Author's Note: I'm back! I just had to write another chapter, despite the
fact that every electronic device in my house hates me. Personally I don't
trust the one I'm using right now. But we're getting along. . .after a
certain inconvenient little mishap earlier. About HTML, I figured out my
problem, but I don't have Microsoft Office re-installed yet. Worry not,
I'll have my stories chock full of HTML as soon as I do.
F.Y.I., I'm not feeling too good right now, which is why the narrator is the way they are this time around. ^_^;
Disclaimer: I do not own .hack or any of its installments.
?+a^$)r_T~r7&
My stomach groaned irritably at my sudden movement. I held my breath for a moment to keep breakfast down. It was Wednesday morning and I was sick. Of course I wasn't faking it, but I almost wish I was. There's nothing worse than getting to stay home from school only to spend the day throwing up. I clapped a hand over my mouth and made a quick sprint to the bathroom.
I dragged my feet back to my bedroom. I was so sick I didn't even want to play "The World". But I knew that deep down inside I did. The game was like chocolate: sweet and addictive, but dangerous if over-consumed. I didn't care, though. I spent a few hours watching cartoons until I fell asleep. The only thing I dreamt about was that empty field and everything I remember about being there.
The sound of incoming e-mail awoke me. 'Damn!' I thought. 'Why'd I have to leave the volume so high?' Detangling myself from the blanket of my futon, I crawled over to the desk where my old computer sat. I pulled myself up into the squeaky old chair and pressed a button on my keyboard to receive the message. Spam. Go figure. I sighed. I never seemed to get any important e-mail anymore, not since the last upgrade of Fragment was released. By then everyone was playing "The World", even in its beta stages. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the monitor.
Another round of the sound effect caused me to jump and almost retch all over the screen. I growled and smacked the same button as before, expecting another unsolicited advertisement on toothpaste.
What popped up instead made me lose all thoughts of an upset stomach. I read the message over twice, trying to make sure I wasn't still dreaming.
"Keep your eyes open. The situation is abnormal and dangerous. Keep your eyes open."
The sender was anonymous. What did the message mean? Who had sent it?
Why did they send it. . .?
My guts wrenched uncomfortably. I set my hand down on the desk and leaned over the keyboard. I blinked and looked at my hand; it had set on the VR goggles that I usually placed on top of the monitor. I frowned. The e-mail must have had something to do with whatever was inside "The World".
I sat up, ignoring my stomach. I double-clicked the icon in the top-right corner of the screen and put the goggles on. The controller, unlike the goggles, were in the place they should be: in the little holster that hung off the side of my desk (it had been packaged with the controller as an on- sale bonus, since I was forced to buy the cheap one). The main menu of the game opened up, telling me there were new messages on the BBS. I read them but didn't pay much attention. My mind was too focused on the e-mail and the small clue I was given in receiving it.
"Keep your eyes open," I repeated aloud as I waited for the game to log me in. "For what, I wonder?"
I arrived in Mac Anu to see a heavy axeman in green armor standing by the Chaos Gate. I edged around to avoid any unwanted conversation with him. He looked like he was waiting for someone. I wasn't about to keep him from his appointment; besides, his smile creeped me out.
I went to the item shop to stock up on all the essentials, sighing inwardly when I noticed my GP didn't go down. Walking back up the stairs, I passed a group of people talking about an event character mentioned on the BBS. Apparently she looked like a ghost and, whenever sighted, was playing tag with a creature with a red wand. I didn't say anything, but instead kept my thoughts to myself.
I'd heard about the ghost girl from stories told in the earlier days of "The World", shortly after beta testing. But back then no one had actually *seen* her. So after so many years, the glitches were returning. Or were they glitches? There was no sense in worrying about it until I saw for myself just what kind of problem this might establish.
When I got back to the Chaos Gate, the heavy axeman was still there. His smile had diminished, but at sight of me he charged and grabbed my hand.
"Ah, fair lady!" he cried in possibly the most annoying voice I'd ever heard, "would you kindly join me on an adventure in exchange for my servitude?"
I blinked several times. He must not have realized he was holding my hand very tight - so tight I had wrench myself free from his grip. If people in "The World" had blood, my hand would have been a bright red, though invisible through the glove I wore.
"Well," I said, trying to sound as irritated as I was. "Don't you. . .don't you think you should introduce yourself, first?"
He looked confused for a moment, then smiled and nodded (to best of his ability, due to his bulky armor). "Of course! You are absolutely right. My name is Piros, fair lady."
"Nice to meet you," I said quietly, returning the smile half-heartedly. Without telling him my own name, I pushed past him and stopped at the rim of the Chaos Gate. Piros turned and gaped at me, looking helpless.
"But. . ." Before Piros had a chance to say anything else I had logged off. This rumor about the ghost girl deserved my attention.
The thread about the ghost girl was very active when I arrived. Many of the posts including keyword combinations to fields where she had been seen. The first one mentioned was Delta: Expansive, Haunted, Sea of Sand. I planned on going there as soon as I forgot about the sickening feeling that had finally returned to my stomach.
F.Y.I., I'm not feeling too good right now, which is why the narrator is the way they are this time around. ^_^;
Disclaimer: I do not own .hack or any of its installments.
?+a^$)r_T~r7&
My stomach groaned irritably at my sudden movement. I held my breath for a moment to keep breakfast down. It was Wednesday morning and I was sick. Of course I wasn't faking it, but I almost wish I was. There's nothing worse than getting to stay home from school only to spend the day throwing up. I clapped a hand over my mouth and made a quick sprint to the bathroom.
I dragged my feet back to my bedroom. I was so sick I didn't even want to play "The World". But I knew that deep down inside I did. The game was like chocolate: sweet and addictive, but dangerous if over-consumed. I didn't care, though. I spent a few hours watching cartoons until I fell asleep. The only thing I dreamt about was that empty field and everything I remember about being there.
The sound of incoming e-mail awoke me. 'Damn!' I thought. 'Why'd I have to leave the volume so high?' Detangling myself from the blanket of my futon, I crawled over to the desk where my old computer sat. I pulled myself up into the squeaky old chair and pressed a button on my keyboard to receive the message. Spam. Go figure. I sighed. I never seemed to get any important e-mail anymore, not since the last upgrade of Fragment was released. By then everyone was playing "The World", even in its beta stages. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the monitor.
Another round of the sound effect caused me to jump and almost retch all over the screen. I growled and smacked the same button as before, expecting another unsolicited advertisement on toothpaste.
What popped up instead made me lose all thoughts of an upset stomach. I read the message over twice, trying to make sure I wasn't still dreaming.
"Keep your eyes open. The situation is abnormal and dangerous. Keep your eyes open."
The sender was anonymous. What did the message mean? Who had sent it?
Why did they send it. . .?
My guts wrenched uncomfortably. I set my hand down on the desk and leaned over the keyboard. I blinked and looked at my hand; it had set on the VR goggles that I usually placed on top of the monitor. I frowned. The e-mail must have had something to do with whatever was inside "The World".
I sat up, ignoring my stomach. I double-clicked the icon in the top-right corner of the screen and put the goggles on. The controller, unlike the goggles, were in the place they should be: in the little holster that hung off the side of my desk (it had been packaged with the controller as an on- sale bonus, since I was forced to buy the cheap one). The main menu of the game opened up, telling me there were new messages on the BBS. I read them but didn't pay much attention. My mind was too focused on the e-mail and the small clue I was given in receiving it.
"Keep your eyes open," I repeated aloud as I waited for the game to log me in. "For what, I wonder?"
I arrived in Mac Anu to see a heavy axeman in green armor standing by the Chaos Gate. I edged around to avoid any unwanted conversation with him. He looked like he was waiting for someone. I wasn't about to keep him from his appointment; besides, his smile creeped me out.
I went to the item shop to stock up on all the essentials, sighing inwardly when I noticed my GP didn't go down. Walking back up the stairs, I passed a group of people talking about an event character mentioned on the BBS. Apparently she looked like a ghost and, whenever sighted, was playing tag with a creature with a red wand. I didn't say anything, but instead kept my thoughts to myself.
I'd heard about the ghost girl from stories told in the earlier days of "The World", shortly after beta testing. But back then no one had actually *seen* her. So after so many years, the glitches were returning. Or were they glitches? There was no sense in worrying about it until I saw for myself just what kind of problem this might establish.
When I got back to the Chaos Gate, the heavy axeman was still there. His smile had diminished, but at sight of me he charged and grabbed my hand.
"Ah, fair lady!" he cried in possibly the most annoying voice I'd ever heard, "would you kindly join me on an adventure in exchange for my servitude?"
I blinked several times. He must not have realized he was holding my hand very tight - so tight I had wrench myself free from his grip. If people in "The World" had blood, my hand would have been a bright red, though invisible through the glove I wore.
"Well," I said, trying to sound as irritated as I was. "Don't you. . .don't you think you should introduce yourself, first?"
He looked confused for a moment, then smiled and nodded (to best of his ability, due to his bulky armor). "Of course! You are absolutely right. My name is Piros, fair lady."
"Nice to meet you," I said quietly, returning the smile half-heartedly. Without telling him my own name, I pushed past him and stopped at the rim of the Chaos Gate. Piros turned and gaped at me, looking helpless.
"But. . ." Before Piros had a chance to say anything else I had logged off. This rumor about the ghost girl deserved my attention.
The thread about the ghost girl was very active when I arrived. Many of the posts including keyword combinations to fields where she had been seen. The first one mentioned was Delta: Expansive, Haunted, Sea of Sand. I planned on going there as soon as I forgot about the sickening feeling that had finally returned to my stomach.
