22 Willing Distraction
The explorers looked at each other, smiled, and shouted, “Itadakimasu!” I laughed! “How awesome is it that particular Japanese custom has apparently become mainstream!” Auntie Emma replied, “It never carried a heavy religious connection and thus stuck when many western phrases dropped out of favor. The third drawer from the left, Jeb, has the serving […]
21 Finding a Bed
“Ok, I promise not to do anything else I think will attract Nirvana’s attention today – let’s get to the obelisk, update, and find lodging.” Grumpy nods, “Let’s go. I’ll take us to a place where we may be able to get a suite of rooms with a common area.” He stops when he notices […]
20 Getting Class
Just as we are coming up on the exit to the graveyard, a couple of adventurers decked out in clothes and equipment that screams, ‘THUG!’, step out from behind the pillars that the gate is attached to. “Well, well, it’s some of the big shots in the Explorer’s Association. What do you think, Billy? Do […]
19 Keeping a Secret
“Let’s get out of here; adventurers are starting to gather for the nightly raids,” said Grumpy while pointing out some people coming down the main path from the gate. They were quite a ways out. “I agree. In fact, why don’t we head to the road? I’ll offer them my shovel, letting them know we […]
18 Power Looting
When I look around, I see Grumpy looking at me. He shakes his head, “I don’t want to know.” Laughing at him, “Oh yes, yes you do, but it can wait. Have you picked from the vault?” “No,” he replies. “That’s fine. Take your time. I want to spend an hour here, then have a […]
17 Shaken, not Stirred
After Gilden and Grumpy remove the locks and lift the gravestone out of the recess, Mason and I look in it. “This one is different – there is a palm reader here.” Kneeling, I place my palm on the reader, and a mechanical voice sounds out. “Your party is the first to access the James […]
16 The Graveyard
After we pass through the foot gate, Grumpy takes us to the left, where there’s a path along the foot of the wall that we follow. The walls and crenellations are high enough that we can’t see the guards stationed there. The forest has also been pushed back, leaving an open field of about five […]
15 The Good With The Bad
We’ve just come up on a large square, offset so that the road that passes through the gate is on the left side of the courtyard as you face the gate from inside Horn Point. This arrangement is so that the traffic coming into the city can be shunted off for inspection while traffic leaving […]
14 The First Step
“Follow me,” shouted Grumpy! And he ran into an alleyway. We’re on a minor street with crafter shops after a few twists and a squeeze between some crates. Many of the doorways have people standing nearby, smiling and catching skittles as they fall out of the air. Gilden says, “Put your cloaks on while we […]
13 Too Much of a Good Thing
Gilden said, “Let’s stop by the COM market and help Jeb get a ‘standard pack’ built on the way to the graveyard. I know he’ll need more than he got from the Bobs.” “Shopping is more along my strengths! Is there anything you want to pick up besides basics?” asked Mason. I replied, “I want […]
11 A Hamburger Today
I woke early, the best night’s sleep I think I have ever had. Becoming a digital human has a lot going for it. I wonder how well Moore’s Law held up after I died? It seems like you can have the best of both worlds by living physically and going digital near the end. There […]
12 Perspective
Grumpy64 stares at me while I finish laughing. Finally, he says, “Who or what is ‘Red Robin’?” “Based on that small confirmation, they are a defunct restaurant chain specializing in Hamburgers and ‘bottomless fries. ‘Bottomless fries’ are an ‘all-you-can-eat’ option.” “It doesn’t surprise me that you know about something that doesn’t exist. But how did […]
10 The Meeting, Part 2
“There’s nothing like a soak in a hot tub after an adventure,” Mason continued. “However, when you are out in the field and don’t want monsters tracking you like bloodhounds, you need to clean up and eliminate any excess scent. My cantrip starts with a damp cloth in one hand and then say, ‘Scrubbing Bubbles’ […]
09 The Meeting Part 1
Soon I saw Harry and three other men with baskets on long handles moving along the rows from the back forward. Everybody is putting a token or silver into the basket. I put mine in when it’s my turn. They empty the baskets into a small chest at the front of the room that is […]
08 Blue Cheese Crumbles
Clara came back with my blue cheese and placed it on the table. I smiled and said, “You can never have enough cheese. Let’s see if this works like I think it should.” I dumped the blue cheese dressing on my salad and then held the little bowl in my left hand, “Spice Rack Blue […]
07 Breakfast for Dinner
The inside of The Weather Vane is much larger than I would expect for a medieval tavern. There must be seating for more than five hundred people. You can see two staircases from the door – going both up and down. And most surprising of all – it doesn’t smell. Not it doesn’t smell bad […]
06 Finding The Weather Vane
The north entrance of the Church of Money wasn’t any busier than your average mall and not nearly as intimidating as the market I saw from the chapel doorway. As I left, I could finally see what Horn Point looked like – and I wasn’t expecting a weird cross between the industrial revolution and medieval […]
05 Advice and Plans
Frank walked over to the hallway on the right, picked up a hammer tucked into a recess on the wall, and then struck a gong in that same recess. Then he started walking over to me, “OK, another attendant will be here shortly. We can go set up your account. When you return, there’s a […]
04 The Church of Money
Frank has pulled his bench so he can lean against the wall and put his feet on it. I pick the bench next to him, sit down and say, “I don’t think I am ready to brave that level of capitalism.” Frank starts laughing, “It’s so funny that you say that! You see, you are […]
03 Horn Point
“Jeb, there isn’t anything else we do for revivals. Are you ready to begin?” “Actually, if it’s possible, I would like a chance to get used to piloting my avatar. I would like to do that here, or somewhere ‘safe,’ before I need to start worrying about other people.” “Sure, you will find a little […]
02 Character Generation
“Ok, so if I am in a video game, is this the character generation process?” Bob replies, “To some degree. There are no levels in Nirvana. If you want to be stronger, then exercise, or get special equipment. These things can change your avatar. If you want to be smarter, study – even special equipment […]
01 Waking Up
There’s beeping and the hospital smell. I’m not dead. I’m supposed to be dead. Somebody is speaking to me, and I don’t recognize the voice. “Easy now, John, things aren’t what they seem. Please take a deep breath and open your eyes.” Angrily, “I’m NOT dead!” Looking around, “I’m still laying here in my hospital […]
00 Disclaimers and Legal Stuff
Disclaimer This is a work of fiction written to entertain the masses! Space and time have been rearranged to suit the convenience of the author and book. Except for public figures, any resemblance to persons dead, living, yet to be born, or from alternate timelines or universes is coincidental. References to other works are for […]