Fandom Press Start (A Ready Player One RP)

[NerdyBirdy]

In the year 2039, brilliant game designer James Donovan Halliday passed away and created the Great Egg Hunt inside his amazing virtual universe, the OASIS. A collection of challenges designed to test a player’s knowledge of 80’s pop culture, gaming skills and personal determination in order to find his successor. A hunt that revolutionized the world into a resurgence of 80’s culture. For six years, players of OASIS worked to try to solve the hunt’s riddles, find the gates and locate the Easter Egg that would grant them control of OASIS. Six years of trial and error. Eventually the only egg hunters, or “gunters” as they came to be, were small clans of obsessed players. The Hunt seemed to be a troll. Public lost interest and it seemed that no one would find the Egg. That is, until the Copper Key was discovered by a player named Parzival.

With the Copper Key’s discovery, the Hunt was back on. But as the promise of riches sparked the fires of competition, so did it cast the shadow of corruption. Innovative Online Industries, a corporate entity with megalomaniacal plans to monetize the game, entered the Hunt with malicious intent. It was only by the teamwork of the High Five that kept them at bay. Parzival, Art3mis, Aech, Daito and Shoto battled the IOI and their deadly army of Sixers across the OASIS. Battles were won and lost. Avatars died and progress reset. Even real lives were lost, like High Fiver Daito.

It was a long war, a war that ended on the planet Chthonia inside the grand castle Anorak. IOI detonated the deadly Catalyst, destroying 28% of the OASIS players including their own forces and the High Five itself. But Parzival survived the cataclysmic destruction and entered the Crystal Gate to gain absolute power and control over OASIS. He defeated IOI and saved the world. His friends helped him run the game as fellow admins. Shoto created DaiSho International, a new rival company to help take the OASIS off of IOI’s networks and provide a better alternative for the players. Peace had returned to OASIS. For a short time.

As Parzival’s renown grew, so too did unrest among the players of OASIS. The gunters who fought at the gates of Anorak lost everything that day. Years of work and dedication lost in the blink of an eye. They blamed Parzival for their losses and a disenfranchised subset of players grew out of them. Calling themselves the Fallout, these griefers sought to destroy Parzival and anyone who stood with him. They allied themselves with IOI and helped the company sway the real world against the High Five. Gregarious Simulation Systems, the company that ran OASIS, suffered stock losses. OASIS saw, for the first time in decades, player decline. Parzival vanished from the worlds, real and virtual. It seemed that the end of paradise was on the horizon.

2048. GSS announces to the world that they had finally finished a new project. A new OASIS. Faster speed and connectivity. Better gameplay. Ultra realism on the most technological advanced scale known to man. Best of all, a new Great Egg Hunt. Though the Fallout were still devout in their vendetta, they could not resist the call to glory as gunters once more. The world waited for the OASIS II to release. To return to the Hunt once more.

In 2050, GSS sent out the open Beta invitations to the players. Every player would receive new haptic gaming rigs to access the Beta. Soon enough, Beta day was here....

 

[NerdyBirdy]

Hollywood Slums, 2050

Ferris Mayweather shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he stood in line at the food truck. He looked down the line at the gleaming metal vehicle with a squint. The words “Art3mis’ Bounty” were visible from his place in the queue. He sighed with impatience and ran a hand through his bubblegum pink hair through to his neck. A shrill whistle blasted followed by a loud call.

“BUELLER!”

Ferris looked at the source to see three young men approaching him, boxes under their arms. The tallest in the middle waved a hand as the trio approached. “Dude, what are you doing here? The Hap Gear from GSS launched today. You should get to your place before some crankhead takes your delivery and sells it for coin.” Ferris gave the boy a look.

“Nice to see you too, Red-Four,” Ferris said, using his friend’s username, “But I’m getting one of these bounty boxes. I’ve been in line since 6 am and I am getting a healthy meal.” Red made a jerking motion at Ferris.

“Dude, that veggie crap is dumb. You know they always sell out before you get there. You should just stick to the voucher boxes like Skud, Brick and I.” Red poked a thumb at the other two boys. The smallest and heaviest one, SkudCreeper as his handle was, nodded in agreement while Brickjammer, the better looking one rolled his eyes.

“Red, that processed sugar is gonna kill you. Skud already has bigger tits than your sister.” Ferris shot. Brick stifled a laugh while Skud gave an offended gesture. Red howled with laughter and shook Skud with a hand on his shoulder.

“Bueller, man! Not cool!” Skud whined.

“He’s got a point, Skud. When was the last time you ran an aerobics program in Oasis?” Brick said. Skud gave Brick the finger before slapping Red’s hand from his breast as he flapped it.

“Maybe I’ll take a session with Vixxen. I bet she would mind a real man joining her streams.” Skud taunted.

“Oooooh! Skud coming for your lady and you, Bueller!” Red backed up, looking at Ferris, “Does she do those aerobics streams? I bet she does. Bet she’s all Jane Fonda IRL with that body shaking she does.” Ferris punched Red on the shoulder while keeping a leg in the line.

“Screw off, dude.” Ferris said, cracking a grin.

“Look, man. When they close that truck, get your rear back home and log into Oasis. The Gunter clans will all already be going online and they’re doing last minute clan drives before heading into O2.” Red informed Ferris, “They’ve been all over the auction house buying up all the artifacts they can transfer over.”

“Actually, I think I’m gonna stick to Oasis.” Ferris said. Red’s eyes widened in shock while Skud gasped. Brick raised an eyebrow.

“Dude, what? But the O2 Egg Hunt is our chance to win big! Player admin powers! Half a trillion in coin! The chance to kick Parzival’s teeth in!” Red exclaimed. Ferris shrugged.

“Dude, I’m not big on the Fallout like you are. I don’t care about Parzival. I didn’t go to Planet Doom and zero out. Plus, Vixxen is doing the hunt. It would be weird competing with mys-my girlfriend.” Ferris said. Red gave Ferris a bad glare.

“The Fallout is legit, Bueller. Parzival has to pay for screwing everyone over. He rezzed his friends but not the army he called for? And then he let that resurrection window close and cost everyone six years of their lives.” Red swelled with anger. Ferris held up his hands defensively.

“Red, chill out, ok? You wanna go pick a fight with a High Five, that’s on you. I’m happy to just sit around and wait for O2 to officially launch and hang.” Ferris said. Red turned on his heel and stormed off. Skud followed, looking worried. Brick remained with Ferris and sighed.

“Dude, you know “Planet Doom” is a sore spot for Red. Show him a little support.” Brick said.

“I just don’t get it. IOI were the ones who blew everyone to hell, not Parzival. The Fallout are clanned up with those Sixer leftovers.” Ferris pointed out. Brick shrugged.

“Sometimes it’s easier to blame one guy than blame an unstoppable force. Plus IOI did bankroll the restoration of a lot of Gunters. Any RPG can show you, free stuff can make your rep meter soar.” Brick said, smiling. Ferris blushed. “Red is right about one thing, though. You’ll never get a Bounty box. Unless you got here at 4 am amd had your sister pick up your Haptic gear and bring you the box.” Ferris looked at Brick quizzically as he opened his Haptic gear box and pulled out a clear plastic container. He handed it to Ferris.

“Gag me with a spoon! Dude, you got me a Bounty box?” Ferris exclaimed, marveling at the green contents. Brick shrugged.

“I knew you were gonna be in line all morning and I would hate for you to keep your girlfriend waiting.” Ferris blushed again.

“R-right. My girlfriend. Vixxen. She’s probably wondering when I’m logging in. To support her.” Ferris said. He walked out of line, hugging the container to his chest. “See ya, Brick.”

“Later, Bueller.” Brick waved him off as he headed home. Ferris watched his friend walk away before sighing and heading home.

 

[NerdyBirdy]

Ferris walked up the stairs of the old Hollywood Roosevelt hotel. Once it had been a major hotspot for vacationers and celebrities. Now it was an overpacked can of sardines full of families, strangers and the occasional druggie. Ferris walked down the hall to his room and opened the door with the keycard he kept on a lanyard around his neck. He entered the room and immediately walked to the balcony. He opened the door and saw a black rectangle sitting there. Drone delivery. He grabbed the package and took it inside. He set it down on the kitchen table and popped it open.

Inside were a pair of black gloves, a visor with the words “HG-X2” emblazoned on the front, a black bodysuit with what appeared to be metal studs on the shoulders, waist and legs and a small black stick that read “OASIS II” in etched lettering. A small sheet of paper instructions were also included, but Ferris discarded them. He knew how to work a rig. He took the stick and walked over to the Oasis console he had set up in the other room. He plugged the stick in and grabbed his visor, slipping it on his brow. He returned to the kitchen and popped open the container of vegetables. The contents were rather basic, like a massive salad. Ferris took a wedge of carrot and chewed it, the crunch audible. He pulled the visor on his head down and saw the menu for his console. The original Oasis icon was above the new Oasis II one. He saw the new application was downloading some pre patch files. It would be a few minutes before he could go into Oasis II. Ferris decided to get in one last Oasis session going. Taking the container with him, he went into the living room and sat on the couch. He slipped on his old haptic gloves and stepped on the omnidirectional treadmill. Slipping on the visor, a red beam flashed in his eyes, scanning his retinas. Ferris cleared his throat and spoke his Oasis passphrase clearly: “Girls just wanna have fun.” The passphrase and voice recognition software accepted. Text appeared before his eyes.

Identity Verification Successful
Welcome to the Oasis, Vixxen!
Login Completed: 13:45:12 PST-5.11.2050
​

The text faded away and three words replaced it:

Ready Player One
​

______________________________________________

The avatar materialized in a small bedroom. Ferris looked around a bit. A canopy bed in the corner covered with stuffed animals and issues of Tiger Beat was to his left. To his right was a hot pink keytar, hung on a small stand. The walls were covered in posters of movies and actors. Ferris looked at his hand and flexed it. The fingers were small and slender. He turned the hand over and saw the nails were painted red with jewels on them. Ferris looked around and saw a floor length mirror in the other corner of the room. He approached it gingerly. Instead of seeing his own reflection of a pink haired, rail thin boy, he saw a young woman with bright red hair to her shoulders. Her body was thin, yet curvy. Almost like a Barbie doll. The outfit was pretty basic. A short black skirt with matching black knee high boots adorned the lower region. The top was a brown vest with ridged shoulder pads, a replica of the vest Ellen Ripley’s clone wore in Alien Resurrection. The make up on the face was simple. Red lips, highlighted cheeks, black eyeshadow and winged lashes. Ferris smiled and gave a twirl. He was no longer Ferris Mayweather. Now, she was Vixxen.

Vixxen turned and walked over to a small computer desk by the window and sat down. She interacted with it and a small camera popped up. Vixxen was about to activate it when she realized she had forgotten something.

“Run Sim: BuellerBoy.” She said, her voice deep and masculine, “Aw crap. Voice mod on: Vixxen.” A second avatar appeared to be sitting on the bed reading a Tiger Beat. The avatar looked like a guy in a gas mask and Ghostbuster jumpsuit. The name “BuellerBoy” hovered overhead. Vixxen looked at it and smiled.

“Hi, sweetie!” She said, her voice now more female and lithe. The simulant looked up and gave a small preprogrammed wave at her. Vixxen turned back to the computer and turned on the camera. A small window appeared in the visor’s HUD showing a stream activate. Almost immediately, hundreds of viewers entered the stream and comments flowed.

“Hi, Vixxen!”
“How’s my favorite hottie with the body?”
“You rule, Vixx!”
“Send nudes?”
“Dance, baby, dance!”

“What’s up, guys! It’s me, Vixxen! You all remember my boyfriend, BuellerBoy. Say hi, sweetie.” The simulant repeated the wave at the camera. “Aww, he’s shy.” Vixxen flashed a friendly grin before getting up from the desk. She grabbed the keytar from the corner and returned to the seat.

“So, as you all know, the Beta for Oasis II just opened today. I’m so excited to join you guys there. Shoutout to my patrons Jazzersyke and Powerwheel for sending me the coin to buy my awesome new Kimber’s Keytar! You guys are so awesome for doing this. I sent you guys exclusive dance vids. Thanks again!” Vixxen played a few chords of the Zelda victory music. “So, you guys know that while I’m in O2, I won’t be making any dance videos. What I didn’t tell you was that I will be joining the gunters in the Great Egg Hunt!” Vixxen looked at the camera excitedly. “I cannot wait to join you guys in this hunt. And who knows? Maybe when I win, we can have a huge dance party in my new admin castle!” A notification popped up on the HUD informing her that Oasis II had completed its patching. “Oops, looks like I gotta go! O2 awaits! Say bye, sweetie!” The simulant gave another small wave. Vixxen blew a kiss at the camera and turned it off. She sighed and looked at the bot on the bed. “Terminate Sim.” She said pointedly. The simulant disappeared and Vixxen rubbed her face.

“Ugh, this double life crap is exhausting.” She huffed. She opened the visor’s HUD and selected to terminate the Oasis application, sending Ferris back to the main menu. Ferris selected the Oasis 2 icon and ran it. After repeating his pass phrase and his identity verified, a small window appeared.

The system has detected a previous profile in the Oasis. Would you like to transfer this profile to Oasis II? All items and currency will transfer and you will retain your current level and skill set.
​

Ferris selected to transfer his profile. As the transfer completed, words appeared on the visor. Unlike the familiar entry phrase of Oasis, this one was comprised of two words:

Press Start​

 

[Pacificus]

"Oi, bloke! I'm gonna rip you a new one! Then maybe your mate'll hava noice place ta shove his didgeridoo, hey?!" An Australian player shouted at Polizei, who was crouched behind a concrete wall.
"Why don't you go blow your kangaroo ya damn boomerang chucker?!" Polizei shouted back.

Mathias had started grinding hard in preparation for O2. Right now he was engaged an intense CQC fight with an Australian player with the gamertag "4$tar". The agreed upon setting was a reconstruction of the Los Angeles vault from the original Fallout game. It was a randomly generated match and the score was close. Polizei: 10, 4$star: 9. The two were down to a stalemate in a hallway. 4$star couldn't get close enough to Polizei because he was using his P90 to shred anything that came around the corner. And Polizei couldn't get a good shot because 4$star laid down a shield barrier.

Polizei fired a burst in anger. The Aussie merely flipped him the bird from behind his barrier. This map was frustrating . He couldn't call in an artillery barrage from the Yamato because they were underground, and his close-quarters centric loadout was failing him. Polizei mentally kicked himself for not stocking up on grenades. Suddenly, the Aussie was quiet for more than 10 seconds. This put him on edge. What was this guy planning? Suddenly a small message appeared on the edge of his screen. It read: "OASIS II has launched. A new haptic rig has been sent to your address. Are you ready, player one?" This was followed by a message in the text chat: "4$star has left the game."

Polizei didn't hesitate. He immediately disconnected from the session and logged out of his rig.

In the real world Mathias excitedly took off his headset. He could see the black, drone-delivered package, sitting on the hood of his RV that served as his mailbox. The RV was a practically ancient winnebego. The driver and passenger seats were removed and the windshield had been modified to open like a window that could be propped open. Mathias admired the package, knowing its contents. A new rig. His current haptic rig was high-end by normal OASIS standards but O2 promised so much more. Mathias carefully removed the packaging and put on the haptic suit. The HUD only had one icon, OASIS II. He selected it and was prompted for his passphrase. He recited it and a second message was displayed on screen:
The system has detected a previous profile in the Oasis. Would you like to transfer this profile to Oasis II? All items and currency will transfer and you will retain your current level and skill set.

Mathias transferred his profile over. Once it was complete, he awaited that magical three word phrase. But only two appeared.

Press Start

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

"Spread out and find him, that Parzival lover will get whats coming!"
The squadron of Fallout members were running throughout the streets of the simulated city. From what they could tell, this was Fuyuki City from Fate/Unlimited Blade Works. The player leading them was named "JuicyX", a big muskateer looking guy. They had come here on the advice of an info broker. The guy they were looking for had supposedly been taking out some of their best players left and right. Walking over to a park bench, JuicyX sat down and waited. His men would find this troublemaker and they could take their sweet time punishing him. Calling into his subordinates, JuicyX was informed that they couldn't find him. "Nothing over here Sir, just a pond-URGH!!!". Jumping up from his seat, JuicyX was alarmed to hear the death sound from the other end. Calling his other underlings, he found they either didn't answer or the death sound blared. This couldn't be happening. They were an elite squadron of Fallout members. THEY COULDN'T BE FALLING LIKE MOOKS IN AN RPG. Drawing his rapier, he decided to personally execute this menace. Running down a main street, he saw one of his lieutenants in front of him. Relieved one of his men survived, he sped toward him. However a shining and fast moving shape flew right through the other players chest, he died instantly. Staring at what once was his friend, JuicyX tried to look around and see where the attack had come from. All he could see was a Japanese city in the nightime, the only sound he heard was the whistling of the simulated wind.

Feeling freaked out, he made his way back into a back street where a group of surviving Fallout members were tense and scared. They had their weapons aimed in every single direction. JuicyX slid into formation and defensively raised his rapier. A bright light flashed behind him. Turning around, the player named "Nagasakki" had been killed. One of the girls called "D33ana" screamed and ran in the opposite direction, she was quickly taken out as well. Breaking up, everyone tried desperately to keep their cool and find who was doing this. "H-hiding in the shadows?! C-c-come out and fight us like a m-man". Their warrior, a big guy in Power Armor named "IrmaWand3r3r" raised his Super Sledge. A bright light hit him in the chest too, however his armor kept him alive. It was then JuicyX noticed what had been fired at them, an arrow made of light. "Wait...an arrow?...made of light?...oh no...". Several more arrows came flying at them, decimating everyone except JuicyX. He lay on the ground in defeat, his HP at 1. This had all been a mistake, that info broker tricked them. They hadn't come after some scrub.... "We were led into the range of...the ARCHER". JuicyX died with his friends, having never seen his killers face.

In the shadows, a figure in a black coat lowered his bow. Walking away from his victory, he sent payment to the info broker. Exiting the Fuyuki Map, he stepped into the Hub of the OASIS. Stretching his arms, he logged out. Now in his secret hideout, the assassin grabbed a drink from his fridge. Looking in the mirror, he was greeted with the sight of his real self. Jun Hyuga, an ordinary guy living in an ordinary city. Unlike his digital persona, the archer Hyuju, he was just another person you could find anywhere. Looking over at the wall, he saw his poster of Wade Watts. The player known as Parizaval, who had saved the very OASIS by rallying people together was a hero to Jun. However, those who had lost the day Parzival defeated the Sixers drove him from this world. If they had just stopped there, Jun would just be angry. However, they now dedicated themselves to hurting people who even mention liking Parzival. Jun couldn't take it anymore. So he geared up and became a PKKer. Hearing a sound, Hyuju climbed out of his hideout and saw it... the drone delivery! Grabbing its package, he hopped back inside his hideout and looked in the box. It was his new haptic gear for OASIS II!!! Jun had been expecting this for a month!!! Setting everything up, he slipped on the suit and took a moment to bask. He then selected the OASIS II icon and was given a prompt to transfer his old account over, there even seemed to be bonuses for doing so. He made the transfer and was greeted with two very simple words

Press Start

 

[im jess saying]

Columbus, Ohio 2050

Tomorrow is the day. The day that busybea was going to be reincarnated into OASIS II. Bea felt like her life was starting over again. The new hunt gave her something to live for. She could almost feel her depression melting off her skin.

Bea found herself fantasizing about the hunt. She’d hoped that the challenges would be the same 80s and Haliday inspired assessments. Bea and other members of The Fallout were nervous it was going to be challenges based off the High Five. No matter what, she was going to win this one. She won’t let any teenager get in her way this time.

She was still beating herself for not realizing sooner that the first key was on Ludus. She had gone to school there for years! How could two teenagers figure it out before she had? Bea shook her head and pushed the thoughts out of her mind. What’s done is done. Parzival won and there’s nothing she can do about that now.

Knowing that she was too excited to sleep, bea checked herself into a 24 hour OASIS cafe. She had made some decent coin last night with one of her regulars and decided to treat herself. She got herself a higher up haptic rig and a private room. She walked in and slipped into the rig and gloves as quickly as possible. She stepped onto the omnidirectional treadmill and put on her visor. The familiar red beam flashed in her eyes, scanning her retina, and she took a sigh of relief. Bea smiled and spoke her passphrase aloud: “Goonies never say die “.

Identity Verification Successful
Welcome to the OASIS, busybea!
Login Completed: 21:07:43 OST-5.11.2050​

And then the three words that instantly erased Bea's anxiety.

Ready Player One​

________________________________________________________________________

Bea’s avatar busybea materialized in her private room still in her busty half naked escort outfit. Her escort was modeled after Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman. She was a long legged, busty vixen with long brunette hair and the same white/blue cut out one piece and knee high back boots from the movie.

“Change avatar, Queen Bea.” She said aloud and her avatar changed from her work ‘uniform’ to the all black studded out intimidating-to-any-man outfit that everyone knew her by. Bea looked and herself in the mirror and smiled. “Much better.” She muttered to herself.

Bea shuffled through her few records she re-bought after she zeroed out. She decided to put on Van Halen and Jump started playing. She felt a rush of nostalgia for the old egg hunt and started smiling and jumping around her room singing every word. It was then that Bea decided to click onto her old stream. For old time sake, she decided to go live pretending like she still had fans and followers. She started the stream with her familiar intro:

“Hey, hey, bea hive! Queen bea here. I hope you’re all having a gunt-tastic day.” The phrase made her smile and reminded her of a time long forgotten. “So, tomorrow is the big day, my wonderful worker baes! O2 finally comes out! My bounty box is being delivered to me at 8am OST. I can hardly contain my excitement!” Bea takes a long pause, trying to remember how to stream coherently. “I guess I should also announce that the hunt is back on for me! I’m going to be in full gunter mode again and this time, I’m going to win. No if, ands, or buts.”

Just then she noticed her viewer count go up by the 10s, 20s, and then 100s. She gasped in surprise and continued.

“For anyone who’s new around here, hi, hello, I’m busybea. I am the Queen of this hive. I used to be a top rated anti-clan gunter word vomiting my 80s and James Haliday knowledge into this stream. I’m a self proclaimed movie buff, Goonie by day, Ghostbuster by night, and full time badass.” Suddenly the follows started rolling in. 100, 200, 300. “Please stick around and become a worker bea in this fully dysfunctional bea hive. You’re gonna want to see what I have up my sleeves. For now, I’m going to buzz off and get some sleep because I have to be up super early to get to the post office and grab my bounty box for O2! I can’t wait to see you all there!”

Bea logged off in awe of what just happened. She ended up with 1,713 followers. That’s not near as many as she had before she zeroed out, but it was so exciting that her gunter fans/friends have found her again and reconnected. It gave her hope for her future.

Bea started to feel her eyes drift in her visor so she decided to lay down on the couch provided, put on her favorite 80s movie Overboard, and drift off into sleep.

____________________________________________________________________

The next morning Bea woke up and opened her eyes to the screen saver in her visor with the time that read 7:35 OST. Bea jumped up from the couch, ripped her visor and rig off and leaped out of the cafe with her belongings. She hopped in her car and started for the post office where her bounty box was being delivered at 8:00. When she got to the post office, a line had started to form with impatient customers that couldn’t wait for their boxes to be delivered to their houses. Luckily, Bea didn’t have a house. She used her old fanmail PO box for this special event.

As the time struck 8:00 she fumbled with her key and opened her PO box. There it was. Her bounty box. She started crying tears of excitement and happiness. She grabbed it quickly and headed out, trying not to get the attention of others.

She couldn’t wait for one more second. She ripped the box open and unboxed all the contents. She skimmed the instructions and then threw them in her backseat; this wasn't her first rodeo. She fumbled into the rig, a little too excited, and booted it up. The first thing she saw was the OASIS II symbol with the original OASIS symbol above it. She saw it start downloading. Figuring it would take a while, she opened a portion of her rations and started chowing down, realizing how hungry she was. She started humming We’re Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister as she waited, eating her GMO ridden government ordered rations. Bea then heard the HUD informing her that Oasis II had completed its download. She terminated her old OASIS system and clicked the new OASIS II icon.

The system has detected a previous profile in the Oasis. Would you like to transfer this profile to Oasis II? All items and currency will transfer and you will retain your current level and skill set.​

Bea clicked to transfer her avatar over to the new system. Just then, two words appeared.

Press Start​

 

[NerdyBirdy]

Loading....
Loading....
Gregarious Simulation Systems presents
OASIS II​

__________________________________________________

A flash of blue pixels erupts as the game logo fades. Immediately, you notice you’ve just materialized inside of a cavernous cargo area. The faint thrum of an engine sounds in a steady beat from above. Already, hundreds of players are in here with you. Some have simple default avatars, holding basic weapons or dresses in simple combat attire. Some have premium skins, looking like various icons of pop culture and gaming. You notice a few of the players gathered around some port holes on both sides of the area with curious fervor. You step to the windows and gaze out to see endless black peppered with white dots. A few planets and moons fly by as you pass them. Some are recognizable, like Tolkien, Zemeckis and Azeroth. A fair few are new planets, space stations, asteroid belts and stars. You step away from the windows to look around the hold again.

Your fellow players have already begun grouping up. The smaller groups are comprised of lowbies or small local clans. The bigger groups made up of premium skinned players have identical badges to signify Gunter clans. But you do notice many of them have a secondary badge, a Nuclear symbol. You recognize it as the mark of the Fallout.

The sound of a shrill whistle blows from above. Your eyes look to the source, a small scaffolding above the front of the hold. Three figures stand above you, all looking down to you. The whistler, a large cyborg of a human male, puts his hands from his lips and gives a large grin. His attire is a modified exoskeleton with a spray of the letter A over his breastplate. You immediately recognize him as one of the High Five: Aech.

“Greetings and salutations, Gunters!” Aech says, his voice synthesized, “Welcome to the Oasis II!” He waves his hands in the air as the hold erupts in cheers. The excitement is infectious as you also find yourself cheering. He pumps up the crowd a bit before lower his hands, the din also quieting. “You all know me. I’m Aech, admin of Oasis. Third of the High Five. Slayer of Sixers and the baddest dude in the universe!” A small snort comes from the figure to Aech’s left and he gives them an offended look before turning back to the crowd. “With me is the Fourth of the High Five. You know his story. He’s the smartest and youngest multimillionaire today. CEO of DaiSho International and the guy who hooked you all up with your new O2 Haptic gear, make some noise for SHOTO!” Aech thrusts a hand to the figure on his right as they stepped forward, revealing themselves to be a technological samurai. The armor was cobalt blue and a small pennant was attached to his back, a red flag with the same A symbol as Aech’s chest. Two blades crossed his back as he gave a small, respectful bow. The crowd cheers for him as he stands, giving small waves. Aech pats Shoto on the back.

“And to my left, the Second of the High Five. System administration. Halliday scholar. Head of the Art3mis Bounty Project. You know her. You probably wrote slashfic of her. Give it up for ART3MIS!” Aech introduced as Art3mis stepped forward. Her avatar was simple, clad in hunting leathers. Her hair was short and colored pink, like her avatar’s skin. A large port wine stain adorned the side of her face. Her cloak was also red, emblazoned with the letter A. She gave a small salute and shooting guns gesture at the crowd. Her reception was the loudest by far. It took Aech a few tries to calm down the crowd. When he finally did, he continued.

“Now, you all know who we are. But by the end of this, we’re gonna know who one of YOU are. It’s no secret why you’re here. You’ve come for glory. For fame. For coin and loot. You’ve come for...the Egg.” Aech said, waving a hand. A large holographic golden egg appeared over head, spinning slowly. The crowd gasps in awe as a few hands reach up, fingertips barely touching the spectacle.

“That’s right. Oasis II has its very own Egg Hunt.” Art3mis said, “Hidden away in this universe, is that egg. The first person or group to find it, wins. And we mean BIG.”

“You will receive a position at GSS as a player administrator. With powers and skills that come with such a position.” Shoto said.

“You also get a crap load of cash in ingame credit. Half a trillion to be exact.” Aech chimed in.

“As well as the biggest prize, entry into Oasis II’s Hall of Fame. Your avatar will be immortalized along with the High Five, Og the Great and Powerful and James Halliday himself.” Art3mis said.

“Though I think the cash is the better part.” Aech jokes. Art3mis gave him a side eye and continued.

“The contest is easy enough. Exactly like the first time. Three keys,” she said, the holographic egg dissipated and was replaced by three floating keys, “Three Gates,” The keys transformed into three doors, “And three challenges apiece. You decipher clues to each key, figure out where the gates are and complete their challenges. Every key you get and gate you clear rewards you points, coin and progress to the next. The final gate will reward you with one of these,” Art3mis waves a hand as a small golden ticket appears in her fingers, “A ticket to OaCon. The first gaming convention for Oasis and the first convention for the world since the 2010’s. There, you’ll participate in the grand finale, become an admin and collect your prizes.”

The crowd roars in approval. Art3mis gestures them to calm. “Now, the first clue to the Hunt, we’ll give to you now. We’ll be arriving to the first community world called Hub in a few minutes. There, you can start working on the clue.” She said, waving a hand at the hologram. It shifted again, this time forming words:

Before the field of battle
Before your duty’s call
First three shots must be fired
To make all the targets fall

Your sidearm must be weightless
As the clouds, light and airy
With each round fired and finished
To see your partner, grin so merry

Finish the hunt with precision
Victory on a dime
To retrieve the copper key
To find the gate at the highest crime

The words fade away as a message appears in your inbox.

“The first clue has been mailed to you all in case you need to study it later. We’re approaching Hub soon. Are there any questions?” Art3mis asked. A few hands shot up. “Yeah, you. The chick with the Gozer skin.”

A tall woman stepped up, statuesque and intimidating. Her blood red eyes were trained upward, as if she were staring at the sun.

“Where’s Parzival?” She asked curtly. The crowd murmured to themselves as she gazed up expectantly. Aech let out an awkward cough as Shoto looked away. Art3mis gave the woman a stern look.

“Any other questions.” She stated, eyes locked with the woman. “Not. About Parzival.” She clarified. A newbie player raised a hand gingerly. Art3mis pointed at him.

“Uh, I was just wondering...this place doesn’t have any doors or stairs up to you or anything. How-how are we getting to Hub?” They asked. Aech’s face broke out in a wide grin as he raised a hand and made enthusiastic noises to Art3mis.

“Oh! Can I take this one, Arty?” He asked. Art3mis rolled her eyes and gestures to Aech to do so. Aech leaned over the railing, smile still wide.

“Let me answer that question with another. How many of you are familiar with the old battle sim game, Player Unknown’s Battleground?” He questioned. Before anyone could respond, Aech snapped his fingers and the floor of the hold opened. You, along with the other players, cry out in shock as you plummet into the darkness.
______________________________________________

Aech let out a howl of laughter as the hold floor closes. “Oh man! Did you see the looks on their faces? They did NOT see that coming! I told you designing the drop was a good idea.” Art3mis smirked at the empty area. Shoto nodded in agreement.

“I, too, thought it was “bad ash”.” Shoto said. Aech chuckled at his mispronunciation.

“Hey, did you remember to say there’s no fall damage?” Art3mis asked. Aech shrugged.

“I think so. But it’s cool. You know Og got ‘em.” Aech said. He gave his compatriots a fist bump as the next batch of players materialized into the hold. Aech gave a grin.

“Alright, let’s do this again.” He said quietly.
______________________________________________

The air whips past your head as you fall through the atmosphere of the planet. Screams and cries of fear fill the air along with the hundreds of players as you all tumble through the sky with reckless abandon. Soon, though, you hear another sound fill the air. A slow, steady beat and rhythm permeates through your headphones and ears. A gaze down reveals the source, a floating bubble with a man inside. The man was dressed in wizard robes, with a DJ turntable in front of him. He directs the bubble towards the falling mass and you feel gravity pulling, not to the ground, but to the bubble. The bubble slows your descent completely and you begin to float along with everyone else in a slow, geometric shape around the bubble. The wizard pulls a microphone attached to the table to his mouth.

“Welcome! Welcome, friends! I’m your MC, Og the Great and Powerful, coming to you live from the skies above Hub. Let me be your guide to the wonderful city below. In flight entertainment will be me, of course! I thank you for for flying Air Morrow and hope you all enjoy our descent!” Og cheered as he spun “World in my Eyes” by Depeche Mode. The mass of players slowly spun and ebbed around him as you see the fear that once filled your heart is now filled with mirth as you dance in the sky with the others, the party slowly making it’s way to the center of the city.

Pacificus im jess saying Gaius Danius Griinia JW Suzusihi -Wilson- Rcticwolf

 

[Pacificus]

Polizei spawned into the cargo area. First things first, he shook his arms and legs out, and swiped through his inventory to make sure everything was there. Then he took in his surroundings. He hadn't seen this many people in one spot since...ever. But that was to be expected. Quite a few were wearing the nuclear symbol of the Fallout. Polizei had an urge to taunt them for their salt. He thought better of it, now was not the time to make enemies. He might need help at some point.

He could tell he was in a cargo hold but he couldn't tell if it was a ship or a plane. He didn't get time to find out as a loud whistle sounded from atop some scaffolding. Polizei couldn't beleive it. The High Fiv-...Four? In the flesh. Polizei listened intently. He pulled an 8-ball audio recording drone from his inventory and recorded the speech, paranoid there would be clue within. He was on his toes as Artemis gave out the first clue. He devoured every syllable and letter, analyzing it as she said it. By the time she had finished, he was already reciting it in mumbled breaths. He didn't pay attention to anything else anyone was saying, but his ears perked up when he heard Aech say "Player Unknowns Battlegrounds." He couldn't recall that game. Was it the one where they dump the players out of a cargo plane? Suddenly, the floor gave away everyone inside was sucked out into the sky. Caught off-guard, Polizei yelled in suprise but managed to suppress an outright scream.

Polizei tumbled through the air before being caught by a bubble. Finally able to orient himself, he noticed the music being played by Og the Great and Powerful. He gazed in aw at the city below. But it didn't matter. The clue mattered. And he already had an idea.

Before the field of battle
Before your duty’s call

She was definitely talking about Call of Duty. That series really didn't age well because Crap-tivision got greedy, but the earlier games were awesome. Modern Warfare was the most successful so I'm going to go off that.

First three shots must be fired
To make all the targets fall

This is where it gets tricky. Is it talking about the shooting drill scene at the beginning of Modern Warfare? or the frequent breach scenes where time slows down? It could be referencing the airport massacre in Modern Warfare 2.

Your sidearm must be weightless
As the clouds, light and airy
With each round fired and finished
To see your partner, grin so merry

Weightless sidearm. That could be referencing the fact that this is a videogame and nothing has weight, or an item that doesn't encumber the player.
I don't understand the cloud part, but theres a partner in pretty much every CoD game. If it's being specific it might be talking about Captain Price or Soap McTavish.

Finish the hunt with precision
Victory on a dime
To retrieve the copper key

That's definitely talking about Makarov. The player hunts him for 3 games.
As for the dime. I don't know.

To find the gate at the highest crime

I feel confident that that's talking about the Airport massacre in Modern Warfare 2, but it could be General Shepherds treason at the Georgian Safehouse in MW2.


Having collected his thoughts, he noticed the ground was coming close. A few feet off the pavement, he drew his energy sword and pressed the handle against the bubble. He ignited it and the bubble popped, letting him drop to the ground. He returned the sword to his inventory and looked around. It was time to get the lay of the land, and stock up on supplies.

 

[im jess saying]

After the logo fades busybea materializes into what looks like a cargo area. She took a moment to look around so she could be aware of her surroundings, just in case. There were more avatars in this cargo area then she’s ever seen before. It’s a wonder the game wasn’t glitching. Bea held her arms out in front of her and noticed a higher quality in the specs. She flipped through her inventory to make sure what little belongings she had left were still there. Bea looked through the windows and noticed the usual planets of the OASIS along with ones she’s never seen before. There were groups of avatars gathered around what looked like portholes and she decided to walk over to them to get a better look. It was then that he heard the voice of one of the High Five: Aech. Bea sort of scoffed a bit and rolled her eyes, but stayed quiet and listened to what he had to say. At the first mention of the new egg, Bea listened attentively making sure she didn’t miss anything. Then finally, the first clue was given.

Before the field of battle
Before your duty’s call
First three shots must be fired
To make all the targets fall

Your sidearm must be weightless
As the clouds, light and airy
With each round fired and finished
To see your partner, grin so merry

Finish the hunt with precision
Victory on a dime
To retrieve the copper key
To find the gate at the highest crime

Bea’s heart sunk a bit when she realized this clue was about modern video games. She loved video games, played them all her live, but when it came to modern video games she was useless. She could beat anyone at a game of Dragon’s Lair or Galaga, she was nearly a master at Joust, but when it came to modern first person shooters, forget about it. She didn’t know the first thing. Thinking back, she knew nothing about James Halliday before he passed and hid the egg in the OASIS. In just a year she studied Halliday’s entire life and knew his life story from front to back. She knew Halliday better than he knew himself. She could master any game she put her mind to and she could crack this code.

As she was running the clue through her head a few times trying to understand its meaning, she heard Aech snap his fingers and and her avatar plummets into darkness below her. She lets out a scream, it felt so real. She heard the screams and cries as the other avatars plummeted with her. Were they all going to die again? Were the High Five going to make them start all over with new Avatars? Just then, Bea heard a familiar sound that seemed to put her worry at ease. It was a slow and steady beat. She looked around and saw a bubble with an avatar inside, which is where the sound seems to be coming from. Bea feels her avatar being pulled to the DJ wizard inside the bubble. Her tummy fills with butterflies when she realizes who it is.

“Og! Oh my God, it’s The Great and Powerful Og!” She shouts, her emotions completely out of control from seeing one of her heros standing right in front of her.

Bea is overfilled with joy and notices a few avatars dancing along to DJ Og’s beats. She notices a party starting right in the middle of everything that’s going on. Even though she should be focusing on the clue, she decides to let loose and dance along with the beat. She notices the party in the sky making its way to the center of the city. Bea smiles and continues her celebration and dance in the midst of what seems like every avatar in the OASIS and Og curating a beautiful party Bea was lucky enough to be invited to.