Rag Doll
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Transcendence

Rag Doll

Twilight lazed about on her bed. The dying rays of the sun seeped through the living room window. The Alicorn contemplated how to spend her evening. Her phone suddenly rang.

"Hey, Rainbow."

"Yo. Wanna come over for dinner and play some Need For Speed?"

"Not really doing much else right now. What you makin'?"

"Homemade burgers and steak fries."

"Sounds good. One of these days I'll have to make us some of the veggie burgers my mom used to make."

"Your mom's a vegetarian?"

"Full-on vegan, actually."

"Oh, shit! Your mom's a hipster."

"That's how it looks, isn't it?"

"Yep."

"Anyway, I'll see you soon."

"See ya."

Twilight hung up. She strolled through the hall to the living room. Spike was playing the remixed dub edition of Midnight Club 3.

"I'm headed to Rainbow's for dinner. Wanna come?"

"Just let me save real quick."

Spike saved the game and turned the system off. The pair were struck by a cold blast when they exited their home. Their breath crystalized before their eyes.

"You gonna rip any more MP3s?"

"Got my drive with me."

"Nice."

"Leave it to you to fall asleep to lyrics about sacrificing virgins."

"Religion did it first."

"Good point."

"Come on. I'm hungry."

Spike knocked on Rainbow's door. She answered within a moment's notice.

"Glad you guys could make it."

She gave Twilight a hug before leading them inside.

"Want some help with dinner?" the purple mare asked.

"Sure."

"I'm gonna hang out in the living room." Spike told them.

"Don't hurt yourself, squirt." Rainbow teased.

Spike rolled his eyes. He disappeared into the northern section of the house.

Twilight followed her friend to the kitchen.

"You got any new music?" she asked.

"Funny you should mention that. I just got ahold of both Nehemiah demos."

"Didn't know they had any."

"Basementcore is my life, after all. I'll let you rip 'em later."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Halloween's in a couple weeks. You gonna take Spike trick-or-treating?"

"Nah. We usually just buy a ton of candy and watch scary movies every year."

"Well, if you feel like doing something different, we can all hang out with the others."

"I'm game."

"Cool."

Rainbow began preparing the patties

"By the way, thanks for helping me out with rent and stuff. I was a bit short this month."

"It's the least I can do. Don't hesitate to ask if you ever need anything."

"I don't wanna impose."

"I've got more money than I'll ever possibly know what to do with. Just ring me up if you feel like you're ready for an early retirement."

"Maybe if I get bored of the art business, but I don't see that happening any time soon."

"Very true."

"I appreciate it though."

"Anytime."

"Mind givin' me a hoof?"

"Not at all."

While Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow ate together, an idea popped in the Alicorn's head. On their own, Midnight Club and Need For Speed were entertaining games, but she felt they were missing something, as though they were incomplete somehow.

"Hm..."

About three weeks later, Twilight called Rainbow to discuss their plans for the evening.

"Hey, Twi. Figure out what you're gonna do?"

"We're gonna trick-or-treat for an hour and hang out at the arcade until it closes. There's something I want to show you when we get back."

"What you got?"

"It's a surprise."

"Sounds juicy."

"We're about to swing by now to pick you up."

"Hell yeah. I'll keep my ears open."

"See you soon."

Around 9:15, Spike and Twilight led Rainbow back to their house.

"This is your place?"

"Surprised?"

"Kinda."

"The whole mansion thing never really appealed to me. It's just a flashy house with a bunch of rooms. Besides, it'd be lonely being too far from civilization all the time..."

"You're one of the good ones."

"I try."

Rainbow followed her friends into the living room. She closed the door behind them.

"I'm beat," Spike yawned, "I'm going to bed."

"Figured you'd be digging into that bucket of candy." Rainbow replied.

"If I tried to eat all that after dinner, I'd be hurling all night."

"Good point."

Twilight hugged her younger brother.

"Night, bud. We'll play in the morning."

"Night."

Spike left his bucket on the table and disappeared into the hall.

"What'd you wanna show me?" Rainbow questioned.

"It's on the computer in my room."

"I hope it's some obscure tunes."

"Getting warmer."

Rainbow took a seat in front of the monitor. Twilight pulled up a program lined with commands and numbers. To Rainbow, it was a foreign language.

"A few weeks ago, after our Need For Speed session, I was reminded of a novel I read in high school. It was about a dystopian planet in another universe. There were hints throughout the book that the governments dividing the regions were rife with corruption and oppression. It went into detail about different forms of government, including ours."

"How many types of governments are there?"

"They range from monarchies to democracies, but a more general term to describe governments ruled by greed and power are kleptocracies."

"Makes sense."

"For the last few weeks, I've been coding a video game based around the idea of a global kleptocracy."

"Meaning...?"

"All governments are corrupt regardless of their geographical location."

"Damn. Sounds like it'd be a messed up place to live."

"While reading through the book, there was one scene that stood out. Have you ever heard of Anarchism?"

"Drawing a blank on that one."

"Anarchism is the belief that governmental bodies are inherently prone to corruption, thus nullifying their value to society as a whole."

"Sounds kind of stupid if you ask me. Who's gonna enforce the laws?"

"The prefix klepto implies thievery. This applies to everything: rights, money, the autonomy of other regions, you name it. It's the seizure of everything, tangible or not. When you stop to think about it, what is a law?"

Rainbow pondered this question.

"I guess I don't really know."

"A law is a code of conduct expected from a region's population. As such, it can be easily broken by those who deem it unreasonable or unnecessary. In some cases, laws are used to strip people of their rights."

"So you're saying laws are essentially false constructs that can be easily ignored."

"That's exactly right. Anarchism is the true nature of reality. It's random, even nonsensical at times. It lines up perfectly with the unpredictable behavior of sentient beings."

"Still, if we lost our sense of right and wrong, we'd be in deep shit, don't you think?"

"That's where logic comes into play. We have the ability to make informed decisions based on information presented to us. Because the responsibility falls squarely on the individual, they have no other choice but to to weigh the benefits against the consequences of their actions."

"An example might help."

"Let's say someone commits a crime. The legal method says we should arrest them and charge them. Depending on the severity of the crime, the sentence will vary. However, if we factor in parole, there's the risk of a repeat offense. The anarchist method more closely resembles the eye for an eye model of justice. With modern tools like forensics and video evidence, it likely wouldn't take long for an offender to be caught and sentenced to a more suitable punishment."

"Giving them a taste of their own medicine. Sounds like a reasonable conclusion, but what about other policies?"

"One idea is the implementation of social contracts between groups and individuals. Sort of a 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours' deal, though I'll admit, it's prone to error like any other formal system."

"So what's the alternative?"

"That's where the game comes in. There are a number of opposing factions within anarchism itself. They range from mutualism to anarcho-communism, where everything is controlled by the public."

"I don't think anyone would be too happy with the idea of losing privatized control. That's a war waiting to happen."

"I agree. That's why I developed an entirely new school of thought: anarcho-moralism."

"Moralism?"

"In a moralist system, each individual decides for themselves what's right and wrong, accepting full responsibility for their actions and the consequences thereafter."

"Sounds kind of risky, but you pointed out the eye for an eye policy, so maybe theoretically, it could work?"

"It runs off the idea that well-adjusted, intelligent people will act in good faith while still giving them a means to defend themselves."

"If the institutions are corrupt and the laws are already ignored, I guess it could make for a decent solution."

"There's an antithesis presented in the game, too. I'll leave it up to you to figure out which you prefer."

"Alright. Let's do this."

Twilight executed the code on her computer. It opened to the title screen. In bold letters, it read Void."

"It's still in the demo phase. It'll take some time to finish and debug, but this should give you a good idea of the story."

"New game...Load...Options..."

"I've already set the music and sound effects at standard levels. You can change them later. The controls should be ordered in a way that doesn't feel too awkward."

Rainbow selected "new game".

"Easy, normal, hard...What's with the question marks?"

"It's an extra difficulty. You have to beat hard mode to unlock it."

"That's gonna be fun."

"I always start with easy for new games. I get aggravated easily if I die too often."

"Fair enough."

Rainbow began the game. A name entry screen appeared.

"Is that me!?"

"Thought you might like the idea."

"That's awesome!"

"You gonna' stick with the default name for now?"

"Least until the game's done."

Rainbow jumped into the story. Her digital form drove just outside of an unnamed city. She exited the car before placing her hoof next to her ear. The player could just make out the earpiece embedded in its shape. Without voice acting, Rainbow's only option was to read the text manually.

"The design's spot-on."

"The mane was a bit tricky, but my visual memory is pretty sharp, thankfully."

"So, what I got from this so far is, I'm an anti-authoritarian vigilante working under an anonymous benefactor."

"Distrust of authority is at the core of anarchism."

"And my first mission is to take down a street gang."

"Yep."

"Menu's the triangle button, right?"

"You got it."

Rainbow pulled up the status menu. She scrolled through the list of options. It was a standard RPG menu with a black background and white font. She was at level one with low-grade gear. She checked the abilities menu.

"Nothing yet, huh?"

"Since you're the only playable character, you'll get a ton of techniques later from side-quests and grinding."

"That's what I like to hear."

"You can customize your car later on too."

"I'm already noticing the Need for Speed and Midnight Club influences. Music's Pulse Ultra, right?"

"Figured I'd start off with a band you know."

"Huh?"

"I noticed a few artists were lacking on your computer. I knew they'd be there if you'd heard them already."

"Now I'm curious."

"There are only two missions available right now. This is a big project."

"This is a good chance to get my hooves wet."

"Ready?"

"You know it."

Rainbow exited the menu and started the game.

"I noticed my strength and agility were pretty high already. Guess you really did observe me closely. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say the bits are for shops."

"The weapons, armor, and items will change based on how you play, though there will be a few healing items that stay consistent."

"Can I use the car yet?"

"Give it a whirl."

Rainbow doubled back to the vehicle. It was a red Mazda similar to the model in Need For Speed Underground 2.

"Sly fox."

"There are racing quests you can do later for cash. If you do everything within the game's routing, you'll have plenty to splurge with, especially by the end."

"I'm guessing this is just an introductory mission?"

"For the moment. I might expand on it when the rest of the game's finished."

"Cool. That makes this simple."

Rainbow quickly located the gang. They were spraying graffiti on the side of a building. The resulting argument triggered the first battle of the game.

"Huh. That's weird."

"What?"

"This whole things about decision making. I figured this would be where the morality system kicks in."

"Didn't think you'd figure it out this fast. Press X and Select together."

Rainbow's avatar sheathed her katana.

"No way! My whole fighting style changed!"

"The scabbard is sturdier than the blade. You can immobilize enemies by wearing down their limbs. Incapacitating them without killing them will add to your morality rank. At the end of the mission, you'll be graded by the benefactor on your performance. Depending on your rank, you'll gain access to a variety of perks, abilities, equipment, and items."

"What kind of perks?"

"Discounts and ability upgrades mostly."

"So if I play my cards right, I could potentially be super overpowered by the end."

"Think being the only superhero on the planet."

"This whole game is a power fantasy."

"Pretty much, but I'd go with the evil route first."

"Why?"

"It'll make the hero story that much more satisfying."

Rainbow gave an expression of interest.

"Okay. We'll play it your way first."

After a brief cutscene, Rainbow was ranked as a troublemaker. The only items she could buy were low-level healing units and tents.

"I see what you mean about the cost being affected."

"Don't worry too much. After leveling up a bit, you can start pickpocketing people. If you do that before killing them, you'll get money super fast."

"What would've happened if I'd spared them?"

"You would've gotten a pay bonus and a mid-level healing item."

"Seems like you're balancing out each path so there are reasons to play both."

"A good game needs replay value."

"Absolutely."

"Wanna play the next mission?"

"Actually, I think it'd be better to keep it a surprise. If I get too excited, I'll be burnt out by the time it's finished."

"Good call."

"Thanks for showing me this. Now I have something to look forward to."

"The copyrighted music means I can't release it publicly, but that's just as well. It just means we'll have the rarest game in existence."

"You can always send the file via private messages."

"That's true. Still, it might be best to keep it under wraps for sentimental purposes."

"I hear you."

"You going home?"

"Yeah. I'm exhausted."

"It's pretty late. Why don't you crash here for the night?"

"You sure?"

"It's not safe at night. You're tough, but not video game tough."

"Guess it'd be the smart thing to do. What the hell."

"I'll be here if you need anything. Help yourself to whatever you want in the kitchen if you get hungry."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

"Good night."

"Night."

Twilight didn't complete her project until mid-December. By then, her main concern was making sure her code functioned properly. Two days before Christmas, she called Rainbow.

"Hey."

"What's up?"

"Everybody still getting together Friday?"

"Looks like it."

"I think you're gonna like your present."

"How'd you finish that fast?"

"Had to brush up a bit on my programming lingo. Mixing languages together goes a long way towards simplifying the process. The tricky part is figuring out which commands and calculations do what."

"You'll have to teach me how to code sometime."

"It might sound a bit complicated at first. I'd recommend writing notes down."

"Smart."

"I'll send you the file after I check through everything one more time. A lot of older games in particular had weird glitches because of coding errors, though as Final Fantasy 7 proved, they weren't altogether useless."

"You mean the w-item trick?"

"I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how that happened. My best guess is part of the code for the materia was accidentally inserted next to a variable."

"Makes sense. Variables can be manipulated more easily. All it would take is a simple command to register a random increase."

"It's the best theory I have for now."

"Out of curiosity, is there anything like that in your game?"

"Sort of, but it's intentional."

"Lookin' forward to trying it out."

"I'll probably send it before we leave the house to meet up with you guys."

"Moment of truth, huh?"

"You can say that again."

On Christmas day, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, Spike, and Rainbow all gathered together in Rainbow's house to exchange gifts. Each gift was given careful thought and consideration. When the presents were received and unwrapped, the party gathered around the computer in Rainbow's room. The door was closed with the heater running to intensify the ambience.

"Hey, Twi."

"Hm?"

"I know you wanted me to do the evil route first, but to be honest, I already have a good idea of how it's gonna go. The powers might look cooler and make me a tank sooner, but the hero story is probably more epic on principle alone. It's gonna force me to play smarter instead of tearing through everything. Maybe it's just because back in the day, games forced us to connect the dots and think about stuff on a deeper level, but putting my convictions to the test feels more important than brute strength. Isn't that the point?"

"I hadn't thought about it like that. You're right. You won't be disappointed."

"I'm going all in for this one."

Rainbow selected hard mode from the title screen. She noticed the menus seemed cleaner. The font was less pixelated, and the colors were more evenly toned. There was even a new profile picture for her avatar. She played the first mission again. When she reached the gang, Twilight gave her a helpful piece of advice.

"I updated the combat to include a parry mechanic. If an enemy manages to sneak up behind you, press R1, down, and X. You'll dodge roll out of the way."

"Gotcha."

Rainbow finished the mission without much trouble. She was rewarded for her diligence with a five thousand bit bonus and a level two recovery tablet. At the start of the second mission, her avatar exited the vehicle with a suitcase attached to its side.

"This is where the stories start to branch off. Depending on your honor rank in the previous mission, your goal will either be to kill ten homeless people or pass out a hundred thousand bits to each of them."

"Mercy killing versus prosperity. Something tells me there's more to this than meets the eye here."

"Your observation skills are improving."

"Still, I wish I could use my sword."

"Maybe I already thought of that."

"Huh?"

"Turn right here. There's a racing quest."

Rainbow gave the last hundred thousand bits from the case to a timid, malnourished mare living on the streets of the city. The mission ended with a philosophical conversation between her avatar and the NPC,

"All of this for me!?"

"It's a gift from a friend of mine."

"But...It's so much! I can't pay it back!"

"You don't have to worry about that. There are others like you all over the city. We just wanted to help, ya' know?"

What about you!?"

"I'll get my cut when I see her again."

"Thank you so much!"

"There is something I'd like you to do for me, though."

"Hm?"

"Make every day count,"

The camera angle switched to a rear view. It rotated around both characters.

"Believe me when I tell you, no matter what your status in this world is, it's not going to matter one lick when you're on your deathbed."

"What...!?"

"What matters between now and then is how you live. Fill your life with as much love and joy as you can pack in. The best thing we can do is show kindness, and hope the good we put out comes back to us."

"Oh...I see."

"Get a room for the night and figure out where you want to go from here. Take control while there's still time."

"I understand. I will."

"So long. Maybe we'll see each other again someday."

"Wait! What's your name?"

"It's Rainbow."

"Please give your friend my best regards."

"You got it."

The game returned to the ranking screen. Rainbow graduated from a concerned citizen to a covert activist. She received ten thousand bits, an energy drink for her ability meter, and a five percent discount certificate.

"Hoo boy. That was intense."

"Buy everything from the shop. We'll take a short break."

At the start of the third mission, Rainbow's avatar heard a bone chilling scream. A mosh pit broke out in the room.

"Oops," Twilight muttered, "I forgot to mention this is where the music starts to get really heavy."

"Holy hell! That scared the crap outta me."

"Sorry." the purple Alicorn giggled.

"What band is that?"

"Piecemeal. I was originally planning on using Crawlspace's demo, but it got taken down before I could download it. I browsed around hardcore catalogs for a bit until I found these guys. They got together near the end of the metallic hardcore era. Based on their lyrics, it seems like they might've been part of the spirit-filled hardcore movement."

"So the music changes depending on what story I play?"

"Yeah. The evil path is more focused on death and black metal. Since the whole game is about social politics, I figured a style rooted in punk would fit the hero route better."

"Guess you can find stuff I've never heard after all."

"Chances are, if I've never heard it, neither have you."

"You sound pretty confident."

"Ever heard of Krakatoa, Sanction, or 6thirty7?"

"Nope."

"I rest my case."

"Is there anything I have to do before I track down whoever's screaming?"

"No. I made sure the side quests were reserved for intervals without time limits. There's one right after, though. Make sure you do it before heading out of town."

"Time to haul ass."

Rainbow located the source of the scream in an apartment complex. Her avatar broke through the window in a dramatic cutscene. She was horrified to see a stallion strangling a mare in front of a filly, presumably their daughter.

"Please tell me I can kill this dipshit."

Twilight nodded.

"He's the first boss."

"Better be careful, then."

"He has two moves he can use. He'll either execute a combo or try to asphyxiate you. Dodging his attacks and swinging when he's vulnerable is the key to victory."

"It's like the fights with Vergil in Devil May Cry."

"That's the idea."

After the fight, Rainbow reached level four. A message informed her she had learned a new ability. She opened the status screen.

"Read the description." Twilight instructed.

"'Dulls all weapons. Allows infliction of non-lethal damage'."

"You said you wanted to use your sword."

"Oh, hell yeah!"

"What good's a weapon if you can't use it to its fullest potential?"

"How the hell'd you manage to code that?"

"It was a bit tricky. I had to sub-script it as an event under the experience calculator. Still wasn't as much of a pain as the scaling and camera orientation, though."

"I can imagine."

"You can do a side quest now. There's a club closer to the entrance of the town. Check behind it."

Rainbow backtracked to where her car was parked.

"Take a left."

"Oh...Dead bodies...Lovely."

"Think. What could a stack of dead bodies outside a public space mean?"

"Oh, shit..."

"The defining quality of a hero is the willingness to sacrifice for others, putting yourself in harm's way to keep them safe. Would you die for people you don't even know?"

"No one said a life worth living would be a long one."

"Good answer."

Rainbow clashed with an armed assailant inside the club. The pit behind her continued.

The next cutscene threw Rainbow for an emotional loop. The identity of the benefactor pulling the strings was revealed.

"You're home." Twilight's avatar spoke.

"Rough night."

"You got back just in time. Looks like things are about to get really bad."

"What's going on?"

"A new disease popped up in the eastern region last month. It's been spreading faster and faster ever since."

"A pandemic?"

"That's what it sounds like. Word is, world governments will be declaring a state of emergency soon."

"I'm sure it's nothing we can't ride out. It'll just be harder to work for a while."

"I don't trust chance. That's why I prepared a contingency plan."

"Huh?"

"Follow me."

Twilight's avatar led Rainbow to an underground facility. Contained within its recesses was a clear, bright containment unit.

"This is a cryogenic stasis capsule. I built it as a precautionary measure in case something unexpected happened. Looks like I was on the money."

"You want me to stay in there? How long?"

"The choice is yours to make. The time set will be mutually agreed upon."

"I don't understand."

"I know the truth is hard to hear. In times of crisis, people show their true colors. The world will be consumed by greed and sadism like nothing we've ever seen. I designed this to protect you from that pain."

"Protect me...?"

"Once you fall asleep, it will seem like nothing more than a bad dream. Your mission is to mitigate the fallout when the chaos subsides. Should anything happen to me, you'll be the one in charge for there on out."

"We've been together for so long...It'll feel weird being away from you..."

"You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Help me keep what light is left shining."

"...How long will it take to find a cure?"

"Estimates predict about two years,"

"Guess it's about time I took an extended vacation. I'm leaving it up to you to do what you can in the meantime."

"Pinkie promise."

"See you soon."

Twilight's avatar nodded. Once Rainbow's was inside, she sealed the capsule. Rainbow's digital representation closed her eyes. A cold mist froze her body in place.

"Damn..." was all Rainbow could say.

"It'll take time to improve your rank, but you got the engine upgrade, so you can customize your car now."

"Guess I'm gonna look a little different when I wake up, huh?"

"Character development. It applies to both fiction and reality."

"Can't argue there. How do I save?"

"There's a save option in the menu. When you're not at a base, you can save at refrigerators or vending machines. You can also heal with your tents there."

"That's pretty unique."

"I got the idea while I was watching Dragon Ball Z. Goku always eats when he takes a break from training. I thought back to some of the older games on the PS1. Parasite Eve had telephones, Silent Hill and Breath of Fire had diaries, so I figured a place with food was a good place to rest."

"Back when games were creative. Feels like everything these days wants to be Dark Souls or an anime trope."

"Don't forget the rhythm games full of pop music for teenage girls."

"I think I just threw up in my own mouth..."

"Don't get too sick or you'll miss the festival."

"Guess we should all start getting ready."

"We'll meet up in town around five."

"I'll be there."