⬣//GROWING WILDLY OUT OF CONTROL.

[cccorp]

>>Gathering // >>Waiting // >>Can't Return // >>It's Real

⬣//STERILE WHITE WALLS

September 23rd—conference day. In the hours preceding the meeting, beta testers are supplied with information on how to access the virtual conference room and offered a set of conduct guidelines. Testers are urged to read them thoroughly and instructed to sign their name on the bottom of the page to confirm that they’ve read and understand the following guidelines:

1. All questions will be addressed. Do not interrupt speakers or other beta testers when they are asking questions or having their questions answered.

2. Conduct yourself professionally and appropriately. Do not curse, shout, or otherwise engage in disruptive behavior. Violators will be muted and their speaking privileges revoked.

3. No eating or drinking. Keep your virtual space clean and free of debris.

4. Remain seated. Excessive movement or inappropriate behavior will result in restriction of your avatar’s movements.

5. PvP is disabled in the conference room. Weapons cannot be drawn and your Fragment inventory is unavailable during the duration of the conference.

Players are generously allowed one hour to filter in and find their seats, review the guidelines, and discuss the questions they’ve prepared with their fellow beta testers.

⬣//THE LOW RUMBLE OF DISTANT THUNDER

One hour comes and goes. The room remains occupied only by the beta participants, CyberConnect Corporation’s flashy logo spinning idly on the conference room’s 80 inch display. Restlessness begins to settle in, idle chatter turning to frustration as one hour becomes two. Still, no one from the Corporation shows.

The conference room remains devoid of purpose, some forty-odd people sitting alone in a sterile conference room, a locked room, should anyone grow so restless they try to leave. Any attempts made to break doors and windows will fail.

The door is locked, as are the windows, the world beyond their stark white blinds a slurry of purple and black. Thunder crackles in that dark, endless void. Even if you could leave, where would you go?

⬣//TORRENTIAL RAINS

It’s painfully evident after three hours of silence that no one from CyberConnect is showing up to the conference, but you knew that already, didn’t you? This mandatory meeting was fishy from the start, some would argue, while others may yet hold out hope.

That ends the instant anyone tries to log out and leave. Everyone who attempts to leave will be met with the same error Shoka was some weeks ago, but this time, the error is permanent. This time, there is no connection between mind and body anymore, and any attempt to “reach” your real self will fail.

You feel no one on the other end. You no longer feel the weight of your headset on your head or the keyboard beneath your fingertips. All your worldly aches and pains have drifted away only to find you here in your new reality, every sensation so real that Fragment no longer feels like just a game. Fragment is reality.

Three hours pass from the start of the conference. The boring white walls and rickety office chairs shudder and shake and give way to the Mac Anu everyone knows. You’re back where you started, more or less. What you do from here is up to you.

⬣//LOST TO THE TUMULT AND BEDLAM

Some menus remain online. Players retain the ability to send and receive friend and party requests, access their inventories, spells, and weapons, and so on, but a few notable items are missing.

Players can no longer toggle their pain sensors on and off. Every blow you take is one you’re forced to suffer through, and what’s more, your health no longer automatically regenerates when idle. You’d better keep a stash of potions or a pocket healer handy.

While you’re at it, try not to die. The sharp-eyed among the group may notice that the respawn information nestled in the menus is no longer accessible to them. The respawn counter now reads as a series of zeros instead of the typical 20 minutes. Now is probably not the best time to continue testing Fragment’s death mechanics, but nothing’s stopping you from trying. No one’s going to save you, either.

Good luck, players. The real test has begun.

>>Navigation

Comments

[justonezero]

-?

[Carefully... taking pomchi... And still obviously expecting it to try to wriggle out of his grasp or something.]

[selfconcept]

[ The little pomchi stays still in Nanashi's hold as it looks up at him, panting all cutely. Yap! It wiggles, but it wants to be comfortable. ]

[justonezero]

[This is the greatest thing that has happened in his entire life.]

Whoa... he's so soft!

[Going to... carefully!! Hold him closer so he can try to pet?]

[selfconcept]

[ Instead of the loud volume scaring the pomchi, he looks excited at Nanashi's excitement and wags his tail very fast. He looooves getting pets and even licks his hand too. Very friendly pomchi. ]

[justonezero]

[Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Pets for the very good boy!!]

What's his name?

[selfconcept]

Rem.

[ Ren is his real dog baby... Can't replace him, so might as well go for the next better thing. ]

You can keep playing with him if you want.

[justonezero]

Thanks! He's a really good boy!

[TIME TO CUDDLE DOGE whatever he originally approached Hien for has officially exited his brain only dog hours now.]

[selfconcept]

He's a very good boy.

[ Good. Cuddle doge. Rem seems very happy to be cuddled and is giving Nanashi all the affection he can give. See--this is what makes Hien happy, even if only a little.

Congratulations! Nanashi has made Hien soft towards him. ]

[justonezero]

[I did it I got the positive CR.]

Do you have a dog like this in real life, too?

[selfconcept]

Yeah. It's modeled after my real dog, Ren. But the one you're holding is called Rem.

[ Similar enough, but can still be differentiated. ]

[justonezero]

Ohhh. That's nice!

Is someone going to take care of him? Ren, I mean.

[selfconcept]

Yeah, my roommate will.

[ If he doesn't cry over Hien being trapped in the game first... ]

... When he stops being a crybaby.

[justonezero]

...You mean crying over you?

[Isn't that... kind of a good thing in this case...?]

[selfconcept]

Yeah. He's the kind of person who gets lonely very easily.

[ siiiiigh... Hien didn't want it, but this is his responsibility now. ]

[justonezero]

That means he's going to take care of you too, though, right? So even if it's sad, I think it's a good thing! It means he cares about you!

[selfconcept]

... I guess.

[ It's weird having something like that told to his face, despite everything. ]

You seem passionate about this.

[justonezero]

I just think it's nice that someone cares about you so much!

[WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE TBH.]

[selfconcept]

... It's really just because he would be lonely again. Then he'd have to pick up some other unlucky rat from the street.

[ ... ]

But I'd like to return for the sake of my dog.

[justonezero]

But he still cares! Even if it's for a reason like that.

[Which means it's important!!]

[selfconcept]

You're so adamant about this...

[ He squints at Nanashi for a bit while Rem continues to enjoy being in Nanashi's hold. ]

I'd hate it, but I guess it's no surprise. A tool is a tool.

[justonezero]

A tool?

[selfconcept]

Yeah. Being used and all.

[justonezero]

...A tool to make him less lonely?

[Nani.]

[selfconcept]

... Sure.

[ Cute little white rabbit. Hien lightly pats his head with the bunny hoodie and all if it's still over his head. ]

You can run along and play with Rem. I'm sure he'd like the attention, because I don't.

[justonezero]

Oops, am I already annoying you?