Algoritm of oblivion

“Hello Max, sorry I couldn’t make it, there was a big commotion at the company and for once they called me back again. So I called as soon as I was free. And I congratulate you, you are now of age. You can work, sign contracts… an important milestone in your life…”

“And what could have happened in the company that they pulled you off of your well-deserved retirement?”

“I’m still the best specialist in hardware, if you remember…”

“Of course, my father always said the same thing, so what’s the commotion about?”

“Is Tatiana far away?”

“Well, she’s home, but… she’s not nearby and definitely can’t hear.”

“In short, just don’t tell her, but someone logged into the game under your father’s account. And was even online for a minute and forty seconds today. Can you imagine?”

Max froze, his heart beating faster.

“And why did this cause such a commotion in the company?” he said, trying to keep his voice calm.

“This is the Twilight King, the main antagonist of the game right now. And he may have been controlled by some hacker for more than a minute… Everyone there just went crazy… Can you imagine what could have started? He could have ordered the army of the undead to move on the capital or millions of in-game gold could have been dumped on the market, launching hyperinflation, or the ‘dark ones’ could have acquired monstrous artifacts from his vault, completely breaking the balance of the game. You know, we basically don’t control the game worlds, thanks to your father’s ideas about a completely self-regulating system, we only provide access to the game and ensure order, in a small territory like the capital and the main cities of the empire, and even then only by game methods. And here is a full-scale catastrophe… and we still have the old advertising contract in force, according to which we are obliged to exchange in-game currency for real money! Can you imagine what a scandal it would be if we had to abruptly abandon this? And the massive ‘final’ deaths of players at the hands of the undead within the ‘safe’ cities in front of the NPCs and the loss of accounts would not contribute to the popularization of the game and positive reviews, we would simply be eaten alive, sued…”

“Wait, but could someone log in under his account? Is that technically possible?”

“That’s what I was invited to answer. Theoretically, no. It’s impossible to pass authorization with only a name and password now. There is a check based on the location points of the electronic chips in the body, which is impossible to repeat, they are scattered through the bloodstream and fixed randomly during initialization for each person individually. And not only that, there is a check based on ID, physical address, biometrics, and other factors that artificial intelligence analyzes when connecting. Maybe it was just a system failure, I don’t know. Or… but this is not a phone conversation.”

“What time did he log into the game?”

“3:32 PM.”

Max fell silent. That was the time when cameras recorded the car falling from the bridge – he had looked at the photo with the time recorded in the picture that hit the media a hundred times. And there could be no error in that. Another coincidence?

“I was given VR today,” Max finally said.

“Congratulations. A great gift for your fifteenth birthday. I’m even a little jealous. I remember my first immersion, it’s unforgettable. Another world in all its glory…”

“The sender signed as Grimnir.”

“Your father’s nick? Yes, that’s strange. Very strange.”

“Tell me, is this device for immersing in VR, can it be dangerous, for health or can it somehow harm me?”

“Theoretically, no. It only reads and transmits signals, and also broadcasts theta waves to keep you asleep. But the game server controls everything, you will be thrown into a normal sleep in any case after a 2-hour game session. It’s no more dangerous than wired headphones.”

“No more dangerous than what?”

“It’s such a device, it was used to listen to music before chips and augmented reality glasses appeared. Okay, never mind. In general, my answer is no, it can’t be dangerous. Today is your birthday, go for it…”

Two women, resembling each other like two peas in a pod, had been sitting in the kitchen for a couple of hours, drinking red wine from tall glasses, discussing everything in the world – men, children, everyday life, unfulfilled dreams – as if this evening were the last when they could talk about everything without fear of consequences.

“Does your Artem also study at St. Andrew’s School?” asked the blonde, and her voice became quieter, as if she wanted to share a secret that should not leave the confines of this kitchen.

“Yes,” answered the interlocutor, her eyes sparkled with curiosity, like a cat noticing that its owner had opened a bag of food.

“Let him keep an eye on mine for a while, it seems to me that someone is hurting him at school,” said the blonde. Her voice was full of helplessness and fear for her son. She felt that she could not protect him from this world and hoped for her sister’s help.

“Okay, I’ll tell him,” the dark-haired woman became interested, as if she had just learned that her favorite store was having a sale, but her next question sounded cautiously: “What happened?”

“Max has come home with bruises and abrasions several times,” said the blonde, and her voice became even quieter, as if she were afraid that someone from the neighbors would eavesdrop and decide that they had a real thriller here. “He’s becoming more and more withdrawn. I feel that something is wrong, but I can’t understand what exactly.”

“Maybe just transfer him to another school?” suggested the guest, but it was said as if she herself didn’t believe these words. Her proposal felt only like a formality, as if she just wanted to get rid of the problem.

“I don’t know,” sighed the blonde, “I’m tired of everything. Maybe we need to move somewhere further south, where the climate is milder and the people are kinder…” she bit her lip, as if this could stop the flow of her thoughts. Her words sounded a longing for a peaceful and happy life that she had never had.

The dark-haired woman put her glass on the table. Her gaze was directed into the distance and focused on something intangible, perhaps on memories of the past, when she herself dreamed of dropping everything and running away. She felt only envy and regret that her own dreams had never come true.

“Have you already talked to him about moving?” she asked.

The still beautiful, but already plumping woman of about forty in a pink dress, got up from the table and took the cake out of the oven, according to the timer that went off.

“No, I haven’t,” replied the hostess, her voice became even quieter, with a note of anxiety in it. “I think a change of scenery would be good for both of us. You know, everything has gone wrong since his father disappeared.”

“Tatiana, don’t start,” Olga stated categorically. Her voice became stern, as if she were reading a sentence. “His father was crazy. Everything turned out for the best. He would have ruined us all, and ‘Dream’ would have drowned in lawsuits.”

“I know,” said the blonde, but her gaze became sad, as if she had lost something important, “Still, it’s so… sad… because ‘Dream’ was his brainchild, his dream, and he never revealed the full potential of his world. He didn’t tell its story to people to the end.”

“It’s better to have a working project that generates profit than empty fantasies,” the dark-haired woman snapped, her voice sounding clear dislike.

“Yes, you’re probably right,” replied the blonde, lowering her shoulders.

Olga considered the conversation over and raised her voice:

“Children, let’s go have tea!”

When Max came down to the kitchen, the table, in addition to snacks, had a cake with the number 15 on it, decorated with simple cream roses, three cups of tea for the children, and two glasses of wine, half-emptied by the adults. On the wall, in large letters cut out of colored cardboard, was written: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

“Finally, you’re unhooked,” exclaimed Artem, apparently wanting to finish the “tea ceremony” as soon as possible and be at home next to his computer.

“Artem, watch your language! Sit down!” Aunt Olga immediately snapped at him, as if he were small, so much so that he almost spilled the tea on the table. It seemed that her son’s stupid behavior was ruining her perfect picture of arrogant superiority over her sister. She had specifically come today in the image of a “Business Woman”, took her husband’s SUV, and not the family car that she usually used for business, and repeatedly mentioned the firm’s affairs in passing, because, unlike her sister, she had kept her job there. But Artem had been acting stupidly all evening, unrestrained, and spoiling the whole impression… “Just like his useless father,” flashed a thought in her head.

“Oh, Mom…”

“How many times have I asked you not to be rude at the table! If you don’t stop, we’ll go home immediately and you’ll be without VR for a whole week!” Olga looked sternly at her son.

“It’s not fair…” Artem fell silent, looking imploringly at his mother. He frowned resentfully, but didn’t protest any further.

An awkward pause hung in the air.

“In my youth, people communicated, met, went somewhere together,” Tatiana picked up the conversation, “now… Everyone sits at home and lives with imaginary problems.”

“Tell me about it,” Olga supported her.

“By the way, when VR technology first appeared, Dad used the nick Grimnir in the game, right?” Max asked Tatiana, trying to make it as casual as possible.

Olga sharply lowered her glass to the table. The light blush caused by the half-empty bottle of wine faded from her cheeks. Every mention of Max’s father seemed to cause her dislike, as if he were still dangerous to her.

“Yes, that’s what he was called, why are you asking about it?” Tatiana wondered.

“I received this today.” Max took out the note with the name that was attached to the box with the game and put it on the table.

“Wow. What a twist.” Artem immediately chimed in, unable to restrain himself from a new remark. His eyes lit up again with curiosity, “There are a lot of rumors on the internet now that game characters can learn on their own, adopt the habits of their players. They say some almost gain consciousness, start writing messages from the player’s name to his friends. But for letters… That’s something new.”

“This is probably fake and someone’s stupid joke,” Aunt Olga stated categorically. “Rumors spread by competitors.”

“What happened to my father’s game character? How did his story end? Maybe he’s still there, in the game, and has retained part of my father’s consciousness or memories?”

Tatiana shook her head, as if dismissing this thought: “I don’t think it’s possible…” Tatiana took the note from the table, read it, and gave it to Olga.

“Your father is dead,” Olga stated unequivocally, looking at Max with undisguised anger, “The car was pulled out of the bottom of the bay. And that’s enough about it.” She returned the card with the name to Tatiana as if it were a time bomb.

“But his body wasn’t found!” Max interrupted her, his voice trembling, “The last time he spoke… he said he would come. It would be by six.” Max glanced at the electronic clock, which showed 6:05 PM. “The delivery truck arrived exactly at 6:00 PM, and the note is signed with his name…” Max didn’t know what other arguments to give to preserve this thin thread of hope.

“And when was he supposed to come? Five years ago?” Olga’s eyes flashed with anger.

Tatiana, seeing that the situation was escalating, stood up, as if about to protect her son from her sister:

“Let’s all calm down a bit. It’s just someone’s stupid joke. Your father was quite a well-known person in the gaming industry, so someone set up a silly prank on the anniversary of his death.” She went to the window and drew the curtains, suspecting that a prankster from the street might be filming their reaction on camera.

“It’s too expensive for a prank. He was sent the very latest model.” Artem again broke free from Olga’s control and chimed into the conversation “It’s being advertised all over the city now. You don’t need glasses or a helmet, just a hoop and electrodes that fit to the temples and interact with the chips. I need the same VR, it’s damn convenient.”

“Artem! What did I tell you!” Olga unleashed all her anger on her son, who had again violated the ban on bad language. “Home now, you’re without the web for a week!”

“Oh, Mom!” Artem said with offense, but his mother was no longer listening to him.

She stood up and confidently dragged Artem towards the exit.

“I’ll write when we get there,” she told her sister without turning around and left the house, leading the weakly resisting Artem with her.

Daria, a fifteen-year-old girl with long, curly red hair, also put her cup of unfinished tea aside.

“Well, Max, thank you for the evening, it was very cordial,” she said with a barely noticeable mockery, “but I guess I’ll go too,” she said, “now we know that your father is sending you messages even from the afterlife, and mine, although he visits home once every six months, is always drunk and never remembers me. I guess I’ll post about this story for my blog, but already at home.”

“Come on, come on, out of your 15 subscribers, no one even watches you there,” Max snapped.

The girl stuck out her tongue at him and got up from the table.

“I already have fifteen thousand subscribers, if you didn’t know!” Daria hissed with feigned anger, pulling on her coat, “And there are even donations on the streams, can you imagine?”

Max snorted, but a surprise flashed in his eyes.

“It doesn’t matter that the guests are leaving,” Tatiana said when they were left alone, “it only means that we can talk in a closer family circle, doesn’t it?”

Max nodded, lowering his eyes.

They didn’t say another word to each other that evening.

It was already 3 a.m., and Max still couldn’t calm down and fall asleep.

“Who could have sent this VR anyway? Why did the ‘gift’ arrive exactly at six in the evening, exactly at the time when my father was supposed to arrive, even if it’s someone’s prank, who besides family members could know all the details?” Max pondered.

The question seemed to hang in the air.

He needed to double-check everything again and find out everything he could. First, he tracked the place of dispatch of the order by the number. The point of sending the parcel was a receiving point, one and a half kilometers from his father’s old house, the one from which he was supposed to arrive, 5 years ago. It’s hardly a coincidence. But how could the “prankster” who sent the device know this address? It was an amazing attention to detail. After all, his father’s address was not publicly available information, although he was quite a well-known person, as one of the leading developers of the company “Dream”, participated in presentations, and sometimes gave interviews before the release of updates, but personal information was always kept secret. The house in which he lived after his divorce from Tatiana was recently put up for sale again, and it had changed several owners before that. Over the past few years… it had gained a reputation as a “bad place,” if you believe the reviews on rental and real estate sales sites. It had an expensive “Smart Home” system installed, which turned on when it wanted to and scared the new owners to hell. It was possible to demolish it, but then the house would lose almost half its value, and each time the new owners did the same thing – they sold the house with a small discount. Now it cost ridiculous for a super-modern house: 1,800,000 cr. Similar houses in area cost at least 4,000,000 cr.

More information about the sender could not be found today.

Max didn’t know what to do. All of this could be someone’s stupid joke, a prank. All the data about his father’s death is on the web, and anyone could send this message. But if you believe Vladislav, his father’s avatar was online in the game for two minutes. The game’s functionality has long allowed you to send messages, make purchases in the DREAM Inc. online store, and much more. Even one minute is enough to buy VR for in-game gold and send it to someone along with an invitation to the game. In modern games, it is almost impossible to hack someone else’s account. In addition to the name and password, the location of the chips in the body must match, and so on, artificial intelligence analyzes, including physical parameters such as heart rate, breathing, appearance, and even the player’s behavior. All of this is impossible to fake. The chips are scattered through the bloodstream when taking the first identification pill and are fixed in the body chaotically, individually for each person. Their location is simply impossible to fake, it’s like a fingerprint. Who else could send him this device and know all the other indirect details?

Time passed… Max couldn’t fall asleep.

He tore open the packaging with the VR and pulled out the contents.

His loot consisted of a hermetically sealed silver plastic bag and an instruction manual, printed on paper, which in the eco-obsessed world was wasteful.

“Introducing Oneiro-Drive 3 – a virtual reality immersion device from “Dream”

Key Features and Benefits of Oneiro-Drive:

– Full Sensory Immersion: The user feels the virtual world with all their senses as if they were in the real world.

– Direct Thought Control: The user controls the virtual environment and interacts with objects simply by thinking about it.

– Realistic Dream Experiences: Oneiro-Drive allows the user to experience realistic and controllable dreams.

– Enhanced Cognitive Abilities: Oneiro-Drive can be used for training, exercising, and improving cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and creativity.

– Therapeutic Applications: Oneiro-Drive can be used to treat mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Important note:

The company “Dream” is not responsible in case the user makes changes and modifications not provided by the manufacturer…”

He immediately tossed the instructions aside. Who even reads them?

The torn plastic bag revealed a white hoop with a bunch of electrodes on the inside. A battery pack and a source of theta waves were hidden inside this high-tech device. The box also contained a bundle of wires in case there was no wireless charging station for electronic devices in the house. Max also set them aside. He turned on the VR and saw a notification about finding a new device on his computer.

Then he went to the game’s website. He scrolled through the splash screen with the flight into space over various worlds, fighting knights, dinosaurs, and spaceships… He poked the “Create New Account” button as soon as it appeared.

“Would you like to undergo a personality analysis procedure to create more high-quality content suitable for you?”*

– The game has a psychotherapeutic effect and, by analyzing your answers, selects adventures that will help you become a more harmonious personality, work through old psychological traumas, or simply gain more self-confidence…

A questionnaire with more than three hundred tabs appeared on the screen. “Oh no,” Max thought, “that’s too long:” “No”.

“Would you like to allow our algorithms to independently analyze your social networks and search history to create a personalized storyline and higher-quality content that is right for you?”*

*DREAM ltd guarantees the confidentiality of personal data.

*In the case of providing full access to social networks, artificial intelligence will independently analyze your interests, contacts, likes and, based on the history of correspondence and preferences in the selection of groups, music, news… will select the optimal storyline. In addition, the road of adventures can bring you together with people close and interesting to you, correspondence with which is in the chat, in order to strengthen family corporate, friendly, and other ties… the further description was quite long, but the main thing that followed from it was that the game allowed you to “close the gestalt”, relive the traumatic moments of life again and emerge victorious, at least in the virtual world, while learning effective methods of solving problems in reality.

Below were enthusiastic reviews from people who took advantage of this option when registering:

– “An amazing adventure that changed my attitude to life” – Victor, 18, student.

– “Incredible. Hundreds of hours of psychoanalysis gave me less than a month of playing online according to the proposed plot” – Alexander, 42, banker.

– “I overcame my fears and was able to communicate with women again.” – Oleg, 37, builder.

“OK,” Max decided, let’s see what kind of individual story it is.

“Grant access to social networks?”

Maybe “Yes”. He didn’t want to give up the possibility of getting a personalized storyline.

A message appeared on the screen that read:

Attention: the game device connects you to only one character, to create a new character, purchase a new device. If the device is lost, the connection to the character will be lost forever…

“What crafty game developers… – Max thought, – one device equals one character in the game, which means more sales of the VR devices themselves, plus constant service and repair of the already purchased equipment, in order to maintain connection with your embodiment in the game…” Max waited for the short download to finish, attached the electrodes right to his temples, and lay down on the bed.

Sleepiness immediately fell upon him.

IV. TEMPLE OF THE UNNAMED GOD

He came to in a meditative pose in a temple with gray stone columns. A colorful mosaic on the floor of the temple was woven into spiral patterns. The dome-shaped roof was divided by arched vaults into eight segments, each of which had its own color and was made of stained glass, the pattern of which was woven into a web. The round opening in the middle of the temple roof had no glazing. It was broken, and its shards lay on the floor of the temple. Eight doors and eight exits led from the temple to the outside, one door for each side of the world. Each of these massive wooden doors was decorated with intricate carvings and a mirror almost the size of a human.

In the center of the temple grew a green tree, surprisingly reminiscent of the bonsai that Max kept on the windowsill in his room. However, this tree was much larger – more than five meters high, its powerful branches spread out to the sides, almost reaching the walls and the round opening in the roof. The leaves shimmered with various shades of green, creating a contrast with the gray color inside the temple.

The light of the sunset, breaking through the opening in the dome, played on the foliage, as if emphasizing the magical nature of this tree. It looked like a symbol of life and hope in this abandoned place.

Max was surprised by the detail of the drawing of each element of the temple and the bright colors in the game, it was as if he was in a dream, but at the same time not losing awareness and control of movements. He raised his hands and was surprised to notice that even the lines on his palms were drawn in detail. It was an amazingly bright and beautiful world. Somewhere on the edge of the perception of consciousness, a light, heroic melody played, with an abundance of strings, promising adventures in a new world. His own body had hardly changed as far as he could tell, it was still the body of a 15-year-old teenager. He was dressed in a white cassock and pants made of the same simple material, on the middle finger of his left hand was a pewter signet ring with the image of a white dragon on a black background. There was no more equipment or clothing on him.

He remembered Artem’s offer to help in the beginning. And he wrote to him in the game chat:

“I’m in the game. I need help.”

The answer came almost immediately. Despite Olga’s threats to leave him without the internet for a week, he was online.

“Super, mark the location. I’ll take Daria and we’ll rush to the rescue. It’s usually difficult for newbies at first, but we’ll help you level up. Where are you?”