Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Intoxicating or addicting? Oaklee was still trying to decide which word best described how she felt about the Ether. She and Seiko walked through the town of Rivengall, loaded up with loot from their latest expedition. Sat near a large river, the relatively small town was one of the starting areas where newer players liked to gather. The merchants there sold cheap but dependable gear. Oaklee led the way as they walked through unpaved streets that bustled with players and villagers. She smiled at the npc's as they passed. They were just simple bots, not really like an Ai but the game programmers made them feel as real as possible. The npc's had their own jobs and homes. Some were farmers, innkeepers, and some were just there for the sole purpose of handing out quests to adventurers. Oaklee marveled at it all. The rich virtual reality she found herself in was like nothing she had experienced before. To be able to stand on solid ground, breathe air, fight? It was like a dream come true, and despite having a user with the social skills of a turnip, she had been making the most of it.

It had been 3 weeks since she had saved his hide from that paladin and since then, they had been on quest after quest, making as much money as they could. The two of them had travelled nonstop, collecting rare materials and selling them. Oaklee was awestruck at each location they visited in the Ether. The biting cold blizzards of the dragon tooth peaks the coarse arid winds of the scorching red desert. She loved feeling the ocean breeze at the port of Orascos where they had fished for the Abyssal Angler. There was something so enticing about the world that Oaklee I deny. And then there was Seiko. Maybe the dullest travel partner she could ask for. He rarely talked to her and when he did, it was about the mission. He didn't have any friends as far as she could tell, didn't engage in any of the social events in game like raids or festivals. He basically dragged her from region to region just to make coin.

Her thoughts were interrupted as they approached the artisan's guild with the sun at their backs. Seiko wordlessly brushed past the guild members, making his way to the trade desk. Oaklee waited by the door until he was done. She engaged in small talk with a group of street urchins, but they quickly ran off when they saw Seiko approaching. He did look pretty intimidating to the kids, she guessed. There was some haggling. The merchant tried lowballing them pretty aggressively. Fortunately, this was one area of human interaction that Seiko excelled at. They left with a bag of gold, the size of her head. Seiko started to make his way out of the town once again already planning their next excursion when Oaklee stepped in front of him. She put her hand out to stop him.

"No no no. Not this time bucko. There are a bunch of markets here, and I want to look around!" She huffed. "You know, explore? There's even a tavern here that has a fighting pit that I want to check out." Oaklee stared at her user defiantly.

Seiko looked at her warily, clearly annoyed. She was very headstrong, ai or not. This had happened in most places they had travelled.

"There's another quarry about 3 miles east. We can still make it there and back if we leave now." He rebutted.

"I know we already made enough to cover food for the week and then some. We're ahead of schedule, right? We can hit the quarry tomorrow first thing. Lets have a little fun! It I kill you." Oaklee said. He scoffed at her, folding his arms. When he didn't budge, she decided to switch tactics. The Ai put on her best puppy dog face.

"Pleeeeeeease. Just for a bit?"

Seiko was caught off guard. He had never heard her ask nicely for anything. He sighed heavily. He looked down the market street where players and ai were shopping, dancing and generally having a good time. He stared at Oaklee's pouty gold eyes.

"A few hours, and then we're out." he said sternly.

She whooped loudly and cackled, pumping her fists in the air. She tore down the street towards the stalls and made her way through the market. Oaklee liked her starter "cultist class" robe and garments well enough but she wanted some variety, maybe something more... aesthetic. The clothing merchants had rows and rows of multi-colored robes, cloaks, and gowns under their ornate canopies. Oaklee held out her hands and let the cool fabrics brush against her palms, the smell of cotton and treated leather filled her nostrils. Seiko followed behind reluctantly. He kept his head down avoiding the merchants trying to push their wares at him. Oaklee licked her lips as the mouth-watering smell of fire roasted meats hit them as they moved toward the food vendors. The food in the Ether held no nutritional value obviously but it still tasted amazing. Some players said it was even better than the real thing when it came to flavor. Oaklee eyed a row of chickens rotating over a fire pit. Perfectly browned skin crackled and popped as the birds turned. She began to drool, looking at her partner expectantly. Seiko rolled his eyes and purchased one of the chickens for her. She sank her teeth into the leg meat like a ravenous animal. She would never get over the sensation of eating.

"I get why you humans get fat now." She said, juice dripping down her chin. Oaklee munched happily, looking through stalls, touching things she shouldn't and leaving grease stains on them. It was moments like these that Seiko caught himself forgetting that she wasn't human. In comparison to regular ai he had come across, she was really nothing like them. He guessed that her being classified as defective just meant she didn't act like a brown noser. The other Ai he'd seen were so robotic, stilted or weirdly people pleasing in a way that made him want to gag. Oaklee felt the same way about her counterparts actually, but he didn't know. How could he? He never talked to her about anything but work. Still, other than the odd insult or temper tantrum, she wasn't much trouble at all. Seiko thought it was weird that she'd been labeled defective in fact.

After an hour or so, Seiko began to get a buzzing headache from the crowd. He gave his companion a look that meant they were done. She grumbled, sauntering back to him.

"God, you're so awkward! You were just standing here the whole time like a creepy stalker."

"I'm not creepy." Seiko said defensively. "And that's not true. I talked with the apothecary. Got a pretty good deal on frostweed."

"That's a business transaction with an npc. I'm talking about them!" She pointed at a party of players just outside the local tavern.

Seiko sighed. She really wouldn't let it go. Since she had joined him, Oaklee had astutely pointed out that his business model was flawed in a major way. The more connections and friends he had, the more successful he would be, and it would take much less effort to be profitable. Games like the Ether were meant for socializing and teamwork. It rewarded people that engaged with others. Cooperation with other players also gave access to high level raids where the loot from one boss was worth more than 20 mining trips. It was how the game was designed, but that wasn't how Seiko was designed. The thought of joining up with other players made him feel queasy. It was too much like being in the real world. He just shook his head and walked past Oaklee.

"We're wasting time going over this again. How about you use that big cyber brain of yours to think of a way we can level up on our own." Seiko made for the gate out of town. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. He was thoroughly exhausted after many hours playing. The Ai made a face at him behind his back.

"As a matter of fact. I do have a plan for that. I just wanted to see if you would try the easy way for once."

"Nope. Now tell me what you've got."

The two talked and their new scheme was spun into existence as the sun began sinking down into the horizon. They walked past groups of adventurers that laughed and cheered, carrying home the spoils of defeated demon kings and dragons. They headed for the taverns to count their coins and drink. Meanwhile, Seiko and Oaklee headed out, strategizing what the two of them needed to do to make ends meet.