## 2018:05:24:21:24 - The World Neuvo: μ Test Phase Bolgograd

The blue rings lowered around the avatar of Jyos. He was back in the World and primed to solve this great mystery. What was so unique about this special edition of the game? Would they find the source of ultimate power? Would the fragments of the Epitaph lead them there? Jyos marched forward with determination.

Step 1: Find help.

He didn't have to look long. Taha called out to him from behind a wall in their no-clip, facade city.

"Jyos!"

He turned to look. "Tovia?"

Taha stepped out and looked to the left and right to see if the coast was clear.

"I'm pleased to see you're online."

"Anyone else?"

"No one followed me," said Jyos. "But I would like you to follow me."

Taha gave him a confused look.

"I'm investigating the... let me back up, here. The meeting over chat was informative. I won't... spoil the details." Jyos looked around just to double check. He wasn't nervous about being followed - or so he told himself - but the suspicion wouldn't leave his mind, so he decided to err on the side of caution. "During the meeting, I told Doslad I wanted to investigate a site mentioned in the Epitaph. I'm curious if we'll find something useful. He said to bring you along."

"I see."

"We'll also be taking Fusota-ri, our Japanese guru."

"Do we know where the... doctor... is?"

"Not yet, but when he shows up, I'll get a message from Doslad in chat."

"Can we wait until then?"

"Definitely. I'm in no hurry," he lied. Though there was no immediate rush out of necessity, Evan deeply wanted to move forward with his mission, and every second that ticked away added to his internal jitters. There were so many excited things ahead, he thought. Perhaps we'll crack this mystery of the game. Maybe we'll discover some secret treasure? There's got to be something to this! It'd be boring if the Epitaph words did nothing. A frown formed on his avatar's face.

"Thank you," said Taha in a soft, meek voice. She turned to look at him and smiled. "It should be great fun to play on this game once all this mess is settled, won't it?"

"Yeah..." replied Jyos in a dreamy voice, looking up at the sky.

"Maybe we'll get the fairgrounds to work."

"Wouldn't that be something?" Jyos smiled.

"It will be awesome to see the kinds of tools and weapons and gadgets everyone eventually adds. And buildings and landscapes too..."

"Yeah, those will all be cool..."

Their voices drifted into silence. The seconds drifted along, but every now and then, Taha would make an optimistic comment and Jyos would confirm it. It's nice to be with someone who is looking forward to the game as much as I am, he thought. Then again, everyone is looking forward to the game... but maybe not as optimistically. Well, then there's q5corbo, but... He paused to think. He had been trying to invent excuses to consider Taha's remarks and companionship a unique case, but finally he forced himself to admit the fundamental feature of attraction: Anastasia was a girl.

Jyos turned to look at Taha. Admittedly, he couldn't see a real girl - just a 3D mesh supposedly resembling a female, scantily clad and semi-attractive but incredibly generic and not even remotely as beautiful nor precious as the real McCoy. It made him wonder what Anastasia actually looked like. Was she blond? Brunette? Thin and sexy or pudgy and overweight? Tall, short? Raspy or sweet? Overbearing or submissive? He had played games for too long, and the only feminine company to have crossed his path in the past year was his land-lord's wife, if she could be even be considered company. Loneliness built a cloud of thoughts over his mind that was still hovering there when Fusota-ri showed up.

"Are we ready?" Fusota-ri asked. "Did you explain to her?"

Jyos turned to look at him and then looked back at Taha. "Taha, this is Fusota-ri."

"I gathered," she remarked.

"Good. Let's be on our way, then," finished Jyos.

"Where are we going? And wait! Aren't we going to wait for the... doctor's location info?" Taha objected.

"Ah, yes. Sorry," apologized Jyos.

"Doctor?" Fusota-ri asked.

There was silence for a few seconds as Evan checked the chat messages.

Jyos finally broke the silence with the declaration, "Yes! He's been found and in alpha Notre Borealis. I guess he just showed up."

"Phew..." sighed Taha. "So where are we going?"

"To the great falls," answered Jyos, "Arche Koeln!"