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Initiating Character Creation…

It all began with a tiny unborn child as it floated serenely in the blue-green amniotic fluid. Robotic arms hung from the top of the machine with waiting tools. The view changed, shifting outward from the embryo, and the room became visible for the first time. It was circular in shape and clinically white. Tubes filled with the same amniotic liquid lined the walls. Visible beneath him—through a thick pane of glass—were thousands more cylinders like his.

Finally, a display slid into view. The simple user interface was an opaque white box containing a symbol for each gender. Charlie reached forward touching the male symbol. A mix of preset genetic bodies appeared on the screen containing Asian, African, Arabic, Chinese, Eastern European, Western European, Indian, then a few mixed types. He decided on a tall blond Eastern European. Next, he began to customize the preset character. As he worked the arms within the tube moved. Little injectors slid into the embryo to make said changes. The face narrowed with a straight, proud chin. His angular nose had a slight hook to it which pointed to a pair of thin upturned lips. Charlie gave the character short dirty blond hair, and changed the pupils to brown with flecks of green and gray in them. The man ended up looking quite similar to himself, only younger, and without the imperfections of real life.

At the bottom of the screen he hit accept, then confirmed his decision and waited. The body of the infant began to grow. Bubbles filled the cylinder as the child aged. Arms and legs lengthened as hair grew from the boy's scalp. Soon it was a juvenile adult and its brown eyes opened. Though its expression was blank the boy smiled dimpling cute cheeks. More windows appeared on the console.

"Please select your character stats. These will never increase, so you must decide carefully how to distribute them. Later you may return here to reset your stats for a heavy credit cost. You have five points." The terminal audibly said. Three categories appeared below this. The console spoke as he touched the first word, "Strength determines carrying capacity, and helps with recoil control. Agility affects your movement speed. Endurance determines your stamina pool and adds extra health."

Each stat started at one point. The most he could put into any category was three points bringing it to a maximum of four. He spent about a minute toying with the sliders because it was so hard to decide. Charlie was only allowed one character, so it was important to be happy with his decision. He tapped the side of the terminal with a finger. He was going to have to sacrifice somewhere. Two points into strength would leave him with below average carrying capacity. That seemed low but fine. Mostly he struggled with what to put his agility at. Moving quickly seemed important, and maxing it was an obvious choice. However, being fast wouldn't do him any good if his stamina was pathetic.

[Strength - ΦΦΟΟ]

[Agility - ΦΦΦΟ]

[Endurance - ΦΦΦΟ]

The character was somewhat average, but at least nothing was at one point. If he didn't start this game he'd be stuck here all day. Charlie hit the big accept button. Bubbles filled the cylinder again as his vision changed. It moved, diving forward into the growing teen. For a second all was black. A roaring sound was accompanied by the blue-green liquid rushing past his vision in the torrent. Quickly the container drained as the amniotic fluid was flushed below. The case opened exposing his naked body to the cold antiseptic air. He shivered before stepping out. The viscous fluid pooled at his bare feet as he looked around. The lab was empty except a white plastic table a few feet ahead of him. Heaps of carefully folded towels sat atop, and he grabbed one. The cold wasn't so bad after he finished drying himself off. It took about three of the large cloths to complete the process. He tossed these into a hamper next to the table. The white plastic surface served as an adequate mirror. Charlie bent, inspecting his young lean body in the reflection. His arms were a little thin but well defined. The distorted image flexed a bicep and grinned back at him. For certain this virtual avatar was in marginally better shape than his real world body.

He straightened and looked around for an exit. A closed door was the only entrance into the circular room. Before leaving he wrapped a towel around his waist. Then he padded barefoot towards the exit. It slid open as he neared the door. Charlie stepped inside noticing the lockers on either side. A boy wearing a gray military uniform waited within. He had dark hair and red colored eyes.

"Welcome to Gun Meister Online. Is this your first time playing?" The boy asked cheerfully. The person didn't seem phased by Charlie's near nudity.

"Yes," Charlie said sniffing. There was a locker room odor like the age old aroma of sweat and laundered clothes.

"You must have many questions," The young man responded and Charlie nodded. He shifted his weight and just barely grabbed the towel before it fell off.

"There are a veritable plethora of virtual games. Some fantasy, others modern or futuristic fiction. In these, your character will level struggling to gain power and abilities. Not so with Gun Meister. Here your avatar doesn't grow, you do." The boy said magnanimously. Charlie was left a little confused by this. "We strive for a realistic experience. There are no levels, no stat increases, no legendary items, in fact, there is no inventory system at all. We have eliminated the entire user interface." The boy said with a large smile. When Charlie didn't respond he continued.

"In order to access the system menu touch the side of your temple with two fingers." The boy said demonstrating. He pressed the index and middle fingers to the side of his head. Charlie followed his example. A small window popped up before his vision. Listed within the box was Options, Help, and Logout. When he didn't touch anything the popup closed.

"How do I get dressed?" Charlie asked.

"The lockers you see contain uniforms of various sizes. I suggest you try a middle one with your build." The boy said pointing to a locker on the right side. Inside was a pair of black boxers, a set of gray slacks, and a matching military tunic. Underneath the clothes were a pair of socks and combat boots. Charlie took a minute to put these on and felt better fully dressed. The boy remained where he was passively smiling.

"As you just saw everything must be worn. Guns, equipment, and even ammo will be carried into battle. Winning matches, killing enemies, and surviving will earn you money. You can purchase most items in the game with the exception of weapons." His guide said in a rehearsed voice.

"We can't buy guns?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"Gun Meister Online uses a new dynamic NPC system. Every gun in the game is a non-player-character." He said, but Charlie looked at him in total confusion. The boy nodded in sympathy and added, "It will be easier just to show you what I mean." He turned moving down the locker room, and guided him through the next doorway.

The walls were a glossy white, and hanging in glass frames were dozens of weapon diagrams. Several circular tables were set up around the chamber, the middle one being the largest. Each was made of the same futuristic material. Pistols nestled neatly in clear stands at the edges. A lot of them. So many pistols he couldn't count them all. A soft blue lighting was recessed into the tables, which set off the guns like cars at a show. He’d gone directly from an empty cloning lab to a locker room, and now into an armory. It was like being popped out of the womb and handed running shoes. Charlie was left a little disoriented.

"These weapons have volunteered to be here. You may pick one pistol to use. Later if you are unsatisfied with the gun you may seek another." The boy said from nearby.

Charlie approached the central table. He eyed the weapons like a kid in a candy store. Black semi-autos sat next to sleek chrome revolvers. There were pistols of every description and none were set in a discernible order. He started to orbit the table feeling very overwhelmed. Not every plastic stand was filled. A few were empty making him wonder what had been there before. Charlie didn't know anything about firearms. All he knew was what he saw in movies and TV shows. Finally, he stopped before a small group of pistols. When he did the middle of the table blossomed with light. A holo-image of a woman appeared floating above the table. She was beautiful; no gorgeous was the only word for it. She had long blond hair and the bluest eyes he ever saw, but it was her breasts he was looking at. They were big, juicy, and succulent. He stared for a minute at the woman in the display.

Before Charlie cradled in a clear plastic stand was a pistol. He reached down and picked up the semi-automatic. As he did, a female voice squealed with sheer joy. It was as if someone had spoken directly into his ear drum, and she sounded so happy. The image hanging over the table vanished after a few seconds.

The pistol was surprisingly heavy in his hand. It was a weapon of war with a solid reassuring weight. He lifted it, turning the gun to inspect it in the blue light. Along the side it read ‘Colt Government Model - 1911’ followed by .45 caliber. After this, there was a stylized picture of a horse.

"Do you accept the gun?" The boy asked. He couldn't very well put the pistol down after getting her hopes up.

"Yes," Charlie said turning away from the table. The red eyed child had a look in his eye, and a knowing grin. Charlie flushed in response.

"Go with the pistol into the next room. She'll take over your instruction. There is much to learn still, so trust in your weapon." The boy said pointing to a final door. This one was more normal than the previous ones. They had slid open at his approach like some futuristic science fiction movie. This final door had a handle and swung outward. Charlie paused looking back at all the pistols. The boy smiled, nodded to him, and turned to go back into the locker room. Charlie pushed open the door and entered. The shag carpet was a bright cheerful creamy orange. A king sized bed took up almost the entire room and sultry jazz music played in the background.

"What the hell?" He thought to himself. Why was he in a bedroom strait out of a cheesy porno?

"Thank you for picking me," A female voice said next to his ear. The pistol within his grasp began to glow yellow. The light grew in intensity until there was a flash and a blond goddess was standing before him. The woman wore only a black bikini swimsuit. She was an inch taller than him with long supple legs. Blond hair fell over her chest in a cascading waterfall of gold. Her brilliant blue eyes danced, as she in turned scrutinized him. She was easily the most beautiful woman Charlie had ever laid eyes on, but he was biased. He had a thing for tall blonds.

"Wow," he said not knowing what else to say. She smiled at this and turned around slowly for his inspection.

"What's your name?" She asked in a sweet honey and sugar voice.

"Charlie," he said before a question popped into his head. The system hadn't bothered with a name before. Was this a part of his character creation? "It didn't ask me for one," He said feeling a little confused.

"The system generates a unique ID for every player, so you can call yourself anything you like. If you want to go by a specific handle that can be registered later." She replied almost expecting the question.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"I don't have one, only an object ID just like you. Would you like to give me one?" She asked and he considered that. His very first gun and he even got to name her too. Frankly, he was a little flustered by her beauty.

"Can we wait on the name?" He asked feeling dizzy.

"I don't mind. You can change it later." She said tilting her head.

"I want to think of a good one," he replied and she made a small ‘hmmm' sound. The noise wasn't quite disapproving, but she crossed both arms under her breasts.

"Are you really an NPC?" He asked.

"Curious cat aren't you. Worried I'm secretly a human?" She asked him instead.

"It's just, you are so life like." He replied and the girl giggled in response. She removed an arm from her chest and touched her chin considering him. Was she measuring his eagerness?

"There are currently one hundred thirty-eight databases. Some are physical responses, others spoken, more are esoteric information. I access these and pick a dozen or so things from the options. My personality causes those responses to be weighted in a particular way. There's also my unique database. All of my experiences are stored here so that I continue to grow." She said straightening, and her chest bounced with the movement.

"How do you pick an option if two are equally weighted?" He asked and she put a hand to her face in surprise.

"Awww, that so cute," she said her voice a kitten's purr. Reaching forward she caressed his face with a soft skinned hand then added, "You are curious about me." Despite his age he flushed from the contact and she smiled.

"Shall we begin?" She asked.

"Begin?" He asked swallowing hard.

"The contract needs to be fulfilled," she said sweetly while moving toward the bed. The girl turned to face him, and her blond hair fell partially over her chest. "I'm really happy you asked about me. Please let me be your weapon." She said and once more he glanced at her body.

"What do I need to do?" He asked.

Instead of saying anything she reached behind her neck and pulled on the string. Her top fell to the floor, and he gulped as blood rushed away from his brains. Glorious gods above. Never before had he seen such a perfect pair of breasts. They were beautiful melon sized gumdrops with perky quarter-sized nipples. All the gears within his mind ground to an immediate halt as his groin leaped to attention. Charlie barely noticed the bikini bottom falling away from her hips. She sat naked on the bed and beckoned him closer. Like a man on a leash, he stepped toward her.

She unzipped him pushing his trousers down his legs. That was all it took. Charlie dragged his shirt over his head and tossed it to the ground. She laid back on the mattress, and her golden hair made a halo around her head. Kicking his shoes free he mounted the bed. He regretted not giving her a name; though he still couldn't think of one. There was a metallic smell to her skin, which was enhanced by the scent of banana. She pulled on Charlie dragging him closer. Their mouths touched, lips pressing together, and their tongues wrestled. She tasted sweet like cotton candy.

"Make me yours," she begged pulling him between her legs. The bell of his cock prodded open the entrance to her sex. It was hot, and something inside clamped down on his erection. As he plunged fully inside she gasped, crying out in ecstasy. Her arms and legs wrapped around his body keeping him from exiting. He didn't notice a collar circle her neck which started off a clear plastic. The longer he made love to her the darker it grew until it was completely black. Numbers began to glow on the band a faint yellow. It was his unique ID. All of this went on without his knowing. He was busy sucking on those incredible breasts. It was about ten minutes later when he finished. Charlie wasn't as young as he used to be, nor as practiced. She though was smiling as he withdrew.

"Please make good use of me," she said moving to the edge of the bed. Gathering her bikini she began to dress by first tying her bottom back on. Charlie followed her example still rather dazed by the experience.

"Just so you know. Our contract has to be reaffirmed once a month." Her gaze lingered on his naked ass. He was turned away trying to pull on his boxers but stopped to look at her. "I'd prefer daily though," she said reaching out a hand a caressing him. So that was why he'd gone through so many hoops. The game had been rated mature and required his social security number before he could finalize his account. At the time he'd assumed it was because of the violence.

“I think I’d enjoy that too, but what happens if we don't?" Charlie asked with interest. There was bound to be people that stopped playing the game. Either because of money or loss of interest. She touched her neck lightly fingering the black collar. It was only now he noticed it.

"This will start to fade. When it becomes clear it will fall off. Afterward, a weapon may pick a new Meister to serve." She said tracing the numbers on the collar. His numbers.

"Am I your first Meister?" He asked. She smirked at him with a sly and lustful look in her eye.

"You are, Charlie. I was created two months ago." She admitted still giving him another long look. Charlie had popped her cherry. What man didn’t get a rush from that?

"Have you been sitting in that room for two months?" He asked. She laughed at the question and covered her mouth as she giggled.

"No, we unregistered pistols took shifts. There's an apartment complex for guns that don't have owners. We are pampered like royalty. I made many friends while I waited for a Meister. It is good for growing our personalities." She said standing and putting a hand on her hip.

"What happens now?" He asked not quite hiding the glance at the bed. The sheets were tangled and rumpled from their lovemaking.

"You have some options at this point. We could reaffirm the contract." She said stepping towards him. Her fingers brushed his face again and he caught her wrist. Even virtually it was a little too soon for a second round. In response to this, she stuck the tip of her tongue out and puffed her cheeks.

"Later," he said and she sighed.

"Weapons training would be the next step. We'll need to go shopping for a holster and ammunition as well." She said stepping away from him.

"I don't have any money.”

She shook her head and said, "The credit account is attached to your ID. Any money is drawn and deposited to this automatically, so you don't have to carry around wads of bills."

"Whatever you think is best," he said. The blond gave a last long look at the disheveled bed before turning away. Sex apparently was an intense interest to her personality. "Do you feel pleasure?" He asked following after her. Her hips swayed back and forth dangerously as she walked.

"Of course, I receive the same sensation signals you do. The information gets stored in my database. Much of it is placed in short term memory." She said still walking forward. Her blue eyes flashed with an inner light when she glanced back over her shoulder. Charlie followed as she exited the suite. The strange bedroom opened onto a balcony overlooking the lobby. Dozens of players were moving around. Women in skimpy black bathing suits were following men in gray out of the glass doors. He wasn't the only Meister to be gaining a contracted weapon today. There were male guns as well which surprised him. A massive African American was following a tiny anime doll through the lobby. His leg and back muscles rippled in the sunlight. The black speedo he wore was, in Charlie's opinion, way too revealing. He stared at the two in amazement.

His companion noticed the pair and said, "Ahh, Philip found a Meister."

"You know him?" Charlie asked watching them leave the lobby. The girl was ridiculously tiny next to that massive ebony skinned Olympian. She was a few inches over four feet tall with teal hair and a childishly flat chest. The weapon, by comparison, was over six and a half feet tall with arms like a tree trunk.

"He's been there for six months. Not many people can handle the .500 Magnum in combat." She said leaning over the balcony. So the gun had a name, probably one given to him by a previous Meister.

"Do you think that girl can do it?" He asked still watching them through the large glass front. They were moving away towards the street.

"She has a small body which indicates a weak strength score. Either she's in it for the sex or she's planned a loadout she wants. I hope it's an experienced player starting a new character." She said turning toward a set of stairs. Charlie followed in her wake.

"Loadout?" he asked curiously.

"Even with max strength, you can only carry so many guns. Most people go into combat with three weapons. A primary gun and one secondary. Two weapons that compliment each other along with a sidearm. That usually leaves enough weight for armor, magazines, and grenades." The girl said walking forward with those swaying hips.

"Did I screw up by only having two strength?" He asked and she glanced back at him. She eyed his thin but muscled arms. The Character Creator had said he could reset his stats, but he hoped he didn’t have too.

"It depends on how you play. It isn't bad. One point will still let you carry two weapons. They'll be light guns with limited ammo, but you can still do it." The girl said moving down into the lobby. They followed a couple out of the doors. It was almost the opposite of the previous pair he'd seen. The Japanese girl was short with jet black hair and black eyes. Though small she still managed to fill the swimsuit well. The Meister was a massive muscular Asian with a surprisingly boyish face. If strength determined his size the man was maxed out. He walked next to her in a bulging gray tunic and pants. Charlie was starting to feel uncommonly average. Everyone was either a giant or ultra slim and short.

"Two weapons," he thought. That would mean two women, and that in turn meant even more sex.

"You're thinking about it, aren't you." The girl said and he coughed. "No," he answered quickly and she laughed. "You are, boys always do." She said humor coloring her words. The girl didn't seem bothered by the notion of sharing as she continued to tease him. "I hope you have the stamina to keep us all registered." She said coquettishly.

"Where do we go to train?" He asked trying desperately to change the subject. Her blue eyes rolled at his evasion though she lifted a hand. With a finger she pointed to a large shopping center two blocks down. The massive medley of people was generally headed in that direction. He was surprised by the number of players. This wasn't Nigmus Online or one of the other big name MMO’s. Still there were enough people to fill a busy street. His companion strolled along next to him completely unconcerned, or maybe she was just used to the sight.

They came to a giant mall and entered through the front entrance. A large food court took up most of the lobby. A central hall led deeper inside, and stores signs on either side indicated the wares for sale. They walked into the first one. Holsters of every description filled the first section. Charlie followed his companion past shelves of magazines, clips, and shot bandoleers. The amount of upgrades he could buy was mind boggling. He passed night sights, red dots, lasers, rubber grips, compensator's, silencers, and upgraded triggers. Charlie had no idea what most of the items did but there were lots to choose from. Finally, they came to a counter near the back of the store. Behind the bar an old grizzled man sat. Beyond him, a glass window showed people firing weapons. Charlie barely heard them like distant firecrackers.

"I need a lane and a box of ammo. He'll need some eyes and ears too." The girl said pointing back at Charlie. A white cardboard box, a pair of ear plugs, and a set of plastic glasses were set on the counter.

"Put your hand on the terminal," the man said gesturing to the display. It was facing Charlie and he rested his palm on the flat screen. An ID number flashed on the screen followed by a thousand credit balance. The ammo and range time would cost twenty-five credits bringing him down to 975c. He pressed ‘yes' to the charge. "Lane two is open," the clerk said gesturing to the door on the right.

Charlie put the glasses on and went inside. Eight or so players were firing weapons up and down the line. He passed by people shooting rifles, pistols, and tight little sub-machine guns. None even glanced at him as he walked past.

"There is a lot of people here," Charlie shouted looking around.

"Not really, there's a more interactive range in the competition hall. This is just a place to test out weapon upgrades." His companion said and set the white box on the shooting bench.

"I'm going to tell you the rules for handling a gun. If you don't want to look like a dumb-ass I suggest you follow them. Accidentally shooting a teammate will cost you money and reputation." He nodded at this. Her face had turned serious, deadly serious as she talked.

"First, the gun is always loaded. You treat me like I'm ready to fire at all times." She said and he nodded again quickly.

"Second, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. I will remind you gently at first, then with increasingly strong words. Most accidents happen because people have terrible trigger discipline." She said holding up a hand with two fingers.

"Third, don't point the gun at anything you don't want killed. That includes that precious piece of equipment between your legs." She said and he laughed. She didn't and he swallowed, then nodded.

"Fourth, know your target. Don't shoot at shadows, it could be a teammate. I already mentioned what will happen then." She said holding up a fourth finger. "Inspect me before you start," she said and closed her eyes. Her white skin started to glow and Charlie had to look away. There was a flash and a pistol was laying on the bench. He stepped forward and picked up the gun. He was reminded again of how deadly it looked, like a weapon of war. Charlie turned the 1911 over in his hands feeling the weight of it as it rested in his palm.

"Your finger is on my trigger," she said next to his ear and he started at the sound. Just great, he'd already fucked up. It was so easy to just put it in there like it belonged. "Keep it straight out along the side of the frame." She added after a second. When he complied she continued in a more friendly voice. "On the left side is the magazine release."

He tilted the weapon seeing a round nub next to the trigger guard. This he pushed with his thumb and an empty box slid free from the bottom of the gun. Opening the cardboard box revealed two plastic racks of ammo with a hundred rounds in total. Charlie picked up and held one in his palm admiring the size of the fat cartridge, then slid the first bullet in. He continued to load until he'd managed to squeeze in seven. That didn't seem like very many but they were big rounds. Slowly he pushed the boxy thing back into the grip. It slid home with a satisfying click.

"In order to fire you need to charge me. Remove the manual safety then rack the slide." She said in his ear. He followed her instruction a little awkwardly. Using his thumb he flicked the manual safety catch down then grabbed the slide and pulled back. There was a flash of brass before a bullet was pushed into the chamber.

"Aim at the target with the top of the sights. Keep the middle post equal with the others." She said and he pulled the trigger. The pistol jerked in his hands as the 1911 barked loudly. Three meters down range he completely missed the target.

"Squeeze my trigger gently or I might be rough with you later tonight," she admonished him. He blushed despite the tone she used on him. Charlie aimed, really aimed at the target now. When the gun fired a hole appeared in the silhouette below and to the left of center. He smiled, pleased with his effort.

"Keep at it, ammo is cheap so fire until it's all gone." She said and Charlie did. For the next thirty minutes, he kept on shooting at the target. He felt quite proud of himself for hitting it most of the time. Towards the end, he barely noticed the weight of the pistol in his hands. When the last bullet was fired the slide locked back, and he stood there smelling the gunpowder in the air. Players around him were still shooting in their own lanes.

"Done?" She asked.

"Yes," he said and the gun began to glow. She appeared next to him and glanced down range. Her expression was suspiciously neutral when she looked back at him.

"Good job," she lied and he too glanced at the target. It was filled with holes, enough to make it look like swiss cheese. To him, it looked dead as a doornail and he mentally shrugged.

"I kinda have to pee," he admitted.

"Then you should logout. The system will let through body signals. You'll know it when you are hungry or tired." She said and he quickly glanced around.

"What do I do?" he asked.

"For now let's go out to the store then find a seat and log out. Your body won't disappear when you exit. Soon you'll need to consider where to live but that's for later." She said and they left the range. Charlie returned the ear plugs and shooting glasses. They found a seat and he touched his temple with two fingers. The pop-up appeared and he quickly pressed the logout button.