Chapter 1
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At the close of the century in 2090, a new technological advancement was achieved. The HYLO corporation out of Switzerland, created a Neural Overlay that made it possible to synchronize the human brain with virtual environments. Prior to this, Virtual Reality consisted of having to wear cumbersome goggles or helmets, the effect being mostly visual. The Neural Overlay brought humans into the Virtual Reality.
The Neural Overlay impacted several industries worldwide. At first it was mostly in the recreation industries; parks, vacation resorts and casinos seemed to shut down over night. Everything was better in virtual reality. You could go camping on the banks of the Nile and not have to worry about crocs, bugs or anything else bothering you. Want to date a movie star? You could design your own girlfriend or boyfriend.
While many people were able to control their baser impulses, there was a small portion of society that were unable to. The immersion into a fantasy life was too much for them. The initial Neural Overlay had no safeguards against addiction and no way to limit the stimulation that the brain was receiving.
***********
A 9-year-old boy sat on the counter in a messy apartment in Las Vegas. He had a cereal box in one hand and was eating directly from it. This was his favorite seat in the apartment, from here he could watch his mom play. She lay comfortably on the sofa in the living room, a neural net slid over her short black hair. She was abnormally skinny and gaunt. After a few minutes, the woman seemed to slowly wake up. She slipped the neural net off of her head and stood up, her sunken eyes finding the boy right away.
"I don't know why I have to stop the important things I'm doing just to come back here and take care of you." The dark-haired woman scowled at the boy as she headed toward the bathroom.
His expression never changed, he waited patiently for her to come back.
The woman exited the bathroom and joined him in the kitchen a few minutes later. "Where is all the food? Do you know how long it's going to take me to get groceries?" Without another word the woman left the apartment.
Quinn watched her leave, he was careful not to say anything. His mom would get mad at the smallest things now days. He only had a few minutes with her every day, so he wanted to make the most of it. She came back a few minutes later, a small bag of various snacks told Quinn that she had gone to the convenience store on the corner.
"I've wasted an entire hour on you." Ella gave her son a scalding look.
He walked up to his mom and hugged her waist as she sat the bags down. "Let's play cards mom, or go for a walk."
"Get off me brat. It's your fault I had to leave, I just want to stay in TAP and not come back.!" Her voice raised as she started to get angry.
Quinn sighed, he'd told himself that he wouldn't say or do anything to make her mad this time. "I just want to spend time with you mom."
"You're the biggest mistake of my life, "her dark eyes were filled with anger as she looked at Quinn. "If the food runs out, head over to Ben's apartment. "
She didn't say goodbye, she lay back down on the sofa and slipped on the neural net.
HYLO Case Study: Ella Riley
Cause of Death: Heart Failure caused by Severe Dehydration and Malnutrition
Survived By: Quinn Riley (son), Elaine Riley (mother)
Ella Riley was an avid player in a new game that was released last year, The Assassin's Path (TAP). Subject had shown signs of severe addiction in the months prior to her death. Her inability to separate virtual and reality caused her to reject the real world. She vanished in the game a few minutes after her body died. It was her teammates in TAP that alerted officials that there might be a problem.
As the Neural Overlay integrated humans into Virtual Reality, an entire industry seemed to blossom overnight. This was aided in no small part by HYLO's other VR contribution, Exodus. Exodus was a VR platform. A stable foundation from which you could launch into whatever Reality you were looking for.
(10 years Later)
Di, Di, Di, Di." The alarm clock sounded promptly at 0600, an obnoxious beeping that pulled Quinn from a deep slumber. He sat up slowly and turned until his bare feet touched the carpeted floor of his small apartment in Las Vegas. Holding his head in his hands he smoothed back his shoulder length black hair and took a band from his bedside table to tie it up. No one used alarm clocks anymore, many people didn't even sleep. What a crazy world.
Quickly he tossed on a t-shirt and shorts as he made his way toward the door. Stifling a yawn, he slid on his running shoes and exited the apartment. His easy stride carried him efficiently down the Vegas strip. There were small signs of life here and there as the city started to wake up.
Vegas was a casino town, or at least it had been before Virtual Reality became so prevalent. Now most of the casinos were either boarded up, torn down or re-purposed for office space. Vegas had died.
The young man stopped at a playground a few miles from his home. Ignoring the overgrown weeds, he gripped the monkey bars and started doing pull-ups. This had once been a school playground, but now was awaiting a bulldozer that would reallocate this space for a public park. Schools had become virtual. It saved money on buildings and enabled true international classrooms.
An hour later, the tired looking nineteen-year-old returned to his apartment. He tossed his clothes into the hamper as he padded silently toward the cupboard for a bagel. Sighing to himself, "better earn a bit before school. Shit… I hate Exodus."
Quinn quickly showered and tossed on some comfortable lounge clothes before taking a seat in the recliner next to his couch. He slid on his VR headset and reclined fully.
"Log-On Exodus."
Exodus Interface Acquired: Destination?
"Gaming Hub, Job Square."
Quinn materialized on the Gaming Hub platform and immediately stepped off. He quickly activated his heads up display (hud). "Identify any mid-level postings for Civil Unrest, Iron Mountain, Guns & Gore and Martial Law."
Guns & Gore: Doubler Canyon Raid
The Gaming Hub was a vast Station where you could launch into whichever game you were playing. It was modeled after Grand Central Station in Manhattan. It housed a bank, warehouse facilities and various vendors for every game in the hub. The Job board area was a brightly lit square in the middle of the Hub. This is where the fodders came to ply their trade.
As VR gaming took off, it gave birth to two kinds of players. The first were dedicated professionals that spent a large portion of their days trying to level up, join bigger guilds and improve their gear. Their counterpart were the recreational gamers. They had money to spend and they came for fun. The pick up groups they formed (Pugs), were most often, sadly lacking in skill. Every gamer had a pug horror story they could share.
Eventually the growth of virtual reality games gave birth to a third type of gamer, the fodder. Fodder's were gamers of passable skill, who could fill in where you needed them. If you needed some range dps for a raid, or extra bodies for a guild war, the job square was where you would look.
To facilitate this process, Exodus had formed a training academy. After attending their academy course and passing their grading process, your exodus band would be updated to show your Gaming Qualification and rank. Depending on the game, VR accounts typically had a fairly high monthly cost. A fodder account was paid for by Exodus, they paid the fees, however, you were bound by their rules.
Quinn activated his Exodus wristband.
**************
Civil Unrest: B:Rank (DPS) Melee, Range Class: (30) Mafioso
Martial Law: B Rank (DPS) Melee Class: (31) Ninja
Guns & Gore: B Rank (DPS) Range Class: (30) Slinger
Iron Mount: B Rank (DPS) Range Class: (30) Ranger
"Need 2 dps for Guns & Gore, Canyon run, 5000 creds." Vena had the loudest voice of all the Raid leaders. He also had a reputation for being difficult to work with.
"I'll take a slot, 30 level Slinger, duals" Quinn had worked with him before, a bit of an ass, but the pay made him tolerable.
"Quinn! Way to step up, hey when you gonna upgrade to A?" Vena looked at his stats as he added him to the raid.
"Can't pass the test V. We can't all be heroes." Quinn started walking toward the Exodus Guns & Gore supply point. The truth was, none of the Raiders would hire an A ranker, their egos wouldn't allow it. If you wanted steady fodder work, staying at B rank was the way to go.
**************
Four hours later Quinn exited Guns & Gore and returned to supply. He held out his wrist to be scanned and turned in his gear.
"Okay, that's 5000 creds, minus 1000 for Exodus fees, Equipment repair will be another 1750. That leaves you with 2250." Nuna smiled at him apologetically, "Sorry Quinn."
As quartermasters went, Nuna was one of the better ones. Their account, their equipment and their rules. It was blatant robbery, but Quinn made it work. She always had a smile for him, even though his Avatar was a bit on the ugly side.
Quinn's other secret to getting work, never be tall or handsome. Raid leaders were notoriously petty. "Cya Nuna!"
Quin Read the Promo Sign blinking over the Academy entrance.
TAP IS JOINING EXODUS, GET YOUR ACADEMY TRAINING NOW!!
'Hmm. I know a lot of fodders who plan on taking the course, I've got other plans.
"Log-Off Exodus."
Quinn removed his head set and levered his recliner to the upright position. "Damn, that was a long raid. Of course the wipe didn't help."
He walked into the kitchen and grabbed some takeout from the fridge. A few minutes later he walked in the bathroom and turned on the hot water. "I need a better chair if I'm going to jump in for so long." Grabbing his toothbrush he applied some paste and then stepped into the shower.
"There was a farmer who had a dog, and Bingo was his name-o. B..I..N..G..O....."
Thirty minutes had passed and Quinn felt like a new man. "Why are the lights so dim? " He paused and then heard a quite humming. " The generator is on?" His face froze in panic, "oh god the generator is on!"
He tore through his apartment flinging the door open as he sprinted down the hallway. "Shit, shit, shit.." Down the steps four at a time he covered the six floors in a few seconds but it seemed to take forever. He was covered in a cold sweat by the time him arrived at the basement floor. He kicked the gated door to the generator room and grabbed for a can of diesel fuel. There were four 15 gallon cans stored on a rack near the door. The first one he grabbed was empty.
"Please stay on.. please, please please." The generator started to sputter and miss as he grabbed the second can. " No , no no no." He didn't even have time to grab the funnel, quickly unscrewing the cap he poured fuel into the tank, splashing it all over himself. The lights dimmed a bit as the generator seemed about to shut down, but after struggling for a few moments it regained its strong steady hum.
His hands shaking, he stopped pouring and grabbed the funnel from the nearby shelf. He was soaked in diesel fuel, carefully he emptied the remaining cans into the generator. He then slid down on the floor, his breathe still ragged as he struggled with his emotions.
A few minutes later Quinn had managed to calm down, his face was still unnaturally pale as he made his way to the breaker.
"Hopefully it's just a tripped fuse." Opening the junction box he noticed right away that the main circuit had tripped. He reset it and closed the panel before heading back toward the generator room. He arrived just in time to hear the generator automatically shut off.
He sighed heavily, "I should go check on her."
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At the close of the century in 2090, a new technological advancement was achieved. The HYLO corporation out of Switzerland, created a Neural Overlay that made it possible to synchronize the human brain with virtual environments. Prior to this, Virtual Reality consisted of having to wear cumbersome goggles or helmets, the effect being mostly visual. The Neural Overlay brought humans into the Virtual Reality.
The Neural Overlay impacted several industries worldwide. At first it was mostly in the recreation industries; parks, vacation resorts and casinos seemed to shut down over night. Everything was better in virtual reality. You could go camping on the banks of the Nile and not have to worry about crocs, bugs or anything else bothering you. Want to date a movie star? You could design your own girlfriend or boyfriend.
While many people were able to control their baser impulses, there was a small portion of society that were unable to. The immersion into a fantasy life was too much for them. The initial Neural Overlay had no safeguards against addiction and no way to limit the stimulation that the brain was receiving.
***********
A 9-year-old boy sat on the counter in a messy apartment in Las Vegas. He had a cereal box in one hand and was eating directly from it. This was his favorite seat in the apartment, from here he could watch his mom play. She lay comfortably on the sofa in the living room, a neural net slid over her short black hair. She was abnormally skinny and gaunt. After a few minutes, the woman seemed to slowly wake up. She slipped the neural net off of her head and stood up, her sunken eyes finding the boy right away.
"I don't know why I have to stop the important things I'm doing just to come back here and take care of you." The dark-haired woman scowled at the boy as she headed toward the bathroom.
His expression never changed, he waited patiently for her to come back.
The woman exited the bathroom and joined him in the kitchen a few minutes later. "Where is all the food? Do you know how long it's going to take me to get groceries?" Without another word the woman left the apartment.
Quinn watched her leave, he was careful not to say anything. His mom would get mad at the smallest things now days. He only had a few minutes with her every day, so he wanted to make the most of it. She came back a few minutes later, a small bag of various snacks told Quinn that she had gone to the convenience store on the corner.
"I've wasted an entire hour on you." Ella gave her son a scalding look.
He walked up to his mom and hugged her waist as she sat the bags down. "Let's play cards mom, or go for a walk."
"Get off me brat. It's your fault I had to leave, I just want to stay in TAP and not come back.!" Her voice raised as she started to get angry.
Quinn sighed, he'd told himself that he wouldn't say or do anything to make her mad this time. "I just want to spend time with you mom."
"You're the biggest mistake of my life, "her dark eyes were filled with anger as she looked at Quinn. "If the food runs out, head over to Ben's apartment. "
She didn't say goodbye, she lay back down on the sofa and slipped on the neural net.
HYLO Case Study: Ella Riley
Cause of Death: Heart Failure caused by Severe Dehydration and Malnutrition
Survived By: Quinn Riley (son), Elaine Riley (mother)
Ella Riley was an avid player in a new game that was released last year, The Assassin's Path (TAP). Subject had shown signs of severe addiction in the months prior to her death. Her inability to separate virtual and reality caused her to reject the real world. She vanished in the game a few minutes after her body died. It was her teammates in TAP that alerted officials that there might be a problem.
As the Neural Overlay integrated humans into Virtual Reality, an entire industry seemed to blossom overnight. This was aided in no small part by HYLO's other VR contribution, Exodus. Exodus was a VR platform. A stable foundation from which you could launch into whatever Reality you were looking for.
(10 years Later)
Di, Di, Di, Di." The alarm clock sounded promptly at 0600, an obnoxious beeping that pulled Quinn from a deep slumber. He sat up slowly and turned until his bare feet touched the carpeted floor of his small apartment in Las Vegas. Holding his head in his hands he smoothed back his shoulder length black hair and took a band from his bedside table to tie it up. No one used alarm clocks anymore, many people didn't even sleep. What a crazy world.
Quickly he tossed on a t-shirt and shorts as he made his way toward the door. Stifling a yawn, he slid on his running shoes and exited the apartment. His easy stride carried him efficiently down the Vegas strip. There were small signs of life here and there as the city started to wake up.
Vegas was a casino town, or at least it had been before Virtual Reality became so prevalent. Now most of the casinos were either boarded up, torn down or re-purposed for office space. Vegas had died.
The young man stopped at a playground a few miles from his home. Ignoring the overgrown weeds, he gripped the monkey bars and started doing pull-ups. This had once been a school playground, but now was awaiting a bulldozer that would reallocate this space for a public park. Schools had become virtual. It saved money on buildings and enabled true international classrooms.
An hour later, the tired looking nineteen-year-old returned to his apartment. He tossed his clothes into the hamper as he padded silently toward the cupboard for a bagel. Sighing to himself, "better earn a bit before school. Shit… I hate Exodus."
Quinn quickly showered and tossed on some comfortable lounge clothes before taking a seat in the recliner next to his couch. He slid on his VR headset and reclined fully.
"Log-On Exodus."
Exodus Interface Acquired: Destination?
"Gaming Hub, Job Square."
Quinn materialized on the Gaming Hub platform and immediately stepped off. He quickly activated his heads up display (hud). "Identify any mid-level postings for Civil Unrest, Iron Mountain, Guns & Gore and Martial Law."
Guns & Gore: Doubler Canyon Raid
The Gaming Hub was a vast Station where you could launch into whichever game you were playing. It was modeled after Grand Central Station in Manhattan. It housed a bank, warehouse facilities and various vendors for every game in the hub. The Job board area was a brightly lit square in the middle of the Hub. This is where the fodders came to ply their trade.
As VR gaming took off, it gave birth to two kinds of players. The first were dedicated professionals that spent a large portion of their days trying to level up, join bigger guilds and improve their gear. Their counterpart were the recreational gamers. They had money to spend and they came for fun. The pick up groups they formed (Pugs), were most often, sadly lacking in skill. Every gamer had a pug horror story they could share.
Eventually the growth of virtual reality games gave birth to a third type of gamer, the fodder. Fodder's were gamers of passable skill, who could fill in where you needed them. If you needed some range dps for a raid, or extra bodies for a guild war, the job square was where you would look.
To facilitate this process, Exodus had formed a training academy. After attending their academy course and passing their grading process, your exodus band would be updated to show your Gaming Qualification and rank. Depending on the game, VR accounts typically had a fairly high monthly cost. A fodder account was paid for by Exodus, they paid the fees, however, you were bound by their rules.
Quinn activated his Exodus wristband.
**************
Civil Unrest: B:Rank (DPS) Melee, Range Class: (30) Mafioso
Martial Law: B Rank (DPS) Melee Class: (31) Ninja
Guns & Gore: B Rank (DPS) Range Class: (30) Slinger
Iron Mount: B Rank (DPS) Range Class: (30) Ranger
"Need 2 dps for Guns & Gore, Canyon run, 5000 creds." Vena had the loudest voice of all the Raid leaders. He also had a reputation for being difficult to work with.
"I'll take a slot, 30 level Slinger, duals" Quinn had worked with him before, a bit of an ass, but the pay made him tolerable.
"Quinn! Way to step up, hey when you gonna upgrade to A?" Vena looked at his stats as he added him to the raid.
"Can't pass the test V. We can't all be heroes." Quinn started walking toward the Exodus Guns & Gore supply point. The truth was, none of the Raiders would hire an A ranker, their egos wouldn't allow it. If you wanted steady fodder work, staying at B rank was the way to go.
**************
Four hours later Quinn exited Guns & Gore and returned to supply. He held out his wrist to be scanned and turned in his gear.
"Okay, that's 5000 creds, minus 1000 for Exodus fees, Equipment repair will be another 1750. That leaves you with 2250." Nuna smiled at him apologetically, "Sorry Quinn."
As quartermasters went, Nuna was one of the better ones. Their account, their equipment and their rules. It was blatant robbery, but Quinn made it work. She always had a smile for him, even though his Avatar was a bit on the ugly side.
Quinn's other secret to getting work, never be tall or handsome. Raid leaders were notoriously petty. "Cya Nuna!"
Quin Read the Promo Sign blinking over the Academy entrance.
TAP IS JOINING EXODUS, GET YOUR ACADEMY TRAINING NOW!!
'Hmm. I know a lot of fodders who plan on taking the course, I've got other plans.
"Log-Off Exodus."
Quinn removed his head set and levered his recliner to the upright position. "Damn, that was a long raid. Of course the wipe didn't help."
He walked into the kitchen and grabbed some takeout from the fridge. A few minutes later he walked in the bathroom and turned on the hot water. "I need a better chair if I'm going to jump in for so long." Grabbing his toothbrush he applied some paste and then stepped into the shower.
"There was a farmer who had a dog, and Bingo was his name-o. B..I..N..G..O....."
Thirty minutes had passed and Quinn felt like a new man. "Why are the lights so dim? " He paused and then heard a quite humming. " The generator is on?" His face froze in panic, "oh god the generator is on!"
He tore through his apartment flinging the door open as he sprinted down the hallway. "Shit, shit, shit.." Down the steps four at a time he covered the six floors in a few seconds but it seemed to take forever. He was covered in a cold sweat by the time him arrived at the basement floor. He kicked the gated door to the generator room and grabbed for a can of diesel fuel. There were four 15 gallon cans stored on a rack near the door. The first one he grabbed was empty.
"Please stay on.. please, please please." The generator started to sputter and miss as he grabbed the second can. " No , no no no." He didn't even have time to grab the funnel, quickly unscrewing the cap he poured fuel into the tank, splashing it all over himself. The lights dimmed a bit as the generator seemed about to shut down, but after struggling for a few moments it regained its strong steady hum.
His hands shaking, he stopped pouring and grabbed the funnel from the nearby shelf. He was soaked in diesel fuel, carefully he emptied the remaining cans into the generator. He then slid down on the floor, his breathe still ragged as he struggled with his emotions.
A few minutes later Quinn had managed to calm down, his face was still unnaturally pale as he made his way to the breaker.
"Hopefully it's just a tripped fuse." Opening the junction box he noticed right away that the main circuit had tripped. He reset it and closed the panel before heading back toward the generator room. He arrived just in time to hear the generator automatically shut off.
He sighed heavily, "I should go check on her."
At the close of the century in 2090, a new technological advancement was achieved. The HYLO corporation out of Switzerland, created a Neural Overlay that made it possible to synchronize the human brain with virtual environments. Prior to this, Virtual Reality consisted of having to wear cumbersome goggles or helmets, the effect being mostly visual. The Neural Overlay brought humans into the Virtual Reality.The Neural Overlay impacted several industries worldwide. At first it was mostly in the recreation industries; parks, vacation resorts and casinos seemed to shut down over night. Everything was better in virtual reality. You could go camping on the banks of the Nile and not have to worry about crocs, bugs or anything else bothering you. Want to date a movie star? You could design your own girlfriend or boyfriend.While many people were able to control their baser impulses, there was a small portion of society that were unable to. The immersion into a fantasy life was too much for them. The initial Neural Overlay had no safeguards against addiction and no way to limit the stimulation that the brain was receiving.***********A 9-year-old boy sat on the counter in a messy apartment in Las Vegas. He had a cereal box in one hand and was eating directly from it. This was his favorite seat in the apartment, from here he could watch his mom play. She lay comfortably on the sofa in the living room, a neural net slid over her short black hair. She was abnormally skinny and gaunt. After a few minutes, the woman seemed to slowly wake up. She slipped the neural net off of her head and stood up, her sunken eyes finding the boy right away."I don't know why I have to stop the important things I'm doing just to come back here and take care of you." The dark-haired woman scowled at the boy as she headed toward the bathroom.His expression never changed, he waited patiently for her to come back.The woman exited the bathroom and joined him in the kitchen a few minutes later. "Where is all the food? Do you know how long it's going to take me to get groceries?" Without another word the woman left the apartment.Quinn watched her leave, he was careful not to say anything. His mom would get mad at the smallest things now days. He only had a few minutes with her every day, so he wanted to make the most of it. She came back a few minutes later, a small bag of various snacks told Quinn that she had gone to the convenience store on the corner."I've wasted an entire hour on you." Ella gave her son a scalding look.He walked up to his mom and hugged her waist as she sat the bags down. "Let's play cards mom, or go for a walk.""Get off me brat. It's your fault I had to leave, I just want to stay in TAP and not come back.!" Her voice raised as she started to get angry.Quinn sighed, he'd told himself that he wouldn't say or do anything to make her mad this time. "I just want to spend time with you mom.""You're the biggest mistake of my life, "her dark eyes were filled with anger as she looked at Quinn. "If the food runs out, head over to Ben's apartment. "She didn't say goodbye, she lay back down on the sofa and slipped on the neural net.HYLO Case Study: Ella RileyCause of Death: Heart Failure caused by Severe Dehydration and MalnutritionSurvived By: Quinn Riley son, Elaine Riley motherElla Riley was an avid player in a new game that was released last year, The Assassin's Path TAP. Subject had shown signs of severe addiction in the months prior to her death. Her inability to separate virtual and reality caused her to reject the real world. She vanished in the game a few minutes after her body died. It was her teammates in TAP that alerted officials that there might be a problem.As the Neural Overlay integrated humans into Virtual Reality, an entire industry seemed to blossom overnight. This was aided in no small part by HYLO's other VR contribution, Exodus. Exodus was a VR platform. A stable foundation from which you could launch into whatever Reality you were looking for.10 years LaterDi, Di, Di, Di." The alarm clock sounded promptly at 0600, an obnoxious beeping that pulled Quinn from a deep slumber. He sat up slowly and turned until his bare feet touched the carpeted floor of his small apartment in Las Vegas. Holding his head in his hands he smoothed back his shoulder length black hair and took a band from his bedside table to tie it up. No one used alarm clocks anymore, many people didn't even sleep. What a crazy world.Quickly he tossed on a t-shirt and shorts as he made his way toward the door. Stifling a yawn, he slid on his running shoes and exited the apartment. His easy stride carried him efficiently down the Vegas strip. There were small signs of life here and there as the city started to wake up.Vegas was a casino town, or at least it had been before Virtual Reality became so prevalent. Now most of the casinos were either boarded up, torn down or re-purposed for office space. Vegas had died.The young man stopped at a playground a few miles from his home. Ignoring the overgrown weeds, he gripped the monkey bars and started doing pull-ups. This had once been a school playground, but now was awaiting a bulldozer that would reallocate this space for a public park. Schools had become virtual. It saved money on buildings and enabled true international classrooms.An hour later, the tired looking nineteen-year-old returned to his apartment. He tossed his clothes into the hamper as he padded silently toward the cupboard for a bagel. Sighing to himself, "better earn a bit before school. Shit I hate Exodus."Quinn quickly showered and tossed on some comfortable lounge clothes before taking a seat in the recliner next to his couch. He slid on his VR headset and reclined fully."Log-On Exodus."Exodus Interface Acquired: Destination?"Gaming Hub, Job Square."Quinn materialized on the Gaming Hub platform and immediately stepped off. He quickly activated his heads up display hud. "Identify any mid-level postings for Civil Unrest, Iron Mountain, Guns & Gore and Martial Law."Guns & Gore: Doubler Canyon RaidThe Gaming Hub was a vast Station where you could launch into whichever game you were playing. It was modeled after Grand Central Station in Manhattan. It housed a bank, warehouse facilities and various vendors for every game in the hub. The Job board area was a brightly lit square in the middle of the Hub. This is where the fodders came to ply their trade.As VR gaming took off, it gave birth to two kinds of players. The first were dedicated professionals that spent a large portion of their days trying to level up, join bigger guilds and improve their gear. Their counterpart were the recreational gamers. They had money to spend and they came for fun. The pick up groups they formed Pugs, were most often, sadly lacking in skill. Every gamer had a pug horror story they could share.Eventually the growth of virtual reality games gave birth to a third type of gamer, the fodder. Fodder's were gamers of passable skill, who could fill in where you needed them. If you needed some range dps for a raid, or extra bodies for a guild war, the job square was where you would look.To facilitate this process, Exodus had formed a training academy. After attending their academy course and passing their grading process, your exodus band would be updated to show your Gaming Qualification and rank. Depending on the game, VR accounts typically had a fairly high monthly cost. A fodder account was paid for by Exodus, they paid the fees, however, you were bound by their rules.Quinn activated his Exodus wristband.**************Civil Unrest: B:Rank DPS Melee, Range Class: 30 MafiosoMartial Law: B Rank DPS Melee Class: 31 NinjaGuns & Gore: B Rank DPS Range Class: 30 SlingerIron Mount: B Rank DPS Range Class: 30 Ranger"Need 2 dps for Guns & Gore, Canyon run, 5000 creds." Vena had the loudest voice of all the Raid leaders. He also had a reputation for being difficult to work with."I'll take a slot, 30 level Slinger, duals" Quinn had worked with him before, a bit of an ass, but the pay made him tolerable."Quinn! Way to step up, hey when you gonna upgrade to A?" Vena looked at his stats as he added him to the raid."Can't pass the test V. We can't all be heroes." Quinn started walking toward the Exodus Guns & Gore supply point. The truth was, none of the Raiders would hire an A ranker, their egos wouldn't allow it. If you wanted steady fodder work, staying at B rank was the way to go.**************Four hours later Quinn exited Guns & Gore and returned to supply. He held out his wrist to be scanned and turned in his gear."Okay, that's 5000 creds, minus 1000 for Exodus fees, Equipment repair will be another 1750. That leaves you with 2250." Nuna smiled at him apologetically, "Sorry Quinn."As quartermasters went, Nuna was one of the better ones. Their account, their equipment and their rules. It was blatant robbery, but Quinn made it work. She always had a smile for him, even though his Avatar was a bit on the ugly side.Quinn's other secret to getting work, never be tall or handsome. Raid leaders were notoriously petty. "Cya Nuna!"Quin Read the Promo Sign blinking over the Academy entrance.TAP IS JOINING EXODUS, GET YOUR ACADEMY TRAINING NOW!!'Hmm. I know a lot of fodders who plan on taking the course, I've got other plans."Log-Off Exodus."Quinn removed his head set and levered his recliner to the upright position. "Damn, that was a long raid. Of course the wipe didn't help."He walked into the kitchen and grabbed some takeout from the fridge. A few minutes later he walked in the bathroom and turned on the hot water. "I need a better chair if I'm going to jump in for so long." Grabbing his toothbrush he applied some paste and then stepped into the shower."There was a farmer who had a dog, and Bingo was his name-o. B..I..N..G..O....."Thirty minutes had passed and Quinn felt like a new man. "Why are the lights so dim? " He paused and then heard a quite humming. " The generator is on?" His face froze in panic, "oh god the generator is on!"He tore through his apartment flinging the door open as he sprinted down the hallway. "Shit, shit, shit.." Down the steps four at a time he covered the six floors in a few seconds but it seemed to take forever. He was covered in a cold sweat by the time him arrived at the basement floor. He kicked the gated door to the generator room and grabbed for a can of diesel fuel. There were four 15 gallon cans stored on a rack near the door. The first one he grabbed was empty."Please stay on.. please, please please." The generator started to sputter and miss as he grabbed the second can. " No , no no no." He didn't even have time to grab the funnel, quickly unscrewing the cap he poured fuel into the tank, splashing it all over himself. The lights dimmed a bit as the generator seemed about to shut down, but after struggling for a few moments it regained its strong steady hum.His hands shaking, he stopped pouring and grabbed the funnel from the nearby shelf. He was soaked in diesel fuel, carefully he emptied the remaining cans into the generator. He then slid down on the floor, his breathe still ragged as he struggled with his emotions.A few minutes later Quinn had managed to calm down, his face was still unnaturally pale as he made his way to the breaker."Hopefully it's just a tripped fuse." Opening the junction box he noticed right away that the main circuit had tripped. He reset it and closed the panel before heading back toward the generator room. He arrived just in time to hear the generator automatically shut off.He sighed heavily, "I should go check on her."
