Arvium [I.L.S. Beta Game #1]

23: Results

Aella blinked as darkness filled her vision. She looked around, seeing nothing but darkness. Then a small square appeared in her vision, a white box with the black words "Exiting Game Now" in the center.

"Welcome back," Luke's voice said in her ear. "I'm lowering the pod so you can get out."

She jerked, then nodded. I'll have to get used to hearing his voice in my head. "Ok," she said.

"You might want to close your eyes."

She closed them, seeing a bright light through her eyelids. She opened her eyes slowly, her pupils shrinking. Luke was standing above her, and he waved. "Good job in there," he said, bending down. "I'm going to unhook you, and then we'll have you out of there."

She waited until he stood up again.

"All clear."

She moved slowly, feeling the suction of the gel as she sat up. She looked behind her, seeing it moving back into the indention where her body had been.

Luke held out a hand to her, and she took it, sliding her legs over the side of the pod and onto the floor. "You might experience some dizziness or queasiness while you get readjusted," he said. "Some people don't do so well with full immersion experiences."

Aella smiled and stood up, taking a deep breath. At least I don't become ill easily. She stood and wavered for a moment, then stepped away from the pod.

Luke crossed his arms and stared at her, a smile on his face.

She frowned, looking around her. Why? "Yes?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well, what did you think? I'm going to be living vicariously through you. I watch your player feed and monitor your vital signs, but that doesn't tell me what it feels like to be in the pod.

Aella smiled. "It feels real." More than real life, perhaps. She moved her shoulders as she remembered the dark waves. "Maybe a little too real."

Luke nodded. "I didn't know the tests were going to be so difficult this time around. I guess the game creators learned from the Alpha Game and want each of the Betas to know what they're getting into. What do you want to be?"

"An Elite," she said, pulling off her helmet. She handed it to Luke and he took it, holding it in his arms.

He didn't look at her as he turned and set the helmet down on his desk. "Elites are on their own much of the time," he said quietly.

"I know."

He shook his head. "You don't know. They are hunted by other teams, and the first to go into battle with monsters. You will constantly be fighting. Healers are captured for their skills, Rangers find paths, and Tamers can fight or capture almost any monster or creature."

Aella hung her head, then sighed, her hands clenching into fists. I don't want to fight.

"But," Luke said, his tone turning happy again as he turned around to face her, a smile on his face. "You just might be able to get something just as good."

Aella nodded.

"Oh, by the way," he said.

Aella looked up at him, seeing him leaning against his desk. "You need to be back here by six so I can log you in for the tribute tonight. All players will have received their Ranks by then. You will be given a new uniform according to your rank, and you will need to wear it. It has special sensors that will connect to your avatar. Ok?

Aella nodded. "I'll see you here at 5:45. Any ideas about what I should do until then?"

"You could always tour the gardens, or just spend some time learning where everything is. You can always ask the guards if you have trouble finding something."

"Thanks," she said. "I'll do that."

Luke threw up one hand as she turned to leave. "Wait, let me check to make sure that you don't have any gel on you. The suit is made so the gel won't stick, but I'm supposed to check."

Aella nodded, slowly turning around in a circle. "Well?"

He nodded. "You're good."

***

Aella frowned as she looked up from her tablet toward the door of her room, the chime of the doorbell still pealing through the air in its soft melody. She moved from the bed, and went to the door, looking out of the peak hole. Derrick, the guard assigned to her was standing outside with a large silver box in one hand, the other behind his back.

She pressed the pad on the wall and the door slid open.

Derrick smiled as he held out the box to her. "Your uniform has arrived," he said, smiling.

She took the box and nodded. She saw the other guards walking toward Fox's and Seashell's room as well, silver boxes in their hands. "Thanks, Derrick."

"No problem," he said. "Do you know what you got?"

She nodded. "I received an alert forty minutes ago."

"Well?"

She laughed softly. "I'm an Elite, Animal Tamer profession." She watched as his eyes widened.

"No way--that's so cool. But dangerous. No wonder you're going to need this."

She tilted her head. "Need what?"

Derrick grinned as he pulled his other hand from behind his back, holding a black metal sheath to her. A black and silver sword hilt peeked out from the top, and the sheath itself was covered with dozens of tiny geometric designs in silver embossed ink.

Aella's eyes widened as she moved the box to one hand to take the sword. It was light in her hands, and thin, almost like a rapier. "Is it?"

"A Trinitum steel blade with nanotech circuitry to connect it with the game. It's functional in real life too--it's a piece of functional art. It is with complements from His Excellency, the Founder."

She smiled softly as she nodded. "Thank you for bringing these to me."

"It's no problem," he said. "It's my job and I enjoy it." He pointed to the box. "Now, go try on your uniform. I'm supposed to escort you back to the pod room for the tribute tonight."

Aella nodded and hit the pad on the wall with her elbow, watching the door slide shut.

She placed the box and sword on the small table beside of her and slowly lifted the lid of the box, placing it on the floor.

She touched the top garment, her eyebrows rising at the softness of the black fabric. She lifted the items out, smiling as she recognized the designs. A pair of black pants with multiple pockets down the sides, a gold stripe extending down the seam on each leg. A loose-fitting, long-sleeved white shirt and a black leather jacket with a gold patch on the left arm with the symbol of United Earth. A black utility belt, sleek and thin with loops for her pouches and a large loop she assumed was for her sword, and a pair of black lace-up boots with thick soles. All of the seams were done in gold embroidery, and it glittered in the light.

"Well," she said as she started to pull off her jacket. "At least I'll be able to blend into shadows." She frowned as she thought about the tribute. Luke said Elites were targets. She paused as she ran a hand over the jacket. What is going to happen tonight?