Awaken Online: Dominion

by Travis Bagwell

  The room fell into silence as the pair entered, Claire, Francis, and George staring at them. “Well, this wasn’t the warm introduction I was expecting,” Robert offered with a chuckle. “You all seem a bit too serious.”

  “This is not a light-hearted matter,” George retorted, eyeing their clothing skeptically. Jason felt like the CEO wanted to say something but ultimately decided not to bother. He stood and approached quickly, offering a hand to Jason, “It’s good to see you again, Jason. How have you been holding up?” George posed this question while examining his face carefully, likely noticing the dark circles under his eyes.

  “I guess I’ve been better,” Jason replied.

  George nodded. “My apologies for not anticipating the situation with Gloria. That was underhanded – even for her. Yet, our mistake was still inexcusable,” he added, glancing at Francis, who grimaced. “Anyway, why don’t you both take a seat and we can get started,” George continued.

  Robert and Jason obliged. Claire nodded at Jason before refocusing her attention on the translucent terminal hovering in the air in front of her. To Jason’s fatigued brain, she looked more somber and reserved than usual, although it was sometimes hard to tell with Claire. He had spent far less time talking to the severe woman than Robert.

  Francis pushed back at his glasses as he observed Jason. “I owe you an apology as well,” he offered. “I should have called off the meeting once we saw the detective leaving the CPSC offices. I never expected that woman to use your parents as a prop…”

  “It’s fine. Really,” Jason said quickly. He’d rather just not think about it and get this meeting over with. The one benefit of Rex’s ruthless training regime was that at least Jason didn’t have the time or ability to dwell on his problems.

  Unfortunately, his hopes were promptly dashed. “I understand that this is a bit sensitive, but have your parents tried to contact you since the meeting?” George asked.

  “N-no,” Jason replied. “I haven’t heard anything from either of them. I don’t know if they’ve spoken to Angie, but I’m guessing they probably haven’t. They weren’t close with her even before… before our disagreement.”

  “Hmm, well please let us know if they do contact you,” Francis urged Jason. “Anything they say at this point may be some sort of ploy on Gloria’s part.”

  Claire spared a glare in the attorney’s direction and coughed to get his attention. Francis’ eyebrows went up as he seemed to consider something, and he added quickly, “At least until after the hearing. I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t speak to your parents, of course.”

  Except that’s exactly what you just said, Jason thought. He wasn’t really upset at the suggestion. He wasn’t planning to speak to them anytime soon anyway.

  “Well, let’s move on to the matter at hand,” George said, getting their attention. He paused for a moment until he was certain he had their complete focus. “As you are all aware, the CPSC has requested a hearing in front of the regulatory board that oversees their work. They are attempting to re-open an examination of our VR technology, the game world, and the AI controller.

  “Unfortunately, we were not able to avoid this hearing,” he continued with a small frown of irritation. “The head of the regulatory committee, Senator James Lipton, is up for re-election soon and certain public interest groups are backing his opponent in the race. They would have a field day if he were to refuse to hold a hearing over something with a potentially large impact on public safety. Our recent popularity is a mixed blessing in that regard.”

  George paused for a moment to ensure that this had sunk in. “The good news is that Mr. Lipton seems skeptical about Gloria’s position – our product has already gone through extensive testing, and the incident with the game master gives her a motive to be vindictive. He’s also aware of the tactic she used recently with Jason’s parents and that hasn’t won her much goodwill. I’ve been assured – off the record – that he will be keeping theatrics to a minimum during the hearing.

  “Any questions so far?” George asked.

  Jason tentatively raised his hand, not certain exactly why he was here or if he was allowed to pose a question. Although, he had a pressing one in mind.

  “Go ahead, Jason. You don’t have to raise your hand,” he offered with a small smile.

  He felt a small flush of embarrassment, but still had the presence of mind to pose his question. “I guess I’m a little confused. Why do I need to be part of this hearing? Isn’t it mostly going to cover the technical aspects of the game and hardware?”

  George sighed. “I’ll let Francis answer this one.”

  The attorney pushed back at his glasses again as he looked at Jason. “Under normal circumstances, you would be correct – this hearing would be a rather dry recitation of technical information. However, this isn’t exactly a court case in the traditional sense. The committee is comprised of a panel of senators led by Senator Lipton. They will hear arguments from both the CPSC and Cerillion – as well as witnesses and other supporting information. Normal discovery rules and civil procedure will not apply.”

  Francis noted the confusion in Jason’s eyes. “Let me unpack that a bit. One result of the lack of procedure is that more… emotional arguments are permitted and can carry greater weight – particularly since this hearing will more than likely garner media attention. Gloria’s case seems to be that the game is corrupting the minds of the players, manipulating their memories and experiences. You potentially present a very public example of that.”

  He paused, watching Jason closely. “Keep in mind as I continue that I’m not trying to offend – only to demonstrate what the other side may argue. One downside of my job is that I’m constantly forced to play devil’s advocate,” he added with a grim smile.

  “On paper, you were a model student and were attending a prestigious school until only a month ago,” he said, surveying the screen that floated in front of him as he read his notes. “Your termination at Richmond aligns closely with when you started playing the game. Since then, you have gone on to become a rather nefarious individual in-game.”

  “My expulsion happened before I started playing,” Jason said quietly. He spared a glance at George – recalling exactly who had been responsible for that. To his credit, the CEO actually looked mildly ashamed. “It’s also a game,” he offered. “I’ve never really…” He had started to say, hurt anyone.

  His sudden silence didn’t go unnoticed. Everyone at the table looked uncomfortable, and Claire refused to meet his gaze, her hands clenching on the tabletop. She had kept silent for most of the meeting, merely watching the conversation apprehensively.

  “I see you understand the predicament,” Francis said, not unkindly. “The expulsion is close enough in time to be concerning. Unfortunately, emotion tends to trump facts. While AO might be a game, it’s also extremely realistic. Videos of your conduct in-game certainly won’t help us.”

  The attorney paused for a moment as though weighing his words carefully. “As for the incident at your aunt’s house, that one is quite troubling. The good news is that the DA has decided not to pursue criminal charges – which seems reasonable given that the two teenagers broke into your home and they were armed. However, the detective could still testify at this hearing, and this doesn’t mean that the break-in is off the table. We should expect this to be an issue.”

  Jason’s hands balled into fists. He could already envision what the detective would say. He had already been suspicious of Jason’s testimony regarding the break-in, and with good reason. He – or Alfred – had stabbed one of the teenagers fifteen times. They were probably going to paint him as a closet sociopath. Suddenly, the memory of his parents’ faces appeared in his mind’s eye. If his own parents hadn’t believed him, what would other people think?

  “This doesn’t mean that we will fail,” George interrupted Jason’s dark thoughts. “We just want to be candid with you about your role here. The CPSC will almost certainly call you as
a witness and so it is important for you to be prepared. With that in mind, we would like for you to attend these hearings in person.”

  “What?” Jason blurted.

  “I know this may be uncomfortable for you, but it will help our case if you attend and appear presentable and respectful,” Francis offered. “We want the senators to see you regularly. It’s much easier to villainize someone who isn’t in the room and who is routinely dressed in a dark cloak while cutting another player’s throat. It’s an entirely different story when that person is sitting sedately in front of you wearing a suit. Unfortunately, appearance and perception will matter a great deal here.”

  Jason sighed. He couldn’t refute the attorney’s logic. Aside from not wanting to be placed on a very public stage or be used as a prop, he was also concerned about the loss of time. Each real-world hour cost him four hours in-game, and he was already running against the clock.

  “I understand that this goes a bit outside the bounds of your streaming agreement with Claire and Robert,” George offered, misinterpreting Jason’s hesitation. “In fact, much of what has transpired lately is a bit outside the norm – including your current living arrangements.”

  Jason glanced up at him sharply. Was he trying to imply that Jason was beholden to the company? Or to use his apartment as some sort of leverage? He couldn’t deny that he was dependent on the company, but that was still going too far.

  “Let me rephrase,” George said in a reassuring tone as he saw Jason’s expression. “I plan to have paperwork drawn up this afternoon entitling you to stay in the apartment downstairs for as long as you want. This will not be contingent upon your attending the hearing or your testimony. I want you to understand that we are on your side, Jason.”

  Jason met the older man’s gaze. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that George would be making this offer if they didn’t need him, but their interests did align – at least for now. Although, that might change depending on what they asked at the hearing and what he chose to reveal. Even as that thought crossed his mind, he recalled his last conversation with Alfred. Hell, the fact that he was even talking to Alfred was a problem. What if they discovered that gem? Would they still be on his side?

  “Fine,” Jason finally said. “I’m not sure I see any other options.” He let out a soft sigh. “I guess the only question I have left is when is this going to happen?” Maybe he could at least put off the hearing for a few weeks while he dealt with the issues plaguing the Twilight Throne.

  “The hearing starts tomorrow,” George answered immediately.

  Jason’s eyes widened in shock. “Shit,” he murmured.

  Robert barked out a laugh that he unsuccessfully tried to suppress as George glared at him. “Sorry, kid,” he said to Jason, slapping him on the back. “I would have warned you sooner, but they didn’t want to upset you for no reason.”

  George nodded. “You won’t have much of a role to play in this first session, and we expect the hearing to take at least a week or two. Francis assures me that these things can be longwinded and painful. Speaking of which, we don’t plan to keep you there all day. The first session should be introductory. After this, we only need you to attend for a few hours each day and smile for the cameras.”

  “Try not to worry too much,” Francis added, a sympathetic look on his face as he watched Jason. “I’m sure it won’t be as painful as you expect.”

  Jason might be turning into a pessimist, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Francis was wrong about that. With his current track record, the building would probably explode, and then he would get blamed. Besides, he had plenty to worry about aside from the upcoming hearing. This was going to suck up even more time that he should be using to train and address the issues plaguing his city.

  At the end of the day, he still needed to keep up his performance in-game, despite George’s assurances that he would have a place to stay. His eyes darted to the CEO, noting the way the man’s warm expression faltered when he looked away. He had seen the shark-like look in George’s eyes before – those moments when his thin veneer of civility cracked. His priority would always be his company’s bottom line. Jason knew that he would only be rewarded if he continued to be of value to the company.

  Which meant he needed to get back in-game. He was wasting time – time that he didn’t have. He politely excused himself after that, each person at the table trying their best to console him as they bid him farewell.

  As he stepped out of the conference room, he let out a pained sigh and slumped back against a wall. His problems settled like an almost physical weight upon his shoulders, pressing him down. A small part of his mind was actually looking forward to the training – if only to escape his worrying, nagging thoughts. He had no idea how he was going to juggle everything.

  “Perhaps I should just stop sleeping entirely,” he murmured.

  Chapter 12 - Exhausted

  Jason pushed the weight forward, his back pressing hard into the bench beneath him and his arms trembling with the effort. Sweat dripped down into his eyes and obscured his vision, but he didn’t need to see for this. After hundreds of repetitions, his digital muscles knew their job. At least the salty liquid blotted out the red warning notifications that flashed incessantly in his peripheral vision. He already knew what they said, but he hadn’t found a way to shut them off.

  System Notice

  Your stamina has reached zero. Continued strenuous effort will drain health at the rate of 500 health per sec (scaled). If your character’s health reaches zero, you will die.

  In addition to the health drain, the loss of his stamina also reduced Jason’s statistics considerably, leaving him feeling even weaker than usual. Fun fact, he’d discovered that his stats couldn’t be reduced below zero. Although, one point in strength seemed to place him at the level of a small child.

  Despite the pain that radiated from his chest and the almost embarrassing amount of weight on the bar, he kept going. His focus had narrowed to a single goal – lifting the gods’ damned bar. His breath came in ragged gasps, which soon turned to hacking coughs as his health continued to deplete. He could taste coppery blood in his mouth, and he turned his head to avoid choking on the substance as his failing body neared its end.

  Just a little farther, he thought weakly.

  His arms suddenly straightened, and he felt a flash of victory. However, the feeling was short lived as his blurred vision went completely dark and another notification appeared in front of him – this one was accompanied by a merciful lack of pain.

  System Notice

  You have died.

  Thanks for playing Awaken Online!

  Jason ignored the notification, reveling in his painless existence for just a moment. He only had a few seconds until he would have to start again, repeating his training regime in an endless cycle. These rooms below the keep appeared to be unique, allowing Jason to avoid the 45-minute lockout at death. Although, after hours spent locked in hellish training, he wasn’t certain that he saw this as an advantage.

  In a blink, Jason was standing in the training room again. He immediately collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily as his muscles trembled. His body always remembered the state he was in just before he died even though he was no longer affected by the debuffs. It was strange, but he had come to accept it. It usually took his body a few minutes to realize that he was fine again – his stamina refilled and his limbs ready to go through the merciless training regime once again.

  He was just about to struggle to his feet again when another notification flashed in front of him, the blue glare bright in the otherwise dark room.

  System Notice

  Constant, grueling activity has caused your body to become fatigued for the next six in-game hours. Any continued physical exertion will not increase your statistics or any skills requiring physical activity.

  Jason sighed. This wasn’t a reprieve. It just meant that he needed to switch to training his new spells, casting his Bone Armor an
d Bone Absorption spells until the gestures and words were second nature, and his hands began to cramp. He would be at this for hours before moving on to the training dummies again. Then back to weights.

  He groaned as he rose to his feet and turned to face the door to the challenge room. He needed to be near the stockpile of bones for this next part. Just as he was about to head off to start his spellcasting training, he heard a cough behind him. He turned slowly, not concerned. There were only a handful of people that knew he was down here. Besides, if it was an enemy, maybe it would kill him. That would buy him another few seconds reprieve.

  Riley was staring at him, her expression neutral as she observed his haggard appearance. “How are things topside?” he asked, his voice sounding ragged even to his own ears and he slumped down on a nearby bench.

  “It’s been quiet – too quiet actually,” she replied, her eyes concerned as she watched him shuffle over to sit on one of the benches. “The Order hasn’t made a move yet, but Jerry also hasn’t found anything. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “And Eliza and Morgan?” Jason asked, his body finally beginning to relax. It felt good to just sit for a while without doing anything else.

  “The cave complex is coming along well, and they hope to start growing the first crop of herbs soon. I couldn’t get Morgan to even look up from her books when I ‘spoke’ with her,” Riley replied with a frown. “I guess that means she hasn’t found anything about this gate yet”

  She hesitated for a moment, a confused mixture of emotions flitting across her face. Then she seemed to resign herself. “Are you okay?” she finally asked. She came over to sit beside him, although Jason noticed that she kept a small distance between them.