February 12, 2045Two years have passed since Helen Grey first announced 'The Quest'.
She sent out a short video message, recorded in the real world before being uploaded to the Virtual Reality and posted to every single users' personal inbox. Sitting in a sparse office behind a hard oak desk, one more suited for a professor's office than that of the world's most influential boss, she spoke to a webcam. On the top of the desk was a golden plaque engraved with her name and a photo frame although it was turned around to face her so whatever it depicted was a mystery.
She appeared as a pale woman with dark, straight hair. Although it was hard to tell from the video as she remained behind the desk throughout, she was a tall woman standing at nearly six foot tall with a lithe frame. She was wearing a black pantsuit and wore light makeup, as if she were about to go to a meeting. Very businesslike.
"Hello, everyone in the world. I am Helen Grey, founder and CEO of Virtual Reality. Today I am announcing that I have contracted a terminal illness and am not long for this world. It is not in my nature to turn to theatrics or to make a big thing out of a personal issue, however this will have ramifications for all of you."
She gestured to her right and some, clearly edited in, boxes with titles like "Proposal for Monthly Subscription" appeared, all the way down below the bottom of the video window.
"These are just a few of the plans this company's board has attempted to slip in which I have vetoed. When I created the Virtual Reality I wanted it to be something that anyone could access but now most of the board no longer share my views and wish to monetise it, making it unavailable for many of you. In turn, I was slapped with a contract which has prevented me using Virtual Reality's vast resources to launch any initiatives which would improve our current situation. For the last two decades we have existed in this stalemate but now a time has come where this must change."
She flicked her hand and the list of boxes disappeared, swiping away to the side and off the screen. Then she reached into a drawer in her desk and pulled out a well read copy of
Ready Player One for the viewer to see.
"Normally, the board would elect their own choice for CEO and their choice would undoubtedly be someone who shares their vision. I am unable, even with my controlling share of the company, to elect my own successor by normal means, however this book gave me inspiration for a solution to this problem. In this, a man in a similar situation to myself leaves his inheritance to the winner of a game he sets up within the virtual world he created." She looks up at the camera and smiles, the first real one in the entire video; it has a childish glee to it and there is an excited shine in her eye and she speaks more quickly in her excitement.
"I have hidden clues, both within the various worlds within the Virtual Reality as well as the real one. Each one will lead you to the next until you finally reach the prize which is well hidden and will require you to have found all the previous clues. Even should I die before someone completes this Quest, no new CEO can be chosen. There will be some who will try to subvert this contest, using their money and influence to ensure the winner will lead this company in the wrong direction. I have faith, however, that it will be one of you, an ordinary user of the Virtual Reality who cares deeply for it and understands its importance to everyone across the world, who will complete my Quest."
She puts the book down on the desk and then pulls out a small gun, one used for the starts of races and it is clear what she intends to use it for.
"My personal website has been converted in a scoreboard, showing who is closest to winning the prize. Using your avatar's name, of course. The first clue is as follows:"
Bruised and battered I sailed there,
To draw a line upon a Bell,
A stately house now lying bare,
To free us from this Cage of Hell.
The lines of text appear on the screen in flames, most likely in homage to the depiction used in the aforementioned book, and she looks up with an abashed grin.
"I never was a poet or a riddlesmith so forgive how clunky that was. Now, game... start!" She pulls the trigger on the gun, a brief bang and the video ends.
Artorigios
Virtual Reality World: War of the RosesLight in the tent was dim, fires in braziers outside giving some light through the open tent flap with the shadow of two guards standing at attention outside just visible in the flicking light. Inside a few candles were casting their limp light over the map they were weighing down, one on each corner of the cracked and worn cartographic depiction of the land around them. A few men and women stood on the other side of the table wearing an assorted array of armour with surcoats over the top depicting which house they were pledged to. Once of them, a tall bearded man with the immersion breaking name of 'CraigtheMighty91', decided to break the awkward silence, slamming a fist dramatically down onto the table.
"Well? You haven't given us an answer yet!"
Artorigios looked up calmly from the chair he was sat in, an elaborately carved demi-throne he had commanded the leader of the army give up while they negotiated. He was unarmed, as had been the request of the leaders opposite, and parlay rules had been put in place meaning that no one could harm another player for the next thirty minutes. They had spent the last five minutes in silence, the others staring at him and wondering why he was wasting time staring them down in turn.
"No, I have decided not to help you. I'm already contracted to another, you see." He stood up from the borrowed throne and strode out of the tent, ignoring the shouted questions hurled at his back. The guards at the tent flap gave him a sideways glance but said nothing, the rules of the parlay meaning none of them could attack him.
As Artorigios left the camp he could hear the dull thumping of hunderds of feet and hooves on the ground ahead. It had been thirty minutes now since he had entered the camp, the parlay was over and combat could resume. Out of the darkness rushed hundreds of other avatars, past him and flooded the utterely unprepared camp. A tall female avatar wearing a crown rode up to him astride a horse with a small entourage, one of whom held a ridereless horse's reins.
"Thank you, Artorigios. Your distraction worked perfectly."
Heaving himself into the saddle, he turned to speak to the crowned rider whom he knew to be 'Andr3a', an avatar who spent almost all of her time on this particular world as its defacto ruler although several other clans and guilds resisted her; like the now in flames camp before them.
"I'm glad. Now, my payment?" He held out his gauntleted hand and Andr3a sighed before doing the same, dropping a pouch and a small scroll into his hand. He accepted the trade and the items went to his avatar's inventory. They shook hands and then he left them to mop up their enemies, his work done. A transporter, after charging an exhorbitant fee, transported him back to Homeworld where he opened the scroll he had been given.
It was in fact a map with various avatar names and several crosses upon it. For a while Artorigios had been looking for the place the first clue pointed to and many shared his suspicions but still no one had found it. The map showed the area he suspected the clue to be in and the avatars known to be still searching it after several months; these were his rivals who had not given up hope and still had similar thoughts to himself.
Smiling, he headed towards his in-game abode with its study and his notes documenting his research. The day job was done and now it was time to resume the Quest.
