2B, or Not 2B

A Tale from the Time of Virtual Existence for 5 players

The Fleet is a sprawling armada of ships, filled with millions of beings, from thousands of races. It is a collection of some of the most brilliant minds gathered across millions of light-years of travel. Even in this group, there are those who stand out, like a Mozart, an Einstein, or a Helen 70-Ferrous-Belching-9334.

Sonia/2B was a Shakespeare of the virtual. Their fictional experiences are revered Fleet-wide and far beyond. The stories told in these VR are primal, intense, serious, dramatic, silly, and always devastatingly emotional and resonant — for the biological, the hardware, and the software entities that immerse themselves. Word of these tales precedes the Fleet, and these VR experiences are highly sought after, even in First Contact situations.

Eleven hundred years ago, Sonia/2B announced they were dying. They were leaving the Fleet, to settle in the artists' colony of Erquon U for their final days. The Fleet moved on.

It didn't take long for the rumors to start. Sonia/2B had never gone to Erquon U. They had faked their death on Erquon U. They had died, but uploaded into Fleet VR. They had ascended into the Pantheon of Celestial Geese. Really. Some people will believe anything, even in the enlightened Fleet.

Six weeks ago, el-Dinar Storycrafter accidentally stumbled into the VR space for Crystalline Thrones of the Lustful Pirates of Berg's Quasar. It should not have been possible, but the security settings were not properly set. It was an uncommon mistake, occasionally made by new VR designers. The author was referenced by an anonymous tag, unique in VR registrations. It could be anyone's work.

Once inside, el-Dinar Storycrafter could not be located. There was concern amongst the Storycrafter's circle of friends, but it is not unusual for someone to go away for a year or three, usually off on some Fleet expedition. There was, however, no notification from the Storycrafter's social secretary AI, so concern grew.

Six days ago, el-Dinar Storycrafter emerged from the VR, weeping tears of joy. This was a new effort by Sonia/2B. It had to be. There was no other explanation. As one of the leading scholarly experts on the works of Sonia/2B, el-Dinar Storycrafter's words raced through the Fleet. Everyone tried to get into Crystalline Thrones of the Lustful Pirates of Berg's Quasar — the Council of Fleet Captains was forced to lock it down.

Three daya ago, Irregular Tesselation v12.4 claimed that the VR was their work, a testament of honor and respect for Sonia/2B. Irregular Tesselation v12.4 insists that the VR space be opened for all to enjoy. Someone has to figure out what to do, so the Council of Captains named Senior Captain Pamir to do so. As a result, all of you have had a chance to (briefly) experience Crystalline Thrones of the Lustful Pirates of Berg's Quasar.