Codename: Freedom: Survive Week One

by Apollos Thorne

  Sitting down I looked once more at the world around me. The drones overhead were ignored by everyone but those receiving or sending packages. Everything else wasn’t real. It wasn’t organic.

  Everyone really wore simple clothing similar to mine to make augmentation easier. Other than the first few years of life, when mixed reality was used sparingly to let a child develop, this technology was our life. The augmentation of the world was as real, if not more realistic, than the physical world, because it was all we knew. All I knew.

  Undoing the envelope I pulled out the letter and began to read.

  Lucius Edward,

  It is our pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to participate in the largest behavioral experiment in human history. Codename: Freedom will gather 100,000 men and women from the western world and put them in the most realistic virtual world ever created. Your job will be to survive and thrive as your merits are tested and pushed to the very limit of what is humanly possible…

  I had won. It would be difficult, but the letter I held in my hand excited me, even as it also left me feeling unsettled. This kind of victory wasn’t the same as winning a duel or competition.

  One thing was clear. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity; an opportunity to prove my father wrong about VR Gaming. I could make a living doing it. With enough of a following and if I made it to the top, I could have a large impact like he did as a creator, just in a different way.

  Ever since the moment I’d opened the letter, I’d been reading everything I could to learn about Freedom. There was very little information and that was no accident. Even the encyclopedia of information I received from the government to prepare myself seemed rather lacking real details.

  A few things were guaranteed.

  First, this would be a survival game.

  There would be no advanced technology. That meant a fantasy or medieval setting.

  The biggest surprise was that there would be no headsets or capsules for deep dives commonly used today for the most realistic kind of virtual reality. Instead, there was the promise of a new technology that would give the most realistic virtual experience ever.

  The recommendations to be in the best possible physical shape meant the new technology would not solely use traditional neuro-link to the brain that connected your mind to the virtual world. Beyond that, I had no clue.

  Most importantly, everything I did would be streamed real time every moment I was in the experiment. With over 37 billion people on earth and 80% of them heavily into games, especially ones as hyped up as this, there was limitless potential. Even an unknown like myself already had gear deals and commercials lined up if I finished the experiment a year from now. They were offers based on my performance, but that was to be expected. My dream was within my grasp.

  Without permission, Destiny appeared beside me, manifested where only I could see. I was going to miss her the most.

  Turning away from her, I stared down at the floor.

  “Lucius. Remember why you are doing this. This is your chance.”

  “I know.” I forced myself to take a deep breath.

  Swallowing, I turned to face her.

  I noticed her eyes first. In times like these, they were always wide and steady.

  “I will be watching everything you do. Even if we can’t interact while you are in Freedom, I have access to your eyes and thoughts just like normal. Your job is to remember and act. When you come back a professional gamer we will have much to do.”

  She knew I would miss her and didn’t have any way of showing it. Or at least, so I thought.

  Leaning forward in her seat, she kissed me gently on the forehead. I had been a child last time she had done that.

  We smiled at each other for a long moment. My resolve started to settle as did the vision of what I desired the most: to compete with the best in the world as my father watched awestruck.

  I took a good look at her one last time. She wore a modestly cut, full-length gown of rich purple. Her modest dress had purpose. I would miss her partnership. No, she was a friend. As a precision instrument, she had helped me grow in knowledge and character. Her constant presence and encouragement helped me be better than I ever would have been without her.

  Closing my eyes, I sighed heavily as I took off my headset. It was something I rarely did except at home.

  Destiny could not come with me where I was going and mixed reality withdrawals were a very real thing. Instead of facing the symptoms when I began Codename: Freedom, I would start now.

  With my headset cradled in my lap, I opened my eyes to the dreary world around me. Most everyone wore clothing that reflected the acceptable amount of light.

  Everything was suddenly very simple. There were no streaming notifications or augmented holograms. Destiny was gone. It was overwhelming for the first few minutes and I sat there and just allowed myself to take it all in.

  It was as disturbing to look in the direction of the perverts as I had imagined. Cyborg-Snot!

  Turning away, I determined not to do that again. Destiny. I already miss you.

  Remembering my purpose, I began exploring my suddenly unfamiliar world anew.

  Today I would only be here for an hour and then walk home without help from Destiny or any mixed reality. After today I would start to add a half an hour each day until I could make it eight hours without it bothering me. In two short months I would be living in a virtual world full time without Destiny or any Metaverse. I had to be ready.

  Chapter 3 – Tutorial

  There was little time before I entered Codename: Freedom. Chewme was the only other person I knew that had been selected to participate in the experiment. It didn’t surprise me with his freakish size and athletic ability.

  We started training. I already ran daily. To be a professional gamer meant you knew the benefits of keeping one’s body in shape. I followed their example. In many ways we were similar to endurance athletes, just not as extreme. I upped the number of miles I ran and added body weight training. Destiny was quick to set up a daily routine for me.

  When the day came, my body hummed in excitement. I was alone, except for the kind curly brunette in a white coat guiding me down an elevator leading deep underground.

  When the sterile metallic doors opened, my mouth dropped. I felt a tingling sensation in my knees. An underground expanse at least half a mile wide extended further than I could calculate. There was a polished steel walkway before me that seemed insignificant to the underground world I had just discovered.

  Humor-filled eyes met mine. The female doctor must have grown to expect this kind of reaction. She placed her hand on my shoulder and motioned me forward.

  The walkway reached out twenty meters before we met a yellow railing stopping us from falling to a painful death below. I didn’t hesitate to approach it and grabbed ahold of it tightly. Looking down, I saw them for the first time.

  Hundreds of house sized, black cube structures lined either side of the bunker running off into the expanse of the room.

  My guide led me to a second elevator to our left that was little more than a steel cage. Entering, the creek of steel followed us down.

  The cage opened to the ground level. Following the doctor’s lead, we approached the first structure. As I neared, I saw it was at least two stories tall, with numerous cords, metal arms and pipes coming out the top and the side facing the wall. It was too high to see the top of it, but there was movement.

  Were these really what I thought they were?

  I was suddenly thankful we had taken the advice to get in shape seriously. After centuries of virtual reality, neuro-linking was “the way” virtual reality worked. If you wanted to fight an orc, join a battle, siege a castle, blast some aliens, fly a spaceship, or explore new worlds there was no doubt that current technology would let you do just that. Could this machine do better?

  “Sit here.”

  She directed me to sit on an aluminum bench staring up at one of the house-
sized machines. Looking around, there were other benches in front of each structure with players waiting.

  “Impressive huh?” The lady said. She was looking at the house-sized machine-room before us. “We call it the Cube.”

  Her eyes closed as she smiled to herself.

  In all seriousness, I suspected that I could throw everything I thought I knew about virtual reality hardware out the window.

  After a long while sitting, the time finally came. My doctor friend directed me through a doorway to one side of the Cube. She had me stand in the middle of the room as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light.

  I soon dangled six feet in the air with countless industrial arms of all sizes hanging from the ceiling and reaching out to me from the walls. They came in all shapes and sizes. I stood on a platform that was compiled of dozens of smaller arms and platforms coming together under my feet.

  To my embarrassment, I had no clothing on, but I had been left alone.

  There was a sickly, green light running along the wall just above head level that gave the room a haunting feel. Only the silhouettes of the massive mechanical arms were visible. I was surrounded.

  A man’s voice sounded from a speaker in the wall. “We will now begin. First, you will feel a slight chill, and then a loud sound will start the countdown. This is nothing to worry about. We are in the final stages of preparation.”

  He wasn’t kidding about the chill. I tried to cling closer to myself for warmth, but it was a losing battle.

  The promised loud siren started to go off like a dying whale. I realized in that moment that I would be spending a year without ever leaving this crazy machine. I held my breath.

  The siren started to sound at a quicker tempo.

  Something was coming.

  It came quicker.

  Then suddenly the remaining light ceased.

  I screamed through gritted teeth like a startled animal.

  Darkness everywhere.

  There was no logical threat, but I found myself posturing defensively.

  Light slowly started to brighten all around. There was no light source. It came from every direction at once. Soon I stood in an empty white room with no walls, ceiling, or floor. The texture of the floor had even changed. It felt like I was standing on well-hydrated earth. It was soft and smooth like a finely woven sheet.

  “Welcome, Lucius Edwards, to Codename: Freedom,” came a kind woman’s voice from somewhere in the distance. No one was in the direction the voice had come from.

  “Today you will be joining approximately 100,000 men and women in the largest virtual experiment in the history of the world.”

  “To you, Freedom will be a new world; to the viewers of the Metaverse, it will become the next big thing in reality entertainment. You will have no direct contact with anyone outside of Freedom, and all fan comments and messages will be scanned for information that might give you an unfair advantage. Once inside, there are many small starting cities and the total player population will be split between them randomly. Your starting city will be Willingham. I will now appear before you.”

  A translucent, colorless face with the consistency of water appeared. She had a long elegant face but was no doubt an artificial intelligence like Destiny.

  “You can leave Freedom at any time, but if you do leave you cannot return. To do so, go to the city hall of any starting city. Please consider seriously what the consequences of leaving will mean. How will such an act affect your current followers and public image? There are thousands of people in line to take your place if you decide to leave. Lucius, your chances of becoming a professional gamer will be greatly hindered. But if you stay and fight...”

  There was no surprise that the game’s AI knew about me. All they had to do was scan my social media.

  “It is time for you to choose.” She smiled reassuringly.

  “What will be your player name?”

  “Lucius Edwards,” I answered.

  “Very well. Lucius Edwards accepted. Your body size, weight, and facial features have been uploaded. Because of the nature of the experiment, you will not have an option to change them. If you want to get stronger, then you must work hard.”

  Behind the AI, three large wooden displays with five shelves apiece shot up from the floor. It had been impossible to see the floor because everything was white with literally no horizon or objects to give it context.

  “You currently have 10 silver coins to spend on the items before you. Just look at them for longer than a second and the price will appear. Money works as follows. 100 copper coins equal 1 silver. 20 silver equal 1 gold. 20 gold is equal to 1 silver talon. 20 silver talons are equal to 1 gold talon. You may now proceed.”

  Looking down, I wore silver boxer briefs and a sleeveless undershirt. No socks? Immediately I felt the fabric of my shirt and at my waist. The shirt was more finely woven than the boxers, so the only difference I felt was the texture. How was that possible? Literally moments ago I had been without clothing. When had I been dressed? How had it happened? It seemed the Cube I was inside was also my personal assistant.

  Stepping forward, I was immediately fearful I would fall off the platform. I stood 6 feet off the ground. My senses swore I was in a virtual world, but I knew my consciousness had not been placed into the normal dream state that allowed deep dives. Logic told me the Cube had already been activated and I was safe. I reached out one foot at a time and tested the environment. After I had gone ten feet, twice as far as I needed to go to fall off the platform, I started to relax.

  With a deep sigh, I walked the rest of the way. Somehow the Cube was simulating my real world steps into this world. There was no treadmill and every step felt as solid as walking on real ground. My toes clenched at the ground and felt a rubbery surface.

  At least I wasn’t as cold as before. My newly acquired boxers and shirt blocked the appropriate amount of air and radiated my body heat back at me.

  I hadn’t felt this uncertain about technology or a virtual world in a long time. I was a newbie. There was also a vividness to this place that wasn’t a visual thing. I couldn’t place it.

  My heart thundered in my chest. My pulse quickened.

  Standing before the three displays, I found myself unsure how to proceed. The left display held clothing and armor. If I spent all of my coins I could get a thin leather vest and leggings. It was the best armor on display, but I didn’t believe it was worth the cost. The sand colored, cotton tunic and pants were only 2 silver and seemed fairly durable. A pair of leather boots came with the set.

  The next stand held a number of purses and bags, sleeping bags, and hats... Why hats? On a single shelf sat canteens and pouches of a variety of dried fruits, seeds, and nuts.

  Finally, there were weapons. Even though they were all rather worn, the bronze swords, spears and axes stole my attention.

  I grabbed a Low-Quality bronze short sword and examined how it felt in my hand. The texture, weight, and balance were pretty good. A single swing was all it took to feel the difference in feedback my muscles gave in comparison to normal virtual reality. Normally deep diving bypassed the nervous system and spoke to your brain directly. When you swing a sword in deep dive, the motion is always perfectly smooth. Almost too fluid to be real. The variables increase significantly when your own arm is involved.

  “Every item is graded and placed in one of the categories: Low Quality, Average, Fine, and Superior. Even within these categories, not all items are created equal. Upgrades will become available to you later that will improve your ability to examine equipment.”

  Grabbing the heavy cotton Average quality clothing I got dressed. The sword had cost me 4 silver and the outfit 2. With 4 silver left I grabbed a well-fitted hemp backpack that went over each shoulder and tied across the chest, filling it with a pouch of mixed nuts and raisins on top of my new sleeping bag and a canteen of water. After that, I was left with a single silver.

  Since I had no idea what Freedom would throw at me, I thoug
ht being prepared for anything would be better than just being ready for a fight. All this talk about survival, and looking at the items offered, made it seem insane to pass up this opportunity.

  Not seeing anything else I just had to have, I kept the final silver as a trade item in case I had not chosen well.

  “Your total is 9 silver. You will find your silver coin in the coin purse on your belt.”

  With my backpack on my shoulder and sword at my side, I turned to face the AI. Though the pack really wasn’t too heavy, I didn’t expect to feel it at all, which set me off balance. I easily caught myself, but my moment of clumsiness clarified for me what the vividness of this world really was. Not only was I experiencing this game with my waking consciousness, but my real world coordination came with it. It was not something a deep dive could measure or simulate. I was really in the game.

  Looking down, a small leather pouch was now fastened to the side of my belt.

  “That finalizes your purchases. Now it is time to reveal to you a few things that have been hidden until now.

  “First, there is a leveling system in Freedom just as in the role playing games, but that is where the similarity ends. In Freedom, the system is based on military grade mixed reality. Similar technology is used by you every day in the real world. Mixed reality warns you with information about your surroundings that can save your life in an emergency. This has revolutionized the battlefield by giving individual soldiers the ability to see things that they normally couldn’t and hear things impossible for the human ear. This information makes them super human.

  “Imagine seeing the threat before it presents itself and being able to spot any ambush before it happens. This is what Freedom’s Leveling System is based on. You will have the most advanced military tech become available to you as you level. It will be implemented like a normal gaming system and keep true to Freedom’s fantasy setting. Choose wisely.

  “Side note. All of this tech is available in the real world under a different name. Master these systems and you will have a set of skills to add to your resume.