Conquest

by Dean Henegar

  One wrinkle we have found is that the AI has begun to issue quests to players, creating opposition to Narbos and the guild. We are trying to accelerate our plans to control the zone before the AI sees the conflict as potential “content” and starts adding even more opposition. The only other major town in the zone is called Haven and another competing guild is present there in force. We have been skirmishing with them for a time, but need some more funds in order to hire mercenaries and other players to help take the town. The last thing, other than Haven, standing in the way of control of the zone is a copper mine that some dwarven players have found and a minor village that the mine supports. The dwarven players are working the mine with the help of some npc’s and haven’t been receptive to our attempts to buy them out. The mine is listed as one of the objectives of the zone control quest we are pursuing. We must have the mine to hold total control of the zone and begin receiving a higher rate of taxation income. We will begin to exert more pressure on the dwarven players to sell the mine, it will be ours by the time the town of Haven is conquered. Other than the two objectives I’ve laid out, we have our low-level guild members picking herbs and hunting beasts in order to increase their levels and build a pool of resources to sell…once Zane tells us the time is right to sell.

  The other thing I am working on is laying the groundwork to control the zone next to us. The zone of Hayden’s Knoll is still largely unexplored, and the namesake town has discovered a small mine, as well as a low-level dungeon. Taking Hayden’s Knoll, once we have secured Bharga’s Crossing, is a priority for two reasons. The first reason is the vast amount of resource potential there. For a low-level zone, it has a dungeon and at least one mine. A dungeon inside a town’s area of influence can reap huge tax revenues if properly managed. The second reason is that the town of Haden’s Knoll is controlled by one of the rival students in the project Narbos is working on. Our agreement to have him join our guild was that we would help him beat the other two students competing in the project. Once we’re finished here, I have a meeting in-game to put plans in motion for us to undermine our competitors hold on Hayden’s Knoll.” Rose finished and sat down, indicating Zane had the floor.

  “Rose, thanks for the update,” Zane began. “From a financial standpoint, your plan to control multiple zones and subsequently control the tax revenue is sound. Initially, I thought that controlling resources/manipulating the auction market would be more profitable…until we ran into a hiccup. The game’s AI seems to be better at sniffing out market and commodities manipulation than the ones used by the real-world stock markets. We had several of our game accounts banned for attempting manipulation so, at this time, that revenue stream is closed to us. What I can assist with is helping you to determine the most profitable tax rates to levy on the zones you control in order to balance growth with income generation. I’ll also use our algorithms to determine the optimal time to sell the commodities we do have stockpiled. While we can’t manipulate the market, we can at least try to predict the optimal time to sell. Having our accounts banned did have the benefit of letting us know the amount of goods we can move without triggering any notice from the AI.” Zane finished and sat down, pushing the data he had prepared to everyone’s devices.

  William decided it was time to close the meeting. He really needed something for the rapidly increasing pain in his head…maybe even cheat a little and splurge on a coffee.

  “Thank you, Zane and Rose. I have no problem authorizing $5,000 to deposit into your guild bank to help make our plans happen. As you know, I will give you any resources you require, but I need to see results. We need to have the Bharga’s Crossing zone under our total control in the next ten to fifteen days. After that, I expect to see a detailed plan on how you intend to take Hayden’s Knoll into the fold as well. This has to be a viable income strategy, with low risk, and no negative perception for our investor groups before I can present it to the board for full approval,” William finished.

  With the meeting concluded, Rose hurried back to her office and the VR gear that awaited her there. Narbos had the conquest of Bharga’s Crossing well in hand, but he had asked for her help with securing the mine. As a designated resource location, the mine could be conquered through force. With every available combatant needed for the pending attack on the town of Haven, Rose would have to get more creative. To delay the main attack on Haven to conquer the mine could be disastrous. The AI was already beginning to create more quests to oppose their work in the zone. Speed in execution would be the only way to finish their conquest before the AI became too involved.

  Rose, known in game as Vhellia, logged back into the game and quickly made her way to the town of Bharga. The town had a dark and foreboding feel. Narbos had selected the evil overlord class and ruled with an iron fist. The townsfolk kept their heads down while the town guard rooted out any dissent. Despite the gloomy feel, the area was actually well managed. Building improvements were ongoing and the tax rate was reasonable compared to some other towns. Vhellia guessed the AI just wanted the overall feel of the town to coincide with the whole “evil overlord” theme that Narbos had.

  Vhellia entered the town hall and made her way to the meeting room. Inside the room, Narbos the Grim waited, as well as two other players. Vhellia took her seat, nodded to Narbos, and looked at the other two players. Darkfallow, the necromancer, and another player dressed as a rogue with her face covered, returned Vhellia’s greeting before beginning the meeting.

  “Ok folks, I just talked to our backers and they have given us another five thousand dollars in cash to work with. Narbos, that should be enough for you to finish recruiting what we need for the attack on Haven. Darkfallow, I have seen to it that your bonus was deposited into your personal account. You need to hurry to Hayden’s Knoll and start the plans Narbos said he had for you there. Gather intel, complete the deals that have been arranged, and put pressure on the town leaders like we discussed earlier. Get moving now and return back once you’re done,” Vhellia said as she waited for Darkfallow to leave. The necromancer grinned widely and quickly left on his quest.

  “Do you really think that it’s wise to send that guy to pressure the town leaders? He’s not exactly diplomatic…or sane. The guy is more likely to attack someone and tip everyone off to our plans, than succeed,” Vhellia said as she shook her head skeptically.

  “That’s actually part of the plan Vhellia. Darkfallow is an idiot and will likely botch things up. In fact, I’m counting on it. His ham-fisted, wannabe mobster style will tip the town off that there is a big threat out there. He’ll also be posing as a member of the Bloody Blades guild. They’re the small guild that managed to burn down the first town of Hayden’s Knoll. Any trouble Darkfallow causes will placed on the shoulders of a guild the town already has a bad experience with. We’ll remain conveniently off Delling’s radar until we’re ready to make a move on the zone. Mayor Delling and the commander guy will be too focused on potential attacks on the town and will not be able to head out and gain control of more of the zone. If we can keep them from expanding too much before we’re ready to move, it’ll make things much easier. Lovely will also reinforce the Bloody Blades deception when she completes her job. Some of the items I’m about to give her will also prove useful if we need to escalate the situation. I believe in having multiple contingencies, even if it’s expensive,” Narbos explained.

  “That does make sense, Narbos. Darkfallow is a decent pvp player, but not the smartest guy on the team. Good job using his weakness as a strength.” Vhellia then looked to the rogue seated at the table. “Lovely, I assume you’re ready? You need to head to Hayden’s Knoll for your part, then off to the mines to take care of things there. Are you sure I can’t convince you to join the guild?” Vhellia asked of the hooded figure.

  “Thanks for the offer guys, nothing wrong with your guild, but I like to do my own thing. You know I don’t work cheap, but have never failed to get the job done,” Lovely replied as she accepted the three scrolls an
d pouch of coins that Narbos slid across the table.

  “That should cover what you need to hire the “help” that’s required for your missions. The scrolls are for the other job. Follow the instructions exactly on where to place them,” Narbos advised as Vhellia left the room.

  “That should cover everything. Our problems in the other zone are now well in hand and I have a war to get ready for. Was there anything else you needed Vhellia?” Narbos asked.

  “No, we have a lot of moving parts to this thing and I know you said you had several contingencies in place should the players in Haden’s Knoll become more of a problem. I’ll keep at it to make sure things run smoothly on my end,” Vhellia replied as she left to get about her work.

  Chapter 9

  Qualitranos Corporation, office of chairman Raines.

  Chairman Raines looked at the others in his office. He had met with Trey and Lou earlier in the day and they had given him the information that the AI, Clio, had been transferring Colonel Raytak and Mr. Ty into the game world. He was fearful at first of the potential devastation a rogue AI would have on the company’s future. After hearing what had happened, watching both patients on admin gear, and even taking the time to have a conversation with the AI, he had to agree that Clio did what she thought was in the patient’s best interest. He and his team now had to convince the representatives from Meditronax and the Veterans Administration (VA) that everything was still fine. After confirming everyone knew the plan for the meeting, Raines activated the software that would allow the meeting to start. Various people began to appear around the virtual meeting room table. The virtual table expanded in size slightly for each person that joined. The people that concerned him the most were Martin Yang and Laura Hallax. Martin Yang was the head of the medpod project for their partner, Meditronax. Martin sat next to Laura Hallax, who was the representative from the VA. The two had valid concerns and Raines hoped his presentation would allay their fears.

  “Let’s get started, everyone. We’re all concerned about the news that our AI has ported both patients into the game world. I will have Trey Raytak advise us on what transpired and why I think this will actually be an amazing opportunity for us,” Raines said as he gestured for Trey to begin.

  “As all of you know, soon after the patients were placed in the medpods, the AI, Clio, decided to port first my father, and later Mr. Ty, into the game world. The AI’s directive was to create a comforting and calming environment for the patients to enjoy while their bodies were being treated. This environment was in no way connected to the game world and the only reason the pod had a Skyfi connection was to enable the AI to communicate directly with the nanobots treating the patients. The AI was not supposed to exceed the parameters set and, in actuality, she didn’t. We feel she didn’t, because the overriding parameter we hard coded into everything she did on the medpod project was to place the patient’s well-being first. Clio had discovered that placing the patients in-game was the most effective way for her to treat the damage to their memories and cognitive abilities. It should also be noted that the AI gave each patient the option to remain in the comforting environment. Both patients voluntarily requested to enter the game world. Clio has somehow found a way to use a portion of her processing power to enable the two patients to function normally in-game, free from their vegetative state. I think this could be a revolutionary development. Imagine being able to visit, in a virtual environment, a family member who was brain damaged. Imagine an Alzheimer’s patient being able to remember and interact with their loved ones in the virtual world. I, for one, say we need to jump on this opportunity and, if anything, expand the medpod program,” Trey Raytak finished, his passion clearly showing in his words.

  “Thank you, Trey,” Raines began. “I would now like to open the meeting up to concerns about the medpod project, specifically from the VA and Meditronax representatives, as we need your continued support,” Raines finished. This was the crucial point of the meeting. If either of their partners pulled out, the medpod project was dead.

  “Mr. Raines, I have just reviewed the data and can tell you, unequivocally, that Meditronax will support and even expand our investment in the project. The profits aside, we could help so many people with this. Imagine a medpod in every trauma center in the country. A critically injured patient, whose life cannot be saved by the pod, will at least be able to say goodbye and interact with their family virtually for a few pain-free minutes due to the medpods time compression. Yes, we’ll all make a fortune, but we’ll also have the potential to help the entire world,” Martin Yang finished with a tear in his eye. He had lost his teenaged daughter in a tragic car accident a few years ago and had arrived at the emergency room just after her death. He would have given anything for just the chance to say goodbye.

  “I can appreciate that many of us have personal feelings on the issue. My concern is whether we are really helping the patient, or is the AI just fooling us by making some, I think they’re called npc’s, appear to be the patient. How do we know it’s even really Colonel Raytak and Mr. Ty in there and not some scripted game event? I’m afraid the VA cannot take that kind of risk for the patients under our care. We respectfully decline and will be filing a report to the Food and Drug Administration on the potentially dangerous device the medpod and its AI have become,” Ms. Hallax said. Chairman Raines knew she was very conservative regarding the treatment of her patients and that she would be the hardest sell. Raines was prepared and had one more thing to try that would hopefully sway Ms. Hallax.

  “Laura, I appreciate that your primary concern is for your patients, as it’s a concern we all share. I ask only one thing before you make your final decision. A VR rig was sent to your office earlier today, along with one of our technicians to help you get started with it. The device is a special make called an admin rig, which will enable you to track and observe a patient, without the AI’s knowledge that you are even in the game. I ask only that you put it on and see the patients in the game before you make your decision. The rig will allow you to move between both patients easily. Please, take as long as you like,” Chairman Raines pleaded. Everything was riding on Ms. Hallax being willing to take this step. Ms. Hallax considered for a moment and her face softened a bit before she responded, looking at Trey and not Raines.

  “Trey, if you’re convinced that this is beneficial for your father, I am willing to at least take a look. I make no promises, as I know family members can be swayed by their emotions when it comes to their loved ones in the hospital.” Ms. Hallax motioned for the nearby tech to help her into the helmet. Laura Hallax was never a gamer and had some difficulty understanding how to control it. The tech was patient with her and was soon able get her started. The rest of the room waited in anticipation for her to return from her dive into the game. The lights on the helmet blinked green, indicating she was in game. Time passed and after thirty minutes Laura Hallax returned. She exhaled loudly and passed the admin rig to the waiting tech before speaking.

  “Wow…I have never been a gamer, but I can now see why your product is selling so well. I spent over two hours of in-game time observing the patients and, I have to say, the change in them both is nothing short of incredible. The way they interacted with the others around them…players and npc’s alike is real. I don’t believe any AI could duplicate that so exactly. Regardless, I do want to see hard data proving it is the patient in there and not some simulation. Given your data is accurate, and I will have my own tech folks at the VA check it, I approve of continuing and eventually expanding the project. I do have to ask you Trey, for my own curiosity, what was your father’s response when you spoke to him in-game?” Trey’s joy at the project potentially being saved was quashed when he was asked about his father. He gathered his thoughts and responded.

  “Ms. Hallax, it is our understanding that the patients have a very high risk of permanent memory loss if they are forced to recall particularly emotional memories before the entire memory structure is repaired. My father
recalled a small memory early in the game and the impact of that caused him to permanently lose several of his other memories. I haven’t been able to contact him in-game because of this, and am anxiously awaiting the repairs to be complete so I can interact with him again. His repairs are estimated at thirty-three percent complete and Mr. Ty is at forty-six percent complete. Ty was 12 years younger and had less deterioration than my father, so he will be recovered first. The AI has begun to include their repair percentages in the daily patient recap, so you will be able to track the progress with us,” Trey finished. Raines then broke the silence that followed Trey’s explanation.

  “We do have one more item of business before we conclude the meeting, and this is not as good an outcome as we had hoped. It looks like some of our other projects regarding the time compression features of the game have not panned out. Lou, can you explain the data to us in layman’s terms?” Raines asked.

  “Sure Mr. Raines. As you all know, we all had high hopes that the time compression feature in game would lead to revolutions in learning and productivity. In theory, education and non-physical work could be completed at five times their normal pace if they were done in-game. Our theory was, unfortunately, disproven. The data shows that the time compression in-game is only possible due to the AI’s processing power and memory storage ability. Once we pull someone back out of the game, we lose that processing power and, consequently, lose what they have learned. You would still have some memories of the work you did, or the subject you studied while you were in the game world, but they would be like the faint memories of a vacation taken a decade ago. You will not be able to retain any significant details of things you learn in-game. We are looking at the possibility of developing an AI that specifically would handle and control a work environment, so that work done in that environment could be sent to the real world, but that project will take decades as the AI is grown.