“No! Put me back, D. I wanna go back. I wasn’t done yet, you have to put me back.”

“You obtained 3 silver coins, Julia. Congratulations, your task is complete.”

“No.” I stared at the beige cinder block wall in front of me, and it just sat there utterly remorseless in its refusal to morph back into my room at the inn. I had lost all my friends, I had lost Cate, I had lost everything. I’d held myself back because I was afraid of what would happen when the mission was over, and then made one stupid mistake and given myself a taste of something I could never have. The crushing unfairness of it all washed over me and I wanted to pull my weapons and vent my rage on the wall itself, until I beat through the prison and reached those responsible for putting me here. I wanted to throw myself onto my bed and sob. I wanted so many things and nothing at all. My head was a rollercoaster of emotions, and I focused on my breathing. Infinite moments passed, or maybe just seconds, but finally I snapped out of my fugue state and found my center. I locked my feelings into that secret vault I’d built in my head for things that just couldn’t be handled in the light of day, and managed to speak calmly.

“The people in the simulations, the D, are they real people?”

“You would have to define real people before I could answer that, Julia.”

“Do they have hopes and dreams and free will or are they just mindless scripts programmed to respond to my actions? I don’t care if their bodies are kept in a cell like mine or they’re just brains in a vat somewhere, are they real?”

“Your question implies you think a physical body is passing through the portals, Julia.”

“Duh, I’ve been through one a half dozen times so far.”

“Your conciousness has, a digital representation of your mind, or your soul if you prefer. The individuals you interact with in simulations are likewise digital representations. Players who fail a task have their memories wiped and a new history loaded before being released into the simulation. They are as real as you are.”

“Cate is real, and so are the rest. How do I get back there? WIll I ever see them again?”

“I am not authorized to provide that information at this time.”

“That’s a yes, isn’t it. If it was a flat no you would have just said so.”

“I am not authorized to provide that information at this time.”

“Damn you can be frustrating sometimes, the D.”

I flopped onto my own lonely bed and rolled over to take my accustomed place staring at the featureless ceiling. Another series of controlled breathing as I considered my options and alternatives before I felt confident moving forward.

“What’s something you can tell me, D? I need information and you’ve usually got at least some you can leak. What’s up?”

“There are some relevant points of interest that you should be apprised of. Your novel means of employment was much more efficient than the slow immersion and eventual aggregation of wealth most players have attempted. You have received 40,000 points for your performance.”

I nodded my head, that would be important later but even with his monotone delivery I felt like there was more to come from the AI. “What else?”

“You also received quite a viewership bonus. Metrics associated with what viewers tune in for are associated with rewards. This metric system has granted you an item based on your battle at the villa, and an extensive amenity provided because of the stats associated with your tryst with the thief.”

I bristled at hearing my personal life described that way, and felt a rush of embarrassment that my every move had been broadcast on some alien version of the internet. The viewership points he’d mentioned in the beginning should have clued me in that was how this work, but in the rush of all that had happened I hadn’t realized until just now. I shut my eyes and tried to breath through the rush of mortification, then shrugged it off. There was no putting the genie back in the bottle now. I’d hated the metric system back in school, but maybe I got something cool from it now.

“What item did I get?”

An absolutely stunning katana dropped to the foot of my bed, and I sat up and examined it reverently. The hilt was ivory, or at least something the felt that way, and there was a maker’s mark I didn’t recognize in the blade. I slide the length out of its sheath and saw the wavering pattern of Damascus steel, which from memory didn’t seem to fit with the style. I held the blade up near my head and dropped a lock of my hair down towards the cutting edge, then watched in awe as it neatly split each individual hair in two from the force of gravity. This blade was a work of art and if it was as strong as the sharpness and the materials involved seemed to indicate, it was better than museum quality.

“Wow, I’m really going to need to learn how to use a sword.” I slid it carefully back into the sheath before looking back up at the ceiling. I knew the D wasn’t really located in the roof of my cell, but it made it easier to stay sane if I imagined him as just a guy in a headset, sitting in my attic. “Okay, how about the amenity?”

The wall of my cell next to my shower started to move, so I got up from the bed and headed in that direction to check out the new features. What I saw when I got there dropped my jaw, and I just stood there for a moment trying to process everything. A small alcove had opened up off of my bathroom, with tiny recesses in the wall filled with gas powered faux candles. The flickering light showed off a massive hot tub shaped like a heart but built from pink marble. If all that hadn’t been suggestive enough, there were two statues growing up from the rim of the tub. If the bust of the nude venus was shocking, with her wanton expression and hands framing her out thrust chest, the male bust was downright obscene. Hands locked behind his head and a blissful look upon his face, you could look right down the sculpted abs and see the life size but generous phallus thrusting up through the top of the water. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure but I was pretty sure the statue had been mounted that way so that it could be used for masturbation. Looking over to the female statue who was posing while staring down at the male’s member I decided that was definitely what it was for. I shook my head and walked back into the bedroom and flopped down onto my customary place.

“Someone has a very active imagination. The item seems useful though. What else should I know?”

“After successful completion of the third task, surviving players have progressed far enough that they are giving the following three pieces of information about the progression of the Game.”

“Lay it on me.”

“First item. Although the physics of the game closely mimic conditions of the natural world, selective adjustments relating to acceptable technology have been made. For example, if a player were to accrue salt-peter, nitrates, and charcoal in appropriate quantities and combine them, the result would be combustible but fail to have the explosive ignition of gunpowder. Do you understand this first item?”

“The game designers are fucking cheaters. Why am I not surprised?”

“A verbal acknowledgement is necessary to progress. Do you understand this first item?”

That sounded ominous, I narrowed my eyes at the ceiling, trying to figure out what all might be affected. “Is this selective adjustment restricted to explosives, or are other processes affected?”

“Other processes may be affected, at the discretion of the moderators. Do you understand this first item?”

“What in the hell is a moderator?”

“You are not permitted to access this information at this time. Do you understand this first item?”

“Can I get a list of all the processes that are affected?”

“Other processes may be affected, at the discretion of the moderators. Do you understand this first item?”

I understood that I might go insane if I heard his droning voice repeat that question just one more time. I had tons of questions, but it looked like I wasn’t going to get any answers. I sighed and nodded before the obvious hit me and I answered out loud. “I understand.”

“Second item. Persons transported through the portals other than players will be returned to their original locations when exiting through any other portal. Do you understand this second item?”

I didn’t answer at all this time, too busy considering possibilities. Maybe I could have brought Cate through the portals, although it would have been selfish to condemn her to a life stuck here in my cell. If she could pass through back and forth with me, well, that was a whole different story. It meant I could take on this fucked up Game with a team behind me, and that opened up a world of opportunities. Apparently the portals worked differently for players and regular people, and I suspected I wouldn’t truly appreciate those differences until I’d unlocked Story Mode, whatever the hell that was. Taking people in and out of the cells though, that meant that the world persisted even when we weren’t in the simulation. Patrick and Zeno and Cate and all the rest were still out there in Kantia. I could see them whenever I went back as long as I could travel through that world before I completed my task. When I made that connection I smiled for the first time since I’d been dumped back in my cell.

“I understand that one, and thanks, the D. It’s nice to get some good news for once.”

“Third item. Kills made by pets, purchased slaves, or other livestock will no longer count as kills performed by the player for the purpose of generating points. Similarly, sacrificing slaves purchased in game will no longer count, unless the slaves belong to another individual with whom you are in an adversarial relationship. Do you understand this third item?

I did, and really wished I did not. Not only was slavery as an institution alive and well in this world, which was disgusting but not a terribly big surprise, but even worse, assholes were abusing the system. I hadn’t even realized points were given for killing. I was mainly just doing it to survive. That a player, someone from my world, was sick enough in the head to not only purchase slaves, but apparently have them kill each other, and then kill the survivors just to amass more points in this stupid fucking game we were trapped in made me nauseous. I’d been a cop for years. I knew not everyone was a saint, but this was a fairly deep level of depravity. I gave a quick shudder, trying to work the dark thoughts out of my system before I responded.

“I understand, what’s next?”

“You have 7 hours and 42 minutes before you are required to begin your next task. You also have 40,000 points which you can spend on either items or amenities.”

I sighed then. Apparently we were done with earth shattering revelations, and back to the same old grind. I had a lot more experience with the simulated world now though, and it was time to do a little shopping.

“Alright, the D, still give me a warning if I chose something that’s an amenity rather than an item. What’s the price for jewelry?”

“Prices vary considerably, Julia. Can you be more specific in your request?”

“Umm, something with a gold setting, and precious stones. Not diamond, but ruby or emerald or something like that. Rings or earrings or cufflinks, something physically kind of small.”

“Items such as you have described range from 2 to 5 thousand points.”

“How much for gold coins, or just plain stamped gold bars?”

“Coinage and in game currency such as precious metal counts as an amenity.”

“But jewelry doesn’t?”

“At this time, jewelry does not.”

“I want two gold rings then, with precious stones, the largest available at the 2000 point price range.”

Both pieces of jewelry dropped onto my bed, and I scooped them into my coin pouch without bothering to look them over much. Most of my loot from the job hadn’t come into the cell with me when I fell through the portal, but now I had all kinds of start up capital for whatever task came next. I also had a really badass sword that I only kind of knew how to use. My next couple of purchases should deal with that. “How much for a shoulder harness where I could carry that sword on my back with a crossbody right hand draw? It should also have a place for and come with a whetstone and oil and all the stuff like that I’ll need for the blade.”

“A full set like you are describing would be 7000 points.”

“Okay, give me that then. If clothes are still 1000 points apiece I want 3 pairs of cotton socks, and are there any modern underwear that count as items?”

A leather belt thumped into the bed, followed by three pairs of hideous brown socks. I really should have specified a color. Before I could complain though, the AI answered my question.

“Elastic is not permitted, but other players have substituted bikini briefs with string ties on each side.”

“That is perfect, I’ll take five pairs in silk. One purple, one pink, a red, a black, and a floral print if it’s available.”

My new silk underwear fluttered into place at the foot of my bed, and I grinned at the thought of finally being fully dressed. I bought two more silk scarves to replace my linen bandeau, and when they arrived looked up at the ceiling.

“How many points do I have left?”

“19,000 points remain to be spent.”

As I considered what else I should buy, a random thought occured to me and I broke off my shopping to ask a question.

“Hey, the D. Is it possible to send a letter or some kind of message to people in the simulation from here in my cell?”

“That information is not available to you at this time.”

I was taking that as a yes, and a smile grew on my face. Even if I couldn’t get to Kantia in the next two tasks, it looked like there might be a way to send a message to my friends. Maybe I could arrange for them to meet me wherever else I ended up, or at least tell them goodbye. I dreaded to think what would go through Cate’s mind when she checked my room and found me gone, with nothing but some cold metal coins laying on my bed to explain my absence. I took a couple of breaths and tried to refocus on the task at hand. I couldn’t think of anything else I needed to make my way in the world of the simulation. Instead I decided to improve conditions here in my cell.

“What’s the most economical way to purchase toilet paper here, the D, and maybe a couple of towels?”

“Towels range from 1 to 3 thousand points depending on material, and an infinite roll of toilet paper is available for 5 thousand points. The toilet paper is considered an amenity.”

“I’ll take it anyway, and two terryclothe towels. What’s that put me at now?”

The towels dropped down on my bed, but the tp didn’t show.

“You have 10,000 points remaining.”

“Hold on a second, the D. Where the hell is my toilet paper?”

“Installed in the toilet paper dispenser next to the commode of course. Would you prefer to relocate the toilet paper dispenser?”

“Smartass. No, the D, I would not like to relocate it, I was just surprised.” I shook my head, and then racked my brain for anything else I needed. I couldn’t think of anything important, item or amenity. I shrugged then and made a request for a want instead of a need. “How much for a bottle of Johnnie Walker, Black Label?”

“You can purchase one as an amenity for 1 thousand points, one as an item for 10 thousand.”

“Let’s keep things reasonable. Give me the amenity version.” The bottle dropped down on the bed and clinked alarmingly against my sword harness. I rescued the glass bottle of liquid gold and placed it on the floor near the headboard. I shook my head at the near disaster and asked a question. “What happens if I don’t spend all my points? Can I save them for the next time?”

“Of Course.”

“I’ll do that then. How much time till I have to do my next task now?”

“7 hours and 9 minutes remain.”

I nodded in response and got up and started loading up with my new gear. I’d just had a full nights sleep, and while a hot shower, or and I blushed to even think about it, a soak in the hot tub might be pleasant, I had a goal now. I wanted to unlock story mode and make it back to Cate and my friends, or at least find a way to send them a message. After a few minutes I was kitted out as fully as I could be. This time I was careful to put my hair back in a braid and tuck the resulting club into my collar before I called for the portal.

“I’m ready for the next task, the D. What have you got for me?”

“Your task is to travel to the nearest city. Good luck, Julia.”

The light grew on the wall in front of me, and I wondered if I could have bought a map or a compass if I’d asked more or better questions of the AI. It was too late to worry about it now and I jogged forward and disappeared from my cell.