"I always dreamed of being a princess. One with wavy, long blonde hair. But I knew that my dull, brunette hair would never change. Nor would my stature, I would always stay too tall for the boys my age to like, to skinny to have anything fit properly on me. My social ranking wouldn't either.I wouldn't say that I'm a loser, or popular. I'm kind of in the middle. Sometimes being in the middle, unknown, was better than being in the direct spotlight.
There are castes in our society, They decided this ten years ago. You are graded on your physical features. Men are judged on their masculinity, like their muscles, facial feature, broadness and how well they can create children. The woman are graded on their facial feature, hair and eye color, height and weight, and the ability to bare children. The Puikus' are at the top of the caste. They are perfect, graded 98-100. They are segregated to an area where everything is provided for them, and the government keeps everything out of that area. The caste below the perfects are the almost perfects, they have only one or two minor flaws. They are called the Meglakin's. Normally the flaws are that the person is too bland, or the eyes are too far apart. Their grading scale is a 86-98. Below the Meglakin's, there are the normal's. They are called Orelites. This is where my family falls into place. They are a 65-85, the biggest category. Poor Ashlee was graded an 85, my father an 83, my mother an 84 and my brother, Dustin, an 81. Below the Meglakin, the untouchable class is called the Mantrium's. This is where I fall into place. I was graded a 13. 13/100. An F. I disgrace my family, and this is what sucks the most. I am pushed down to the curb."
What is reality? I was John-now Charlie, a woman with a VR game tester's cunning and a professional whiskey enthusiast's attitude. But then AIs have risen, and my job evaporated faster than last night's drink.
Just when I hit rock bottom, this punk kid-barely old enough to shave-dropped a bombshell: "Reality's just a simulation." Sure, buddy. I laughed it off.
Until I woke up twenty years in the past.
Now, thanks to a hacking mishap, I'm a regular girl in reality-with a debt and an attitude-navigating Rimelion, the VR game I once mastered, as Charlie, an elven priestess with more than a few tricks up her sleeve.
Seriously though, fighting in high heels?
Will I claw my way up the nobility ladder? Dominate the rankings? Outwit the government and their plans to exploit us all? Maybe. But something's off.
The game feels too real. My memories don't line up, and everyone has their own version of what's true. Simulation? Reality? The lines are a blur-and I'm stuck in the middle.
If I want to stop a dystopian future, I'll need allies, both in-game and out. Oh, and avoid ticking off the AIs hunting me for bending the rules.
Survival's a long shot-but I was never one to play fair anyway.
***
What to expect:
- Light LitRPG story with an emphasis on strategy and world-building
- First-person perspective (and occasional close third POVs)
- A witty protagonist with a conversational sarcastic, humorous and often self-deprecating voice
- A sci-fi world with mysteries sprinkled with fantasy elements
- A rich game world system with kingdoms, rules, exploits, and challenges
- Supporting characters with personal goals
Schedule:
* Posting on RoyalRoad and Scribblehub, here after bulk is done