A Supporter In This Strange World

✧₊⁺

My entire body felt like it was on fire. I could feel the lifeblood leaving me with each pump of my still-beating heart, but I couldn’t call out for help in my injured, sorry state. I knew I had made a terrible mistake by not calling that cab, and that something had happened after. Something I couldn’t take back no matter how much I wanted to.

“Who the hell is this guy? His chart says DNR, as in ‘do NOT resuscitate’, so is there a reason he’s in my wing right now?” I heard the voice of a man, he sounded more than a little unhappy to see me. “Wait, I know you! Unfortunately though, I don’t let human filth into my program. Get him out of my sight, Yamamoto.”

Human filth…? I guess I am, aren’t I?

“Well about that, Director, his ex-wife is actually… and she…”

Another man, likely his subordinate, spoke to him in hushed whispers so I could only catch bits and pieces of their exchange.

“No shit!? Hah!” The man called ‘Director’ laughed heartily, slapping what I assumed was his knee. “Well, it must be your lucky day. If it were up to me, we’d let you rot someplace else, and not waste good taxpayer dollars. Buuuuut certain things just can’t be helped, and maybe fate has ordained this little meeting of ours...” 

My eyes were closed, but I felt the man’s hot breath on my face as he leaned in close to my ear.

“Go on and enjoy your rest for now, because as soon as your body is healed up, you’re coming to work for me. Hunter.”

THE PRESENT…

The orientation had reached a short intermission after some testimonials by people living within the Digiscape, a paid trial service for the recently deceased to live out their days within a shared digital experience. The Director called it an ‘afterlife’, but the whole thing felt more uneasy to me than that.

I kept thinking of the man’s parting words…

“May the light of Memoria guide you for all eternity.”

The same exact message I heard while leaving the train car earlier, almost like a religious creed.

“Creepy bastard.” I whispered under my breath.

I was directed back to the service counter where I had to retrieve my ‘Supporter’, and a pamphlet that would better explain my duties as a Hunter. All I heard from Director Barnes was that my role would be integral in keeping the peace within the Digiscape.

I certainly wasn’t above working as a public servant, but I hoped that it would be a temporary arrangement. I had unfinished business out in the real world.

“Excuse me, miss. I just finished up in the theater, is this where I get my… Supporter?” I asked the bullhorn lady, not really knowing what I was asking for in the first place.

“Hello, non-volunteer!” The woman, as loud as ever, shouted. “Take this keycard and scan it over at the machine over yonder! A vacuum tube will carry your Supporter, along with your information pamphlet down the—!“

The woman suddenly got an excitable look on her face, and she quickly grabbed the bullhorn despite her proximity to me and began to shout.

“Right this way, new Hunters! To your left at the end of the hall you’ll find the theater! Please choose your seats, and the next orientation session will begin soon!”

“She?” I held my ringing ears as I followed the bullhorn lady’s gaze to the door.

A girl with striking pink twintails, cyan hair ties, and a vibrant—yet slightly revealing—outfit came strutting through the door. She gave me a side-eye as she passed by in the direction of the theater, keeping an elegant and reserved air about her.

“Oh, they have cosplayers in this world too…”

Or, I thought she was reserved.

“I’m not a cosplayer!” The girl turned around in a whirl, shaking her fist at me. Before clearing her throat, and continuing on her way.

“And she’s a volunteer, too!” The bullhorn lady shouted.

“I keep hearing people say that. What differentiates a volunteer and a non-volunteer?” I asked.

“It’s just like it sounds! Volunteers apply to work as Hunters on their own! To make money, to enjoy the virtual experience, there’s plenty of reasons to be a Hunter!”

I immediately regretted asking as her tone showed no signs of getting any quieter.

“Non-volunteers… are here under special circumstances, like yourself! Now, off you go! You’re due for your first patrol in less than an hour!”

I quickly grabbed my keycard, and walked over to the machine housing my Supporter.

Do I just… wave it in front of the sensor or what? I don’t see any prompts on the screen.

I did just that, and watched as a large spherical object and a small booklet rolled with a rubber band shot up the vacuum tube, landing in the slot in front of me. I decided to open the pamphlet first, since the metallic sphere didn’t appear to work on its own for anything.

“Congratulations on your selection as a Hunter! LiveRite Corporation, and Project Memoria have partnered to make the onboarding process as seamless as possible for new initiates…”

I skimmed the first couple paragraphs, looking for some explanation of how to activate the sphere, and came across what I was looking for. I continued to read.

“To register and activate your Supporter, please step outside until you’re a safe distance away from the building, and hold up the eye of your Supporter towards the crystal spire in the center of the Digiscape.”

I gave the bullhorn lady a quick glance, and watched as she shooed me away with both hands. I then stepped outside into the light and the music from before returned. Spotting the crystal spire, hard to miss as it was, I pointed the glass part of the sphere in its general direction.

Huh?

I felt some kind of whirring sensation in the palm of my hand, and the sphere shot directly into the air.

“Wooooooo!” I heard a voice come from the thing as it twirled around. “You would not believe how long I had to wait to come down the chute. You would think they might supply enough Hunters for us Supporters, but perhaps I ask too much for a machine.”

The sphere, my Supporter, floated directly in front of me. The glass part of its body pointed at my face, a digitized purple diamond sat in the center acting as a sort of eye for the mechanical creature.

“…?”

“Right, humans require explanations before engaging in conversation with strange devices. Duly noted.” The sphere backed up a bit. “I am the Artificial Reality Cache and Intelligence Emulator, but you may refer to me as ‘A.R.C.H.I.E.’ for your convenience, and I am your friendly AI adventuring companion. Please present your keycard so that I may check your file.”

“Oh-kay…” I did as Archie said, ignoring the bizarre nature of the exchange.

I prided myself on being someone who could roll with unexpected circumstances, but this day had put even my normal behavior to the test. I had a feeling that things were only going to get weirder as my time here progressed.

“Nagai Jiro-kun. Aged twenty seven from Chiba city. Two living relatives, a mother and an older sister. Recently accused—with evidence—of intoxicated driving of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a crime, and two counts of—“

“I know what I did, alright?” I snapped. “There’s no need to tell me like I’m hearing it for the first time. And drop the ‘kun’, we ain’t that close.”

“Humans do not like to receive information they are already aware of, may flash attitude. Understood.” My left eye twitched as Archie’s voice took on an almost sarcastic tone. “It is my job as your Supporter to assist in your endeavors as a Hunter, but first I must explain what those are. Please confirm when you are ready to begin.”

“Let’s hear it.” I replied curtly.

“You may be aware that a Hunter’s job is to protect the paying citizens of the Digiscape. We call them ‘Eternals’. Unlike you Hunters, they do not have physical bodies to return to on the outside, and so they have made their homes and livelihoods here in their digital afterlife.”

“So what do I have to protect them from?” I asked. “And more importantly, how? I was never all that good in a fight, much as it pains me to admit.”

“I am well aware, Jiro. Your file says that you were hospitalized for three weeks after a fight in middle school, and your mother had to quit her job to take care of you during your suspension.”

Now he’s using my given name with NO honorifics.

“I get it, I get it. Can you stop reading my personal business out like it’s public knowledge!? And before you make a note of that, I’d prefer if we continue.” I sighed, exasperated.

“As you wish, Jiro. Perfect as life may be within the confines of the Digiscape, the technology itself is still relatively new and prone to outside DDoS threats and malware.” Archie said. “Within the digital experience, those viruses take on the physical form of cybernetic insects and terrifying monsters. They even have the capability of corrupting Eternals, and turning them into creatures of similar design but with increased durability.”

“Well that’s downright scary. What do the people here think of living with that risk?”

“They accept it as just one of the quirks of their newfound lives. Danger has always existed in your world, after all. Has it not?”

I guess that’s true, but I’ve never seen a monster that could turn me into one back in the real world.

“But that is precisely where you Hunters come in. Your job is to fight these outside threats in the place of the people who pay to live out the rest of their days in this place.” Archie said. “Though perhaps it would be better if you received a field test before we go any further.”

“A field test?” I scoffed. “You mean to say that we’re off to go fight those things now?”

“Those ‘things’ plague the land, whether or not our Hunters are ready to face them. Remember this well, Jiro.” Archie warned. “Before we continue, do you desire to change your appearance data within the Digiscape?”

“Appearance data? Like, my clothes and stuff?”

“Not just your clothes, Jiro. I have the capability to take you into a character creation simulator, and change even your physical form if you wish. Volunteers enter the Digiscape already having made their selections.”

Oh, that would certainly explain the crazy sense of looks and style that girl had earlier. The one that got irritated when I called her a cosplayer. But how was I to know?

I thought for a moment, pinching a couple strands of my long, coarse black hair in my fingers. I eventually shook my head.

“I’ll just stick with how I look, for now.” I decided. “I’ve had enough to get used to already, without changing what I see in the mirror on top of it.”

“Understood, Jiro. Then if that is all, let us begin your first field test as a Hunter for LiveRite Corporation. I just received word of a level 1 threat in the next village over, we’ll start from there.”

“That’s great and all, but how are we getting—?”

Before I could even finish my sentence, a web of light shot out of Archie’s eye, scanning an object into existence. Two tires, a chrome finish, and a loud engine greeted us.

“Your file said you liked to ride these out in the human world. Is this information still up-to-date?”

The sight of it brought a smile to my face.

“Yup.”