Some of you that read Halkegenia Online on Sufficient Velocity might have seen this first fanfiction of mine over there; I've been asked by some of the people there (including the original work's author, the master wordsmith Triggerhappy) to archive it here as well. I hope you enjoy the story.
Obsession
The man smiled wickedly as he hit the disconnect button on his phone, finishing the layout of yet another contract, another piece of the puzzle, for his new plan.
He remembered his shock on the day that sixty thousand and change people, one particularly near and dear to him, disappeared from the world while playing that game. He silently cursed himself that day for his arrogance, for his lack of being there when it happened, but there was nothing he could do about it.
At least, that was, until he received a call from one of the hospitals that had one of the prototype Medicubes set up for terminally ill patients; the rooms where those patients had been interred all had cameras, to ensure that anything that might go wrong would at least have a record of what went on, to ensure that the insurance companies that dealt with liability issues could cover their own asses. The man sighed, so many non-disclosure forms to sign, so many palms to be greased, but he had evidence of what happened, as the green light swallowed up those unfortunates being recorded.
A twisted grin came to his lips as he thought back to how long it had taken to break those agreements, less than two minutes. Posting the videos online enabled him to pick the brains of those more skilled in other scientific areas, particle and quantum physics most importantly. The smile turned upside down as he recalled how much of the information he had received back was utter garbage, the results of conspiracy theorists or educated morons thinking too hard.
Fortunately, that man had prepared. When Argus was bought out after the Alfheim debacle, he had arranged for a copy of the Seed to become available to himself. He had such great plans for his copy of the Seed, but other older and wiser men thought it better to create a new game with their copy, stopping his plans dead in their tracks. No matter, the fall of RECT's gaming division proved to himself the worth of their plans.
Now, though, he had arranged for a new virtual world to come about. Most of those who would be present there would not be doing so of their own free will. Certain prisoners from a number of countries in the world proved themselves far too apt at escaping time and time again (the video from Lupin the Fourth leaving a Saudi Arabian prison via creative use of whipped cream still made him laugh).
Other groups wanted the ability to train their soldiers and goons without spending the money or years of training that it would require to turn their men into the elites they thought they needed. He had even had inquiries from Tono-gumi on behalf of his Yakuza, a contract he had thought about turning down out of hand. No one needed to have the surviving members of Laughing Coffin trained to become more effective killers for use on the outside world, though the money would enable him to place his server in a country outside of normal extradition laws.
As that man thought over the plans for the virtual prison/military simulator that he intended to build, he sighed. It was so easy, coming back from what could have been disaster had that child finished his assault. Now, if his main goal failed, he would at worst be so rich as to join the world's elite, taking all the money the prisons, military, and criminal syndicates would gleefully lay at his feet.
If his plan worked, though, he would use his masterpiece, Grave of Guns Online, to draw himself to where the one he cared about (in his own sick way) was.
Sugou Nobuyuki allowed himself to recline indolently in his leather chair. "Soon, Asuna, my Titania."