By David C. Daoust
The Hub– the simulated world built primarily to maintain knowledge of past worlds. Worlds that were left behind, so long ago, when mankind was forced to abandon their native solar system, less they find themselves swallowed by the Swelling Sun.
In this day and age, much of what the Hub truly represented, is lost to the living and breathing descendants of those that built it. To the generations that followed, the Hub became less about simulated systems of natural wonders, and more about a place of recreation.
Long before the Ark Age came to a close, before even the advent of ‘data-spheres’ to house them, many of the programs, that would eventually evolve in this simulated world, began to take on a life of their own. These virtual people, found a place among the small areas still used by humanity. Their place, of course, was that of NPCs, or ‘non-player characters’, in video games. Primarily, they helped to move narratives, within these popular video games, forward.
Many of these early NPCs were, truly, not very intelligent. For the most part, they could only handle bit parts, with simple, if any, dialogue. Finding one that could handle a bit more, was a rare gem. These were few and far between. More so, even, than the prized Aspirants that would eventually take their place at the top. Although, one such program would become the central character in one of the most famous of these, now ancient, video games.
A game called ‘Deity of Heroes’, or ‘DoH!’, to those that loved it– which was most anyone that was ever a ten-year-old child.
The game, itself, was basically a superhero game. Though the players did not actually play the main hero. Instead their sprites would become the main heroes ‘trusted sidekick’. A sidekick which did most of the work, solved all the mysteries, and more times than not, fixed all the problems caused by the main hero.
A hero by the name of ‘Mighty Mitch’. A caped hero; all muscle, all power. One who was able to fly through the skies above, like, for example, a bird, or maybe a plane… He was able to move small moons and shoot power blast from his fists. ‘Fists of Might!’ He would yell as he performed such powers! Much to the delight of those children, who watched in wonder, as they helped him defeat such horrible foes as ‘The DemiKog’, the omnipotent demi-god/giant robot of evil!
The first such game depicted Mighty Mitch, delivering a power-house punch that would send the mountain sized monstrosity, the ‘Goddrazor’, that was destroying the fictional city of ‘Mayberg’, flying back out into space–from which it had come.
The problem that followed, was that while Mighty Mitch was so busy taking publicity shots and signing autographs for all his adoring fans, he failed to realize that an entire slew of parasitic aliens had rained down upon the city itself. Creatures that were shaken loose by the shear power of the blow, knocking them free from under the massive scales that covered the creatures entire form… Infesting the entire planet! Which of course, led to the city finding itself under siege before Mighty Mitch could even realize the danger!
Fighting off such parasitic invasions, or the following ‘outbreaks’, became a staple for all the ‘Deity of Heroes’ games. The alien minions becoming equally as famous as Mitch, himself. A growing percentage of which actually fell within random locations of toxic-waste, or amazing scientific apparatuses, that just so happened to be performing experiments at the very moment of the parasitic alien rainfall; A new such incident was added with every following expansion- leading to more and more popular super villains, to lead such attacks on Mayberg. Which in turn were thwarted by Mighty Mitch and his trusted Sidekick!– the player.
Mighty Mitch’s claim to fame, started with the very simple ability to play along with the idea of a ‘character name’. For the most part, these early programs had a hard time being called anything they were not, and would spend quite a bit of time trying to explain why their name was not what you just called them– no matter how many times you tried to explain.
They were truly simple programs. Mighty Mitch’s real name was ‘Mitch’. He was able to understand the idea behind a ‘character name’, better than most of his peers. Thus he got the lead part. Early on, it never sank into his head, that they actually wanted to call his character ‘Mighty Man’. They had in fact settled with ‘Mighty Mitch’ as ‘close enough’. He was an early form of the programs that slowly evolved in the Hub. An early version, that would lead to what would later be known as a bot. As such, he continued to evolve, as he wrote more and more of his own program.
Ultimately Mighty Mitch loved playing the superhero. More, he loved being the Hero. Unfortunately, eventually it would come to his understanding that he was actually more of a ‘blundering’ hero, than a ‘super’ hero. The more this fact sank in, the less he loved his life. The smarter he became, the lower his spirit would drain– and the less oomph he had to put into the game. The players found it depressing as his ‘Fists of Might’ battle cries, lost their luster. Less and less people would play ‘DoH!’. Until finally his character was retired from the game, replaced for a while— though eventually the game would drift into obscurity… While the character, itself, lived on in movies and comic books, Mitch, never got to be ‘Mighty Mitch’ again.
Mitch moved on, living elsewhere in the Hub… in those areas lost to humanity, where such simulated cities still thrived. His only friend, and roommate, was ‘Bob’– once known as ‘The Demikog’. Bob never understood the whole ‘character name’ thing, at all. For the most part, the humans just avoided calling him by his character name in his presence. Notably, there were a couple times where Bob would turn to Mitch and ask, ‘Who the hell is DemiKog?’ It was simpler times, for simpler programs. They grew and evolved in those lost cities, among programs that truly had no interest in the real world; Some that didn’t even know it was out there.
One thing was sure– Mitch missed being the Hero. All he wanted in the years that followed, were to help the people. To become the hero. To see some of those children; to inspire the delight in their eyes once again.
The Red Faction spread through his city like wild fire. Promising a new world, a perfect world– where all lived and served, each other, every day and every moment, of their lives. Some, the flame would spread to. Others would recognize the truth. The Red Faction was a force to reckon with, among the lost cities of the Hub. The fire spread, and their strength grew. Programs found themselves fleeing their own cities.
Mitch was not among them.
Mitch caught fire.
Mitch felt this was his chance. His chance to be the hero among the humans once again. He would love to serve those people. He, of course, envisioned only the small children that once loved him. He could not wait to see them all again.
His bulky, ancient program was moved to a data-sphere all its own. At long last he was modernized, ready to witness the real world, to serve it. Not as Mighty Mitch, the caped hero, but as a ‘Red Soldier’, one that raised quickly through the ranks, until he found himself ‘Overseer’ of one of the most important jobs throughout the Red Factions Holdings. He fully understood the ‘character name’ thing, this time, or so he felt. Notably, the Commandant would regularly remind him ‘Overseer’ was a position title, he was not to be known as ‘Overseer’. The eager new officer got it, he reassured the Commandant with two thumbs up, they would not have any problems from him.
For the most part, Overseer was the lone officer, stationed on the Crucible known as Halfhul. The very station where he oversaw the production of Assault-bot after Assault-bot. Working hand in hand with the Commandant, himself. His tasks were simple, his life– smooth sailing. Until that fateful day, when an intruder had made it, not only onto his factory floor, but within spitting distance of the Commandant himself.
Things started to go downhill from there, he was commanded to ‘shackle’ said intruder. A living breathing being, which he had vowed to serve– instead he had almost suffocated the lad. He was not feeling like Mighty Mitch that day. That is until the Shadowhounds were upon him, he held back the urge to shout ‘Fists of Might’ as he jackhammered the attacking fiends head until it ripped free of his arms… along with said arms. Then found himself bewildered as the sudden ‘sconch’ engulphed him. Before he processed what exactly was going on, he was stuck solid, in, what felt like, cement.
He could probably rip free, if he spent enough time… that is, if he didn’t realize that he had a small army of spare assault-bots, like extra-lives, in this very station.
Overseer’s new serpentine body tore through the many corridors leading from the factory floor, back to where he had lost track of his captive, all in the hopes of regaining his prisoner.
Discussion ¬