System Jazz

Please don't be second-grade rations or any synthetic crap in general.

It can be GMO and junk food, but none of the vitamin puree.

Once the headset comes off, it's easy to hear the drone's buzzing.

It found the address, except the GPS coordinates didn't include elevation.

As the big red container's doors open, it turns on its sensors, yet still can't see me from the ground.

It's bulkier than the usual police drones patrolling these areas.

The package it carries is larger than expected too.

If it noticed the door's sound, it should hear my voice.

"Hey, up here!"

Yelling works, the delivery machine pitches up and gauges the distance, then flies to meet up.

It's crazy how autonomous these things became.

They can hear, see and even interact with people through their speaker and AI modules.

"You're looking for me?"

A century ago they were louder and an operator flew them most of the time.

Now they check in for work in the morning and plan their flight path, delivery, or patrol.

Then send a report to the headquarters and check out to charge themselves.

The Kid's father talked about them.

His grandfather was an operator during the heyday of drones, and now humans would only slow them down.

Our species gets sidelined by the AI, even if we are still superior, those are way cheaper to run.

"Validating identity. Delivery for Arnim One. Three. Six. Four. Two."

Sure, the way it speaks is rather rudimentary, yet it does the job.

"Identity confirmed. Please take the package and sign your receipt. Sender and contents of the package..."

"It's fine, I know what's in it, no need to shout it out for the entire district."

It's better to stop the chunky little guy and wave him closer.

"Can you take it inside the door? It looks big and heavy, so carrying it up from the ground would be a pain."

The drone doesn't hesitate.

Plastic casings protect its rotors, and it's eager to come up close and personal.

The box it carries is way larger than the arcade's burger, which was a hefty thing.

It's made of cardboard, and the drone even opens it up for me.

"Please remove the contents of the box."

It asks while printing a short receipt too. There is a small flat package, a bag, and two round containers.

Better yet, some baguette, and an energy bar.

This isn't lunch, it's a full day's menu, with a leaflet about how to prepare the ingredients.

"They expect me to cook these?"

It might be a tall order to ask the robot. It's busy with the receipt and scanning everything, then putting the trash away.

Once the contents are out, it folds the paper box and seems happy to explain.

"The contents of the package; one instant soup, which requires to soak in hot water for ten minutes. Two portions of ready-made meals that need one minute in the microwave oven. The bread, energy bar, and fruits are ready to eat. Enjoy your meal!"

Such a polite drone. It might even prepare them for me if asked.

Once it has me sign the receipt, it flies off without saying goodbye though.

It takes the cardboard box too, ensuring it won't leave trash behind.

The instant soup is a surprise but a welcome one.

And did it say fruits? A lot is on this menu.

Still, I was in the middle of the tutorial, so a bite from the baguette and the energy bar has to do now.

It isn't that hot today, so even if the mini fridge doesn't work, they shouldn't spoil that fast. Curiosity gets the better of me though.

What kind of fruits did they send?

They are so expensive, it's a rarity to see them in the Container Park.

The round containers must be the ready-made meals, so the bag opens next.

An apple is inside, one whole, red fruit, and I need to know how it tastes.

The last time an apple was in these hands was when Mom was still alive and asked us to cut it for her.

Dad bought it, and it wasn't for me.

While they always complained about my behavior, I drew the line at stealing food from my sick mother.

"Damn, this is some good shit."

It's a bit sour yet sweet, and harder than expected.

It crunches beneath the teeth and after a while, it stings my tongue.

It's the size of a fist and by the time it's gone, it feels like a full meal.

And all this for one and a half credits?!

The rest goes into the fridge for now, then the tutorial continues.

Tank grins as soon as the character comes to life. It didn't disappear like the players did on the street?

The system message appears before I finish the thought, and points at a timer in the upper left corner.

[Fighting or running important business starts an activity timer. It prevents your character from disappearing after logging off. This is to stop you from escaping fights this way. The combat or quest timer is 5 minutes, and the PVP timer is 15 minutes.]

Now that is good to know. So if those gankers from the Wroddit article show up to rob me, there is no escape when that timer is active.

Tank isn't even surprised, patting my back with a smile.

He has an apple in his huge hand too, what a coincidence.

"You nodded off for a moment, which isn't surprising. You worked hard, Noob."

He praises me and offers the fruit.

"Here, eat this apple to replenish your energy a bit. It's important to take care of yourself. Practice and work are only beneficial if you don't overdo them."

"Thanks, I ate one a second ago... In my dream, haha."

Let's not tell him 'while logged off', whether he's a player or an AI.

He put all the effort into keeping the immersion and taught useful skills.

The apple makes me curious too, will it have the taste of the real thing?

[Your character needs to eat, and the food has a filling, realistic taste. Make sure to stay hydrated and eat well in the real world too!]

Yeah, you already said that. So what happens if the avatar won't eat or sleep? What about the exhaustion?

Do these have gauges, or will the controller make me feel it?

Considering the realism aspect and how icons only appear when you focus on them, it seems likely.

[Most status effects have a proper gauge, in case the settings don't make it possible to feel these effects. If the character doesn't eat, its strength and endurance will suffer. Sleep deprivation will also result in lowered rolls, performing skill checks, and damage.]

So this is virtual reality, an emphasis on reality.

Does this title have sickness too?

It's so realistic it's starting to become scary.

[Sickness and poisoning are also part of the world, often as hidden status effects. To detect and treat them you need specific skills. These have a passive detection effect on your character, or you can perform checks on others. Most sickness or poison isn't deadly.]

And even if they are, you respawn, unlike in real life...

My Mom didn't have this luxury. And all the doctors and AI analysts couldn't tell what was wrong until it was too late.

I take the trainer's apple and have a big bite.

It tastes the same as the one for lunch both the sweetness and sourness.

It even stings the tongue the same. This game is crazy realistic.