Anything in italics is action text, which means that something’s either happening of someone or a setting is being described.

 

Person: Text is the format I use to show that a character is saying something

 

 

Chapter 2: The Launch

 

A large mass of people gather around in a huge room filled with thousands of chambers. At a podium in the center of the room, and on several large television screens throughout the room, Dr. Harlemen speaks.

Dr. Harlemen: Thank you, winners, for joining us today for this glorious launch! 20,000 of you have come for the launch of this game, and to compete for the 100 Million dollar cash prize! But, before we get started, the CEO of V-TV Tech would like to have a few words.

 

Dr. Harlemen back away from the podium and CEO Akuga Dex walk to the front. Akuga is a tall, sturdy looking man in formal attire, slicked, black hair, and a composed state. He prides himself on his appearance above all else, so his outfit is flawlessly clean and he is impeccably groomed.

Akuga: My name is Akuga Dex, CEO of V-TV Tech, and for many years I've had the honor of working alongside Dr. Harlemen and his team to develop this game. You have all already been instructed in many of the game's mechanics and how to use abilities and things to that extent. But I want you all to remember one things as you play this game: This is like nothing you've ever played before. The world is completely interactive, your movement is completely free, and there are no restrictions. So remember, while there may be a maximum to how strong a stat can get or how strong an ability can be trained, there is no limit to how skilled you may become and how well you know how to use your environment. Alright, have fun, and good luck.

 

There's a few scenes of the competitors standing around in the virtual world, originally looking confused, then beginning to fight each other. A few flashes of different scenes of combat taking place around the world, most of the competitors laughing and enjoying themselves as they fight.

 

The scene flashes to a clear, blue sky.

Voice: Wha-?! Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!

 

A figure is seen dropping from the sky. A closer view reveals a young man, perhaps in his late teens or early 20's, is the one falling.

Man: Ah-, Wha-, Where?! How?! I'm falling! Someone! HEEEEELP!!

 

He splashes down into the water below. He struggles through the water, gasping for air, and pulls himself onto the shore. Coughing, he rises, allowing a good view of himself. He has short, spiky black hair that falls down right above his green eyes. His wears a baggy outfit, white top and blue slacks, and worn looking, black shoes. He's a little short, and his build is unimpressive, though not meek. He wears black gloves over his hands.

Man: Cough...what happened?

 

(In thought): Think, Oscar, think. How did you end up falling from the sky? Let's see, last think I remember I was getting into a chamber...cause of that game, that's right! I'm in a virtual world! No wonder I feel so different. What kind of weird game starts you hundreds of feet in the air?

 

He approached by two other players who wear a full bandit dress, bandanna, brownish clothes, dagger holsters and all. One has spiky black hair and the other had red hair tied back in a ponytail.

Player 1: Another lagger? They've been popping up a lot in this area.

 

Oscar: Lagger? What, me?

 

Player 2: Yeah, there was a bit of a glitch with some players the day of the launch, and not everyone launched right away. A few days later they finally launched a fix, though the fix caused the laggers to start in some...awkward places.

 

Oscar: Oh, lucky me. Makes sense that I would have to be started all the way in the air. Oh, well.

 

Player 1: How about we just kill this one for some quick experience? I'm tired of being nice to laggers today.

 

Player 2: One less person competing for the prize, I suppose.

 

They both draw daggers from their holsters. Oscar backs away from them a few steps, stopping at the edge of the water.

Oscar: Now, come on guys...I just got started...give me a chance here...

 

Player 1: We've already let 3 or 4 laggers go, and we've been have some serious trouble finding stronger people to fight now that the Player's Militia has taken hold of all the major cities.

 

Player 2: We could go fight more monsters...

 

Player 1: Screw that, enemy players drop way more experience! Now come on!

 

He jumps towards Oscar, who desperately tries to sidestep and falls back into the water.

Player 1: Oh come on!

 

He jumps upwards above the water and tosses his dagger down. Oscar pulls himself out of the water desperately, a dagger now in his shoulder.

Player 1: Come on, don't let him get away, finish him!

 

Player 2: Sorry, got to go with my friend on this one...

 

He charges Oscar with his dagger. Oscar winces and closes his eyes, but nothing happens. He opens his eyes and sees a giant figure hovering over him, holding the dagger back.

Player 2: Rook!

 

Rook: Are you two taking advantage of a lagger? You know how the Player's Militia has to step in when you do that.

 

Player 1 walks up close to Rook, who is still holding onto Player 2 by the dagger. Rook is huge guy, around six feet tall and muscular. His brownish hair is very short, barely long than a buzz cut. He wears full chain mail armor but with no helm, and has a long, silver sword on his back. In the center of his chain mail armor is a black circle with a symbol of a weighing scale.

Player 1: This isn't the Militia's territory! You don't have power here, Rook!

 

Rook: We enforce the lagger rule everywhere. You're not allowed to attack them until they've had the proper chance to equip themselves at one of the major cities.

 

Player 2: I understand, please, let me go, I didn't even want to...

 

Player 1: Screw you Rook!

 

He rips his dagger violently from Oscar's shoulder, and then changes Rook. Rook releases Player 2 and knees Player 1, causing him to double over. In a single motion, Rook grabs his sword and swings it over his shoulder and down, though Player 1. Blood bursts from Player 1, and the character drops dead. Player 2 sheathes his dagger and runs away in the other direction.

 

Rook: Looks like I arrived just in time, you were practically out of life points.

 

Oscar: Yeah, thanks, but who are you anyway?

 

Rook: One of the Player's Militia scouts, a pretty prominent one, I guess, I seem to have made quite a name for myself recently.

 

Oscar: The Player's Militia?

 

Rook: Oh, right, you wouldn't know who we are, would you? Give me a second, and I'll explain it to you.

 

He reaches through the air, a sack containing several strange items appears mid-air. Rook reaches into the sack and pulls out a set of bandages. He applies the bandages to Oscar's shoulder, and Oscar's wounds quickly disappear.

Rook: When the game launched, it was chaos. Everyone was too concerned about winning the cash prize, there was barely any time to train or relax. The game estimated to last several months looked like it may end in only a few days. In the first day of the launch alone, 3,200 of the 20,000 players were already dead! But the few players who did decide to stick away from the constant chaos and train their skills and fight monsters for experience had gotten considerably stronger than the majority of the rest of the players. They got together and decided they needed to band together to give other players the fair chance they deserve to enjoy the game. Thus the Player's Militia was formed.

He motions for Oscar to follow him and he continues talking as they walk.

Rook: Originally the Player's Militia was just about 10 players strong, though together they had enough power to take complete control of one of the seven major cities. They enforced a code of conduct that forced order within the city, and killed any players who tried to break that order. As their reputation grew, more and more people, such as myself, came to join them to add more balance to the game. This demand for balance became our symbol.

 

He points to the symbol on his armor.

 

Rook: They eventually became so strong that all seven of the major cities now must obey their code of conduct.

 

Oscar: And they protect laggers too?

 

Rook: We try...the Player's Militia has little power outside the seven major cities, the world is just far too expansive to try and control it all. Anyone who leaves the cities is considered on their own. But because we wanted the laggers to have some fair chance, we decreed that laggers needed to be left alone until they could properly equip themselves. Few obey the rule, however. Like I said, the Militia has little power outside the cities.

 

They arrive at a massive wall bordering a city. Several guards in armor similar to Rook take posts at the large gate in the center of the wall.

Rook: You're on your own from here. If you have any problems, there's a Militia base in the city, as well as a contact point for the moderators if you have any questions for the game. Good luck.

 

Oscar: Thanks, I'll probably be needing it.

 

Oscar walks through the gate and the scene flashes to the full-page first view of the first city. At the bottom, text reads, "Lecithin: City of Adventure." The giant scene shows many shops, players in all different sorts of outfits, many buildings, as well at several tall buildings in the distance, near the center of the city.