(REVISED; May 2023) Origins of the End
View Online

The Oasis Matrix: Spike's Hoard Guard

(REVISED; May 2023) Origins of the End

Ready Player One:

Everyone knows about Parzival's history. As they freaking teach it to school children. With multiple movies starring him. It was kinda hard not to know about him... but seeing the real thing... just enforced the real life tragedy of it all.

He really was named "Wade Watts", because his dad was a dork, and thought it sounded like a Superheroes secret identity. Like Peter Parker, or Bruce Banner.

Wade was born to a couple of dumb teenagers, soon after all the small towns had been deserted. His parents had been some of those refugees. Living in "the stacks", a place where all the trailers and RVs people used, to get to the big cities, were literally stacked on top of each other.

Just a few months, after Wade was born, his father was shot to death, while looting a grocery store, during a power outage... Apparently the man had been mostly trying to steal diapers, and other necessities he struggled to afford.

Parzival's mother, Loretta, had to get two full-time jobs after that. Both, in the Oasis. By Day, She worked as a telemarketer... but by night... she wasn't anything as glamorous as a caped vigilante... she was a virtual escort.

Loretta introduced her child to the Oasis, at a young age, as a means of babysitting him, while she worked.

There, Wade played various games, watched nearly every movie and show in existence, and learned all kinds of useful life skills. Including his tech savviness.

When Wade was 11, his mother died from a drug overdose. Which is sadly, too often the fate of those that struggle with drug addiction, as she did.

After that, Wade moved in with his aunt, and her "Endless stream of hard loving losers"... one thing the vids didn't know, was these men were often abusive to both his aunt and himself... in more ways then one.

Wade dived further into the Oasis, often as an escape from his crappy life.

His aunt tried her best to take care of him... but that mostly meant hiding him in one of the neighbors homes, when her Boyfriends were feeling particularly brutal.

The neighbor was a friendly cat lady... who may have been a tad overly enthusiastic about her religious beliefs. But unlike the Stereotypes, she was actually a good person. Even realizing the bible didn't actually teach anything against Homosexuality, directly, as she actually bothered to read the thing.

Most of Wade's waking hours, were spent in his secret hideout. A van, within the junk yard of cars, that got abandoned after gas became too expensive, and everyone in the city switched to electric... which, given how often the batteries of those things need to be replaced, wasn't actually any better for the environment.

At first, Wade attended school in the real world. But then volunteered to go to school in the OASIS. A new phenomena at the time.

However, he didn't have enough money to do anything else. Wade was often bullied by the richer students at the school. Since he only wore the default options for clothing. The kids quickly picked up, that meant he was too poor to buy literally anything else. However, since it was a no PvP zone, he was safe from injury... and learned to wield his words as hard as any fist.

Wade largely slacked off during school. However, he still earned enough credits to graduate.

•

In his spare time, Wade obsessed with Halliday's Hunt for the ultimate "Easter Egg". Learning everything he could about not only pop culture, but Halliday's life.

This is how he met his best friend, Aech, a Mod Designer, and virtual mechanic.

Later, he met his first girlfriend... Art3mis, a well-known Gunter, sharing a common interest in Halliday's history. However, EVERYONE knows how that ended.

But they started out, really hitting it off. Together, they studied Halliday's life, and learned of all the regrets the man had.

Including his unrequited love for Ogden Morrow’s wife, Kira... and losing Morrow as a friend, after forcing him to sign away his part of Gregarious Games.

Parzival and Art3mis formed, what was supposed to be, a temporary alliance with Aech, Daito, and Sho. The other winners of the first challenge in "The Hunt for Halliday's Easter Egg"... or at least, the players that weren't working for I.O.I at the time.

Parzival and his new allies completed the second Challenge together. Forming strong bonds as they worked on the puzzle.

Within a few months of working together, and just before the "Battle for the Oasis", they decided to "Clan up". As they had become close friends, and wanted to make their final stand, as an official team.

They called themselves "The High 5"... based on a running joke that everyone refused to give Parzival high fives... and a bit of a pun, considering there were 5 of them.

During the battle, which consisted of nearly every player in the world, going after I.O.I. . . . well I.O.I. activated an artifact, to kill all Avatars on the entire planet, where the final challenge took place. Including themselves.

Respawn took less time, back then, and they were hoping they could get back to the planet, before anyone else.

Unfortunately, for them at least, though extremely fortunate for the rest of the world, Parzival had scored an Extra Life. So he had more then enough time to complete the 3rd, and final, Challenge.

After, Parzival, apparently, won the third task. A gateway opened to Halliday's AI. Where the boy was given a contract to sign. However, Wade recognizes it is the same contract, Morrow signed to turn over his part of Gregarious. Parzival refused, saying he won't make Halliday's mistakes...

Now that moment... is rather iconic, although the vids do make it a bit more grand, with an added speech about the importance of Friendship. That apparently didn't happen in real life.

The AI reveals that the contract was the final test and, after talking with him for a while, gave Parzival "the Golden Egg" and control of OASIS.

Once Wade returned to the real world, Morrow appeared, having tracked them down during the beginning of the final challenge.

Morrow offered Wade his services. Which the teenager gladly accepted. Wade decided to run OASIS, with the other members of the High Five.

Parzival and Art3mis, decided to get an apartment, together. They dated for a little over three years... even got engaged at one point... but that all came crashing down.

But Parzival's life did work out... despite being a public stooge, so the military can do whatever the hell they want...

Most people didn't realize, just how little power the High 5 actually have... and how much they fight against many of the militaries more fucked up decisions.

Like that period where they were killing everyone who committed a crime, or when they stole the last of the children from their parents.

The High 5 could do little more then complain, behind closed doors.

Sword Art Online:

Years Later, Narusaka Kazuto was born. And soon adopted by his aunt and uncle, after his biological parents died in an accident, when he was a year old. They gave him their own family name, and never told him he wasn't their biological son... the kid had to figure that out on his own.

Regardless, his new parents raised him, as if he was their own son. With all the love and nurturing any boy could need.

Practically as soon as he could walk, Kazuto was forced to join the neighborhood kendo dojo. Alongside his cousin / perceived older sister

However due to his aunt's influence, as an editor for a computer systems magazine, Kazuto became more interested in computers, and dropped the course.

This decision earned him a heavy beating from his grandfather, prompting Suguha (Kazuto's cousin) to defend him, by promising to practice enough for both of them.

At the age of ten, Kazuto discovered that he was adopted, and started unintentionally distancing himself from the family.

After turning 14, Kazuto was chosen to be one of the one thousand beta testers for the closed beta of Sword Art Online, the first game to use "Nerve Gear". What would later be called "Dreamscape Helmets". Which controlled Rim Sleep, So players could truly live in Virtual Reality.

Kazuto Chose the Gamer Tag "Kirito", based on a fusion of his real name.

A year of testing later, and Kirito joined the official version. Becoming one of the 10,000 players trapped inside the game "Sword Art Online".

He remained a solo player for the majority of his imprisonment. Willingly taking on the role of a "Beater", to reduce discrimination against other former beta testers. As well as actively taking part in Boss battles.

Kirito temporarily became a member of the Moonlit Black Cats. After helping them safely escape a dangerous dungeon, but returned to being a solo player when a fatal error resulted in the death of the other guild members.

At some point in the game, Kirito became known as "The Black Swordsman" due to his tendency to wear black clothing.

3 years into the game, Kirito ran into "the girl of his dreams". Having bumped into her numerous times. However, this was the first time they got to actually stay with each other.

Choosing to forget about escaping for a little while, they both tried to temporarily live in a cabin they stumbled on. This turned into a year of bliss for both of them.

Unfortunately, just as Kirito decided to leave the escape plans to other people, she tragically died. Although they never officially married, only engaged, he listed himself as a Widow.

After being found by Klein, the Samurai took the Swordsman as his ward, with Kirito not having the will to argue... and when Kirito did recover... he found he enjoyed their oddly platonic relationship.

Kirito eventually put an end to the game, by defeating the final boss, in a one on one fight. Thus freeing everyone.

However... he couldn't keep away from Nerve Gear. Later being Approached by the High 5 themselves, and asked to protect other players from rogue hackers that infected the game. Becoming the first and last defense against cyber terrorism.

ColtKit Productions:

The Toma Clan was a wealthy family, living in Japan. While they were mostly of German descent, their family had been Japanese citizens since World War 2. A large family, fleeing the Nazis, while still wanting to live with Allies to Germany.

They had changed their last name to "Toma" to better fit in with the Japanese... although it was largely chosen at random.

They started a tech company, which had evolved into a global Empire.

With most of the family, living in separate houses within a large Estate.

Ollivander's father, had gone to America for university. Where he met his future wife... not in the university... he actually met her well exploring the landscape, and stumbled into a ghetto, with a mostly Mexican population.

They had a one night stand, and she got pregnant... then it turned out, she lied about the pregnancy, to trick dad into marrying her. But she had gotten pregnant for real, by the time this was discovered... She was not a nice lady...

Ollivander's family pretended not to realize what was going on, as the woman was pregnant, NOW, and they didn't want to create a scandal... it was already scandalous enough, with the college boy / expectant father.

Ollivander's Father's, mere existence, was already enough of a scandal, so this certainly wasn't helping.

Mom moved to Japan, to live on the family estate. With the clan building her a house, and hiring a nanny and a maid. Although they were sure to get a prenup when the woman actually married Daddy.

•

• 6 Years Later:

Ollivander Shoichi Toma... couldn't sleep. Daddy had come in, to plant a kiss on the boy's forehead, and wish him a good night... but that was hours ago.

He had woken up, in the middle of the night, feeling the dryness in his throat. He finally got fed up with the thirst, and cracked open the door to his bedroom.

Ollivander used his super special awesome sneaking skills, to slink past the two other bedrooms, down the hallway. He needed to, if he didn't want to wake his extra light sleeper of a sister.

The baby would often scream her head off, if disturbed...

Olive, sometimes wondered, what it be like... if his mother had lived. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you ask, Mom... had died, giving birth to their baby sister.

Olive was a typical 3 year old... but he wasn't exactly sad over his Mother's death. Yes he missed her, but more the idea of her... learning the real thing had kinda disillusioned him...

His big brother had gotten mad one night, as Olive whined about missing their mom... So the big bro decided to tell him what their mother was REALLY like. How she was always hitting daddy, or himself, when Daddy wasn't around.

How he, a toddler himself back then, was expected to change diapers, whenever the nanny wasn't around. Otherwise, she'd let baby Olive sit in his own filth for hours.

He called her a demon, and how he's glad she's dead.

Olive had been thinking about that ever since. How the woman had been beating her husband... his daddy... and his beloved big brother... and Olive began to feel just as grateful she was dead, before he developed conscious memories of her...

For some reason that hurt his chest to think about... little kids should not think such things about anyone... let alone their own mother. However, his mother had been some kind of monster... that hurt his family.

Olive tried talking with his daddy about it... and Daddy just got mad, and embarrassed, and clearly felt a good deal of shame.

He ended up making excuses for mum, saying she was overly stressed. That she was complicated.

So naturally, Olive asked if she was still around, if daddy would have let her hurt him, like she did daddy. That got Daddy to go really quiet, before he gave a strangely serious promise that he wouldn't let anyone hurt his children, not even their mother...

To which Olive asked if that meant he won't get spankings anymore. Daddy just rolled his eyes, ruffled the boy's hair, before reminding him as soon as he stops being a brat, he won't need spankings.

Little did the man know, over 80 years later, and the brat still needed spankings.

Shaking his head, and getting his mind back on track, Olive continued his journey. His brain tended to wander way too much. It just jumped from topic to topic.

The boy got back to Sneakily sneaking passed his sister's room, hoping to be spared her wrath from an interrupted beauty sleep.

The light to the living room was on, and voices could be heard. Olive walked through the dark hallway, towards the light.

Taking the turn, Olive got to the living room, and was a little shocked to see daddy awake, and drinking Cider with a very special guest.

Not only did the boy expect the voices to be coming from the TV, but he was under the impression he would find daddy sleeping to a show. Instead-

•

"Auntie!" Ollivander grinned spotting his favorite Aunt on the couch. He excitedly ran over to her, but frowned when he saw she was all misty eyed.

"Hi Sweetie," The woman reached out and ruffled his hair, as she forced her eyes to dry, flashing a clearly fake smile.

It looked like Auntie was still upset about losing her husband. The man was a proper Japanese Gentlemen, as the Toma Clan might be descended from Germans, but they had been marrying the locals since they moved here... although their features remained largely Arian, besides their soft bone structure.

The man had died, in a car accident, some months back. Soon after, their son was born. Before that she had a fling with an American tourist, who got her pregnant with her eldest son, then fled the country.

The Toma clan may try to project the image of a proper Japanese family, but they were full of scandals that would have destroyed a lesser house.

Auntie had been visiting a lot more often, ever since her new husband passed away. Getting help from Daddy in taking care of her newborn.

Her husband had been a nice man, but honestly Ollivander didn't know him very well. Before he died, Ollivander rarely got to see Auntie.

Of course, they were newly weds. So can't expect them to spend all their time with family.

"Buddy," Daddy got the boy's attention, looking strangely serious. "It's well passed your bedtime."

"But I'm thirsty," Ollivander whined. He will admit, this time, it was definitely a whine. He just wanted to stay with Auntie.

Daddy sighed. He walked over to the kitchen, which was directly connected to the living room, and separated only by a long counter. He pulled out a cup from the cupboard, and poured some water into it, from the faucet. He quickly screwed on a lid, and brought it back to the boy.

"I'M TOO OLD FOR A SIPPY!!!" This time, Olive made a very sound argument.

Daddy rolled his eyes, "It's not a sippy, it's a sports bottle. I'm not having you bring a cup, without a lid, to your room."

Olive sighed, taking the bottle, and allowed himself to be sent away. But the man really was practically begging to be eavesdropped on. So Ollivander, being a good little boy, sat in the hallway, drinking from his sippy. Too suspicious to put up much of a fuss, about the baby bottle.

"Sorry about that," Daddy said to Auntie. Once Olive was gone from sight.

"It's okay," assured Auntie. "You've got a house filled with children, it's bound to happen..." She grew quiet, and an awkward silence filled the room.

"Stealth..." Auntie finally spoke, though she was still hesitant. She used the man's childhood nickname, gotten from being a particularly sneaky child. "Do... do you think we're cursed?"

Daddy didn't answer.

"Your mother, my sister, your wife... My husband... So many loved ones lost..."

"It really does feel like it sometimes..." Daddy admitted taking a sip of his own drink. "It's the reason I refuse to let what happened to my wife, affect my daughter. When my own mother died giving birth to me... Father couldn't even stand the sight of me."

Daddy's own dad, had been another "Respectable Japanese Man" from outside the clan... but he hadn't stuck around. Instead giving the boy to their family to raise. It was eventually decided that Daddy's mom's brother, would care for him... but before that he had spent a few years bouncing between houses, in the Clan Estate.

The entire family, played a role in raising the boy. Well keeping it hush-hush, that the father didn't want him... they kinda had to, as Daddy's dad's family, were respected business partners.

Daddy looked out the window, at the various houses, bathed in moonlight. At the family who looked out for him, out of a sense of obligation. "I always told myself, I'd be a good father, if something like that happened to me... I just... Never thought it would.”

Daddy sighed unhappily, taking a sip of his cider. “Still... I love my children, and will raise them with all the love they could ever hope to have..."

Auntie stared up at the ceiling for a moment, as Daddy continued, “You know, I think we are cursed but. But that's why we need to spit in the face of whatever asshole deity keeps bucking with us! Why we need to cling to what we have…” Auntie stared off into the distance as Daddy spoke his wisdom.

"Are you really moving...?" Auntie asked. "I know you have always felt like the black sheep of the family... but we do love you."

"No," Daddy shook his head. "You love me. The rest of the family couldn't care less... maybe, instead of trying to convince me to stay, you should be coming with me."

Auntie blinked, so Daddy took that as an invitation, and continued. “You know I'm not very good at the whole comforting thing... but I worry about you. Besides, How can I pass up the chance to work at NASA?"

Daddy wasn't going to be an astronaut, or anything ridiculous like that. But he recently graduated university, with a doctorate in Engineering and Chemistry. With the head of the clan, having paid for his degrees. While Auntie had taken this last year off school, to mourn her husband.

Daddy sighed, "And with my new job, you'll be all alone."

Olive could hear the light smile in his Auntie's voice. "Ah, yes, how will I cope with only the support of the rest of the family."

Dad got quiet.

So Auntie sighed, realizing Daddy was mostly speaking for himself. "I have a good job out here... And it was hard getting my eldest in that private school... and ever since my sister passed, I've been having to look after my niece too. She's so distraught, she actually dropped out of school all together."

"I know.” Daddy hummed thoughtfully. “Bring her too,"

Auntie sighed, "I can't just drop everything, and I couldn't burden you like that."

Daddy thought for a moment. "We might only be cousins, but a good portion of the time we were raised together. There's a reason my children call you 'Auntie'. I consider you a sister."

"Please, stay with me instead. I might not be much help, but I know a thing or two about losing a spouse... Besides, the family has been looking for someone to take over the American branch. Offer yourself."

Auntie gave him a deadpan look, "You realize, just because both cities are in Florida, doesn't mean their close by. Orlando is over a three hour drive."

"I'll just take the company helicopter," Daddy waved off. "What's the point of being rich if you can't flaunt it."

Auntie sighed. Well it was true, every member of the clan had a ridiculously large trust fund (including their own kids)... there was no need to shove it in everyone else's face.

"You're serious about this?" Auntie pressed. "You'd really be willing to commute to work, by Helicopter, just so we could live cushy in Orlando?"

Daddy gave a firm nod, and Auntie knew, deep down, they both knew. They needed each other. If they were together, they’d stay strong through the pain. Maybe that was worth it. Auntie finished thinking and sighed, "Alright..."

"Woo-hoo!" Ollivander cheered.

"Ollivander!" Daddy scolded, "Go. To. Bed!"

"Sorry Daddy!" The boy grinned before running off to give his brother the good news.

•

Within a week, the unorthodox family had moved into a penthouse, within Orlando Florida.

With Auntie getting that Job as President of the American Branch. And Daddy being true to his word, and commuting over to NASA, every day.

Little Olive lived a life of luxury and plenty... until he started school...

It was a high end private school, the type of place that vets their staff thoroughly. And only hires the most qualified teachers... but not even that is foolproof.

Anyway, one lawsuit later, and free therapy for life. Ollivander had a new found fear of women...

Things didn't get easier from there. As the family curse held true.

He was later diagnosed with Autism, and put in Special Ed classes.

Not everything was bad, as it was still a luxury private school. That worked hard with the boy to develop the skills he needed... which turned out not to matter, as a few years into his college career, he developed Schizophrenia...

He was trying to live on his own at the time... and ended up another crazy homeless guy.

His family was able to track him down, and brought him back to the estate. Getting him medication... which gave him diabetes... another lawsuit, and Ollivander was back to living in the family penthouse... with a much larger trust fund, that his father controlled... due to the boy being declared incompetent.

However, then Ogden Morrow arrived on the Scene, and developed technology to control disorders like Schizophrenia and Bipolar. The Toma family gave the man enough money, to fund the project without need of military grants. So the boy was outfitted with the chip soon afterwards.

Things finally started looking up, as Ollivander was able to go back to School, and got Doctorates in: Sociology, Psychiatry, and History.

He spent the next decade, researching fandoms... after all he already had a pretty sizable trust fund. It wasn't like he needed to have a career that paid ridiculously well...

Then the Oasis came out, and suddenly, people like Ollivander were in high demand.

The boy was hired onto I.O.I. and started making those ridiculous numbers.

He was even able to afford one of Morrow's harddrive implants. Giving him an eidetic memory, and a few dozen new skills. He was also able to buy, from morrow, a cybernetic pancreas and liver, curing his Diabetes.

Then genetic engineering improved, allowing people to stay in their Prime longer.

Yes things were looking up for him... until they weren't...

•

As the world's resources disappeared, Many of the world's wealthiest fled to Mars... but they refused to take Ollivander, on account of his "genetic defects".

His family chose to stay behind with him, although the rest of the clan left... and liquidated their company... so no more trust fund.

Ollivander, and the other kids, ended up having to support their Aunt. Which wasn't really a big deal, as she was able to get a new job, working in Programming for I.O.I.

A job Ollivander was able to get her, by pulling strings.

Then, resources became so scarce, that all small towns had to be abandoned. Moving everyone into the larger cities, and turning completely to nuclear power.

A few years later, the world's governments agreed to hand everything over to James Halliday, as they fled the planet for Mars.

The Major cities became city states, and a new global government was established. This would have been a good thing... if the people weren't left behind to die in the wasteland Earth was becoming.

Then Halliday died, started that stupid contest, but left control of the planet's government to his former business partner, Ogden Morrow.

Then I.O.I. started to... change. Seeming to go the Super Villain route.

Eventually, I.O.I. was defeated, thanks to the High 5, who won the contest, and inherited the company...

Things were looking up again, but... you know what happened from there.

End of the World:

The Oasis was, already, the best way to cope with what the world had become. What humanity had turned it into... Well, not his generation directly. Olive was old, but not THAT old.

During the industrial revolution, when technology got a huge boom... those guys hadn't realized they needed to regulate their consumption of resources. Nor find better ways to dispose of the waste.

Olive didn't blame them. They had done what humanity had always done. The issue was they didn't understand the sheer level of pollution these things cause... nor thet that did more then make the air smell bad.

Really, how were they supposed to know? Then there was the population boom. Which only got worse and worse, as the decades progressed. Which led to even greater consumption of resources, and more pollution. Then there was the energy crisis.

People had been saying they needed to get off fossil fuels for decades, but humans, like all animals, are resistant to change. They eventually used it all up. Only then switching to things like alternative energy... which regrettably, wasn't green energy, but rather nuclear...

Which, given it's nature, was only possible to set up for major cities. Small towns became a thing of the past. As all surrounding people fled to big cities, due to lack of resources.

The Oasis, for the longest time, acted as an escape. A Virtual Reality, housing all mankind's Knowledge. It's what replaced the internet. Though, thankfully, most major cities prioritized setting up free Wifi stations. As it was more important then ever.

In the mid 21st century, The Oasis got an upgrade. Creating a Next Gen VR Helmet.

This helmet, created the first true Virtual Reality. Feeding all 5 senses, through input directly into the brain.

This baby would guide RIM sleep. Although the first build "Sword Art Online"... had caused a bit of a scandal, as thousands had been trapped inside the game, for years, living off feeding tubes.

Though that, was sorta intentional, given the maker of that game had a psychotic break. And thought he was "Saving" the people... by imprisoning them in a "better world"... Although a slight issue with this plan, was the game was perma-death. So if you died in the game, you died in real life. The helmet was actually DESIGNED, to purposefully kill the user, if their Avatar died.

Yeah... that was a bit of a set back, for the technology. However, once the scandal was forgotten, the technology was near immediately picked back up.

After all, 10 thousand people, trapped in hell, might seem like a big deal... but seeing as the world's population was 20 billion. It was soon forgotten by all but those directly affected... and many of the people who had actually lived in that world, were the biggest voices for giving the technology a second chance.

After all, that world they escaped? They regretted leaving. Even with the threat of death, they longed for that plentiful world, of adventure and cooperation.

The players had smelled clean air, tasted real food, felt every touch and kiss. Heard the quiet peace of nature. They experienced a real world, virtual or not. One far better then their own.

So naturally, after the technology became better regulated, and got rid of that pesky "real world death" function. They threw themselves back into it.

People didn't even need a rig anymore. Just the helmet, and a safe place to lay down. If there were any kinds of disasters, from as trivial as needing to pee, to as serious as the house catching on fire, the helmet would automatically save the player's progress and wake them up. Complete with a message about what interrupted the Game.

Because of how much data the helmet streamed directly into the brain, players still needed to actually sleep, even within the game. But they only really needed about an hour of rest, out of every 10. While staying awake too long, in the game, couldn't actually hurt you, it could cause you to lag. So, as a safety precaution. The Player's Avatar would start becoming fatigued, if they didn't rest.

The Oasis was even closed, during waking hours. With Time Zones being synced up to match Oasis time, rather then the sun.

The High 5 really were pushing that "Reality is the only thing that's real" nonsense. Putting so much money into researching ways to allow people to spend all the time they wanted, inside their game. While also ensuring they spent every day of their lives, out and about in the real world.

Not sure why, the real world sucked. At least they forgot about "closing" the Oasis, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That was really unnecessary, with these new Dreamscape helmets.

Oh the High 5 had tried their best to fix things, but they were just one company. Ever since those kids won control over the Oasis, they had devoted their lives to saving the world.

It even looked like it might work, for a while, but the damage to the planet was too great. One thing was for sure, their Share Holders weren't happy... which didn't really matter, because together they owned 73% of the company. The High Five had gone so far as to spend 80% of profits, on humanitarian pursuits.

They started by reimbursing everyone's coin count, who Zeroed Out in "The Battle for the Oasis", as the news dubbed it. That is, "Zero Out" meant they lost their Avatar through Perma-Death, and would normally have to start from scratch.

Next they forced I.O.I. to shut down all their "Loyalty Centers," by refusing to do service with them. Given "Loyalty Center" was a fancy way of saying "Indentured Servitude", or better yet "Legal Slavery", it took long enough for someone to do something about that.

Next they bought all I.O.I. drones, for cheap, given how much the company was struggling without their debtors making money for them. Anyway, they repurposed the drones, and started employing people to use them to clean up the world. From garbage on the side walk, to trash in the ocean.

They even funded genetic engineering, to create a new type of plant. It absorbed, not only all the normal plant things, but pollution in any form... and released Ozone.

The High Five even convinced the leaders of the world to plant these bushes around all high pollution facilities... funded by themselves... told you the Share Holders weren't happy.

These bushes even produced berries. Which were not only safe to eat, but contained nothing but the proper vitamins, proteins, minerals, just all kinds of nutrients.

They were absorbed completely by the human body, with no waste... which meant all of mankind had to get an enema once every other week, to keep their body healthy. However, genetic engineering fixed that to. Again, paid for by the High Five.

Now humans COULD eat near anything, but they could survive on the berries... this really shrunk other kinds of