”Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please.” The din quietened to gentle murmurs and the speaker waited a few more moments for absolute silence before he continued. “We are pleased to inform you that all guests have arrived. We thank you all for your punctuality and hope you have a pleasant evening,” the speaker began. He was decked in a tuxedo, complete with a bow and coattails that made Jasper feel sorely underdressed. He shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t recall there being a dress code stated in the event invitation.
”You may be wondering why you have been gathered here. You may be wondering why you were chosen. You may be wondering whether it was the right decision to come here today. All your questions will be answered after you put on the VR goggles in front of you.”
Just as he spoke, the waiters who had been managing the reception went around the room passing VR goggles to all the guests.
“They will be answered by none other than the very person who invited you,” the speaker continued. “Please feel free to take a seat in any one of the VR pods we have available or whichever space you’d feel most comfortable. Now, without further ado, I pronounce the fourth iteration of The Crossing officially commenced. We hope you have an enjoyable experience in Everopia.”
The guests took no more than a couple of minutes to settle into a comfortable space, each person a good distance away from the next to ensure the best immersive experience.
Jasper was one of the last few who settled into a pod. Before he went in, he had been looking around for Roland. Sometime during the short speech, he had disappeared from the spot Jasper had last seen him. Then, when it was clear he wouldn’t be able to find Roland in this crowd, Jasper went to the closest available pod. He figured he could always look for Roland later on. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’d already started the VR session, given his eagerness.
Jasper put on the VR goggles. A screen appeared before his eyes. There were some basic questions to verify his identity. Then he was in.
Kyla stood before him a few metres away, looking more ethereal than he remembered. He took a few moments to soak in her beauty as she smiled and waved, then started running towards him. She looked so stunning, so enchanting, so alive.
”Hey Jasper,” she said. “I’ve missed you.” Her sweet voice struck Jasper right in the heart. How he missed hearing her voice in real life.
”I’ve missed you too, Kyla.” He reached forward to hug her, but his hands grasped only air. Then he remembered with a start that he was in a VR simulation. The guests hadn’t been issued haptic suits.
She smiled at him so sweetly that he began to hope that whatever frustration and anger she held towards him had been extinguished in the time they had been separated.
”Where are you?” Jasper was dying to know.
“We’re in Everopia.”
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”Where is that?”
With a wave of her hand, the background flickered. It transformed into the little clearing in the forest Jasper recognised as the place where spirit player Charis and player Daemon regularly met.
“I thought this would be the appropriate place for me to answer your questions.”
“Will you? Why couldn’t you before?”
“Before we begin, I have to warn you. This knowledge comes at a price. It’s not too late to back out now. Are you sure you want to know?”
“I have no idea what I’m in for. But no matter what you tell me, I’m going to choose you this time, Kyla. I know that for sure. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to figure this out.”
She was quiet for a moment. Then said, “You don’t have any idea how happy I am to hear you say that, Jasper. But I think you’d understand when I say I’ve learnt to keep my expectations low to protect myself from getting burned since it’s happened too many times.”
”I understand,” Jasper said calmly. Considering how he treated her, it wasn’t surprising that she felt this way.
Kyla nodded. “Now, if you choose to abide by the terms of this meeting, you’ll be one of the few who know about this place too. Our conversation is being recorded, so after I explain the stakes, your response will be captured in the system. Depending on whether you accept or decline the terms, we might have a chance to meet.”
“Beyond this event? Where do I sign up?”
“Jasper, this is serious.”
“I am being serious.”
“Do you know why you’re here?”
”I thought it would give me a chance to see you.”
A surprised expression crossed Kyla’s face. “What do you know so far?”
“Honestly, not much. Why did you invite me here today?”
“I had no choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“In our last conversation, you asked so many questions. I kept telling you to stop but you wouldn’t. I told you things I shouldn’t have, and now you’re too close to the truth. That’s why you’re here, Jasper.”
“That’s all I’ve been hoping for. I’m all ears.”
“It’s not that simple. There are two options for you. One, I can tell you everything, but only if you agree to be bound to the system as a moderator for two years. You’d have to sign an NDA. The other alternative is, you’ll leave the event right now and you’d never be able to sign into Ethereal Echoes again, not even with a different username.”
“What do you mean I’d be bound to the system? I have my job. I have my whole life outside of this virtual world.”
“Have you heard of the puppetmaster soldier?” There was a neuro-tech unicorn startup that had made the headlines recently, claiming that their product was capable of programming signals in humans to carry out all sorts of tasks from the mundane daily chores to specialised professional work. Supposedly, a human controlled by an operator working behind the scenes would be indistinguishable from a fully autonomous human being. It was one of the more disturbing pieces of technology that had sprung up in recent years. Jasper shuddered at the thought. The idea of being a zombie controlled by mechanical inputs without one’s own knowledge, and without anyone else realising was bone-chilling. It sounded like a myth, the stuff you see only in sci-fi stories.
“Infinity Memories owns the company who created it.”
Jasper was horrified when his brain joined the dots.
“There’s no way I’m going to let my body be controlled by anyone other than myself. Forget the fact that it’s two whole years. I can’t do this.”
“Is that a formal indication that you are declining the first option? By default, you’d be opting for the second.”
“No,” Jasper said despite himself. “I want to be with you. I want to continue seeing you. I want to know the truth.”
“You’d have to be willing to pay the price.”
“I…” Jasper didn’t know what to say. “I need to think.”
Kyla nodded, wearing an unreadable expression.
A translucent screen appeared in front of Jasper’s eyes. Kyla’s figure froze behind it. It read:
The terms of the secret event are as follows:
- The alive player must first decide whether to join as a moderator on the platform for two years or be banned from Ethereal Echoes forever.
- If the alive player chooses to join as a moderator, the spirit player who had risked letting the alive player know about the true nature of the game will explain the true nature of the game to the alive player. Otherwise, the alive player will leave the event and the banishment from Ethereal Echoes will commence immediately.
- A bonus feature of the secret event is the speech function. Voices will serve as organic and effective identity verification to the extent that the players can identify their partners by their voice tone and texture.