CH 40 — Eisbaer
They’d been on the road all morning and much of the afternoon when they first saw the city on the horizon. They could’ve easily called it a day and start afresh the next, but chose to push on instead. Vallens was the main one insisting they continue, while Saffron wanted to call it quits. Said he wanted to go on all fours. In the end, they put it to a vote, the results three to one.
And now that they were here, so close to the finish, Eisbaer was struck with a wave of emotions. Was this really the end of the world? Would they finally find a steady home in this hellscape? The idea of returning to normal now was so distant, so unfathomable, that she couldn’t imagine a world outside of this fantasy.
She stepped off the bike, stumbling before finding her footing. Milling about at the entrance were people, players like her with names and a few levels displayed for all to see. There were fewer NPCs than she expected, a relief in its own way. The last thing she needed right now was another Wolefin, armed guards and vicious slavers waiting at the gates. There may still be some lurking in the shadows, but the only people she saw now looked friendly. One even waved!
“Oh, it’s you two again.” The player, a short penguin, shuffled over, flipper extended. The name above his head marked him as Calveticca. “Got more with you, I see.”
Eisbaer stared skeptically at the leathery skin, but gently shook it. There was no harm in being polite. “Hi, we’ve come a long, long way from Wolefin. It’s nice to see an end to this madness.”
Calveticca sighed, shoulders slumped. “Wolefin...On behalf of Meppawick, I’d like to extend my sincerest apologies.”
Saffron and the others loosely crowded around the penguin, drawn in by the magic word.
“What do you mean by that?” Vallens asked.
He squirmed in place, rubbing the tips of his flippers together. “I...I’m really not at liberty to say.” Calveticca tapped at something on his HUD. “While I live here, I’m still just a greeter. You’ll have to be properly onboarded. Come on.”
They all exchanged curious looks. Onboarded? For what?
Vallens: I have a really bad feeling about this, but if it gets us those answers we’ve been desperate for...
Tangerine: You thinking it’s some kinda cult?
Vallens: I wish it were that simple...
Eisbaer, anxious to put this all behind her, took Saskia’s paw, then Saffron’s. Were she bold, she would’ve pulled a Dorothy and linked arms before skipping into the city, singing a merry tune. “Come on, Val! Let’s at least hear them out before we make up our minds!”
“I suppose I can’t argue with that face,” ve said, stepping forward.
Calveticca paused to address his companion, a bored looking woman with cartoonishly large cat ears. “I am so, so sorry...they hadn’t perfected the procedure until recently, and even then we’re still working out the kinks.”
“Kinks?”
He glanced back at her, offering a strained smile. “I really shouldn’t say more...don’t want to risk upsetting you.”
And yet, she felt that sense of mounting dread. Why not rip the bandage off here and now, and be honest with her? With them? She didn’t want to hear pretty little lies or half-truths.
“I can lead you into the building, but you’re on your own after that,” he said, stopping just outside a towering hotel.
Eisbaer tried to crane her neck to get a full sense of scale, but got dizzy and had to stop. An optical illusion presented itself, halting her viewpoint at the midpoint. She’d have to try from afar.
“The receptionist will get you all sorted and scheduled for onboarding. I’m afraid you won’t be able to freely roam once inside—for your safety, you understand! Can’t have new arrivals out and about so soon.”
Was this another prison in disguise? She looked to Vallens for guidance, but ve were moving towards the danger. “I said I would hear them out,” ve said. “And I am so, so damn tired of questioning my next move.” And then ve disappeared into the building.
Saffron stepped forward to catch the door and held it open for the rest of the group. “Come on. We can find a way out later, just like last time.”
“Come on, hon,” Saskia said, squeezing her hand.
And after a moment, she joined them.
One by one, they approached the kindly NPC at the desk, made their appointments for this alleged onboarding, and received a room for the week. That came as a relief to Eisbaer; however, the rooms were spread out. Saskia’s was at the farthest end of the hall, Saffron’s near the elevator, Vallens’ halfway to Saskia’s, and Eisbaer’s in the dead center.
And there were easily forty rooms on this floor…
Saskia tried to reassure her with a hug and kind words. “It’ll be alright, Faye. We aren’t too far off.”
And she knew that. But the logical side of her was losing against that deep fear, the sense that all was not right here, that any minute it could all fade away…
“You can contact us through chat,” Vallens said, offering a small smile.
Saffron clapped her on the back with a heavy paw. “Cheer up, Eis.”
She sniffed and put on a brave face. “Sorry I’m being so meddlesome…just nerves.”
“No need,” Vallens said. “We’re all on edge. ‘Specially after sleeping on the cold, hard ground…” Ve rubbed and cracked ver back. “I never want to see another tent in my life.”
Eisbaer couldn’t relate at all. Yes, their last camp was on rocky ground, but it was far from the worst setup. They had a tent, sleeping bags, and some extra padding to make up for the poor cover. But most importantly, Eisbaer got to share a bag with Saskia! A bag and some of that aforementioned padding to make up for the lack of space…
And Eisbaer didn’t recall her complaining at all. Or Saffron, for that matter.
They exchanged more goodbyes before going their own way, the swish of Saskia’s tail the last thing Eisbaer saw before stepping into her room.
A room that was more like a studio apartment than a hotel room! A large one, at that. It had a nice comfy couch, coffee table, small bookshelf, a kitchenette with a table for two, and a loft! A loft fitted with a queen sized bed! There was even a bathroom with a proper tub! The lack of color and sparse decorations was a turnoff, but she could look past that; it was a temporary arrangement.
And that view!
Eisbaer rushed to the big sliding doors that led to a small balcony area, bookended by neighboring apartments, but offering an astounding view of the city below. The residential area was apparent from the cookie cutter styled houses, but she spied unique homes with vibrant colors. And there were parks! So many parks and lush trees on the brink of shedding their peach colored leaves.
Eisbaer: Y’all seeing this view?! It’s wild!
Tangerine: Very pretty, ya.
Vallens: And here we are, cooped up inside…
Saffron: aww lotta dogs and furries too
Tangerine: Sounds like we’re in good company, huh?
Good company...she really hoped so.
Eisbaer: I think I’m starting to feel it. When we were on the road, I had so much adrenaline. But now I’m so tired...
Saffron: same
Tangerine: Course you are, silly wolf! You were the one who chose to run it.
Vallens: You should stretch before you sleep. You’ll thank me later.
Eisbaer bade them all good night, but stayed up for two hours. She wanted to fully explore her new apartment, to see what passed for literature in this city. Sadly, the books lined on her shelf were a mix of heterosexual romances and detective novels. The TV’s selection was limited to old movies and shows that had long since fallen out of copyright. Some she recognized, others she didn’t.
“Even in VR, there’s nothing good on...”
She eventually gave in and retreated to bed, browsing the Local Chat. And damn, was it active! More so than Wolefin, though there was a severe shortage of party requests. Not much by way of quests, which was fair. There were healthy discussions about cleaning up less fortunate areas within and beyond the city limits, along with mentions of some very familiar towns. And more that Eisbaer hadn’t visited or heard of at all...
So their experience wasn’t unique, after all! But why were things so...fractured? How had so many players ended up outside of Wolefin? And more concerning—why did some speak of this incident as being more recent? The event started at least a month ago, but some spoke as if it had only been days or even hours!
She spotted the names of her friends, though they were careful to avoid saying too much. They had to be just as curious, but wanted to hold out for official confirmation. That was the only way, painful as the wait was.
Sighing, Eisbaer closed the Chat and pulled the covers up to her chin. Tomorrow was the big day.
~~~
They all got together the next day, refreshed and eager to learn what the fuck was going on. Onboarding was to take place in a standard meeting room, them seated on one end of a table, while a very official looking woman in a nice blazer sat opposite them. She wore big, blocky frames that slid down her nose every few seconds, warranting a gentle nudge upwards.
“So glad to have you all here,” she started, teasing her reddish brown hair with a pencil. “I just wish it was sooner, but I don’t believe we were equipped to receive you.” She adjusted her glasses. “This is more a recent development. Ah, but where are my manners?” She plastered on a wide smile, lacking the display of teeth. “The name’s Margot Keller. I will be your representative. Feel free to reach out to me during office hours—”
“What if we need help when you aren’t available?” Vallens asked, finger raised. “Who is your second in command?”
Margot’s face reddened. “I was getting to that, but I have an automated system in place. And I am a very busy person, you understand. I have obligations beyond this Sim.”
Eisbaer, just as desperate to know more, gave vem a pained look. “Please let her talk, Val.”
“Thank you. And how would you all prefer to be addressed? By screen name, or...?”
“Faye Edwards, since this is more of a legal issue.”
“Saskia,” the fox said. “I’m not too keen on outing myself entirely, but that should be more than enough.”
“Just Nate,” Saffron said, smiling. Unlike Margot, it was all teeth.
Vallens was the only one to refuse, though Eisbaer suspected Margot had it noted in her files somewhere.
“Right, I’ll just get right to it.” She cleared her throat and leaned back in her seat. “There’s no easy way to say this, but you were all part of an experimental program, built to preserve a loved one’s memories and consciousness.”
Vallens stirred in ver seat, but remained silent. Beneath the table, Saskia took Eisbaer’s hand and squeezed it.
“So we are dead?” Saffron asked in a daze. It was one thing to assume so, another to have it confirmed.
“That’s not entirely accurate. The connection between your bodies and minds were severed, but you live on in the virtual world. You have achieved something great, once thought unachievable—you are immortal and shall remain so until the end of time.”
“Or for however long the servers stay up,” Vallens said.
Margot laughed. “Honey, you’re in the Cloud. A special Cloud tethered to a satellite, safe from natural disasters, space junk, and deliberate manipulation.”
“That’s...a lot,” Eisbaer said, suddenly dizzy. “I don’t remember signing up for this. Why am I here?” She looked to Saskia, then Vallens, but they were too embroiled in their own emotions.
Margot peeked at her HUD. “Ah, I see. You and Nate were volunteered by family, after being put on life support some time ago.”
“Life support?” She could see her family agreeing to something like that. But why was she on life support to begin with?
She disappeared behind a screen. “Oh, that’s...very unfortunate.” The screen vanished with a swipe of the hand. “HIPPA prevents me from giving the full details unless we’re alone, but I assure you it wasn’t done with malice.” Her eyes flickered in Vallens’ direction. “I’ll make time to talk to each of you individually, and provide some contacts for emotional support—including group therapy—and grief counseling.”
Margot presented all this with startling ease, like it was just any other day for her.
“Does this mean we’ll be reunited with our friends and family?” Saffron asked.
“Sadly no,” she said, putting on a sympathetic face. “Maybe in the future, but the servers have no connection with each other. Now, what you can do is use me as a mediator!”
Vallens banged ver fist on the table. “I have a business to run, and can’t risk leaking sensitive information through a glorified chatbot!”
“I understand your concern, Vallens.” She pushed up her glasses. “But I am not a bot. I am just as real as you are.”
“Damn you,” ve whispered. “Get on with it, then.”
Smirking, Margot addressed Saskia. “You’re actually the only voluntary upload here. Now, I don’t want to air out your business any further, so a simple yes or no will suffice. Do you remember anything of the experience?”
“I...no. But I’d like to speak on that.” Her paw felt slippery beneath Eisbaer’s palm. “They’re my friends and know some of it.” Margot motioned for her to continue. “I came to in the wilderness, alone and confused. I eventually made my way to a cabin occupied by a family of bears. There were others just as lost there...”
“It’s how we met,” Eisbaer said. “We didn’t have time to save the others, because one of the bears, Eddie, charged us. I think he intended to keep us there. For what, I don’t know...”
Margot paused in her note taking. “A cabin named...something Cat Rest?”
“Grey. Grey Cat Rest. The entire area was covered in snow and ice. It’s actually not that far from here.”
“Oh, dear...had you stayed, you would’ve been brought in eventually.”
The next outburst came from Saffron, who banged its shins on the underside of the table. “What?”
“Yes,” she said, unflinching. “There are many such stops, many secreted in Sims. Wolefin was one such case, meant to keep the larger populace contained while we sorted everyone out.”
“Like a holding pen,” Vallens mumbled. “And just how long would we have stayed there before receiving onboarding?”
Margot winced. “Much sooner, in an ideal world. But you were all...so lost.”
“I have a question, one that bothered me for awhile,” Saffron said. “How many people in Wolefin are real or just NPCs?”
“Oh, it was mostly bots, with a few players in the mix.” She held up a hand when it started to argue. “And when I say players, I mean those like me, with a solid connection to the outside.”
Eisbaer’s blood chilled. So she really was surrounded by NPCs! But why hadn’t the other players said anything? Her mouth went dry at another thought almost too great to consider. Was Callie real? Or some sick dev’s creation? “I built some very real relationships with the people in Wolefin,” she said, voice distant in her ears.
“No,” Vallens said. “She’s definitely real.”
She gave vem a sharp look. “I need to hear it directly from the source!” Not that it would make her feel any better to know she’d been used by some sick person who got to log out, and enjoy real food, to touch real grass, and caress real flesh and bone women. “Do you know a player named Calliope? Is she working for you?”
Margot’s expression remained relaxed as she checked her files. “Ah, there she is. Yes, Calliope is one of our contractors. Her job is to help low level players and encourage them to explore beyond the city limits.”
Eisbaer choked back a sob, vision obscured by a film of tears. “No...” Were all those good memories, brief as they were, for naught?
“Damn you,” Vallens snarled. “You couldn’t have phrased that in a kinder way?”
“Sorry, but I’m here to deliver the facts and help you along the way.” Her murky image was hateful from where Eisbaer sat, unbidden laughter on her lips. How could she mock her when her employee was engaging in unethical antics? If she had one job, she shouldn’t be allowed to…just feast on…sleep with random women to sate her sexual appetite!
The figures of her friends all crowded around her, offering comforting pats and firm words for Margot, who finally showed some remorse by the end.
“This is too much,” Eisbaer said, drying her tears on Saskia’s tunic. “Can we just...have our care packets or whatever and leave?” She was on the verge of breaking down, but didn’t want to give Margot fucking Keller the satisfaction!
“Yes, since this is clearly beyond you,” Vallens said. “We can figure out the rest, provided it’s well constructed.”
“Everything I do is on the up and up,” Margot snapped back, with notably muted venom. “And if you need clarification on anything, you’re more than welcome to reach out.” With that, Margot hurried them out of the room, and simply winked out of the Sim.