"Let's go celebrate, I'm buying!" Candice, the program coordinator, announced cheerfully.
Thaddeus joined his colleagues in celebrating the successful update. They headed to a nearby restaurant, eager to unwind and discuss the momentous occasion. The air was filled with a sense of accomplishment and excitement.
As they settled into a cozy corner of the bar, they quickly ordered drinks and appetizers.
"Congrats to us!" Candice shouted happily.
The team raised their glasses in a toast, acknowledging the months of hard work and dedication that had culminated at this moment. Thaddeus, feeling a mix of pride and relief, shared a laugh with his colleagues, basking in the camaraderie that had developed among them during the intense development phase.
Thaddeus couldn't help but feel a sense of fulfillment and pride in his role as a business analyst. His hiring had initially stirred feelings of doubt and impostor syndrome, but the success of the update and support of colleagues had proven his worth to himself and his team.
As the celebration at the restaurant continued, Thaddeus raised his glass repeatedly, toasting the success of "Settlement Unleashed" and the bonds forged within the team. Moving to a new city and starting a new job had been challenging, but to see his hard work pay off, and the joy it would bring to his fellow players was more than he could have hoped for.
As he sat drinking, his phone vibrated. Looking at his phone, he saw a deposit message from his bank. When he opened the message, he was stunned to see a seven-figure deposit. Cargill and John Deere sent him his bonus for helping them gain access to the game. Honestly, he felt dirty. But his contract with them was the only reason the Mythical Guild didn't acquire Woodhaerst and Ironwood.
He also had an email from both companies. In addition to the payout, they sent him a link with download content filled with brand clothes, expensive farm equipment, hundreds of livestock, and draught-protected cotton seeds.
When he looked up from his phone, he noticed his colleagues were looking at their phones too. Thaddeus could tell some were happy, and others looked uncomfortable like him.
Feeling the awkwardness at the table, Candice said, "Dr. McElvaney sent me a message. It looks like the update is working well, with minor bugs. Cheers!"
"Cheers," they all shouted raising their glasses.
Thaddeus took a sip of his drink when his phone vibrated a second time. When he looked it was an encrypted email to his work account. The message was cloaked with layers of digital sophistication. The content was clear but veiled, a riddle meant for him alone.
"Your presence is requested. A car will pick you up at 9:00 PM on the curb outside your condominium. Ordo Revan awaits."
The excitement of the celebration and the successful update was suddenly overshadowed by the mysterious message. Thaddeus's heart raced as he read the encrypted email once again, his mind whirling with possibilities and questions. "Ordo Raven awaits." The words resonated with a profound significance, and he realized that his involvement with the enigmatic organization was about to deepen.
"Everything alright Henry?" Candice asked worriedly.
"No, everything's fine. My friend just sent me a message?"
"All right, I won't pry then," she smiled and turned around to chat with the team some more.
Thaddeus looked around at his colleagues, all engrossed in their own conversations and screens, unaware of the secret invitation that had just reached him. Candice was still smiling, her eyes sparkling with the triumph of the day. Yet Thaddeus felt a growing distance. He felt wrong, dirty even, like a petty criminal. He felt like he let down Dr. McElvaney.
With a subtle excuse, Thaddeus stepped away from the table to gather his thoughts. He looked at his reflection in the restaurant's restroom mirror, the face staring back at him now marked with a new sense of purpose and uncertainty.
Who was Ordo Raven? What was Ordo Raven? And why was he invited? Did it have to do with the payment he received? Was he even ready for this?
He returned to the table, his mind still on the mysterious email. The night wore on, laughter and conversation flowing, but Thaddeus's thoughts were elsewhere, on the car that would soon arrive at his condominium and the unknown journey that awaited him.
As the celebration wound down and goodbyes were exchanged, Thaddeus couldn't shake the feeling that his life was about to take a dramatic turn. The camaraderie of the evening, the shared success, all of it felt like a prologue to something much larger.
With a firm handshake and a warm smile, he bid farewell to his colleagues and headed home, the encrypted email's riddle echoing in his mind.
The night was still, the city's lights twinkling in the distance as Thaddeus stood on the curb outside his condominium. The minutes ticked by, each one heavy with anticipation.
Finally, a sleek black car pulled up, its windows tinted, its presence silent and imposing. The door opened, and Thaddeus stepped inside, leaving behind the familiar world, and embarking on a path guided by Ordo Raven's mysterious wisdom.
The car glided into the night, its destination unknown, Thaddeus's heart filled with a mix of anxiety and fear. The settlement game had changed, and he was now a player in a grander scheme.
The driver did not speak for the entire drive. When the car parked, the driver opened his door, handed him an electronic key card, and instructed, "They are waiting for you inside."
Thaddeus looked up and saw he was standing outside the Omni Hotel. On the key card holder, was written a conference room number.
Slowly he walked inside, avoiding the front desk attendants, and made his room the conference room. Outside Thaddeus debated whether he should enter. But the curiosity proved to be too much, and he knocked twice and entered.
Sitting around a rectangular conference table was a group of Heaven's Gate employees he met or knew of from work. He saw engineers, investigators, analysts, artists, human resources, and marketing. There were only a few people he didn't know. To his surprise, he saw Candice. She sat on the sides, happily talking to a person he remembered who worked in marketing.
"Welcome Thaddeus, to Ordo Revan," said an older man.
"Thank you," Thaddeus said unsurely.
"Have a seat with the anywhere," he smiled. "Okay, Jillian the last one's here. We can start now."
An older woman stood up and looked at the people in attendance, "Welcome recruits to the Ordo Raven. Everyone in this room was invited because of their corporate sponsorship, guild affiliation, job, or family wealth."
"Some of you might be familiar with our secret organization with Heaven's Gate. However, the whispers you heard are far from the truth. The truth is our organization spans across industries and governments. Our goal is to be an emblem of light and dark in Heaven's Gate and to navigate the complexities of power, ethics, and influence in the virtual world. Unlike players who treat Heaven's Gate like a game, we treat it as another reality. Our influences are subtle but pervasive. Our touch is evident in political decisions, corporate maneuvers, and even in the shadows of HG."
"You are being given an opportunity to pledge. The choice is yours," added the older man.
A short software engineer, with thick glasses spoke first, "Ordo Raven, is that Latin for The Order of the Revan?"
"Very perceptive," complimented the woman.
"For those of you unaware, The Order of Revan is a reference to the old Star Wars series from over 100 years ago. The Order of Revan tenets of balancing the light and dark sides of the Force resonated with our founders. Likewise, our order is a continuum between good and villainy. You here today, also fall on that line," the old man explained.
Thaddeus wondered briefly where he fell. Was he good, bad, or between? He accepted sponsorship to remain free of guild control, but now he was bound to Big Ag, for 5 years. Did he just trade one master for another?
Now he was being offered a chance to delve deeper into the abyss. Thaddeus discovered that working for Heaven's Gate was just the tip of the iceberg. Huey told him the consortium wanted him with their players to share HG's secrets. And not Ordo Revan was offering him a chance to pledge. Wait! Thaddeus wondered if the two were not mutually exclusive.
"Once you join, if you do like it, can you leave?" Candice asked. Her question capture everyone's questions.
The woman raised an eyebrow at her question, and answered curtly, "No. If you're in, you're in for life. Or at least until your character dies?"
"Why not meet in-game? What's the point of meeting in person?" asked another quest.
"Because we want to get to know you, not your character?" the woman explained.
"We're not asking you to decide today. Well, give you until a few months to think it over. We'll give you our numbers, feel free to call us. Don't text," The old man directed.
"Wait, you haven't told us the perks, yet?" asked the short software engineer.
"We already told you the perks, you weren't listening," the woman said in disgust.
"Now, your drivers are waiting for you outside. Go home, we'll reach out later," the old man said as he and the woman left the room.
"Man, this is so confusing," said a man Thaddeus knew worked as an investigator.
"Simpleton. I've been waiting for this text my whole life," said an expensively dressed woman.
"Let's go sister. Well leave these plebs here," agreed a tall man wearing an expensive suit.
Soon everyone left, but Henry and Candice.
"What do you think?" Candice asked him.
"I don't know what to think yet?" Henry answered honestly.
"It's all a lot to take in, but it's intriguing. I haven't felt this excited since Just think we earned all that money today from our sponsors and now we get invited to join a secret society?" Candice said happily, her eyes lighting up with greed.
"Sponsors? Did the ABCD group sponsor you?" Thaddeus asked surprised
"Did you think you were the only one? Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but you weren't. Do you know how hard it was to convince those chumps to agree with monetizing farms? You scared me at first, I thought you were going to harm all my efforts. To think, you did all that so John Deere could be included," Candice laughed.
"You knew the whole time?"
"Of course, why do think I'm team lead?
"I thought you earned it?"
"I did. I worked at Buena Vista for years in obscurity. When they bought HG's distribution rights, I transferred over. I applied and never got a promotion. When a board member reached out to see if I was interested, I jumped at the chance. The next day, the ABCD group reached out with a sponsorship. And now, I'm here, I won't lose this chance. I'll never go back to living in obscurity. You should join two Thaddeus. Unlike me, your one of the good guys," she said standing up to leave.
Thaddeus nodded, his mind still reeling from the revelations of the meeting. The world he thought he knew was suddenly much more complex, and the decision before him was weighty. He felt a sense of responsibility, not only to himself but also to his friends, family, and petty lords who wanted to game, away from life's distractions.
Thaddeus knew the ramifications of joining Ordo Revan could be far-reaching, and he wondered if he was ready to take that step.
When he left the hotel, Thaddeus couldn't shake the feeling that he was standing at a crossroads. The path he chose would shape not only his future but also the future of the virtual world he had come to love.