Conflict of Culture

Conflict of Culture - Chapter One Scene Four

Angela disconnected the line and extricated herself from the VR capsule. Thanks to Fyle, she’d gone into overtime. Jamie, her girlfriend and co-worker, was waiting on her. "I swear. Are all new players incompetent babies?" Angela asked.

If it had been her choice, she wouldn’t have taken the call. Every Player Relations Specialist (PRS) knew that support calls could rarely be handled in the time she’d had left in her shift when it’d come in. Support calls didn’t come in unless something hadn’t gone the way the players wanted. So, the players were often a combination of clueless, demanding, angry, and persistent.

In Angela’s estimation, the worst were new players and those that had gotten themselves into critical situations. The former tended to require she practically walk them through the user’s manual, something she’d have expected every citizen to have memorized back-and-forth by now, considering the game’s importance to society. The latter were grasping at any straw to stay in the game, even though if they’d had any brains, they wouldn’t have gotten themselves in trouble in the first place.

“Sometimes it seems like it, doesn’t it? Either they don’t know anything or they’re whining about how hard it is.” Jamie held out Angela’s robe for her.

“I just want to tell them that if it’s so hard, to go ahead and die then. Come back to reality and go back to their old, cushy lifestyle.” Angela put her arms through the proffered robe and tied it at the waist. She fluffed her shoulder-length blond hair out the back.

“As if. They think because it’s a game that everything should be handed to them. It’s called virtual reality, not virtual fantasyland,” Jaime said.

The Automated AI Player Support Admin System (AAIPSAS), on the other hand, had a different idea. And, since the AAIPSAS controlled the functional aspects of the PRS dive experience, Angela didn’t have a choice in the matter.

Since CoC operated at three times the speed of real life, the Player Relations system had to be time-synced with the virtual world for effective communication to take place. The most efficient way of doing this was to immerse the specialists in a VR capsule and, essentially, make them a passive hybrid user. They did not have avatars but had near-universal video access to anywhere PCs were located, what was called the God perspective. Private residences were inaccessible without player authorization; and in-game voice audio was only available if a relevant support ticket had been filed. When a PRS entered a capsule, it would lock for eight real hours - the length of a shift (24 virtual hours); PRSs worked six real days a week. It was the their job to watch CoC all day, keep an eye out for anything questionable, and answer service calls. At the end of the shift, the AAIPSAS would log the PRS out and open the capsule (except if they were on a call).

“What was that last player’s problem?” Jaime wrapped her right arm around Angela’s left (at the elbow).

“Some level zero noob crying about his character’s stats and starting location.” Angela and Jaime walked towards the locker room.

“Typical. Where’d the AI drop this guy?” Jaime looked up and into Angela’s forward-looking grey eyes.

“In the Forest of Pune.” Angela tilted her head down and returned Jaime’s aquamarine-colored gaze.

“That’s not in the city. What’d you do?” Jaime stopped and pulled on Angela’s arm.

“Nothing. Got him off the line as soon as possible. I wanted to go home.” Angela giggled and tugged at Jaime to get her moving again.

“But, this is a serious matter. You should’ve done something.” Jaime stayed put and pulled Angela back to face her.

“Don’t look at me like that. The diagnostic came out clean.” Angela slackened her stance and pouted with her lower lip. “Besides, he declined my offer for higher level support.”

“And, I’m sure you were unequivocally forthcoming with the standard operating procedure for passing on support tickets.” Jaime shook her head and sighed.

“Well…I may have directly quoted the PRS manual.” Angela looked away from Jaime and towards the floor. “I didn’t want to keep you waiting any longer than necessary. As it is, we get to spend so little time together.” With the time differential between the virtual and actual realities, it felt this way to them.

“Angela, you’ve got to report this. What if there was something wrong with the diagnostic? This is an abnormality in the system. You can’t just ignore it.”

Angela hugged Jaime around the neck and snuggled cheeks. “Come on. It’s our three year anniversary. I just want to spend the time with you.” Angela pulled away and rubbed Jaime’s shoulders while admiring her cleavage. Jaime had on an identical robe to Angela and the front had spread slightly apart. “If I take this to management, they’ll keep me tied up all night. You wouldn’t want that, would you?” Angela redirected her eyes to meet Jaime’s.

A smile crept up Jaime’s face. “If I remember correctly, you like being tied up.” Her resolve was slipping.

“Only when it’s you doing the tying.” Angela winked. “If we stay here, you won’t get the opportunity to do so.” Angela swayed her shoulders and walked her fingers down Jaime’s arm while batting her eyelashes.

“When you put it that way, how can I argue? Let’s hurry and get cleaned up.” Jaime grabbed Angela’s hand and practically dragged her to the locker room.