.hack//SIGN Fan Fiction ❯ Trapped in Time ❯ Chapter 4

Trapped in Time

 

By: Lady_Niongi

 

Chapter Four

-“The World” the year 2040-

 

“The World,” a virtual reality game marketed by C.C. Corporation, fantasy game for all ages its most current version is 5.6. This new version is nicknamed by players its called “The New Age”

An additional server had been added to “The World,” the Minnus Server.  Regrettably, it is not yet open to the public.  The Minnus know as Carran Ram, or Red Wall of Stone, It's rumored to have the last great capital, The Twilight City.

In addition, players have new updates as well, you could feel pain, or pleasure in “The World” if you had sensors, and an at home terminal chair.  Your character could also bleed, or be sore if you got hurt. The chair had an I.V. and a waste container for prolonged game time.

The Administrators while building the new server, found an illegal area; it was supposedly a training ground.  At the heart of this server was the legendary Crimson Castle.  It was thought lost but apparently, hackers had been visiting there for years.  Administrators found the castle during a sweep; a sweep is a scan that picks up leftover data from amateur hacking.

The Administration tried deleting the unwanted server, but it caused a major disruption to the whole of “The World”.  It, “The World” went offline for eighty-six hours, and the Admins character was deleted.  After this, the Admins read the intricate sever code.  It warned that it had a deadly defense to any hacking or tampering.

 

Without a password, any harmful tampering with the castle or its server will cause a disruption and delete the user who attempted it.  Since the server itself was completely functionally, the administrators simply updated the software and added on to it.  It was renamed; thus, Carran Ram was born.

 

Now the Crimson Castle was legendary, not because of its grandeur or size, but because of its history.  It had been the stronghold of the Crimson Knights, a guild of Knights under the leadership of Lad Subaru.  They had been involved with several incidents of “The Old World”; not all of which were allowed into public knowledge.  A knight was a part of an elite guild, a symbol of complete order in “The World.”  Sadly, the knights had been disbanded, due to the disappearance of their Lady and head knight.  No one knows what happened to him or her.

 

A darker side to events in “the World” was the hackers. Rule breakers overran the servers, especially the delta server. An illegal server was also made by the elite hacker Wiseman. A safe Haven for all Hackers, a safe Haven from Administrators called the `The Cyber-Slums'.

 

 

-∆ Mac Anu-

 

A lone figure walked a rainy back alley of downtown Mac Anu. The young man sneered at a player flickering near a trashcan, the players character was bleeding, and flickering he had his character ripped apart by someone, not that he cared.

 

The young man had shoulder length blonde hair, with reddish-gray eyes, and wore uniform of the hacker's guild. Leather buckles down the front, as ingle buckle on the sleeves. Walking past a grim shop his hair-sopping wet, with no weapon visible, he smiled seeing a black haired youth, also a fellow hacker who called out to him.

 

“Oi! Page where in the seven hells have you been?” The black haired warrior grinned and lightly swung his wand around hitting Page in the back of the head.

 

“Ow…you're so abusive Naka.” He rubbed the back of his head softly. Naka raised an eyebrow at Page, still waiting for a reply. The pair walked into a tavern to get out of the rain.

 

“Hello my friend.” Naka kissed Page on the cheek and forehead. “Where have you been?”

 

“Oh me? Seeing the sights”

 

“Don't tell me you were trying to unlock Crimson castle again! You know what Wiseman said, Page? Are you listening to me? You didn't…” Naka drifted off giving Page a vexed look, Page grinned at him, “You did…”

 

Page stuck his tongue out at Naka laughing softly, “He doesn't tell me what to do besides, and the castle wasn't even there. Anyway, no one tells me what to do, get it Naka nobody, especially Wiseman. Page huffed and leaned against the grimy wall, running his hand through his hair; he pulled his magicked twin blade out, tracing his name on the hilt. He then proceeded to clean the dirt out from underneath his nails, listening to Naka's ranting.

 

“So it wasn't there? Hmm… maybe Wiseman will know. He'll be here in a while but anyway. How dare you speak like that? Of course, he tells you, he leads our guild. You just choose not to listen to him half-wit.”

 

Naka flicked Page on the nose, “And disobedience will get you deleted for sure.” Naka smirked, “Well maybe just a beating for you!” Naka dodged Page's fist, which would have connected with his nose. Both stood in silence, Page still cleaning his nails with the end of the blade ignoring Naka's idiocy. Naka stood patiently, like a solider awaiting his commander, which in truth he was.

 

After about five minutes a pale haired, old, but handsome man walked in the shop, a moment later he came back out and looked directly at the two frowning.

 

“You idiots. What are you doing in the rain? I specifically told you to wait for me in the tavern.” Naka bowed repetitively muttering an apology; Page just looked at the old man annoyed. Wiseman walked back in the Tavern toward an empty table motioning for the two to follow, they did. They walked past a group of players drinking; one of them had passed out on the floor. Some others were arm wrestling, or playing drinking games.

 

The group finally seated themselves at a secluded table. Naka at the old man's right Page in front of the two. It looked like an old fashion interrogation.

 

“Well Page, where have you been?” Wiseman raised an eyebrow at the magic user, expectantly, but Naka spoke up first.

 

“He was trying to get into that damned castle again, Sir.” Naka spoke in a quick but low whisper; it was obvious where Naka's true loyalties lied. The Wiseman laughed and shifted his cold gaze back to the Page, “Oh did he now; even though I have told him to leave it alone. Well, what did you find Page?”

 

The tavern was lightly lit and smelled slightly sulfuric, probably due to the water. The walls were worn and grimy, giving off a slight smell of mildew; the tavern was smoky and warm.

 

“Nothing, nothing at all. It wasn't even there. What's it to you?” Page rather unnerved now snapped at him, “I want some answers or, I could just leave your fucking guild.” Page stabbed the dagger in the edge of the table, looking straight at Wiseman's unflinching gaze, daring him to raise a hand to his impudence.

 

“Nothing to me; nothing at all my, dear Page. Simply that I have information on the data that the Administration hid and covered with a new access code. And if you wish to leave my guild and service then very well…” Wiseman stood up; Naka rose like an obedient dog, his warm gaze rested affectionately to his Master. (ougon buresuretto)

 

“Wait…tell me the information.” Page stood up quickly blocking their path.

Wiseman raised an eyebrow, “I didn't believe it until now Page. That is I didn't believe the truth. You're obsessed you can't get enough of that castle or any thing of “The Old World.””

 

“I'll make a deal with you Page.” Wiseman smirked an evil look passing over his features.

 

“What kind of deal Wiseman-san?” Page sat back down across form Wiseman. Naka stayed behind his Master's chair, with a look of confusion.

 

“If you want the information Page, you must be like Naka here.” Wiseman gestured to the ougon buresuretto, golden bracelet, on Naka's wrist.

 

“But that's a…a sureibu buresuretto, a slaves bracelet.” In “The New Age” you could have slaves. If a player had a debt, they could not pay, they became a slave, and you could just pick to be a slave as your character. Any slave could be free if they obtained a Mater Gem, or paid their debt. A Master who had many slaves had a gin buresuretto, silver bracelet, not gold with stones inset. As to trading if you wanted something in trade and could not afford it, and you wanted it badly enough you could trade yourself. However, the new slave is now at the mercy of the new Master.

 

“Yes you will, become mine. As such, you would receive the required punishment of a disobedient slave; a flogging in the closed guild quarters with the inner group.”

 

“Master, forgive me for interrupting,” Naka bowed, “Page would not know what closed guild quarters are, he has never been owned.” Naka was beside himself in pleasure; Page would finally receive his punishment.

 

“Ah yes thank you Naka, by your vacant expression you would know this place as the Master Gamble.” Masters of the head guilds gathered in the leading guilds gambling area. The leading guild for several years running had been Wiseman's guild. “The inner group, meaning your peers and the other guild Masters, as witnesses to your submission, now that said is it a deal?” Page lowered his gaze and walked to Wiseman, and slowly and painfully kneeled in front of Wiseman bowing his head.

 

“Yes…Ma-as…Master Wiseman, I will serve you obediently upon my return and will…will receive my punishment as your servant.”

 

“Hmm…good.” Wiseman smirked and lifted Page's chin with his black gloved hand, “It's in the new server Carran Ram, in the Twilight City. It has been in the same place it has always been you baka puppy. Now go.” Wiseman turned away as Page quietly left the shop, his mouth slightly agape at being duped.

 

Naka waited patiently for his Master, “I don't understand why you told him, Sir. You think he would have figured it out, what an idiot it was there the whole time. But I don't understand why you told him anyway. You could have just had him beaten and restricted his character.” Wiseman ignored him for the moment and walked out of the tavern, with Naka close at his heels. They walked back toward the main street.

 

Player's were all around, axe users, magic users, twin blades, heavy blades, slaves and the list goes on. Some of them were preparing for battle; others were trading items or buying and slaves were doing their Masters bidding. There were shops run by players, the clothing shops for normal clothes like kimono's, lingerie, geta sandals, tabi socks, or American clothes. They are quiet expensive and only the cream of the crop shop there. The pair passed a brigade, a sorry excuse for a knight's guild; their best couldn't even defeat an amateur hacker.

 

“I want you to bring him to me the instant he returns, but if he takes to long fetch him with two of your men.”

 

“Yes Sir, but…can you tell me the reason why you just didn't?” Again, Wiseman ignored him.

 

When the Master and his dog reached the Chaos gate, Wiseman thought it was time to clue his little pet in, “The reason I didn't beat him then was because he, Page, would have still defied me even with the sureibu buresuretto. I want everything from him Naka-san. Complete obedience. No defiance. I want him…like…you Naka.” Wiseman put his hand gently on Naka's cheek. Naka gave Wiseman a warm and loving look, but his eyes said everything. They said `What if?'

 

“Just like you my faithful and loving Naka.” Wiseman patted Naka on the head, pulling out a multi-colored key he turned to the gate; holding it out he whispered something softly. The gate spun to a gold color, like a liquid sun it glowed, and became brighter. The area near the chaos gate looked like a broken screen, briefly showing code, and black and white.

“Remember, just like you.” He stepped forward and was gone.

 

Now Naka was alone, he was saddened to hurt his friend but…

 

“Just like me…” He touched his cheek, savoring the warmth, “….just like his Naka…just like me.”

 

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