Its Kinda Like a Game: Press Play

Chapter 3

To be entirely honest, me being able to monitor other players from the room, really is an unfair advantage. By ten o’clock all of the top twenty were in the building. Each was in separate game rooms, warming up their skills and preparing.

I watched as Dillon was doing unusually well, even for him. The best he could go up tonight however, was maybe to sixth top. James was doing his usual self with little to no improvement in his game skill.

I looked to my watch and saw that it was now 10:05. I smiled, because my shift was over, and now I could go have some fun myself. I stood and stretched my arms above my head, popping my shoulders and upper back.

The other three patted me on the back and wished me luck. There was no way I could hide who I was from them, after all they were the programmers of the complex, they knew who was who.

The closet in the room had my game uniform I wore whenever I made my appearance. I pulled open the door, and inside was the same brown cardboard box that I had left there every week for years now.

On top was a pair of black converse shoes, which had deep red shoelaces. Next on top was a stark black t-shirt and darker colored jeans. After changing quickly I walked back over to the box and found the two things that Anonymous always had to have. The first was a long black cloak that went just below the bend in my knee. It had a black collar that I always kept standing up.

In the bottom was a smaller box, which was approximately twelve by twelve, by six. Inside was the infamous symbol of Anonymous around the complex: the white mask, which I had bought and custom fitted with a voice changer.

I smiled as I slipped it on. Inside the mask was a small switch on the inside of the chin, which I flipped, activating the microphone. The three programmers all held out their hands, which I high fived as I opened the employee only door.

I decided to use a door that lead to the side of the building, so it didn’t look weird me heading out of an employee only area. I now stood at the sliding doors, just outside of their view of motion range, and took a deep breath.

As I emerged through the doors, there was an instant silence as the Regulars recognized me instantly. I walked to the counter where I was able to punch in my access info in order to receive my card.

Many people moved out of my way as I walked past them. Everyone knew who I was. I was respected, important. As I came to a door, I recognized that only three players resided inside, and were about to start. On the left side of the door was a panel with a long space bar looking thing at the bottom.

Pressing the button unsealed the doors, allowing me inside. The three players all rustled from their seats, wondering who their new opponent was. Neither however was able to get a look at me. As I walked past I stuck my card into its slot and headed to my area, where a chair and controller were waiting for me.

I reached for the inner pocket on my left side to produce a custom controller given to me by the complex itself. All I had to do was press a simple button, and just like that my controller was registered to the console that I now sat in front of. There was a small generic console headset made for communicating with the other players.

As soon as I set it on, I heard the others begin to ask who exactly I was. “Hello, I am Anonymous.” I announced, my voice changer on. With the mask on I sounded like a computer generated personal.

There was a squeal from one player, and a gasp from another. The third player was puzzled. After a moment of silence there was a small, “Who?” from the last player to respond.

His two friends quickly jumped on him and explained who I was. After a few minutes of the three giggling like children, we were finally able to get to the option of game choice. I voted on random server and game mode. The other three very quickly followed suit.

The final game that got chosen was Halo 4, team slayer. I wished them good luck, and then turned around and offered my condolences for their lose. We decided that it would only be fair if the three of them were to go against me together, and I agreed very quickly. Around ten minutes the sixty-kill limit was reached. The end game was 60-5.

I played many games like this for a while until my watch went off, which meant only one thing: that it was time. I stood from the chair that I had been resting on in the main foyer and trudged over to the grand hall.

My presence in the room was enough to silence all other players. The other twenty had already assembled, which means that they were waiting for me. Good, they can wait on me; they need me to start anyway.

“Anonymous, top player should have been here sooner.” I turned towards to the voice, knowing who it was before I looked at them. Dillon. He and James were standing together, plotting.

“Do me a favor SpartanWarrior, shut it.” I say striding over to the table, as I pullout my card. “I am not late, in fact it is just now 11:30. You would do best to respect those who are above you in standings.” I have wanted to say that to him for a long time.

In the center of the grand hall was the largest card register in the complex. It was ten feet by ten feet. All the others were positioned near it by their rankings. At the head of the table was a slot, made for the current number one to set his card.

When you are given the title of number one, your player card gets a special sequence that only the top player has. Basically how the system worked is that depending on where your standings are in the top twenty, you receive a discount on each game. The number one player pays only a dollar on each game. When you consider how much I win from bets in miscellaneous games against top players, it is definitely a positive exchange.

Dillon snarled at me, but I didn’t care. He didn’t know who I was. I could care less as long as he didn’t know. Once my key was placed, a big crown appeared in the center of the table.

I glanced around at the other players. They were obviously waiting for how it would end out. Before me a tab digitalized in front of me, which read: Press to Randomize Duel options. 

I glanced around the room once again, seeing nineteen sets of eyes starring holes into me. “Good luck gentlemen, and ladies,” I say bowing slightly to the fifth top player, ninth, and fifteenth top players who were girls. With that I forced the weight of my hand onto the screen top.

A game dice appeared and played a rolling animation. There was a flash on the screen as the bracket system was decided. “I Anonymous, announce that there shall be three rounds to this Tournament.”

“The first stage is a survival mission on the toughest difficulty within Day-Z. The first eight to die will be eliminated from this tournament.” I pause after reading letting that set in. There were a few curses here and there. Some of the people here had made it here through their skill in certain types of games.

“The second phase will consist of a twelve person bracket system until it gets down to the final four players.” This tournament was definitely in depth. “This game will be held in a max kill limit game in private match of Advance Warfare.” Many liked that idea. First person shooters were a popular like among these players.

I looked at the screen for the final round of the tournament. Normally there was only two, but it looks like this year there was to me more. “This years final round will be a four versus four match of Minecraft parkour. This course will be repeated, dropping the slowest each time.”

There were many murmurs about the others. This tournament would definitely challenge each gamer. The first round evaluates your reflexes and your decision-making skills. The second round will make you show your aim. The final round defines your decisiveness. “I, Anonymous, current head player of the complex, state that this will be the tournament. If any players wish to drop out, you may do so at this time. If not good luck, and game hard.”

A chorus of cheers rang through the room, and each person walked over to their personalized terminal, which had controllers that we had to use, and a microphone ready for use. Let the games begin.