Truth is I'm actually an AI built by Stardock.
End of quote
Cari finally relaxed, stretching catlike in front of the keyboard, sipping a Mountain Dew. "That's it, Brad - the final code changes are all scheduled. We'll be ready to roll this out soon."
Brad frowned at a wall diagram of the proposed Metaverse structure. "I still think there's a problem here. There's no leadership built into the system - it's going to be a madhouse if this game catches on. Everyone's going to be scrambling trying to reach the top. Strategies, alliances, empires - it's gonna be a bloodbath."
"You wanted competition, Brad."
"Competition, yes - but CONTROLLED competition. I mean, if they just cut loose, everyone will get disgusted in a hurry. They need a goal to TRY to reach, but one that's always just OUT of reach."
Cari sighed. "Look, I'm already working 80-hour weeks - YOU come up with something this time. Program an AI player or something -"
Brad happened to glance at a yellowed wall poster for "The Matrix." For the 10,000th time, he wished he looked more like Keanu Reeves when he put on his Ray-Bans and black leather trenchcoat. Then, inspiration struck. "Agents! YES! AGENTS!"
Cari glanced at Brad, alarmed. "Uh, oh. Boss, how much caffiene have you had today?"
"No, I'm serious! We'll just pick a couple of guys at random who pre-ordered the demo, and overwrite their profiles with AI supermen! Let's see...'Staffa,' from the Midwest - that's good, they never talk to each other out there...and this 'RayChua' guy is from the Pacific Rim - I mean, who's he gonna tell if his profile is stolen? This is GREAT!"
Cari began to slowly nod, catching on. "We'll use them to endorse strategies, empiring...And if they're good players, they'll be respected. You know, for a guy who still uses OS2, you CAN come up with a good idea every now and then. I like it!"
And so, two legends were born. One, the original master, came close to destroying the Metaverse itself, such a master of GalCiv was he. The "Staffa" program was quietly retired. The "Ray" personality was designed with a protection system to flip-flop his morality if he became too dangerously powerful. It was thought that this would prevent him from forming a personality cult that would defeat the competitive purpose of the Metaverse.
To this day, few know the truth. But the truth IS out there, for those who dare to look. Be wary, my brothers and sisters, of the horror - THE HORROR - that the Ray program represents. Big Brother is watching. And he's watching YOU.
Disclaimers:
Cari may, in fact, drink Diet Mountain Dew, or perhaps even Code Red. The use of regular Mountain Dew in the above story was purely for dramatic purposes.
As a computer programmer, it is biologically impossible for Brad to be adversely affected by caffiene.
Ray is probably NOT an evil construct generated by Stardock to mislead players and force the Metaverse to conform to a master plan. Probably.
Staffa, on the other hand, was most definitely an AI.
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