⬣//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

[threatmewted]

...People can do that? Like, without getting themselves killed?

[dissimulative]

Yup! It takes a lot of practice and I'm still here.

[ Ta-da! ]

Oh, but it's not like I practiced with really high buildings. Gotta practice everything on the ground level first.

[threatmewted]

Huh. How do you even get into something like that?

[dissimulative]

I actually picked it up because I wanted to get over my fear of heights. Then the rest is history. I'm not scared of heights anymore.

[ This guy really just picked up a hobby and got over his fear with sheer willpower over time... ]

[threatmewted]

...

[Dude???????]

That's one way of doing it, I guess.

[dissimulative]

[ You are your own harshest critic... ]

But I still do it, because I learned to like it and it's fun for me.

How did you get up on the roof? Did you climb a ladder?

[threatmewted]

Pretty much. There's so many rooftops that are close or connected, it's pretty easy to travel once you find a way up.

[dissimulative]

[ Oria nods. The fact that they're close together makes it less likely to fall between the gaps for him. But that makes him think... ]

Wanna learn? How to jump from roof to roof without messing up and maybe having fun with it?

[threatmewted]

...Wait, you're serious?

[dissimulative]

Yeah! If anything, we can go run a dungeon that gives wings to be extra careful.

[ He thinks it could lift Shoka's spirits at least. And look, he's not being absolutely reckless. ]

[threatmewted]

...

You know what? Sure. Not like I've got anything better to do.

[dissimulative]

Cool! I'll go with you.

[ He doesn't either, so this works out perfectly.

If you'd like to handwave the dungeon or play it out, we can continue from this thread or just end it here. I'm fine with either option! ]

[threatmewted]

[We can assume wingies dungeon happened TEACH HER PARKOUR SO I CAN GET MORE BONUS AC]

'Kay, now what?

[dissimulative]

How far can you jump?

[ aka show him. ]

[threatmewted]

With a running start, or...

[dissimulative]

Always with a running start. You're gonna be running a lot!

[ Show him what you got, Shoka! ]

[threatmewted]

Okay...

[Bracing a leg behind her and taking a running leap! She's agile and nimble and makes it pretty far.]

[dissimulative]

Whoa!

[ He's actually surprised by the distance she covers. If she uses her wings at the same time, he's pretty sure that she could make it even further. ]

That was great! Maybe you'll be a natural at this?!

[ He really means it. Honest. ]

But how good are you with pulling yourself up? Pull-ups?

[threatmewted]

No idea. Haven't had to do that since high school. But I wasn't, like, bad? And ladders aren't a problem either.

[dissimulative]

... Didn't you just graduate like me? You're not 18?

[ He swears he's not flirting, but he thought Shoka was like, his age?? ]

[threatmewted]

No? I'm twenty, thank you very much.

[SHE CAN DRINK IN JAPAN OK!!]

[dissimulative]

It's only a difference of two years, but you look young.

[ Younger than what a supposed 20 year old looks like anyway. He thought she was a high schooler like him... ]

Anyway, I asked the pull-up question because you need to be good at pulling yourself up because you'll be climbing a lot of things too.

[threatmewted]

Thanks I guess? And, yeah, I kind of figured that one out on my own.

[dissimulative]

Alright. Let's go jump roofs then!

[ Oria leads on over, running on the roof, taking a leap, and somersaults on the next roof to lead into standing easily. ]

Don't forget to use your wings just in case!

[ He thinks this will be useful so that Shoka won't suffer as severe of a fall damage if it comes to it. ]

[threatmewted]

Wait, you didn't explain the rolls?! I'm not an acrobat!