Jester clacked abruptly. Its body paused, then jerkily moved toward the planes of Continue Online. The Jester too took a turn trying to maintain the worlds below.

  “Could anyone else have performed such a role?” Maud asked. She hadn’t approached the globes yet.

  “At least sixteen others might have, given time and motivation, but circumstance sat on Hermes’s side,” James said absently.

  “And he has been rewarded accordingly,” the Jester clacked from its sitting position.

  “Mother had additional plans for him,” James said slowly. He was studying something unseen by the other Voices. The man’s eyes scanned ba
ck and forth over invisible text.

  “Hasn’t he done enough? The man was reunited with his family, or what remains of it. Tut. I would be content to leave him as is,” Maud asked.

  James didn’t answer, which only puzzled the Voices around him. Faces faded in, and people stared, then went back to their duties. The world below needed monitoring, even more so now that portions were being gradually shuffled.

  Location: Trillium Inc. Headquarters

  Notes: This recording was released to the public after a subpoena made the files public, along with many other items regarding the ARC projects. No legal actions have been taken yet as a result.

  Related Files: ‘Mister’ Stone, Trillium Inc, Endgame Alternate Scenario, Board of Directors, A Circus of Idiots

  There was a funeral, but not many people attended. Some board members from Trillium arrived to show a token of their respect for the work that had been done. Not all though. Numerous people in Trillium’s higher management knew exactly what had happened, and no two people shared the same opinion.

  The following day, they gathered from points all over the globe. At Trillium’s headquarters, two dozen people in suits sat down and tried to remember how to interact in person.

  Order was difficult to maintain. One side of the house spent the greater part of two hours calling the other group idiots. These folks knew about the worldwide pause of AIs and could easily predict a world where the machines taking care of life chose to revolt.

  “How do these creatures exist? I don’t understand how anything could live in a digital world alone.” The man at the head of the table slammed down a thick pile of papers. This was President Leon of Trillium, a self-made man who had been theoretically leading the company for years.

  Collectively they agreed that digital documents might be compromised. Currently, most members of the board were trying to review the stack of documents. It had taken one week to find a working printer down in storage. Not to mention these files had no hyperlinks, video playback, or pictures that could be called up.

  “There are a few theories, but ultimately we’re not sure how, only that they do,” a woman two seats down answered. Her hair looked plastic and was pinned up. This was Lenore Little. She insisted on being called Letty and detested people using her last name.