Virtual Vagabonds

1.32 - Come Out and Play

August 03, 2025 Darrell S.

Last night, I didn’t sleep well. I still had a lot on my mind, but Kai didn’t call me, and he didn’t ask to come over either. Without Kai to tell me incredibly boring stories, pick my brain or watch bad movies with me, sleep doesn’t always come easy. He sent a message this morning to Daamin and I stating he was up all night working on modifications and upgrades to the new drone. I suppose that’s important if we’re going to be fighting through AutoSoft security forces.

Absent mindedly, I do what I’ve done a thousand times before. I pull up to Kai’s building, a tower of luxury apartments, I give the doorman a nod and enter the lobby, taking the elevator to the 27th floor. I walk to Kai’s apartment, scan my hand and enter. Kai is curled up and sleeping on the end of the couch. I toss a blanket over him and sit on the other end. Kai gave me a key to his place a long time ago, but I’ve never given him a key to mine. I’ve always wondered why he gave me a key but didn’t press me for a key. He probably wanted to show how much better he is at decorating than I am. Color coordinated furniture, strategic placement of wallpaper.

“Wake up,” Daamin shouts through a video message.

“When did you come in,” Kai asks me.

“I don’t know. I saw you were asleep, and I guess I feel asleep,” we ignore Daamin.

“Is Kay with you,” Daamin shouts.

“Why would she be with us,” Kai asks causing me to laugh.

“This is serious, she disappeared last night,” Daamin seems to really be bothered.

“Relax, we’ll meet you at Club Zero and figure it out,” I stretch before Daamin hangs up.

***

Club Zero, where all of this started. It was the starting point for a lot of our adventures. We picked this place because it’s halfway between my apartment and Kai’s. Daamin has an apartment around here somewhere but he’s usually out in The Badlands or wandering the streets like a vagabond.

“You ever been to Daamin’s place,” I ask Kai.

“He doesn’t have a place in the city. He rents hotels every now and then. He’s a drifter,” Kai takes a drink. “I’d offer you some, but who knows what might happen if we’re both drunk,” Kai winks and lets out a big laugh.

“Guys I can’t find her,” Daamin rushes in before I get a chance to respond.

“Alright, let’s start with last night. Where did you stay,” I ask.

“Her place, but when I woke up she was gone.”

“She got any other places you know about?”

“None.”

“She didn’t say anything about hidden secrets or quests?”

“Nothing.”

“She’s gone from the party,” Kai interrupts my questioning.

Kai is good with emotions, so I let him calm Daamin while I try to figure out what Kay has done. I don’t trust her to just leave without setting us up for failure. Daamin is heartbroken but I’m not exactly sad to see her go. Luckily it doesn’t take long to figure out what she’s up to as the TV comes to life.

“All right now, for all you boppers out there in Astro City,” Kay appears on the screen dressed in the robe as The Creator again. “All you street people with an ear for action. I’ve been asked to relay a quest from the AutoSoft Corporation. It’s a special request for the disrespectful group calling themselves The Virtual Vagabonds. AutoSoft is looking for a real hit, as they’re responsible for trapping us all here. There’s an asshole with a shotgun, a lizard man and a femboy; but be careful, they’re a real live bunch. Some might say they’re warriors. Well, here’s a hit a with them in mind,” a punk rock song starts to play as she vanishes from the screen.

“Did she call me an asshole on TV,” I ask.

“She called me a femboy,” Kai responds. “I might play with gender norms but femboy is a little too far.”

“She called me an asshole,” I feign surprise.

“Yeah, but we knew that’s what she thought of you. I thought we were making progress,” Kai waves a hand in the air.

“Can we focus,” Daamin asks.

“Yes, let’s focus on the main issue at hand. We have never called ourselves The Virtual Vagabonds,” Kai responds.

“Never,” I add.

“I might have called us that a few times when Kay and I were talking,” Daamin looks guilty.

“Hey, look over there,” a man points to us as he shouts. “It’s The Virtual Vagabonds, they’ve got a 5 million credit bounty.”

“Oh god,” Kai sighs. “It’s already sticking.”

“We’re going to have a serious talk about this later,” I look at Daamin before tossing a smoke bomb in the bar. “For now, run.”

We make it outside with no issue but none of us can seem to summon a vehicle. Kay set us up, she’s locked our inventories.

“What do we do,” Daamin picks up a trashcan and throws it down.

“First we stop breaking shit and drawing attention,” I punch him in the arm. “Then we run to the subway station and get off at the tower.”

We take off running at top speed trying to avoid anyone getting a good look at us. It doesn’t help that seemingly every billboard and television is displaying our faces and calling us Virtual Vagabonds. Seriously, why would he call us that? Sticking to alleyways takes longer but there’re less people likely to spot us. If we make it to the subway, we should be good.

“Why Virtual Vagabonds,” I ask as we run.

“Because we never stay with one game too long and we only play VR games,” Daamin explains.

“You only play VR games. Me and Dre have played lots of games,” Kai argues.

“Well I’m sorry I didn’t get your approval for the merchandise,” Daamin responds sarcastically.

Liberty and Strife

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1.31 – Super Ethical Reality Climax IV

July 20, 2025 Darrell S.

Daamin greets me with a high five that leaves my hand stinging. Kai gives me a big hug, burying his face in my shoulder, which has become a habit for him. Honestly, I think he’s partially doing it to stay standing right now. We all took a beating and pushed ourselves to the limits but he got the worst of it for sure.

“I’m ready to get out of here and rest,” Daamin says as we start walking.

“What happened to all that talk about being manly men and the power of manhood,” Kay asks sarcastically. “Now you’re all tired.”

“I don’t have the energy to argue with you,” Kai says. “Dre, shoot her,” everyone laughs except Kay.

The guide leads us through various locations in the jail as Kay points out small details she worked on. Daamin is interested but Kai and I are just glad to be one step closer to being done with this as we support each other through the tour. I’m hoping I can go back to my apartment and rest tonight, but I haven’t figured out how to bring up the topic yet. The sound of metal skipping across the floor causes me to look down. It’s a small data drive that I seem to have kicked. Everyone pauses, expecting me to pick it up. Peer pressure still works on adults, and today I am a victim. I grab the drive and prepare to read it but stop when I spot Kay’s smile.

“Well what does it say,” Daamin asks.

“I can only imagine,” Kay giggles to herself.

“Is this going to kill me,” I ask.

“No, that wouldn’t give me joy. An asshole like you deserves to suffer,” Kay bats her eyes.

“Fine, I’ll read it,” a quest gets added to my journal.

This drive belongs to Phil The Perfectionist, creator of Astro City. It was stolen by an assistant and hidden. Each drive contains important information about Astro City.

This is the first of 300. Collect all 300 scattered throughout the city to learn its secrets.

Send the data to Phil to receive a reward.

“Fuck no baby,” I sing as I close the drive.

“What,” Kai laughs as if I just told the funniest joke ever.

“Do you have a concussion,” Daamin asks.

“You can’t get a concussion in the game. Something else must be wrong,” Kay seems confused.

“What did I do,” I ask. “It wasn’t that funny, just an outdated meme.”

“It’s just, that was unexpected,” Daamin smiles. “You might have some unpredictability in you after all Alexandre.”

“Whatever,” I roll my eyes. “Kai, can you use the debug remote to tell me what the reward is?”

“Yeah, give me just a second,” Kai gets to work.

“That’s not what the debug remote is for,” Kay stomps her foot.

“VR headsets aren’t to trap people in games either, but that didn’t stop you,” I remind her.

“The reward is a prototype of an advanced combat drone. I want it, can you get it for me Dre, pretty please,” Kai asks as if he were a little kid. “I’ll do anything you want, I promise.”

“Well you know I’ll do anything for my little Kai,” I try to sound like a parent. “Yeah, can you mark the quest as complete?”

“No, but I can give you 299 drives in your inventory. You’ll still have to read them.”

“Go for it.”

“No, this is against the spirit of the game,” Kay shouts.

“Oops, that’s 150 drives,” Kai mocks her.

“Show me the respect I deserve as the creator of this game,” Kay takes a swing at Kai causing Daamin to pick her up and carry her away.

“There you go, 299 drives.”

I take a seat on the ground as I read through 299 drives. Kai takes a seat next to me, reading along and pretending to be interested. Each is filled with trivia facts that are meaningless at this stage. Astro City’s financial district is based on the map of Indianapolis. A nuclear fusion plant below the city gives it cheap power allowing it to remain independent from close cities. There are bomb shelters hidden throughout the city in the event of nuclear war. The last drive contains Phil’s email address. I send off the data to Phil and in an instant the drone is added to my inventory. It seems to have great stats but I don’t know anything about drones. I transfer it to Kai’s inventory.

“This is actually going to be great with some tweaks,” Kai smiles. “Thanks Dre.”

“You’re welcome, now let’s go turn in these keys and get that last piece of data.”

We finally come to the evidence lockup room which is home to an old bank vault that covers half the wall. On it are holes for three keys. The fact that there’s a bank vault in the evidence room makes me wonder if Kay has ever seen a bank vault or an evidence room. It honestly makes no sense but I’m tired, I’m beat up and I’m ready to get out of here, so I don’t question it. I insert my first key into the lock and turn. A few locks shift and fall into place. My second key brings a louder clang. Daamin is next, his key brings a clang louder than the last. Finally, a small click as the door begins to open towards us. Inside there’s plenty of guns and shell casing along the walls but in the center on a pedestal is a single data drive. Kai rushes over and grabs it. The familiar light shines down on him signifying an end to the quest and collection of the last drive.

“So, we’re raiding this place then taking a few days off to recover right,” Kai asks as the light vanishes.

“I’m so glad you ask,” I sigh. “I didn’t want to be the guy who suggested it.”

“I need it,” Daamin practically falls to his knees.

Liberty and Strife

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New Release: Light Seekers

July 14, 2025 Darrell S.

Najor has seen more than most boys his age should, but he's never felt the warmth of the sun on his flesh. His town has been blessed with the gift of sunlight for three years now. The elders believe that this will continue as they are in God's favor. Najor is smart enough to listen to the migrants who travel along with the beam of light which illuminates the sky. They know the light is to vanish soon, and with it will go any normality in his life. He faced with the choice of spending his life following the beam of light, or attempting to bring the sun back.

The magic he wields is weak, and he can't use it for long without becoming sick. He's never left his town and only heard legends about the beasts that roam the wastelands and the sorcerers who reside high in the Phaethon Mountains. Still, he chooses to throw it all away and chase after a dream knowing he'll mostly likely die out in the darkness.

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1.30 – Super Ethical Reality Climax III

July 06, 2025 Darrell S.

The guideline leads us through the third floor. We reach a room that appears as if it was supposed to be the place where we’d fight for another key but we find nothing but bodies spread along a wall as if people had faced a firing squad there. Seeing no point in waiting, we keep going, following the guide through the jail until we end up outside in a massive prison yard. A large digital board over the area displays faces, names and HP Bars of nearly fifty competitors. In the center the word ‘prize,’ is displayed brightly. Below it, two keys matching the key Daamin had grabbed earlier. The two largest images on the board are of a man wearing a black ski mask and another in a black hokey mask. These must be the third and fourth bosses, but it doesn’t look as if they’re on the same team. Three faces turn to grey as their HP bars drop to zero before they finally vanish from the board. It seems to be a free for all fight to the death beyond the gates to the prison yard.

“That’s not supposed to happen,” Kay seems concerned.

“What isn’t supposed to happen,” Kai asks.

“Both keys are up for grabs. That’s not supposed to happen. Two bosses in the same place. That’s not supposed to happen. A boss abandoning his room. That’s not supposed to happen. This many players on the final level. None of this is supposed to happen,” Kay seems panicked now.

“What is supposed to happen?”

“One key up for grabs here, and one key on the previous floor. This was supposed to be similar to a paintball course where ten people fight to the death, not 43.”

“Doesn’t matter now, we need those keys,” I interrupt Kay’s panicking.

“I can not let you do this, I need to study the changes to my game,” Kay produces a data pad and begins inputting notes.

“Sorry, I’m going in.”

“Dre, wait. We don’t know how this is going to go, it could be dangerous,” Kai pauses. “It could be more dangerous than the rest of this.”

“You almost died twenty minutes ago.”

“That’s why I don’t want you taking the risk.”

I equip Excalibur II, add an assault rifle for select and smile at Kai, “if you don’t take risks, you can’t create a future.”

“Give them hell out there,” Daamin holds his hand out for a fist bump.

“You got it big man.”

“If you’re going to do this, take these,” three of Kai’s micro drones begin to circle around me. “The combat drones need to recharge but these will feed you information.”

“Take a sword too,” Daamin transfers a katana to my inventory. “Never know when you might need it.”

“Thanks guys,” I head toward the fence.

I know they don’t think I can do it. That’s why they’re giving me the extras. I’ve been useless this whole time. I got knocked out in the first challenge. In the second I got separated from the group and tried to blackmail Kevin into giving us their data drive they had already gotten. Did nothing but get drunk and embarrass myself against The Snake Prince. This time is different. I’m going to do it and not on a technicality either. I will leave no doubt in anyones mind that I’m the winner.

On the course, it’s a warzone for real. Different colors of smoke fill the air making it hard to see, obstacles shaped like bombed out cars, barricades and anything else that can be used for cover as far as I can see. The sounds of gunshots and lasers are only drained out by the occasional explosion. No sooner than I’ve had the chance to take in my surroundings a man appears above me in the sky bringing a sword down. I sweep Excalibur II upwards and fire, sending him flying and eliminating him in the process. Fired four on that one, that’s 24 shots left. I quickly take cover and look for any other competitors. I spot several moving in a group. Thanks to Kai’s drones I know many people are working in teams. Maybe brining Kai and Daamin in with me would be a good idea. No, I need to do this alone. I switch to single shot mode and vault over my barricade. Four quick shots drops the entire group approaching me. Yeah, I can do this. I’m a beast in a gun fight. I make a quick left at full speed, two more shots drop a woman sprinting in the opposite direction. I witness a man dive behind a round object, and I follow firing down into his chest. A small caliber bullet strikes my shoulder from behind, no big deal for now. I turn to fire at my assailant, he doesn’t drop from one shot so I fire another sending him to the ground. A hard fist connects with my face and stuns me, some kind of steel knuckles. I roll with the next punch softening the blow enough that I can swing Excalibur into the face of my assailant. I fire off a shot next to his head that hit another competitor approaching; stunning him with one of Excalibur’s bonuses. I finish my attacker with a combat knife to the neck before rushing the second competitor and finishing him with a second shot. I lean back into cover, just to recover my stamina. Kai’s drone alerts me to incoming enemies. I switch to an assault rifle and blind fire. When I hear screams I pop up and fire off several more shots eliminating four more competitors.

A massive explosion shakes the ground and sends a shockwave. I glance at the scoreboard and watch as dozens of competitors turn grey and vanish back to back. They must have all been caught in the explosion. The final competitor to vanish is one of the bosses, the man in the ski mask. Only ten competitors left. They must have all made a push to take out one of the bosses. The other boss is left with less than a quarter of his health. I can do this. I can really do this. The sounds of automatic fire off in the distance let me know the fighting hasn’t stopped. I watch as five more players are wiped off the board in an instant. I’ve got no choice but to head towards the violence. As I rush through the smoke I dive for cover when I realize where the automatic fire is coming from.

The hockey mask boss is firing at everyone with a minigun. He’s got me and the other three players all pinned down. Any time one of us makes a move he starts to fire. I’ve got no doubt I can take the other players but the minigun will be a problem. I’ve got a plan, and it’s an asshole move but it’s a plan to get out of this situation. Three drones, three other players, I’ll send the drones to stalk those players. Make it obvious where they’re hiding at, and wait for them to get the boss’s attention. I rush to a different cover location as the drones take off not wanting to be found. The drones begin to go flash lights and make sounds, drawing attention from the boss. I switch Excalibur back to four shot mode and wait for my chance. As another player is wiped off the board, I roll a few grenades out hoping to take the last of the bosses health. They detonate, but I don’t succeed. I manage to take out another player but a sliver of health remains for the boss. He sets his sights on the last competitor who figures out it would be a good job to shoot Kai’s drone. They make a run for it, drawing attention and fire. This is my moment of glory. Squeezing the trigger never felt so easy, as I fire three times for a total of 12 blasts that finally manage to drop the boss. I spot the last player peeking out to see if the boss is dead. I dive towards the ground as he opens fire. I’m hit several times before I drop to the ground with a thud. I fire, only two rounds exit the gun but it’s enough. It’s enough for me to get the win.

Liberty and Strife

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1.29 – Super Ethical Reality Climax II

June 22, 2025 Darrell S.

The sounds of shouting and metal banging echo through the halls of the second floor growing louder as we get closer to our target. Grunts make up most of the sounds but screams of pain and threats of death pierce through every so often. If we were in a horror movie, this would be the part where everything gets quiet, and the killer appears behind us but that isn’t the case here. The sounds of violence just get louder as we move forward. They grow loudest when we enter what looks like an old cafeteria and spot the commotion.

Bodies litter the floor as no less than a dozen people fight each other with no real teams. Gun shots, swords, fists, everything seems to be in play. We watch as a man is thrown from a catwalk and sent crashing down through a table below. The two that stand out the most are a woman with orange and black dreadlocks, dressed in all black with a long trench coat that features pulsating lights. She moves through the crowd effortlessly countering attacks with quick finishing blows. The other is a massive man dressed similar to the swordsman Daamin fought. His mask seems to be a luchador mask with no visible holes for eyes, nose or mouth, but he doesn’t seem to be bothered. The two lock eyes as the number of fighters dwindles. The masked man headbutts a player before grabbing another by the neck and tossing them across the room as if they weighed nothing causing them to bounce off the wall and stop moving. He grips a woman by her hair while kicking a man in his chest before smashing her head into his knee. The woman dressed in black delivers two quick punches and a kick that sends a man to the ground motionless. The two finally lock eyes as the lone fighters left standing.

There’s a pause as the two survey the room. Both glance at our group but pay us no mind before stepping forward. The woman in black starts with some heavy hands but the huge man in the luchador mask seems unbothered. It’s a fight of skill against power. The man in the luchador mask retaliates with one bug punch that sends the woman to the ground. He follows up with a big kick to the ribs. She tosses a grenade that starts to spew smoke. He picks up the grenade without pause crushing it between his hands before smoke can cloud his view. She takes the opportunity to rush him and sweep the legs to drop him on his back. A quick flurry of punches rains down on his head causing him to finally protect himself. A quick headbutt sends breaks him free of her control and he’s back to his feet. She struggles to her knees but he doesn’t move forward, he allows her to stand. She shakes her head like a boxer trying to regain composure after being knocked down before spitting blood onto the ground. He makes the first move this time throwing heavy punches that she can only deflect. Two big haymakers to the body stumble her again, but she doesn’t quit. He follows up with two more to the head and a kick to the chest that drops her to her knees. She stands and quickly puts her arms up to defend against a flurry of haymakers that we just witness drop so many others. It’s breathtaking the way she fights; the continuous movement when she should have been defeated already. She manages to dodge a punch completely and return with three of her own to the head. A running kick sends the behemoth into a wall where she unleashes a relentless barrage of punches to the body and head. She slows for just a moment allowing him to place a knee into the center of her chest dropping her once again. This time he lifts her above his head and takes a running start before flinging her headfirst into the opposite wall.

“Do you wish to be the next to die,” the man asks without looking at us. When we don’t respond he turns to face us. “Do you not have the spirit to face me?”

“I’ll go,” Daamin steps up.

“No, you just fought. Give your health time to recover,” I equip Excalibur II. “I’ll take care of him.”

“I can match him with size and strength,” Daamin puts his hand over my gun.

“I’ll take you both,” the masked man spreads his arms wide.

“Guys,” Kai steps forward. “I’ve got this one.”

“Are you insane,” I ask.

“I’m a man, I don’t need to be rescued. I came here the same way you all did.”

“He’s going to kill you Kai.”

“When you live, your life will end sooner or later. The body will return to the earth. Grass and flowers will grow on top of it. The soul will nourish the hearts and it will love in the hearts of other people,” Kai summons a dozen of his micro drones.

Before we can stop him Kai rushes forward and launches into a kick, bouncing off the man’s chest, doing no damage. It isn’t as graceful but his drones are there to make sure he lands smoothly and rushes back in for two face shots and several to the gut, all getting no response but laughter. A massive backhand sends Kai crashing into one the cafeteria tables. He manages to move out of the way at the last second as the table is smashed by the masked man bringing down both hands. One of Kai’s drones flies in at high speed slamming into the masked man’s face. Kai manages to dodge several more punches as his drones provide cover and land their own blows. I spot most of Kai’s drones up near the ceiling in a circular formation flashing several odd symbols but nobody else seems to have spotted them. The man grabs Kai by the arm and tosses him into another table. Kai recovers quickly, using his drones to get to the balcony. One of his drones flies in for another hit only for the masked man to clap and smash it between his hands. The masked man begins trying to make his own way to the balcony, piling furniture and climbing up.

Once up top he slowly backs Kain to a corner. Kai lands a series of punches that do no good. I’m worried about him now; a fist fight has never been his style. The only comfort I have in watching his HP dip is the group of drones now moving faster near the ceiling. The masked man wraps his hands arounds Kai’s throat and hangs him over the railing. I’ve seen enough and equip a rifle, but Daamin blocks my view. I’m forced to watch as Kai is tossed to the ground where he bounces off the concrete floor. I make a move to intervene, but Daamin again holds me back. Kai struggles to sit up as the masked man leaps from the balcony and approaches for the finish blow. Kai only points to the sky as he sits on the ground defeated. The masked man pays no attention and continues towards Kai. His pointing grows more frantic until the man is in front him. Finally, the masked man looks up only for a massive beam of blue light to rush over him sent down by the drones. I’m forced to look away as the light becomes too bright. When I can see again the masked man is there on the ground, burned and scarred, completely defeated.

I rush over to Kai and kneel next to him, “Are you okay? That was the coolest shit you ever did. Do you need me to help you stand,” I’ve got a hundred questions. “How did you do that?”

“I had my drones analyze the fight and make a plan,” Kai wraps an arm around my neck as I help him stand.

“That was really cool.”

“Go ahead and tell me one more time, just to stroke my ego,” Kai leans on me.

“It was amazing to watch you really let loose.”

“Yeah, sucks that I didn’t get a key.”

“Doesn’t matter, you were awesome.”

“Oh, you’re making me blush,” Kai forces a smile.

“Whatever, just don’t make me worry like that again.”

“Oh, you were worried about me?”

“Shut up before I let you fall.”

Kai gets serious, “please don’t let me go.”

“Yeah, that’s why I thought.”

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1.28 - Super Ethical Reality Climax I

June 08, 2025 Darrell S.

Pulling up outside the building and it’s instantly recognizable as a jail. A large futuristic looking jail, but that’s still a jail. I’ve never been eager to go into a jail and that’s why I’ve never been. I’m not even eager to hang around with police officers. I always feel the need to be on guard around them, can never tell what they’re up to. The first floor is full of cracked concrete floors, blood stains covering peeling walls, police reports spread across the floor and pipes dripping various colored liquids and goops. Still, it’s set up as a lounge with vending machines, couches and televisions. Several players sit around resting and discussing what they’ve seen in the game. Large neon signs of pink and green lead us through the ground floor of the jail.

There’s no speaking, we’re all deep in thought as we make our way through the jail. We could really die here. I’m sure I’m not the first person to think about taki
ng a one-way ticket out of life. Kai and I used to joke about it all the time as teens and even in our early twenties. But that was a long time ago, and this is different. If I do this, I might die; if I don’t I still might die. It’s a die or die situation. I think that’s weighing on everyone’s mind as we walk through here.

“I just thought of something,” Daamin breaks the silence as we walk.

“What’s that,” Kai asks solemnly.

“This is just The Maze Castle from Yu Yu Hakusho. They went to the castle maze to retrieve the three artifacts,” Daamin laughs.

“Wow, in the face of death you still manage to be a weeb,” Kai seems shocked.

“Oh Kay, I do love your pop culture references,” Daamin looks to Kay lovingly.

“I’m going to be sick,” I walk ahead of the group.

“Do you want me to hold your hair,” Kai follows knowing I don’t have any hair to hold.

We come to a stop before a massive set of steel doors that won’t push open. Blue boxes appear before us, a reminder of just how far we’ve come since we got trapped in the game. Kay seems to be surprised as if this isn’t part of her doing.

No more fun and games, it’s do or die now

Reboot is death

Enter at your own risk

A large metal clanging sound echoes through the hallway as the door unlocks. We all know the stakes but none of us move to open the door first. Thoughts of morality can really put a freeze on any momentum that you’ve all gained.

“Alexandre, Kai, we’re men,” Daamin speaks in an unusually deep voice. “Risk is what makes men, if you risk nothing, then you risk losing everything.” Daamin kicks the large doors with a straight sending both doors flying open with force.

“Are you okay,” Kay asks Daamin.

“You wouldn’t understand,” I step up next to Daamin. “If you don’t take risks, you can’t create a future.”

“What could be more beautiful than doing work that puts your soul at risk,” Kai asks from behind us before stepping forward. “Because that’s what’s it means to be alive!”

“Guys, I think we should go back. This is serious and something is going on with you. You’re just going to die if you go forward right now,” Kay pleads.

“Don’t underestimate me,” Daamin shouts at Kay. “I don’t quit, and I don’t run.”

We rush forward into the maze without letting fear cloud our judgement or block our way. That comes to a stop as a flamethrower shoots flames directly in front of us before the first split in the maze. The three of us stop and stand still as Kay catches up. Flames are never as hot as when they’re life threatening.

“What the fuck was that Kay,” I ask?

“There’s traps along the way,” she says without looking at me.

“Not only do we have to fight other players before we get to the bosses, we have to watch for traps too?”

“I told you there was difficulty curve, what did you expect,” Kay acts as if any of this is normal.

“I’ve disabled the traps,” Kai responds before I can say anything else.

“How did you do that,” Kay seems shocked.

“I did steal your debug remote; you evil little witch,” Kai smirks.

“Can you get us GPS to the keys,” I ask.

“Absolutely can,” Kai keys in a few commands before a pulsating purple line appears on the ground directing us to the left.

“Give me my remote,” Kay shouts. “You’re ruining the sanctity of my game!”

“Come take it from me you little animal,” Kai gives her the middle finger before following the line.

Daamin attempts to calm Kay down as we move through with no trouble. His efforts aren’t going well as Kai and I continue to laugh at her fits. Our path to the next floor is blocked by a group of three men, mid lever players. The first has a bald head, black t-shirt, bad tattoos, an expensive fake watch and sweat pants. The second is also bald but bright red and sweating profusely as he wears a polo that is obviously too tight. The third has a receding hairline and dresses like every social studies teacher that gives conspiracy theories too much time in class.

“Hey, we just need to get to the next floor,” Kai says with his hands up. “We’re not looking for a fight.”

“Hey, they’ve got a woman in their group,” the bald guy with bad tattoos speaks up. “That’s irresponsible. You can’t be responsible for something that doesn’t listen to you, you can’t be responsible for a dog if it doesn’t obey you, or a child if it doesn’t obey you, or a woman that doesn’t obey.”

“Yeah, I see what you’re saying, just speak more, I won’t cut you off,” the second bald guy says. “I’m just here to make sure everyone can voice their opinions.”

“You are not going to silence me,” social studies teacher shouts. “You are not going to silence America. The majority of frogs in most areas of The United States are gay now.”

The four of us just look at each other with confusing stares. Kai’s mouth is agape, Daamin keeps running a hand over the scales on his head and Kay is listening as they talk with wide eyes. I wish I had a mirror so that I could see my face.

“I would really like to test my new shotgun,” I voice my opinion to our group.

“I see no problem with that,” Kai replies.

“I always thought your shooting was great,” Kay adds.

“I’ll get whatever is left,” Daamin draws his sword.

I quickly fire off three shots with Excalibur II. Daamin takes a quick stab at social studies guy who refused to die without telling us more about gay frogs. I’m aware that I probably just committed a murder but all of us can agree the world would be better without all three of them.

The second floor reminds me of a horror movie when they’ve finally found the killer’s lair. Blood and severed body parts decorate the floor. There aren’t any teams that we come across but occasionally we find messages written on the wall. They’re all different, but they give the same message; turn back now or prepare to die. The message is heard loud and clear but we keep going, knowing there’s not going to be another chance.

The pulsating purple line leads us to a large open room where it terminates. Before us sits and old man with long white hair. A black digital visor covers his eyes with a single red ring flashing. He wears a tact vest over his bare chest along with military cargo pants sporting various straps. A white band across his chest holds the katana on his back strapped in place.

The red ring turns green and he speaks, “you’ve come in search of the key?”

“We do,” Daamin replies.

“Then defeat me,” in a single motion the swordsman rises to his feet and draws his katana.

I draw my shotgun, and Kai summons the small spherical drones, but Daamin holds up his hand. “I’ll fight him.”

“You don’t have to fight him alone,” Kai says.

“No, I must, because this is a fight of honor. A fight between men.”

“Dude, look at him. He could kill you,” I add.

“It is foolish to fear what we have yet to see and know,” Daamin draws two of his swords.

“He has chosen his fate,” The Swordsman speaks.

“It is the fate of us all,” Daamin answers. “The only fate that people share is death.”

“Wise words,” The Swordsman and Daamin begin to circle.

“This is insane,” Kay shouts.

“You wouldn’t understand, there are things a man has to do,” Kai replies.

Daamin takes the offensive, two quick swipes but the swordsman dodges. The swordsman returns but Daamin dodges the first, and deflects the second. They pick up speed making use of the entire room as they continue to clash. They meet in the center of the room; sparks fly from both their swords. Each seems to have powered up their swords with electricity. The swordsman takes a wild kick at Daamin’s chest but misses the two are back to their starting position again.

The swordsman comes down with a heavy swing Daamin side steps before countering with two swings of his own. They clash swords several more times deflecting each other’s swipes. Daamin comes in fast with a swing from his left sword but the swordsman dodges only to have his throat slashed by the right sword. He drops to his knees. The fight is over. The blind swordsman throws a hand full of powder into Daamin’s eyes before rising to take another swing. Daamin manages to dodge it but makes several wild swings unable to see. The swordsman slams an elbow into the back of Daamin’s head dropping him to a knee, causing him to lose a sword in the process. The swordsman kicks away the sword and brings a heavy strike down but Daamin is able to block it with his remaining sword, barely able to keep the sword from coming down on his neck. Daamin draws his third sword from his waist and uses his shoulder to knock the blind swordsman away in a single motion. Daamin launches a furious attack at rapid speeds. The swordsman is unable to block as Daamin side steps and stabs a blade through his chest and uses the other to slice his throat.

The swordsman kneels as Daamin steps back. He takes large but shallow breaths unable to catch his breath. Reaching into one of his pants pockets he pulls out a key and slides it across the floor to Daamin. Without another word the swordsman nods his head a Daamin before producing a short sword. There’s a pause before he jams the sword into his own gut. The green light on his visor turns slowly to red before blinking several times and vanishing completely.

“You were so brave,” Kay says rushing to Daamin’s side.

“Fear. That is what we live with. And we live it every day. Only in death are we free of it,” Daamin stares at the key.

“You handle that like a real man,” I pat Daamin on the back.

“A real man,” Kai gives him a thumbs up.

“Seriously, are you all okay,” Kay asks.

Liberty and Strife

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1.27 - Lunch Wagon

May 25, 2025 Darrell S.

“I miss real food,” Daamin sighs as we eat lunch.

“I know what you mean,” Kai responds.

“Yeah, this stuff tastes great, but there’s no real texture or heat, that’s part of enjoying food,” I add to conversation.

“I’ll make sure to work on food quality in the next update,” Kay responds sarcastically.

“You’re not getting a next update, you’re probably going to jail, for a long time,” I respond casually.

“Ass,” Kay starts.

“Asshole,” I interrupt. “I know, asshole. You need some serious character development.”

We spend the next few minutes joking around as if nothing has changed between us. I laugh and play along but this dynamic is on thin ice. Daamin and Kay are acting like they’re in love again so I guess their car ride went swimmingly. Kay insisted we, “do lunch,” and have this moment because there’s important information about the next piece of code.

“Help, police,” an NPC runs down the street full speed. A gunshot cuts through his shouts for help as he falls forward rolling headfirst. Another NPC digs in his pockets and removes some items before taking off. A few players rush over and strip the dead NPC of any remaining items. I expect Kay to rush over and revive the man the same way she had in The Badlands but she just continues eating.

“You’re not going to do anything,” I ask her.

“Why would I do something?”

“That NPC just died. I know you can revive them.”

“Yeah, but he was killed by another NPC. It’s scripted. It was supposed to happen that way. It’s cyberpunk.”

“It’s murder, that you can reverse.”

“But cyberpunk is supposed to be bleak.”

“Not necessarily. It doesn’t need to be people just getting murdered for no reason.”

“It’s about the exploitation of people by large corporations.”

“It’s about the struggle between wealth and poverty. A microscope on what is currently happening in our world.”

“That means high crime and murder. It’s cyberpunk.”

“Stop saying it’s cyberpunk,” I slam my fist down on the table.

Kai puts his hand over my first, “Dre, calm down. You know she’s screwed up in the head.”

He’s right, she is screwed in the head. I don’t even know why I’m arguing with here. Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m mad. It’s not as if I care about the definition of cyberpunk or an NPC dying in a scripted event that will repeat until the end of time. I’m just so mad for no reason. This game is taking a toll on me and I can’t wait for it to be over.

“Just tell us about the next quest sweetie,” Daamin says once I’ve calmed down.

“Did you just call her sweetie,” Kai asks.

“Kay you better start talking about the next challenge,” I look into her eyes. “Or else, I swear I’m going to put so many holes in you Daamin won’t know which one to fill.”

“If you insist,” Kay rolls her eyes.

“I do insist.”

“Well, the next quest is the hardest, a real challenge. It’s the only quest with a real price for failure. If you die on the next quest you respawn at level one without any of the items you’re carrying or on the ones stored on this server. Essentially, it’s a full character reset. But there’s a small chance that you really die. I might have taken some shortcuts when coding everything to lock people in the game.”

“Why would you do that,” Kai asks.

“The quest is designed so you can get the first three pieces of code in any order but this next piece needs to be retrieved last. It’s a deterrent to keep people from beating the game. There’s a change in difficulty from here on out,” Kay explains.

“You said that you were upset nobody had completed the game yet, but you made it impossible,” Daamin says. “Nobody would willing to risk life and death.”

“It’s not impossible baby,” she runs a hand along his scaly face. “It’s just really hard. That’s why I wanted to make sure you were all ready for the fact that you could lose everything you earned in the game, including your life.”

“You know what I think cyberpunk is about,” Kai asks.

“No but I’m sure you’ll tell us,” Kay responds.

“I think cyberpunk is about the perversion of a capitalistic society. A society where businesses will provide great technology to people, without explaining how it destroys their lives. It’s a world where greed rules over everything else and every piece of optimism hides a dirty little secret. The secret is that the monsters win. But who are the monsters? The corporations, the billionaires? It’s people.” Kai pauses for a second, “Kay, I think you’re a monster. Because of Daamin I thought there may be some redeeming qualities to you, but there aren’t. You just keep showing us you’re a bad person.”

“Am I monster,” Kay questions. “Yes, I am. Just like both of you. Alexandre, you’re a very violent man who can’t control or even understand his own emotions. At least I know what I want and don’t have violent outbursts. Kai, poor little Kai. You know exactly what you want, and you’re too scared to take it. Instead you pretend to be some dime store therapist and guide people to their true selves. But you’re too afraid to be who you really want to be.”

“Maybe we should just get going towards the next quest,” Daamin speaks over Kay. “If we’re all still willing to go. I don’t have anything to lose so I’m still in.”

“I’m not waiting for someone else to get us out of here,” I say.

“Well, if my monster buddy is in, I guess I’m in too,” Kai rolls his eyes.

Liberty and Strife

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