Somewhere in the real world.
'Good day, Michael Eugene!'
'Good day, Victor Ivanovich! Come in, have a seat. Coffee? Tea?'
'Tea, if you'd be so kind.'
'Olya! Please bring us a pot of Puer and something for a snack.'
'Oh, I see you are aware of my preferences.'
'When the day comes when I won't know what type of tea our strategic partner likes, I'll lower my security service's allowance.' Arsenyev smiled, 'Have you examined the papers I sent you?'
'The ones concerning my resurrected great grandfather? Yes, I have. It's a shame I haven't had the opportunity of meeting him in person.'
'Company policy, you must understand, contact with relatives is only allowed after 6 months of rehab. '
'So why have you invited me here? Has an ancient family secret come to light? Perhaps an uncovered treasure in the family tomb?'
A woman entered the office carrying several trays and placed them on the coffee table in front of the two men, who sat in their armchairs. Arsenyev poured the tea into small cups and added cream into his own.
'Almost. You are familiar with the companies Advertising policy, I assume?
'Which part of it?
'The part about releasing in-game footage, and participation in events like The Treacherous Road. Your Great Grandfather's performance has been nominated to take part in this event, and we require the resolution of a family member in order to proceed. Usually, the Corporation decides such matters on its own, simply because before the end of the Rehab period, the revived have no right to sign any documents nor possess any control over their belongings. But if there are direct descendants, then they act as representatives. In this case, the profit for your Ancestor can be quite substantial. In short, that's why this meeting was arranged – to make decisions.'
'Could you please elaborate. What has my Ancestor managed to pull off in just 24 hours after revival, that YOU have to call ME to decide what to do with the money he stands to earn?
'If you insist I am at liberty to demonstrate the first couple of hours of gameplay. I must warn you that he has chosen a very rare combination of Class and Race. Out of all the active accounts, only 10000 have chosen the same combination. And if you take personal bonuses into account, that number will be reduced to 20.'
'Out of all the 5 billion users?
'Indeed! In addition, he was sorted into a very rare scripted scenario. The script itself is over 50 years old, you can only imagine how many patches and additions were administered since then. The situation deemed the Newby helpless, but the game's AI calculated 2 possible solutions to the situation. I'll show you the video and shall explain along the way.'
'Do you mind if I smoke?'
'Not at all, let me get an ashtray.'
Arsenyev took a cup-shaped piece of obsidian, placed it in front of his quest, and mentally activated the holo panel. The office went dark.
In 10 minutes the lights came on again. The ashtray held a smoldering cigarette, both men sat in silence.
'And what solutions did the MegaMind offer you to win over this desperate situation?'
'One implied striking a deal with the Mage or the Baron, the other – escaping before the caravan reaches the castle.'
'And my Ancestor…'
'Your ancestor …'
The office shook with laughter
'Oh, and I didn't believe the stories my granddad used to tell me about him. Now I'm beginning to think the best bits got left out and the stories were watered down. Now I'm going to have to bring Great Grandad into the board of directors. But I feel somewhat uncomfortable calling a boy who's younger than my grandchildren's Great Grandfather.'
'Are you sure that he can become a God in the game?'
'My dear Michael, believe my experience. I know a great deal about people, and this one will escape your virtual reality even if he has to become a virus and infect the mind of one of the players…. Michael, Michael, are you alright? You look awful pale… Olga! Call the Hospital! It looks like he's having a heart attack! '