Evolution

by Travis Bagwell

  “Uh, maybe we can start over,” Jason offered cautiously, glancing at his teammates and noticing that both Frank and Riley had begun to draw their weapons. He gestured for them to wait. “My name is Jason.”

  “I’m well aware,” the young man drawled, glancing at Jason with a bored expression. “I happen to know who you are. You are that old fuddy duddy’s avatar. As for starting over, I don’t think that would be appropriate. You all haven’t even begun yet.”

  Eliza gave a frustrated sigh. “Why do you always have to be so difficult?” the girl demanded before turning back to the group, her finger pushing at her glasses. “This person calls himself the Hippie,” she explained to Jason and his friends. “He claims that he is some sort of god.”

  What is going on here? Jason couldn’t help but glance at Alfred where he stood sedately nearby. Yet the cat’s impassive expression didn’t offer any clues.

  It was the water mage’s turn to storm toward the strange young man, glaring at him. “He and Fluffy have been harassing me ever since I started playing this game.” Fluffy gave the girl a woeful stare, and her anger faltered slightly. “Well, actually Fluffy has always been really nice,” she amended. “But the Hippie is a royal pain in the ass!”

  The Hippie placed a hand to his chest. “Wait, I’m royalty? Fluffy, did you hear? We’re royalty now!” With a flick of his wrist, a makeshift metal crown appeared in the Hippie’s hand, and he placed it on top of the sheep’s head, adjusting it carefully. “All hail, King Fluffy the Great!”

  “See what I mean?” Eliza said in exasperation, gesturing at the strange young man. “He can’t ever give a straight answer, and he constantly goes off on these stupid tangents.”

  Jason’s mind was wheeling as he watched the exchange. Normal players wouldn’t have been able to follow the group while invisible. He was beginning to suspect that the “Hippie” was one of the game’s six deities, which would make Eliza his champion. Yet the Hippie was completely unlike the Old Man. As far as Jason knew, the dark god had never appeared to any other players and had only spoken to Jason when no one was present.

  “I think he may actually be a god,” Jason said slowly. “If my guess is right, he represents the water affinity. Which I suppose would make you his avatar,” he added, gesturing to Eliza.

  “See! The guy dressed like a fantasy serial killer gets it! Even though, technically, I just said that,” the Hippie responded, making a face at Eliza before returning to Fluffy’s royal ministrations. The sheep gave Jason a pained expression as the god attempted to place a golden necklace over its head.

  “The real question is why are you appearing to us now?” Jason continued, recalling his discussions with the Old Man. “I thought that the gods were supposed to avoid contact with travelers other than their avatar.”

  The Hippie cocked his head to the side as he considered Jason’s words. “So many rules. My siblings just love rules. Yet for every rule, there is an exception. We just so happen to be standing in one.”

  “Standing in an exception?” Frank asked, confusion lacing his voice.

  “Did someone say something?” the Hippie said, making a show of looking around the room as though searching for someone. He refused to look directly at the barbarian. “I could have sworn that I heard the sound of a stupid, fat sheep hater.”

  Frank growled angrily, his hands clenching around the hilts of his axes. Yet Jason waved him away. There was no sense quarreling with a god. “Is this temple an exception to the rules?” Jason asked, trying to clarify Frank’s question.

  “It is indeed!” the Hippie replied with a smile. “This is my temple – the last of its kind really. Can you believe I practically had to force Eliza to come visit? It’s majestic. Sprawling tropical forests, crystal waters, and lots of mutant lizards… Besides, you lot haven’t even gotten to the fun part yet!”

  “Which is what?” Eliza demanded. “Just like every one of your other hare-brained quests, this has been a nightmare. We have been attacked, half the crew was slain, the other half was kidnapped, and then those lizards dropped us down a sacrificial pit.”

  The Hippie looked a bit taken aback by her response, his expression falling. “Hmm, that does sound dreadful.” He glanced at Fluffy, sharing a long look with the sheep. “We have been terrible hosts. We’ll have to rectify that right away!”

  “Maybe as a first step you can tell us where the Old Man’s grimoire is? That’s why we are here, after all,” Jason said. He wasn’t optimistic that he was going to get a straight answer, but he might as well try.

  “That dusty old tome? It’s in the throne room above us,” the Hippie answered with a dismissive wave of his hand. “It’s just three stories up from here.”

  “Does this doorway lead up into your temple?” Riley asked.

  “Where else would it lead?” the Hippie replied glibly. Then he hesitated for a moment, cocking his head to the side. “Though that does remind me of something. I could have sworn I meant to pass along a critical message.” He tapped at his lips with his fingers before shrugging. “Oh well. It escapes me at the moment. Which is ironic since you all probably won’t be escaping from here – what with all the temple defenses being active and all.”

  Eliza rubbed at her temple with one hand. “Could you turn those defenses off?”

  “I suppose I could, but what would be the fun in that? A good system of traps and challenges builds character, that’s what Fluffy always says!” The sheep didn’t appear to be saying much of anything. Once the Hippie had given up trying to attach a regal cloak to the animal’s collar, it had walked over to the wall, curled up in a ball, and promptly gone to sleep.

  “Awesome. Now we have to deal with traps,” Frank grumbled.

  “And there is that odd wind again,” the Hippie said, ignoring Frank and glancing around in confusion. “It might be helpful for the ‘wind’ to know that the temple’s defenses have been fine-tuned to target sheep bigots.”

  “If you aren’t here to help, then maybe it’s time for you to leave,” Eliza snapped, placing her hands on her hips.

  The young man didn’t seem offended by her statement, although he did turn to glance at Fluffy, noting that the sheep was now sound asleep. “Perhaps you’re right! Fluffy seems to think it’s nap time anyway. Toodles!” With that, the Hippie snapped his fingers, and both he and his pet sheep disappeared.

  “What the actual fuck was that?” Frank demanded, looking at the rest of the group.

  “One of the game’s gods,” Jason replied distractedly. The Hippie spoke in circles, but he had revealed some useful information. They were about three stories away from the temple’s throne room – which might hold the Old Man’s grimoire. Those intervening levels were also probably filled with traps if the temple’s defenses were still active. That meant they needed to tread carefully.

  “Why didn’t you tell us that a god has been stalking you?” Riley asked Eliza, interrupting Jason’s train of thought.

  The water mage glanced down at her hands as the group turned to look at her. Her anger seemed to have evaporated now that the Hippie was gone. “I didn’t really think he was a god,” Eliza replied softly. “And would you all have believed me if I had explained that an invisible man and his pet sheep were harassing me?”

  Frank let out a chuckle. “Well, she has you there, Riley. That does sound sort of crazy.”

  Riley just shook her head in irritation, her gaze shifting back to the broad set of double doors in front of them. “I guess. So, what’s our next move?”

  “We only really have one choice,” Jason replied. “I doubt Frank can fly us back up the pit and we’re likely to encounter the tentacle creature if we try to swim out of the cave. Even if we could get back topside, a few hundred lizardmen are guarding the temple’s entrance and our crew. Which leaves this,” he said, gesturing at the doorway.

  Jason stepped forward and rested his hand on the handle of the door. Immediately, a notification appeared in front of him.


  System Message: Entering Unknown Dungeon

  Despite the indirect and confusing warnings of a slightly unhinged god, you are (probably) about to enter an unknown dungeon.

  Your respawn point has been updated and a two-week reset timer (in-game time) will apply to this dungeon. Any players who die inside the dungeon will respawn at the entrance within 45 minutes in-game time.

  The prompt also offered Jason the option to set the dungeon instance to “private.” His hand hovered over the window. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu – the scene reminding him of the time his group had first entered the dungeon north of Peccavi.

  “You’re going to set it to private right?” Riley demanded, a tinge of humor coloring her voice.

  “What, you didn’t enjoy being forced to fight an army of players last time?” Frank interjected dryly.

  Eliza looked a bit nervous as she listened to Frank and Riley tease Jason. “What are they talking about? An army of players?”

  “Don’t worry,” Jason reassured the water mage as he set the dungeon instance to private. “We don’t need to worry about fighting an army here.” As the doors slowly creaked open, he turned to face Eliza, a small smile curling his lips. “This time, it looks like we just need to deal with a capricious god and three levels of traps.”

  Frank let out a groan, his hand swiping away his system menus. “Unfortunately, it also looks like we might need to tackle this tomorrow. It’s already late, and I have a test early tomorrow morning.”

  Jason glanced at the clock in the corner of his vision, realizing that Frank was right. He had been so intent on moving forward that he had completely lost track of time. “Okay, well maybe this is a good place to call it for the night. Just remember to be careful when you log back in. We don’t know if the tentacle creature will return while we’re gone.

  “Will do,” Riley said with a nod. “Same time tomorrow?”

  “Yup,” Jason said. “You know I’ll be here.”

  Frank and Riley promptly disappeared with a popping sound and a flash of multicolored light. As Jason pulled up his own system menu, Eliza spoke up cautiously. “I’m sorry about not telling you about the Hippie,” she said softly, not quite able to make eye contact.

  “It’s fine,” Jason replied. “Like you said earlier, without any evidence, it sounds kind of crazy. Plus, I know from personal experience how aggravating the gods can be.” He hesitated slightly. “Well, at least I thought I did until I met the Hippie. It looks like you’ve had your hands full.”

  Eliza gave him a small, grateful smile. “He is a challenge to deal with. So… is it okay for me to keep playing with you all? Riley seemed upset.”

  “Definitely,” Jason replied. “I think this has just been a lot to digest – for all of us. I doubt that Riley will hold it against you, and you’re welcome to continue playing with us for as long as you want.”

  At that statement, Eliza’s lips pinched into a thin line, a worried expression flitting across her face. “Great. Thank you,” she said quietly. Before Jason had a chance to ask her why she seemed so upset, the girl vanished in another flash of multi-hued light.

  Jason stared at the spot the water mage had occupied only a moment before. He felt like there was more to Eliza than she was letting on. She acted so subdued and shy and yet one of the game’s gods had taken an interest in her. There must be more to her story, and Jason planned to find out what was going on. If nothing else, then perhaps he could learn more about the game’s gods and the recurring visions he had been experiencing. Just like in the real world, information within AO was a precious commodity.

  With that thought, his gaze shifted to the massive doorway. He could see stairs leading up into the darkness, his Night Vision struggling to penetrate the haze. He knew he needed to log off and take care of his real-world body, but a part of him wanted to push forward on his own. He couldn’t afford to lose any time. Too much was now riding on this game. Yet he also knew he couldn’t do it alone – certainly not with only a few handicapped skeletons.

  He could feel his dark mana claw and scrape its way up his spine, dampening his worry. He relished the sensation, reluctant to return to the real world and his problems. Yet he knew he was only avoiding the inevitable. With a sigh, Jason tapped his system menu and logged off.

  As soon as Jason left, the Hippie reappeared, Fluffy standing beside him sedately. “Ahh, I remember what I was supposed to tell…” he trailed off as he realized that Jason and his group were gone. “Well, that’s rude,” he said to Fluffy. “They didn’t even say goodbye.

  “Hmmph. Oh, well. At least it will be interesting to see how far they make it. We haven’t had this much entertainment in ages.” Fluffy gave an indifferent snort in response. “Ahh, I suppose you’re right. No one has ever made it past the first level, so I guess we shouldn’t get our hopes up.”

  Chapter 18 - Befuddled

  After she logged out, Eliza tugged off her headset before running a hand through her hair and putting her glasses back on. She glanced around her room tiredly, her gaze lingering on the mountain of textbooks resting on her desk. A familiar weight settled in her stomach, the ever-present worry resurfacing as she automatically started thinking through the list of homework she needed to finish. She hadn’t been giving her studies the attention they deserved – and that her parents demanded.

  For a brief moment, she considered just laying down and going to sleep. It would feel wonderful to put off thinking about her studies for a few more hours, but her stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in quite some time. Her bladder was also insisting she visit a bathroom soon. She had lost track of how long she had been logged into AO.

  Groaning softly, Eliza pushed herself to her feet. She visited the bathroom and then made her way downstairs. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could hear her parents’ voices coming from their office. She tried to move more discretely, her socks making faint whispers on the wooden floorboards. Eliza didn’t want to alert them that she was up.

  The house’s AI responded to the presence of Eliza’s Core as she entered the kitchen, dim lights flickering on automatically. She quickly made herself a sandwich, trying her best to be quiet. If she could get back to her room, she wouldn’t have to face her parents until they got home from work the next day.

  As Eliza trudged back to the stairs, she heard her parents mention her name. She froze, hoping that they hadn’t detected her. A moment later, their conversation continued in muted voices, Eliza catching her name again. Her curiosity won out against her caution, and she crept carefully toward her parents’ office, hovering along the wall beside the door.

  “This game is a distraction, James,” her mother said. “This isn’t the time for Eliza to slow down in her studies. Her college entrance exams are just around the corner, and her practice scores have been slipping over the last few weeks.”

  Her father spoke up, his voice a deep baritone. “I know, but what is the point of school if her personal life suffers? Her tutors and instructors have reported that she is withdrawn and barely speaks. Her friends never come by anymore, and she spends all of her time studying. AO and her garden are her only outlets now.”

  A short silence followed her father’s words before he spoke up again, “Maybe we are pushing her too hard.”

  “We are doing what is best for her,” Eliza’s mother insisted, a sharp edge to her voice. The sound of her heels tapping against the wooden floor was audible from the hallway and Eliza could visualize her mother pacing the room as she spoke.

  “What is a couple of years of hard work in the grand scheme of things?” her mother continued. “Once she finishes medical school and her residency, there will be time for frivolous activities like video games. Can you imagine what we could have accomplished with the same advantages she is being given? Private tutors, an accelerated and tailor-made curriculum, and only the best academic materials and resources.”

  “I just don’t k
now,” her father replied slowly. “She seems so much happier since she has begun playing this game. I hate to take that away from her.”

  Eliza could hear the creak of leather drift out of the study. Her mother must have taken a seat in a chair beside her father. “I understand. Why don’t we compromise? We can give her another week, but then we pull the plug. Everyone needs a break every once in a while, but she needs to understand that her main priority should be her schoolwork.”

  Her father sighed softly. “I suppose that will work. We can discuss it with her tomorrow.”

  Eliza quickly backed away from the office and retreated upstairs to her room. A few seconds later, she sat down heavily on her bed, placing her plate on the comforter – her hunger now forgotten. The weight in her stomach had returned, and she felt nauseous. Her breathing was rapid and shallow, and she felt like she might pass out. She clenched her fists, trying to will the feeling away – to claim control over her own body again.

  When that didn’t work, she closed her eyes, desperately trying to think of something positive – anything at all. Immediately an image of her garden came to mind, filled with the happy hum of insects and warm sunlight. The lush green vegetation hung around her, droplets of water resting calmly on their leaves. After a few moments, her breathing began to slow, and she could feel her body relaxing.

  Eliza opened her eyes, finally feeling back in control of herself. Yet frustrated tears still hung at the corners of her eyes. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she knew one thing for certain. She hated her classes, and she had no desire to go to medical school. She just wished she had the courage to say that to her parents.