Artificial(ish) Intelligence

Chapter 1

There are people in this world who drop everything for a chance to help, who sacrifice their happiness so that another may flourish, who give until there's nothing more to give, as if the greatest source of fulfilment in life is what others derive from their existence. Will Lurner was not these people.

He crouched behind a shrub.

"Regroup," said Paige, her voice radiating through his speakers.

"I'm not strong enough, remember?"

Paige laughed. "You seriously still whingeing about not getting the alien?"

"I'm better at high dee-pee-ess classes," said Will. It was more of a moan, really.

"Marvin likes the bigger characters, dude," said Paige.

Will peeked out from his cover, checked that the Nazi was dead, then hid again, in case any German buddies were around. Other shrubs were scattered throughout the abandoned parking area, poking up through cracks in the cement, but he wasn't going to risk it, especially when all he had on him was a poison-tipped dagger.

He'd managed to take out the opposition's high damage-per-second character by spawn camping, but they'd worked out his position and would soon be on him. His gut would have been enough to tell him this, even if he hadn't heard the selection of audible pre-set taunts.

"Marvin, where you at?" said Paige.

"Cool," said Marvin, his voice also emanating through Will's speakers. I think you're getting the point that they're not in the same room. "Look at the graphics on the corridor walls!"

"Inside, I take it," said Paige, lightly.

Will groaned at the noobishness, then checked the Nazi corpse for loot. Still no long-bow. He grabbed the cannisters of Dauerwurst and greedily consumed them to speed up his health regen, then motioned his character to sprint.

He couldn't believe gamers used to press keys and tap buttons. In fact, he didn't believe it. If he'd ever had a job interview, he'd have listed ignorance as his greatest strength. It wouldn't be completely true, though -- there were plenty of other weaknesses vying for top position.

At any rate, the past was what old people did, not something to be remembered. The present was where it was at. Which meant being surrounding by a virtual reality world filling his tiny studio apartment, the virtual sun beating down on a virtually abandoned industrial property. Virtually.

He turned and quickly spotted his goal. This map wasn't his favourite, but he knew a few routes that other players rarely used. One of them was the cast-iron gate to the lower levels of the factory. It was just below ground level, hidden from a cursory view.

"Uh oh," said Marvin.

"What?" said Paige.

"I can't move. My hearts are too low."

"He needs food," said Paige. "You close, dude?"

"I'm the rogue, remember," said Will. "Not the helper."

"You should have been the shaman," said Paige, "so you could heal us up. Now you're as useful as a Princess Peach."

"Princess Peach," laughed Marvin.

"It's a deathmatch," said Will. "The only important thing is to frag and not be fragged."

"Yeah, but this is co-op," said Paige, blowing fringe hair out of her eyes. "We're behind, and time's running out."

"So?" said Will.

"You are Error," said Paige, smiling.

Oh, I should have explained that Will could see her face as a hologram perched just outside the game's area of influence. Or should I have kept it a mystery? This is fun!