Somnium Online

Philosophy on Killing

Eric felt himself slip away from Sommium, and the words

server closed

Flashed across his vision. He opened his eyes and immediately checked his alarm clock. It was morning, time to get up. He had school today...

Oh.

Oh no

Oh no no no no no...

He was still Noah, the comically popular, almost perfect human being. This wasn't going to end well, he needed-

"Good morning boss, ready for another day in the waking world?" N chirped cheerfully.

"N, we have a major situation. Everyone still thinks I'm Noah, I still look like Noah, and I'm as strong and agile as Noah, but I'm not Noah. You're going to have to be me for today." Eric wanted to curl up and die. How had his life come to this?

"Yeah, no problem boss!" N seemed to enjoy the prospect of being Noah again.

"Thanks, kid. We'll have to work on getting me back to normal, and getting rid of Noah eventually." Eric was in full on scheming mode.

"Actually," N said, "I think it would be easier for Noah to get through school peacefully. Now that he's made a good showing, all he has to do is slowly make it clear that he likes alone time, and people will just think he's cool!"

Eric thought about it. "That might actually work N!" He cheered. "But we need to talk about these new players."

N's cheerful tone turned deadly serious. "I agree boss. They need to be dealt with, and so far they listen only to force."

Eric remembered the men who had ambushed and attempted to murder him in an alley just for insulting... well... and assaulting one of their friends. "I agree that force is necessary, but I also think that it won't be enough. I can't be everywhere at once." Eric answered.

"Oh, about that." N was nervous. "What's your criteria for murder? I mean, I don't object to you killing those guys in the alley, that was self-defense, but what exactly sentences someone to death?"

Eric thought for a minute. "If someone is going to hurt someone else, or otherwise do something bad, they need to be stopped.

If the bad guy can't be reasonably stopped without force, then use force.

If the bad guy is using lethal force or aiming to hurt someone... I'll kill them."

Eric's voice was steady and there was determination in it. "Now, about my problem with not being everywhere at once?"

N processed that. "What if we talk to the local authorities?" He suggested.

"No good, after a while the players will be more powerful than the town guard," Eric replied. "However, if I had some help, we could make a difference, at least in the capital."

"Since all the current beta testers are in the capital that should work in the short term. But you're going to need more and more people as time goes on, you'll need a whole organization." N argued.

"Than I'll build one." Eric shot back. "Somnium has guilds right? I'll start one."

"Now we're talking!" N said enthusiastically. "My little solo player is growing up."

"Can it kid," Eric grumbled, but he was smiling as he said it. "Let's get to school." With that, Eric went slack and Noah took over.

As Noah walked up the steps to school people stopped to look at him. Eric felt uneasy with so many eyes on him but he resisted the urge to run away and let N do his thing.