The Sao incident

It's the year 2022 and for authorities the major threats to society have been more digitized that being physical threats. For example back in 2018 there was a big scam with private policy and a unnamed social media company. They will stay unnamed because of politics and the pockets they fill. We typically see less and less problems in the world compared to the online world. Less robberies more hacking. Less shootings more leaked information on classified information. My name is Keishi. I'm one of the newest recruits on the evergrowing police academy not the police department the academy. They made that very clear that we weren't part of the police department until the academy said so otherwise. There were different departments in the academy itself. I was put into a class of 150 other recruits for fighting crime against other means than physical hence the internet and other non physical elements. Today was our first exam where we went over all basics simple stuff like how people steal other peoples wifi and how to spot it. So pretty much the whole traffic cop of the internet. So much fun my mother said when she urged me to join the force. I guess she just wanted me to get out of the house and go start my life. Before we were dismissed out the professor or mentor whoever you want to call him turned on our projector which showed a two way call with the police department chief, and his senior staff around a long table made out of oak.

"Must be a good luck speech from the department",whispered my friend Tony. And there is my second reason for joining the force, Tony has been my friend since the earlier days of early education. He stuck out here like a sore thumb, he was whiter than chalk and skinnier than a stray cat. For better worse he had been my friend longer than I remember.

Guess we will find out I mused. The look on the senior staff faces were not joyous, like something ominous was about to be presented to us.

"Hello new cadets", I hope you guys had a good first exam. If not you guys probably won't hear from me, the chief jokes. His face then turned dark, "now off to an alert that has been presented to us. Since this is what you guys are specializing in. If anyone can figure this problem out you have a guaranteed job. No joke as soon this situation is over your in the office with me.

The chief then sends a case link to all our private laptops. "I'll let you guys go through the case files good luck cadets"he said solemnly. Seconds later the 2 way call ended and we were dismissed. Before I started to head back towards my dorm Toney and I started to look through the case files. I was confronted by horror as i opened the file. Pictures of dead bodies and fried brains, and what was the cause? It was the nerve gear frying peoples brain, some got fried randomly and others were done in because of people pulling nerve gear of people to be exact there was 213 cases like that and about 20 cases of random deaths. They all happened the same way. Something in the nerve gear which was new technology fried the brain of the person using said nerve gear system. The nerve gear was the first of it's kind I had read about it before being put into the academy, being the gamer that I am. But I knew I wouldn't have time to even try this new type of gaming for a while since I joined the police academy.

"Holy fuck", Tony cried. "I had multiple friends who got in line for this game yesterday I gotta go call them". He slammed his laptop and ran out of the theater that was our classroom. How could this even happen, wasn't this technology tested with multiple trials. It had to be fully functional before even and idea being released to the public. I started to go through more of the case files and the information behind the technology. It seemed like the creator of the first game for the nerve gear was named sword art online. It was an mmorpg that had a major focus on swords hence the name. There was an article in the case file talking about the creator of this game and how they went to question him but he was in the game also plugged into a nerve gear. Because of what happened to the 213 other people who had a nerve gear removed they decided not try to take it off. The police force have no idea how to deal with this, about 10,000 copies of sao were sold. So that means we have 9,000 and some odd citizens that are stuck in this game I realized in horror.

Meanwhile in the war room the chief sat with his black as black gets coffee trying to think what to do. 10,000 people are stuck and some are already dead. If this situation was not handled properly that could be my job. "Yunno I want half the force focusing on figuring out exactly how many of those nerve gears are running and how many aren't. The other half needs to be helping with transport I want to keep an eye on them otherwise i'm gonna have the media up my ass so far ill be puking up a microphone", I sent my second command out.

Yunno stood up and silently saluted me and walked out. I took off my old torn up police cap off and rubbed the wrinkles on my forehead. "Here I was hoping for a nice and easy transition into retirement...fuck", I mused. I looked down at my phone seeing I had a private message on our police system from one of the tech cadets. Well then let's see what this rookie has for me.

I am walking back to my dorm glad that I joined the police force otherwise there is a good chance I would of tried the nerve gear out of curiosity it wouldn't be my first mmorpg, i've played a few but not one where game over your dead. As I approach my dorm I see a letter taped to my door and a medium size packing box. The letter said to my son. A present from my mom cool. Maybe she cooked me some cookies, love her cookies. I picked up the letter and the box and went into my dorm. I put my mothers gift on my couch and put it on the the checklist to do later while I started cooking up dinner. I decided that I would have some yummy coconut curry. It was a tradition between my mother's family to have once every couple of weeks. I wouldn't say I can make it as good as my mother but I wouldn't say I am a bad cook. While I was waiting for the chicken to cook I went over to the letter and ripped it open. Shortly after I realized this wasn't from my mother but supposedly dead beat dad. It wrote

Hello son, I know what your thinking. Why would I leave never talk to you and just now reach out. Well to be honest it was to focus on my dream so I could have a world I have control of. There is only so much I could do as a family man. You must hate me but it does not matter, we are now two sides of the coin. Because now you have joined the academy and I will eventually be labeled as a criminal. You may be wondering what I have done or may not care. You will realize when you open that box. What you do with it is up to you. Hopefully I will see you in the future -Kayaba Akihiko

What the fuck? I steamed really wondering if this was my father or not. But why would it not be, or why would he reach out to me. I went to go open the box for more clarification and i was shocked. There was an unwrapped copy of sao and a nerve gear headset.

"Shit...wait what was his name", i re read the letter had ran to my laptop opened the case. There was his name Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of sao. I internally screamed this isn't gonna look good, but the chief needs to know. So after dinner I messaged him and he said to meet immediately and come to what he called the war room in the police HQ.

XXX

As I walked into the 'war room' there he was the great chief of this police force. He looked like an old general who had been through many wars the sags in his skin showed the stress and I bet that was the cause of the grey hair.

I did the curious thing and bowed to my superior. He could tell I was nervous and he motioned for me to sit down. I first showed him the letter, "So why should I care about some dad who didn't give you attention", the chief remarked.

I rolled my eyes, "that's not what is important sir look at the name.", i said. He widened his eyes.

"No way", he whispered and put his hand on his face.

"And look at this sir", I showed him the contents in the box.

"He sent you a copy hunh, its like he is taunting us to come for him", the chief stated. "Well cadet this will not solve our problem but this does help thank you. I know this must of been hard because it puts you out in the open because he is your father so thank you for doing your duty."

Two police officers walked in with a status report "Sir we went over and traced all the nerve gears that were bought and every single one that wasn't used which there weren't many were all destroyed. The internal system exploded when we tried to confiscate them", one of the agents stated.

The chief just looked at the box, "well least some of the the 10,000 didn't get stuck into the game. How's the transfer going for the sao players", the chief asked.

"The transfer is slow over to the designated hospital but it should be done within a day or so", the officer answered.

"Thanks for the report your dismissed", the chief waved them away. Both officers bowed and left the room.

"So we only have one nerve gear that would work to go into the system which would be like suicide. As much as I don't like it we need to send someone or the media will kill us.", he said solemnly.

I looked at the chief nervously "you mean to send me in sir", I asked waringly.

"I know it be hard, shit it's even hard to ask. But it be your first assignment with the force, you would be out vr specialist. Like I said I don't like it but I don't have much of a choice it's you or another officer. I have looked at your profile and I know your a gamer one of the reasons we accepted you as a cadet. Plus Kayaba wants you to goin from what this letter says",the chief said.

I swallowed my fear and said,"sir I joined the academy to move further on in my life and not just that I joined to help society to do my part. If you need me to do this I will just let me say goodbye to my mother". He nodded I want you back here within 48 hours so you can start your first mission as a real recruit". Before I stood up he slid a badge over the table "welcome to the force kid".

XXX

I walk into my mother's home. I feel like my stomach was hit with a brick. First I find out who my father is then I find out I have to go into a death game to make him answer his actions how and I even going to do this?

"Mother!", I yelled to let her know I had shown up. No answer, so I start walking through the house it looked like nobody had been here for a couple days it was spotless. I know my mom cleaned but she was not a clean freak. I went to her bedroom and to my horror she had a nerve gear on.

I ran over to the side of the bed. "No no no!", I started shaking her even though I knew it was pointless. I looked at her face and it didn't looked strained or worried it looked peaceful like she found her purpose. I looked across to her bedside table and saw a small note. It had the same vibe to it like mine and what a coincidence it was from kayaba. Dammit i punched the wall which caused a glass to fall off the table and shatter.

I called the chief and to my surprise and he answered. "What is it kid", he said.

"Sorry but Kayaba sent a nerve gear to my mother and she is in the system", i said as tears started to roll down my face.

"Sorry kid, Im sending an escort and a police unit to pick you up do you want to take some time before you go in?", the chief asks.

I stare at my mother and say determinelly "no it's time to plug in".