1 Heaven Defying
September 5th, 2085...
Tyler walked into his silent and empty house, towing along a high-tech levitating board that lightly floated up and down. On this hovering board was his work briefcase and some groceries which he picked up for cheap at some convenience store.
Over the last sixty years, technology has advanced to the point in which even the poorest of people like him could buy sci-fi level tech.
Tyler had great features with short and curly black hair that was nicely cut. He looked like he was in college but in actuality, he was in his late twenties.
Due to the advances in health technology, he looked and felt like he was in the prime of his life. Going by other's standards, he was quite good looking.
After he put all the food away, he made a cup of ramen and slumped onto the couch. He heaved a heavy sigh as he lamented over the day's events 'Today's work was so tiring!' He grabbed the remote to the TV and started flipping through random channels 'I might quit soon...'
The same routine of moping and wasting away has been with him since he first got his job. He says he will quit, but he's in no position too.
Nothing good was on so he flipped to the news. Video feeds of hundreds of people dancing in a futuristic ballroom showed up on a screen. People chatted and drank on floating platforms in luxurious garments. Musicians played a rhythmic and uplifting tune while everyone enjoyed the atmosphere. Multiple bars lined the walls as bartenders performed tricks for their guests.
A dashing reporter stood near the stage at the front of the ballroom as he explained the details of the event, "Today is the last day of the Monolith Foundation's game launch event and important figures from all over the star system are here to celebrate," the reporter spoke in an excited tone as he looked over the crowd, "In a few minutes, the final one hundred people will be drawn from the lotteries biggest prizes."
Monolith is a massive company that started from scratch and a team of geniuses and ushered in a new era. They used simulated realities to generate technologies and advanced ideas for the world. It wasn't perfect and it's extremely difficult to find the solution to every issue using this method, but it ultimately drove the entire star system into a new golden age.
After Monolith revolutionized humanity, they went into seclusion for a couple of decades. During this time, they put every ounce of effort into making a simulated world, or video game, that could be considered a real place due to the life-like gameplay. In the real world, they spent around 40 years in the development of the proper technologies and the game itself, but they used some advanced full dive technology to make a workspace that slowed downtime. They spent more than two hundred years creating that video game in their workspace.
Tyler could only imagine the hardships Monolith went through.
The reporter explained how in the previous day, results of one million to one hundred lottery prizes were presented online.
"Now the prizes are simple..." he held up his palm as a coin-sized green disk laid upon it. A hologram floated above the disk and presented the prizes.
•>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>•
{1,000,000th - 101st}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- One shooting star wish (in-game)
- Special edition: Advanced Full Dive helmet (90% - 92% synchronization rate)
{100th - 51st}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Two shooting star wishes (in-game)
- Additional talent choices (in-game)
- Aura cosmetic editing chance for the avatar (in-game)
- Special edition: Full Dive pod (93% - 95% synchronization rate)
{50th - 11th}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Five shooting star wishes (in-game)
- Additional race choices (in-game)
- Additional talent choices (in-game)
- Unique aura cosmetic editing chance for the avatar (in-game)
- Limited edition: Advanced Full Dive pod (96% - 99% synchronization rate)
{10th - 4th}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- One shooting star cluster wish (in-game)
- One super wish (in-game)
- Additional race choices (in-game)
- Additional talent choices (in-game)
- Unique aura cosmetic editing chance for the avatar (in-game)
- Advanced AI helper interface (in-game)
- Limited edition: Signature Monolith Full Dive pod (100% synchronization rate)
{3rd - 2nd}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Two shooting star cluster wishes (in-game)
- Two super wishes (in-game)
- Additional race choices (in-game)
- Additional unique talent choices (in-game)
- Premium aura cosmetic editing chance for the avatar (in-game)
- Super AI helper interface (in-game)
- Premium edition: Signature Monolith Full Dive pod (105% synchronization rate)
- Lifetime Subscription to the Longevity Corporation: Diamond pass
{1st}
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Three shooting star cluster wishes (in-game)
- Three super wishes (in-game)
- One grand wish (in-game)
- Additional race choices (in-game)
- Additional unique talent choices (in-game)
- Premium aura cosmetic editing chance for the avatar (in-game)
- Super AI helper interface (in-game)
- Premium Edition: Signature Monolith Full Dive chamber (110% synchronization rate)
- Lifetime subscription to the Longevity Corporation: Diamond pass
•<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<•
Tyler quickly skimmed over the screen as he marveled at the wealth of the prizes. Even the worst prize was quite extravagant.
'Didn't Andrew sign me up for this lottery? I heard it costs money to apply.' After memorizing the top 100 prizes, he made a mental note to thank his best friend for entering him, even if he didn't win anything.
The reporter rambled on about different key aspects of the game before a bald man with a bushy beard and soft features walked onto the stage. The music slowly stopped and the people all paid close attention to the man.
It was none other than Anthony McBell. The leader of the Pillars of Monolith and a core founder of the Monolith Foundation. A legend that has (mentally) lived over two hundred years. Although a majority of it was spent making AlKo online, he was still the oldest in the room so his ancient and wise aura was noticed by all.
He opened his arms in a welcoming manner and exclaimed in a delighted voice "Welcome to the Obelisk and thank you so much for coming!" The crowd cheered and applauded for a couple of seconds before dying down.
The ball was being held on the Obelisk which is the Monolith Foundation's base of operations. It's a massive satellite station that orbits the moon. It's two-thirds the size of the moon so people on the moon and Earth can see it from their surface. The Obelisk's main purpose is to house the mega computer that generates the technologies for the Monolith Foundation. It's considered a galactic monument of humanity.
Anthony made some announcements and jokes before he started talking about his dreams of making AlKo online. After a little bit, he started reading off the names of the top 100's list. As he read the names of the top one hundred, the corresponding rewards were displayed behind him on a big screen.
"Now for our top 10 winners..." he gave pauses for dramatic effect as he slowly listed the names. Some of the names were famous while most were completely unknown.
"Gerald Christoph from Russia! Congratulations on 3rd place."
"Vanessa Jackson from the United States! Congratulations on 2nd place."
Both names were fairly well known in the gaming community. Gerald worked for a big guild that focused on conquering big games while Vanessa was a skilled independent gamer that focused on a single game for long periods of time. He remembered them because Andrew constantly talked about famous gamers that he looked up to.
"And our final prize goes too...." the band that was on the side gave a light drum roll at Anthony's command.
"Tyler Harlow from the United States!! Congratulations on obtaining 1st place!"
Tyler flinched when he heard his name 'Damn, what are the odds of someone with my name appearing on the list... even first place!' He took another bite of his ramen, obviously not believing that he won. 'I'm not that lucky...'
"Out of the 8.6 billion participants, a hundred people beat the odds..." Anthony raised his hand and snapped his fingers, "Messages were sent to the winners explaining the prizes and the instructions for obtaining them."
*Ding*
Tyler slowly turned his head toward his phone that lay beside him on the couch. A look of shock and a little terror flashed across his face. 'There's no way...' he picked up the phone and read through the message carefully.
"What is this heaven-defying luck!?!"
•>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>•
Hello and thank you for participating in the Monolith Foundation's lottery event for AlKo online. Here are your prizes for winning first place:
- Private beta access to AlKo online
- Three shooting star cluster wishes (in-game)
- Three super wishes (in-game)
- One grand wish (in-game)
- Additional race choices (in-game)
- Additional unique talent choices (in-game)
- Premium aura cosmetic editing chance for the avatar (in-game)
- Super AI helper interface (in-game)
- Premium edition: Signature Monolith Full Dive chamber (110% synchronization rate)
- Lifetime subscription to the Longevity Corporation: Diamond pass
Secret prize:
- Modernized gamer residence (houses the Full Dive chamber)
Congratulations on winning all these prizes! We will be sending someone over tomorrow and they will arrive by 8:00 to talk about the details. Have a good day!
•<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<•
