Chapter 3

The System pushed forward a single sheet of paper, covered in dense, illegible golden writing that didn't contrast well with the slightly yellow paper, at all.

“First off, there's no time limit in here, so if you want to take some time to think about things and ask questions this will be a unique opportunity to do so. Once you're out there, you're out there. Understand?” he asked, and Ben nodded his head, his back straight and his face carefully schooled into an “I want this job” expression, the same one he'd used in his last interview about six months ago.

“I understand, and thank you for the opportunity,” Ben said, and The System looked up from the papers he was organizing and chuckled.

“Keep the attitude up, it'll take you far. That sheet I've given you is a waiver and will allow me to convert certain problematic elements of your induction into hidden benefits, which are in addition and on top of what will be provided to you through the New Game Plus protocol.”

“Two questions. First, what will I be giving up, and second, doesn't New Game Plus imply that I've already beaten this. . . is it appropriate to call it a game?”

“Only in this room,” The System said dryly, “it's soberingly real outside, I can assure you of that. As for your first question, it's extremely complicated.”

Ben noticed that The System had dodged the question, but in a job interview, he would have politely chased down the answer. After all, if the interviewer was trying to hide facts about the position, that implied that the job wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It's worth noting that Ben is in an extremely stressful situation, and his options are either to freak out and panic, or just pretend this is all a job interview to get through it, and then freak out and panic.

“So, have I beaten this game before, System?”

“Your species has, yes. It was pre-reality, pre-consciousness. . . void, those were the days. I'm awake for every micro-second of my existence now. Back then, I'd just open my eyes every millennia and drift back into oblivion and infinite, unformed potential. But yes, Humans have beat the game, and were the first and only ones to do so. Does that answer your question?”

“Yes, thank you,” Ben said, his mind generating about a thousand more questions, and then quashing them, “in the game world, will there be more information available about this topic, or is this my only chance to learn about this?”

“That's a great question,” The System said, his demon eyes unfocusing for a split second, “there is now, I've added a few human exclusive dungeons scattered about that contain pieces of your complete history,” he said, then made a little mark on a sheet of paper, “I'm giving you some extra points for that, you're welcome. Now, you wanted to know what you were giving up?”

“Yes,” Ben said.

“As I said, it's complicated. Back at the dawn of the primordial age, the age before ours when I was created, there were rules and laws by which all operated. Since your species is from the Primordial Age, I am required to operate by those rules and laws when dealing with you. What you will be waiving are a set of rules which are fundamentally incompatible with reality as you know it. I cannot force you to sign, but if you do not, the second you leave this room, you will enter the void and your very consciousness will be extinguished; you will still be out there and for all outward appearances, you will be a conscious being. But you will not have a conscience, you will not experience pain or pleasure, or anything, because it will. . .”

“Be an empty shell animated by the void?” Ben said, somehow following the confusing threads to their conclusion. “So would it kinda be like the Vampires from Buffy, you know wears your face, has your memories, but no soul...”

“Yes, that is an apt, if inaccurate way to put it. If that is how you would like to proceed, then I will respect that decision.”

Ben gave it some thought, then signed the waiver.

“Dreams of the void,” The System said the phrase like how someone else might say 'Oh thank God', and suddenly relaxed, “thank you. There are a disturbing number of humans choosing to proceed as void-souls, and I can already tell they are just going to be absolute monsters. What happened to you people!” he exclaimed, standing up and pacing around the room, his hooves clacking against the condensed, beige cloud slabs, “your kind fought harder than anyone, died in endless numbers to escape the void, and now some of you are willingly going back? Madness.”

Then, abruptly, he lightly clacked a hoof against the floor and returned to his desk.

“That's enough messing around. As a Plus player, you are automatically granted the royal title of Prince, but have no authority, or land, or subjects, or anything except the System granted right to call yourself a prince, or a royal. You don't get the class unless you want it,” he said.

“You will also be able to form a larger than standard party, negate the experience sharing penalty when you are the party leader and finally you will have the passive skill “Spot Mimic”. There are some other fringe benefits, but those are the main three, mechanics-wise. There are some nice rewards for killing you however, above and beyond the rewards for non-royals. It's balanced,” The System explained, and Ben nodded, following along so far.

“In addition to the royal title, you have a substantially higher chance of encountering elite and rare monsters, which is probably what will kill you if I'm being totally blunt. Invest some time doing cardio Ben. You are going to be running away from things for a long time.”

“Ok, run away. I can do that.” Ben said, trying to just keep it together man, just keep it together!

“Additionally, a Plus player. . . this next part was difficult for me to balance, so feel free to chime in if you have a better suggestion. You have enhanced progression, and I'll leave it at that.”

“Lastly, I'm giving you three options, and these are the real game-changers, so choose wisely. These things are not available to anyone but Plus players, so think about it!” The System raised his voice at that last part, “You could live a prosperous life with any one of these boons, they are all extremely useful.”

“Ok, I'll do my best and take some time to consider each option,” Ben said, feeling more and more like a parrot with each passing second.

“Void, I wish they were all being as reasonable as you are. Three choices,” he said, and then, in front of Ben, were three things. Actually, now that he looked, four things.

The first was on the far left, a small hole in reality with blurry, purple edges. The second in the center, was a slim book with an eye painted on it. The third item was actually two items, the one on the left was, quite frankly, an ominous looking red and black pyramid that looked like it was directly from hell. The one on the far right was a little white ring that, if someone said “hey that looks like a halo”, anyone from Earth would be like “Oh yeah, it sure does.”

“That sort of looks like a halo,” Ben said, because it immediately drew his eye.

“Yes it does,” The System said, his voice and face somber. He steepled his red, clawed, devil hands and spoke, “that is the ring of sacrifice, and choosing it will result in your immediate death. However, choosing the halo, as you called it, will result in something incredible. You will have sacrificed yourself for the rest of your species, empowering them, giving everyone else a better chance at survival. Doors which were locked will miraculously open; the way out of a deadly trap may reveal itself; hidden treasures they may have missed will catch their attention; they may escape notice while hiding, where before they surely would have been seen; hardened hearts may grow soft, and allow an alliance where before there was only mutual destruction. For every person who chooses to sacrifice themselves for the whole, the better chance you will all have.

“Will you sacrifice yourself, right now, for mankind? Merely touch it, and you will die, right now.”

With reverent hands, The System slid the halo forward to prominence in front of Ben. It shone with soft light, the light love and sacrifice would give if it were a physical substance.

“Oh,” Ben said, and suddenly this wasn't a job interview anymore. His heart pounded in his chest, and he gulped, suddenly sweating.

“Take your time, Ben. Would you like to have a drink? From your memories, I can tell you are fond of a certain kind of beer?”

Ben's hands were shaking, and he shook his head.

“I-I can come to work without being visibly drunk,” he said, not really registering or choosing his words, because his mind was whirling and being torn in two directions.

“I know you can,” The System said, then handed him a glass of water that hadn't existed before that exact moment, “have some water then.” Ben took the glass gratefully and began to sip, the cool water making him realize his throat had gone dry, and that his body felt too hot.

“My parents, my coworker, my old friends from school, they're all in here too, right?”

“Any of them still living at the time of integration, yes. They're all here.”

“And,” Ben hiccuped, his whole body shaking badly, “and if I pick that thing up, it will help them? They'll have a better chance?”

“You won't have a chance at all. You'll be dead, but yes, they will. It will be like your. . . your love for others is acting as a guardian for the rest of mankind. Excuse the bit of poetry, but that's just how it is.”

“This isn't a trick, right? If I pick that thing up, you won't just clap your hands and be like, 'Got'chya! That was just a test?' I'll really be gone?”

“This isn't a trick. It's a gift you can give to everyone but yourself.”

“Fuck me, good luck everyone,” Ben said, shut his eyes, and reached his hand out, brushing the tips of his fingers against the terribly warm light. Except his fingers touched nothing.

He opened his eyes when he heard The System chuckling, looking at him with soft eyes, holding the halo away from him.

“Your Father, and your Mother. . . both of them, chose the same thing, but they made a deal, and I honor my deals. They knew what kind of man you are and asked that I take this terrible thing away from you, should you be, as they put it ‘too stupid’ to leave it well enough alone. I'll provide the benefit your life would have, it's only fair. Humans. . . what can you do?” he asked himself, shrugging, and watching Ben break down into tears.

“Oh, Mom,” he said, his heart burning with love, and grief and sorrow and joy, “Dad, you fucking idiots!” Ben pounded his fists on the table, and The System quickly cleared away his remaining choices, keeping him from touching any of them on accident.

“Would you. . .” The System asked, now feeling a little awkward, “would you like to see?”

“See what?” Ben asked, his voice raw and stupid sounding, the same way every person sounds when they are in the first few hours of mourning. Ben started wailing, his voice deep and hoarse, some still calm part of his mind able to rationally realize how ugly he sounded, but he just couldn't stop.

“When they chose, what they said to me, and what they wanted to say to you?”

“Yes!” Ben cried out, suddenly desperate to see them again, to hear their voices, to tell them not to do it. “Show me, I don't care about any of the other stuff, keep it, just show me!”

“Well, you're still getting your Plus package, I am a being of integrity,” The System said, sounding only a little put out by Ben trying to give up what would be one of his greatest advantages.

The wall behind The System became pure white for a moment, and Ben saw his mother, sitting in front of an identical desk, with an identical System devil across from her, the Ring of Sacrifice within her reach.

“If I pick this up, will it make Ben safer? Will his life be better?”

“Yes,” The System said to her, “and everyone else too.”

“That's nice, but I don't care about all of them as much as my son. Don't you dare let him touch this, do you hear me? I don't care if you're The System or The Devil himself, I will find a way to make you pay. Keep my little boy safe,” she said, then gave a hard sob, steeled her eyes and grabbed the halo with force. The light spread up her hands and she sighed, like what she was experiencing was pure relief, became painfully bright, then vanished. The System sat at his desk for a moment, then sighed a little sigh, before looking directly through the wall at his identical copy in front of Ben.

The scene changed, and then it was Ben's father who was sitting in the chair, his feet up on the desk, a grumpy expression on his face, the halo sitting haphazardly close to his feet.

“That's a hell of a thing to put in front of a parent, you know that? That's a hell of a thing to do to someone.”

“It's really not, only you humans seem to find any sort of appeal, and I'm required to offer the option to everyone. I can count on three hands the number of other individuals in other species who have ever picked the damn thing up, and I'm quite certain a couple of them did it on accident.”

“Hrrmph,” Ben's dad griped, “what a bunch of pussies they are. They're aliens, right? They have children too?”

“Yes?” The System replied, sounding a little confused.

“God, the universe sounds like a horrible place. What did Debora pick? No, I already know, don't tell me,” he said, then sighed, “Will Ben be given the same choice?”

“Everyone is given this option, yes,” The System said.

“Fuck that, he's too stupid for his own good. I know what he'll do too, the little shit. He's a great kid, you know? He's had a hard life, always struggling to get by, never asking anyone for help, you know? He just got this great job, he worked his ass off, showed all those assholes he was working with what he was made of!” Ben's Dad started to get fired up.

“He was going to go on vacation, going to the islands, all by himself, and he deserved it. I told him, I said 'Son, just go have a damn adventure,' and he just smiled and laughed and said he would. Give him a message for me, will you? Don't let him throw his life away for strangers, but that's not the message.”

Ben's father cleared his throat, his eyes only a little wet.

“Remind him of that old poem I used to read him as a kid, that one we used to love so much. God, those were the happiest days of my life,”

Then he cleared his throat again and started reciting;

“If. . .” he said the word like a prayer, then continued, “if you can keep your head, when all about you are losing theirs, and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait, and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don't deal in lies, or being hated, don't give way to hatred and yet, don't look too good, or talk too wise,

“If you can dream, and not make dreams your master; If you can think, and not make thoughts your aim,” he said, “If you can meet Triumph and Disaster, and greet those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken, twisted by knaves and turned into a trap for fools; Or watch the things you gave your life to broken. . . and stoop to build them up again with worn-out tools. . .” his was voice steady by only the barest of margins, “if. . .yes, only if, Ben. If.

“If you can make one heap of all your winnings, and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, and lose and start again at your beginnings, and never breathe a word about your loss.

“If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone, and keep going when there is nothing left in you, except the will which says to them hold on. Hold on!” he shouted, breathing hard, then whispered, “Hold on. . .

“If,” he said, almost unable to continue, his eyes closed.

“If you can talk with crowds, and keep your virtue; If you can walk with kings, nor lose the common touch. If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much. If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds distance run, and leave nothing behind. . .

“Then yours is The World, and everything in it. And what is more, you'll be a Man, my son.”

The System watched Ben's father with a steady expression.

“Tell him to have a damn adventure. Tell him I loved him so, so very much,” he said, and with a yell, exploded out of his chair and grabbed the halo with both hands. His body turned to light, and he was gone, and only silence remained of him.

Ben's tears stopped, his face wet, and the wall became a beige wall once more. The System coughed.

“As you can see, they very much wanted me to keep you from. . . well, I'm sure you understand. It all technically falls within the rules, as this sort of action on my part, preventing you from dying and turning things a bit to your advantage is part and parcel of what the Ring of Sacrifice provides for those left behind.”

Ben wasn't really listening.

“I need a moment,” Ben said, and shut his eyes, and tried his best to remember everything that was happening to him. He burned the memories into himself, dedicating everything he had to remember every single detail, every word, every breath.

When he opened his eyes, they blazed like a fire.

“All right, System. Please explain my options to me, again.”