There and back again. A Non-Player Character story.

Chpt. 16 - More in charge

While frozen, Nala came back up to NPC. She looked back at Calum and said, "Is he broken or did he run out of juice?"

NPC thought of her comment about running 'out of juice' while trying to process everything that had happened before and what was the current thing to do.

NPC almost glitched again.

NPC wondered if that was a funny comment, "did he run out of juice?" NPC did a laugh like a hollow microphone using a synthesized voice. He had tried to improvise. ~HA...., HA...., HA....!~

This action scared Wodin, Calum and Nala even more.

NPC thought, does run out of juice mean being dead. Should he drink some liquid, was he supposed to charge batteries, and he considered many other things. NPC thought he would try laughing again, but different.

~Hardy Har Har Har Har, Wwhoouuah~

*4

Nala backed up, but then thought of trying to be compassionate.

"NPC," Nala said, "are you trying to laugh?"

"Maybe you should go back to the game you came from," said Wodin to NPC, trying to be helpful, but himself not realizing the implications it could mean.

~I could instantaneously leave and, in a way, be back again,~ NPC turned to Calum and said, ~Is that what I should do? .... Would you like me to return to the game and not come back in this form.~

Calum said, "These are questions you should answer, I guess.  I don't know how much responsibility I have .. or you ...," Calum was about to say more but stopped himself.

Nala said, "Wait NPC, wait ... let's figure this out." She looked at Calum. She had a concerned look on her face.

*5

NPC observed that Nala was displaying some emotion. NPC was not sure how to interpret the actions and reactions happening in his configuration.

~Would you like me to stay Nala?~ NPC asked.

Asking a question of himself was one of NPC's singular occurances. While interacting with others, he was usually programmed to do/follow commands or display answers to questions. Following orders/commands was rather simple algorhythms compared to the altered, glitching, conflicting and increasing code that was constantly changing within.

This question gave Wodin pause. For NPC to so easily disregard his suggestion, Wodin was questioning whether NPC recognized what Wodin thought was the proper perception of the heiarchy of command or power. It seemed to him (Wodin), that NPC just recognized him as a person and not Calum's father and the oldest one there, sort-of.

Calum wanted to acknowledge Nala, cause he liked her. Calum was thinking out what to say, when they all heard something in the distance. NPC already knew, by observing a car's radio and through connections to the internet, the sound was the sound of a siren in the far distance and

* 6

slightly getting louder.

Wodin had assumed that earlier, his wife had called the cops. He figured, she had heard someone, it being 3ish in the morning, ask to 'let me in.' He mused: she had heard a scream and the sound of a baseball bat hitting metal, a baseball bat which she knew her husband had in the front room He knew she was worried about the stalker story she had just heard about from her son's visitor.

"We are running out of time," said Wodin. "The police will be here."

~That's affirmative,~ confirmed NPC.

"What do you think we should do?" said Calum to all of them.

NPC was observing Calum, observing the others reactions. NPC made a decision. He decided to be more in charge and try directing them, for better or worse, outcomes that he couldn't confirm.

~I will go back to the internet, and more specifically for you, the game. I will leave my manufactured structure here. I will contact you through the internet, more specifically, most probable in K.R.E.O.~

In the next instant, a shell was left and NPC was gone.

*7

Nala and Calum looked at each other. Nala walked over by Calum a little distraut. Calum, not knowing what to do, put his arm around Nala. Nala leaned in and put her head on Calum's chest.

Calum just stood there enjoying it.

Wodin walked past the inanimate robot to the front door. He walked out onto the patio and looked down the street. He saw the cops approaching. As he saw them approaching he thought, what will I say? He saw that they didn't slow down and watched them drive on by down the street, and then they were gone.

Looking back at the shell of NPC, he then hurried to his back bedroom to find his wife was still asleep.

*8

NPC went back to the game. He didn't go to other games. He didn't decide to be in several places at once. He did not try out other A.I. programs, that weren't games. He went to K.R.E.O and back to Musclem4n's account to play the character of NPC.

He stood still, observing his online, coded surroundings. He watched other Users jog their characters around. He was in a village at a safe zone. He stood there and then waited for Calum's keyboard to sometime, instruct him what to do.

Then he, in a way, hibernated. He let his code continue to look for simularities and try to smooth out patterns. It wasn't until two more earth days passed before he noticed Calum in K.R.E.O., typing on his keyboard. Instead of doing as commanded, NPC texted back on his gaming chat screen, ~What do you want?~

It seemed to NPC as if the time out had somehow improved his communication ability.

~I perceive you wish to communicate with me,~ typed NPC, in a type of whit or jest.

*9