by K. T. Hanna
Day Before Release: Somnia Online
Harlow’s red hair dangled over Wren’s shoulder as she carefully tried to unwrap the suit her mother had just dropped in her lap. Laria’s energy was palpable in the way she fidgeted as her daughter tackled the task.
After a month of exams, waiting on final acceptances, all the while desperately eager to play Somnia, Wren was excited, and suddenly feeling very claustrophobic. She might love her best friend and mom, but they were invading her personal space like vultures.
“For crying out loud you two, stop it!” Wren yelled and peddled herself backward. “Give me some space. If I tear this I’ll kill you both. In-game. Maybe.”
Harlow and Laria laughed as they backed away, standing next to each other and watching her eagerly. For a moment Wren missed her middle school days, before her best friend’s parents had moved thirty minutes away. Next door had been so much easier. But morose feelings weren’t suitable for the Day of the Suit. She placed it on her desk, and methodically worked the plastic sleeve away. It was a thick plastic, meant to prevent static from entering the garment bag.
Pulling it out, Wren frowned. “It’s sort of... underwhelming.”
Her mother smiled.
“It’s got sensors in it; they’ll activate to make sure your muscles don’t atrophy, and allow you to experience the full range of senses. Like touch and pain. Make sure you don’t forget the glove attachments. Now...” Laria paused, an odd light in her eyes Wren couldn’t remember seeing before. “Look. I know we can be lenient about games. Hell... you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for a game, if you know what I mean.” Her mom winked, and Wren tried not to melt from embarrassment. “I don’t want you to play this for days on end, but if you do choose to be in-game for more than four hours at a time, then this suit makes me feel better about that.”
“Well adulted, Mrs. Sommers.” Harlow held out her hand, which Laria promptly took and shook.
“It was rather, wasn’t it?”
“Mom. Stop it.” But even Wren smiled.
“Are you excited to get started?” Both girls nodded, and Laria bent down to pull something else from her bag, holding it out toward Harlow. “This one’s for you. I spoke to your parents. They may have taken a little coaxing, but I prevailed. Happy graduation, Harlow! Thank you for being a part of our lives.”
Harlow’s large green eyes got even wider, and she blinked, doing a rather good impersonation of a goldfish. “Thank you! Oh wow. Wren!”
Wren choked down her surprise, knowing her mom must have asserted rank to make this happen. She reevaluated her mother. Even as a thank you for Harlow, it seemed a lot, and a thank you for what exactly? Wren stepped forward quickly and gave her mom a huge hug. “Thank you for everything.”
Her mother looked away, a slight blush tingeing her olive cheeks. “Shush girls. Get dressed and I’ll help you set up for the scan.”
Wren watched her mother leave the room and frowned. “I wonder what it’s like for her—to work on something huge and see people so excited to experience it. Can you imagine?”
Harlow shook her head, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Glad they waited to let you scan in.”
For a moment Wren frowned and blinked at her friend with an odd sense of déjà vu hanging over her head. But it vanished. “Yeah, me too.”
“Let’s go see what our scan gives us.” Harlow’s enthusiasm washed through the room like a breath of fresh air.
The suits slipped on easier than Wren anticipated, which was good since she’d had strange thoughts of latex rubber and having to wiggle into it somehow. In fact, it almost felt like she didn’t have anything on at all. The material was smooth, and about two millimeters thick with a padded feeling if she squeezed it. Embedded in it were multiple electrical lines that would charge and disperse wirelessly when her headset triggered it, and when sensations in the game prompted impulses. Quite remarkable really. The other option had been a bulky leather chair that performed the same function. They’d been all the rage for a while, but the suits were cheaper and more comfortable.
Her mom walked back in the room just as Harlow exited the bathroom. Her fiery hair stood out against the suit, and she gave a wide grin, accenting it with an impish wink. “Ready for duty, Mrs. S!”
Wren sat on the bed and patted the other side for Harlow, who took a running jump and almost fell off the other side. Rolling her eyes, Wren pushed at her friend’s chest, motioning to lie down.
“Okay girls. Before you lie down, you need to put your headsets on. They’ll need to conform to the shape of your skull and then calibrate. Let me just enable the anchor.” Her mother walked over to the anchor in Wren’s room. It was a small black cube about four inches high. They had a few throughout the house. Anchors allowed their augmented reality eyewear to access the internet and store any information they wished to download permanently. Sort of like a hard drive, router, and computer box in a tiny package. The game would anchor using this as a server.
“Once the headset is calibrated and hooked to your accounts, well... it’ll prompt you through the scanning process and allocate its findings.” She smiled at them as they put their headsets on.
Wren activated hers by pressing a slight indent in the left arm, startled as the headset came alive on her head, like a weird sort of octopus giving her brain a hug. She shuddered at the mental image. But after several seconds, she barely noticed it was there. A light shone on the bottom of her virtual screen, confirming her log in and connection to Somnia Online.
Prompting her to lay down, the device triggered several scrolling coded windows, followed by analytics listed too fast for the eye to see. Then it finally settled on a blank screen with a SOMNIA ONLINE backdrop and an option flashed up in front of her.
Proceed with scan? Yes or No.
“Nothing to lose,” she muttered before concentrating briefly on the word yes with her mind and lying back to await her results.
The scan was done in what felt like an instant, and Wren waited for the printout in the kitchen with her mother, while Harlow ran to the bathroom.
Wren sat, staring at the results in front of her eyes when the game sent them to her. She blinked several times, becoming more irritated as she read.
Enchanter—Branch of the Psionic Family—Ranged Caster—Support/Mind Control of self/others
You will play an enchanter. Your wiles and your mental fortitude will make this difficult class a natural fit for you. Considering your penchant for diversions, casting illusions in-game will seem second nature, and using your words to influence those who would otherwise stand in your way will often work in your favor. Monsters will fear you, and yet serve you if you make them. Strong opponents will cower before your ability to daze and confuse.
Each decision you make will affect how your character develops and what hidden paths are revealed to you.
You may choose a hybrid class at level twenty, but remember: the enchanter is who you are.
Wren blinked at her class allocation. What the actual fuck? She’d never been anything but a healer. She was a freaking fantastic healer. Why the hell would she want to play an enchanter? What illusions?
“This is bullshit mom,” she said, flat staring at her mother and trying not to get angry. That temper, she definitely got from her mom. It often broke through the usual calm her Dad passed on to her.
“The system sees what it sees, sweetie.” Her mother shrugged, still smiling like she knew all the secrets. “This is the class it’s found you most in sync with. If the real world were the Somnia Online world, this is what it thinks you would gravitate toward. You know the motto, you thought it was cool the first time you heard it.”
“Experience the class you were born to play.” Wren murmured and then blinked.
“Well apparently I’m a healer.” Harlow sounded equally as irritated as she sat down with a plop next to Wren.
“What the fuck, Mom? It made Harlow a healer, Mom. Harlow.” She turned to the other girl,
a grimace on her face. “No offense.”
Harlow chortled, as she grabbed a packet of chips.
Laria chuckled as she rummaged through the cabinets. “Yes, it did, but it also made her a blood mage, and those destroy in order to heal.”
Wren scowled, irritated. Her excitement for the game waned, and her will to play drained from her. She’d been the good student for years. No parties, no skipping school, no pranks, nothing. And now a game was telling her what she could be in her free time?
“You don’t want to play?”
The concern in her mother’s voice made Wren look up, a strange feeling of déjà vu coming over her again, like she’d been right here before. “I...don’t like being told what I should be.”
“No one does, love.” Her mother paused, a distant look entering her eyes. “The system scans your brainwaves, your thought processes. It can potentially even access some of the more vivid memories. It takes your body composition and temperament into mind, and extrapolates the class that would suit you best. It goes past what you think you might be good at, and uses definitive algorithms to determine what you’d actually be more attuned to. For what it’s worth, I think you’d be a fantastic enchanter. It’s one of the more challenging classes to play and you’ve always risen to a challenge.”
Wren couldn’t help but smile. That bit was true. It always had been. “Fine. I’ll give it a chance.”
“That’s my girl.” Her mom smiled, more tight-lipped than usual, before concentrating on her tea again.
Wren couldn’t help thinking she’d been played, even if the words felt rehearsed, almost like a script.
Her mother stood and walked over to the stove. “Are your other friends going to be playing?”
“The usual suspects?” Wren wracked her brains trying to figure out if they’d talked about it. She hadn’t logged into InstaQuest since weeks before her finals; there wasn’t any need. Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember a time she’d logged in at all in the last couple of months. Though they had beaten all the content ages ago, so it probably wasn’t that strange.
Harlow slumped down in the seat next to Wren. “They’re definitely playing! They’ll look us up once we’re all in-game.”
“Well, we played wonderfully together in Avarice, and that other one.” Wren shrugged, starting to let herself get excited about Somnia Online again. “Either way, we should all be able to nail our classes.”
“That’s the spirit.” Harlow said, digging Wren playfully in the ribs with her elbow and earning a scowl. “I’m pretty sure they’re not all going to playing what they’re used to either.”
“Sounds like you’ll have a very capable group.” Laria was putting away the plethora of energy drinks, quick foods, and snack foods that habitually went with a new MMORPG release. After all, with leveling and immersion, there wasn’t going to be time for real anything. “You’ll need a solid group.”
“Wait. Mom. We’ll need a solid group?” Wren sat up straight, curiosity starting to bubble again despite her earlier disappointment.
Her mother turned around and smiled, the expression reaching her dark brown eyes. “Of course. Groups can take on stronger mobs and locations, and if you guys push yourselves like you usually do, the virtual world will be your oyster. I will give you one hint, since it launches at midnight tonight... be careful of night in some areas of the game world.”
“That’s the hint?” Wren glared at her.
“Yep. That’s it.”
Wren swore she could see her mother’s Cheshire grin. That woman was planning something, and Wren hated not being in the know.
Wren blinked her eyes open as her mom gently shook her shoulder. “Hey love, wake up. You too, Harlow. It’s eleven. I thought you’d want to get snacks and drinks before the game starts.”
Laria sat by the bed as they woke up and smiled at them as she ushered them downstairs. “I have to head to my study and monitor the launch from there, loves. Sorry, but your Dad will grab you food, I’m going to be busy. Send me a message in-game if you need me.”
Wren laughed. “Will do, Mom.” Even though she knew it wasn’t normal for kids to communicate with their mothers through a video game, it was simply a part of her life she secretly enjoyed.
It really was the release. No more school. No more exams. No more waiting for college application acceptances. It was all over, and now there was just Somnia Online. Wren could feel herself shake, though on second thought it was probably Harlow who was jiggling her legs up and down like a mad woman. “Settle, Harlow. Let’s go get our supplies.”
Wren’s dad was setting the table when they got down there. David’s dark hair was streaked with silver now, faintly resembling Beethoven’s signature look. She assumed he’d probably taken a nap and just not bothered to brush his hair, or forgotten to. He’d piled some sodas, chips, and fruit out and obviously paid attention to Wren’s habits—habits he’d helped create.
Wren grinned at him. “Thanks Dad. You know just what a girl needs.”
Her dad laughed. “I won’t pretend I’m not jealous.”
“Why can’t you come play too, Mr. S?” Harlow grabbed a bag of chips, strategically avoiding the fruit, and sat down on a chair, pulling her knees up to her chest. “You used to play with us all the time.”
David gave a melodramatic sigh. “Sadly, I must venture out and settle on lesson plans for my summer students. A professor’s work is never done. Besides, I’m training the next generation of game developers.”
But there was a twinkle in his eye, and the girls laughed with him.
“Seriously though, I’ll have to sleep once you’re online. If you need something, you’ll have to message Mom. She’s going to be busy though, so don’t expect an immediate response.” He smiled and grabbed an apple for himself, messing up Wren’s hair fondly.
Feasting before the game was almost tradition. Of course, no release had been like this. With its infinitely closed betas, of which any leaks only tested out mechanics and not actual areas or cities, Somnia Online had been an enigma. The hype had been amazing though, with people clamoring for the headsets and suits for months on end.
It was going to be such a challenge, such a race. If only she were a healer, Wren knew they’d have a chance at the top. Having permission to play it for the whole goddammed summer was like a dream in Wren’s eyes.
She munched down on her favorite fruits. and some Numyuns, while guzzling Flying Bull. Harlow gorged herself on potato chips and soda. Their excitement fed off each other, and they couldn’t help breaking out in a few giggling fits. It was the first time since InstaQuest over twelve months ago that they’d had a night like this.
Food. Liquid. Bathroom. Excited and full of energy, they ran upstairs to pull their suits on. Headgear in place, they lay down, booting up the interface as they closed their eyes.
They were five minutes early, and up in the left hand corner of her vision, Wren could see a clock counting down the seconds until launch.
“What species are you going for?” Harlow asked, her voice shaking slightly.
“Locus, I think. It’s the first time I’ve seen a sort of alien species. The other nine species don’t really appeal to me. What about you?” Wren watched the countdown in her vision, trying to clamp down on the excitement.
“Mmm, still thinking about it. But being a blood mage, I feel like it needs to be suitable.”
Wren chuckled. “Highest level is fifty right now, hybrid builds are a possibility, allocated classes, hidden paths, and this neurally-activated interface. It’s going to be an adventure.”
“We’re aiming for the top, right?” Harlow’s tone was unusually serious.
Wren smiled. “Shit yes. You know we have to get our hands on those damned keys first.”
“Up, up and away!” Harlow’s laughter cascaded through the room, mellowing Wren’s tension.
Suddenly the countdown hit zero and Wren entered character creation, both girls forgetting about the other
while they chose their virtual personas.
Locus was Wren’s choice, the elegant alien race. Their skin had varying shades of silver, their eyes anything from pearl through to cosmos. Their hair hung in loose bunches resembling tentacles down their backs, topped with what appeared to be tiny bulbs that only glowed occasionally in the character creation screen. Their long legs were toned and strong. They were beautiful and ethereal, imposing and serene. She wanted to be one so badly.
Taking her literal appearance from the sensors the game adjusted the settings initially, allowing her to choose hair, skin, and eye colors, as well as varying degrees of muscle tone, height—so many different things to pick from. She chose a dark purple undertone to shadow the silver of the locus skin and hair, and cosmos eyes, so people would get lost in the stars. If she was going to be enchanting, she was going to do it right.
Her starting city was Stellaein, on the continent of Tarishna. Class choice wasn’t even an option. Enchanter was already locked in. She frowned but focused on the empty statistics next to the figure of her locus. As an enchanter, Charisma and Intelligence were paramount.
The starting statistics for a locus enchanter were pretty solid. Plus the species’ addition to charisma, and her starting character seemed pretty decently rounded.
CONstitution—12
STRength—10
AGIlity—11
WISdom—12
INTelligence—15
CHArisma—20
HitPoints: 74
Mana: 60
It then asked her to choose from a ridiculous amount of spells for level one. She blinked and scanned them. Shielding sounded pretty great; she was a cloth wearer and it would be better if things hit her as little as possible, especially since only one damage spell was available. Shrugging internally, she chose Minor Suffocation, a spell that caused damage over time. Hopefully there’d be ways to obtain the others at some point.
Minor Suffocation
Cast: Single Target
Type: Damage Over Time
Duration: 24 Seconds
Effect: This spell winds a mind leash around your opponent, as if it were trying to suffocate them. Its damage ticks every three seconds for twenty-four seconds.
