Game Alive: A Science Fiction Adventure Novel Read Online Free
Author: Trip Ellington
passed. Raising one hand, she hailed him.
“Good morrow, Sir Xend,” she called. “Lovely to see you returned to our village.”
Jake returned her greeting with a warm smile, his earlier irritation with Gerald already fading into memory. “It’s good to be back, Goodwife Elsa,” he said, and he meant it.
“I do hope you’ll join us for the dancing later,” said Elsa cheerfully. “I’ve heard a few of the young ladies whispering, hoping there might be another fine young man to spin them round.” She shot her companion a conspiratorial look which the other woman returned with a barely stifled giggle.
“Uh, maybe,” said Jake, his face reddening. In the back of his mind, he could think of one young lady in particular he would like to spin around the village square in the moonlight, while the village band played its tunes. He shook that thought away, face growing even hotter. Quickly, he tried to recover. “I have so much to do this afternoon, but maybe if I finish my tasks soon enough…Maybe.”
Elsa and her friend nodded with knowing smiles, the one still tittering laughter. “We’ll not keep you then, Sir Knight,” said Elsa with a wink.
“Thanks.” Jake continued on toward the inn, cheeks still burning. Sometimes the AI was a little too realistic. He wondered whether he should adjust the Romance Initiation level as he entered the unfinished building.
The empty stone great room was just as he’d left it. He was pleased to see the fireplace had rendered just as he’d hoped it would. Soot dusted the stones without making the hearth seem dirty. Worn and well-used, but not dirty, just as it should be. Jake loved the little details; things that made this world seem truly alive. A dusting of black soot around the edges of the stone fireplace made it look natural, as though it had seen use and been cleaned regularly. He thought it looked exactly right.
“Launch Development Tools,” he told the empty room. A digital tool kit shimmered into existence in the air before him, awaiting his next command. It looked like a hovering screen covered in icons, each one representing a number of choices available for adding to his VR world.
“Display object categories.” The icons blurred and changed, action items replaced by symbols of plants, buildings, furniture, decorations, and a variety of other things Jake rarely used.
“Filter for furnishings,” he told it. The icons changed again, displaying thumbnail versions of potential furniture. Above the icons, a counter displayed 1 – 25 of 2,486,730.
“Filter for tables.” New icons appeared and the counter changed: 1 – 25 of 7,812. “Filter dining tables” provided new icons and counter updated again. “Filter wooden tables. Filter oak. Filter round tables. Filter medieval styles.” By now, the counter read 1 – 25 of 42. Satisfied with that selection, Jake scrolled through the options until he found one he liked.
“Render samples. Fix to floor plane.” Before him, a round and rough-edged oaken table appeared in the center of the room. Jake inspected it, then shook his head. Not quite perfect. “Next sample.” The table disappeared, replaced at once by another with a hole in the center where a pole could pass through for an umbrella.
“No,” Jake muttered to himself. “Next sample.”
Another table appeared, then another and another as he flipped through the choices. Finally, he settled on a worn and stained table with beveled edges. He pointed his index finger toward the corner of the room. “Select sample. Set location.” The table vanished from in front of him and appeared in the corner he had indicated. He pointed to another spot in the room. “Copy sample. Set location.”
Another table appeared. Jake placed several more tables and then added chairs to each one. Next came a long, heavy bar and stools followed by three stout oak kegs behind it; one for ale, one for wine, and one for cider. Once the main furnishings were in place,
“Good morrow, Sir Xend,” she called. “Lovely to see you returned to our village.”
Jake returned her greeting with a warm smile, his earlier irritation with Gerald already fading into memory. “It’s good to be back, Goodwife Elsa,” he said, and he meant it.
“I do hope you’ll join us for the dancing later,” said Elsa cheerfully. “I’ve heard a few of the young ladies whispering, hoping there might be another fine young man to spin them round.” She shot her companion a conspiratorial look which the other woman returned with a barely stifled giggle.
“Uh, maybe,” said Jake, his face reddening. In the back of his mind, he could think of one young lady in particular he would like to spin around the village square in the moonlight, while the village band played its tunes. He shook that thought away, face growing even hotter. Quickly, he tried to recover. “I have so much to do this afternoon, but maybe if I finish my tasks soon enough…Maybe.”
Elsa and her friend nodded with knowing smiles, the one still tittering laughter. “We’ll not keep you then, Sir Knight,” said Elsa with a wink.
“Thanks.” Jake continued on toward the inn, cheeks still burning. Sometimes the AI was a little too realistic. He wondered whether he should adjust the Romance Initiation level as he entered the unfinished building.
The empty stone great room was just as he’d left it. He was pleased to see the fireplace had rendered just as he’d hoped it would. Soot dusted the stones without making the hearth seem dirty. Worn and well-used, but not dirty, just as it should be. Jake loved the little details; things that made this world seem truly alive. A dusting of black soot around the edges of the stone fireplace made it look natural, as though it had seen use and been cleaned regularly. He thought it looked exactly right.
“Launch Development Tools,” he told the empty room. A digital tool kit shimmered into existence in the air before him, awaiting his next command. It looked like a hovering screen covered in icons, each one representing a number of choices available for adding to his VR world.
“Display object categories.” The icons blurred and changed, action items replaced by symbols of plants, buildings, furniture, decorations, and a variety of other things Jake rarely used.
“Filter for furnishings,” he told it. The icons changed again, displaying thumbnail versions of potential furniture. Above the icons, a counter displayed 1 – 25 of 2,486,730.
“Filter for tables.” New icons appeared and the counter changed: 1 – 25 of 7,812. “Filter dining tables” provided new icons and counter updated again. “Filter wooden tables. Filter oak. Filter round tables. Filter medieval styles.” By now, the counter read 1 – 25 of 42. Satisfied with that selection, Jake scrolled through the options until he found one he liked.
“Render samples. Fix to floor plane.” Before him, a round and rough-edged oaken table appeared in the center of the room. Jake inspected it, then shook his head. Not quite perfect. “Next sample.” The table disappeared, replaced at once by another with a hole in the center where a pole could pass through for an umbrella.
“No,” Jake muttered to himself. “Next sample.”
Another table appeared, then another and another as he flipped through the choices. Finally, he settled on a worn and stained table with beveled edges. He pointed his index finger toward the corner of the room. “Select sample. Set location.” The table vanished from in front of him and appeared in the corner he had indicated. He pointed to another spot in the room. “Copy sample. Set location.”
Another table appeared. Jake placed several more tables and then added chairs to each one. Next came a long, heavy bar and stools followed by three stout oak kegs behind it; one for ale, one for wine, and one for cider. Once the main furnishings were in place,
Readers choose
D H Sidebottom
Stephanie Morris
Petra Hammesfahr
Breanna Hayse
Jeanne Harrell
Dora Levy Mossanen
Heather Brewer
Ali Sparkes
Mark Wheaton