– For Potential Employment –
A few lines of input. That's all it took to change the story.
game-server: sudo rm -rf /mnt/sao/world
game-server: sudo cp /mnt/usb /mnt/sao/world
game-server: sudo sh /mnt/sao/world/load_files
Pre-initalizing SAO world files, please wait...
…
Finished loading world: "BlackMesa"
No one knew before it was too late.
Subject: Akihiko Kayaba
Role: System Architect / Creator
Observation terminated.
Postmortem: Subject posed a risk to current recruitment efforts.
Everything had been okay before Launch Day.
They'd checked all of their files, worked out all of the bugs, everything.
"If so, then why," Kayaba wonders, "is this world nothing like I envisioned it?"
When Kayaba logged in, to see the fruits of his labor, he expected to be sitting on an opulent throne, in a regal throne room.
Instead, he was seated in an office chair, inside of a dreary grey office.
A computer monitor and keyboard lie on a table in front of him. A few quick taps of the keyboard awaken the computer, revealing a familiar console screen.
The monitor reads: "– SAO / Cardinal Access Panel –"
"Perhaps I logged into the wrong server?", he thinks.
That line of thought is quickly dashed when he reads the online player count: "Players Online: 9976"
He begins to go over possible scenarios in his head, before a knock on the door interrupts him.
The door opens, revealing a man in a blue suit, carrying a briefcase. The man steps inside, stopping in front of the desk. At that moment, the world turns grey. The man pauses for a moment, before speaking.
"Hello, Mr. Kayaba. I am here to..perform recruitment for my sponsors. I have been asked to find men and women with... exceptional skill and ability. As such, I have... borrowed, as it were, your world for my own purposes. I apologize for not informing you earlier, but my sponsors insisted that I not do so."
"They have also requested that I... ensure your non-interference in this test I have set up."
"So... goodbye, Mr. Kayaba. We thank you for your hard work."
Then, Kayaba's vision goes black.
At the same time, in the real world, his heart stops as the Nerve Gear does its lethal work.