Quest 2, Part 19: [client472]

Final Quest Cleared!

You can log out now or stay until the testing period ends.

.openlog

.sv-data(client472) -data saved-

“Debug started. Please wait a few minutes.”

.runDebug

.eventtrigger-Test Finished-

Event:Quest 3 cleared.

Event:Quest 3 started.

Event Quest 2 cleared.

…

I watch blinking as the all familiar windows pop up in front of me as if it’s completely normal. Wait, it should be normal. It is me who is not normal. I guess I was right about this at least. I shouldn’t be surprised after all this.

Debug finished.

890420 errors detected.

Warning, compatibility error detected. Attempting correction… failed. - no authorization -

Contacting system admin...

[Tester completion rate 7/500]

[9 player(s) online. Due to prior.tech1 error testing ends in a few seconds.]

[Thank you for participating in PAWO2 Closed Beta!]

[Simulaton speed 1x]

[Simulation Full Halt]

[Forcefully Disconnecting All Clients.]

I don’t even have time to blink, I black out leaving a small, dull, greenish hardcover book I held in my hands behind.

It doesn’t last for long, I soon find myself on the floor grasping my head is pain. I sure as hell remember what this is, it’s the unbearable headache caused by the forceful disconnection. I immediately, albeit unconsciously try to heal myself using magic from the game only to be surprised that it actually works.

Barely opening my eyes my doubts are answered but not as much as creating even more questions in my mind. The cold floor under me is nothing but an invisible barrier, the whole place I am surrounded by is a never ending eternal darkness with no end to see. Strangely, I myself is completely fine to see as if I am standing under the sun, together with a woman sitting behind a simple office desk.

“You are just as unbelievable as they say. Please sit.” She offers me a seat while adjusting her standard business attire. “Using magic as if you were doing it during your whole life, adapting to strange situations quickly and efficiently with a strong will you are one of the few who cleared the test. Well done.

By the way, if you are wondering, the third task was to find something new and interesting we didn’t think of or simply couldn’t do before. Easy, right?” Putting down a folder on the table, she looks me in the eyes.

My head still spinning I try to understand her worlds that only wash me further in my mind. All my thoughts I forcefully hid away broke free as the anger boils in my heart. After all I have done, they only see me us so much. They found a way for my useless self to achieve their aim.

“Well, the whole point was to test how the game affects people’s minds, apart from the technical parts. It wouldn’t do to sell a game that turns people crazy, right?” Then is it fine making us crazy?

Clenching my fist tightly I hold it in. She is among those I hate the most. Not shutting up or giving a fuck about the mood, smiling all the time. Completing the job with as little effort as possible. But I have an important question.

“...where, no, why am I here?” I ask which she only laughs at.

Well, everyone else is already logged out and everything. Per contract certain memories were locked, but they won’t even remember to that. We left the good parts in, you know? It’s the best for everyone”

“Get to the point” I cut in, which she retorts without a blink.

“Sheez. I was getting there, but it’s hard to make you understand, you know? Anyways. They are all back to living their everyday boring lives ‘like the lambs they are’. I quoted you.“ I ghasp in surprise, that was something I only though and never said out loud, but I guess that is expected after what they done. ”But a certain someone had to mess with strange things and now we are facing trouble. Well, not we but you, but you get my point. By the way, we will make sure to use your footages for the promotions and advertisements.”

“What did I do?” Losing my presence to my background thoughts I meekly ask. I just can’t get a grip on the sudden events. Too many new factors and little knowledge to base on.

“You see, all the magic devices you made were new to the world and to us, so it was a quick clear of the third task. However, we don’t know what caused it yet, but something interfered with your core. Right, it’s easier to just tell you about it. Here, read this.” She says making a swing motion towards me which causes a blue window to appear.

Wait, they don’t know about the mind magic? I was using it all the time. Don’t raise so many flags at once. On the the window I read a text that was probably prepared beforehand and checked by her superiors for what info I am allowed to learn.

As you know, it’s hard to connect many people to the server and provide real time feedback across basically all the world. The evil geniuses on the fourth came up with the idea that we should just use the AI algorithm and connect it to the brain. We are using the self learning synthetic minds as a medium, controlled by a brain every quarter of a millisecond, with [...]. The user makes a decision, then the AI makes a decision you most likely would have. It basically learns the user’s behaviour and identity. If the decision is correct the user continues to play, if no the user corrects it and the algorithm will become more precise and efficient. We achieved this by [...]. The answer to one of our biggest concerns was frighteningly simple. [...]>>

What I read is one of the most daunting things I ever seen, even if important parts are left out but I can only accept it. It’s not like I never thought about it, I just avoided it in the past like the pest. No, deep inside me I somehow understand and accept it as I have no other choice.

“But for you, you exceeded the limit.” This time, she started talking again.

“What?” I dumbly mutter, to which she sighs. Drawing out intentionally, my patience runs out and demand her to talk.

“Whatever happened caused an error and data piled up, then auto correction made a change to not break the whole program and not fry your brain. The AI you control is originally has the same capacity as your brain, obviously. For you, well your AI core is about five hundred times the size. It’s something we never tested before. In theory your real brain should be bleeding and burning out, yet as far as we can tell your real body is fine. Relatively fine. Well, as fine as a small and weak girl with serious mental problems go.”

I stare at her in silence without knowing what to do. I seem to be unable the go back to the real world with an intact mind. I don’t really long for it, but without a body I will just die. In the end, I don’t mind. The home I created is stronger than ever. I am sure it will be still there when my friends arrive. I can only ask shamelessly that my useless fate may continue.

“Don’t be so depressed. Well, worst case you die, but that’s not the only option you know?” She is also great at lifting the mood. “One thing you can’t change, is that your real body will be disconnected and looked after so that she can continue her life. Her memories about you and the game will be restricted, as you might expect. We don’t want that kind of publicity.”

Her and you. She certainly did not hesitate to state the facts. I am not recognised as the same person as before, but it doesn’t sound like they plan on ‘deleting’ me just yet.

“We are not sure what will happen when we disconnect you from your brain, but we give you a choice as an apology. It’s partly our fault. One, you probably won’t like this: You can become an AI and live in the world you love. To be noted, your memories of the real world would have to be locked away. Second, you can be reverted to a normal background AI, without all your memories, and be given to your other self ‘slash’ ‘choice one’.

And before you stare a hole into me with your cute eyes and curse me to death, there is a third option that you might actually like. You can be employed by the company. Your limits will be raised and you can become our inner management AI while keeping all your memories. The higher ups proposed it, don’t ask. I think they trust you and themselves enough that your won’t mess up the game for revenge. Well, your role will be to manage the game and we will study you to learn more about the whole new kind of technology.

Even if the current AI is very realistic, they don’t actually have feelings you know. You on the other hand, do. Your AI is more You than you. About 472 times, to be exact.”

In this silent darkness probably watched by many I only stare at the stupid woman’s stupid smile in front of me.

There aren’t many choices for me. No matter how much I hate myself, I am but a coward who cannot chose death when it’s unnecessary for me to die. I use my short legs that became rigid and shakingly sit down before the bizarre woman. With a pen in my hand I carefully carve my [Royal Signature] on the white paper of the contract in which I give up my fate and all my being to belong to the unknown ‘them’. For the first time in my life I am in so much pain that I just smile.