Awaken Online: Ember (Tarot #1)

by Bagwell, Travis

  Chapter 9 - Converted

  Finn stepped off the lift on the fourth floor of the library and made a beeline toward his study area on the far side of the floor. He was anxious to get started and had been forced to resist the urge to jog through the Mage Guild.

  As soon as he reached the table, he cleared off some space, shoving the books and scrolls out of the way before taking a seat in one of the hard, wooden chairs. Finn then pulled up his system UI. Within moments, he had found the in-game console again, a translucent blue screen flashing into existence in front of him.

  Now he needed to explore a little.

  Finn began digging through the console. Part of him expected to find a super streamlined workstation, with limits placed on his public network access and the console’s integration with the headset hardware. However, his eyes widened only minutes later when he realized there were precious few restrictions placed on the in-game console. Hell, he could still connect to the local network in his lab!

  That moment of hesitation didn’t last long.

  Finn’s hands flew over the translucent keyboard as he established a connection to his personal workstation. A few seconds later, a prompt popped up.

  System Notice

  You are preparing to connect your personal workstation to Awaken Online.

  Are you willing to grant permissions to allow the game world and local hardware to access your personal workstation?

  [Yes/No]

  Finn tapped “yes.” He knew Daniel would take steps to protect his home network and encrypt the connection automatically.

  A moment later, the prompt disappeared. Now he needed to take the next step. With the connection established, Finn could finally call for some reinforcements. Another few seconds passed, and a translucent blue cloud suddenly began to form in the air beside Finn, an inadvertent grin creeping across his face.

  “Hello, sir,” Daniel reported, bobbing slightly in the air.

  “Hello, Daniel,” Finn replied, excitement lacing his voice. If he was able to use his own AI controller, this opened up quite a few possibilities. However, his smile abruptly disappeared as Daniel froze in mid-air and a cage of green light suddenly encircled the AI.

  Another notice appeared before Finn could question what was happening.

  System Notice

  A foreign and unauthenticated AI controller has accessed the game system.

  The foreign AI controller’s system privileges have been automatically restricted to prevent any security breach to the game system or harm to other players.

  If you wish to access the foreign AI controller inside AO, it will need to be integrated into the environment and grant System Controller XC239.90 full administrative privileges within the game world.

  Do you accept?

  [Yes/No]

  “Shit,” Finn muttered. Perhaps he had underestimated just how sophisticated the game’s AI really was. It had caught the foreign software intrusion immediately.

  The question now was whether to allow the game’s controller to have full admin privileges over Daniel. Grimacing, Finn swept the notice to the side and his fingers danced across the keyboard once again. Before he was going to grant those permissions, he needed to put some protections in place. He backed up Daniel’s core processes and then built a limited firewall between his local network and the game world.

  He was essentially instancing Daniel – creating a home version and a game version, with limited communication between the two. The core processes would be roughly the same – assuming the game’s AI didn’t make any radical changes. But this would also ensure that Finn didn’t inadvertently give the game’s AI any control over his home network.

  Once he finished, Finn glanced back at the prompt. There was only one way to see if this would work.

  With a sigh, he hit “Accept.”

  The green cage around Daniel fragmented and broke away in a cascade of small particles. The blue wisp then pulsed rhythmically, flashing and spinning in place. Suddenly, the AI changed color, sapphire giving away to varied hues of orange and red. Even more interesting, Daniel seemed to be emitting heat, the air rippling and warping around him.

  Only a few short seconds later, another prompt popped up.

  System Notice

  Subsystem AI Controller A100.01 (code-named “Daniel”) has been authenticated and integrated into the game world.

  Daniel is now classified as an in-game pet, specifically a fledgling fire elemental. Lacking a corporeal form, Daniel is unable to harm other creatures or players. He is currently classified as a “non-combat pet.” However, he can still perform tasks and assist the player.

  Well, that works, Finn thought to himself.

  “Alright, are you operational now, Daniel?” he asked tentatively, staring at the orange ball of flame.

  “Yes… yes, sir,” the AI responded, his voice sounding slightly confused. That was odd. Finn couldn’t help but wonder if a few changes had been made to this instance’s code.

  “Okay. How much progress have you made on downloading and analyzing the software training courses?” Finn asked. This would test whether this instanced version had retained restricted access to Finn’s home network.

  “I was at nearly 87%, although I note that my access to those files is now restricted,” Daniel replied.

  Perfect, Finn thought. His fingers were already dancing across the terminal’s keyboard again – working to restore the in-game instance’s access to the local files.

  “Don’t worry about it, I’ll make sure you have access again,” Finn reassured the AI. He glanced at the books and scrolls that were still strewn about the table. “I think I have a first assignment for you in the meantime.”

  “Sir?” Daniel queried.

  “Can you scan the contents of these documents?” Finn asked, pointing at the materials on the table. “I’d like to be able to view digital versions using the in-game console.”

  “Give me just a moment,” Daniel replied.

  The wisp then swept forward, the paper and pages rustling as the AI passed over them. Daniel flitted to a book, and a thin beam of light was projected from his core, the pages flipping slowly as the AI scanned each page. Finn was just about to mention something about Daniel’s scanning speed when his pace suddenly picked up.

  The pages flew past in a blur of motion, and the beam of light stuttered erratically. Within only a few moments, Daniel had completed one book and moved on to the next. Finn spared a nervous glance through the nearby stacks, hoping no one would notice the strobe lights flashing in this small dingy corner of the library. The last thing he needed was a librarian checking out some sort of impromptu rave.

  However, Daniel made swift progress. Within only a few minutes, he had scanned all of the materials, letting out a faint chirp. “Task completed!”

  Did he just sound excited? Finn stared at the AI for a second, noting the way the wisp danced in place as though happy to have finished his assignment.

  As though Julia’s meddling wasn’t bad enough… Now some foreign AI is messing with Daniel. At least I had the foresight to instance this version before integrating him.

  Finn let out a sigh. “Uh, thanks, Daniel,” he said, and the wisp flashed with a bright pulse of orange light. Finn spared a nervous glance at the materials on the desk, but the AI hadn’t accidentally set any of the books or scrolls on fire.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Daniel asked.

  “Actually, yes,” Finn replied slowly.

  Scanning the materials was helpful, but it was just a short-term thing. He was just reading the page contents off a screen instead of a scroll. It was better than nothing – at least for now, but he ultimately needed to find a way to streamline his studies.

  “I’ve provided you with limited access to my home network. You should now be able to access the language software,” Finn explained. “Once your local instance has finished compiling the code from the various software tools, can you upload the contents
of the documents you just scanned? I want to create language learning software for Veridian.”

  Daniel pulsed softly as though considering this question. “I can help with this! Based on the local instance’s progress, it should take approximately 6 hours, real-world time, to accomplish this task.”

  Finn grimaced. Which meant he would have to make do for the next 18-24 hours in-game. He supposed he could live with that – at least for now.

  “Is there anything else I can help you with, Master?” Daniel chirped again.

  “Master?” Finn asked in an incredulous voice. He definitely hadn’t added that dialogue.

  “Would you prefer I call you something else?” Daniel chirped again. “Your highness, your excellency, lord code-monkey, your majesty, your honor…

  Did he just say lord code-monkey?

  “Okay, stop,” Finn snapped, interrupting the AI. “Sir is just fine.”

  “Of course, sir. Is there anything else I can help you with?” Daniel replied, although this time, he sounded a little despondent.

  Damn it. Why do I feel bad for barking at a flaming ball of AI crazy?

  “Uh, no, I think I’m good for now,” Finn replied, giving the AI a confused glance.

  “Okay, I guess I’ll just leave then…” Daniel said in a morose voice. Before Finn could respond, he winked out of existence in a flash of light.

  Finn just stared at the blank spot the AI had occupied. When he caught a free moment, he would have to try to remember to review the AI’s code. Something weird had obviously happened during that integration process.

  Shaking his head, Finn turned back to the screen hovering in the air in front of him. An emotionally sensitive AI aside, he needed to get to work. He stood abruptly, and, with a flick of his wrist, he pulled up multiple screens. A dictionary, grammar rulebook, translations materials all settled into place around him. A familiar story took center stage, a picture of a cat caught in a tree easily visible on-screen.

  Finn had to resist the urge to sigh. Maybe if he could make some progress, he could move on to a more interesting story. The children’s book really was just a slap in the face.

  “Okay, Mittens. Let’s see if you ever make it out of that tree…”

  ***

  Finn rubbed at his eyes, his vision wavering slightly as he tried to focus on the shimmering blue screens in front of him. He had lost track of time while studying. All that occupied his mind were an endless string of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Although, he wasn’t sure what was worse, the sheer amount of memorization this language required or the horribly obtuse grammar rules.

  He had learned enough basic vocabulary at this point that he had come to an awkward revelation. In short, most sentences in Veridian were formed in rhyming couplets. It was like the language had been created by a drunken Chinese bard who was just a little too fond of Shakespeare. A least that’s what Finn chose to believe. It was either that or the game was intentionally torturing him.

  “I see you are hard at work,” Abbad commented, appearing from behind a stack of books. Finn hadn’t even heard the man approach.

  “I guess so,” Finn replied tiredly, slumping back against the table, and waving the screens out of the way to give his eyes a break. Some part of him knew that they weren’t real – eye strain probably wasn’t a thing here. But who knew? AO was realistic enough that it would probably create some sort of debuff.

  “How did the first class go?” the librarian asked.

  Finn let out another sigh. “I think I may have caught the attention of our teacher. I was trying to downplay my affinity in order to stay at the bottom of the pack, but she took it as an opportunity to make an example of me. Apparently, one slip-up and I’m going to be out on my ass.”

  Abbad’s expression was impassive. “Then you will simply need to do better.”

  Finn couldn’t help the incredulous huff that escaped his throat. “Yeah, I only need to learn a new language in two weeks, and learn how to summon and control my mana, and prepare to fight in a series of deadly duels with the other students.”

  “You can only try,” Abbad answered calmly, unperturbed by his tone.

  Finn supposed that was true. He would probably fail – the odds certainly seemed impossible. But it wouldn’t be for lack of effort.

  “Perhaps I can offer some assistance in that regard,” Abbad said.

  Finn looked up at him sharply. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, for example, I watched you for a moment before I made my presence known. You are only focused on one task. There is a more efficient course of action,” the librarian suggested.

  “Such as?” Finn asked, confused. If there was a more efficient way to learn Veridian, then he was all ears.

  “You could be training your Mana Mastery at the same time,” Abbad answered.

  Finn just stared at the stoic man.

  Had he just heard that right? Abbad wanted him to learn Veridian while also training his Mana Mastery?

  He must have been looking at the librarian like he was crazy since the man tried to elaborate. “Your hands are idle while you practice Veridian. You could be summoning and learning to control your mana at the same time.”

  That seemed… well, impossible. “Okay,” he began slowly, “but Lamia had us walk through this whole visualization technique—”

  “That is merely a tool for beginners,” Abbad interjected. “You do not need to go through that process each time. Simply remember the feeling of your mana while making the requisite gestures and you should be able to summon it. With your high affinity, you may find that this comes more easily than you expect.”

  Finn tilted his head. It had been pretty simple to summon the flame during class. With a shrug, he formed a triangle with his fingers. However, this time, instead of visualizing the flames and the straw, he focused on the excitement he had experienced when he summoned his mana the first time.

  Almost instantly, the flame appeared between his fingers, dancing in the air.

  “Well, shit…” Finn muttered.

  “Did Lamia teach you the basic gestures?” Abbad asked.

  “Uh, yeah,” Finn replied, refocusing on the librarian.

  “I suggest you work through them in sequence as fast as you can. Once this becomes second nature, then alter that sequence in a different rhythm. When that becomes tiresome, you should find more creative applications.”

  “For example…” the librarian murmured, trailing off.

  His fingers formed the initial triangle, a spark of lightning arcing between them. With a swift series of gestures, the librarian sent the small bolt of energy arcing through the air, bouncing off a nearby glass pane, catching it seamlessly and then tossing it again.

  In between the next catch and release, Abbad introduced another bolt.

  And then another.

  And then another.

  The small corner of the library was soon filled with small electrical arcs, Abbad effectively performing an incredibly dangerous juggling act. Abruptly, his fingers swept forward, neatly snatching the bolts from the air – the energy dissipating harmlessly.

  “I think that might be just a bit beyond my abilities,” Finn replied dryly, his mind wheeling as he watched the exchange. Abbad hadn’t even cast a spell. That was just what he could do summoning and manipulating the flow of his own mana?

  “For now,” Abbad replied evenly. “That is why you need practice. Start with a single ball of flame. Once it feels natural to control its movements, try adding another.”

  “Or I’ll set the library on fire,” Finn retorted, waving at the books.

  A rare smile tugged at Abbad’s lips. “I would not be so negligent as to leave our materials unwarded. You do not need to be concerned about damaging the books.” As he spoke, Abbad’s fingers were a blur of motion. Within seconds, a sphere of air enveloped Finn, glimmering with a faint yellow light.

  “This should be more than sufficient to stop a wayward orb,” Abbad commented, a hint o
f amusement lacing his voice.

  Finn chewed on the inside of his cheek, glancing first at the barrier of air and then down at the flame still lingering between his fingers. It looked like he was out of excuses. Could he really pull off the same little juggling act? While also studying Veridian? He had to admit that the language training was coming along more easily than he had expected, but this still seemed crazy.

  Yet his mana still surged through his veins, his doubt giving way to a tantalizing mixture of excitement and curiosity. He had to admit that a part of him wanted to find out if he could manage the feat.

  He supposed there was only one way to find out.

  “Alright—” Finn began but stopped short as he realized that Abbad had disappeared just as silently as he arrived. He grumbled under his breath. It seemed that their brief conversation was over. And as always, Abbad had left him with more homework.

  “I didn’t actually want to go back to school…” Finn muttered to himself.

  However, there was only one way forward. His gaze turned to the screens around him, shifting them in the air with a flick of his wrist. It was time to get back to work.

  Even as his eyes started skimming the first line, his fingers formed a familiar triangle, that same warmth seeping into his limbs and a renewed surge of energy coursing through his veins. Finn began to twist his fingers through the series of basic gestures, doing his best to concentrate on the words flowing across the screen as an orb of fire slowly began to orbit him. It was challenging… but not impossible.

  He could work with that.

  Chapter 10 - Clueless

  A sudden chime echoed through the library, interrupting Finn’s concentration.

  “Hello, sir!” Daniel chirped, his orange form suddenly popping into existence a few inches away from Finn’s head.