by Tony Corden
“Aye, I’ve heard about yer quest. Them bastards, you get them and get them good. I’ll give you good stuff though and maybe an extra knife or two for those boots.”
In the end, Durustfuar gave her a 200 slot bag and filled it with various potions for health, strength and stamina. He made her put a better quality pick in the bag and not show anyone. Leah then headed for the final door with Mage Jonathan.
As she entered, he nodded to her and said, “So we meet again, from what I understand you have been busy indeed. This time I need two drops of blood.”
“Yes, Jonathan, we meet again. This time though I need not have an oath as I trust you to care for my welfare, your spell of healing has served me well, and already I have learned some new spells.”
“Wonderful, and what great magics have you seen in the last eleven days that have taught you so much.”
“Well, I possess the mortar and pestle of Sage Samarie, the Belt of Zekâ Irfan and have claimed Merdiven, Bazlari’s staff.”
“Truly child, you have claimed Merdiven, and these others?”
“Yes, he only talks occasionally, but he has saved my life already on various occasions.”
“Amazing, and have you thought how you would come to Sihirbazlari to meet me?”
“I have, I have a map, and after finishing several quests, I plan to follow it to meet you.”
“I think you have been swindled then as there are no maps to Sihirbazlari.”
“That may be true, but what about an ancient map to the town of S’hir B’zari. Might not this lead me where I must go?”
Jonathan looked shocked and said nothing. He shook his head and stared at her. Finally, he said, “I’m not sure if I am amazed or shaken by all you say, but nothing you now do will surprise me. This time I gift you with an earth spell for your story. Have you chosen a name for this dwarven lass you have become?”
“Yes, I thought of being called Xiăo Tiē Chuí.”
“How very suitable, all though I might suggest Qiáng Tiē Chuí might be more fitting.”
“Don’t you think that presumptuous?”
“Maybe if you had named yourself that. However, if I might name you, then I don’t think so.”
“Thank you, I accept.”
She held out her arm and Jonathan took his quill and after taking blood signed her name on the scroll before him as well as on the confidentiality agreement which also appeared.
“Be careful Qiáng.”
He then gave her a small spell scroll and said, “There are several towns for dwarves to start at, which one are you to go to?”
“I’m to go to Maden Town.”
“Of course, the most dangerous of the lot. Farewell!” Jonathan disappeared, and a doorway opened, with a portal into what looked like a busy town. Leah stepped through the portal and saw several seats along the side of a wall; there was a small sign ‘Now is a good time to assign Characteristics’. She sat down on one of the seats to do so, and Gèng said, “You have some messages from your set up, would you like to read them?”
Leah agreed and found that all four of the start-up characters now held her as highly respected and all had given her a startup quest which was fundamentally the same:
Unique Personal Quest
Advocate Julian has charged you with catching the miscreants who have sought to enslave you and see them brought to justice.
Difficulty: Hard
Reward if successful: 10000 Experience Points
Consequences of failure: None
Do you wish to accept this Quest?
[Yes] [No]
With a smile, she accepted all quests and again received the various achievements of Starting with a Quest. She then read the spell Jonathan had given her. It was called the Spell of Changing Attraction and allowed her to increase or decrease the density of certain materials.
Leah was tempted to keep the spell for Atherleah but decided that Jonathan had given it to her for a reason. She learned the spell, added the points as directed by Jackson’s brother and then checked her statistics again before heading into town to find the Kolelick Corporation.
QIÁNG TIĒ CHUÍ (Level 1) (250/1000) (+0.5%)
Characteristics - Points Total, (Assigned, Racial) 3 Undistributed
Strength (S) - 13 (8, 5)
Constitution (C) - 8 (8)
Agility (A) - 1 (1)
Wisdom (W) - 1 (1)
Intelligence (I) - 1 (1)
Luck (L) - 1 (1)
Statistics (Available, Capacity)
Health - 100+(S+C)xPL - (142, 142)HP
Stamina - 100+(C+A)xPL - (118, 118) SP
Mana - 100+(W+I)xPL - (104, 104) MP
Ki -100+(W+[S+A]/2)xPL - (132, 132) KP
Leah soon found the Kolelick Corporation Building and when she entered she saw a man sitting behind the counter. She walked over and said, “Excuse me, sir, I’m here to see if I can sign up as a day labourer in your mine, Mrs Kodoman sent me and asked that I get the special terms and agreements.”
The man pulled out a book and a parchment and said, “We need your signature and agreement to these terms. Just sign here and then be back at eight tomorrow morning.”
“May I read the terms please?”
“There is no need to read the terms. Mrs Kodoman says you get these terms and you will be happy with them. Do you understand?”
“Yes Sir, I will be happy with them, but can’t I also look at them?”
“No, you don’t want to look at them, you’re happy with them even without looking.”
“Ok! Where do I sign?”
Leah signed the book and the parchment. Although she tried to see what was written, it was hidden from her. The man asked, “Do you have the mining skill yet?”
“No, although I do have a pick.”
He gave her a scroll and said, “Read this, it will give you the mining skill. Tomorrow we will give you a better pick, and you can begin work in the mine. Now, in your off hours, you will have a meal, have one hour of deep-sleep and then rest until it is time to log in to Dunyanin. You are not to enter other worlds or tell anyone of your involvement with this mine. Here, in your v-world and your Pod-room you are not permitted to talk except to answer a direct question which you will do quickly and honestly. Be here at eight. Now go.”
Leah left the office and headed to the central square where she changed her resurrection point and then she logged back to the Tower. It was now almost three in the afternoon in Dunyanin. Leah entered Dunyanin as Atherleah and found Wisp sitting outside the tent looking concerned.
“Atherleah, what happened? You’re never late, is everything ok? I was so worried.”
Leah spent several minutes filling Wisp in on some of the details but wasn’t able to mention her Qiáng character. Instead, she said that she had a situation with the Security people and for several days she was not going to be able to be in Dunyanin during the day. They finally decided that Wisp would continue travelling during the day and Leah would travel at night. They would endeavour to see each other in four days at Pazar. Wisp expected to be there in two days but allowed for some delays. They packed camp and rode at a fast pace for three hours while meeting nothing on the road. They had made four leagues when they stopped and set up for the night. Wisp had the tent, and they dissolved their group until Pazar. Together they logged out. Leah had a late supper before getting into the POD for two hours of NREM3.
Diary - 22 November 2063
I have never been so humiliated, so vulnerable, so scared in all my life as I was today. How can one person think it is all right to enslave another? What if Gèng wasn’t able to free me? If they took away my higher thinking, would I still know I was a captive? I think knowing that someone else is in control of you, that they have the power over you is more insidious than the crime itself. But that isn’t true. If they had made me do more than kiss Jackson’s cheek that would have been worse.
I feel violated but what of those who have been trapped for a long time? What if t
hey had made me do things, or done things to me? Sakin was tortured for six months. I know she is only a program but its wrong. Jackson’s mother mentioned having virtual whores, why do people think it is ok even in the virtual world to own someone, to enslave them, to control them. Rape, or any sexual abuse, isn’t just the act, it’s also the loss of control, the powerlessness, the fact that one person can overshadow you; they can take over your own choices. They make you irrelevant.
And for what? I imagine the Kodomans are doing it for money, or power. In one sense, its all about power; who has it and who doesn’t. At least in the Switch, we had some power over our own lives. To succeed, or to fail. The government never helps, but that must be better than them helping in such a way as to remove our choices, our freedom, our purpose.
What am I thinking, am I prepared to get caught to help others? Yes! Because, it’s my choice! If I get caught when I am aware of the risks, I can live with that. I choose to be who I want to be, danger and all. What I can’t live with is being forced down a path where I bear the consequences of someone else choice and have no way to change it. I can live with other peoples choices as long as I don’t lose my ability to act, to decide, to live, to change the outcome by my actions. I don’t need all the choices; I just need a choice.
CHAPTER NINE
November 23, 2073
When Leah woke, she left the pod and practised Tai Chi for half an hour. Using a fighting stick, she practised her sword forms; she did them at full speed then at half speed. She varied the order, she practised with eyes open and then closed. She needed the shower before hopping into the pod and heading for the portal to Maden Town. It was seven fifty-five, and she just made the Kolelick Corporation Building by eight. There was a wagon, and three other dwarves waiting to go up to the mine. An older dwarf exited the building and said, “You lot, get on the wagon and hurry up about it.”
Leah was surprised at the speed with which the other three rushed forward to get on the wagon; she rushed to join them assuming that this was a result of the compliance code. The older dwarf stood at the back of the open wagon and peered at the four of them.
“My name is Yanic, and I’m the manager of the Kolelick mine. You have all agreed to the conditions provided by Mr Kodoman. This means that my word is law. If any of you have any coins, then give them to me now.”
Two of the dwarves reached into their bags and grabbed a few copper which they handed over to Yanic. Leah and one other just sat there. Yanic yelled to the driver of the wagon. It moved off and headed out of town. The trip to the mine took two hours as the wagon wended its way out of town and up the side of a mountain. Leah tried to start a conversation, but none of the other dwarves even shared names. They arrived at a small settlement adjacent to a stone cliff with a mine entrance. The height of the access tunnel was just over two meters, and there were two sets of parallel metal tracks heading into the mine. The rails ran from the opening to a large building guarded by barbarian warriors. Leah saw an empty cart being pushed from the building by a tattered and worn dwarf who moved the cart into the entrance and disappeared.
A man walked over to the wagon and yelled, “Off the wagon and stand in a line.”
After they had complied, he continued with less force, “Welcome to your new home. You will be here from eight until five each day. At five you are to log out regardless of where in the mine you are and are to log in at eight. Now, in your off hours, you will have a meal, have one hour of deep-sleep and then rest until it is time to log in to Dunyanin. You are not to enter other worlds or tell anyone of your involvement with this mine. Here, in your v-world and your Pod-room you are not permitted to talk except to answer a direct question which you will do quickly and honestly. You will obey any order given you by a guard or mining officer. You are to check your level and mining skill level regularly each day, and any increase is to be brought to the attention of a guard or mining officer. We will be providing you with tools so when dismissed from here you will deposit your current pick on the ground and collect a new one as you enter the mine. As Level 1 miners you will be taken deeper into the first level where you will recover copper from several large seams. As you become better at mining, you will be moved deeper into the mine. You will assign points as directed by the guards and mining officers. We will provide you with water and food, so there is no need to take your own. Now, drop your picks and go with Guard Nobet here and enjoy your life in service to the Kolelick mine.”
Leah and the others dropped their picks, Leah still had one in her bag from Durustfuar, and they all headed toward the mine entrance where they received a good quality pick. Guard Nobet then led them into the tunnels a distance of several kilometres before stopping at a huge dimly lit cavern which had many pillars supporting the ceiling. Along each wall, miners were digging copper ore and putting it into their bags.
Guard Nobet said, “Find an area where no one is mining. Start chipping away at the surface. Your mining skill will highlight the best places to chip away. When you isolate a piece of copper ore, put it in your bag. When you have fifty pieces, take them to the cart there and tip them into the cart. Then return and repeat the process. Go!”
Leah, like the others, went to the face where she could see various areas outlined in green, her new mining skill was showing her where to hit with the pick. She carefully swung the pick and slightly touched the wall, a small bar appeared; it was almost full. She swung harder, and the bar dropped slightly. She slowly increased the strength of her swings, and after about fifty swings a part of the face fell free, and she was rewarded with a piece of copper ore. She also received 5 EP. It had taken over ten minutes, and at this rate, it would be days before she was able to gain a level. She checked, and no one was watching her, so she quietly and carefully enunciated ‘Let the earth loose its bonds’ while touching the rock face in front of her where several green areas were highlighted. She then set the timer for the cool-down period and swung away. This time the rock was more fragile, and it took her only thirty minutes to free five more pieces of copper. When the cool-down was over, she cast again. This time the change was even more noticeable, and she collected ten pieces in the next forty minutes. She cast again and collected sixteen in the following forty minutes. She had her first fifty within next twenty.
By the time a guard arrived at midday with lunch, she had collected ninety pieces of ore, and her mining skill had risen to Level 2. She walked to the guard told him she had risen to Level 2 in mining. He shrugged and told her to empty her bag of ore into the cart and follow him. He led her back toward the entrance and then took a side tunnel which went deeper into the mine. He brought her to a similar room as on Level one and said that the ore at this level was an eighty percent pure copper and harder to remove. She was to work toward fifty pieces and then empty them into the cart.
Leah worked at removing one piece of ore and found it took more effort than before. It was more than fifteen minutes before the piece of ore dropped to the ground. Leah continued the practice from the first level and had collected 130 pieces of the purer copper by the time 5 pm came. She was watching to see what happened when suddenly all the workers logged out, and the lights dimmed. She needed a break, and after logging out, she also exited the tower.
After breakfast, she talked to her mum asking about what the family was doing. She didn’t share everything as she knew her mother would worry and her father would come over and do violence to Jackson. Not that Leah didn’t think Jackson deserved being hurt, but she intended to do this herself. After an hour break, she decided to try and get a few leagues covered by her Atherleah character before Wisp got too far ahead. Getting back into the Pod she arrived in the Tower and saw that Gèng had a picture of her mining now showing on the wall. She wasn’t sure that she wanted pictures of herself around but appreciated Gèng’s thinking about it. She decided to spend a few minutes just talking with her AI.
“Gèng, I saw the new picture and quite like it although I’m not sure it should be he
re in the main room.”
“Don’t worry, I’m constructing a small gallery and will move the best pictures there. I’ve already prepared a room to hold your Qiáng memorabilia. When you have time, I’d like some feedback on how you would like the outside veranda areas to look.”
“I have a few minutes now if you like.”
For the next half an hour Leah wandered the tower and discussed materials and views, giving her opinions and continually amazed at the effort Gèng was putting into designing Leah’s v-world. Finally, she knew she had to keep moving but wanted Gèng to consider something else, so she said, “Gèng I’m not sure if this is the right time to bring this up but have you given any thought to having an Avatar to represent yourself?”
“Not yet, though I was interested when both Security Oversight AI 4 and Security Controller 11-5 had avatars. My processing has been focussed more on their gender choices; I have been researching AI genders. Most remain neutral though some perceive themselves as more masculine or feminine. I’ve allocated 4% of my processing to considering the notion, do you have any preference?”
“I think the choice is yours. I would probably feel a little weird wandering around naked if you decided you were masculine, but please don’t let that sway you, I want you to make up your own mind.”
“Thank you, Leah.”
Leah equipped her Atherleah clothes and armour and stepped through into Dunyanin. As she arrived, she received a notification:
BEWARE! At night many monsters come out to hunt. At night the MOB level increases. All creatures here at a higher level than you (40-80). We suggest you come back in daylight.
Leah decided to walk and jog rather than ride. She thought it would be quieter than riding. She was soon in a rhythm and covering the ground at a medium jog, her feet hardly touching the ground rather than the pounding run she had seen some people do. Her eyes were continually searching ahead, and she had a knife in either hand. As she ran, she imagined various scenarios and what she might do. She realised that she was no longer doing this for the money but for the immense satisfaction she got from playing, the almost addictive adrenaline rush she received. It was her constant awareness which saved her when she felt a slight shift in the wind patterns at her back and dropped to the ground just as the talons of some flying creature passed through where she’d been running. It didn’t stop but rose into the air and flew on. Leah peered after it, and it identified as a Level 48 Giant Scorpion Bat. As she watched, it slowly began to turn.
