Chapter 10:
11 Kingdoms
Report: Trapped in A False World
Accessing Personal Logs: Princess Fawn Midin
File Source: Cameras, Onyx Team 47 meeting room
"I still don't buy it, Rick, there is no way that thing in the game is Jamie." Moses stands far more stressed out than before. He is visibly more so than the others in the group.
“I hate to say I agree, but how do we know that it is Jamie. I mean it’s great to see some part of her up and active, but the real Jamie is in the hospital. I just spent 4 hours in her room with her mother, trying to get her to keep Jamie alive." Melissa rubs her sleep-deprived face in her hands to try to force the eyes open.
“She has memories of Jamie’s past, true memories.” Rick Groans tapping a pen on the table.
“But she doesn’t even identify herself as Jamie! She thinks and acts as if it’s all part of her life as Fawn.” Moses grumbles out followed by placing his head on the table. “I think you’re tired like the rest of us Rick, you want a rogue program to be Jamie. I understand if you blame yourself for what happened.”
“I am not making this up! You can’t tell a program that some oranges are sweet and some are sour and for them to predict which one is which without a real sense of taste.”
“What are you talking about?” Asks Melissa, looking at a very much unshaken Rick.
“When I left her she ate an orange programmed in her room. Any normal programmer if we program flavors and a way for the program to react, would choose to make oranges sweet, or sour, and wouldn't bother with minute details of the differences from certain oranges on a computer-controlled NPC. It would be a mundane waste of memory and time.” Rick sighs, as he grabs a cup of coffee in front of him taking a large sip. "On top of that, she is reacting to memories when keywords are brought up."
"Well yeah, she kind of remembered what a computer program was. No NPC controlled by the computer should identify its existence as a player in the game. It’s made this way to maintain the element of disbelief in the game.” Moses says lifting his head.
“Yeah, and she knew about it!" Gavin says as he makes an effort to reach for a third slice of pizza being the only person eating at the time.
“Exactly, she is a self-aware program that knows things, well beyond that of what a normal program does. She has memories of simple yet complex things to describe in the world that you wouldn’t put in a program because it’s too mundane and pointless. Its memories and actions show intelligence, well beyond any we or any other staff member would spend time in programming. She doesn’t show signs of the corruption involved with programs that we are aware of, that are infected by the plague virus. I think it’s the residue of Jamie. When she was attacked in the game, Fawn was killed, and Jamie suffered the damage. We pulled Jamie’s body from the chair but her mind was still attached to the connection to Fawn. Once the game did what it's programmed to do and bring back the character from her game death, it spent time rebuilding her with the memories and actions of Jamie, but it took time to take all the data and rebuild it. And the computer would see her as Fawn Midin, thus build her as such.”
“Her memories would be placed together as if she was always Fawn.” Melissa Grunts. “A very interesting theory you have their Rick, but how can you be so sure that this is the case.”
Rick finishes off his cup of coffee while looking up at Melissa. “I can’t, but I have a way to test it. All we will need is to get someone who won’t want to come here, to help out.”
“You don’t mean.” Melissa jars awake at her thinking through Rick’s idea.
“What does he mean?” Gavin pauses from his slice to look at Melissa for an answer.
“He means to bring Jamie’s Mom here, to have her see if the memories of Fawn match the memories of Jamie.” Melissa sighs, placing her head in her hands pulling her hair back. “The woman won’t like it. I don’t think she will take it well. So if you’re going to do it then you need to prepare her for it.”
“Well as luck would have it, she is coming here in a bit.” Rick smugly notes as if he knows he is on the winning side of the argument.
“You went ahead and set this up without us? I can’t believe you." Melissa is interrupted by Moses adding his knowledge to the argument.
"She is coming to gather some stuff for Jamie in the Hospital, to make it feel like home. Also to do some cleaning of her room, it's a good idea to approach her about it then. As not even the head office knows about this program yet, if we want to keep this a secret from the world it needs to be done soon before the game re-launches tonight." Moses explains
“We need to worry that those looking into this matter don't find Fawn!" Gavin states as he reaches for a fourth slice of pizza.
“I have that covered on my end already.” States Rick. “I have talked with the guy looking into finding the Hacker and he was the one to pass on this info so I’m sure I can keep him quiet on its existence from both the public and the company.”
“Wait, why should we keep it quiet? I mean if it is Jamie in the game, is that a bad thing to let them know she is there." Melissa grumbles her question while looking down on an empty cup that use to house coffee.
“If she is in the game the company and the Governments of the world, would want to remove her for study. She likely never would be seen from or heard from again. No, for now, I think our best solution is to claim she is a false programmed NPC. We need to treat her as Fawn in the game unless we bring her to a secure location to try to bring back her memories of being Jamie. Meanwhile, we need to work on a way to try to restore her to her body." Rick shows a sense of worry about his face.
“Now that is a challenge.” Gavin drops his pizza with his mouth open wide.
“Could we make a backup of her info?” Moses questions looking to see if anyone has a clue to the answer, but can tell by their expressions it’s a difficult task.
"It's worth a try, after all, she is precious, but it will be hard as the main office monitors all backups made in the game." Melissa groans at her own words of tasks she knows are true.
“What if we back up the whole castle, then with a private source make a second copy and store it on the floor somewhere. That way the monitors won’t see it, and it will look like a routine action on our part.” Moses suggests.
"It's worth a shot. Moses you and Gavin work on handling that task, I will work on getting Bart, on approving it, and Melissa you talk to Ms. Eve. Tell her that we have something for her to see in the game.” Rick agrees.
“What about Jamie or Fawn, or whatever? Someone should check in on her.” Melissa looks about the room and sees no one stand forth.
"We also go green again in a few hours!" Gavin warns.
"Okay. Moses once you're done with the backup, go in and handle the game's tasks as normal. As for Jamie, once you get her mom, give or take. I will join you Melissa in the game to talk with Fawn. As I said we need to be used to addressing her as such. She both acknowledges that name and its best to keep up a false image of this being a Computer NPC, not the real player. While I work on a disguised program to hide her. Okay, I know we are all tired from days of lost sleep but we need to do this for Jamie, so let’s move.” Rick reassured his team.
The group gets up and separates to tackle each of their tasks separately. When Rick turns to head out his wife moves in standing in the door blocking him from moving further. “Rick we need to talk.”
"Look, Karen, I have a lot on my hands right now, can this wait?” Rick tries to move past but Karen Mathers steps in his way.
“No. You’re always busy. You’re paying more attention to this and Jamie than your daughter. I asked for us to move in here to give you a chance to be close but in the last four days you didn’t even once see your real daughter.” The frustration of Karen Mathers shows as tears begin to form in her eyes.
“Honey, a friend’s life is in danger.” Rick sighs.
“Don’t give me that, you’re not a doctor! And you don’t have the power to help her!” Karen shouts.
“I may have found a way. Give me 2 days then we will head out for a day of just the three of us.” Rick tries to reassure his wife.
“I’m leaving the tower and headed back home, and Lily is coming with me. If you don’t return in two days if you don’t even so much as call your daughter to speak with her, then God helps me, I will pack our home and leave you. Lily needs a father, and now you’re not acting like you even exist as part of her life.” Karen wipes the tears from her eyes.
“Very well, I will be in a few minutes. I just need to make a call to speak with someone. Then I will go and help you both pack to return home, okay?” Karen sniffs and nods her head as she continues to wipe her eyes. While Rick leans in and kisses her on the forehead.
File Source End
Accessing File Princess Fawn Midin Log Files
The touch of the silk of the sheets brushes my skin as I struggle to find the cool spot on the bed. No matter how I look at it the heat of the day is fully on me and the hours that passed since my father told me to wait in my room have me finding things to do, is filled with complete and utter boredom. Despite my long journey here yesterday on an empty stomach I since have been fed, feast after the feast, and spent hours sleeping now. Yet I felt trapped for some reason. I only have been here for a few hours but somehow I can't shake the feeling of being similarly stuck like this for a long time. Peering out on the courtyard below I watch the people of the town move about. I almost see a pattern in the actions of their daily lives, some repeating their actions time and time again. I watch a man circle the court back and forth, back and forth. A woman selling things from her basket turning to one person and talking to them then turning to another and doing the same then she repeats the process she did with the person she started talking with. The only thing showing me the whole world hasn't joined me in my insanity is watching a few people move about in a sense of chaotic order. The greatest, however, is a strange hypnotic pattern causing sleep to try to sneak up on me. I let out a yawn and begin to cover my mouth when the door of my chambers is open and Captain Guat enters, with a strange woman at her side.
“Princess, I have brought someone here to see you. Tell me do you remember this woman.” I stand puzzled looking over the face of the woman.
“I don’t recall meeting her, who is she?” I asked puzzled at why the captain of the castle guard would enter and ask such a question. But my quizzical nature seems to have upset the woman.
“Is this some kind of sick game for you all! You want me to suffer more looking at a computer program version of her in the game?” The woman seems to be doing something I never thought I would ever see. She was putting the captain of the guard in a form of fear and shame. Again I work through the words, computer program, it’s the second time in the last day I heard this mentioned by those around me. Now it somehow was related to this woman before me, and a strange different life I lived.
“We are trying to see if she is Jamie or not. I know it’s hard but please ask her questions only Jamie would know. We feel her mind may have been scrambled a bit.” The captain whines a bit as she explains.
“This is insane!” The woman and the captain have a long staring match ending in the woman giving in. “Very well, I will ask her a few questions.” The woman turns and looks at me with a long stare. “Tell me do you remember the beach.”
I try to recall and then point out the window, to the nearby beach on the horizon of the city line. “Yeah, it is right there, I go there often now and then."
"Well, that didn't help." The woman grumbles.
“You need a harder question, like the one about her family.” The captain stands with a concerned look on her face trying to comfort the woman.
Letting out a sigh of frustration the woman tries again. “What do you think of your mother?”
I stand puzzled. “Mom? She died years ago.”
“Yes, that’s how she would like to see me alright, thanks a lot for the horrible memories. Leave me alone Melissa, and you all just stay away from Jamie, I think it would be better for all of you that way.” The woman turns and starts to walk out the door as something hits me, and I start to speak up halting the woman in her steps.
“I never saw eye to eye with her. I guess I was too much like my grandmother for her.” The woman turns after I mention grandmother.
“Your grandmother? Tell me, child, tell me about her." The woman turns from her point at the door to look again at me.
"She was dark-skinned but it wasn't from birth, she liked to go to the beach a lot, mom and her, didn't agree on things, all she wanted to do was enjoy life and play about. Mom wanted to make a living and ran a store as I recall."
“Is she right?” The captain asks the woman.
“Do you remember your grandmother’s funeral?” The woman moves in close and stares me down. “How did you feel about it?”
"It was weird. Many people were upset and sad like all funerals, but for some reason, I was joyful and laughing. I wasn’t alone in that ether, someone else was laughing too.” I watched as they stood pale-faced looking at me.
“Who? Who laughed with you, and why?” By now my head began to pound and I moved to grab a goblet of water.
“Excuse me my head hurts can you leave me?" I ask but neither of them gets up or even turns away.
“No your highness, answer her question. No matter how painful it gets, please answer her.” I watch as the stern face of the captain sheds tears forcing her way into my view.
“I think it was.” I look at the woman and felt a tingle run along my face. “It was mom, but she was dead then wasn’t she?” I look at the tears fill the eyes of the strange woman. “It was you. It was my mother and you at the same time. I am. What has happened to me?” The woman grabs a hold of me and I look closer at the face of the woman I know as my mother. “What is wrong with me?” I cry out.
“Oh Jamie, you are in there aren’t you.” The woman grasps my face to stare closely at my eyes. “You’re not gone from me yet, you are right here!”
My head continues to pound as memories of my past begin to flood my head. The pain is so intense I fall to my knees grasping my head to the sound of the drumbeat pounding its way through my skull.
The woman maintains her grip on me but turns to face the captain. “Is there something you people can do for her?”
“This is all new territory for anyone, Ms. Eve. We could try programmed magic to heal her but I don’t know if it will do any good on this problem or not. Besides I don’t know any restoration magic.” The captain seems to look about the room to find a solution but her disappointed face shows no solution available.
“Then find someone who does, my child is in pain! We don’t know if it will help or not but if it’s worth a try, then do it!” The woman glares at the captain who I don’t recall ever seeing jump to any order even given by father to act on so quickly. “Hang in there baby, I won’t leave you this time. We will find a way to get you back to normal.”
My eyes blur from the tears building from a combination of the pain, and the memories I thought I lost. “Mom, what happened why am, I like this?”
“I don’t know, Jamie! Somehow your mind and your body have separated, but we will find a way to get you back.” Her words shock me. My mind and body are separate. How can that be? This body is here. This world is so real how this can happen. Who am I?
We just sit there together as tears flow from us both trying to comfort one another for several minutes. Eventually, the captain returns, with Nev at her side.
“Nev, Fawn is in pain.” Mom stops the captain by shouting out at them.
“It’s Jamie! Not Fawn, Jamie! I don’t care what she looks like she is my daughter and I want you to treat her like that.” Sternly states Ebony Eve.
"Mrs. Eve, I'm sorry but for her safety from outside sources we agreed to address her as Fawn while she is like this." Nev moves in and the light envelopes his hand and a warm glow fills the air around me as the pain lessens. I can't tell if it's from Nev's magic or if the memories have stopped filling my head but for the first time, I began to feel at ease. As I looked at the faces of the people I see before me as I try to remember them.
I focus first on the face of the man closest to mine at the time, Nev. My memory tells me much of his character is similar to how he looks is in this other world, his towering status above me in stature was always the case. I remember his skin however was darker and he came from a grand city to the north. His name, however, escapes my memory, as it’s hard to see past the gentle giant in both memories.
I turn to look at the mysterious woman I now feel close to my heart as Mom. I look at her face, much of the faded memories show me that she looks very close to the person now before me. Only she has a much younger look, gone are the bags under her eyes from long hours of work and frustration, I had placed on her over the years. Her hair is also neat and properly styled in a way I don't recall it being. The stress of the day runs its course along with the constant running of her hands through her hair, pulling at tangles along the way. I remember telling her once she would go bald doing that. She responded that she was going that way due to the stress I gave her daily. A pit of regret hits my stomach, I have caused so much trouble for her in the past and continue to cause sorrow and stress even now. Somehow my situation was making this perfect face of her before she started to show signs of age moving in. I look into her eyes and a spark of memory hits me. Showing the ebony battle staff I carry with me in my head. "Ebony!" I speak out and watch the eyes of the group open wide. “Your name is Ebony, but Grandma calls you Ebby.” A smile hits her face and the tears in her eyes fall.
“That’s right.” The smile speaks miles for my faded memories.
"You hate it too!" I speak out and turn to look at the captain of the guard. Her dark skin and hair confuse me, at first but I recall a woman smaller in size than myself while her hair was more a golden brown. Her skin was much paler than it stood now. Looking closer at her eyes a memory of a chicken sandwich hits me. Which is odd? I don’t recall ever having seen one before either from the chefs downstairs or even in the markets in town. But with the memory comes an image of a mountain valley, a small restaurant, and a strange carriage with no horses. "We tried to go on a trip recently to some mountains. We stopped to eat at a food place and then we were taken back to a tower in a strange carriage.” I tell her.
“Yes, Jamie. We tried to go to the Shenandoah Mountains for a day and security stopped us at a diner just outside the mountains." She clears up the names of things stirring my memories more.
“You had a chicken sandwich, and it ended up on my clothes. We’re close friends aren’t we?” It’s a strange comment on her, as my memories begin to fade in of her. But truly I don’t recall many interactions that I had with the Captain of the guard, as much as my memories are informing me of who this is. “Your name is Melissa in both worlds.” I watch as the captain nods in glee. “But your last name is different, father asked you to change it.”
I start to think of the faces of the people not here that I know well of, Gavin and Father.
"Gavin is a fat, odd guy, that has breathing problems. We all call him Gavin in both worlds but that’s not his real name. And father." The words I find are the hardest to muster up. "Father is not my father, after all, is he." I watch the faces of the group sink and my mother grasps my arm and pulls me in.
"No, your real father is in on his way, from his business trip he is trying to get here on the first flight out." I stand very puzzled at the statement not understanding how a man could fly in a world that I began to recall did not have magic.
“No, the king is not my real father. But he does watch over me and protect me the way a father would.” Melissa and Nev nod in agreement. “He has a wife, and a daughter, named after a flower. His name is Rick isn't it?" I ask waiting for a sense of agreement from the two and get it rather quickly.
“Yeah that’s him, sorry but he couldn’t join us right now Fawn. He has a business to deal with and couldn't return. He said he will check in on you when he can. He wanted us to look in on you and let you move about town freely, but ask you not to leave the city." Melissa states in a sorrow-filled yet stern voice.
“I don’t understand, you all found her, why not just hook her up and get her out?” Moms' voice cracks as she tries to add force to her statement.
“As far as we know the brain doesn’t work like that Mrs. Eve. Somehow the accident took her mind from her body. We have no clue on how to put it back.” Nev explains but it appears that the giant man is trying to stay small and unnoticed by the stern gaze of the woman before him.
“We also fear that the person behind this thinks Jamie is in the hospital at this time. If they knew she was here then they could work to simply delete her from the game, thus killing her for good.” Melissa adds and she looks to be making up for Nev’s cowardice.
"So you plan to keep my daughter locked in the game in a fictional city, for the rest of time?" Mom moves in to stare down Melissa adding a little height to her stature to be able to stand at a slight point of looking down upon her.
“No, we just need to find out who is behind this mess and then we can work with people to get her out in some way. But till then she isn’t safe wandering the world.” Melissa proclaims trying to get higher than mom in her stature to reverse her view.
“Fawn, it’s important that when you’re out of the private areas of the castle you try to act like you don’t know of the other world. Rick plans to state you’re just a computer-controlled character, so no one is suspicious of your other self being in the hospital and not in the game. It's for your safety." Nev shares an edge of leadership in place of Fathers abstinence. I nod in agreement partly in fear that what I slowly am starting to recall. That this false world still holds many threats and dangers, more so that I can’t shake a feeling I am a pioneer on the foothold of a new issue never before confronted in the ether world. I had traveled to a new world by leaving my old body and life behind.
Not just a new world but a new life. My memories gather together more and more as I sit and drown out the people around me. I find some hard to separate. Such as many of the memories of the other Great Hero’s, I only recall each by how they seem in this world. I also recall a man wrapped in gold, which is very important to all the kingdoms, but I cannot recall as to why. Is he a god? Part of me screams in my head that he is this world's creator, this world's God. But I can't shrug off the instinct I have. That I met him before and he is somehow no more powerful than myself! No, my other self, met him. I can’t recall could I cast magic before. I remember I had some kind of power crafting beautiful images and bringing them to life.
I watch as a maid walks in placing a tray of food, her face strikes thoughts in my head. I created her. Not in the way a mother gives birth to a child, by no means was this is the case. This maid was far older than I was. No, I crafted her much the way a sculptor chips away stone to craft a statue. I look down at the food. A torn piece of bread, a slab of cheese, and a collection of fruits and veggies, all of these I’ve seen before in my life. Yet I can't shake that they are just a false image of something I crafted. Is this food? If I eat it will it truly nourish my body, will it even fill me? Thinking about it makes my mouth water yet my stomach churns in a queasy feeling. I decide to take the risk and bite into a broken piece of cheese. It carries the same texture and smell, that I always recall from the near countless meals of cheese I had. My stomach’s uneasiness settles as the cheese makes its way down my system. The feeling of food hits a near-empty stomach easing my nerves. But how could this be, is this false world that is so well made to affect me in these ways as I hold this false form. Or is my mind merely granting me ease on the smaller issues by linking the thoughts together to maintain my sanity?
I look over at the group I ignored, looking at the faces that are locked on my actions.
“What, did I miss something on my face?" I go to wipe my face by instinct and watch as their faces look on in bewilderment of my actions. I look at Mother's face growing a smile while a laugh hits her.
“It’s nothing dear.” I just watch her for a while as I eat.
She watches as I proceed with eating my meal. Melissa and Nev, move to a far side of the room to where I barely can hear the two talk.
“It didn’t work.” The giant of a man proclaimed. “All we got of Fawn was a copy of the character form. No personality just a blank character that just stands there waiting for orders.”
“Did you tell Rick about it?” The captain questions.
“I sent an email to him along with some messages from the higher-ups on scheduled maintenance for our servers.” Nev states.
“Why send that?” Melissa questions.
"Gavin and I think it might not be a good thing if Fawn is on the server during a scan or cleaning, more so now that the office is actively seeking issues like plague-infected programs. Since her program isn't actually what the computer would declare normal right now.” Nev stares at me and I kind of get a shiver from his words.
“She is not a normal program?” Melissa questions.
"No, the computer and even higher-ups will see her as a rogue program. They may take action to wipe her program from the system. Even if the form remains we can’t say her mind will remain with the program.” Nev has a troubled look hit his face as he glances over to me again.
“Then we keep her on the move. To other kingdoms when we go down. When is our next scheduled date?” Melissa seems to look off at the side of the room for some reason.
“Next Wednesday, we should move her Tuesday to be on the safe side.” Proudly Nev replies.
“I will get Preparations going on it then, I guess we could send her to Azurphire or Arguo.” The captain looks to be running a plan through her head as the giant continues their conversation.
“Arguo, while a better choice will take a while for her to travel there. The less she is seen, the fewer issues will arise from people seeing her. So our best choice is a private ship to Azurphire." Nev states.
“She can warp there with the mirror can’t she?” Melissa looks at my mirror in the room.
"Rick doesn't want the main office to find her yet, the best way is for her to blend in with Players to stay off their radar. That means traveling by the same means that they have. Also, our last warp with her didn't work. So we think she is stuck using carts, horses, boats, and walking there.” A troubled look hits on the face of the captain at the words Nev let fly.
"We have no choice, I will make sure we have a boat ready and a place to hide her out in Azurphire, then Tuesday Morning I will head out with her to see to it she stays safe. Tell Rick about what has gone on here as well. I will stay until Mrs. Eve is ready to leave." Melissa looks over at me, as Mom pulls a napkin and wipes some food from my face.
“I got you. Just don’t let this get you down, Melissa. We found her, Jamie is alive. We just need to keep her that way.” The giant man Nev pats the captain lightly on the back, causing her to rock forward as her smaller frame is no match for his towering form. He passes a smile at mom and me and walks out the door. I turn to look at Melissa who still carries her disturbed look but works hard on restoring a smile on her face. I reach out and grab a slice of apple and smile back at her.
File Source End
Accessing Linked Materials
Company Email #1 – Tech Support
From: Black Clover – 11 Kingdoms Tech Support
Subject: Maintenance Scheduling Changes
Due to recent attacks on the servers, that has been linked. It has been decided to progress early with a systems-wide maintenance scrub. This will cause the servers to look for unknown files and known infected files with the plague virus. While actions are still underway to find those responsible for the invasion and infection of the systems, to keep up the game functioning, two kingdoms will be locked down per 24 hour period and then move on to the next kingdom connecting to it. Players in those areas will be locked down and their connecting systems will save information. Non-player and event-based info will be saved on the system backup. This is as well as a systems check on the Central servers on Sundays.
The Times for the Servers are as follows
Monday – Arguo, and Emrass
Tuesday – Marion, and Ruire
Wednesday – Noiox, and Strone
Thursday – Perloud, and Crystinal
Friday – Azurphire, and Cirturn
Saturday – Topeal, and Pangia
Please make sure to post these so when the systems in your area are to go down that the players are alert of when it will happen. If you find any rogue programs please notify the systems techs on the issue and we will act on it. Do not interact with it and if it is hostile log off if you have to.
Thank you
Second Email File
11 Kingdoms Tech Support.
From: Black Clover – 11 Kingdoms Tech Support
Subject: Re: Maintenance Scheduling Changes
Change in the earlier email. We will begin with systems cleaning in Noiox in 6 hours, please let the players in that area know of these actions. We cannot be held responsible for character deletion if they are logged on at the time of systems cleaning.
Thank You.
11 Kingdoms Tech Support.
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