The Chaos Ensues

I wake up from my deep sleep and see the same floating test in front of me. Welcoming me to The Aeternus Universe. I hold my head as it still throbs, and as I do, my mind flashes to moments in my childhood this happened as well. I focus on something else, and the clear as day memories fade away. "What the hell happened... I've never experienced anything like that before..." I look around and see other players. That's when I fully look around my environment, and we are in a city. There are alien species and stores open with people coming and going.

Many of the players stick out cause we are disoriented and stumbling around. I take a couple of breaths as I find a bench and relax. My mind continues to think and remember, but I take control of it. The headache fades, and my pain with it. A new box appears in front of me.

[Now that your traits have been installed, you must select a nickname. People can see your real name of Scott Autumn if you wish. However, NPC's will only see your real name. The nickname is for dealing with other players.]

A new screen pops up, and so does a keyboard. I input my nickname.

[Lone Wolf has been selected as your nickname! Fellow players will only see Lone Wolf! NPC's will always see Scott Autumn!]

[Would you like to look at your player information? Y/N]

I see many players doing the same thing, we can't see each other's scenes, but we can see each other talking to nothing. Time to see if this works similarly to other DDVR's and VRMMORPG's. "Yes." A new panel pops up, showing me in futuristic common clothes. I look down at my body, and they match. It's a nice shade of blue. I look at the information on the screen.

[Scott Autumn (Lone Wolf)]

[Race: Primordium]

[Exp: 0]

[Description: Exp is your currency, there are no levels for players. Once you get ships and mecha suits, you can start using exp to upgrade.]

[Traits]

[Hyperthymesia] [Eidetic Memory] [Tech Speak] [Unquantifiable IQ] [Indimidating Genius] [Unparalled Problem-Solving]

[Note: There is no Health bar since it'll be up to you to make sure you don't get fatally wounded. Once fatal wound or attack and it's to the respawn points for you.]

[Hint: Buy a blaster, you'll need it]

This is hardcore, I've never seen a DDVR or VRMMORPG with no health bars, and from the sounds of it, this whole game works like real-world injuries. As I'm looking through the information again, a new notification pops up. It's from the system giving me my special mission. I open it and begin reading the mission information.

[My People]

[Description: Travel to your lost homeworld.]

[Objective 1: Get off-world in your own personal ship]

[Note: Mission will update once objective one is completed]

[Mission Difficulty: ???]

[Mission Grade: To be Graded]

This mission seems like it's going to be a hard one to complete. I see many players logging off and probably getting off to see if anything is wrong with them. I'm going to stay on and check out this city. I want to know where I am before I log off. All I know right now is we are on Empryian, a world of unimportance.

Many players log off around me in flashes of light, but I stand and begin walking around. As I look at things, they are imprinted on my memory with 100% clarity. I pass some stores that look to be selling weapons. The hint from earlier did say to get a blaster soon. I walk into the store and look around. There are several weapons on racks and displays. They are all masterfully designed with sleek styles.

I walk up to the counter, and it's an alien that looks similar to a reptile. The closest resemblance is a walking-talking turtle without a shell. "How can I help you?" It has a deep voice and is hesitant of me. I look at him and observe his every movement and feature. I don't know what race he is. "Are you going to stare at me all day, or are you going to tell me what you need?" I stop staring and look into the glass display between us and at the blasters.

While looking at them, they disassemble and show me faulty parts. It popped up like a hologram right above the blaster. I know the turtle creature didn't see it. So it must have been one or more of my traits looking for flaws. I do that to each of them until I find one with no problems.

I point at it, and he brings it out of the display. "That'll be 10 Credits." I look at him in confident calculation. So if I want to buy things from the NPC's in this world, I'll need credit. Two forms of currency. Exp for players upgrading their tech and credits for anything else. "If you don't have the credits, that get out of my store." The turtle creature gets mad and places the blaster back into its display. I turn and leave with no word.

My first goal should be to find out how to get credits. That is the lifeblood of The Aeternus Universe. I walk around some more and take in the advanced tall buildings and futuristic designs. I see small and medium space ships fly over the city from time to time. After a while, I come into a richer part of the city and see many different species speaking to each other.

Some are even playing games and gambling. I look over to the area that all these games are happening, and all of them are familiar. Blackjack, Texas Hold'em, and others too. It's a little community of rich people gambling in public, but be different laws here. I walk into the shaded area, all this happening, and see that all these games are from earth.

Since this game was designed by earth A.I.'s, some things like this are bound to be in. "You look like an able gambler, come over here and sit with us. I'd like to see if I can win the clothes off your back." A cocky voice speaks out to me, and I turn to see who it is. I'm met by a table full of rich-looking humans. I see the look to humiliate me in the man's eyes. He waves me over, and I calmly walk. I take a seat at the table and see the game currently being played.

5 card draw is what's being played. I know how to play this game. Jess and I played it as little kids. "From the commoner clothes you're wearing. I can tell that you are poorer than dirt. So how about a bet? If I win this next hand, you become my slave. If you win, I'll give you a buy-in so you can really play." Slave, huh. Not sure I like the sound of that, I nod my head anyway, and the dealer deals us each five cards.

I get two pair Jacks and eights, my mind immediately starts working, and I see probabilities and strategies to play to win this. They go through my head with clarity. "I'll take 1 card." He speaks and asks for one card. He must be going for a flush or higher.

The odds of me getting a full house to beat him are low. Getting the Jack or eight I need is lower than 2%. My mind is what's telling me that. These traits are awesome, so the next best thing is to throw away all five of my cards.

The odds of getting something better than a full house are low, but not as low as drawing the eight or Jack I need. "I'll take a new hand." The dealer and everyone else at the table look at me in slight shock. He gives the guy his one card, and he doesn't look too happy. I get my five new cards, and I got 3 of a kind in 3s. It's better than my last hand. I lay my cards down the same time he does, and he missed his flush. He only needed one more heart. "Give me that buy-in." He grumbles and pays for the buy-in.

This could be a great opportunity for me to get some serious credits. These guys don't look good at 5 card draw, and they also look filthy rich. As Scott is swindling rich snobs out of their money, an announcement is happening in the real world. The announcement is talking about how people are coming back from

The Aeternus Universe with the traits of their characters. They still look human. However, if someone got the trait of better eyesight or enhanced strength, they have it after they logged out. This is causing chaos, both in the government and in the other games in the market. Everyone is now buying and logging onto The Aeternus Universe to get their character's traits in real life. This only means one thing for Scott. His life is going to change even more.