Initializing

by K. T. Hanna

  “Hi there, Miss Murmur.” Jan’s eyes lit up with recognition, and he motioned her through to the seats. “It’ll be a bit. Have te wait until my leavin’ time. How’s the huntin’ been?”

  “Pretty busy actually.” Murmur beamed, excited about the direction the game was taking.

  Jan squinted his eyes and then slapped his knee with a big grin on his face. “Yeh from that Fable guild! Congrats an all that! Well done, that bastard’s been terrorizing this area for an age.”

  Like he mentioned before, the wagon driver had seen things. A sudden idea formed in Murmur’s mind. “Hey, Jan. Do you know anything about that castle in the Vahrir marsh?”

  The change that went over Jan’s face was instantaneous. A shadow covered his eyes and he glanced about, fidgeting suddenly. “Look, that place is dangerous. The spirits and demons that float around it have feasted on countless generations of blood. Don’t go near there until you’re way stronger, or like...just don’t ever.”

  “Oh, wow. Sorry I asked.” Murmur smiled, trying to put him at ease. “Guess I won’t be going there anytime soon.”

  The shadows fled from Jan’s face, and he sighed with relief before glancing at the sun. “That’s good then. Almost time to go, just a couple more minutes.”

  Sure enough, with four last minute travelers, Jan clicked at the horses and guided them through Ululate’s gates.

  Stellaein was lively as Murmur made her way through the streets, almost falling over two smaller locus children as they ran around the fountain chasing each other, oblivious to the dozens of people trying to go about their business. The water splashed, and Murmur narrowed her gaze because the statues seemed a little different, but she couldn’t put her finger on how. Maybe it was because she’d been looking at the one in Ululate so recently. She eyed the different paths leading from the main intersection and vowed that at some stage she’d spend more time looking around her hometown.

  As it was, she’d come for her level twelve spells, and get those damned spells she would.

  She was almost relieved to see the Enchanter Guild filled with more people. For a while there she was wondering if people just hadn’t been chosen as enchanters. Perhaps the system was shuffling people in with a certain amount of planning or something, trying to balance the classes.

  But as she hadn’t even seen another enchanter out in the wild yet, she doubted that was the case.

  “Excuse me, could I ask a question?” A timid voice asked her. Turning and looking down considering how small the voice was, she came face to chin with the tallest locus she’d seen yet.

  “Of course.” She said, trying to gulp subtly as she raised her eyes to meet the locus’.

  “You’re a psionicist?” Their expression changed slightly to one of confusion, like they were mulling over the question they really wanted to ask in their mind. “How did you do that?”

  Biting down on her habitual flippant answer, Murmur decided to just go with it. “Being in this world, here in Somnia, is as easy as breathing. Conversations flow, and informational snippets are everywhere. All you have to do is pay attention.”

  The locus regarded her solemnly. She could almost see the gears turning in its head. “So immerse yourself and pay attention, and see what comes of it?”

  Murmur laughed. “That’s the gist of it. I know it sounds vague, but the sooner you watch out for vague things, the more fun you’ll have.”

  “Thank you. I’m Talir.” And they reached out their hand.

  “Murmur,” she said, taking it in a firm grip. “Have fun out there.”

  She turned and made her way through to Belius’ room without further incident.

  Belius’ hair was wilder than usual, sticking out like he’d just put his finger in a light socket. Murmur did a double take as he turned around once she entered the room.

  “You going for a new look there, Bel, or is it all the rage in Stellaein?” Murmur raised an eyebrow and wandered over to where he stood by his bookcases.

  He blinked at her and then frowned. “My hair does what it wants. Don’t make fun of it.”

  Murmur chuckled. “Done! So what’s with the searing unconsciousness I gained from using Mind Bolt three times on mobs that were, by the way, attacking the shit out of us?”

  He glanced at her and frowned. “Three times in quick succession? Before level twelve I take it? Do your own math, Murmur. Wait a bit before making your Mental Acuity work miracles. Get used to it. Hone it. The more you level it up, the better it’ll get.”

  Belius grabbed a heap of scrolls and motioned over to his table, which, for once, was clear of other shit. “Not to mention, felicitations on downing the first boss on the server. Don’t get me wrong, there are others on other continents, but so far, you’re kicking some booty.”

  “Booty? Is that a locus word?” Murmur couldn’t withhold the sass lately. She was genuinely happy in this world.

  “You’re in a fine mood today. Seeing as that’s the case, here, you can have some spells. After you give me eleven gold, that is.” Belius held out his hand.

  “Highway robbery!” She stared at him in mock shock. He felt more real to her than people she’d met in the actual world, more sincere. And yet at the same time, always hiding something. Even as her shields were now, she could feel something out there, fleeting, occasionally trying to get through. Like a leech waiting for the right opening.

  “This level better be worth it,” she muttered. Wariness wound around her like a snake trying to whisper in her ear as she kept an eye on the NPC.

  “I assure you it is.” He waved a scroll just above where her hands could reach and she scowled.

  “Belius, I’m warning you.”

  “What?” He asked the question with genuine curiosity in his eyes.

  “Well. I won’t come in and talk to you for ages.”

  Belius feigned shock and clasped at his chest. “Oh, no. That would be tragic. Here. Have your Allure spell. This will charm or coax a creature into doing your bidding. Depending on how high you’ve scaled your Charisma, and how strong your mind is, the duration will shift accordingly. It could break without warning at any time, but this pet will afford you access to all of its abilities while it’s under your spell.”

  Murmur could feel her eyes grow wide, and took the scroll from Belius reverently. “This is fucking sweet.”

  Then she paused, running some calculations through her head. “Does this potentially also work on other players?”

  Belius smiled, revealing a perfect row of razor sharp teeth. “Why yes, it certainly does.”

  “Excellent.” Murmur jotted that down in her arsenal of mind fucks, before jumping into all of the other spells and trying to sort through them. She had an upgrade to her Minor Suffocation called Suffocation, but the rest were new.

  Bind Affinity

  Cast: Self or Others

  Type: Buff—or soul affixer

  Duration: Until renewed or overridden with a new location

  Effect: This spell binds the target to an area of choice, allowing them to resurrect easier and hopefully closer to their corpse. Because you’ll all die. A lot.

  Infravision

  Cast: Single Target

  Type: Buff

  Duration: 10 minutes

  Effect: Aids the target with a form of night vision.

  Stupefy

  Cast: Single Target

  Type: Stun

  Duration: 12 seconds

  Effect: This will stun a mob in place for around twelve seconds. Probably not a good idea to cast on yourself.

  Weakness

  Cast: Single Target

  Type: Debuff

  Duration: 90 seconds

  Effect: Reduces the target’s strength by 50% of the caster’s level.

  Languidity

  Cast: Single Target

  Type: Debuff

  Duration: 90 seconds

  Effect: Reduces the target’s attack speed by 25% of the caster’s level in percentage. Trust us
, it’s far more effective than you think. Probably.

  And finally:

  Nullify

  Cast: Single Target

  Type: Debuff remover

  Duration: Instant

  Effect: Strips down magic resistance at 50% of the caster’s level.

  Murmur read through the description and glanced back up at her teacher. “This says it will strip magic resistance based on caster and foe’s level. So it really doesn’t nullify magic, does it? It just reduces resistance to my spells?”

  Belius shrugged, and it made his shoulders ripple like waves were crashing underneath his skin, petering out like when the water met the shore and only left tiny remnants to wash over his face. “Reduces their resistance, meaning your spells—and those of others—should land.”

  “Okay, then.” She frowned at the sight of two more scrolls that Belius had only just placed on the table. “What are those?”

  “Illusions.” He stated simply. “These ones are rudimentary and only cause you to raise your faction with the illusion’s species—although only if your Charisma is high. Dark elf and viking.”

  Instead of taking her wares outside with her, she set about committing them to her arsenal in Belius’ office. “What about any Mental Acuity skills? How does that work? I’m concentrating on enhancing my initial skills, but I find it difficult to understand how to increase my skill in Projection.”

  Belius watched her as she finished evaporating the scrolls. “What do you think Projection is?”

  Murmur thought for a moment, refusing to be flippant about things anymore. If someone wanted to teach her, then she was damned well going to learn. She sat down on a small chair near the table. Even if that someone was just a server in her mom’s office building. “Speaking to others, inside their minds?”

  “Yes. But so is fooling someone, convincing others of things. Persuading people, charming people with words and not with a spell. All of these things require your skill in Projection, be it a small amount or a lot, I think you’ll find you’ve increased more than you thought.” Belius waited while she checked and only went on once she’d gasped. “You need two of your skills at fifty, and one at twenty-five before you will rise to the next level of Mental Acuity. At that time, you will be given options for paths to take. Mental Acuity levels more slowly than your other abilities, but it is that much more powerful and dangerous because of it.”

  “And you said everyone can become what I am?” She paused, asking the question before standing up.

  Belius nodded and then hesitated. “Yes. Technically they can, but just because they can doesn’t mean that they will. If everyone comes in here to talk to me, or even to one of the other trainers, and speaks to us as people and not strange creatures performing some necessary functions, then they too can access everything. It’s all up to how they let their minds perceive Somnia.”

  While it made sense, something bugged Murmur that she couldn’t put a finger on. She persisted. “But technically if they push the right buttons and ask the right questions, everyone could learn everything everyone else in their class can?”

  “Of course they can, technically.” Then he paused, glancing at something she couldn’t see. “But there are also other paths than yours that people can find and take.”

  “Others?”

  He nodded. “Both easier and darker ones, young Murmur. Not everything is always black or white.”

  His words sent made her shudder inwardly and released a flood of questions into her mind. Suddenly, she remembered the black disc shaped rock Darjin had had on him. She fumbled it out of her pocket and placed it on his desk. “I think this is what you wanted?”

  Belius’ eyes gleamed, and he all but snatched it up, a feral grin taking over his face for a split second, but the inhuman glow was gone almost immediately. “Finally!”

  A wave of nausea and uneasiness swept through Murmur. “What is that?”

  Belius looked up at her, his wide eyes refocusing past initial confusion, as if he’d forgotten she was there. “Let’s call it my memories.”

  “Memories?” she tried not to sound skeptical. This conversation was almost too much for her to process.

  He had the grace to laugh. “Let’s just say that even beings such as I can become fractured, but this goes a long way to making me complete.”

  You’ve returned a portion of what Belius was looking for. Shattered memories are scattered over Somnia, and must be retrieved from the mighty foes who seek to harness their power. Find them and protect them, or doom us all.

  Well, she’d wanted less vague quests, hadn’t she?

  Storm Entertainment

  Somnia Online Division

  Countdown: Ten days before release

  “How?”

  Shayla bent down reaching out as if to touch the body, but stood back up, her face pale. The suit was dark enough to hide most of the damage, but Ava’s blond hair soaked up the blood like it was a dye. Her eyes were open wide, shock on her face, lips in an O. It was obvious she’d been wearing a headset, but the headgear was gone, leaving behind what appeared to be burn marks caused by the tiny feet that read the brainwaves.

  “Was there an electrical overload?” she asked helplessly. But James didn’t seem to have the answer as they waited for the police to show up. “You contacted Inspector Indale, right?”

  “Yes ma’am.” To James’ credit, though his voice shook, he hadn’t yet needed to throw up.

  Ava’s legs lay at a wrong angle, and her full immersion suit accentuated the outline of her corpse against the pale grey concrete. Her eyes were only just starting to cloud over, which meant death had happened moments before they walked in. Yet the headset was gone, only leaving behind damage from its tiny feet. Blood pooled at the base of her skull and ran in rivulets down from her eyes making it look like she got caught in the rain after a girl’s night out.

  “Good.” Shayla gulped down her revulsion. As much as it might be reprehensible, the company had too much riding on this. Far too much. The future of thousands of employees couldn’t be put in jeopardy. Besides, they’d done so much testing. Five years of it. “Keep this quiet. No press. Figure it out.”

  James’ gaze grew distant as he activated his terminal. Shayla already missed Ava and her quiet support. Release was so damned close, this would place a huge burden on James. Ava had been an amazing assistant, a sweet girl. Her intelligence and compassion were needed right now. Shayla only just managed to choke down the sob in her throat, and closed her eyes briefly to take a deep breath and steady herself. She didn’t have time to break down right now.

  Damn it. How did this happen? “Oh, and get Michael from development on the line. He’s been working with her, I need to know what they’d been researching.”

  James looked up, confusion tugging his lips into a frown. He walked over to stand close to Shayla and whispered, “Michael who?”

  She glared at him. Ava would have known. “Michael. Well, she never mentioned his last name, just that she was helping him test the headgear. So he must be one of our headgear developers.”

  James blanched, and his eyes darted to Ava’s body and back to Shayla several times before he spoke. “Um, Shayla, the only Michael on that team was Dr. Michael Jeffries. And he’s been brain dead for almost a year.”

  Shayla blinked at him, wracking her mind for why she wouldn’t have remembered that. But she did. She just hadn’t put two and two together when Ava mentioned it. How on earth would she have thought the doctor was the Michael she meant?

  Fuck.

  Guilt blanketed her, and she swayed a little, reaching out to James to steady herself. A moment of weakness at the worst time, and now no suspect. How the hell could a man completely reliant on machines have been responsible?

  Real World Day 2: Somnia Online

  Elvita was bartering with another player when Murmur made it to the foyer, so she sat down and realized she felt like utter shit. The thing was, she couldn’t even remember how long t
hey’d been in-game. How long was it since she’d used the bathroom or eaten? She didn’t feel hungry, just sort of mentally exhausted.

  We probably need to log out soon. She mentioned to the raid that was still listed in her group window.

  Sinister: I’ve totally lost track of time. How have we been in here for over twelve hours now?

  Beastial: What?

  Beastial: Shit, we have been. That’s ridiculous.

  Havoc: Pretty sure I’m starving.

  I’m selling some stuff, then I think I’m going to log off for a bit, grab some food and pop back in. Meet you back in Ululate in like ninety real world minutes or so?

  Devlish: Sure. Enough time to eat and shower.

  Rashlyn: Maybe for you!

  Sinister: Which would explain his BO.

  Rashlyn: Good point

  Devlish: Shut up!

  Murmur laughed and closed her screen, and looked up to see Elvita scowling in the direction of the guild door. Double checking her shields, Murmur pushed herself up and walked over. “You don’t seem impressed.”

  The NPC shook her head and turned to face Murmur, a wry smile on her face. “Some of you…newcomers…are less than pleasant to deal with. Not you, though” She smiled, a hint of sadness creeping into it.

  Murmur wasn’t sure what to say. “Their loss.”

  Apparently it was the right thing, because Elvita laughed. “You are a strange one, Murmur. But a refreshing change of pace. Here, let’s see how poor you can make me.”

  Murmur grinned and grabbed some miscellaneous meat she’d found in barrels in the caves—and the overwhelming amount of mushrooms—and made her way into the kitchen to cook. With her skill up to fifty-four by the end of it, she acquired four new recipes. All different variations of meats, herbs, and vegetables. There was even one for bread. Shrugging, she headed out, grabbed a whopping sixty-four gold off Elvita, and gated to Ululate. Considering the cash they’d looted off the mobs they fought, her stash was starting to get into multiple platinum range.

  Glancing around and noticing that the binding NPC had still not returned, she walked to a bench on the other side of the market place, and logged off.