Digital Factory

"Done. That should cover my Alibi." Jack lightly wrote his story and pondered on how to improve it.

"In everyone's perspective, I'm a fresh high-school graduate. Inexperienced, ambitious, and rash. So, I need to make this more emotional and less rational." Jack closed his eyes as thoughts whirled his mind.

He could almost see the scene. He could almost hear himself speaking the prepared dialog and noticed that there was something inorganic about it.

That wouldn't do at all.

After narrowing down the problem he figured out what was off and fixed it. After adjusting the dialog Jack read it over again before sighing.

"Grade C Storytelling is incredible. I can instinctively tell compelling and interesting stories. I upgraded this in hopes it would be more useful for the stories in my gamesmanship. Who knew I would be using it to trick the government." Jack sighed at how things ended up.

When he initially bought the Storytelling skill he had hoped that it would enhance the stories in his games. With the help of his Game Development skill he found making creative and compelling stories far easier.

Of course he didn't invest too heavily in this skill. It was, after all, not related to game development. The most important aspect of games was the mechanics and game play. The stories came second.

A good game can have bad stories and still do well. But if the game is trash it didn't matter how compelling the story was. No one would play it.

After preparing his alibi, he tore it into scraps and buried it into the trash before moving on to other matters like his dire need for money.

"Bills, rent, and game development—all of it demanded money he didn't have."

"My old accounts are still active, so I at least qualify for the basic game development package. Unfortunately, it's much worse than the system provided for me." Jack frowned but felt some hope.

Jack logged into all his various accounts and emails that belonged to Hester. The most important one being Hester's old Digital Factory account.

Digital Factory was a government-operated game development software given to all licensed game developers. It was a government project that was supposed to encourage and lower the boundary for Novice game developers to test their skills and gain experience.

With the stress-filled environment that the world was going through, having comprehensive and good quality games for citizens to be distracted with was needed for people not to cause trouble. The project was a massive success and allowed game developers to blossom.

But like many government side projects, Digital Factory couldn't secure enough funding to continuously update their wares. So, after a couple of years, private companies took over and made much better software for game developers to use with the increasingly sophisticated technology.

But for Jack, who was broke and couldn't even afford the most basic game development software, it was enough.

"I haven't opened this in a long time. I wonder if anything has changed." Jack muttered and felt nostalgic.

He remembered back in high school sending DMs to his friend group using Digital Factory's personal messaging services. They discussed all the bugs they were having in their pet projects and swapped ideas around.

Since that was the only thing they could afford.

"I wonder how Davin, Sarah, and Flipp are doing now. I haven't talked to them since I graduated."

His three closest friends in both this life and his previous life.

He could almost hear Flipp's sarcastic remarks, Davin's constant loud mumbles as he wrote rap lyrics, or Sarah's enthusiastic tangents during their late-night chats. They'd once planned to make a game studio that made billions—completely absurd but fun.

Jack leaned back, staring at the cracked ceiling. His thoughts drifted, unbidden, to nights spent laughing with his friends over buggy code and ambitious dreams.

"Ding!"

Hearing the familiar sound of Digital Factory's messages service, Jack was surprised. He didn't expect that one of his friends was still online.

He quickly clicked on the notification to see who messaged him.

"Sarah! It's really her." Jack looked surprised.

From Hester's memories, he had heard that Sarah had been able to go to New World University—one of the top colleges in the city.

Why would she still be using Digit Factory?

Curious, Jack opened up her message.

[Tuff_Sunflower (Sarah Griffin)]: Hester?! No way, is this real? I thought you went into hiding to live with your secret wife and kids.

Jack blinked and chuckled. Sarah was just as hyper as he remembered.

Excited, he quickly responded.

[Cool_Cloud (Hester Bunny)]: Yup, it's me, alive and kicking. But seriously, what's someone who joined higher society doing back in the newbie sandbox? Want to experience living in the ghettos again?

[Tuff_Sunflower (Sarah Griffin)]: Honestly? It's refreshing. All that high-tech university software makes me feel like I'm programming a spaceship. Here, I can just... click and drag stuff, you know?

[Tuff_Sunflower (Sarah Griffin)]: But seriously, if you hadn't disappeared off the planet after high school, you'd know I'm on here like every day!

Jack, embarrassed, touched the tip of his nose. He had only gotten into this world the day after graduation.

It took him a while to get used to everything, and once he adjusted, the system encouraged him to put all his focus on game development.

In hindsight, he hadn't talked to anyone other than the system and his landlord in years. Well except the food delivery people.

[Cool_Cloud (Hester Bunny)]: Yeah yeah, I know, I've been the worst. It's like I fell into a black hole called 'Life as a Hermit.' It isn't easy making enough money to take care of my wife and kids.

[Tuff_Sunflower (Sarah Griffin)]: So finally admit that you do have a secret life. I knew it! (゜ロ゜)

[Tuff_Sunflower (Sarah Griffin)]: You've always been a homebody, no wonder! But come on, two years? Did you swear a blood pact with your couch or something? I'm free this afternoon—miracle of miracles—so you're coming out, deal?

"Two years? More like six..." Jack froze, catching himself before saying more. For a moment, the weight of his dual identity pressed on him. He wasn't Hester, but he carried Hester's life like a coat that didn't quite fit. How could he meet someone who knew the real Hester? What if Sarah saw through him?

"Should I go? What if I slip up?" Jack hesitated, then exhaled sharply.

Jack hesitated, fingers hovering over the keyboard. He could almost hear her teasing tone, but something about it left him uneasy. Did she really expect him to pick up like nothing happened? Hester's friends, Hester's life, he reminded himself. He wasn't sure if it was guilt or nostalgia making his chest feel tight.

"What am I even worried about? Hester's life is mine now—I need to own it." Jack sighed as he felt the complex feelings he had melt away as he felt more comfortable.

It didn't take too long for him to agree. With his current situation, sitting at home wasn't going to help his situation.

What he needed was to figure out a way to get money. Maybe he could ask Sarah if she knew someone or had an opportunity for him to make some money.

Sending his message, he and Sarah confirmed the location and time before Sarah logged off since her break was over.

As Sarah logged off, Jack stared at the chat window, a faint smile tugging at his lips. It was strange—how a few lines of text could make him feel less... alone. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"I'm almost glad I lost the system. If not, I might have stayed holed up for a few more years." Jack muttered to himself and realized he was in a much better mood.

Just then, Jack heard a knock on his door and wondered who it could be. He wasn't expecting anyone, and rent wasn't due for another three weeks.

Jack was greeted by his landlord. He was a fifty something year old man. His hair had all but turned gray. As he always had a slight frown across his face. Always looking like he was looking out for trouble.

Jack's landlord rarely looked flustered—yet here he was, sweating through his shirt, his hand shaking as he pointed toward the officers.

"Officers here you are." Jack's landlord sighed with clear relief as he took a step back.

Two police officers stepped forward and entered Jack's view. One of them was tall, bald, and menacing as if he was a gangster. While the other was a tight lipped girl who looked quite intimidating herself.

When the two police officers arrived their presence instantly intensified the atmosphere. The air grew stifling, and a cold weight pressed against Jack's chest. His palms felt damp, and his pulse thundered in his ears.

"Are you Hester Bunny?" The bald man asked in a cold tone as he looked somewhat surprised.

"Yes, that's me. Is there something I can help you with, officers?" Jack replied, trying to compose himself as his mind rapidly narrowed down the reasons these police officers might be looking for him.

"There's only one thing that could have brought them here: the mess with the banks," Jack thought, his mind darkening. He knew he couldn't avoid the trouble but had to remain composed. Panicking would only worsen the situation.

Seeing the calm, innocent look on Jack's face, the two officers exchanged a glance, silently communicating. The bald man stepped back, letting his partner take the lead. As the intimidating officer moved back, Jack felt some of the pressure lift.

"'Can we come in?' the young woman asked, her eyes scanning the apartment behind him. Her voice was calm, but the way she gripped her notebook spoke of tension. 'We received a notice about suspicious activity linked to several accounts connected to you. Mind if we ask a few questions?'"

"Cough, officers, can I ask if you have a warrant?" Jack asked, trying to buy time.

The young female officer stepped forward, holding up a document. "Here's the warrant. We're authorized to search your property and make an arrest if necessary." Her words were measured but firm, the undertone leaving no room for negotiation.

"We don't want an innocent young man like you facing the harsh environment of jail," the young female cop continued, maintaining her composure as she showed Jack the document she had prepared.

Seeing no way to stall, Jack forced a slight smile and stepped aside to let the officers in.

Jack's eyes twitched at the stack of documents. 'Damn, that's a lot.'

"It's my pleasure to help the kind officers of Timber Wood. Would you like a cup of coffee, tea, or water?" Jack said with a forced smile on his face as he rehearsed his alibi.

"No need, we are just here to ask some questions. " the young female cop said curtly.