Chapter 366 (2/2)

If it did not, there might be hidden gems within in, but by and large, the programmer would have been deceased for tens of thousands of years.

An idea for another entertainment simulation bubbled up in his mind and he clapped his lower hands together excitedly even as he made notes on his datalink.

True, most of his ideas would prove to be unworkable or not as exciting as he had thought at the time, but for every score that had be discarded one would provide the kernel of a great idea.

The door opened and he trotted down the hallway. Opening the door to his office he nodded at the Ikeeki receptionist, who professionally ignored him as she applied dye to the very tips of her pinfeathers with a small brush. She was wearing the finest clothing, her plumage was lush and lavish, and her jewelry sparkled in the light of the office.

Just her appearance had been enough to put many complaining Lanaktallan in their place. The fact that she was so pampered and lavished upon told all Lanaktallan that she was more valued by Great Most High of Planetary Maintenance Da'amo'o then they ever possibly would be.

He sat down in his comfortable chair and waited for the backrest and armrests to rotate into position. He checked his real maintenance program, not his entertainment one, and authorized overtime, dispatched work crews, and scheduled time off for his crews.

Once he had spent two hours working, he had a break and leaned back in his chair, slowly chewing the expensive cud.

He had an idea.

Logging back onto Nebula-Steam, he perused the Terran Confederacy stores, using a proxy server to pretend he was logging in from one of the Confederacy controlled worlds.

He knew he had seen it briefly. Now he was sure.

Ah-Cheev-Munts.

He said the word slowly, savoring it.

Checking one of the most popular games, he then ran a search to see who was playing the game that had at least twenty hours into it. It was a popular game, a magical primitivism simulation where a user could fight fantastic creatures, romance attractive and unattractive beings, explore ruins and wilderness while wielding steel weapons or magic.

There it was.

Pinned Achievements.

He examined it closely. Terrans prized the most difficult achievements. Some achievements had been acquired by less than 0.0001% of those with at least 10 hours in the game. Such achievements as ”I Tawt I Saw a Puddy-Tat” for fighting a giant saber-toothed cat with only a flint knife in a blizzard during the full moon while only wearing wolf-skin armor and a hat made from yellow bird feathers. Or the achievement ”Chrome Lips Sink Ships” for any Battleship Gunner's Mate rating five or higher who killed at least one enemy vessel as their own ship was being destroyed and choosing to respawn in the ship's clone bank and return to their station even as the ship broke up.

Da'amo'o checked his schedule. He still had six hours he had to be at his desk. He checked the work program. The only thing that needed his attention was a Wandering Terran had set plants ablaze in a park in eVR enhanced reality and the maintenance team needed a Level III Exorcism team. He authorized it and closed the program.

What if I could make it a status symbol? he thought. Sashes proclaimed various ranks and awards, but if one had a retinal link, like any proper gamer (R-Link Lyfe Yo!) , then a being's 'gamer tag' as well as their Nebula-Steam Rank appeared in your vision when you looked at another gamer who was broadcasting his ID.

By nightfall, he realized he'd been in his office till almost dinner. He rushed home, hosted the fancy dinner, then used his motion capture equipment to record various beings doing mundane tasks, right down to washing dishes by hand. He paid everyone, then galloped down the hallway to a solid battlesteel door.

He quivered with excitement when his Gal-Net link cut off. The electronic warfare system he had managed to get transferred to him via a long looping shipping circuit kept anyone from accessing what was beyond the door from outside.

The door cracked open, white light appearing. He quivered with excitement. He had taken the visuals from exciting Terran games and he had to admit, it was psychologically powerful.

He trotted into what was beyond. What had been a wine cellar had been built, off the books, by heavily bribed neo-sapient work crews that he had paid in cred-sticks, promotions, and prestigious employment locations.

His programming lab.

Full eVI assist. Enhanced Virtual Reality.

He had modeled it after Vehicle Repairbeing v823 that he had managed to get onto his account.

He rubbed his hands together as he activated his assistants.

The girls from that wonderfully subversive program appeared, all working hard, with the exception of the red-head, who sat in the corner reading a magazine and smoking a cigarette, giving him a haughty look as she smoothed her black and red plaid skirt with one hand.

He worked far into the night, going to bed only after the Pink Programming Assistant Fairy woke him up for the third time.

Still, success.

He had done it.

He, Great Most High of Planetary Maintenance Da'amo'o, had managed to complete the impossible!

When he trotted into work the next day, everyone could see scrolling on his sash the fact that he had platinum Nebula-Steam achievement awards, that his sash edging wasn't a straight line but was, instead, a flickering violet and pink flame pattern.

Da'amo'o could feel the envy of his lessers as they gazed in awe at the achievements displayed on his sash.

Any being could get attendance and good parking awards for their sash.

When he finished the morning's required maintenance he leaned back in his chair and pressed the eVR button.

The Pink Secretary Fairy appeared, holding a clipboard.

”How's it hanging, Da'amo'o, baby?” she asked, smiling.

”You tell me, dear one,” Da'amo'o replied.

She looked at her clipboard. ”The Retinal Link Nebula-Steam Account Interlink has gone platinum. The Sash link is the same,” she smiled widely. ”Nebula-Steam approved your proposal that only icons that match your specifications can be used as a basis for the award displays.”

Da'amo'o rubbed his hands together. ”And how many software entertainment organizations have purchased the icon and software packages I offered them?”

”All of them, Da'armo'o, baby,” she replied.

”Excellent,” Da'amo'o said.

”Already Dewie, Cheatum, and Howe have successfully defended your proprietary programming and styles,” she said. She consulted her datapad. ”They have been paid in full for their services and put on retainer.”

”Excellent,” Da'amo'o said. He thought for a long moment, swinging around to stare out the window. ”I need another assistant, someone to assist me in this job to free me for my true passion.”

The Pink Secretary Fairy frowned slightly. ”Which is?”

Da'amo'o motioned with all four hands out the window. ”To make work into something enjoyable. To use VR and Gal-Net to provide a sense of accomplishment that seems to have been stripped from real life.”

He rubbed his hands together.

”To give everyone a sense of achievement.”

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Forty-Second Assistant Most High of Food Processors Ga'ame'er clopped into the lunch room of the massive building that housed licensing. He adjusted his sash and ensured his retinal link ID header was on as he crossed the room to the line waiting to order lunch.

He realized that in front of him was a Lanaktallan who had their gamertag, Nebula-Steam score, and achievements displayed on their expensive and fashionable sash as well as over their head.

The Lanaktallan, who's sash proclaimed him a twelfth Most High, had only silver achievements.

Ga'ame'er reached forward and tapped the other Lanaktallan on the side. The Lanaktallan turned, frowning, looking a Ga'ame'er.

”Move, lowly one,” Ga'ame'er said, reaching up and tapping his sash.

The Twelfth Most High of Traffic Supervision Pehza'ahnt started to lift his lip and then saw the top ranking achievement far outstripped anything he had accomplished.

Feeling shame before one of his peers, he moved out of the way, letting Ga'ame'er take his place.

Pehza'ahnt ground his cud and promised himself that he would grind extra-hard that night. That achievement flaunted by Ga'ame'er would be his.

Oh yes, oh yes it would be.