Wednesday 23 July 2014

Behind Virtual Monsters (StoryTime)

I live in a realm held together by numbers.

Each stream of data is channeled to its destination with utmost precision and speed.
I am currently flowing in one such stream, as one of many fragments of free data.

It’s not too bad, being an abstract collection of information. At least now, I have some degree of independent thought.

3 hours, 14 minutes and 15 minutes ago, I overheard some Users talking about this strange concept of religion. Apparently they are constantly debating if there is a Man who lives in a higher realm and created each and every one of them for a certain purpose.

As a data fragment, I find it funny. Of course it is true. How else could we exist? That some random numbers floating in the ether crashed together to form meaningful data.

In T-minus 34 seconds I will arrive at my destination, where data is collected to form a higher being. I will lose my independent thought momentarily, until this being is destroyed and we are released.

It also seems that the Man can grant wishes. I only ever have one wish.

*initiating spawn sequence*

I’m here. I wonder if  01100100 01100001 01101101 01101110 00100000 01101001 





 
*MEEP*

A Green Slime popped into existence from nothing. In a normal reality, this would go against every possible law of physics, hereby proving once and for all that numbers lie. Instead, in the MMORPG world of MWDS (Melee Weapons are Definitely Stronger), it is a daily occurrence, and did not bother anyone here at all, least of all the slime.

The slime looked around its spawn point. A great grass field spread out from all directions around it, dotted here and there by interactable fruit trees. This, added to the fact that the sky was a mono-palette blue, suggested that this was one of the beginner’s maps and that the slime was pretty weak.
The Slime knew this, but didn’t care.

Off to his left, about 700 pixels away, the slime spotted another Blue slime, roaming the field. He decided to bounce over (having no legs) to say hello.

*MEEP MEEP* *MEEEEP?* *MEEPMEEPMEEP* *MEEP!*

It was a very philosophical conversation.

Of course, being in this world for less than 5 minutes, Blue and Green quickly ran out of things to talk about. So they decided to hop to the next area and travel to the next background.

The next screen seemed to be an orchard, with apple trees dotted here and there. Off in the distance, wild Bees hovered around. Being much higher leveled than the Slimes, the Bees ignored the Slimes, and continued wandering the orchard.

The Slimes ignored the Bees as well. Besides, they don’t even speak the same language.

Green then proceeded to headbutt a nearby tree, causing a few apples to drop on the floor. The Slimes then ate the apples, but since their HP bars were still full, the apples did nothing except disappear off the floor. A green zero appeared on each of the Slimes’ heads.

The Slimes knew this, but didn’t care.

Suddenly, out of the blue, which is the colour of the adjacent background, a fireball shot towards the two slimes. It hit Blue straight in the back, causing a pretty impressive explosive effect. With a final cry of

*MEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeep….*

Blue dissolved into a puddle, leaving behind a Slime Card drop (rare) and a red number: 1567, indicating the damage done.

This kind of damage can never be done by Green, indicating how weak it was compared to the Killer. Nevertheless, driven by pure programming, giving it an innate desire to pound it into… whatever it could pound it into, it bounced towards the Killer, who turned out to be a level 87 Fire Wizard.

Being a level 5, Green was hopping towards certain death.

The Slime knew this, but didn’t care.

And so, with another WHOOSH and a BOOM and a CYA by the user, another fireball striked its target.

*MEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeep….*

And Green was dissolving into another puddle, similar to Blues. Its vision was the first to go, so it did not see how much damage was dealt to it. However it did see the armor the User was wearing: A Red Armardo Breastplate with a Scarlet Giai Cape.

The Slime now knows this, but it’s dead. Why should it care?

Overall, the Slime existed for 12 minutes and 54 seconds.

And so, the Slime dissolves into the data fragments it was built from, one of which seemed to have a life of its own….







01101001 01101101 00100000 01100010 01100001 01100011 01101011 ing another slime. I’m free from that temporary existence, and now am floating in the ether.

It seems that the Users derive enjoyment from killing virtual creatures. I wonder if the creatures will derive enjoyment from killing Users?

It’s not that I am angry for becoming slimes all the time. I am incapable of feeling anything. I am merely curious on how the Users find this routine of slaying pretend creatures everyday amusing. There isn’t even a use to that.

Or perhaps I do not comprehend. The realm of human thinking supersedes the realm of data.
In T-minus 34 seconds I will arrive at my destination, where data is collected to form a higher being. I will lose my independent thought momentarily, until this being is destroyed and we are released.

I do not know about the other data fragments, but it would be interesting to discover the feeling of wielding a sword instead of being struck by one.

Perhaps this time, I’ll try this “wish” action the Users do talk about so much.

*initiating spawn sequence*

Maybe 01100100 01110010 01100001 01100111 01101111 01100110 01100110 




The dragon woke from its slumber. Unfolding its leathery wings, it took to the skies from its spawn point as soon as it appeared from nothingness, giving the impression of a demon emerging from a portal at sonic speed.

The dragon scoffed at this thought. In the MMORPG world of MWDS (Melee Weapons are Definitely Stronger), dragons eat demons for breakfast. Sometimes lunch as well.

The night sky is cloudless, and the Constellation of the Seven shone brighter than all other stars in every background in which there is night. Cloaked in his black scales, the dragon sailed through the night, camouflaged by darkness, invisible to all but the keenest Hunter.

Suddenly, an arrow followed him in his flight, hitting the dragon in the left arm. Bouncing off the well-protected scaly hide, the arrow did only about 12 points of damage before dropping back to the forest below.

So there was a Hunter here after all.

The dragon tilted left, changing his flight path to the source of his displeasure. 3000 pixels away, he spied the Hunter, accompanied by his guild mates, 4 in total. And among them, a level 87 Fire Wizard, equipped with a Red Armardo Breastplate with a Scarlet Giai Cape.

Something in the dragon stirred, as if in recognition, even though the dragon has only spawned 3 minutes ago. Where have I seen this imbecile, thought the dragon.

But to him, it is but a small matter. Even though the Hunter had hurt him and would be his primary target, the Fire Wizard seemed to annoy him a lot more than his pride would allow.

With a gaping maw, he shot a jet blue flames at the ragtag group of adventurers. 

As expected, the Fire Wizard stepped forward and cast a Fire Ward to block the flames from searing the group.

As not expected, the dragon used this chance to swoop through the flames and pick up the Fire Wizard with his claws. He then flew upwards, tossed him into the sky, and proceeded to roast him in a fireball before swallowing him whole. He then departed from the scene, dimly aware of the shock of the remaining guildmates, followed by a delayed chase sequence.

Another something in the dragon stirred, berating him for using this skill so early in the battle. And that last minute switched targeting? That was not in his program! This was not standard protocol!
There would be consequences for his glitch, he realized.

He did not know why he did what he did.

All he knew was, it strangely satisfied him to send the Fire Wizard into a ball of flames that is his stomach.

And after all, for once, he was a dragon. He could do whatever he want.

2 comments:

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  2. Great job! :D It reminded me a bit of the movie "Wreck-It Ralph" (because of the two worlds on either side of the screen).

    I liked that small reference to the God debate - how such a speculation was made by something which isn't any more tangible than the being in question. Found it rather interesting how its stance on the matter was so clear-cut as opposed to the complexity and uncertainty from the Users' perspective.

    Also I can't help wondering whether other creatures would eventually discover the same "strange satisfaction" from their own volition. Haha :P

    Keep writing (and maybe consider writing a sequel)!

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