Inverse by Mikey Luke Mitchell (top 100 novels of all time TXT) 📕

Prologue


February 3rd 2059, the court room was metallically chilling with an eeriness that overwhelmed the 19 year old Will Johnson. This wasn’t your usual court case, a representative from every country sat behind the judge facing a stage with projection equipment, it was a trial to allow the online gaming fad ‘Inverse’ to continue in it’s usual business. As a 40 something Steve McField was taking the floor flipping through slideshows and explaining the detail of the safety features of real-consciousness gaming, Will Johnson zoned out and thought how he was once an avid fan of this game, he would play with his friends after school, upload his consciousness into the game and enter its virtual reality platform and become something he could never be in his real-life. He day dreamed about the different worlds he would visit, the different people he would interact with, the creatures he would battle furiously with and the friends he was so close with, it wasn’t long before the nightmarish events of April 17th 2057 creeped there way in.

“… The process is not dangerous, the consciousness doesn’t leave the body, it’s an illusion” Steve McField said. Will winced at the sound of his corporate like voice.
“‘Not dangerous’... It’s not a phrase I would use, after what happened.” The judge looked like she was going to shush Will’s small outburst but she had seen the hurt and pain on his face to make her mallet relax in her hand.
“Your right. How rude of me, safer is more appropriate.” Steve McField said in his cold corporate tone as he and Will share a pause, eyes locked in an animalistic like fashion. The pause becomes borderline awkward before Steve McField goes back to the presentation, a few pictures and diagrams pass as he talks more and more about the safety features of the game, how the player can not die in real life, when the character in the game is killed the player will become logged out of the game and wake up sitting in front of a computer monitor where they can speak to their guild members if the battle is still on-going or finished. However most of the features Will had heard all before, when the game had been released 7 years prior to 2057, it was also safe then.

“Please forgive me, Mr McField, I have never used this game before, but...” The judge took a few breathes to piece her train of thought together. “But if the player can feel everything as you say, touch, smell and so forth, what about the unpleasantries, pain? Hate?” Steve McField was about to answer the question but the judge had more to say, she opens her palm towards him to silence him. “What I’m getting at Mr McField, as you say the player can not die from using it, but can the player be tortured perhaps?”
Steve looks back at her with a wide smile, Will scowls in thought on whether Steve was being smug or generally amused.
“The player can feel pain so the game is fair, but because the pain is not real it can be measured and diluted, for example imagine a funnel, the funnel holds x amount of water, that water represents being tortured with fire, when it passes through the funnel, that fire will feel like a small prick.”
The judge looks confused by this, the technical aspect clearly goes over her head.
“So let’s say, in the game someone wanted to cut my little finger off, what would I feel?” The judge asks to try and get a clear cut answer.
“A mere tug.” Steve replies, with a smile, definitely smug.
“And if I cut myself on a tree?”
“You would feel that, it has be extreme intense pain to be funneled.”
Will grimaces with disgust at Steve McField’s words. Will who had once loved the game, now hated the game with every little bit of passion in him. On April 17th 2057, it was meant to be a routine play, in fact it was slightly different, as guild leader, he accepted a ‘newbie’ that day into his guild of seven. The guild were going to teach him the ways of the game, but it turned into a twisted nightmare, the memories he has are now lined with death, pain and fear as he imagines the scared faces of not only his guild but the millions of people he had saved that day, and the millions of people that had died, in real life, that day was no illusion.

“Can the player experience all the feelings sexual arousal?” The judge says in a harsh stern voice, but it wasn’t enough to break out a little chuckle within the court.
“Yes you would feel that.” Steve replies in a shared chuckle.
“I don’t find this funny Mr McField, this is a serious issue on mental health, pedophilia.”
“No more and no less then the internet causes anyway, however children under 16 are protected.”
“Why 16?”
“16 is the average age of consent internationally.” Steve gives off a sense of boredom with grilling, he had been through all of this before.
“And what about societies that are a little over 16.”
“With all due respect your honor, we know teenagers have sex regardless of law, don’t you think it would be better that its in a safe environment where they can’t get hurt or contract a disease?”
The judge didn’t expect that response, and she seemed stomped to continue.
“May I speak your honor?” Will says sensing her defeat.
“You may.”
“Steve, you can claim that everything is safer, but it doesn’t change the past, 3 million at out of approximately 4.5 million in that game died that day. That was no illusion.” He almost spits the statement at him.
“I thank you Will. For what you did that day, it required courage. But can one establishment really hold this burden of grudge on it’s back, if that’s true, surely the white people of America can still be punished for black slavery. Forget forgiveness, let’s just ruin the light of the future with the darkness of the past?” Bitterness seeps through Steve’s eyes towards to Will.
“I don’t blame your company Steve, but if you experienced what I witnessed on that day. I don’t believe you would want to keep this going. It’s like resurrecting the Titanic and claiming the unsinkable all over again, but it wont be long till it hits an iceberg.”
Steve scoffs at Will’s comparison, however the audience and even the judge herself seem to be in a thoughtful trance.
“Oh please Will, you don’t even have any reason to be here, you’re not a judge or a lawyer.” Steve raised his voice, and the judge is lift her mallet, ready to strike, she can sense what’s going to happen.
“Don’t you dare tell me I don’t have a reason. You were not logged in! I spent 20 hours in that game, watching people die, my friend die and feeling every bit of pain and you have the cheek to stand there and call it illusions. Well before you even think about claiming how safe and it all mind tricks, you can find 3 million graves and millions of liters of blood on your hands to prove you wrong!”


Inverse Introduction.

Inverse™ is a MMORPG, it is the first game to ever take your consciousness inside the game. The Inverse™ headset sends electrical pulses into your brain (similar to how your nerves communicate), so you see and experience how your Avatar see’s and experiences. Contrary to popular belief your consciousness does not leave your body.

Game Rules:

In ‘General World’ There are a set of laws which must be followed, you can find GeneralWorldLaw.pdf online. You may be reminded that any type of physical harassment is strictly prohibited in General World and it is neutral ground for all Guilds.
In other worlds, the laws are set by the creator but still have to abide by the ‘Laws Of The Game’.
Laws Of The Game:

3.1. Any type of malicious verbal harassment with the intent to personally offend and bully will not be tolerated. Including but not limited to, the race/nationality of the player.

3.2. Gaming Battle should be fair and in spirit of the game. Plotting and killing with the intent to personally offend and bully will not be tolerated. Including but not limited to, the race/nationality of the player.

3.3. Sexual harassment of any sort will not be tolerated.

3.4. Stalking and Physical harassment will not be tolerated.

3.5. Minors under 12 can not battle with children over 12 years of age.

3.6. Minors are up to the age of 15. 16 years and over are Majors.

3.7. Majors have a limited battling equipment when battling with Minors and should use appropriate language. Blood and Gore should automatically be replaced by a side health-bar when battling with a Minor present.

3.8. Inverse Inc. Have the legal obligation to prosecute any Major that commits the crimes of 3.1,2,4, and/or 7 towards a Minor.

Due to the majority nature of the game it is recommended for Majors and Minors to be in separate guilds. However family guilds are welcomed, and there places to accommodate these guilds.
Before playing the game, please read the “Safety Features and Procedures” and the “T&C”, when you log on for the first time you agree to have read both of the above.
Gaming should not be taken too seriously and it is recommended to be logged in no more than 4 hours at a time. After 6 hours you are automatically logged out for healthy and safety purposes.
As your body is in a sleep state, you may wake due to outside interference. Although this is completely safe and natural, it maybe disorientating, choose a quiet and low lighted room for game playing.
Inverse™ is a place for fun and fantasy. Enjoy your time and do not take gaming life to seriously.


Chapter 1: You N00b!

2057 April 14th - Three days till the incident.


My body is flying, no, fleeing. The wind against my skin is cold but I block all of that out. I am running so inhumanly possible, but it feels natural. The rocky uneven buildings, the cobbled streets and the strong smell of wet limestone seem a mere blur. Only one thing is in my sight. The one thing that is not blurry, the dark figure in front of me twisting and turning as it runs through the streets similar to a french mountain town.
“He’s a fast bugger!” I shout.
“Don’t worry dude, we will get him, no ones gonna piss on our parade” Ray says slightly behind me to the left. Randeep and Coleen also running behind me. I am the fastest out of our guild, also the strongest, kind of sad actually if you think about it. I’ve played this game way to much, but how could you not. Everything you ever wanted just a click away. It’s not real but it sure as hell feels like it.

We, my guild, of a usual six but Rachel was having some family time and Brett had given us the cold shoulder for unknown reasons, had been chasing the dark figure for the best part of fifteen minutes and I have had enough. With one