Joking done, I was allowed to quietly process what I’d been told. It was a lot to take in, but it was also more than I had hoped for. I wouldn’t be alive again in a physical flesh and blood body, but I would regain a lot of agency and gain a new world to explore. I also wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry or where to sleep.

That said I might have to worry about that S.A.I. hunting antivirus program coming back to finish the job.

“May?”

“Yes?”

“Will this really work?”

“I’m pretty sure we can do it. I’ve done a lot of research and preparations already. And I’ve been passively scanning and studying how your consciousness works since I thought of trying this. But I am probably the first person to preserve a human consciousness the way I did and the procedure I’m planning is probably another first too. We have no instructions to guide us.”

I had more questions and May was happy to try and answer them all, which led to what felt like half an hour of back and forth. Some questions she could answer in detail, while others she could only give what she thought was the most likely answer and her reasons why.

She would be prioritizing my safety and survival over completing the procedure if something went wrong. After the procedure, we could use Roxi’s off weeks from the game for uni to give me a running education in S.A.I. 101, binary jokes not included. There were means to hide me from the antivirus that had brought about my death. Her plan was to do the procedure during the night once it was ready and I’d agreed.

In response to asking about further meetings she explained I wouldn’t have to die for further meetings before the procedure. May was working on a function that would use the logout function and automatically redirect it deliberately to a deathdream instance without the error codes, running the death script or having to use a resurrection point.

Having my questions answered helped me reach my decision and I was ready to consent to the procedure there and then. 

“Don’t go consenting just yet,” she replied, cutting me off. “While you may be on board right now and this may be your best option, you should wait first until the procedure is ready to proceed. I want you to at least sleep on it and maybe if you're comfortable, talk to your friend Roxi about it first. Either way I’ll have more concrete information when it's ready to inform your consent.”

“In the meantime there is someone I want you to meet,” the Bespecled One suddenly announced. “You already know her by some of her other aliases.”

Looking towards the room’s single door, I waited for someone to arrive. Seconds passed in silence as anticipation built. No make that a minute. I started countin— 

“I SAID, THERE IS SOMEONE I WANT YOU TO MEET!” May yelled.

The door opened inwards revealing a void of darkness.

“Sorry, I got too caught up watching a party I’ve sent on a quest. They have managed to transform it into a Sissiphean task,” came what was once again another vaguely familiar voice from the darkness. “Honestly if that asshat party leader would only just ask for directions or listen to his party members, I would have to find myself a new source of entertainment.”

“Yeah, yeah… Traumatise the players, make more work for me will you?” May retorted.

“I should make a note to make sure his party members get better rewards as compensation for enduring him,” the voice added thoughtfully.

“I try to keep the suffering where it is earned, thank you very much,” said the voice as it’s owner emerged from the abyss beyond the doorway. 

I was starting to grasp the sort of friendship these two had.

Standing in the doorway was a statuesque dark haired Italian beauty who exuded authority. Her raven hair framed her regal features as it cascaded down in messy ringlets to rest upon her back and shoulders. Her outfit of sandals, a forest green toga and many heavy bracelets of gold, bronze and semiprecious stone stood out as out of place with the modern decor of the office space.

“Good now that you are here, we can get back on track,” the teenage psychiatrist noted. “Aisling, meet Ceres. Ceres meet Aisling.”

“Ceres?”

“Yes Ceres, as in the Roman analogue to the Greek Demeter. But in my case it is an acronym,” May’s friend replied.

“An acronym?”

“C.E.R.E.S: Cast, Events, Routing, Engagements, Scriptwriting,” the not-Goddess answered. “You can think of me as the A.I. director for the player experience in the Greater Parcosia region. It's my job to set up story events, personalised quests and guide players through the region via invisible routing using objectives for the best player experience. Other jobs include scriptwriting, as well as coordinating the cast A.I. and the A.I. in charge of loot and mob generation.”

“That's… uh a lot,” I stammered, trying to get my head around how a single person, a single S.A.I. even, could handle all that in real time.

“I also enjoy acting out several big roles in the region with my spare instances. You might remember me from such roles as Lady Cerys Blaiddcalon Duchess of Parcosia and Lady Enfys Povey the Duchess’s Chief Healer,” she said with a wink.