AMLAN: A Multiplayer Local Area Network

Kente | Sept 5 1998: 1903 ICT | Buy N Save SuperCenter: Generation X Internet Cafe(10.767297034230596, 106.69437357772742) |District 3

"Heroes of Mu, your quest begins now! The Enemy has infiltrated The Castle of Princess Amla."

Anh looked around her in panic. I immediately set to the doors. There were four doors, all but one had closed and locked themselves. The one with the rows of computers. Canned medieval fanfare played and the intercom continued. I searched around the room for a weapon. I couldn't risk shooting them.

"To save the realm of Mu, you must defeat the demon lord Ken-Tay. But be careful, He protected by his succubus and sorcerer liutenants. Additional rewards for their capture."

The little shit's voice didn't mention my "Hell hound enforcer." So with any luck I still have my contingency extraction. The LED lights on the VR players changed from Green and Cyan to Yellow and Red.

They spoke at once with hoarse voices.

"I will be the hero this world needs."

"Makoto, what the hell is going on here?"

Dr Subaru looked out at the possessed figures with the cold calm of a paramedic at a field hospital.

"I have theories. I will relish you with them later. For now, you and Anh keep them off my tailcoats. I will get the door open."

Subaru peformed several circular motions while reciting his ancient coder tongue. All the while the Cords that had suspended the VR players to the ceiling had dislodged themelves. Anh was unplugging everything from wall sockets in the hopes it would turn something off. No lights went off. The cords splayed out to wrap themselves around the players, forming new shells and shapes.

"How much time do you need Subaru."

"Enough," he called back out.

I looked around for an improvisation al weapon, found a "katana" hanging on a wall, next to some poster of posing cartoon characters. I grab the sword and toss it at the Goggled figrue assaulting Anh. It didn't have to be a good sword. It just had to be heavy. His goggles smashed and the wires surrounding him started twisting and knotting themselves. Anh backed away. She grabbed the sword. It fell apart.

"We are the defenders of this realm," the husks cried out.
"Glory to the Princess."

All of the figures had changed silhouettes under the blue and purple lights. They posed before spreading out.

"Subaru you need to hurry!"

A few of his dolls were dancing around a server tower which Subaru was waving at with his pointer like a conductor.

"Aha, got it."

One of the doors opened. It was to the gaming room. Anh and subaru went first, while I stayed behind to cover them. There wasn't much in the way of improvised weapons, but in the corner of the filth covered room was a mop that clearly never served its intended function. I broke it over my knee and tossed the filth covered end at the shuffling figures following us. I was hoping it would slow them down, but if it bothered them they made no show of it.

I followed subaru who with a fob in his pocket and laser pointer closed the door behind them. The shuffling sounds behind the door got faster. Followed by loud bashes against the heavy wooden doors.

Anh fished through her purse and bag for a gun. Anh decided she was already "in for a penny" on being arrested with illegal weapons, and would rather have one then die legally helpless. She would hear no critiques from me.

"Anh, wait. These are bystanders."

"What are you talking about these are monsters. they are walking like they are possessed."

"Anh, they are still there I...we don't have the time for me to explain this to you. Just know they are being controlled. One of them is our coworker Hiroshi."

"In the name of the princess, I will protect all that is just. Unicorn Charge!"

A voice from behind the door shouted and with a loud crash a hole was burst through the wall. I dodged out of the way, pushing Subaru down with me. The man wrapped in in wires charged past us to crash into a table of internet cafe users. They did not scream.

"By the power of the Lion Throne, I summon inspirational roar."

The Lion looked like sekeleton for the wire creature he was inside. The cracked and withered voice spoke with bravado but his physical state made it sound only like a whisper. Yet the entire room behind the opening was bathed in a red light. The other Virtual warriors still in the room chanted and cheered.

I saw this before. A Saito Electronics factory in Chatanooga. Red Light broke on the floor turned a Union Negotiation into Shiroyama. I didn't need to know what it did, to know what it did.

"Subaru we need some crowd control, and we need it now."

The doc fumbled through his pack to throw me what looked like a silver flashlight.

"Red Blue disorientation. You have two shots."

With the modified flashlight in my hands I ran towards anh to. The "horse got up from the pile of gamers still clacking away at invisible keyboards.

"I guess I missed the rave in the other room? So I guess we will have our little trot a trot here?"

The man beneath the LED Horse smiled with rotted yellow teeth and charged again. I stood my ground braced, waited for my shot. Single blast, the flashlight uttered a wailing moan as purple light flashed from the head. It was only for a few seconds. The Light attached itself to the Horse and the LEDs faded purple. The man lost his balence and stumbled into a concrete pillar. The wires slithered away like a snake leaving only a whimpering figure clutching his headset.

Anh ran from the corner to subaru's side. Swinging the metal chair at the red lighted bird behind her. The LEDs crackled and flickered and tongues of flame emerged from the suit.

"In the name of the found one, I invoke the power of the phoenix and cast...."

Subaru fired a shotgun blast at the figure. LED lights flew off the figure, and struggled to reform its shape.

"I cast shell."

Dr Subaru shouted with manic rage as he fired another 3 shots at the phoenix. Anh screamed.

"I thought you said not to kill! These are hostages!"

"This is not your sin anh, leave it to the professionals."

"Doors opened Subaru-Sama."

One of the few remaining Haiku dolls cheerfully reported. The doors finally opened and I joined Anh and Subaru out the door.

Subaru called to me.

"The only way out is through. We have to get upstairs, you can call your extraction."

"We don't have the box."

"To hell with the box. The mission has failed."

They were ready for us. I dont like to leave a mission empty handed.

"We need some intel from them. Where do they keep their servers?"

"To hell with that, just find a Haiku unit they have. That will give us everything."

Subaru came back down the stares with his hand adjusting the visor on his eye. And pointed to a room covered with silhouettes of women. The words "Break Room" etched in Japanese.

"Love Motel" In English.