THE CITY OF PANDORA

chapter 4:Launching the game.

For the next two months, I was busy with the classes. I got really close to Anita, sincerely I didn't expect that. Infact I was falling in love with her.At first she seemed tough but getting to know her I understood a lot about her. I also learnt she had worked for Magic media as a programmer for the last five years but had been fired. The long awaited day of the Grand Opening was finally here.

I kept looking at the ocean blue watch hanging on the wall. I only had 20 mins until the servers of Magic Media opened officially to the public. My heart beat fast because of anxiety . For a year now this game was all over the internet and the next few minutes were not just important to the players but also investors and game developers.Early that day news anchors had crowded outside Magic Media. All of them were after one thing ,an interview with the CEO of Magic media.One thing was clear this was the ultimate online game that had ever existed.Rumour had it that it had taken Magic media ten years to build the game.No doubt it was going to be so sick.It had taken a lot of time,finances and expertise to build this game.We had been given a necklace at the Magic media game store after the training. This was the device that would give us access to the gaming world. The clock ticked till it landed at 9:00 o'clock. For me this moment felt like a big event, like a wedding day to be precise. I gently closed my eyes, breathed in and out and then pressed the button on the necklace. A red light filled the room and as we had been earlier instructed, I stepped in it. I didn't believe what I saw or felt. I found everything so intelligently arranged. This part was amusing. Can you imagine it felt like a real world, I could see the rising sun and feel it's heat too on my skin. Sincerely I had underestimated this game .If I could, I would go hug that short baldheaded lecturer.This was a stress reliever,an incredible adventure of his life.My journey had started In a huge rose farm.I walked in the farm ,plucked one rose and sniffed. I loved the scent. I felt like a real master, a ruler online. There was a unick silence. It felt like the flowers and trees were communicating silently to my heart.My thoughts had calmed down and there was a cloud of peace all over me .

In the middle of my amusement, a screen popped up in front of me and I saw a woman .She spoke with a soft angelic voice. If this was real life she would be described as beautiful rosy looking young woman.

"Welcome to the city of Pandora online Eddie. I will be your assistant,call me zeddy.Here is a few things you need to know about the game, where you are standing is the eastlands it carries level 1-20.The actual game will start in a different location.The other areas are the westlands mostly for level21to 40 ,the southern lands for level 41 to 60 and northern lands for level 61 to 80 and finally the Indian lands also known as city of pandora located in the middle of an ocean ,its for level 81 to 100.

you also have been awarded 30 points that you need to distribute to the following attributes as you will choose .

Strength/STR Is the amount of physical damage one can cause with bare hands or with weapon .

1 point of STR is equal to 2 attack points.

Agility /AGI is the ability of a player to move with speed and hide from an enemy or NPC

1 AGI is equal to one chance of evasion

Intelligence /INT the amount of skills one has.

1 INT is equal to 1 skill

Vitality/VIT the ability of a player to defend themselves.

1 VIT Is equal to 1 defence.

luck /L it enables the PC to stay long in the game.

Charm/c it enables the PC to interact with NPCs .

Your name In the game will be Chaka and you play in the palladin class,"she explained. "You also need to hit every red button whenever you come across it in the game to access the hack silver and press a green button to boost your health. Look for treasure boxes,you will access different gifts including map updates. Remember, for every task accomplished in the game,you earn points.Also their is a health bar that shows you how close your enemy is from dying ."she concluded.

The screen showed my stats as followed after I distributed them

Name: Chaka

STR :10points

VIT : 5 points

INT: 5points

AGI:5 p0ints

L. :4 points

C. :1 point

Zeddy smiled with satisfaction .She gave a quick sigh and congratulated me once again.

"Now,i will update you as we move ahead, remember if you kill an enemy of higher level you get more points.Your journey starts in Mulungu village, you have to find the path to your new temporary home that will shelter you as you run errands in the game. As your level changes so will your home. Always remember to follow the marked trees they give you direction according to your destination.

Press your bracelet to access all your information and maps. "

On this note the screen disappeared and I was left alone. I didn't know where to go, so I decided to start where I was.Started walking out of the farm, the more I walked the more other PCs popped out from bushes and trees. At first I was scared, but then I scanned them all, and realized we wanted the same thing. They gathered till we became like 100 of us.Still no one talked to another.I just followed the crowd, our journey led us to the village square where we stood still as if waiting for someone to address us.

On the day of launching the game. Anita was doing what she had been doing for the last few months since she had given birth. She was having sex.Still wasn't sure if she wanted to participate in the game or not. She hated the man that had brought him to this place. The man she had trusted, the man she had worked for all this years.

Standing there in front of the mirror, she pulled her pants up her body after the six hours she had with a man she didn't even love.Elena was staying with Monica and her own mother. She was totally free to do all she wanted.

"Is this how it's always going to be, we make out and that's it?"inquired the man that was now sitting upright.He had been staring at Anita's reflection for a while now, admiring her.

"I don't see a problem with that do you? Its pretty fun,no personal attachments,isn't it?"Anita answered smiling as she put on her earrings.When she was done, she turned, sat on the bed and coiled her arms around his neck. Pressing her breasts on his chest as she murmured huskily, " I hope you hold on to the sweet memories hunie."

"I always have them at heart," the man replied as he played with his lips.

"I hope you enjoyed last night, that was our last,"she said with a sudden change in her tone.Removing her hands from his neck,she walked to the drawer.

"What do you mean?" the man shouted in shock. He stood up with both disbelief and denial.She walked right up to Anita and hugged her from behind. She resisted,pushing him back.The man stood there ,tears dropping from his face,his lips trembling. His nerves formed on his hands a sign of the rising anger. Poor thing, he should have know that women in this City are dangerous.The beautiful one's,they lure you to their nests and eat you up bit by bit. They want you not to care or fall in love,and when you do that, they get hurt,

but when you care too much, they hurt you.

With a firm voice Anita said without turning her back to look at him, "You heard me, now get out of my house. "

"Just like that Anita. You are sending me away like a dog just like that? he complained. she repeated those merciless words,that cut through his heart like sharp swords, leaving him feeble. "I said, get out. "

Anita didn't care, she seemed to be so determined. She took his clothes and threw them to him, then pushed him out of the bedroom and gradually with much effort out of the house.

"You manipulative brat, you will pay for this," the man threatened as he tried to put on his clothes outside the door.

Anita didn't care, she slammed the door and went back to the bedroom . She sat down and leant on the closed door and wept.She wept for a while, hating the person she had become.She despised the shameless woman she had allowed herself to be. A selfish manipulater,that cared less about anyone other than herself. Since she had given birth,she had stayed with Elena for two months. She had begged her mother to take the child as she looked for a new job. She had never even rang to check how her baby was, most of the time her mother did. She always ended the call with "okay mother, I will send money in the evening. " Money had been the weapon she had used to stop her mother from asking the hard question.The questions she didn't want to ask herself like ,like when to tell Henry Lumumba she had given birth.She had moved from club to club,trying to find an escape. That's where she had met her little puppet. The same person she had just kicked out. Something popped up in her mind and she rose from the floor. She looked at her phone,she was 10 minutes late to the beginning of the game. She hurriedly pressed the button on her necklace and walked into the light. She found herself on a sea shore.Looking around her were other gamers almost 5O.They were all dressed in white but bare footed. She looked at herself in disbelief,she was surprised that she was also dressed the same.The rest of the gamers were already walking towards the ocean like dead zombies.She just had to follow. Since she had participated in designing the Artificial intelligence of the game. She pressed the button on her bracelet and summoned her assistant. She didn't gather a lot from her, just that she was to go where the rest were going. In total fear and doubt, she took one step and another then she tuned in the rhythm and started to walk faster. Before she knew it she was standing in a long line with other PCs beside her.They were facing a throne with a queen ,more of a goddess I should say. They were obliged to bow so they did in unison and stood to silently awaiting what would happen next.