Ars Poetica
ULTIMA RATIO NEMO OBLIGATUR
- Location
- The Kingdom of Fiore
- Pronouns
- He / Him / His
I'd make a joke about "edge", but it wouldn't feel right without Shade here.
...Fucking Tinkers (Worm/SAO)
- Thread starter violetshadows
- Start date
- Status
Thought, does Khrepi have her name on the monument? And if it is there, is it doing something weird like trying to fit between other's names, and/or moving around the wall, but not when being looked at? Heh, maybe replacing other's names temporarly.
- Location
- Austrlia
He's about as trustworthy as a backstabbing machine.
I repeate. This is gonna SUCK!
SolipsistSerpent
Endlessly Devouring
I'm pretty sure that's for dead people, so no.
I thought everyone's names were on it, and when they died their names were simply crossed off or something?
meh johnny loyalty are to khepri. not the order of the blood oath
Plus QAs "improvements" have changed the nature of the game enough that he can be a good guy and still get his kicks
- Pronouns
- He/Him
As a former homestuck reader, it is certainly a case of one sided Johnny♠kherpi.
Johnny's loyalty is to having fun. Khepri is fun. Killing people, as an act of murder and greifing, is fun. Killing NPCs now closely resembles murder. Watching people deal with the blood and pain system is close to greifing. Helping Khepri go around murdering NPCs while watching NPCs and party members suffer from pain and gore is the most fun he's likely to have at the moment. Think about how disappointing he's gonna be he missed helping Khepri burn that NPC town down.
DL ; DR Khepri is a 'fun' magnet
4.I Heathcliff
4.I Heathcliff
"You are a hard man to find Kayaba-san." Pulling the NerveGear off his head, Kayaba Akihiko opened his eyes and saw a dark haired, Chinese man sitting at his dining room table. Dressed in nondescript clothing and surrounded by a few dirty dishes, he looked like he'd been there for a while though Akihiko couldn't say for how long. Glancing around the rest of the room, he spotted another two intruders by the wall; however, all of that faded to insignificance when he noticed the guns in their hands.
"...Shit," he muttered tonelessly, his nails digging into his palms.
The invader's lips twitched up. "I'm sure I don't need to explain this to you, but if you make any sudden moves, Borov is going to shoot you in the foot. It won't kill you; you won't escape, and it's likely to be extremely painful. That being said, I'd prefer to keep this civil, so please don't resist when he tries to cuff your hands."
Taking those words as a signal, the heavy-set brunette crossed the hardwood floor and carefully drew Kayaba to his feet. Weak, after days of living in Aincrad, he was almost thankful for the aid until a loop of dull, white plastic was enclosed around his wrists. Then, escorted away from the futon he'd lain upon for the duration of his dive, he was directed towards a worn sofa and encouraged to take a seat.
"Oof," he grunted softly as his legs slipped out from beneath him. Falling back against the upholstery while his feet splayed out on the rug, he tried to keep his knuckles from digging into his spine, but it wasn't exactly much use. Resigning himself to the pain and the discomfort of the position, he did his best to ignore the mounting pressure and warily met the man's gaze.
"Now," the trespasser announced. "I suppose we should introduce ourselves. Despite what you may have feared, we are not the SAT. We are not part of the Japanese government, and we are not upset by the crimes you've committed. In fact, you could say we're quite intrigued."
Smiling blandly at the programmer, he waved his associate away and then placed his hands on the table. "My name is Hien Wong, and I'm here to make you an offer on behalf of the People's Republic of China. You see, we've paid a great deal of attention to the field of A.I research, and we've been impressed with what you've put together. Provided you give your assent, we'd like you to continue your work as another Chinese citizen."
At Hien's blunt admission, Akihiko felt his heart slow from frantic to merely pounding. Meeting the spy's gaze, he ignored the abruptness of the offer and addressed the elephant living in the room. "That's... very generous of you," he coughed, his throat dry from both dust and disuse. "However, before I answer, may I speak with Rinko? I'd prefer to have her input before making any sort of decision."
If Hien was bothered by the request, his disquiet didn't color his expression. Instead, keeping the same flat smile, he glanced over his shoulder and gestured at the entrance to the kitchen. "Pierson, if you could come in here for a minute?"
Emerging from the short hallway, a large Englishman poked his head out and then stepped into the crowded room. In his hands was a modified shotgun; however, of far greater concern was the woman who passed through the archway in front of him.
"Rinko," he called, feeling somewhat out of his depth. "...I take it you've met Mr. Wong?"
His lab assistant nodded jerkily, her eyes sliding through the room. "He's been here for a while. Has he explained what it is he wants?"
"Yes," Akihiko replied as he shifted back and forth in his seat. "He wants Cardinal. ...Likely among other things."
"Less than you might expect," Hien patiently interjected. "Provided you present us with a copy of your research, I'm prepared to leave things as they are; however, I urge you to reconsider given the political climate."
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a smart phone and turned its face towards Kayaba. 'Eight Hundred Dead in SAO Incident,' read the screen. It was a news article - one from the NHK - detailing the deaths during the fight against Fenrir. It wasn't accurate since they remained ignorant of the buffer; however, Akihiko couldn't imagine it mattered much what with the size of the body count.
"You understand?" Hien asked before returning the phone to his jacket. "I wouldn't say that this is worse than anything else you've done; however, it is much more noticeable and that presents a problem. Not to be melodramatic here, but the Diet's been forced to take action."
Akihiko fought to stay calm even as those words sent a chill through his spine. "The SAT..."
"Are already on their way. Not today; not tomorrow, but soon." Staring at the programmer across the top of the kotatsu, Hien briefly frowned. "You have been very lucky Kayaba-san. The SAT can only call upon a few hundred agents at a time, and while they possess some flexibility, that isn't enough to be everywhere at once. Fearing reprisals, they have hesitated; however, that is no longer the case. Even if it means a loss of face, they are willing to request assistance in order to end this affair. Given one among the dead was an American? It is likely the U.S. will agree."
Akihiko blinked in confusion, but soon realized whom Hien had to mean: Jessica Thompson. Along with Steven Buebette and Benjamin Boulvard, all three were online personalities covering the VR scene. Thinking back, Akihiko could remember meeting the trio during the lead up to the launch; it had failed to stick out at the time given what he still had to finish; however, it wasn't beyond realm of reason to assume they'd been caught in his trap.
Burying a spark of irritation at both himself and the situation in general, he wished he could rub away his migraine and tiredly let out a sigh. "...What precisely are your terms?"
Hien nodded soberly. "Outside of your cabin is a small vehicle. Should you agree, we will smuggle you and your assistant off of the mountain and down into town. There, a cargo ship will be waiting to receive us. Due on the mainland in the morning, it will be carrying consumer electronics; however, the captain is willing to ferry passengers if sufficient incentive is provided. Once we arrive in Nantong, you will be issued a new birth certificate, fresh passports and all of the other legal identification necessary to start a new life. You will not be allowed to leave the country for many years; however, given the importance of your work, I doubt you will lack for comfort."
"And SAO?" he asked, already dreading the answer.
Hien shook his head. "Shut down. Likely when they realize you have fled. I would like to offer you the chance to continue your project back home; however, for all the foreigners' complaints, even we are not so cavalier with our people."
Akihiko didn't reply. Gripped by the image of Aincrad crumbling in the sky, the programmer had to fight to keep calm in the face of his despair. It was the worst possible outcome, he decided: the death of his dream - not before it'd begun, but after others had already paid the price. Left unrealized, it would mean three thousand people died for nothing, and it would all be on his head.
The only other option... would be if he used his final contingency. His last resort should the SAT approach his position; once activated, it would initiate a high-density brain scan in order to upload his mind to the servers. Extremely destructive in execution, it was unlikely he'd survive the process, and to be honest, there was a question of if he could even succeed. Either way, it wasn't something he was eager to attempt, but if it was the only way for Aincrad to survive...
"No," he finally murmured. "I'm sorry, but no." Exhausted and scared Akihiko shook his head. "I will provide you with the data you requested, but I wish to see this play out."
Hien hummed, thoughtful and a little calm. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "The information?"
Akihiko glanced down at his legs and Hien arched an eyebrow. "Of course," he smiled, his expression polite if indifferent. "Mr. Neufville. Please, help him up."
Stepping forward, another of the intruders drew closer and slowly pulled him onto his feet. Then, after moving towards the computer humming in the corner of the cabin, Kayaba looked at the keyboard and sighed a little bit ruefully. "I'm going to need my hands."
Unworried about an attempt at escape, Hien didn't bother to hesitate. Nodding at his subordinate, the two waited patiently while the Frenchman drew a knife and cut the zip-ties.
"Thank you," Akihiko replied, absently rubbing his wrists. Then, after sitting down on the floor, he pulled a hard-drive from the shelf and began downloading his notes. The coding; his log books; the experimental data - he made a copy of all of it and transferred it onto the drive. He was a bit concerned by what the Chinese intended to do with it; however, vague worries aside, he didn't have room to throw stones. Completing the download, he finished unhooking the cord and forced himself to his feet.
"Here," he pronounced before passing over the files. "That's everything I have on hand. If you want the rest, you're going to need physical access to ARGUS' headquarters. I've detailed the account you'll need to use in the first folder as well as the passwords necessary to make use of it. Now, is there anything else you require?"
Accepting the device, Hien bowed in thanks. "No," he answered pleasantly. "I think this is just about everything." Then, after straightening up, he reached into his coat and shot Rinko in the head.
"What- no!" Akihiko exclaimed, reaching out to the brunette as she fell. Starting forward, he gestured vaguely at the pistol, but Neufville grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Take him to the truck," Hien ordered. "Borov; Pierson. Clean up here; torch the house when you're done."
Struggling against Neufville's grip, Akihiko tried to break free, but his muscles lacked the strength. Stunned and struck numb, he regretted ever dragging Rinko into this and...
...beheld a great beast made of stone and flesh. Twisting about itself, it glowed with an impossible light which made him ache to look away. Flinching, he tried to shut his eyes, and though that helped, he still couldn't banish the vision seared into the back of his brain. "Too big," he murmured dazedly while his feet dragged against the ground. Shaking; twisting; decaying - it was a broken thing; ruined by both time and...
Blinked furiously. Embarrassing as it was to admit, he was almost certain he'd fainted. Either way, he couldn't have been out for long because he could still hear the fan above his head. Desperately giving one last tug on his arms in the hope that something had changed, he failed to budge the Frenchman, and as a result, his mind drew a blank.
"...The hell?" his captor muttered before falling onto the ground. Tangled up in Kayaba's limbs, he took the programmer down with him and caused the two to hit the tile with a crash.
"Neufville?" Hien called out from beyond the kitchen door. "What was that?"
Having gone on ahead, it was likely the spy had heard the noise and was now hurrying back. At any rate, Akihiko knew he couldn't win in a fight, and so instead chose to focus on his strength: the NerveGear.
"The final protocol," he muttered. "I'll have to risk it."
Scrambling out from beneath the mercenary while his hands slipped against the tile, Neufville tried to stop him, but his fingers couldn't seem to close. Swearing incoherently, the soldier screamed at his back, and as a result, Akihiko almost missed Hien's entrance in his desperate rush to escape.
"Shit," the programmer cursed when he saw the spy walk through the door. Racing towards the hallway and the safety of the next room, Kayaba could only pray that Hien didn't draw, or that he missed when the dust hit his eyes.
Hien shot him anyway. Staring down the sights of the pistol held in his hand, the gun barked once and Kayaba felt a warmth in his gut. Then, after stumbling forward, he leaned his shoulder against the wall and pressed his palm to his stomach. His fingers came away bloody. Coughing and weak at the knees, he made it a few more inches only to collapse on the living room floor.
"That was foolish," Hien remarked, his footsteps like the crack of a sozu. "Inspired, but foolish."
Pausing for a moment in the entry way before bracing himself on the wall, the spy stood there looking rather stiff, his head moving left and right. Then, his gaze passed over the programmer and failed to register his presence.
"Tell me, Kabaya-san: how did you manage it? A weaponized modification to the NerveGear? Some sort of amplifier?" He let the question trail off, an implicit invitation to answer; however, when he was met with only silence, he merely gave a small frown.
"Not going to say?" Hien asked, shifting his grip on the gun. "That's alright. I heard you cry out when I fired, so the blood loss will soon put you under. If you don't want to die here Kayaba-san, I suggest you disable the device."
Wincing at the pain in his chest, Akihiko contemplated the offer and then deliberately turned away. He wasn't sure what strange stroke engendered his good fortune; however, he wasn't going to let it go to waste. Forcing himself to crawl forward and ignore the sticky mess on his chest, he quietly inched his way towards the NerveGear and prepped the lethal command. Putting on the peripheral with the aid of long practice, the last thing he saw before it activated was the sight of Koujiro Rinko dead on the ground in front of him.
AN: Messy; messy; messy. I'd like to put some more work into this part, but I'm getting to the point where I know I'm being over-saturated. Ah well, that's what second drafts are for. Anyway, with this we conclude chapter Four and the first Arc of ...Fucking Tinkers. As previously stated, the time-skip chapter will be next; however, before that, we'll be going on Hiatus for a little while. Most likely for a month or two; not sure, yet. Ideally this will give me time to get the broad strokes of the next arc hammered out, but even if it doesn't, it'll give me an opportunity to revise the parts I've already got written. So, before you panic: yes, there's more; no, it's not dead
Anyway. until then, Arc 1 fin.
"You are a hard man to find Kayaba-san." Pulling the NerveGear off his head, Kayaba Akihiko opened his eyes and saw a dark haired, Chinese man sitting at his dining room table. Dressed in nondescript clothing and surrounded by a few dirty dishes, he looked like he'd been there for a while though Akihiko couldn't say for how long. Glancing around the rest of the room, he spotted another two intruders by the wall; however, all of that faded to insignificance when he noticed the guns in their hands.
"...Shit," he muttered tonelessly, his nails digging into his palms.
The invader's lips twitched up. "I'm sure I don't need to explain this to you, but if you make any sudden moves, Borov is going to shoot you in the foot. It won't kill you; you won't escape, and it's likely to be extremely painful. That being said, I'd prefer to keep this civil, so please don't resist when he tries to cuff your hands."
Taking those words as a signal, the heavy-set brunette crossed the hardwood floor and carefully drew Kayaba to his feet. Weak, after days of living in Aincrad, he was almost thankful for the aid until a loop of dull, white plastic was enclosed around his wrists. Then, escorted away from the futon he'd lain upon for the duration of his dive, he was directed towards a worn sofa and encouraged to take a seat.
"Oof," he grunted softly as his legs slipped out from beneath him. Falling back against the upholstery while his feet splayed out on the rug, he tried to keep his knuckles from digging into his spine, but it wasn't exactly much use. Resigning himself to the pain and the discomfort of the position, he did his best to ignore the mounting pressure and warily met the man's gaze.
"Now," the trespasser announced. "I suppose we should introduce ourselves. Despite what you may have feared, we are not the SAT. We are not part of the Japanese government, and we are not upset by the crimes you've committed. In fact, you could say we're quite intrigued."
Smiling blandly at the programmer, he waved his associate away and then placed his hands on the table. "My name is Hien Wong, and I'm here to make you an offer on behalf of the People's Republic of China. You see, we've paid a great deal of attention to the field of A.I research, and we've been impressed with what you've put together. Provided you give your assent, we'd like you to continue your work as another Chinese citizen."
At Hien's blunt admission, Akihiko felt his heart slow from frantic to merely pounding. Meeting the spy's gaze, he ignored the abruptness of the offer and addressed the elephant living in the room. "That's... very generous of you," he coughed, his throat dry from both dust and disuse. "However, before I answer, may I speak with Rinko? I'd prefer to have her input before making any sort of decision."
If Hien was bothered by the request, his disquiet didn't color his expression. Instead, keeping the same flat smile, he glanced over his shoulder and gestured at the entrance to the kitchen. "Pierson, if you could come in here for a minute?"
Emerging from the short hallway, a large Englishman poked his head out and then stepped into the crowded room. In his hands was a modified shotgun; however, of far greater concern was the woman who passed through the archway in front of him.
"Rinko," he called, feeling somewhat out of his depth. "...I take it you've met Mr. Wong?"
His lab assistant nodded jerkily, her eyes sliding through the room. "He's been here for a while. Has he explained what it is he wants?"
"Yes," Akihiko replied as he shifted back and forth in his seat. "He wants Cardinal. ...Likely among other things."
"Less than you might expect," Hien patiently interjected. "Provided you present us with a copy of your research, I'm prepared to leave things as they are; however, I urge you to reconsider given the political climate."
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a smart phone and turned its face towards Kayaba. 'Eight Hundred Dead in SAO Incident,' read the screen. It was a news article - one from the NHK - detailing the deaths during the fight against Fenrir. It wasn't accurate since they remained ignorant of the buffer; however, Akihiko couldn't imagine it mattered much what with the size of the body count.
"You understand?" Hien asked before returning the phone to his jacket. "I wouldn't say that this is worse than anything else you've done; however, it is much more noticeable and that presents a problem. Not to be melodramatic here, but the Diet's been forced to take action."
Akihiko fought to stay calm even as those words sent a chill through his spine. "The SAT..."
"Are already on their way. Not today; not tomorrow, but soon." Staring at the programmer across the top of the kotatsu, Hien briefly frowned. "You have been very lucky Kayaba-san. The SAT can only call upon a few hundred agents at a time, and while they possess some flexibility, that isn't enough to be everywhere at once. Fearing reprisals, they have hesitated; however, that is no longer the case. Even if it means a loss of face, they are willing to request assistance in order to end this affair. Given one among the dead was an American? It is likely the U.S. will agree."
Akihiko blinked in confusion, but soon realized whom Hien had to mean: Jessica Thompson. Along with Steven Buebette and Benjamin Boulvard, all three were online personalities covering the VR scene. Thinking back, Akihiko could remember meeting the trio during the lead up to the launch; it had failed to stick out at the time given what he still had to finish; however, it wasn't beyond realm of reason to assume they'd been caught in his trap.
Burying a spark of irritation at both himself and the situation in general, he wished he could rub away his migraine and tiredly let out a sigh. "...What precisely are your terms?"
Hien nodded soberly. "Outside of your cabin is a small vehicle. Should you agree, we will smuggle you and your assistant off of the mountain and down into town. There, a cargo ship will be waiting to receive us. Due on the mainland in the morning, it will be carrying consumer electronics; however, the captain is willing to ferry passengers if sufficient incentive is provided. Once we arrive in Nantong, you will be issued a new birth certificate, fresh passports and all of the other legal identification necessary to start a new life. You will not be allowed to leave the country for many years; however, given the importance of your work, I doubt you will lack for comfort."
"And SAO?" he asked, already dreading the answer.
Hien shook his head. "Shut down. Likely when they realize you have fled. I would like to offer you the chance to continue your project back home; however, for all the foreigners' complaints, even we are not so cavalier with our people."
Akihiko didn't reply. Gripped by the image of Aincrad crumbling in the sky, the programmer had to fight to keep calm in the face of his despair. It was the worst possible outcome, he decided: the death of his dream - not before it'd begun, but after others had already paid the price. Left unrealized, it would mean three thousand people died for nothing, and it would all be on his head.
The only other option... would be if he used his final contingency. His last resort should the SAT approach his position; once activated, it would initiate a high-density brain scan in order to upload his mind to the servers. Extremely destructive in execution, it was unlikely he'd survive the process, and to be honest, there was a question of if he could even succeed. Either way, it wasn't something he was eager to attempt, but if it was the only way for Aincrad to survive...
"No," he finally murmured. "I'm sorry, but no." Exhausted and scared Akihiko shook his head. "I will provide you with the data you requested, but I wish to see this play out."
Hien hummed, thoughtful and a little calm. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "The information?"
Akihiko glanced down at his legs and Hien arched an eyebrow. "Of course," he smiled, his expression polite if indifferent. "Mr. Neufville. Please, help him up."
Stepping forward, another of the intruders drew closer and slowly pulled him onto his feet. Then, after moving towards the computer humming in the corner of the cabin, Kayaba looked at the keyboard and sighed a little bit ruefully. "I'm going to need my hands."
Unworried about an attempt at escape, Hien didn't bother to hesitate. Nodding at his subordinate, the two waited patiently while the Frenchman drew a knife and cut the zip-ties.
"Thank you," Akihiko replied, absently rubbing his wrists. Then, after sitting down on the floor, he pulled a hard-drive from the shelf and began downloading his notes. The coding; his log books; the experimental data - he made a copy of all of it and transferred it onto the drive. He was a bit concerned by what the Chinese intended to do with it; however, vague worries aside, he didn't have room to throw stones. Completing the download, he finished unhooking the cord and forced himself to his feet.
"Here," he pronounced before passing over the files. "That's everything I have on hand. If you want the rest, you're going to need physical access to ARGUS' headquarters. I've detailed the account you'll need to use in the first folder as well as the passwords necessary to make use of it. Now, is there anything else you require?"
Accepting the device, Hien bowed in thanks. "No," he answered pleasantly. "I think this is just about everything." Then, after straightening up, he reached into his coat and shot Rinko in the head.
"What- no!" Akihiko exclaimed, reaching out to the brunette as she fell. Starting forward, he gestured vaguely at the pistol, but Neufville grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Take him to the truck," Hien ordered. "Borov; Pierson. Clean up here; torch the house when you're done."
Struggling against Neufville's grip, Akihiko tried to break free, but his muscles lacked the strength. Stunned and struck numb, he regretted ever dragging Rinko into this and...
...beheld a great beast made of stone and flesh. Twisting about itself, it glowed with an impossible light which made him ache to look away. Flinching, he tried to shut his eyes, and though that helped, he still couldn't banish the vision seared into the back of his brain. "Too big," he murmured dazedly while his feet dragged against the ground. Shaking; twisting; decaying - it was a broken thing; ruined by both time and...
Blinked furiously. Embarrassing as it was to admit, he was almost certain he'd fainted. Either way, he couldn't have been out for long because he could still hear the fan above his head. Desperately giving one last tug on his arms in the hope that something had changed, he failed to budge the Frenchman, and as a result, his mind drew a blank.
"...The hell?" his captor muttered before falling onto the ground. Tangled up in Kayaba's limbs, he took the programmer down with him and caused the two to hit the tile with a crash.
"Neufville?" Hien called out from beyond the kitchen door. "What was that?"
Having gone on ahead, it was likely the spy had heard the noise and was now hurrying back. At any rate, Akihiko knew he couldn't win in a fight, and so instead chose to focus on his strength: the NerveGear.
"The final protocol," he muttered. "I'll have to risk it."
Scrambling out from beneath the mercenary while his hands slipped against the tile, Neufville tried to stop him, but his fingers couldn't seem to close. Swearing incoherently, the soldier screamed at his back, and as a result, Akihiko almost missed Hien's entrance in his desperate rush to escape.
"Shit," the programmer cursed when he saw the spy walk through the door. Racing towards the hallway and the safety of the next room, Kayaba could only pray that Hien didn't draw, or that he missed when the dust hit his eyes.
Hien shot him anyway. Staring down the sights of the pistol held in his hand, the gun barked once and Kayaba felt a warmth in his gut. Then, after stumbling forward, he leaned his shoulder against the wall and pressed his palm to his stomach. His fingers came away bloody. Coughing and weak at the knees, he made it a few more inches only to collapse on the living room floor.
"That was foolish," Hien remarked, his footsteps like the crack of a sozu. "Inspired, but foolish."
Pausing for a moment in the entry way before bracing himself on the wall, the spy stood there looking rather stiff, his head moving left and right. Then, his gaze passed over the programmer and failed to register his presence.
"Tell me, Kabaya-san: how did you manage it? A weaponized modification to the NerveGear? Some sort of amplifier?" He let the question trail off, an implicit invitation to answer; however, when he was met with only silence, he merely gave a small frown.
"Not going to say?" Hien asked, shifting his grip on the gun. "That's alright. I heard you cry out when I fired, so the blood loss will soon put you under. If you don't want to die here Kayaba-san, I suggest you disable the device."
Wincing at the pain in his chest, Akihiko contemplated the offer and then deliberately turned away. He wasn't sure what strange stroke engendered his good fortune; however, he wasn't going to let it go to waste. Forcing himself to crawl forward and ignore the sticky mess on his chest, he quietly inched his way towards the NerveGear and prepped the lethal command. Putting on the peripheral with the aid of long practice, the last thing he saw before it activated was the sight of Koujiro Rinko dead on the ground in front of him.
AN: Messy; messy; messy. I'd like to put some more work into this part, but I'm getting to the point where I know I'm being over-saturated. Ah well, that's what second drafts are for. Anyway, with this we conclude chapter Four and the first Arc of ...Fucking Tinkers. As previously stated, the time-skip chapter will be next; however, before that, we'll be going on Hiatus for a little while. Most likely for a month or two; not sure, yet. Ideally this will give me time to get the broad strokes of the next arc hammered out, but even if it doesn't, it'll give me an opportunity to revise the parts I've already got written. So, before you panic: yes, there's more; no, it's not dead
Anyway. until then, Arc 1 fin.
Last edited:
Well... that went to hell in a hurry. Also jokes on the chinese dude for not realizing that Cardinal will probably just wipe itself or turn into SHODAN.
- Location
- Leeds
Oh well guess you're shaking up the real world as well as SAO. Out of interest, why did the Chinese have such a ethnically diverse field squad? Affirmative action?
Ars Poetica
ULTIMA RATIO NEMO OBLIGATUR
- Location
- The Kingdom of Fiore
- Pronouns
- He / Him / His
I don't think this was a solely Chinese group. I'd be more willing to believe that was the cover story. This seems more like a sting operation by some kind of international conglomerate than a Chinese mission on Japanese soil.
What concerns me more is (a) Kayaba's newfound power, whatever it may be, and (b) how that power will interact with the game now that he's permanently uploaded himself. I can see an ending for this story that results in the survivors exiting the game with superpowers and either becoming heroes or villains. Not sure what it means for Taylor.
Oh man, this is going to get messy fast. More messy, considering the game situation and Rinko getting shot. Is Kayaba going to get uploaded? That's my guess at what the "final protocol" is. Not sure how Cardinal is going to react to all this.
Mizu
Software Developer
- Location
- Victoria, Australia
Interesting. It seems the Worm Entities are a thing after all, going by the hidden text in the latest chapter. Also seems like Kayaba's going upload a lot quicker than canon - would he still be able to play as per normal, I wonder? This shall change things, that's for certain...
- Pronouns
- Yes
I really liked Kabaya's characterization, and the fact that he didn't magically get everyone to miss his hidden cabin. However I can't figure why they'd shoot his assistant. Hauling one unwilling person isn't that much easier than hauling two and they'd definitely want some leverage over him.
Mizu
Software Developer
- Location
- Victoria, Australia
I agree that someone finding the guy before two years have magically passed makes a lot of sense, even if it wasn't the Japanese Government as expected. As to why Rinko got shot, either the author shall explain next snippet or it's a mystery for a later date. Or they didn't want any 'loose threads' and thought the only one they needed living was Kayaba.
I just wanna know how Uploaded!Kayaba will interact with SAO now, really. Curious how his Trigger shall change things as well. Did anyone else notice the guy holding onto him seemed to suffer a similar experience when he Trigger'd?
Mizu
Software Developer
- Location
- Victoria, Australia
I also notice it uses a style of invisitext different to the one my little TamperMonkey script picks up. Still easily noticable through the big paragraph break between the visible text, though.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Stratagemini
Totally a Fire Ferret.
- Location
- Central Park
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
He triggered? Holy shit.
- Status