“Then why are you standing around and staring into nothing?” Hana threw after him angrily. “It’s not what I’m paying you for, is it?”
Kai looked at her, a remorseful, shy smile on his face. He knew that had worked best to soothe her before. But not today. She glared at him, hands on her hips.
Damn it. He knew that look. She would fire him if he didn’t get a grip on himself. Hopefully by tomorrow he would gleefully tell her that he quit, but as long as he couldn’t be sure, he needed to keep this lousy job. Kai sighed inwardly, then walked up to the table closest to him. The patrons sitting there gave him a displeased look. They’d obviously been waiting for him to serve them for some time.
He took their order and then rushed past his boss, who was still standing there, watching him Argus-eyed.
Working as a waiter in a restaurant truly wasn’t what he had dreamed of for his life, especially given his degree in mathematics, but he kept telling himself that it was only temporary.
He knew very well that he could consider himself lucky that he had even this shitty job though. Most of his friends were unemployed, like almost 50% of the population. After the second industrial revolution, which had happened almost two decades ago, millions had lost their jobs. What had been called a “revolution” had been nothing else but the complete automatization of almost the entire manufacturing and service industries. Nowadays, most jobs were done by robots and AI, and there were only a few industries left that still required a human workforce. As a matter of fact, the hospitality industry wasn’t one of them.
Almost all restaurants, bars and hotels were fully automatized, leaving only a few human engineers to maintain the functionality of the machines. However, there were some upscale restaurants that still hired human personnel for their kitchens and for service. They were mostly frequented by elderly patrons who had the required money to spend, since the prices were easily 500% higher than in an automated place. Those people happily paid the prices for the simple luxury of experiencing dining as it used to be in earlier decades. Most of the patrons even tipped generously, although it wasn’t required or asked for.
Fuji, the restaurant Kai worked at, was part of a chain by the same name and specialized in upscale Japanese cuisine. The only reason he had even got the job wasn’t a qualification or a hard-working attitude but his looks, plain and simple. Fuji only hired Japanese, and if none were available, then people who could pass as such were the next best thing.
Kai looked nothing like a Japanese. His dad had been Thai and his mom from Ohio. They had both passed away when he was five years old. He grew up with his grandma, who had died of cancer shortly after he had graduated from high school. The money she left him had helped him through college – to achieve a degree that had proven to be as useful as a hole in the head. Kai had no siblings, and the only family he had left were distant relatives who lived on Ko Pha Ngan, a tiny island in the Gulf of Siam, and whom he had never met.
Although he was too nerdy and shy to know it, Kai’s face was handsome with its Asian-Caucasian features, but he was too short and skinny to be considered attractive. Not that it made any difference, since most social interaction took place in VR anyway, and there he could take any shape he wanted.
Kai wasn’t actually his real name but a nickname given to him by his parents at birth. It was a Thai tradition he had never really understood but, he didn’t mind it, since his real name was Kelvin Suksan, who sounded like a total dork to his ears. Kai was nice. It could have been a Viking name and it fitted the characters he liked to play in VR. He just needed to keep his mouth shut about what his name meant.
Translated from Thai, it meant “chicken”. He would never understand why his parents had chosen that name, but he showed them respect by wearing it. Apparently, it was considered completely fine in Thailand. However, after being mocked mercilessly in high school when his classmates found out the meaning, he usually said it meant “warrior” when someone asked. He liked the nod of appreciation that appeared on people’s faces when he told them, and no one ever bothered to look it up.
Of course, Hana, his manager, was neither blind nor stupid when she hired him. She had looked him up and down, a condescending smirk on her face, then said: “You’ll do.”
She’d been proved right. Most patrons either didn’t notice or didn’t care that he was different.
But they noticed when he was doing a crappy job, like today. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t focus. He was too nervous because of the email he was expecting. The email that was supposed to change his life.
He forced himself to snap out of his daydreams and brought the patrons their drinks. Walking away from the table, he glanced at the artful clock on the wall, which resembled a setting sun.
Oh God… it was only 1 p.m. This day was going to take forever!
***
Miraculously, he managed not to get fired, although he could tell that Hana was toying with the thought in her head, judging by the icy, displeased looks she had given him all day.
Whenever he had had a short break, he’d peeked at his mobile device, hoping it would show him the email he was waiting for, but instead all he had gotten today was a stupid newsletter from a virtual gym he would never visit that was trying to sell him protein drinks. It was driving him nuts that he still didn’t have an answer.
On his way back, Kai could hardly sit still on the train. He felt so anxious that he couldn’t focus on anything. He didn’t even notice that the system showed him the same ad as in the morning again. The one that had tried to recruit him for the Cyber Squad. Nor did he pay attention to the government announcement that was broadcast to everyone’s device every day at 10 p.m., informing them about the curfew.
“Stay inside. Stay safe!” a fatherly voice said in the ad, followed by a montage showing footage, numbers and statistics that warned of all the dangers that could befall an individual if they disrespected the authorities’ orders. Crime, sickness, germs and many more dangers were lurking outside, particularly at night. Why more at night than during the day, no one asked, of course. Over time, most people had become accustomed to staying inside and were perfectly happy with this lifestyle. Some claimed it was a tool for control, but Kai didn’t waste much thought on such theories. He preferred to stay inside anyway. After all, the dull gray outside world that smelled of routine and obligations couldn’t compete with VR.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the train reached his station and he exited, tired and frustrated.
It was 9:45 p.m. and dark when he left the brightly illuminated building. He quickly made his way through the desolate canyons formed by the massive tenements looming everywhere in the dark, starless sky. When Kai had first moved here after college, he had gotten lost a couple of times. Now his legs walked him home on auto-pilot even if he was distracted, such as today.
An unpleasant wind was blowing in his face, promising more rain, when he arrived at his building. It was only when he entered the main hall that he remembered about the elevator. A vague hope spread inside him that it might have been fixed during the day. After all, he had been gone for twelve hours. That should have been enough time, right?
Of course, it wasn’t fixed.
Kai sighed.
It’s only temporary, he told himself over and over again while ascending the stairs. When he finally arrived upstairs he was soaked in sweat and his heart was racing. The lights in the hall leading to his apartment were even more temperamental than they had been in the morning and flickered like in a horror movie, but at least the security door worked. He would never forget that night a bit over a year ago he had had to spend on the staircase after the door had malfunctioned and wouldn’t let him pass.
The familiar odor of eggs and wet socks greeted him when he dragged himself down the hall and finally entered the apartment.
Loud neo-punk music came from the kitchen as well as giggles. Caprice and Lizzy occupied the tiny space, cooking and making out. It seemed miraculous to Kai tha
t the place hadn’t burned down yet. Maybe it would one day. His other two roommates were at home, too. He could hear Carol on the phone in her room and the smell of weed coming from Jax’s room. Kai was the only one in the household with a job and ambitions. The other four lived off their parents and the universal income the government provided.
Theoretically, no one needed to work if they didn’t expect much from their lives. But Kai did. He knew exactly what he wanted.
“Good evening, Kai,” Alessia said when he entered his room and threw his bag on the chair at his desk. “I hope you had a pleasant day.”
“Another day in paradise,” Kai answered sardonically, wondering if there was some hot water left for him. The back of his t-shirt was moist with sweat, and he could smell that his deodorant had given up on its job during his ascent to the 18th floor.
“I’m happy to hear that,” the AI answered, and, as so often, Kai couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not. Sometimes he was sure she was mocking him, but according to the developers this was impossible.
“You have mail, Kai,” Alessia continued after a second, and he jerked his head as if someone had electrocuted him.
“From whom?”
“I think it’s the email you’ve been waiting for. Would you like me to read it to you?”
But Kai had already pulled his mobile device from the pocket and was staring at it. The email must have arrived during his climb up the stairs. Waves of cold and heat hit his exhausted body, pumping it with adrenaline, as he stared at the sender’s name and email address.
This was it. This was what he had been waiting for. A mixture of excitement, anticipation and anxiety filled him as he opened the email with shaky fingers.
Kai had to sit down after reading it.
Chapter Five
“Come on, man,” Stan said, kicking dirt with his feet, which spread in the air with a perfect particle effect. “Stop being such a bore! You can’t hide forever!”
Kai looked up and shot his friend an irritated glance. “Thanks for your understanding. You’re a true sweetheart.”
He turned his attention back to the blacksmith crafting station and continued forging the sword he was working on. It would be a pretty shitty sword, but it didn’t matter. Once finished, he would melt it down again and start over anyway.
He and Stan were in the courtyard of his castle, high up in the mountains. Sun shone on their perfect bodies and a pleasant breeze blew the scent of mountain flowers to their noses while the eagle circling high above them in the azure sky let out a characteristic shriek.
Stan was wearing his favorite avatar again, the stunningly exotic-looking Dark Elf girl with the slender body and glowing eyes. He balanced on the battlement, ignoring that it dropped down more than 300 feet only inches from his heels, then jumped from merlon to merlon light-footedly. His Thief character class came with a boost of +25 to light-footedness, which allowed him to pull off all kinds of acrobatic poses.
“I mean, yeah, I know it sucks, mate,” he said with his deep voice and Aussie accent that didn’t fit the body at all. “But you have to look at the bright side.”
“And that would be?” Kai asked, slamming the hammer down on the forge in frustration, his exaggerated muscles gleaming in the sunlight.
“Well, you have more time to play TSOTA.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed. “Seriously?”
“Bloody heck, yeah. You even could become Emperor in a campaign. I’m sure the guild would support you, even Red.”
“A dream come true.”
The Elf rolled her oversized eyes, turned around and began jumping from merlon to merlon in the other direction. “Stop being such a crank!”
“It’s a hot day and you’re working hard,” came a soft, female voice from behind them. “Would you like me to bring you refreshments, my love?”
A young woman of stunning beauty had approached them from the castle. Her thick, flaxen hair was arranged into an artful braid that hung down below her waist. The blue gown she wore perfectly showcased her feminine curves and was of the same color as her bright eyes. An affectionate expression was displayed on her roundish face, which was covered in light freckles.
“No, thank you, Freya,” Kai said, not looking at the woman but stubbornly staring into the flames of his forge.
“As you wish, my love,” she answered, then slowly walked back to the house. Stan turned his head and followed the smooth movement of her hips with his eyes for a moment, then continued his acrobatic exercise. He wasn’t just doing it to pass the time. Every jump and pirouette he made advanced his acrobatic skill level. In a similar way, Kai’s mindless hammering and forging of cheap swords advanced his crafting and stamina skills.
“You know, I’ll always be jealous that you got that sheila[7]. She’s so much hotter than mine,” Stan said as the NPC disappeared inside through the heavy wooden door.
Every player could court and marry an NPC if they wanted. The AI generated non-player characters would move into a player’s house and take care of their needs. NPCs of both sexes were available in all racial and character classes the game had to offer. Most players had a virtual spouse that would cook for them and tell them how amazing and heroic they were. However, the game wouldn’t allow a player to hurt or abuse such NPCs.
Sex was off the table, too. The game didn’t permit any acts of a sexual nature, and the NPCs and player characters alike didn’t even have genitals. More precisely, it wasn’t possible to undress them further than down to their underwear.
“Almost like in a real marriage,” Stan used to joke about the sexless life in the game.
Stan was around forty in real life and had apparently been married until his wife had dumped him for another man with more drive and a better income. He had spent most of his time in VR ever since.
Although The Scrolls of the Ancients did not allow sexual acts between players or with NPCs, there were, of course, countless games and virtual worlds that did. In fact, it was how most young people had sex nowadays. VR intercourse was safe and allowed people to live out any kind of fantasy or fetish imaginable. The flesh was virtual, yet the arousal players experienced was very real.
Kai ignored his friend’s lecherous comments about his virtual wife and kept hammering, as if draining his avatar’s muscles of energy could change anything.
“Come on, Kai,” the Dark Elf said after a moment had passed. “You can’t hide forever. We need you on the trial. You’re one of the best, and you know it. Apparently, the Blade of Oblivion drops at the final boss. You always wanted that one, didn’t you?”
Kai stopped his work and sighed.
His friend was right. He couldn’t hide forever. Killing time wouldn’t ease his frustration. Quite the contrary.
The email had not been what he had been expecting and hoping for.
Two weeks ago he had applied for the NightStalk e-sports team for the third time and had now been rejected. Even though he had beaten all other players who had applied. He had been the best by far. It was completely incomprehensible why he had been rejected.
Dear Kai, the email had said. Thank you so much for applying for the NightStalk e-sports team. We appreciate your interest and enthusiasm. However, even though you scored exceptionally, we regret that, at this time, we can’t offer you a slot in the team. Your profile is not quite what we need. We encourage you to apply next year, however… blah blah blah, yadda yadda, sincerely, Mr. Prick.
The message had crushed Kai. He had been training for months. All his hopes for a better life had been resting on being accepted into a high-class e-sports team. NightStalk was one of the most popular MMO shooters in the world. Its top players had become rich and lived in huge mansions. But even the lower ranks of professional players earned a very decent amount. More in a month than what Kai earned in a year at Fuji, provided Hana didn’t fire him. Thankfully, he had been off for the last two days or she would have fired him for sure, as depressed and demotivated as he was.
&nbs
p; On the other side, why would he even bother anymore? Maybe he should simply spend his time in VR. There were enough free-to-play games out there that he could play without having an income.
“Come on!” Stan was persistent. “The trial starts in ten minutes. They’re holding a spot for you and I won’t leave until you come with me.”
Kai smiled. “You’re a pain in the ass.”
The Elf jumped from the battlement and approached him, a wide grin on her face. “That’s my middle name. Now grab your armor and let’s go!”
***
Five minutes later, they joined the others in the lobby of the event. Ten other players were already there, waiting. All of them were members of the guild, including Cloud69, Serene559, LifeSupportForYou2, and, of course, Red. They all were wearing different avatars than at the battle for Castle Black Rock a few days earlier. The campaign had been PvP[8] and required completely different skills, specifications and equipment than a trial, which was PvE.[9] Red’s character was a massive Orc covered in heavy armor. As always for such an event, he would be one of the two tanks.
Cloudgirl had chosen a stunningly beautiful DPS[10] sorceress with flaming-red hair, and Serene was a Rogue-class archer. Life would be one of the two healers required for a trial, of course, since she was the best healer the guild had to offer. Stan had changed from his beloved Dark Elf into a Warrior-class damage dealer. He was one of those players who always chose female characters, but unlike his Elf, this one wasn’t pretty to look at. She was bulkier than a bodybuilding champion, and the heavy armor completely covering her frame left her feminine curves to the imagination. A massive two-handed sword was strapped to her back.
Kai had chosen a DPS of the Paladin class. His tall and graceful knight was equipped with sword and shield and was an excellent damage dealer, yet not squishy. He could take more damage than most DPSs and was therefore almost like an extra off-tank. Long blond hair stuck out from under his helmet, and his eyes shimmered cold-fire blue.
Cyber Squad - Level 1: A Gamelit/LitRPG Lite Cyberpunk Adventure Page 4
