Play Testers Wanted

Amethyst Sunset:

The world took nearly seventy-two hours for a full rotation. I sat on the beach alone watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon. Because of the leisurely pace I was able to observe the sunset through my mask in various spectra. It was my latest way of distracting myself from the growing negativity between the two princesses. My playtime with Ariel and Elsa was short lived and I did not mind it at all. They were attempting to repair the damage between themselves and I gave them all the space and time they required. I spent my time in meditation and while they were occupied, I explored the planet and star system via astral projection.

I found the ruins of the people that once inhabited this place. They were a cunning lot with a highly evolved understanding of engineering and stonework. This world was much different than many I had seen so far. The Heart of Fire as the former natives called their parent star was the same size as Sol the yellow star Earth orbited so serenely. But it burned with a bloody scarlet illumination and gave off strange radiation that may or may not have led to the extinction of sentient life in this system. I did not know the effect of long-term exposure, but I was not about to push my luck.

"We must not tarry in this place much longer," I said as Ariel cooked fish she had caught over a fire I had conjured. "This sun is none too good for the likes of us."

"Where are we going next?" Ariel asked and I had no answer for her. "You aren't going to leave us here?"

"No. I will open a portal to Earth for you. We part company here. I have something I need to attend to before I return home. What is it?" I turned to face Elsa. Her rage flared to the surface and she laid out a litany of vitriolic curses at me having slept with Ariel and her. She put more emphasis on Ariel though. Her possessiveness took over once more. Sharing was not caring it was taking advantage. "Hey, all of those were instigated by your girlfriend." I said emphasizing the word 'your' to mark her overly possessive nature.

"You don't take responsibility for any of the women you've fucked, do you?" Elsa asked.

"I do indeed. I have made you climax a dozen times. I think Ariel came at least twice that." I said and Ariel giggled just adding fuel to the flames of jealousy. The temperature plummeted and Left threw up a defensive shield instantly.

"Stop this!" Ariel screamed tears streaming down her cheeks before freezing there. "I'm done! Go!"

"You heard her," Elsa snarled. "Leave!"

"I wasn't talking to him." Ariel continued. "This jealousy is impossible! I am not a child. I am not a prize to be owned. I am my own person and I have made my decision. Until you master yourself or find some measure of inner peace, I don't want to see you anymore." Elsa glared at me and I kept a neutral expression on my face. "No! Do not blame him, if you want someone to blame it is me or yourself. Ghost has no bearing on my decision. You did this. You drove a wedge between us! I love you and I always will... but... while I am with you, I feel like I am suffocating!"

"I... I am sorry. I didn't mean to..." She said as I conjured a portal back to Earth. Elsa stumbled to her feet and with a single backward glance walked through it. Ariel let out a sigh of relief as I closed the gate.

"We better hurry and get whatever needs doing done." Ariel suggested and I smiled. "You lied!"

"I might have stretched the truth. Traci just finished a full analysis on the solar radiation. My first assumptions were wrong. The sunlight is not dangerous. I've explored several population centers, but I haven't had a chance to investigate close up, yet." I explained and she took my arm and hugged it.

"Can I cum?" Ariel asked batting her eyes at me.

"Like gang busters, and sure you can accompany me if you want." I chuckled. "You tell me if you start feeling strange in case, we were wrong."

We left our camp after dinner. I created a levitation disk and we used that to fly to the nearest abandoned settlement. We sat on the flat surface and circled the strange towering structures letting Ariel make her own guesses.

"They don't look damaged, were they built like that?" She asked and I shrugged.

"I have no idea." I replied as we made one last circuit of the largest of this town's structures. It stood five hundred feet high and divided into three separate sections. All three parts were formed of the same materials, but each had its own architectural style. The same was true of the other tower like buildings in the town. The lower portions were the widest and appeared sturdier than the other two. The middle section hovered twenty feet or so above the base. The gap was highlighted in the lowest floor of the middle with a gently angled landing area or ramp. The mid portion was enclosed like the lower and was taller yet thinner. The upper portion was the strangest of all. It hovered above the middle and was open to weather and sun. The few exterior walls were decorated with horizontal bars and ledges. "Weird."

"It looks like red granite," Ariel remarked. "What is that shiny stuff?"

"I don't know. That was one of the reasons I wanted a closer look. I think it has to do with the gravity defying effects of the hovering sections." I stated as we landed on one of the uppermost ledges in the top of the tower. "Careful, it is slick as shit!"

"This material is hydrophobic," Ariel said as she ran a hand against it. "Water would roll off it like a duck's back and look at those channels. You think it is for collecting rainwater?"

"Makes sense to me. A society needs fresh water. Why is it open like this?"

"It serves the Hah-Wah Master Svartalfar!" A voice speaking the dark elf language said a moment before a holographic image appeared in the air before us. I could not see what was projecting it and the quality of the hologram was extremely lifelike. The figure was roughly humanoid with elongated limbs and digits. Its arms were crossed in front of it exposing its thick transparent wing membranes. The membranes ran from wrist to ankle and were flexible enough for it to move its arms with little limitations. "My form is that of the Hah-Wah Master. How may I be of service?"

"Why do you call him Master and Svartalfar?" Ariel asked and I removed my mask. I had reverted to my dark elf form unconsciously. "Oh! Why Master then?"

"This world was part of the dark elf protectorate." The hologram explained. "We owed everything to the great and all powerful Svartalfar!"

"Propaganda. Tell me about this place. Why are the buildings constructed like this?" I asked.

"Simplicity itself. There were three sentient species that coexisted here. The Hah-Wah, the Kreffa, and Sash-Sish lived in harmony." It explained and displayed two other holograms. One was of a bipedal creature whose closest relative that I could recognize was a flying squirrel. It stood upright and possessed wicked hand and foot claws. They were cute with their large eyes for nocturnal activity and chubby cheeks but there was also a keen intelligence in their eyes. When they looked at you, they were appraising you with a grim determination. They had glide wings like their Terran cousins and perhaps that was why there was that gap between the middle and lower sections. They could make their way to the top of the base and then glide up to the mid-section. The other image was serpentine with a heavily armored dorsal side and a gleaming yellow ventral belly. They possessed two sets of three eyes on either side of their heads. Like most snakes their lower jaws could extend and allowed them to eat larger prey whole.

"Tell me about them," I asked fascinated how three such distinct races could live in peace.

"The Sash-Sish were a powerful psychic race. Their main abilities were telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and telepathy. Though individual gifts varied most possessed those three talents at least. They were builders, architects, and scientists. The Kreffa were by far the most intelligent of the three races. Their intellect was superior, and they were scientists, mathematicians, and doctors. They discovered the secrets of the unique elements and alloys abundant upon this world. Chief among them was scarlet shalk and the silver blue Xenium."

"Xenium! Holy shit!" I exclaimed while Ariel looked at me confused. "Xenium possesses anti-gravity qualities. That is how their buildings float."

"I've never heard of it." Ariel admitted. "They seem to have it and to spare."

"There is a storeroom of unprocessed Xenium below your feet." The hologram declared and I felt my jaw drop. "You'd better hurry. I have alerted your kinsmen. They should be here in a few hours."

"Kinsmen! Why the fuck did you do that?" I snapped. "God damn it all to hell! Display location of storeroom now!"

"Access granted. Marking your HUD with location. I am sorry if I failed you." The hologram said as I touched Ariel's shoulder and teleported to the ground. The iris shaped main door opened and we raced inside. If I knew the dark elves, they would show up sooner than later. We dashed into the bowels of the structure as I followed the arrow. The damn hologram followed us asking how it had malfunctioned.

"What happened to the people here?" Ariel asked and the hologram answered with grim solemnity.

"They bombed the planet with a virus that wiped out all intelligent life. All we wanted was independence." It said. "Your Master doesn't sound like a typical dark elf." It said addressing Ariel.

"He isn't. He is kind and gentle." She replied.

"No wonder he fears the others." The A.I. stated. "I am sorry."

"Did any of the people here survive?" Ariel asked and saw its expression. "Did any of the three races survive off world?"

"Yes. I will not reveal their location for fear of retribution." It replied.

"I understand." Ariel said her voice losing volume and intensity. "Your people are monsters."

"I know." I said as the massive door slowly opened revealing the warehouse sized storeroom. "I sense a racing yacht in my future."

I grabbed as much as my inventory allowed. Two thirds of the space went to the Xenium and the rest went to the scarlet shalk. Its natural hydrophobic properties made it perfect for the exterior of a ship. The planetary sensors picked up a single craft leaving a dark nebula in system that I had not noticed before. Fuck!

"Time to go!" I growled as I used the stone on the mask to locate and teleport to this world's nearest short cut. "Still want to come with me?"

"Where does it lead?" Ariel asked.

"I have no clue." I admitted. "I don't care."

Blind Leap:

The transition between worlds was interrupted with a flickering message in bright blue letters.

'Player Character Redirect - Home Base Prior to Mandatory Exit.'

It was time to leave the game and face reality. Where was my body? I would be finding out whether I liked it or not. Had the trio from the Order told the truth? Or was my body where I had left it in the champion suite on Numenor property? The interior of Snow's former tower was drastically changed. It was larger and crowded with NPC's. Yautja patrolled the corridor armed to the teeth. Where the hell did, they come from? One of them had an Exomorph companion. Had my Exomorph had a litter or two? I walked along the corridor and the doors were all customized to their occupants. The occupants were every female character I had slept with. So, now I could come to my tower and spend time with any or all of them if I chose. I could lean into that.

"Master of the Tower!" One of the predators called out in broken English. "Attention!" The other Yautja stopped, assumed a ready position, and placed a hand over their hearts. His name and titled hung over his head when I focused on him. When I translated his title it roughly came out protector of the harem. Sweet!

"You honor our tribe," I said, and I sensed a flash of pride from him as well as the other predators. "Show me to my room," I requested, and he gave me a tour of this level ending in the master's sleeping chamber. He opened the double doors and the room was one-part bedroom one-part dungeon. Mystique appeared out of a hidden door and sat on the foot of the bed.

"Let me explain," she said as she patted the spot next to her. I closed the doors behind me and joined her on the bed. Once I sat, I triggered the narrative. "Welcome back to your tower Ghost Fire." She said her voice sounding hollow and emotionless. This was not Mystique. It was just a bot to explain changes in the game. "Unlike most other players you as... Ghost Fire... have unique characteristics. The first is that you captured Snow White's Tower earlier than any other player. Congratulations! You have earned the title of... Primal Tower... add to that your defeat of... Chthon and his Seneschal... you hold the prestigious title of Prime Mover." She paused so I could enjoy the moment. "You are the first and currently only player to hold that title. Actually, you hold many unique titles." She said displaying her first sign of frustration.

"That's a good thing, right?" I asked and she visibly flinched.

"Follow me," she said as she stood and opened the secret passage. I loved shit like this. We crept along hidden halls until the sound of hammering grew louder and louder. A short flight of stairs later and we entered a smithy through another secret door. "Your master blacksmith, Sardior." Mystique declared as I watched the tall elf/dragon hybrid breath fire into a crucible.

"What is he... um she making?" I asked noting subtle shifts as the smith shifted to adjust to the situation.

"Trophies for players that make it this far," Mystique said as she lifted a lift sheet revealing gorgeous gold rings. "These require your touch."

"Why?" I asked and she laughed.

"You are the only player character that possesses the 'Double Dragon' technique. If a male character wins through to collect their treasure token they can claim a Ring of the Double Dragon. If a female character gets here it acts as a Ring of Futakind." She giggled. "Touch them and the enchantment will be placed upon them."

"Why am I the only one?" I asked as I touched the rings one at a time.

"It was Kat's idea. She wanted to reward players for exceptional roleplaying." She said. "If there is any simple object you might require, or a piece of equipment repaired Sardior is your being."

"I can mass produce simple objects or process raw materials into ingots as well." Sardior whispered in her sensuous soft style. I touched the bin marked raw materials. The raw Xenium I had recently collected filled the bin and Sardior grinned. "Gorgeous."

"I'll finish the tour later unless something critical needs attending to. I have unfinished business elsewhere." I said my voice cracking and panic creeping in. "Save game. Exit."

A brief flash of white and I opened my eyes. I stared up at a familiar ceiling. I was still in my bed at the Numenor complex. I flew to my feet, raced to the bathroom, and hurled into the toilet. I emptied my bladder before I pissed myself. A moment later I was leaning heavily against the wall as I tripped every monitor observing my vital signs. Three on site doctors raced into my room a minute later one of them carrying a kit. Kat arrived thirty seconds later.

"What the hell is going on?!" She yelled. "Booker?"

"He is having a massive panic attack. His hearts are out of rhythm and his blood pressure is in the red. Administrating..." Was the last coherent thing I heard. I did not dream. I woke in my bed. I was not alone. Teri was manifested in her hard-light form and lay next to me. She looked terrified but her expression changed when I slowly sat up. My throat burned from losing my stomach contents and my chest ached from them stabilizing my hearts.

"Welcome back," Teri declared as she hugged me. "What happened?"

"I was told by what I believed was a reliable source that my body had been moved from here to Eastern Europe." I said fighting the tears. "I was so scared."

"As you can see you are fine." She assured me. "Do you want another dose to calm you? I have been programmed to administer medication or would you prefer a hand job?" She offered and I laughed despite the stress I was under. "Ms. Shaw is at the door. She is requesting admittance."

"Come in Kat." I called out. The door opened and Kat was not the only one waiting to see me. The rush of bodies poured into the room and half the play testers surrounded my bed.

"I guess that hand job will have to wait," Teri said before vanishing. The roar of laughter filled the room and lightened the mood.

"Listen, I am touched that everyone showed up, but really I am better." I stated but they were having none of that. "Fine, ask away."

"What happened? Why did you have a meltdown?" One of the newer play testers asked.

"How many of you got a chance to play in the cross over event? I asked first. They all had. "Okay. Since there will be no spoilers," I declared with one last look at Kat who nodded that it was okay to continue. "During my playthrough I ran into three executives that told me some disturbing information. I guess I gave it too much credit. It haunted me until I woke up and found myself here." I waited for that to sink in. "Yeah, they said my body had been taken to Eastern Europe. I freaked. What reason would they have for saying something like that?" I watched Kat's reaction and I was disappointed in what I saw. Instead of flying off the handle and telling me it was all bullshit she did not show any reaction one way or another.

"Execs?" Another face I did not recognize jumped into the conversation. "How did you know they were big wigs?"

"The way they talked and acted. You can add language and how one of them commented on how they didn't hurt while in game." I explained and watched them process that. "The strange thing is that the guys I talked to had bland avatars. I mean brown hair, brown eyes, just plain mundane. That stood out to me." I continued and they seemed perplexed. "When you make an avatar in a game you want something special, right. The other players were gorgeous, handsome whatever, these guys were all plain janes. When they said my body had been moved, I believed them. If it was a sick joke, then they got one up on me."

"Why would they do that?" Someone else asked.

"That is what has been bothering me," I admitted. "I'll chalk it up to a prank for now."

"So, tell us, what was your crossover event like?" Kyanna asked with a curious smile.

"Well... there were the Three Fords." I began and they all looked confused. "There were three classic Ford automobiles parked in front of the coffee house. Inside were the other three fords, Han Solo, Rick Deckard, and Indiana Jones." I stated and they all frowned. I paused and they all urged me to continue. I launched into the three side quests and they hung on every word. I was revealing many of my abilities and I did my best to downplay them. I failed. By the end of it their own experiences were clearly less exciting. "In the end, I was haunted when I thought of my unconscious body being shuttled halfway across the planet for nefarious reasons."

"You left out saving the lives of those newbie players. The damage could have been anywhere from life altering to life threatening." Kat added. "There are going to be more crossovers. Those will be purely Numenor created events with input from those who wish to use our technology to bring their own legends to life."

"Why does he keep doing that?" Someone asked and she continued. "Is your left arm bothering you?"

"Oh!" I gasped and looked down. I was absently stroking the lower portion of my left arm. "I got something in game." I said and looked at Kat and to my surprise she nodded. "I got an object that replaced my lower left arm and hand. I guess I am still getting used to it."