⬣//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

[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?

[selfconcept]

No. Sometimes, attention is best given with a lot of focus.

[ So he's telling Nanashi that he better give Rem the much deserved attention. ]

[justonezero]

[]

Oh! Sorry!

[Putting the dog down.]

[selfconcept]

[ Rem looks so confused and tries to paw at Nanashi's ankle. Hello?? Don't leave me??

Hien looks equally as confused. For a moment. ]

... I meant pay attention to the dog. Not me.

[justonezero]

?

But the dog's virtual. You're a real person!

[selfconcept]

So?

[ A virtual dog ranks higher than himself in Hien's mind... ]

[justonezero]

So you're way more precious to me than some code, even if it looks like a cute dog!

[selfconcept]

[ He looks at Nanashi for a moment before putting a hand on his head. Headpats for you. ]

You're too young for me.

[ Absolutely deadpan. ]

1/2

[justonezero]

[justonezero]

N-not like that!?

[selfconcept]

Then what are you talking about?

[ He hopes Nanashi won't say something like "every life is valuable and therefore precious" or whatever lofty sounding thing. Everyone being precious means nothing is also precious in turn. ]

[justonezero]

[Bad news hien.]

I want to help you!

[selfconcept]

With...?

[ boy, this dumb man needs so much help please call for backup ]

[justonezero]

Anything! Everything?

Right now just seems like a lot?!

[selfconcept]

[ It is a lot. Nanashi is right, but this feels... not right to Hien. As much of a scumbag he is, even he has standards and lines that he won't cross. That said... ]

... Don't offer to do anything and everything for someone so easily. It'll really hurt you in a way that you can't come back from one day.

[justonezero]

It's okay! I don't really feel pain like that. I mean, unless it turned physical?

[selfconcept]

[ There's a slow blink as he keeps staring at Nanashi. ]

... Are you part psychopath?

[justonezero]

Eh?!

I don't think I am???

[selfconcept]

You seem so cheery all the time, but you feel empty. It feels like me, but worse. At least I'm aware that I'm hollow and a shitty person, but you...

[ He squints. ]

I can't tell what you are.

[justonezero]

People do tell me that all the time, too. Is it wrong to be cheerful?

[selfconcept]

No, but there's wrong with being cheerful all the time.

[ ... ]

Does it have anything to do with your name?

[justonezero]

It's just a combination of my first and last name.

[Though the meaning behind it was probably intentional...]