DeliriousAbsol
Call me Del
A/N - Welcome to my side project! First, I'd like to say I'm still working on this. I wanted to have it finished before I began to post it, but I really felt like introducing you all to it today. Plus, it might spur me on to actually make some headway if I feel pressured to post updates.
Secondly, this premise is a rather odd one. It was an idea I originally had for a contest a couple years back where Pokemon meets the real world. Okay, so it's not the 'real world' as we all know it. This is a cyberpunk noir setting, using characters for an original series I one day plan to work on. There's also a fair bit of world building already thought up, which I've tried to brush over a bit in narrative so you can get a feel for the setting. This story an experiment for myself to get used to writing these characters and see their personalities develop and grow. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it =D If there's anything you'd like more detail on, please feel free to ask.
This isn't being posted to FFNet, so I am having to format the text manually. If there are any mistakes, please let me know.
(I do not own Pokemon or any of its critters! The Frost and Wire original cast, however, are mine =D )
Blurb - Welcome to Pokemon:Life, UTEIC's biggest and most popular gaming experience. Suitable for ages seven and up. Engage in a world filled with *crackle... splutter*
...
Pokemon:Life is one of, if not the biggest, game the world has ever known. That's why the virus ransacking it, plunging players into comas, is such a big deal. But freelance detective Frost and his partner Wire are struggling to get to the bottom of it. Then one night, things change, when they realise the clues to the virus' creator might not actually be in the real world...
Midnight was usually the only time Frost could get any serious thinking done. Tonight, however, was proving to not be one of those nights.
The detective flicked through his case notes, each click of the mouse bringing up a file he’d mulled over a billion times already. The computer screen’s glare tired his sore eyes, providing little light alongside London’s streetlights and neon billboards. The latter tinted his dark office in an array of garish colours that were a vast improvement on the worn wallpaper and stained carpet.
Sirens wailed outside, followed by loud shouts and footsteps, but it didn’t draw his attention away from his screen.
A fuzzy head looked up from the other side of his desk and fixed upon the window with large, yellow eyes.
“I wish this city would sleep sometimes.” The deep voice didn’t quite suit the creature it belonged to.
The bush baby yawned and stretched then slumped back down on the desk, burying his face in his slender arms.
“You could always take a vacation?” Frost suggested. “Find a nice, quiet spot by a lake.”
“I don’t think many hotels are accepting enhanced fuzzbutts just yet,” said Wire. “They’re too worried about fleas.”
“You don’t have fleas.”
Wire reached a long back leg behind his ear and scratched intently, fixing his eyes on Frost’s. The detective stared back at him, trying to work out if the bush baby was serious and he’d need to flea bomb his office. A smirk spread across Wire’s muzzle and Frost rolled his eyes as he returned to his work.
“Are you making any headway?” Wire asked.
“No,” said Frost. “I’m about as stuck as I was this morning. Nothing obvious is showing up at all.” He paused and ran his fingers through his shaggy brown hair. “It’s all starting to look the same.”
He sighed and leant back in his chair, continuing to stare at the colourful image on his screen as he tapped his pen against his bottom lip. Various words stood out to him - ‘coma’, ‘virus’, ‘dangerous game’. But it infuriated him how there was no clear source to the problem.
Somehow, at some point, someone had unleashed a virus into the world’s most popular life simulator ‘Pokemon:Life’. People would hook themselves up to the virtual game, sometimes for days on end. Despite the fact that those hooked up to the game would receive nutrients from a drip, it wasn’t enough. There was too much risk that people would spend every single hour of their life wired up to the addictive game. To avoid any danger coming to them, the creators had to implement measures to prevent people from just wasting away, and this came in the form of an automatic boot. After two whole days had passed, anyone still logged in would be booted from the game and locked out of the game for twenty four hours.
The virus had been named ‘Boot-Block’. Its sole purpose was to override the automatic boot, keeping players locked in the game. When it hit, the players affected couldn’t even choose to log out of the game. Even friends and family members couldn’t force them out. A force disconnect would cause serious brain damage even without the virus. They were trapped, and after a week had passed, all affected players slipped into comas. Whether or not the coma was related to the virus was yet to be discovered. People were starting to panic. There was speculation that too much time wired up to a VR machine damaged the brain, despite it being debunked decades ago. It was a logical assumption. Spending too long in front of a screen was bad for your eyes, but they’d checked safety measures for VR over and over, and it was proven perfectly safe long before they introduced Life.
Nevertheless, there was a mass panic. And peoples’ worries were either about to be solved, or worsened. The virus wasn’t just a one-time event. It had been released again. Reports of players struggling to log out were rising. If Frost had done his maths right, more people would be slipping into comas in four days.
He brushed his hair back from his eyes then reached for his eye drops.
“Maybe you need a break?” said Wire. “Give yourself some space before it drives you nuts.”
“It might be too late for that.” The detective closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. “What I’d really love is a change of pace for a while. Even some stunts from Tenacious Tanuki would be welcomed, but that little thief seems to have vanished off the face of London.”
“Probably got himself caught after that jewel heist.” Wire frowned up at him. “Besides, I wasn’t talkin’ about a new case. I was saying you should get some sleep!”
“You’re right.” Frost yawned and motioned to turn off his computer. “A good night’s sleep might clear my head.”
“Or you’ll just lie awake thinking about it.”
Frost stared down at the bush baby. “Why do you say things like this, Wire? Why?”
The experiment shrugged and hopped from the table.
“Anyway,” he said as he shuffled to the door. “I’m gonna hit Larry’s before I head home. I’ll try not to wake you up.”
“I might join you.” Frost grabbed his card key and trench coat from the hook beside the door. “Only for a half, then I’m gonna call it a night.”
“Join me?” Wire fixed him with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you were tired.”
“I am, but if I try to sleep now I’ll just be too strung up on this case.” He opened the door then frowned down at the bush baby. “I’ll just be lying awake all night thinking about it.”
Wire let out a loud, raucous laugh and strutted from the office.
“So you wanna wind down a bit, I gotcha.” He bounded down the stairs and looked up at Frost from the front door. “I tell you what. Since you bought the last round, this one’s on me.”
Frost gave the bush baby a wink and strolled out through the front door, letting it shut on its automatic lock behind them. He turned from it with a flourish, his grey trench coat billowing out behind him as he strutted down the busy street after his friend.
Above them, LED headlights lit up the walk way as hover cars zipped along over head on the sky roads, leaving the ground safe and free for pedestrians. However, Frost often thought the pedestrians were more dangerous than the hover cars.
He tried to tune out the shouts and jeers from the alleys and caught up with Wire. The bush baby had his eyes fixed on the road ahead, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding noise. An ultraviolet light from a night club’s doorway reflected off his white fur, highlighting the neon pink streaks that ran along his body. As his fur became momentarily transparent, Frost picked out the number ‘2’ tattooed on his left shoulder.
Sirens cut through the air and Frost glanced back as a group of police hoverboards surrounded a group of teenagers. Two of the teens were cuffed, their shouts of protest rising over the thumping music from the surrounding bars. One of the teens shoved an officer off his hoverboard and took off on it, zipping past the two detectives. Frost briefly considered giving chase, but there was no chance he’d catch up with the criminal. Before he’d even finished processing the idea, the hoverboard fleet shot past him, leaving behind the robbed police officer and his partner to deal with the arrested teens.
“This city is the reason I stopped being nocturnal,” Wire hissed through gritted teeth.
Frost gave a dry chuckle. “And you’re the one who wants to go for a drink.”
“Larry’s ain’t no night club.” Wire nodded towards the alley on their right. “Come on. Before we get caught up in some dumb chaos.”
Frost followed Wire into the alley, but despite being a narrower street lined with trash cans, it sported its own share of entertainment facilities. Neon signs lit up the walls and floor, and above them flashed an LCD screen broadcasting a cartoon girl with bright blue hair. The pokeball motif on her clothes was intended to draw any budding fan as she playfully advertised an upcoming event in Pokemon:Life. It wouldn’t seem so dark if it weren’t for the threat of the virus. Frost wondered how many fans would be partaking in it.
The familiar neon sign for Larry’s Diner appeared on their right, although the ‘diner’ part was irrelevant. It hadn’t been a diner in years. Frost pushed the door open, triggering a little tinkle from an electronic alarm. The scent of stale alcohol assaulted his senses the instant he strode inside. The bearded face of Larry looked up from behind the bar as he wiped down a glass. His eyes widened at the sight of the two detectives, and he watched Wire leap up onto one of the bar stools. The bartender’s face lit up with a beaming smile.
“Wire! How’s my favorite freak?”
Wire narrowed his eyes at the bartender and adjusted himself in his seat. “My usual, please, Larry.”
Larry turned to the back of the bar and poured out a glass of apple juice. The glass found itself stuffed into Wire’s outstretched paws. Despite the vast modifications to his intelligence and physical strength, the experiment’s body was not designed to filter out alcohol.
Frost gave Larry a nod as he pulled up a stool beside Wire and quickly ordered a gin and lemonade.
“You look tired,” Larry said as he gave Frost his order. “Still none the wiser on that case?”
“Nope. I’m just coming up dry.” Frost took a sip of his drink and leant one arm on the sticky bar.
“Well, let’s see if I can help shed some light, eh?” Larry returned to wiping the glasses. “What is it you're stuck on exactly?”
“All of it,” said Frost. “My client’s kid has had no contact with any hackers, no evidence of hacking themselves. And if their account or VR machine has been tampered with, there’s no evidence to prove it.”
“Well, I’ve been having a think about this myself. As you know, my granddaughter plays Life. I’m worried sick, so it’s often on my mind. Fortunately she’s avoided the second wave of this virus. Nontheless, it makes me wonder if you’re looking in the right place.”
“What are you getting at?”
“You ever thought the criminal might actually be inside the game?”
Wire looked up from his apple juice and snorted. “In the game? I know it’s a virtual life and all that, but surely you can’t manufacture a virus inside a flippin’ game.”
Larry wagged his finger at the primate. “You underestimate this game, my fuzzy friend.” He picked the glass back up, wiping it out of habit. “My granddaughter has a degree in computer and video game technology. Got an aspiring career with UTEIC itself, although she’s yet to climb the ladder.” He’d pronounced the initials as a word - ‘Yoo-tey-yik’.
Frost sipped his drink as he took in the bartender’s words. UTEIC was the biggest company behind the entertainment district. The initials stood for Ultimate Technology in Entertainment and Information Communications. Not everyone sided with them, however, and your allegiance showed in how you pronounced it. Those who hated it pronounced it ‘Yoo-Tek’ and given a literal spelling - UTEK - often spray painted on London’s elaborate bridge by ‘anarchists’. It meant something. ‘Ultimate Tyrants in Entertainment Killing.’ No one had seen the face behind UTEIC. To land a job inside it was a massive accomplishment in itself.
“She tells me that in this game, you can form alliances,” Larry went on. “There’s no direct ‘A to B’. Yes, there’s a plot, but no solid rules. It’s a virtual life, like you said. There is so much freedom. But despite the securities set in place, it would be wrong to assume that someone wouldn’t have found a way around it.”
Frost leant his head on his hand and swirled the contents around in his glass. So they may very well be dealing with a cyber criminal. And one who lurked inside the data, not from the outside. Surely it wasn’t a UTEIC employee? Maybe someone who was rogue, wanting to frame either UTEIC itself or the company behind Life? A spark went off in his mind and he sipped at his drink. Why hadn’t he put the numbers together before?
“Frost?” Wire asked warily. “You got that look in yer eye.”
“That’s because I think I might have a lead.” He set his glass down and fixed his tired eyes on the bartender. “Thanks for that, Larry. You really opened my eyes.”
Larry blinked a couple of times. “What to?”
“There’s one suspect I thought would be too big to mess with a mere game played predominantly by kids.” Frost slipped from his stool and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he turned towards the door. “Come on, Wire. I guess that good night’s sleep isn’t happening anymore.”
“Where are we goin’?” Wire hopped down and beat him to the door, fixing him with a quizzical expression.
Frost tugged the door open and stepped out into the cold night air. “To pay my brother a visit.”
The huge, white lair towered over Frost and Wire. The tower lay at an odd angle reminiscent of a crashed satellite. They stared up at it, Frost with his hands in his pockets, and Wire with a raised eyebrow. Scrawled above the door in vibrant, green letters was the word ‘Vile’.
“Not very secret, is it?” said Wire.
“It wouldn’t be intimidating if it were secret.” Frost lifted a fist to the door and knocked. A deep echoing boom came from beyond it with each tap.
They stood there, silent, staring at the door.
“I don’t think he’s in,” said Wire.
“He’s in. His car is in the garage.” Frost knocked again, louder this time. “Come on, Evander! Open up!”
Another beat of silence. Then a loud click came from the lock. The door creaked open inward, and a tiny rat face peered out at them.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“One!” Wire flashed a canine at her. “I think you know-”
Frost silenced him with a wave of his hand and crouched down before the rat. “I’m here to see Evander. If you’d let me in-”
“He doesn’t like being called that,” she spat. “You know full well he changed his name.”
“I know, but I refuse to call my brother ‘Vile’. It’s cruel.”
“He likes it!”
Frost shrugged and rose to his feet. “Nevertheless. I need to see him.”
He pushed the door open, bowling One nose over tail. She lay sprawled against the skirting board, her muzzle creased in a sneer.
“Where can I find him?” Frost asked as he strolled past her. “Living room? Bedroom? Lair of Inevitable Doom?”
“Okay, okay!” One skittered across the floor, waving her tiny arms. She stopped before the detectives, her arms spread at either side. “Okay, just stop. Okay?”
“Okay,” Wire mocked.
One snarled at him then looked back up at Frost. “He’s… he’s not available right now.”
“Because he’s up to something?” Frost puffed air out of his nose and glanced away from her. “I thought something smelled funny. What is it this time? Although… I have a pretty good guess.”
One wound her long tail in her paws and glanced away, clearing her throat. “I erm… I wouldn’t say he’s up to anything. If I’m honest.”
“You’re pretty bad at this ‘secret’ thing,” said Wire. “It’s a wonder he keeps you around.”
Frost made to stride over her head, but she bolted ahead of him and stuck her arms out again. “Okay! I’ll tell you. Just please… don’t tell him I told you.”
“Really bad at this ‘secret’ thing,” Wire scoffed.
“He needs help!” One squeaked. “I… I can’t wake him.”
Frost felt his heart shoot through his stomach. He closed his eyes briefly and followed the nervous rat up the winding stairs. She paused beside an airlock door and pushed a button. It hissed open, revealing an oddly tidy bedroom. Everything had been polished to within an inch of its life. Movies and music disks were shelved alphabetically, first by band name or producer and then by title. The bed was still made, not a crease in sight. The only anomaly was a spattering of cat hair on the polished floor.
Frost feared he might slip on the tiles if he stepped over the doorway. He trod carefully, his eyes scanning the room. They fell on a pod in the far right corner, and beside it stood a worried pallas’ cat. He knew her by the number Four. Like the rat, she’d not chosen a name. She looked up, fixing them with an emerald look of confusion and revulsion. Her eyes fell on One and she hissed.
“You let him in here?”
One cowered back out of the room with a whimper and scurried back to the stairs. She paused at the top and followed Frost with her eyes.
“You can help him, right?” she asked.
Four tutted and stood aside, folding her arms across her chest. “You’re not to touch this.”
“Then I’ll keep my hands in my pockets,” said Frost.
He leant over the pod, peering through the glass dome at a sleeping face that resembled his in every way. Wires attached to his head, linked up to the sides of the pod.
“Good grief, Evander,” Frost muttered. “How long have you been like this?”
“Three days,” said Four.
“Three days?” Frost jolted to look down at her.
“Mmm-hmm.” The cat nodded. “Now let me guess. I’m as good at deducing things as you are. And I reckon you’re here suspecting he’s responsible for the boot-block virus?”
Frost turned back to the pod, a wave of guilt washing over him. “Well… I won’t deny it crossed my mind.”
“Well, let me ask you somthin’.” Four stood as tall as she could, but her nose never passed Frost’s hip. “Why would he release a virus that would lock himself in the game?”
Frost stuffed his hands back into his pockets and looked back at the pod, a mixture of confusion filling his mind. So he’d lost his lead. Once again, he was at a loss. He turned with a flourish and strolled from the room, passing One in the doorway.
Wire scuttled after him, taking two steps at a time. Once they were outside, Frost paused at the edge of the road and slumped against a street lamp. He ran his fingers through his hair and groaned.
“You sure it ain’t him and they’re just covering it up?” Wire asked him.
Frost ran a hand over his face and let it linger over his mouth as he stared out over London. “Yes… I’m sure.” He sighed and let his arm drop back to his pocket, taking a step down the hill towards the city. “After all the run-ins we’ve had with Team Vile, I think I know a panicked rat when I see one.”
Wire tutted and kept pace at his side. “I suppose I gotta give you that one.”
“I guess we’re back to square one,” said Frost. “Where do we go next?”
Wire made a thoughtful noise and inclined his head on one side. “Don’t hate me for saying this. But… Why don’t we go into the game?”
Frost looked down at him with a start. “You’re not serious?”
“Oh, I’m serious.” Wire returned his look with one that cemented his statement. “We’re detectives, right? So aren’t we meant to investigate the scene of the crime?”
“Yes.”
“And where is this crime scene?”
Frost looked away and let out a small sigh. “It’s in Pokemon:Life.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay then.” Frost gave the bush baby a wink. “I guess we’re gonna have to speak to the devs. Because I don’t think they’ve catered to designing an avatar for a bush baby.”
Frost let out a frustrated growl as the head office of Pokemon:Life hung up on him for the third time. Their words never changed. ‘No,’ they said. ‘We already have professionals looking into it.’ Then the laughter when he mentioned taking an animal companion into the game. The accusations of ‘trolling’. ‘Wasting time.’ Threats to get ‘disciplinary’ involved.
He rubbed his temples and slumped onto his desk. There was no way he could go into the game as a mere player. If the criminal did indeed turn out to be someone familiar with him, alarms would go off and he’d either find himself locked in for good with the boot-block virus, or booted from the game.
Wire shoved his wet nose between Frost’s eyes to get his attention. “Giving up?”
Frost stared blankly ahead. “I never give up.”
“I find that hard to believe,” said Wire with a tut. He fell onto his haunches and stared down at him. “Didn’t you just give up last month trying to find that ice cream thief?”
“For one, it was only ice cream. I was trying to help cheer up a child.” Frost fixed one eye on him. “Secondly, we traced it to Tenacious Tanuki. So I managed to solve it. I just decided not to punish that silly fuzzbut. Are we done?”
Wire shrugged and reached into the desk drawer. “S’pose so.”
“What are you doing?” Frost sat up as he watched the bush baby scrawl over his hidden page with a pen much too big for him.
“Amending my diary entry.”
“Anyway.” Frost brushed him off with a wave. “I guess the next best thing is to find someone who can help us.”
“Like a hacker?”
Frost scratched his head with a finger and gazed across the room. “You think someone could hack us into the game?”
“Not exactly. It’s a piece of cake getting you into it.” Wire looked up from his diary. “I’m talkin’ about me. If you want my help, I’ll need to be… I dunno… spliced in somehow. Do they even make Arrow VRs in my size?”
“The smallest would be for a seven year old,” said Frost. “Given that’s the earliest age they allow. Something to do with eye and brain development.”
“Still a bit too big.”
“You never know. Someone might be working on one for pets, but I highly doubt it.”
Wire stuffed his diary, and the pen, back into the desk drawer. “Then I guess we’d best get asking around then, hadn’t we?”
Frost dragged his computer monitor closer to him and flicked it on. “So it’s back to scouring the dark underbelly of the interweb.”
“Good.” Wire curled up into a tight ball and yawned, showing two rows of tiny, sharp teeth. “Once you’ve filtered out all the conspiracies, wake me up.”
Frost said nothing as he brought up the web, leaving the bush baby to doze on his desk. Site after site passed before him, revealing nothing more than government conspiracies, mostly aimed at ‘UTEK’. Some of the websites he’d been more familiar with had received a lockdown from UTEIC. The familiar notice scrawled across the home page - ‘Due to complaints and illegal operations, this website has been closed. Your friends at Ultimate Technology in Entertainment and Information Communications only care about your safety.’
Finally, Frost found the website he’d been searching for. Arrow VR Modifications titled the website, and below it displayed the pods in various colours and shapes. The wording didn’t seem ominous at first glance, but hackers knew how to avoid being detected. One thing they offered was ‘cloaking technology’. A way of removing your signature from the game, allowing you to progress undetected. That was something only the development team was able to use, to track down hackers without arousing suspicion.
He picked up his phone and dialed the number. An encrypted code crackled down his ear. Likely checking for every single number UTEIC would use. That would have cost a pretty penny, not to mention the maintenance and updates to stay on top of it all. Then a voice answered;
“Arrow VR Modifications. How may we help you?” The voice was male.
“Hello, I’m wondering if you can help my friend and I access Pokemon:Life,” said Frost. “I understand you use cloaking technology?”
“May I ask why, exactly, you wish to use cloaking technology?”
“It’s probably better if we speak in person,” said Frost.
“I can assure you there is no one tapping into your line,” the man said. “I’ve checked. Thoroughly.”
Frost let out a sigh and brushed his hair back from his face. “I want to investigate this boot-block virus. I’ve been hired to do so, but the bigwigs at Pokemon:Life won’t allow myself or my friend their private access to the game. Not to mention my friend is… well, he’s not human.”
“Got one of them genetic experiments, eh?”
Frost jolted slightly and stared at his phone before putting it back to his ear. “How do you know about that?”
“Let’s just say I’m not a billion miles away. And news travels fast.” There was a pause. “All right. I can fix you up. You got a pen handy?”
Frost reached for his pen pot and grabbed one. Red. It would have to do. “Go on.”
“Make sure you shred it afterwards,” the voice told him. “I don’t usually help detectives, and I don’t want anyone gettin’ wind of my little business.”
It certainly didn’t look like a business. It looked more like a garage. Two garages, side by side. And on the right of them stood a squat, run-down building with shutters adorned with graffiti. One of them sported a bright green ‘down with UTEK’ sprayed at an angle.
Frost knocked on the shutter three times just like he was asked. But deep down he wondered if he’d actually been set up.
The shutter rattled up half way and a young man stooped to peer out at them. A bright purple mohawk perched atop his head like a bird’s crest. His clothes were black, trimmed with neon green and studded with silver spikes. Another spike stuck out of his bottom lip.
“Hi, I’m Frost. And this is Wire.” Frost nodded at the bush baby on his shoulder. “I spoke to you on the phone?”
“Aye, the guy investigatin’ the boot-block virus?” The punk nodded. “Name’s Ash. Come inside.”
He vanished into the garage, and Frost ducked beneath the shutter to follow him. It rattled shut automatically behind him, plunging them into darkness. But it didn’t last long. The garage flooded with a dim light, revealing computers and pods neatly arranged. A door stood to his left in the brick wall, slightly ajar.
“I’ve been makin’ these things for years,” Ash explained. “But no one’s asked me for a tiny one before.”
“Do you think you can get one put together today?” Frost asked.
“You’re kiddin’ right?” Ash snorted. “That’d take me at least a week. Gotta build the pod, fill it with wires and a nutrient drip. Check it works ‘n’ all that jazz. Nah, best I can do if you want it quick is modify the smallest one I’ve got.”
“And that would be…?”
Ash nodded to the corner and led them towards it. There stood the smallest Arrow VR pod Frost had ever seen. A seven year old would have been too big, yet it was still too large for Wire. If Frost were to hazard a guess, it would have fit a five year old at most.
“Why do you have one this small?” Frost asked, hoping his voice masked any suspicion or accusation.
Ash leered at him out of the corner of his eye. “Some seven year olds are pretty diddy yanno. Not to mention, some younger kids get jealous of their siblings.”
“But I thought the VR effected eye and brain development?”
“It ain’t none of my business if parents let their little ‘uns play these games, is it? I give them the warnin’, that’s my part done.” He frowned at the bush baby. “You want me to fix this up for your pet, or not?”
“Oi!” Wire barked. “I’m not a pet.”
“Po-ta-to, po-tah-to. You’ve got fur.” Ash sighed and pulled a cigarette from his baggy trouser pocket. “You want it?”
Frost silenced Wire by putting a hand over his muzzle. “Yes, we’ll take it. Can you hack him in?”
“Yeh, but I dunno how great his avatar will be. Never programmed a tail.”
“That’s fine. I doubt we’ll be in there long enough for it to matter.”
“I like my tail,” Wire muttered.
Ash waved them towards the door. “Go and sit down for a bit. I shouldn’t be long. Kettle’s already boiled.”
Frost obeyed, strolling through the ajar door. It led into the other half of the garage. Boxes of wires and other bits and pieces littered the far wall, but the rest of it was rather tidy. A desk sported another computer wired up to an Arrow VR. Along the wall was a sofa facing an old flat-screen television. Frost sank into the sofa, not expecting it to sink quite so low. He let out a squeak, and Wire flew from his shoulder to land on the arm. He fixed wide, yellow eyes on him, his tail flicking from side to side.
“What was that?” the bush baby squealed.
“I… I thought the sofa was gonna swallow me up.” Frost chuckled and pushed himself up so he was sat against the back cushion. “I think the springs are worn out.”
“Gave me a flippin’ heart attack.” Wire shook his head and sank onto his tummy. “I think I could use a cup of tea, but I daren’t let you get back up.”
“Are you offering?”
“Suppose so.” The bush baby skipped across the garage to the kettle. “Thankfully the cups are small enough for me to handle.”
Two cups of tea and two hours of daytime television later, Ash poked his head into the room.
“It’s ready,” he grunted.
Frost dragged himself out of the sofa and followed the punk back into the workshop. The small Arrow VR had been relocated to sit beside a larger one. Ash looked down at it with what Frost guessed was admiration.
“Should work,” he said. “I’ll have to monitor it.”
“So we need to use them here?” Wire asked.
“I’d prefer it,” said Ash. “Like I said to your mate, I don’t usually help out detectives.”
“Then what made you want to help me?” Frost asked.
“One of my Arrow VR systems got hit with the boot-block,” Ash explained. “My sister’s been in a coma for almost a month. Can’t help her.”
“Have you reported it?” Frost asked.
“I have now. Told you.” Ash stuffed his hands into his pockets and fixed Frost with icy eyes. “If I told any other officials about this, they’d close me down. I’m not meant to be makin’ these machines. They hack people in and keep ‘em off UTEK’s radar. They’re meant to be safe against viruses, since they’re normally designed to affect official machines. Now I’m not sure they’re even targeting machines.”
Frost frowned. “No one knows how this virus works. But we’ll do our best to find out. Once we have, everyone, including your sister, will be saved.” He paused and looked back down at the VRs. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothin’,” said Ash. “Just get to the root of all this, and once my sister is up and bein’ her annoyin’ self again, we’ll call it even.”
A warm smile spread across Frost’s face. “So what do we do?”
“Climb in and wire yourselves up,” said Ash. “I’ll load up the game and monitor from my computer. Wanna make sure Wire’s avatar works.”
“Can we stay in touch during all this?”
“Certainly. I’ll send you PMs, all you gotta do is reply.” Ash moved over to the desk and sat behind his computer. “Climb in.”
Frost opened the smaller pod for Wire, and once the bush baby was lay on his back, he pulled the dome back over. Wire shimmied about getting the mask over his face before fastening the drip band to the back of his right paw. Once Frost was happy Wire was secure, he climbed into his own pod.
No sooner was the mask on his face, reality began to warp. The pod disappeared, and Frost found himself standing in a bustling square with hundreds of other people. Light, tinkly and joyful music played somewhere in the background, only adding to the quaint little town that surrounded him.
Before his eyes, a visor flashed to life, taking him by surprise. But he didn’t focus on it yet, he had other priorities. He spun around, searching the crowd for a familiar face. But there wasn’t an animal in sight. At least… not any animal he knew. Had Ash programmed Wire in as a pokemon? All the ones he could see didn’t remotely resemble a bush baby. An orange salamander with a flaming tail scurried after a little girl. A man not much shorter than him strolled past with a black and blue lynx, its tail ending in a yellow star.
‘Are you in?’ The neon text flashed across the screen.
Frost snapped back to it and tried to figure out a way to reply. As he thought through what to say, text appeared in the reply box. He quickly backtracked and managed to reply;
‘I’m in. Just looking for Wire.’
‘He should be fine,’ was Ash’s reply. ‘You’re both stable, and your avatars are… more or less true to yourselves. You shouldn’t miss him.’
A tug at his trousers made him look down. Standing beside him was a young boy who’s head didn’t come any higher than his hip. The first thing that struck him as odd was his shape. His head was round and chubby, and about a third the size of his dumpy body. Silver-grey hair hung over his huge, yellow eyes and flopped down to his shoulders. Behind him was the biggest giveaway. A white tail that looked like a terrible render. It flicked side to side erratically, strobing as it vanished and reappeared in a different position in the blink of an eye. It appeared to be on a loop, and unlike the rest of the avatar’s body, it didn’t cast a shadow.
“Wire?” Frost stuttered.
He sent a quick confirmation to Ash, only to receive an ‘lol’ in return.
“Yeh.” The boy’s voice was still oddly deep. “Do I look okay?”
Frost wanted to reply with ‘Have you not seen yourself?’ but instead he went with a friendly, “Sure.”
Wire snorted and looked behind him. “Tail looks dumb.”
“Is that why you’re flicking it about?”
“No!” Wire fixed his yellow, livid eyes on him. “It’s doin’ that entirely on its own! It won’t stop!” He paused and flashed his teeth in a sneer. “Doesn’t help I can’t even feel the flippin’ thing.”
“Well.” Frost stuffed his hands into his trench coat pocket. “We hopefully won’t be here for long. Let’s get the game rolling. This here says…” He squinted at the text in front of his eyes. ‘Head to Professor Yew’s lab. He has a request for you.’”
“Who’s Professor Yew when he’s at home?” Wire asked.
“He isn’t at home, he’s in his lab.” Frost smirked as he checked their position blinking on his map.
“Well, look at you makin’ jokes.” Wire crossed his stubby arms. “What if he lives there, huh? Who’s laughin’ then?”
“Me.” Frost ushered his friend on. “Come on, it’s this way.”
The lab wasn’t far from their starting point. It stood tall and proud in the middle of what the map called Poetico Town. Just inside the lab stood a tall, greying man. His wild, long, grey hair was what made him stand out from the rest of the lab coats. The other NPCs all looked identical and paid Frost and Wire no heed. Professor Yew, however, beamed upon seeing them.
“Welcome to the Aria Region!” he said. “The world of Pokemon:Life awaits!”
“Are we seriously gonna have to chug through a load of pre-recorded text?” Wire muttered.
Professor Yew broke from his monologue to frown down at Wire. “Rude little individual, aren’t you?”
Wire’s eyes almost bugged from his head. “Whoa! AI has come in leaps and bounds! Isn’t science amazing?”
Frost nudged him with a foot then turned back to the professor. “Please forgive my friend. He’s a little grumpy his tail hasn’t been coded correctly.”
“Hmm, we don’t often get trainers with tails,” the professor replied. “But a trainer is a trainer. Allow me to introduce you to your first pokemon. You have many to choose from.”
He waved a hand towards rows of tables filled with red and white balls. As Frost approached each one, a holographic picture appeared above it. The orange salamander he’d seen was one of them. It looked a little too weak for the job. He kept looking, but all were rather cutesy. Then he stumbled across a blue and white otter with the species name ‘oshawott’ and a silly smile spread across his face. He picked up the ball and turned to Wire.
“Chosen yet?” he asked.
“Gimme a sec, I’m still thinking.” Wire stroked his chin and paced up and down the rows of tables. Finally he reached up for the first ball and frowned at Frost. “I’ll take this thing.”
“Bulbasaur and oshawott,” said the professor. “Excellent choices! They’re both very energetic pokemon. Would you wish to nickname them?”
Before Frost could reply, a text box appeared before him next to a pixelated picture of the oshawott. Apparently it was male.
He quickly gave it the name Jester and the box went away. Wire, however, appeared more thoughtful.
“I think I’ll name it Tomato,” he said, then his visor vanished back behind his ear.
“Wonderful nicknames!” said the professor. “Now, take your new partners and explore Aria!”
“Actually, wait.” Frost raised a hand, dragging the professor’s attention back to him. “I don’t know if you can help me or not, but we’re here under rather… special circumstances. We were hoping for a stronger pokemon to aid us.”
“Oh?” The professor raised an eyebrow. “And what ‘special circumstances’ would those be?”
“We’re investigating the boot-block virus,” explained Frost. “If it’s being created inside the game, the people we may find ourselves facing off against would likely be very advanced. Much too advanced for these cute fellows. Level five? Am I right in assuming the maximum level is one hundred?”
“That is correct,” said Professor Yew. “But every trainer starts off with a baby pokemon. You grow alongside each other. You bond, meet new pokemon and trainers as you travel and overcome difficulties.”
“Yes, but we only have four days to get to the bottom of this.”
The professor let out a sigh, then cast a glance towards the door. Other trainers stood around him, their visors in place. He moved over to Frost and Wire and lowered his voice.
“I’m not meant to tell you this,” he said. “But in A-Capella Town you will find a group of trainers who have banded together to fight this virus.”
Frost took a step back. “How do you know this? I thought you were an NPC.”
“I am an NPC,” Yew explained. “But I’ve been hacked with this information, and given a sub routine that allows me to contact and scout for trainers who show potential. I can access the Arrow VRs logs to see how long a new trainer has spent playing games. A casual player wouldn’t have the gall to assist this team in overthrowing the boot-block. Very few new trainers get sent to this group. I’m usually contacting those who’ve long surpassed the difficulties of the Aria Region. Anyway, you will be looking for the UnLockers. One of their bases is in A-Capella town, just north of here. They can help you more than I can.”
Fifteen pokeballs registered in Frost’s visor.
“UnLockers?” Wire scoffed. “What kinda cheesy-ass name is that?”
Frost gave him another nudge with his foot, then thanked Professor Yew. The professor ran a pre-programmed monologue to bid them farewell, and they traipsed out into the open world.
“So A-Capella Town then, eh?” Wire looked up at him and tossed his pokeball from hand to hand. “Map says it’s the next town after the forest.”
Frost checked his own map. There was indeed a forest leading on from Poetico Town. It’s name was Allegro Forest.
“I’m sensing a musical theme in this game,” he said.
Wire didn’t appear to be listening. He turned his pokeball around in his small hands. “Apparently these guys can follow you.”
“Oh? You mean like this?” Frost pushed the button on his own pokeball, and the oshawott materialized at his feet. It let out a little trill.
“Shaa!”
Wire’s nose crinkled and he tutted. “Show off.”
He called out his own pokemon, and the green dinosaur materialized in the same fashion. It’s large mouth turned into a smile and it closed its eyes, letting out a cheerful growl.
“Saur!”
Wire’s jaw dropped in dismay.
“It’s the wrong freakin’ colour!” he roared. “What’s with the awful, lime green? Is it sick? It’s hacked, ain’t it? I demand a refund!”
Tomato’s face fell and he looked down at himself, muttering in his own language.
Frost scrolled through his visor, looking for the bulbasaur. Its entry popped up in his pokedex and he chuckled.
“It’s a rare occurrence,” he said, “but apparently your bulbasaur is what they call a ‘shiny pokemon’. Very rare, people collect them.”
Wire put his hands on his hips. “How rare?”
“Try one in eight thousand one hundred and ninety two.”
Wire’s jaw dropped again, but this time it wasn’t out of dismay. “So I’ve got a treasure?”
“Apparently so.” Frost crossed his arms and looked down at Jester. “But what difference it makes, I’ve no idea.”
“I think you’re jealous.” Wire chuckled and turned back to his bulbasaur. “All right, Tomato. Let’s get a move on. We’ve got trainin’ to do.”
“Saur!”
Wire and his pokemon moved on ahead of Frost towards the grass. Frost scooped Jester up onto his shoulder and followed after his friend. Even if it was only a tiny step, it was one step closer to stopping the boot-block virus.
...
Secondly, this premise is a rather odd one. It was an idea I originally had for a contest a couple years back where Pokemon meets the real world. Okay, so it's not the 'real world' as we all know it. This is a cyberpunk noir setting, using characters for an original series I one day plan to work on. There's also a fair bit of world building already thought up, which I've tried to brush over a bit in narrative so you can get a feel for the setting. This story an experiment for myself to get used to writing these characters and see their personalities develop and grow. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it =D If there's anything you'd like more detail on, please feel free to ask.
This isn't being posted to FFNet, so I am having to format the text manually. If there are any mistakes, please let me know.
(I do not own Pokemon or any of its critters! The Frost and Wire original cast, however, are mine =D )
Blurb - Welcome to Pokemon:Life, UTEIC's biggest and most popular gaming experience. Suitable for ages seven and up. Engage in a world filled with *crackle... splutter*
...
Pokemon:Life is one of, if not the biggest, game the world has ever known. That's why the virus ransacking it, plunging players into comas, is such a big deal. But freelance detective Frost and his partner Wire are struggling to get to the bottom of it. Then one night, things change, when they realise the clues to the virus' creator might not actually be in the real world...
Pokemon:Life
Chapter One - Virtual Life, Virtual Death
Chapter One - Virtual Life, Virtual Death
Midnight was usually the only time Frost could get any serious thinking done. Tonight, however, was proving to not be one of those nights.
The detective flicked through his case notes, each click of the mouse bringing up a file he’d mulled over a billion times already. The computer screen’s glare tired his sore eyes, providing little light alongside London’s streetlights and neon billboards. The latter tinted his dark office in an array of garish colours that were a vast improvement on the worn wallpaper and stained carpet.
Sirens wailed outside, followed by loud shouts and footsteps, but it didn’t draw his attention away from his screen.
A fuzzy head looked up from the other side of his desk and fixed upon the window with large, yellow eyes.
“I wish this city would sleep sometimes.” The deep voice didn’t quite suit the creature it belonged to.
The bush baby yawned and stretched then slumped back down on the desk, burying his face in his slender arms.
“You could always take a vacation?” Frost suggested. “Find a nice, quiet spot by a lake.”
“I don’t think many hotels are accepting enhanced fuzzbutts just yet,” said Wire. “They’re too worried about fleas.”
“You don’t have fleas.”
Wire reached a long back leg behind his ear and scratched intently, fixing his eyes on Frost’s. The detective stared back at him, trying to work out if the bush baby was serious and he’d need to flea bomb his office. A smirk spread across Wire’s muzzle and Frost rolled his eyes as he returned to his work.
“Are you making any headway?” Wire asked.
“No,” said Frost. “I’m about as stuck as I was this morning. Nothing obvious is showing up at all.” He paused and ran his fingers through his shaggy brown hair. “It’s all starting to look the same.”
He sighed and leant back in his chair, continuing to stare at the colourful image on his screen as he tapped his pen against his bottom lip. Various words stood out to him - ‘coma’, ‘virus’, ‘dangerous game’. But it infuriated him how there was no clear source to the problem.
Somehow, at some point, someone had unleashed a virus into the world’s most popular life simulator ‘Pokemon:Life’. People would hook themselves up to the virtual game, sometimes for days on end. Despite the fact that those hooked up to the game would receive nutrients from a drip, it wasn’t enough. There was too much risk that people would spend every single hour of their life wired up to the addictive game. To avoid any danger coming to them, the creators had to implement measures to prevent people from just wasting away, and this came in the form of an automatic boot. After two whole days had passed, anyone still logged in would be booted from the game and locked out of the game for twenty four hours.
The virus had been named ‘Boot-Block’. Its sole purpose was to override the automatic boot, keeping players locked in the game. When it hit, the players affected couldn’t even choose to log out of the game. Even friends and family members couldn’t force them out. A force disconnect would cause serious brain damage even without the virus. They were trapped, and after a week had passed, all affected players slipped into comas. Whether or not the coma was related to the virus was yet to be discovered. People were starting to panic. There was speculation that too much time wired up to a VR machine damaged the brain, despite it being debunked decades ago. It was a logical assumption. Spending too long in front of a screen was bad for your eyes, but they’d checked safety measures for VR over and over, and it was proven perfectly safe long before they introduced Life.
Nevertheless, there was a mass panic. And peoples’ worries were either about to be solved, or worsened. The virus wasn’t just a one-time event. It had been released again. Reports of players struggling to log out were rising. If Frost had done his maths right, more people would be slipping into comas in four days.
He brushed his hair back from his eyes then reached for his eye drops.
“Maybe you need a break?” said Wire. “Give yourself some space before it drives you nuts.”
“It might be too late for that.” The detective closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. “What I’d really love is a change of pace for a while. Even some stunts from Tenacious Tanuki would be welcomed, but that little thief seems to have vanished off the face of London.”
“Probably got himself caught after that jewel heist.” Wire frowned up at him. “Besides, I wasn’t talkin’ about a new case. I was saying you should get some sleep!”
“You’re right.” Frost yawned and motioned to turn off his computer. “A good night’s sleep might clear my head.”
“Or you’ll just lie awake thinking about it.”
Frost stared down at the bush baby. “Why do you say things like this, Wire? Why?”
The experiment shrugged and hopped from the table.
“Anyway,” he said as he shuffled to the door. “I’m gonna hit Larry’s before I head home. I’ll try not to wake you up.”
“I might join you.” Frost grabbed his card key and trench coat from the hook beside the door. “Only for a half, then I’m gonna call it a night.”
“Join me?” Wire fixed him with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you were tired.”
“I am, but if I try to sleep now I’ll just be too strung up on this case.” He opened the door then frowned down at the bush baby. “I’ll just be lying awake all night thinking about it.”
Wire let out a loud, raucous laugh and strutted from the office.
“So you wanna wind down a bit, I gotcha.” He bounded down the stairs and looked up at Frost from the front door. “I tell you what. Since you bought the last round, this one’s on me.”
Frost gave the bush baby a wink and strolled out through the front door, letting it shut on its automatic lock behind them. He turned from it with a flourish, his grey trench coat billowing out behind him as he strutted down the busy street after his friend.
Above them, LED headlights lit up the walk way as hover cars zipped along over head on the sky roads, leaving the ground safe and free for pedestrians. However, Frost often thought the pedestrians were more dangerous than the hover cars.
He tried to tune out the shouts and jeers from the alleys and caught up with Wire. The bush baby had his eyes fixed on the road ahead, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding noise. An ultraviolet light from a night club’s doorway reflected off his white fur, highlighting the neon pink streaks that ran along his body. As his fur became momentarily transparent, Frost picked out the number ‘2’ tattooed on his left shoulder.
Sirens cut through the air and Frost glanced back as a group of police hoverboards surrounded a group of teenagers. Two of the teens were cuffed, their shouts of protest rising over the thumping music from the surrounding bars. One of the teens shoved an officer off his hoverboard and took off on it, zipping past the two detectives. Frost briefly considered giving chase, but there was no chance he’d catch up with the criminal. Before he’d even finished processing the idea, the hoverboard fleet shot past him, leaving behind the robbed police officer and his partner to deal with the arrested teens.
“This city is the reason I stopped being nocturnal,” Wire hissed through gritted teeth.
Frost gave a dry chuckle. “And you’re the one who wants to go for a drink.”
“Larry’s ain’t no night club.” Wire nodded towards the alley on their right. “Come on. Before we get caught up in some dumb chaos.”
Frost followed Wire into the alley, but despite being a narrower street lined with trash cans, it sported its own share of entertainment facilities. Neon signs lit up the walls and floor, and above them flashed an LCD screen broadcasting a cartoon girl with bright blue hair. The pokeball motif on her clothes was intended to draw any budding fan as she playfully advertised an upcoming event in Pokemon:Life. It wouldn’t seem so dark if it weren’t for the threat of the virus. Frost wondered how many fans would be partaking in it.
The familiar neon sign for Larry’s Diner appeared on their right, although the ‘diner’ part was irrelevant. It hadn’t been a diner in years. Frost pushed the door open, triggering a little tinkle from an electronic alarm. The scent of stale alcohol assaulted his senses the instant he strode inside. The bearded face of Larry looked up from behind the bar as he wiped down a glass. His eyes widened at the sight of the two detectives, and he watched Wire leap up onto one of the bar stools. The bartender’s face lit up with a beaming smile.
“Wire! How’s my favorite freak?”
Wire narrowed his eyes at the bartender and adjusted himself in his seat. “My usual, please, Larry.”
Larry turned to the back of the bar and poured out a glass of apple juice. The glass found itself stuffed into Wire’s outstretched paws. Despite the vast modifications to his intelligence and physical strength, the experiment’s body was not designed to filter out alcohol.
Frost gave Larry a nod as he pulled up a stool beside Wire and quickly ordered a gin and lemonade.
“You look tired,” Larry said as he gave Frost his order. “Still none the wiser on that case?”
“Nope. I’m just coming up dry.” Frost took a sip of his drink and leant one arm on the sticky bar.
“Well, let’s see if I can help shed some light, eh?” Larry returned to wiping the glasses. “What is it you're stuck on exactly?”
“All of it,” said Frost. “My client’s kid has had no contact with any hackers, no evidence of hacking themselves. And if their account or VR machine has been tampered with, there’s no evidence to prove it.”
“Well, I’ve been having a think about this myself. As you know, my granddaughter plays Life. I’m worried sick, so it’s often on my mind. Fortunately she’s avoided the second wave of this virus. Nontheless, it makes me wonder if you’re looking in the right place.”
“What are you getting at?”
“You ever thought the criminal might actually be inside the game?”
Wire looked up from his apple juice and snorted. “In the game? I know it’s a virtual life and all that, but surely you can’t manufacture a virus inside a flippin’ game.”
Larry wagged his finger at the primate. “You underestimate this game, my fuzzy friend.” He picked the glass back up, wiping it out of habit. “My granddaughter has a degree in computer and video game technology. Got an aspiring career with UTEIC itself, although she’s yet to climb the ladder.” He’d pronounced the initials as a word - ‘Yoo-tey-yik’.
Frost sipped his drink as he took in the bartender’s words. UTEIC was the biggest company behind the entertainment district. The initials stood for Ultimate Technology in Entertainment and Information Communications. Not everyone sided with them, however, and your allegiance showed in how you pronounced it. Those who hated it pronounced it ‘Yoo-Tek’ and given a literal spelling - UTEK - often spray painted on London’s elaborate bridge by ‘anarchists’. It meant something. ‘Ultimate Tyrants in Entertainment Killing.’ No one had seen the face behind UTEIC. To land a job inside it was a massive accomplishment in itself.
“She tells me that in this game, you can form alliances,” Larry went on. “There’s no direct ‘A to B’. Yes, there’s a plot, but no solid rules. It’s a virtual life, like you said. There is so much freedom. But despite the securities set in place, it would be wrong to assume that someone wouldn’t have found a way around it.”
Frost leant his head on his hand and swirled the contents around in his glass. So they may very well be dealing with a cyber criminal. And one who lurked inside the data, not from the outside. Surely it wasn’t a UTEIC employee? Maybe someone who was rogue, wanting to frame either UTEIC itself or the company behind Life? A spark went off in his mind and he sipped at his drink. Why hadn’t he put the numbers together before?
“Frost?” Wire asked warily. “You got that look in yer eye.”
“That’s because I think I might have a lead.” He set his glass down and fixed his tired eyes on the bartender. “Thanks for that, Larry. You really opened my eyes.”
Larry blinked a couple of times. “What to?”
“There’s one suspect I thought would be too big to mess with a mere game played predominantly by kids.” Frost slipped from his stool and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he turned towards the door. “Come on, Wire. I guess that good night’s sleep isn’t happening anymore.”
“Where are we goin’?” Wire hopped down and beat him to the door, fixing him with a quizzical expression.
Frost tugged the door open and stepped out into the cold night air. “To pay my brother a visit.”
...
The huge, white lair towered over Frost and Wire. The tower lay at an odd angle reminiscent of a crashed satellite. They stared up at it, Frost with his hands in his pockets, and Wire with a raised eyebrow. Scrawled above the door in vibrant, green letters was the word ‘Vile’.
“Not very secret, is it?” said Wire.
“It wouldn’t be intimidating if it were secret.” Frost lifted a fist to the door and knocked. A deep echoing boom came from beyond it with each tap.
They stood there, silent, staring at the door.
“I don’t think he’s in,” said Wire.
“He’s in. His car is in the garage.” Frost knocked again, louder this time. “Come on, Evander! Open up!”
Another beat of silence. Then a loud click came from the lock. The door creaked open inward, and a tiny rat face peered out at them.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“One!” Wire flashed a canine at her. “I think you know-”
Frost silenced him with a wave of his hand and crouched down before the rat. “I’m here to see Evander. If you’d let me in-”
“He doesn’t like being called that,” she spat. “You know full well he changed his name.”
“I know, but I refuse to call my brother ‘Vile’. It’s cruel.”
“He likes it!”
Frost shrugged and rose to his feet. “Nevertheless. I need to see him.”
He pushed the door open, bowling One nose over tail. She lay sprawled against the skirting board, her muzzle creased in a sneer.
“Where can I find him?” Frost asked as he strolled past her. “Living room? Bedroom? Lair of Inevitable Doom?”
“Okay, okay!” One skittered across the floor, waving her tiny arms. She stopped before the detectives, her arms spread at either side. “Okay, just stop. Okay?”
“Okay,” Wire mocked.
One snarled at him then looked back up at Frost. “He’s… he’s not available right now.”
“Because he’s up to something?” Frost puffed air out of his nose and glanced away from her. “I thought something smelled funny. What is it this time? Although… I have a pretty good guess.”
One wound her long tail in her paws and glanced away, clearing her throat. “I erm… I wouldn’t say he’s up to anything. If I’m honest.”
“You’re pretty bad at this ‘secret’ thing,” said Wire. “It’s a wonder he keeps you around.”
Frost made to stride over her head, but she bolted ahead of him and stuck her arms out again. “Okay! I’ll tell you. Just please… don’t tell him I told you.”
“Really bad at this ‘secret’ thing,” Wire scoffed.
“He needs help!” One squeaked. “I… I can’t wake him.”
Frost felt his heart shoot through his stomach. He closed his eyes briefly and followed the nervous rat up the winding stairs. She paused beside an airlock door and pushed a button. It hissed open, revealing an oddly tidy bedroom. Everything had been polished to within an inch of its life. Movies and music disks were shelved alphabetically, first by band name or producer and then by title. The bed was still made, not a crease in sight. The only anomaly was a spattering of cat hair on the polished floor.
Frost feared he might slip on the tiles if he stepped over the doorway. He trod carefully, his eyes scanning the room. They fell on a pod in the far right corner, and beside it stood a worried pallas’ cat. He knew her by the number Four. Like the rat, she’d not chosen a name. She looked up, fixing them with an emerald look of confusion and revulsion. Her eyes fell on One and she hissed.
“You let him in here?”
One cowered back out of the room with a whimper and scurried back to the stairs. She paused at the top and followed Frost with her eyes.
“You can help him, right?” she asked.
Four tutted and stood aside, folding her arms across her chest. “You’re not to touch this.”
“Then I’ll keep my hands in my pockets,” said Frost.
He leant over the pod, peering through the glass dome at a sleeping face that resembled his in every way. Wires attached to his head, linked up to the sides of the pod.
“Good grief, Evander,” Frost muttered. “How long have you been like this?”
“Three days,” said Four.
“Three days?” Frost jolted to look down at her.
“Mmm-hmm.” The cat nodded. “Now let me guess. I’m as good at deducing things as you are. And I reckon you’re here suspecting he’s responsible for the boot-block virus?”
Frost turned back to the pod, a wave of guilt washing over him. “Well… I won’t deny it crossed my mind.”
“Well, let me ask you somthin’.” Four stood as tall as she could, but her nose never passed Frost’s hip. “Why would he release a virus that would lock himself in the game?”
Frost stuffed his hands back into his pockets and looked back at the pod, a mixture of confusion filling his mind. So he’d lost his lead. Once again, he was at a loss. He turned with a flourish and strolled from the room, passing One in the doorway.
Wire scuttled after him, taking two steps at a time. Once they were outside, Frost paused at the edge of the road and slumped against a street lamp. He ran his fingers through his hair and groaned.
“You sure it ain’t him and they’re just covering it up?” Wire asked him.
Frost ran a hand over his face and let it linger over his mouth as he stared out over London. “Yes… I’m sure.” He sighed and let his arm drop back to his pocket, taking a step down the hill towards the city. “After all the run-ins we’ve had with Team Vile, I think I know a panicked rat when I see one.”
Wire tutted and kept pace at his side. “I suppose I gotta give you that one.”
“I guess we’re back to square one,” said Frost. “Where do we go next?”
Wire made a thoughtful noise and inclined his head on one side. “Don’t hate me for saying this. But… Why don’t we go into the game?”
Frost looked down at him with a start. “You’re not serious?”
“Oh, I’m serious.” Wire returned his look with one that cemented his statement. “We’re detectives, right? So aren’t we meant to investigate the scene of the crime?”
“Yes.”
“And where is this crime scene?”
Frost looked away and let out a small sigh. “It’s in Pokemon:Life.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay then.” Frost gave the bush baby a wink. “I guess we’re gonna have to speak to the devs. Because I don’t think they’ve catered to designing an avatar for a bush baby.”
...
Frost let out a frustrated growl as the head office of Pokemon:Life hung up on him for the third time. Their words never changed. ‘No,’ they said. ‘We already have professionals looking into it.’ Then the laughter when he mentioned taking an animal companion into the game. The accusations of ‘trolling’. ‘Wasting time.’ Threats to get ‘disciplinary’ involved.
He rubbed his temples and slumped onto his desk. There was no way he could go into the game as a mere player. If the criminal did indeed turn out to be someone familiar with him, alarms would go off and he’d either find himself locked in for good with the boot-block virus, or booted from the game.
Wire shoved his wet nose between Frost’s eyes to get his attention. “Giving up?”
Frost stared blankly ahead. “I never give up.”
“I find that hard to believe,” said Wire with a tut. He fell onto his haunches and stared down at him. “Didn’t you just give up last month trying to find that ice cream thief?”
“For one, it was only ice cream. I was trying to help cheer up a child.” Frost fixed one eye on him. “Secondly, we traced it to Tenacious Tanuki. So I managed to solve it. I just decided not to punish that silly fuzzbut. Are we done?”
Wire shrugged and reached into the desk drawer. “S’pose so.”
“What are you doing?” Frost sat up as he watched the bush baby scrawl over his hidden page with a pen much too big for him.
“Amending my diary entry.”
“Anyway.” Frost brushed him off with a wave. “I guess the next best thing is to find someone who can help us.”
“Like a hacker?”
Frost scratched his head with a finger and gazed across the room. “You think someone could hack us into the game?”
“Not exactly. It’s a piece of cake getting you into it.” Wire looked up from his diary. “I’m talkin’ about me. If you want my help, I’ll need to be… I dunno… spliced in somehow. Do they even make Arrow VRs in my size?”
“The smallest would be for a seven year old,” said Frost. “Given that’s the earliest age they allow. Something to do with eye and brain development.”
“Still a bit too big.”
“You never know. Someone might be working on one for pets, but I highly doubt it.”
Wire stuffed his diary, and the pen, back into the desk drawer. “Then I guess we’d best get asking around then, hadn’t we?”
Frost dragged his computer monitor closer to him and flicked it on. “So it’s back to scouring the dark underbelly of the interweb.”
“Good.” Wire curled up into a tight ball and yawned, showing two rows of tiny, sharp teeth. “Once you’ve filtered out all the conspiracies, wake me up.”
Frost said nothing as he brought up the web, leaving the bush baby to doze on his desk. Site after site passed before him, revealing nothing more than government conspiracies, mostly aimed at ‘UTEK’. Some of the websites he’d been more familiar with had received a lockdown from UTEIC. The familiar notice scrawled across the home page - ‘Due to complaints and illegal operations, this website has been closed. Your friends at Ultimate Technology in Entertainment and Information Communications only care about your safety.’
Finally, Frost found the website he’d been searching for. Arrow VR Modifications titled the website, and below it displayed the pods in various colours and shapes. The wording didn’t seem ominous at first glance, but hackers knew how to avoid being detected. One thing they offered was ‘cloaking technology’. A way of removing your signature from the game, allowing you to progress undetected. That was something only the development team was able to use, to track down hackers without arousing suspicion.
He picked up his phone and dialed the number. An encrypted code crackled down his ear. Likely checking for every single number UTEIC would use. That would have cost a pretty penny, not to mention the maintenance and updates to stay on top of it all. Then a voice answered;
“Arrow VR Modifications. How may we help you?” The voice was male.
“Hello, I’m wondering if you can help my friend and I access Pokemon:Life,” said Frost. “I understand you use cloaking technology?”
“May I ask why, exactly, you wish to use cloaking technology?”
“It’s probably better if we speak in person,” said Frost.
“I can assure you there is no one tapping into your line,” the man said. “I’ve checked. Thoroughly.”
Frost let out a sigh and brushed his hair back from his face. “I want to investigate this boot-block virus. I’ve been hired to do so, but the bigwigs at Pokemon:Life won’t allow myself or my friend their private access to the game. Not to mention my friend is… well, he’s not human.”
“Got one of them genetic experiments, eh?”
Frost jolted slightly and stared at his phone before putting it back to his ear. “How do you know about that?”
“Let’s just say I’m not a billion miles away. And news travels fast.” There was a pause. “All right. I can fix you up. You got a pen handy?”
Frost reached for his pen pot and grabbed one. Red. It would have to do. “Go on.”
“Make sure you shred it afterwards,” the voice told him. “I don’t usually help detectives, and I don’t want anyone gettin’ wind of my little business.”
...
It certainly didn’t look like a business. It looked more like a garage. Two garages, side by side. And on the right of them stood a squat, run-down building with shutters adorned with graffiti. One of them sported a bright green ‘down with UTEK’ sprayed at an angle.
Frost knocked on the shutter three times just like he was asked. But deep down he wondered if he’d actually been set up.
The shutter rattled up half way and a young man stooped to peer out at them. A bright purple mohawk perched atop his head like a bird’s crest. His clothes were black, trimmed with neon green and studded with silver spikes. Another spike stuck out of his bottom lip.
“Hi, I’m Frost. And this is Wire.” Frost nodded at the bush baby on his shoulder. “I spoke to you on the phone?”
“Aye, the guy investigatin’ the boot-block virus?” The punk nodded. “Name’s Ash. Come inside.”
He vanished into the garage, and Frost ducked beneath the shutter to follow him. It rattled shut automatically behind him, plunging them into darkness. But it didn’t last long. The garage flooded with a dim light, revealing computers and pods neatly arranged. A door stood to his left in the brick wall, slightly ajar.
“I’ve been makin’ these things for years,” Ash explained. “But no one’s asked me for a tiny one before.”
“Do you think you can get one put together today?” Frost asked.
“You’re kiddin’ right?” Ash snorted. “That’d take me at least a week. Gotta build the pod, fill it with wires and a nutrient drip. Check it works ‘n’ all that jazz. Nah, best I can do if you want it quick is modify the smallest one I’ve got.”
“And that would be…?”
Ash nodded to the corner and led them towards it. There stood the smallest Arrow VR pod Frost had ever seen. A seven year old would have been too big, yet it was still too large for Wire. If Frost were to hazard a guess, it would have fit a five year old at most.
“Why do you have one this small?” Frost asked, hoping his voice masked any suspicion or accusation.
Ash leered at him out of the corner of his eye. “Some seven year olds are pretty diddy yanno. Not to mention, some younger kids get jealous of their siblings.”
“But I thought the VR effected eye and brain development?”
“It ain’t none of my business if parents let their little ‘uns play these games, is it? I give them the warnin’, that’s my part done.” He frowned at the bush baby. “You want me to fix this up for your pet, or not?”
“Oi!” Wire barked. “I’m not a pet.”
“Po-ta-to, po-tah-to. You’ve got fur.” Ash sighed and pulled a cigarette from his baggy trouser pocket. “You want it?”
Frost silenced Wire by putting a hand over his muzzle. “Yes, we’ll take it. Can you hack him in?”
“Yeh, but I dunno how great his avatar will be. Never programmed a tail.”
“That’s fine. I doubt we’ll be in there long enough for it to matter.”
“I like my tail,” Wire muttered.
Ash waved them towards the door. “Go and sit down for a bit. I shouldn’t be long. Kettle’s already boiled.”
Frost obeyed, strolling through the ajar door. It led into the other half of the garage. Boxes of wires and other bits and pieces littered the far wall, but the rest of it was rather tidy. A desk sported another computer wired up to an Arrow VR. Along the wall was a sofa facing an old flat-screen television. Frost sank into the sofa, not expecting it to sink quite so low. He let out a squeak, and Wire flew from his shoulder to land on the arm. He fixed wide, yellow eyes on him, his tail flicking from side to side.
“What was that?” the bush baby squealed.
“I… I thought the sofa was gonna swallow me up.” Frost chuckled and pushed himself up so he was sat against the back cushion. “I think the springs are worn out.”
“Gave me a flippin’ heart attack.” Wire shook his head and sank onto his tummy. “I think I could use a cup of tea, but I daren’t let you get back up.”
“Are you offering?”
“Suppose so.” The bush baby skipped across the garage to the kettle. “Thankfully the cups are small enough for me to handle.”
...
Two cups of tea and two hours of daytime television later, Ash poked his head into the room.
“It’s ready,” he grunted.
Frost dragged himself out of the sofa and followed the punk back into the workshop. The small Arrow VR had been relocated to sit beside a larger one. Ash looked down at it with what Frost guessed was admiration.
“Should work,” he said. “I’ll have to monitor it.”
“So we need to use them here?” Wire asked.
“I’d prefer it,” said Ash. “Like I said to your mate, I don’t usually help out detectives.”
“Then what made you want to help me?” Frost asked.
“One of my Arrow VR systems got hit with the boot-block,” Ash explained. “My sister’s been in a coma for almost a month. Can’t help her.”
“Have you reported it?” Frost asked.
“I have now. Told you.” Ash stuffed his hands into his pockets and fixed Frost with icy eyes. “If I told any other officials about this, they’d close me down. I’m not meant to be makin’ these machines. They hack people in and keep ‘em off UTEK’s radar. They’re meant to be safe against viruses, since they’re normally designed to affect official machines. Now I’m not sure they’re even targeting machines.”
Frost frowned. “No one knows how this virus works. But we’ll do our best to find out. Once we have, everyone, including your sister, will be saved.” He paused and looked back down at the VRs. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothin’,” said Ash. “Just get to the root of all this, and once my sister is up and bein’ her annoyin’ self again, we’ll call it even.”
A warm smile spread across Frost’s face. “So what do we do?”
“Climb in and wire yourselves up,” said Ash. “I’ll load up the game and monitor from my computer. Wanna make sure Wire’s avatar works.”
“Can we stay in touch during all this?”
“Certainly. I’ll send you PMs, all you gotta do is reply.” Ash moved over to the desk and sat behind his computer. “Climb in.”
Frost opened the smaller pod for Wire, and once the bush baby was lay on his back, he pulled the dome back over. Wire shimmied about getting the mask over his face before fastening the drip band to the back of his right paw. Once Frost was happy Wire was secure, he climbed into his own pod.
No sooner was the mask on his face, reality began to warp. The pod disappeared, and Frost found himself standing in a bustling square with hundreds of other people. Light, tinkly and joyful music played somewhere in the background, only adding to the quaint little town that surrounded him.
Before his eyes, a visor flashed to life, taking him by surprise. But he didn’t focus on it yet, he had other priorities. He spun around, searching the crowd for a familiar face. But there wasn’t an animal in sight. At least… not any animal he knew. Had Ash programmed Wire in as a pokemon? All the ones he could see didn’t remotely resemble a bush baby. An orange salamander with a flaming tail scurried after a little girl. A man not much shorter than him strolled past with a black and blue lynx, its tail ending in a yellow star.
‘Are you in?’ The neon text flashed across the screen.
Frost snapped back to it and tried to figure out a way to reply. As he thought through what to say, text appeared in the reply box. He quickly backtracked and managed to reply;
‘I’m in. Just looking for Wire.’
‘He should be fine,’ was Ash’s reply. ‘You’re both stable, and your avatars are… more or less true to yourselves. You shouldn’t miss him.’
A tug at his trousers made him look down. Standing beside him was a young boy who’s head didn’t come any higher than his hip. The first thing that struck him as odd was his shape. His head was round and chubby, and about a third the size of his dumpy body. Silver-grey hair hung over his huge, yellow eyes and flopped down to his shoulders. Behind him was the biggest giveaway. A white tail that looked like a terrible render. It flicked side to side erratically, strobing as it vanished and reappeared in a different position in the blink of an eye. It appeared to be on a loop, and unlike the rest of the avatar’s body, it didn’t cast a shadow.
“Wire?” Frost stuttered.
He sent a quick confirmation to Ash, only to receive an ‘lol’ in return.
“Yeh.” The boy’s voice was still oddly deep. “Do I look okay?”
Frost wanted to reply with ‘Have you not seen yourself?’ but instead he went with a friendly, “Sure.”
Wire snorted and looked behind him. “Tail looks dumb.”
“Is that why you’re flicking it about?”
“No!” Wire fixed his yellow, livid eyes on him. “It’s doin’ that entirely on its own! It won’t stop!” He paused and flashed his teeth in a sneer. “Doesn’t help I can’t even feel the flippin’ thing.”
“Well.” Frost stuffed his hands into his trench coat pocket. “We hopefully won’t be here for long. Let’s get the game rolling. This here says…” He squinted at the text in front of his eyes. ‘Head to Professor Yew’s lab. He has a request for you.’”
“Who’s Professor Yew when he’s at home?” Wire asked.
“He isn’t at home, he’s in his lab.” Frost smirked as he checked their position blinking on his map.
“Well, look at you makin’ jokes.” Wire crossed his stubby arms. “What if he lives there, huh? Who’s laughin’ then?”
“Me.” Frost ushered his friend on. “Come on, it’s this way.”
The lab wasn’t far from their starting point. It stood tall and proud in the middle of what the map called Poetico Town. Just inside the lab stood a tall, greying man. His wild, long, grey hair was what made him stand out from the rest of the lab coats. The other NPCs all looked identical and paid Frost and Wire no heed. Professor Yew, however, beamed upon seeing them.
“Welcome to the Aria Region!” he said. “The world of Pokemon:Life awaits!”
“Are we seriously gonna have to chug through a load of pre-recorded text?” Wire muttered.
Professor Yew broke from his monologue to frown down at Wire. “Rude little individual, aren’t you?”
Wire’s eyes almost bugged from his head. “Whoa! AI has come in leaps and bounds! Isn’t science amazing?”
Frost nudged him with a foot then turned back to the professor. “Please forgive my friend. He’s a little grumpy his tail hasn’t been coded correctly.”
“Hmm, we don’t often get trainers with tails,” the professor replied. “But a trainer is a trainer. Allow me to introduce you to your first pokemon. You have many to choose from.”
He waved a hand towards rows of tables filled with red and white balls. As Frost approached each one, a holographic picture appeared above it. The orange salamander he’d seen was one of them. It looked a little too weak for the job. He kept looking, but all were rather cutesy. Then he stumbled across a blue and white otter with the species name ‘oshawott’ and a silly smile spread across his face. He picked up the ball and turned to Wire.
“Chosen yet?” he asked.
“Gimme a sec, I’m still thinking.” Wire stroked his chin and paced up and down the rows of tables. Finally he reached up for the first ball and frowned at Frost. “I’ll take this thing.”
“Bulbasaur and oshawott,” said the professor. “Excellent choices! They’re both very energetic pokemon. Would you wish to nickname them?”
Before Frost could reply, a text box appeared before him next to a pixelated picture of the oshawott. Apparently it was male.
He quickly gave it the name Jester and the box went away. Wire, however, appeared more thoughtful.
“I think I’ll name it Tomato,” he said, then his visor vanished back behind his ear.
“Wonderful nicknames!” said the professor. “Now, take your new partners and explore Aria!”
“Actually, wait.” Frost raised a hand, dragging the professor’s attention back to him. “I don’t know if you can help me or not, but we’re here under rather… special circumstances. We were hoping for a stronger pokemon to aid us.”
“Oh?” The professor raised an eyebrow. “And what ‘special circumstances’ would those be?”
“We’re investigating the boot-block virus,” explained Frost. “If it’s being created inside the game, the people we may find ourselves facing off against would likely be very advanced. Much too advanced for these cute fellows. Level five? Am I right in assuming the maximum level is one hundred?”
“That is correct,” said Professor Yew. “But every trainer starts off with a baby pokemon. You grow alongside each other. You bond, meet new pokemon and trainers as you travel and overcome difficulties.”
“Yes, but we only have four days to get to the bottom of this.”
The professor let out a sigh, then cast a glance towards the door. Other trainers stood around him, their visors in place. He moved over to Frost and Wire and lowered his voice.
“I’m not meant to tell you this,” he said. “But in A-Capella Town you will find a group of trainers who have banded together to fight this virus.”
Frost took a step back. “How do you know this? I thought you were an NPC.”
“I am an NPC,” Yew explained. “But I’ve been hacked with this information, and given a sub routine that allows me to contact and scout for trainers who show potential. I can access the Arrow VRs logs to see how long a new trainer has spent playing games. A casual player wouldn’t have the gall to assist this team in overthrowing the boot-block. Very few new trainers get sent to this group. I’m usually contacting those who’ve long surpassed the difficulties of the Aria Region. Anyway, you will be looking for the UnLockers. One of their bases is in A-Capella town, just north of here. They can help you more than I can.”
Fifteen pokeballs registered in Frost’s visor.
“UnLockers?” Wire scoffed. “What kinda cheesy-ass name is that?”
Frost gave him another nudge with his foot, then thanked Professor Yew. The professor ran a pre-programmed monologue to bid them farewell, and they traipsed out into the open world.
“So A-Capella Town then, eh?” Wire looked up at him and tossed his pokeball from hand to hand. “Map says it’s the next town after the forest.”
Frost checked his own map. There was indeed a forest leading on from Poetico Town. It’s name was Allegro Forest.
“I’m sensing a musical theme in this game,” he said.
Wire didn’t appear to be listening. He turned his pokeball around in his small hands. “Apparently these guys can follow you.”
“Oh? You mean like this?” Frost pushed the button on his own pokeball, and the oshawott materialized at his feet. It let out a little trill.
“Shaa!”
Wire’s nose crinkled and he tutted. “Show off.”
He called out his own pokemon, and the green dinosaur materialized in the same fashion. It’s large mouth turned into a smile and it closed its eyes, letting out a cheerful growl.
“Saur!”
Wire’s jaw dropped in dismay.
“It’s the wrong freakin’ colour!” he roared. “What’s with the awful, lime green? Is it sick? It’s hacked, ain’t it? I demand a refund!”
Tomato’s face fell and he looked down at himself, muttering in his own language.
Frost scrolled through his visor, looking for the bulbasaur. Its entry popped up in his pokedex and he chuckled.
“It’s a rare occurrence,” he said, “but apparently your bulbasaur is what they call a ‘shiny pokemon’. Very rare, people collect them.”
Wire put his hands on his hips. “How rare?”
“Try one in eight thousand one hundred and ninety two.”
Wire’s jaw dropped again, but this time it wasn’t out of dismay. “So I’ve got a treasure?”
“Apparently so.” Frost crossed his arms and looked down at Jester. “But what difference it makes, I’ve no idea.”
“I think you’re jealous.” Wire chuckled and turned back to his bulbasaur. “All right, Tomato. Let’s get a move on. We’ve got trainin’ to do.”
“Saur!”
Wire and his pokemon moved on ahead of Frost towards the grass. Frost scooped Jester up onto his shoulder and followed after his friend. Even if it was only a tiny step, it was one step closer to stopping the boot-block virus.
...
There you have it! The first chapter. Thank you if you made it this far. For those wondering why Wire got a shiny, it's very important to the plot Wire is no Gary Stu.
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