September 3
The Town of Grounder
Shade Tower, New Expansion, Foreign Residential West Wing
"So, you promised her what," Masa asked the doctor, growling under his breath as the thoughts of the current reveals bounced around in his head.
"I promised I'd save her if she flatlined before she achieved her goal, but that if someone else were to appear in need of similar treatments, I would drop her as an ICU patient and move them to top priority, no matter what. She said that she wanted nothing more than to save the other players here, and since ICU is full right now, she wanted to make sure she wasn't prioritized. That was the deal." Porter leaned back in his chair as the link flickered a little, its daily update being received.
"So, you're saying that if some player in that hospital needed to be moved, you would move someone with heart failure out just so you could save them," Masa growled again.
"As a doctor, I am obligated to treat everyone the same without discriminating by wealth, lineage, or ability. I am also obligated to respect every patient's wishes, Mr. Kagemune," Porter said, picking up his coffee mug and taking a big gulp. Masa looked less than pleased on his computer screen and he had to laugh at how immature Taro's brother was. Taro was wise and mature and selfless to a fault, while her younger brother Masa was like a child, naive and self centered, always willing to give up anything if it meant less pain. Porter knew the three Kagemunes well, and he had to say, they were all great kids, but Masa was obviously the most frustrating of them all. "Masa, listen closely. Your sister is a great woman. She has been amazing, and I am honored to meet a prodigy like her. I mean, even before the game she had graduated from MIT with a doctorate degree in computer sciences when she was 16, and then she had worked for the next two years on foreign relations and interpretation for the UN before getting another degree in medical sciences in three different fields. She's amazing! But I can't put her above anyone else, and she has given consent for this."
"But-"
"Masa, she is going to get out of this. Even if she isn't in ICU, I'm sure Towa would figure out something to keep her alive. She's stronger than a lot of people I know. Please trust her, even if you don't trust me," Porter sighed.
"She had another major heart attack last month, Porter. I don't know what to do anymore, but I can't lose her," Masa said quietly. "I appreciate you playing psychiatrist for me and the others as well as keeping us updated on this. I'm sure you're a busy man. I can't thank you enough for this."
"It really is an honor, Masa. Taro is a legend here in the real world, and she's a great woman. We're getting close to getting her a heart now, and she's getting even closer to getting out of the game. You don't have to worry about losing her," Porter said, taking another gulp of coffee. The line was silent for a moment before Porter spoke once more. "So, I have to go soon, but tell me something. How's that boy Taro's so fond of. What was his name?"
-..-..-
"Benji!" Taro smiled at her new live-in partner. He was one of the only people she could stand to be around recently. Everyone else had been pushing her to quit fighting or fight even harder before she kicked the bucket. It was bad enough that she was forced to live in the new Foreign Residential West Wing of Shade Tower, she didn't need the added pressure of the other players.
"What," he asked, finishing the last line of written orders to the newly instated co-guildmaster of the Sun Guild. He glanced up at her and skimmed the screen she was at before cocking his head. "A breakthrough?"
"Yeah! I figured out how to add in emotional support systems! That and I found a way to share some of the magical abilities of a Shadow Keeper with the others."
"That's great! Which ones," Benji asked, standing up from his bed and walking over to Taro's side of the room. He glanced over the system coding before looking away and scratching the back of his head. "You're gonna have to translate all that gibberish for me, Taro. I don't speak nerd."
"Jerk," she chided gently. "I was able to program an emotional support system more advanced than the system generated companions! It comes in the form of a player-like party member that does nothing to the headcounts, so that the angels don't have an issue there. The program is customizable and can collect data from combat and social scenarios to create the most comforting settings for each player. I couldn't finish it, but it also has a defensive feature in which it can and will fight along its assigned player in order to protect them."
"That was all... in those letters and numbers?" Taro chuckled under her breath, rubbing her chest as she felt another surge of pain. The system recreation system was functioning perfectly, but it was more of a hinderance than a help to Taro with her health back in the real world. "Okay then. Sorry. Please continue. What about the Shadow Keeper's magical abilities did you figure out how to transfer."
"I managed to share it, not transfer it, idiot!" Benji put his arms around Taro's shoulders and leaned on her in her seat, sighing as Taro didn't pull away like she had previously. Life in Land of Shadows had changed quite a lot, and his relationship with Taro was one of those changes. He almost didn't miss being the only guildmaster of the Sun Guild, but Taro never failed to remind him about everything he had loved about it. "I was able to compile a list of existing spells and race traits and compare them to the coding in my own race coding. It was really quite interesting!"
"English please, Taro. I'm an idiot, remember? You said it yourself," Benji teased.
"The Shadow Keeper is basically an advanced combination of a sorcerer, an enchanter, a warrior, and about 4% of all of the other race codes compiled into one advanced coding system enabling the Shadow Keeper to utilize all of the race traits from all of the races. So, by updating all of the race codes, I can give them the best parts of the codes for productivity and safety. I can't use it all because of pesky little bugs that the error forced on the system-"
"English."
"I can give everyone a really awesome upgrade."
"Good girl," Benji said and kissed Taro's cheek, ignoring the bright blush that colored her cheeks. "Why don't we go hunting to celebrate. We won't even tell Masa, so you won't have to keep calling Dr. Maxim to report and check up on your status."
"Masa will kill you, you know. He's already unhappy with you because of the heart attack last month," Taro sang.
"I'm telling you, me asking to move in with you to look out for you wasn't the cause of that. You turned me down and everything, though here we are, but even so, he needs to lighten up!" Taro smiled at him. "Hey Taro?"
"Yeah," she asked.
"I never got how you were able to feel how sick you were. Is that something to do with the system? And how does this world affect the real you?" Taro looked at Benji like he was crazy and ruffled his already messy hair.
"Idiot. What were you in the real world? I find it hard to believe you were a game tester for this if you don't even know about that!"
"I was a game tester for Land of Shadows, but after the error, everything got real. Like, real world real." Benji flinched away from Taro's ministrations, turning and walking back to the bed. "I swear."
"It's the games recreation system. It stimulates the brain in a way that prevents all motor skills in the real world, but does not block pain signals. The body here, in the game, is a perfect mirror of your real body thanks to Towa's great programing and scans, so when our real body gets hurt, we feel it here exactly at the same place because the pain receptors in our brain are feeling it there. As for the game making my heart worse, excitement and adrenaline are still produced even when I'm here, which makes my heart race, and with the damage it already has-"
"That's enough, Taro," Benji said abruptly. Taro cut off and silence filled the room. She took the chance to launch the update, the sounds of the console working making the already awkward atmosphere even more awkward. "Please, just stop."
"Benji, I'm not going anywhere any time soon. I made a promise to be there for you no matter what remember. You are really special to me, so I can't just leave you here. You're my best friend," Taro said softly after the update finished. She looked at Benji, who had plopped down on the bed, and sighed again. "So, how about we go on that hunt?"
"Taro, I know it's impolite to ask this, but what's your real name," Benji asked. The room went silent. It was seen as something rude and intrusive to ask these things, but Benji had always wondered. His name wasn't his own as he had used his middle name, trying to abide by the rules set up in the registration process. He knew the doctors called players by their username in order to keep the anonymity in case anyone was listening in, but Taro had a last name, and another brother for that matter. He had always wondered about Taro, and if she didn't want to tell him, he would take that. "It's just... you said we're best friends. Once we get out of here, I want to know what to call you."
"Already thinking about out there?" Taro chuckled tiredly. "My name is Taro Kagemune, Benji. That's all you need to know." Benji's face remained relatively emotionless, as it had been since she had called him her best friend. "Don't be mad. I told you the truth. Would you tell me your name if I were to ask?"
"Of course," Benji whispered.
"Well then, what is it?"
"Theo," Benji said quietly.
"Well then, Theo, my name is Taro. It's nice to meet you," Taro chirped, standing up and equipping her daggers. Benji groaned.
"That's not fair," Benji growled, sitting up and taking in Taro as she checked the straps of her armor and jacket. He growled again under his breath before opening his menu and equipping his own armor and sword. "You know what Taro? I won't look for you after this, I'll just forget about you."
The room was silent for a long moment as Benji realized what he had said. He wished he could take it back.
"It would be best if you would forget about me, Benji. I'm sorry you met me, but I'm glad we've had this time." Benji went to speak, to deny what she had said, but Taro was too fast and hurried to finish what she had to say. "Forget about hunting. You stay here. I'm just going down to the market. Alone."
"Taro!" But she had already warped out of the room. Benji growled under his breath and headed out to find someone to take his frustration out on. If that meant punching one of the guards out in the courtyard, then so be it.
-..-..-
The market was crowded. Actually, crowded was an understatement. It was bustling with craftsmen, street venders, farmers, A.Is, and shoppers all chattering and laughing. Taro had to smile. It was nice to see that the devastation of being stuck in the game hadn't completely destroyed the players she was fighting to help. She adjusted her coat to hide her weapons. There was never such a thing as enough protection.
She was careful to dodge guild members, from Shade Guild and others alike. She hid her face from the bustle to protect her identity. She honestly wanted to avoid the hassle that came with her name, from friend and foe alike. It was already apparent that she had already been spotted by a few passers by; the passing murmurs of her name caught her attention like a bull horn.
Catching sight of her escape route, she took it, rushing through a few back alleys into the slums of Grounder. The Shade Tower was still visible as she looked around before ducking into her old home. It was a relief when she leaned against the closed door and heard the system automated 'lock' sound. Kotaro, who she hadn't seen since July, stood panting in one corner of the room, head tilted to the side.
"Kotaro, heel boy!" The dog rushed to her side and sat down by her right side. She reached down to pat the dog's head as he panted before heading over to her room, opening the door and striding toward her bed just as the incoming call icon popped up in front of her. "Accept," she said, sitting down. Porter's face popped up on a holographic screen, his face smiling, but eyes filled with concern.
"How are you feeling, Taro," He asked, voice warm and gentle. Taro didn't respond. "I assume you are choosing not to comment on that. I also assume you know that I've spoken to your brother." Again, he was met with silence. "He said that you and that boy, Benji I think he said, have become quite close."
"Yeah, but you know that isn't what I want to talk about, Porter."
"I sugar coated it just like you wanted," Porter said, pulling up her chart. He looked it over for a minute. "You can't have another heart attack, Taro. The damage itself is progressing at a startling rate, but if you have another one, I don't think we'll be able to bring you back, no matter how much money Towa pours into it."
"You haven't told Makoto yet, right?"
"Masa calls him all the time. Plus, I don't think that poor boy could take any more bad news," Porter said, putting the chart down. "Taro, how much longer until you test something? Do you even have anything yet?"
"I'm dying, Porter. That desperation you have, that should be me," Taro chuckled. "I do have something, but it's a prototype and I don't want to risk any bugs on anyone, but with the way it's set up, I can't be the tester because it will only activate by internal voice command, meaning I have to be here."
"I wouldn't ask you to test it, Taro, but there has to be a first, and there always has to be a risk. Have you told your brother? He might be willing to test it out for you-"
"Don't ever suggest that again. I may not be as protective as some people about my family, but suggesting that I use my own brother-"
"You are protective, Taro, or you wouldn't have lied about how bad you really are or what has been going on with you. You have protected everyone around you, Taro. I think it's time you let it go and see what happens if you let them try things instead of putting it on yourself. I think it's time to give it a rest," Porter said. "It's time to try things because it's coming to a point where we can't wait any longer."
"What about the transplant list?"
Comments (0)
See all