14 years ago:
"Everyone wants something."
A vibrant male voice travelled throughout the bustling city below. It was not a real voice. If anyone in the city square bothered to listen to their surroundings, they would hear the slight mechanical timbre imbedded into his voice. After all, it was just a normal advertisement. Or was it? If they had decided to listen closer, they might have realised that the voice was nothing but normal. It was sweet yet heavy, enticing yet chilling. The syllables sounded calculated, as if he was constructing a magnificent poem out of seemingly ordinary words. The voice was much more than it seemed.
"Do wish to triumph over your foes and emerge victorious from the ashes? Or instead, do you want to practice kindness and cultivate friendship and peace?"
No one paid any attention to the advertisement despite the fact that it was booming from a massive billboard looming over the city square. On the billboard, an animation of unusual looking man played. The man was evidently pixelated and created by team of drawers, yet it seemed hauntingly real. While some of his features were slightly unrealistic, with gleaming red eyes and rolling white hair falling down his shoulders, his facial features were unusually defined. Most unusual was the man's unnaturally wide smile that split his face in half. It was haunting, yet at closer inspection one could see compassion hidden within his lips. A terrifying compassion. Again, the face was more than it seemed.
"Do you desire fame and status in order to create an unsurpassable legacy? Or perhaps, do you want to work in the shadows and shake the world from below?"
The man paused for dramatic effect, yet he was answered with the clomping of shoes on pavement. He was just a normal advertisement. A completely normal advertisement.
"Whatever your wish it is, it is possible within Quest. Immerse yourself in a realistic VRMMO filled with intergalactic travel, fantasy adventures and apocalyptic survival. As you are faced with trial upon trial, you will all be faced with one question:
What is it that you seek?"
The digital man spoke the last line with such weight that it was almost as if he expected the populace below to roar at that question. But no one did.
They were completely clueless to what impact that man would have on their future.
And they would pay for it.
As soon as the man appeared, he had vanished, revealing an announcement on the billboard.
[Quest: VRMMO]
[What is it that you seek?]
[NilPod out next Thursday for $1599]
[Nihil Ltd.]
People continued traversing around in the city square as if nothing had happened. To a passerby, everything and everyone seemed to be completely normal. Businessmen and businesswomen hastily rushed throughout the city square, boasting their wealth by flaunting their expensive briefcases and eccentric purses. Cheaply paid employees aimlessly laundered around the city, looking for fulfilment in a dead world. The homeless took refuge within the park areas, claiming benches and the abundant trash for themselves. It appeared to be a completely normal day within the busy city.
Yet it was quite the opposite. If one studied the city square close enough, they would find that one man stood out from the crowd. Not blatantly of course, but in a subtle manner. He appeared to be just a normal middle-aged businessman, minding his own business and trying his best to live within the confines of this newly formed society. But at a closer look, one would see that his eyes contained unrivalled determination. His slight smile possessed a confidence unlike no other, as if he knew something that no one else did.
The man walked purposefully through the square. Numerous conversations entered his ears as he passed by.
"Did you hear that the Commoner's Rebellion was defeated?"
"I did. I heard that they got massacred by the Elitists."
"Yeah true, but they deserved it."
"You think so? Weren't the rebels just trying to fight for their own rights?"
"Are you listening to their propaganda again? It's evident that they're trying to overthrow our government because they're greedy. That's all there is to it."
The man seemed to pay no attention to the gossip as he approached a massive skyscraper that shot into the hazy sky above. He entered the business-oriented building furnished with grand interior and walked straight towards the elevator. The elevator opened before him as he entered the densely packed space. A businesswoman rose her brow as he pressed the button for the top floor.
"Going to see the big boss? I heard he doesn't like visitors."
A slight smile perked on the man's face.
"I guess you could say that."
He remained silent for the remainder of his journey, watching people come and go until he was the last person in the elevator. Finally, the elevator door opened before him, revealing a wide, long and open hallway with a plain wooden door at the end. He paced down the hallway before reaching the door, his steps creating an eerie echo within the barren space. He pulled the door open.
"You've finally arrived."
The words came from the man sitting on the couch in the corner of the large office. He was a handsome man with tanned skin and a clean-cut face, looking at the man at the door with a sense of urgency glaring from his eyes. The man at the door looked sternly at the man on the couch.
"I thought I told you to never to come here Justin." He said seriously.
The man on the couch pondered over the comment over for a second before responding.
"It was urgent boss. It was necessary for me to come in person."
The boss slowly nodded as he closed the door. He approached the clean desk and sat down on the plush swivel chair. While big, the office was awfully minimalistic, furnished with just a couch for receptiveness along with a glass desk facing a large window which showed the sprawling city below.
The boss swivelled towards Justin.
"What do you need to tell me?" He asked stoically.
Justin waited for his boss and adjust himself in his seat before he responded.
"We've finally eliminated the two spies."
The boss's eyes widened.
"How did you manage to find them?"
Justin grinned with pride.
"We managed to decrypt a call with the leader of the commoner rebels on line. Using the information from that call, we were able to identify the traitors and kill them. I have a report of the incident with me now. I would have sent the report over the net, but with rebel informants everywhere, I thought it would be best to give the report in person. Well...that and another reason…"
A quizzical look appeared on the boss's face before he nodded his head.
"Show me the report."
Justin froze for a moment, his body subconsciously refusing to hand the report over.
"Justin I don't have all day." The boss said impatiently. "Show me the report."
Justin grimaced.
"Fine." He said while reluctantly placing the report on the boss' desk.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Justin said with a hint of fear in his voice. "I don't think you're going to like this very much..."
The boss waved his hand dismissively to Justin's comment before flicking open the folder. His eyes widened.
"W-what?"
The report crashed onto the carpet as the boss let report slip through his fingers in shock.
"That...can't be..."
The boss' jaw dropped. The overwhelming confidence that had once dominated the boss's features were now gone. He was now in complete and utter shock.
"No...Those two can't be the worms." The boss said in denial. "They would never betray me. Never. We went to hell and back together. They wouldn't betray me like this. They wouldn't. No. They couldn't!"
"They did." Justin interjected. "I am confident they betrayed you. Believe me, I was just as surprised when I found out."
The boss violently shook his head, his fist tightening in anger.
"Why?" The boss asked angrily, his eyes facing towards Justin. "Why did you kill them? You didn't have to-"
"I needed to boss," Justin interrupted. "I don't know exactly what kind of relationship you have with those two, but it doesn't matter. It's my job to ensure that our plan will succeed no matter what the cost. I had no choice."
The boss grimaced at Justin's words. He raised his clenched arm preparing to slam the desk, yet he suddenly stopped and dropped his arm back down to his side. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, his anger quickly subsided and confidence once again dominated his features.
"Did you really kill them?" The boss said softly while handing the report back to Justin.
Justin nodded.
"Yes." He said definitively. "We did kill them."
The boss nodded slowly, a grimace appearing on his face. Silence enveloped the office as the boss stared absently at the floor, his eyes inquisitive and probing for answers.
Answers that he would not find.
Justin finally broke the silence.
"Unfortunately, while we have taken care of the worms, we have a bit of a dilemma on our hands. Both of the traitors were very important government officials, so its absolutely crucial that we find replacements as quickly as possible. We also need to find a way to lessen the effect of their death on the community. How would you say we care take of this?"
The boss stared blankly at Justin without immediately responding, absent-mindedly tapping his fingers on the desk. After a long while, he finally responded.
"I don't know." The boss finally answered. "This is a big problem that will take time to resolve."
The boss paused for a moment before continuing.
"I will take care of the situation personally. You may leave now Justin."
Justin's eyes bulged put of their sockets in bewilderment.
"What you mean? You can't interfere in government decisions right now! That's preposterous!"
His boss' facial expression cracked a subtle smile seeing Justin's reaction.
"Then I'll move into a position where I can interfere with government decisions."
"No! That will ruin our entire plan. You can't leave your job and go-"
"Justin, listen to me." The boss rudely interrupted. "You might not see it, but my decision will be for the best. I'm not needed here anymore Justin. Soon enough, everything will play out perfectly by itself. I need to move on."
"But-"
"No buts Justin. I've made my decision." He stated definitively.
"You may leave now Justin." He said more bluntly this time.
However, Justin refused to budge off the couch, his face contorting in frustration.
"No. I'm not done yet." Justin refuted. "There's one other problem that needs to be resolved. As you should know, the traitor's have a newborn child. What should we do with it?"
The boss responded immediately.
"I'm taking it as far away as I can from here and leaving it there. Killing it would be far too cruel, yet I cannot let their child live without facing the crime of its parents."
Upon hearing this, Justin shot of the couch and angrily stomped towards the office door. He quickly reached the door before lashing out at his boss.
"I can't believe you sometimes! You are a living puzzle! Your intelligence and reasoning are unparalleled, yet at times you seem to spit in the face of common sense and choose the most inconvenient and stupid choices."
The boss responded to Justin's comment with silence. His eyes dragged towards the floor as contemplation and uncertainty became visible on his face. Justin opened the door and left with one last comment.
"I heavily respect you boss, but you must learn some empathy and forgiveness. You're heading down a disastrous path and one day it will tear you apart."
Justin exited the office and slammed the door behind him. A cold and awkward silence filled the office. The boss blankly looked at the carpet floor below and kept still. The air slowly grew tense from the ominous silence and lack of movement. The boss broke the tension with a mad chuckle.
"I can never decide whether you are absolute genius or a complete idiot Justin."
The boss suddenly pushed himself out of his chair and began pacing towards the massive window showing the urban metropolis below. He stopped just a few inches before bringing his hands into his pockets and gazing intently at the chaos below. Angular skyscrapers shot from out of the ground, with walking platforms connected the building and various train lines weaving both high and low. People appeared like ants from his height, aimlessly loitering around a man-made catastrophe. Both satisfaction and guilt shone from the boss's eyes as he studied the city. Two emotions that entirely contradicted each other were visible on his face.
Victory and defeat.
"The world is a massive web." The boss whispered absently to himself. "Transparent strings connect people in invisible ways that they could never imagine. Detect the strings and you can find the web. Manipulate the web, and anything you desire will become reality."
A loud chuckle suddenly escaped from the boss's mouth. It sounded triumphant, yet there was a subtle tinge of sorrow present in his laugh.
"When did you say those words to me?" The boss thought aloud. "10 years? 20 years? 30 years ago? It seems like an eternity for me."
The boss began tapping his left foot in agitation.
"I hear your voice every day, yet I never truly see you. You promised me everything, yet you have given me nothing."
The man paused as he lost his focus in the city below. Then, heartfelt words exited his mouth.
"When will you ever return?"
The words resonated through the quietness of the office. The boss spoke the words as if he would receive a response from the heavens above. He was answered with utter and complete silence. Realising this, the boss sighed.
"It does not matter. What has been done has been done. Everything is coming into place. The world is slowly ascending to greatness. All pain will finally be resolved and all sin will be vanquished."
"Justice is coming."