Eden of the Eclipse

30 - Damned Players

[Umm. . .Alice has good news and bad news!]

Suddenly, Alice's voice tore through the three idiots meeting of fire and ash. Arthur raised a brow at the suddenness of the AI's introduction echoing in his mind and glanced reproachfully at Lucy.

"Why are you looking at me like I'm trash?"

". . .don't tell me. . ." The boy muttered.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I know what you're gonna say. She didn't hack the game, okay?. . .at least I don't think she did. She's projecting herself through my network."

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"Right. Of course. And why can I hear her then?"

"Remember how you once borrowed Alice's processing power and skills to help edit your videos for you?" Lucy asked, "How you allowed her to crawl into your network, as well?"

"Right, that makes sense."

As the two butted heads, Worm, who had classified herself as the sensible one of the trio, asked Alice, ". . .what is the good news?"

[The good news is that the fire appears to be dying down. Judging by the reports of furious players being updated on the forums, there appears to be a time limit on natural phenomena such as flames.]

"Right right," Lucy nodded. Glancing around them, she could see that, indeed, though the forest was charred, the flames were indeed dying. "And what's the bad news then?"

[I'm glad you asked, Master!] Alice sounded all too cheerful to be the bearer of bad news. [The bad news is that a player by the name of 'Napoleon Dynamite' has placed a 24-hour bounty on Arthur's head. Using the forums, they have agreed to pay any individual who posts a recording of themselves killing Arthur. This player appears to be one of the collateral damage from the flames.]

"Collateral damage?" Lucy found herself laughing at that.

"A bounty? Now that's interesting. This would be my first one in Eclipse, and my first one in a full-dive mmo, too," Arthur stroked his chin in curiosity, as if the thing in question did not concern his own life.

Worm shook her head at the two lunatics. "Alice, how much is the bounty?"

[Twenty-five dollars per kill, miss.]

Lucy whistled, glancing at Arthur. "Damn. He really wants you dead. You know there's a death penalty in this game, right?"

"Yes, I do. Do you think he would accept it if I said sorry?"

"Are you going to?"

The boy stared blankly at her. Then he laughed as if it was the most ridiculous thought in the world and Lucy found herself joining in. Both of them being hardcore gamers, they didn't remember the last time they had ever apologized for killing someone's avatar.

"Okay, but. . ." Worm muttered, "I'm quite sure players should be headed our way as we speak. Not only are the flames that once impeded them all but gone, most of the foliage in the forest is currently gone as well. Meaning, there's no cover. Meaning, it should be quite easy to find us."

"Right, right," Arthur nodded seriously. "Listen, I have a plan for that."

"And, pray tell, what is this plan of yours?" Worm replied.

"I say we run. Preferably, as far as possible. Preferably fast. And, preferably, hopefully to whatever other town exists in this game."

". . .that's your plan?"

Arthur spread his arms out. "Do you have a better plan?"

"Right, okay, so," Worm coughed, clearing her throat, "I sadly do not currently have a plan but if you'd give me a minute to think for a moment."