Virtual Reality : Dystopian Tales Online

008.1 | Beta 01

The scent of grounded coffee beans permeated the worker‘s clothes lightly. Whenever he passes by to receive and send orders, the people around will be wafted with such scent. It wasn‘t bad and at most gives comfort to the customers. The mild fragrance sets up a soothing feeling that is quite good for relaxing.

Holding up a silver tray of chocolate-flavored milkshake with a plate of brownies, the worker walked past the little exhibition hall where a pair of a man and a woman are playing a golden-edged black colored grand piano. The man is sitting in position, his fingers lying atop the white and black keys, preparing to play a piece. 

It didn‘t take long before a trickle of music resounded. The piece is the Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major of the first movement Andante Grazioso. It wasn't fast-paced, not very slow, just enough to match the environment. Everyone listened silently, absorbing the music while savoring the tranquility. 

Looking from a particular perspective, many would assume that this setting is in the 21st century. The tables and chairs are customized to have circular seats and irregularly round-edged tables waxed with brown varnish. It is accompanied by cotton pillows or crocheted rugs with a coffee brown and dirty white palette. 

The walls were made up of part wood and part ceramics with a blackboard section attached on one side filled with doodle arts and famous quotations. The posters for the menu and prices are written on the blackboard using chalk art. It is very pleasing to the eye to see the calligraphy done skillfully.

The other walls have abstract paintings, quotations, or hanging plants attached, while the areas near the windows have mini gardens filled with colorful succulents. There are also lower drawers filled with books, magazines, and some coloring books. These were free to use, and customers could also suggest things they want to see. 

Nobody would assume that this cafe is from the interstellar, ignoring the flourishing aurora that can be seen from the floor-to-ceiling windows. 

Materials such as wood and paper are no longer common since most people use their supercomputers to write down things. Trees are conserved too, so only those people having private gardens could make paper and wooden furniture. A wooden chair that anyone can buy cheaply in the 21st century would often cost tens of thousands of star coins in the Star Net.

So, one could easily see that the owner of this shop is from a wealthy family. The use of natural resources from walls and furniture plus the plants grown around the cafe is costly that you won't found a second cafe in the same set-up anywhere. Just maintaining the plants is enough to make a company bankrupt.

Anyways, despite the awe-inspiring budget-reducing set-up, the cafe's product is cheap and open for all. Anyone, even those people owning the lowest amount of star coins, could buy at least two sets of drinks. It's just that there are limitations to how many people could enter in one day. 

It's a first-come, first-serve basis.

"What can I say? This place is so good, ah, making my nerves relax. I want to come to this place every day then sleep," Shin languidly said.

Half of his body is slumped to the table using his arms as a cushion. His eyes were wandering around, not sure where it will look. In the end, it settled to the pair playing the piano. After fifteen minutes or so, the man stopped playing and stood up from the stool. He smilingly motioned to the other person to sit and try playing.

The lady obviously did not know how to play as she quickly shook her head sideways. The man must have said something to appease the lady since she blushed after the guy whispered some words to him. The man called for a waiter to get a second chair to let him and the lady sit side by side. 

The intention is clear. He wanted to play the piano together with the girl. But since she didn't know how, he patiently taught her the way. The same music entered Shin's ears, but the way the lady played it is different. The notes are out of order, while some are missed. Still, it is pleasant to hear that caused Shin to fall in a half-asleep daze. 

"You can always become a regular," a voice suddenly woken him up. "A customer with an unlimited money supply is a good customer."

Shin moved his head to look at the person in front of him. Leon is busy doing some accounting stuff when he said those words. He didn't even take a glance at the person who gave him a stare. This kind of ignoring behavior could really make someone's heart sour. 

"And here I am complimenting your cafe. I never thought you hooked me here for my money. Should I start crying now," Shin said in an almost monotone voice. It sounded very sarcastic.

"Suit yourself. Money is everything for an entrepreneur," Leon chuckled.

This is their everyday interaction. Leon continued on his accounting stuff, not the least affected with Shin's knife-stabbing glare. A waiter arrived with a tray carrying their order. Shin immediately shot up, looking ahead to the snacks and drinks. The waiter made a short bow after placing the food on the table then left silently.

Shin tasted the snack without waiting for Leon's signal. The taste of the soft fudge with a rich chocolate and peanut flavor stimulated his tastes subconsciously, wanting him to cry. Fortunately, he has reasonable control and spent his time to gobble up another piece than to tear up. 

Leon owned the cafe, and it was named Dandelion Curse. 

It has a curse on its name, but it did not affect the flow of customers. People who had been to the cafe said that the shop's name matched its effect on customers. That is as if they are cursed to stay to relax and eat delicious food. It has the feeling of being enchanted and had fallen to a spell. 

The cafe is two-story. 

The ground floor is for people that liked bustling activities. The chairs are arranged closer where there is a high chance of chatting with other customers. There is also a mini-entertainment area where a grand piano and a few other instruments are placed. During special occasions, musicians and enthusiasts would come to this area to play a few pieces. 

The second floor is for the people that wanted lesser interactions. There are fewer chairs, and the area has been divided by thin walls to create partitions. Anyone looking can find a small garden on the terrace where the caregivers planted small flowers and greeneries. Beyond that, the garden of the cafe's courtyard can be seen. There are more trees and flowers in this area.

Leon and Shin are sitting on a corner of the ground floor where an elevated platform is constructed. This platform has a lesser seating area and can only be occupied through reservations. The three-step stairs going up are coupled with a wooden gate decorated with blooming flowers. The whole platform is covered up with a metal fence crowded with creeping plants.

Costumers that wanted to stay longer often occupy this area, while some just wanted a place to stay when they walk in. Leon owned the cafe, so he has a permanent seat in this area. Shun, as his daily companion, would also get his seat by just following Leon. The workers are already used to it.

"Ah, I was chatting with Aries this morning. It seems that the higher-ups called the top players of the game," Shin opened up a topic. "What do you think will those people be talking about?"

"What do I think?" Leon did not mull over a thought and repeated the question. 

Currently, he's handling the accounting of the cafe. He always does that before giving it to the main accountant to see if the cafe is doing well or not. It is just a hobby he took after he decided to open a shop. Though, he wasn't the full owner and had his eldest brother sign the documents by name. After all, he is still considered underage by the federation. 

This could also be considered as practice since he and Shin are both business students. Doing some simple balances is easy for them. Leon is even calculating the balance sheets through mental calculations. He made a few notes at the bottom of the balance sheets before he looked up at Shin.

"No need to guess. That would be for the sixth server," Leon simply concluded. 

Well, it's easy to find out. Just recently, they celebrated the completion of the last server's mission. If the meeting is not for the sixth server, then at least it would be related to it.  Shin's gossipy nature did not allow him to remain silent, so after sipping an ample amount of the milkshake, he then started asking questions. 

"Then what can you say? Do you have any insights on what possible things we would get on the sixth server?" 

"Hmmm..." Leon continues to scribble down.

He did not answer directly. Shin understood Leon very well, so he waited. The piano that was played by the pair stopped. Looking over, Shin could see the two people chatting while still occupying the piano. The lady seems to say something that made the guy think. The guy moved his hand to the keys and started to play a familiar song to everyone. 

It is the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - the first variation, Ah Vous dirai-je, Maman.

"Ah, this is very peaceful. I could wish no more," he muttered. He rested his chin on his hand, closing his eyes, feeling the sensation of being restless for a while. 

Thinking about it, that guy must be a master ba. He only has basic music knowledge, so an expert must have played anything that sounds good. The mild sweetness of the chocolate and bitter coffee brought by the slightly cold wind pulled him to a more comfortable feeling. Added by the music, it made the whole picture perfect.

The only lacking one is an area where anyone could sleep. Should he suggest installing some hammocks or donate them himself?

"The main idea of the sixth server is the opening of the second phase of the experiment," Leon spoke slowly. "Guessing the time given and the number we are in, the expansion would be an addition of more floor worlds. Maybe three or five more floors. And maybe there's a twist like creating a main attraction on the second-floor world."

"Attraction, huh? Then why the second floor? There are new floors..." Shin asked.

"It's because of the celebration for reaching the 100th level of all the players. We all know that the requirement for stepping on the second floor is reaching level one hundred. By letting all the VR players reach 100 means that there's something on the second floor."

Shin nodded. Well, that makes sense at all.

"Then, what about the experiment? You think the idea of creating a new world is still a possibility?"

Shin's ability is his high capacity memory storage and high comprehensions skills, but it is still limited to what he could guess. Leon, the one that could see numbers, everyone, is only one of the few that can see the whole picture through probabilities. It is a normal occurrence for Shin to ask questions of possibilities. 

Leon's mind wandered off as numbers started to crowd his sight. He stopped calculating for the work and shifted his eyes to the piano playing. The first variation ended after a few minutes, and the man continued to the subsequent variations. As of now, he is playing the third variation. His companion, the lady, could not help but look at the man playing the piano with infatuation in her eyes. 

They're probably a couple or something closer to that.

Leon suddenly frowned. 

"Well, it's not that bad," Leon muttered. "At least they could control it."

Shin is confused. "What do you mean?"

"I... I have  a premonition..."

"Hmmm? A premonition...?"

Leon never used such a word before. He would always say that "I guess" or "I feel" as if just guessing, but most of these guesses come true. Using such words of uncertainty is new. Shin observed Leon while the other person is looking at the grand piano. However, his eyes seem to be looking somewhere beyond that nobody could see aside from him. 

The couple on the piano seems to have enough fun and left.

"It is quite complicated," Leon muttered under his breath. "There's a high chance of it to be successful... but..."

But that success, could it be considered as good?

The concentration of his eyes made Shin believe that this premonition should not be taken for granted. He reached his hand out to poke Leon on the cheeks, but the guy looked at him before he was able to do it. Leon raised his eyebrow.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Leon asked, looking a bit insecure.

"Hmmm? I am doing something?" Shin immediately retrieved his hand. "I am not doing anything."

Leon narrowed his eyes. Of course, he had seen Shin reaching out. Shin's lies only lasted for a second before he admitted, "Well, I think men are good looking when they are working. I just want to shatter the filter I am seeing."

"Are you not embarrassed?" Leon could not help but ask. 

"There is the need?" Shin chuckled. "In front of you, what is there that you have not seen?"

"Shameless," Leon shook his head, giving up.

He closed the account book. It looks like he's done with it. Shin wanted to ask more about this premonition, but it seems like Leon is not interested. But why? Is this premonition something good or bad? Leon is the type to take action, but it looks like he's not going to do everything.

"I know you wanted to know it, but let's talk about it with Aud. We can ask for his opinions," Leon said.

"Can't you just tell it to me first?" Shin asked, aggrieved. 

"I don't want to waste energy. If I can say it to you two in one sitting, why would I say it separately?" Leon's logic is reasonable. 

"Why do you favor him so much," Shin wanted to bawl out his eyes and wash Leon with his tears. "I thought that I am your best-est friend!"

Leon just looked at him unaffected. So what if you are his best friend? Aud is someone whom he assumes to have a high-ranking position in the game. Telling the guesses to Aud will give them a better result than sharing it with Shin. The least that this guy can do is to gossip the information around. 

"Stop mopping around. Let's go," Leon stated. 

Shin immediately straightened up and grinned at him like a dog. Leon rolled his eyes as he called a server nearby. 

Leon gave them the book, and Shin paid for the food he ordered. Leon roamed around the staff room for a while to talk with the employees. His friendliness made him famous inside, and the trust he gives made them more motivated to work. Besides, Leon is paying them a good salary. Anyone would be happy about that.

"Have a good day, sir," one of them escorted them to the door.

Leon just waved his hand.

"I'm jealous. Having a business like this, maybe I should start my own fast-food chain?" Shin muttered.

"Don't act dumb. I know you're day trading. You can't hide the fact that we're earning the same money."

Shin just laughed out. Nobody could really hide anything from Leon.

"Though, day-trading is fun. Want to try it? Maybe with your ability to foresee things, you could guess the up and down in the stock market. We could get more money if we do it together."

Now that he's caught, Shin took out his phone to check. He's only doing it with a couple of electronic devices and some internet connection. He's not moving a single inch from his house in this kind of work.

"Simulation is more fun. I enjoy management," Leon dismissed the idea.

"Then, what about I ask for some numbers whenever I don't know how much I price it?"

"How could a person like you, who mastered the rules and flow by just reading the book once, asking my advice? You don't need my statistics. You can already see it through with no problem."

Both of their terminals rang. Leon pressed the button on his wrist that opened the interface of his supercomputer. Shin also did the same. The two of them received an email from Aud. the contents should be similar. 

"Speaking of the devil, I need to discuss something with him now," Leon muttered.

The email sent has only one message. And if it was a necromancer, the text is enough to summon a command.

FROM: AUD

SUBJ: NEW SERVER

MEET ME ON THE DISBOARD. I'LL DISCUSS SOMETHING.