“Aren’t these… all things done in the game?” I asked.

Xochitl nodded. “Yep, you get a point! After the game went public, several corporations took advantage of our AI-assisted metaverse and began producing underground networks to service players’ grotesque vices. Completing tasks of this magnitude in the game can create a highly realistic experience.”

It sounded like this fascinated her, but it’s seriously messed up. All of this stuff is illegal and the fact players came online just to do these types of things is reprehensible. This is exactly why I hated video games and found the people who played them revolting.

“So, what? You expect me to be some hero and help you stop all of this or something? If big enterprises are taking part, how would I even be able to assist in this matter?” I asked.

“Hmm? A hero? Oh, no, no. We expected this would happen and are quite ecstatic with the results.” Xochitl said. “You see, NAVE has partnered with various asylums and prison systems to prove an ongoing theory in a social experiment.”

“Ongoing theory? Like ‘human beings are just following their nature’ or ‘some people just have instincts they can’t control’?” I asked.

“In a holistic sense, yes. Ever since the ARC expanded and Proatrix usage went up 126% worldwide, underground networks of drug traffickers and criminal activity have increased as well. Surprisingly, most of these ARC tunnelers are working for corporations to increase their profits through surreptitious means.

“We predicted Callixtus would draw some of these tunnelers out and use it for their gain. But what we hadn’t assumed was that the game itself would change after experiencing these subtle changes in its environment. It’s an adaptive AI-engine you see, so it’s only acquiring data and creating duplicities in the world based on the player base and their actions.”

This seemed to have gotten a lot more complex than I thought it would. What could they possibly ask of me to circumvent these extravagant episodes happening in their own game?

“I’m still confused. What do you want me to do, exactly?” I asked.

“The pictures and videos we have are just snapshots. Unfortunately, these tunnelers are pretty good at hiding their tracks while making their services open to the public. Based on your nature profile and leadership level, we deemed you would’ve made contact with these tunnelers eventually, so we’re simply asking that give reports on what you find. We’ll erase your ARC ID from our monitoring program just in case they look for prospects for their underground society as well.” Xochitl said.

I didn’t like how they assessed I might act a certain way based on ‘profiles’ and ‘data.’ However, I understood the nature of the problem itself and why they needed someone to learn this information.

“May I ask a few questions if I were to accept the assignment?” I asked.

Chairman Homura nodded. “Of course. Though if we’re unable to give you a straight answer, we’ll tell you why.”

“Okay then. Are any other people working on this assignment?”

“No. Only you. This is a very secretive session being held between Homura Corporation and NAVE, so very few people know about this mission, including the researchers you walked with today.” Xochitl answered.

Interesting. From this, I can presume that anyone who does offer to associate with me is not privy to the secretive nature of this mission.

“As serendipitous an event this will become, what if I’m found to be working under NAVE by these tunnelers?” I asked.

“We’d be forced to erase your memory via neurogenic induction through our Nexern rig. All in-game events, including memories of our encounters, will be deleted from your temporal lobe, which could lead to permanent brain damage.” Xochitl said, with a straight, emotionless face.

So basically, they’re saying failure isn’t an option. And if it ever became one, I’d pay the ultimate price.

The stakes were pretty high,  forcing me into a position where I could become a vegetable for the rest of my life. I remember reading an article stating that the game erased the memories of those who died. Based on what they're saying, are those rumors true?

I shook my head. I’ll contemplate another time. Now was the time for my last question.

“You said that based on my personality and leadership qualities, this is the perfect world for me. If I engage in this world of human vices, will I be penalized regardless of the drastic measures I take?” I asked.

Chairman Homura and Xochitl exchanged glances, both seeming unsure how to answer.

“A better question to be asked would be, do you plan to bring these corporations and tunnelers to justice if I find them?”

“No. All we need is data to infer the changes initializing within Callixtus. As I mentioned before, these types of actions were bound to happen. The Game’s AI interface works on a clock of its own design. The NAVE board is indecisive about what they ‘could’ do to stop these changes or even if they want to stop. That is not their focus, rather than learning the why and the how.

"After meeting under the alias Raga in-game, the system determined that you have the psyche of a potential tunneler, which is why they initially sent you to me. Although I was initially confused about the reason for categorizing you as a new player, I still wanted to monitor you because I presumed you were masking your identity, which is why I gave you that mark.”

Right, that made a lot more sense. But, if they have the resources to identify individuals with a similar psyche to a tunneler, why not simply wait for them instead of relying on me?

“I know what you're thinking, and the answer is relatively simple. As the AI Nex develops based on these tunnelers’ actions, she’ll examine the human mind differently. The normal humans and the worthless batch, as she once categorized them, will just simply become ‘humans,’ and justifiably so. After years of figuring out procedures and formulas, we got lucky with finding just one person, you.” Xochitl said.

“Thank you for answering my questions. Could I have some time to think it over?”

Chairman Homura nodded. “Yes, you may. But we’ll need an answer by tonight before your program begins orientation so we can naturalize your ARC ID so no one can track you, including your classmates. Despite us doing in-depth background checks, we don’t know what organizations could contact them before or after the program begins.”

“Thank you for this opportunity. I’ll give you an answer before I rest for the night.” I said, bowed, then headed out the door.

“Ah, one more thing, Reina,” Xochitl said while walking out beside me.

She grabbed my cheeks and leaned down. Her clear blue eyes shined with a mechanical gleam — they were cybernetic implants.

“You can’t share this information with anyone, understood? Not your friends, family, or classmates. We will be watching.”

The sharp gears that churned in her mechanical eyes looked like the teeth of a monstrous beast. I nodded before backing away and heading toward the door.

My heart was pounding, and I felt sweat dribble down my chest. I didn’t notice it before, but that load of information had a subconscious impact on me.

I exhaled and placed a hand on the panel as the elevator doors opened.

I’ve had a lot to think about.