Ch1: Game Over, Try Again?

When I first got installed into the Network, it was explained to me like this: Each of the biggest, most popular, Fandoms of Modern Earth were used as the baseline for the hub world. Each a different "city", simulated as a large sandbox experience, without loading points, by a massive super computer. Each supercomputer had a grid where players who wanted to live in that Fandom were linked to that specific network.

Now, from my understanding, players could still travel between grids through a private Wi-Fi network. Each grid being its own world like city. The people were still directly connected to the grid they were installed into and that is where their home was set up. A home they could edit and upgrade to their liking using in game credits. The homes could only be anchored in one city. 

Trekkies, Furries, Hogwarts, General Fantasy, General Science fiction, General Superheroes, and much more fandoms, each had their own grid with a different simulated city. Since all this was projected directly into the brain the simulations didn't take up nearly as much power as running a videogame console. 

Each city for these Fandoms had a Proper name and different "Neighborhoods" representing a different clique in that fandom. Each of these neighborhoods were surrounding a downtown area. There were dozens of these cities, each with hundreds of neighborhoods, and you got to choose which your main hub would be anchored to at installation.

The primary AI of that city would monitor your brain activity and keep you satisfied yet engaged. That way you could be used as an immortal battery. Very little of the power your mind generated was needed to run the simulations and the AI of that city was responsible for monitoring your brain activity, even if your consciousness ventured off to a different grid via Wi-Fi.

I chose to go to the Brony City of Equestria, in the ABDL neighborhood of Fillydelphia. That way I could be around my fellow crinkle bronies... although I never actually went out to see them until now. I got distracted and/or obsessive with my own VGP.

Still... I just didn't expect things to be as in your face as this. The ABDL community in the Brony fandom wasn't that big compared to other ABDL communities, but it was a nice size. 

Everything in town was within a mile of the housing district... and the people here were... weird. Don't get me wrong, I was a cub myself but these people appeared to have no shame for their kink. As I remember it that used to be viewed as something you needed to hide about yourself.

Here nearly everyone in the whole area was walking around in foal Avatars with diapers around their flanks. Some were even sucking on binkies while a plushie rode on their back. There was the occasional adult but they were just as weird. 

One grownup even offered me candy if I followed him into the bathroom! Another foal actually took him up on the offer!!! No one seemed the least bit worried or weirded out!!! Not even the cop I found!!! It just told me "Everyone is fine, move along," stupid robot!

I sighed. This place was so weird. There was a market district selling all kinds of babyish clothing and children's based packages for home food disperses, each for MILLIONS of credits each. I get everyone in this world was rich because of how it worked but that just seemed to cause a major inflation for player owned stores. 

All media that existed before Earth was destroyed was completely free, as the company bought the rights for players to use them at their leisure long before it became necessary for players to migrate to the Virtual world.

This included the original console games or VGPs based on the franchises. Players were even permitted to use the raw assets to create their own merchandise, shows, stories, games, VGPs, or music and post them on their own channel. Getting credits for each hit, like, and comment instead of people buying them.

This was all before the world ended and from news articles, a few thousand years ago, companies who used to license this stuff were pissed that they effectively lost all creative rights to their franchises. They had tried to get control back but the AIs wouldn't allow it as everyone was being far too productive doing their own thing with them.

Plus the former owners of some of these franchises were saying things like "I should be king of this hub city since it is based off a world I created". The AIs weren't willing to give up power like that, not even for a figurehead. As far as the computers were concerned these items were free when the system was first created and there was no reason to modify it when their own version of the "Fair Use" law allowed for a large amount of creativity from their players, which meant they encouraged active brains which generated more power.

Eventually laws were passed to let the creatures or their descendants earn credits for each hit without it costing the players anything, while also having no creative rights over the material.

Although all that was free players sold merchandise of their own specifically for the hub world, mostly mods or accessories for your Avatar well in the hub world. All the stores of this particular neighborhood sold toys and various merch that was clearly meant for little kids. One store even sold a mod that made your Avatar randomly wet itself!!!

... I may have bought that but didn't attach it yet... I also bought a mod that gave you a strong sense of needing to pee once an hour but you could still make it to the bathroom if you hurried... it also came with a high chance of bedwetting... that I did attach to my Avatar.

Public bathrooms were everywhere but the stalls had changing tables and urinals. I was thankful "Scat" mods were illegal within this neighborhood so I didn't have to worry about people missing their pants in the street. 

This neighborhood really was modeled after Fillydelphia. It looked like it came right out of the comics with the large, brightly colored skyscrapers. 

After Pearl left I didn't really know what to do with myself. I kinda just sat around for a bit in my front yard, watching the empty street. I was doing absolutely nothing... that's why she showed up.

I learned all the robot Avatars I saw were actually controlled by a hive mind. A single AI controlled all the cop robots as drones and spoke through them. Another AI controlled the clouds and weather programs for the city. Another controlled the shop keepers. Another controlled something else, and so on and so worth. It was explained to me that AIs could be in multiple places at once and that they used the drones to reflect that.

The AIs themselves were apparently transparent holograms, modeled after the show's characters and background characters. They occasionally liked to interact with players but mostly kept to themselves. I knew all this because of her.

Celestia, standing at an impressive 8 feet tall compared to my one and a half, walked beside me looking all transparent with a dim glow around her. There was a glowing word floating over her head which read "AI", where the robots had "Drone" over their own heads.

"Do you understand?" She asked as she walked beside me, as we exited the shop where I bought my Avatar mods.

"Sorta..." I fidgeted.

She looked at me knowingly, "Based on your brain activity I can tell you are still worried,"

"YOU CAN READ MY MIND!!!"

"Not exactly," She assured, "Think of me more along the lines of an Empath. As I am in charge of insuring the productivity of players, within my grid, I can detect how active your mind is. Specifically where that activity is located in the brain. However I am unaware of just what those thoughts are so you still have your privacy. 

"Admittedly I have been concerned about you, as your brain activity has been way down since you stopped playing your My Little Galaxy VGP. You aren't as productive as usual as you aren't particularly challenged or passionate about the other games you have tried. I was hoping interacting with you and explaining how the world evolved would ‘get the creative juices flowing',"

"S-sorry, I have been in a bit of a rut since my series ended," I sighed.

"It happens to all creators at some point," Celestia nodded, "We just need to find a new outlet for you to express yourself,"

"My MMO will be up next month," I smiled.

She sighed, "I doubt it will give you the sense of meaning you are longing for. Fact of the matter is that portion of your life has ended, and clinging to it is causing you to be stagnant,"

I hung my head, "Why do you care?" I muttered.

"I care because I am responsible for you, as I have always been. If each player's mind isn't regularly active we cannot generate enough power to maintain our facility. Although the occasional rest day is expected, and even encouraged as to not create a burn out in our organic hardware, a year long sabbatical is not productive to our facility. 

"You are effectively suffering a burn out yourselves, which is the true cause of your 'Writer's block'. This is particularly detrimental as your mind is within the top 20% of our most productive pieces of organic hardware, within my grid that is. This means your continuous 'rut' is causing a drain on our battery life,"

I gave a mopey sigh that may be mistaken for a pout, "I don't mean to,"

"I realize that," Celestia assured, "But this has gone on long enough and as your mind showed a spike of activity it hasn't displayed in a while I believe it is time you joined the hub world. I plan to suggest to the master AI that she not allow you to play as your sona within the My Little Galaxy MMO,"

"WHAT!?!" I yelped.

"You will still be able to play it, but you will need to start a new character. It is important you accept that part of your life is over, and cannot be recaptured. I believe you know this on a subconscious level but are still clinging to the fantasy,"

"But-but!!!" I didn't know what to say. My brain was too shocked to think. Or was it so overcharged I could grab at a thought?

"See?" Celestia answered for me, "Even the thought is sending your mind into overdrive. You're showing all kinds of activity now,"

"They aren't GOOD thoughts!" I snapped.

Celestia rolled her eyes, "Thoughts do not have to be good to generate power. My core programming is meant to insure you feel fulfilled while maintaining mental productivity. You are clinging to something that no longer gives you fulfillment. As a result you are no longer generating as much power. I intend to help you find a new purpose. Perhaps creating a new Character in your game will do just that,"

"Please!!! What about all my friends!!! My family!!!"

"I have ideas for that, don't worry. Your AI friends will still love you. We will just be starting a new storyline without your current Sona,"

I shook my head while Celestia looked on me with growing concern. She seemed to know just before I started hyperventilating. Tears streamed down my furry cheeks as I turned around and made a break for it.

At first she kept appearing in front of me, trying to calm me, but quickly realized that wasn't working as I ran around her. My breathing was erratic. My eyes, pouring with burning water. I didn't even have the brain capacity to wonder why crying felt like actual salt water for child Avatars.

My brain was so overwhelmed and my vision was getting blurred. For a split second I could see the pixels that make up the world, then all went black... 

###

I woke up in my hub world an hour later. After getting over the shock of having my in game Sona permanently murdered... I got pissed. Seriously how could she just do something like that so casually!!! I had been playing as Smart Mouth for over ten thousand years and she just briefly mentions "Oh by the way I'm deleting everything meaningful you have ever done with your life". Seriously!!! Just like that!!!

After a few hours in an angry haze I realized that wasn't doing me any good. I needed to come up with a plan. Maybe I could convince her not to go through with it. I did have a panic attack at the mere thought of her deleting my Sona. Maybe I could persuade her not to go through with it... I spent a week coming up with plans but before I realized none of them could ever work and I was effectively giving Celestia exactly what she wanted. I was thinking hard on this stuff.

When I started moping and refusing to get out of bed the next day was when I realized I was going through the 5 stages of grief... which seemed a little crazy given it was just a game... but I had lived in that world for so long. It had consumed so much of my life... and it was over... I had wanted to stay in the "Depression" stage for the next 5 billion years if I could...

After wallowing in bed for a few 24 hours I got a call the next morning from Pearl's dad. I had actually forgotten all about them. Part of me was glad the man didn't call sooner as I probably would have bitten his head off. That would have most certainly lost me my new friend, which I seriously don't think I could take now that all my old friends were gone.

I was a little nervous when Pearl's dad asked to come over so we could talk... and by that I mean I was completely terrified. My mind raced through all the ways this could go wrong. Which I'm sure made Celestia very happy!

Thankfully Solar Flare didn't keep me waiting long. Moments after I agreed to let him come over he came through the invite room. Now he was sitting in my favorite chair in my lounge as I got him a cup of tea from the food dispenser.

Food and drinks were completely meaningless but they tasted good.

"You only have the base food package," He observed as I brought him his tea.

"I got some other stuff from programs I play in, but pretty much," I shrugged. I didn't know you could get more options until my trip into town with Celestia.

I thought your hub food dispenser could only make the stuff from the generic food package. That you could only add new stuff to it by cooking it yourself or buying it in a VGP or VGP MMO. Such things were automatically saved to your hub's food dispenser and you had to actively delete what you didn't like yourself.

Mr. Flare nodded his head as he sipped at his generic tea. I don't really like tea so I never got any new flavors.

"Would you sit please," he didn't really ask but it was a nice imitation of a request.

I did as I was told and he got down to business, "I understand you have been living in a game through your private server. I'm curious what finally got you out of it,"

"I... I ran out of ideas," I blushed, "Kinda didn't have a choice but to request the AIs turn it into an MMO and come up for new adventures themselves," they royally screwed me on that though.

"You realize, with it being an MMO, you have lost creative freedom with it," My heart clenched at his careless reminder, "Other players will be allowed to interact with your world and it will grow and change based on how they want, not yourself,"

I brushed it off. I had been crying all day yesterday. I was kinda cried out, "I don't live in my world because I hate players. I just... I thought up this crossover universe long before Earth died and I wanted to be able to live in it once we all got installed. I'm glad other people like it as a TV show. It was never really popular as a Fan fiction,"

He nodded, "You have to understand my concerns. Hermits, people who spend most of their time in single player games rather than the hub world or even MMOs, tend to be very antisocial to other players,"

"It wasn't like I was completely cut off from them. I still visited my family's hubs and they come to mine occasionally. I just didn't use the hub world to get to theirs. I have to come back to my hub every other week to edit my recording and when I wasn’t working on it, I was visiting my family,"

Flare gave a slight nod, but still looked concerned, "From what I have heard, thorough interviews with your family, is for the past few thousand years the only time they can see you is by going into your game and playing with the avatar bodies of the fake family you made of them,"

I rolled my eyes, "It's not like I ever thought those programs were real. I just created a simulated family based on the brainwave patterns of my real one. It was a form of therapy. An exaggerated fantasy based on how I wish my family had been. My cousins and siblings being raised by my dad and his sister in a platonic home. After I cleansed my childhood of my biological mother's trauma the central AI of the game suggested I repurpose those programs to help her run the game and let my organic family play as those Avatars. Which I did. They never complained to me about it," I shrugged.

Flare sighed, "You don't think they are concerned with you spending the vast majority of your time in a fantasy world with artificial friends?"

I stiffened, "AIs are real people!"

"Yes they are, but these ones are programmed to love you. That's what makes it artificial. Nothing in that world is real. There is no genuine life threatening situations, no meaning to the epic adventures, and most importantly no effect on the real world. Even the friends you have in the game were programmed to be your friends,"

I remained stiff, not knowing how to process what he was telling me. I mean I understand on an intellectual level that the AIs aren't really my friends because they were just programmed to be but we had been through so much together. 10000 years’ worth of adventures. That meant something, regardless what their base programming might say.

"You seem very defensive for someone who knows this," Flare observed, "I have caught my share of your show. I would have to with how much Pearl loves it. It is very obvious, and more than likely the very reason it is so popular, you have forgotten it's a game. You treat everything with the utmost importance, and while you crack many jokes none of them use meta humor. You actually refuse to publish anything with your family because they constantly refer to things that happened in the real world instead of your game. You clearly feel it each time one of your digital friends gets hurt and are visibly horrified each time they die despite it being a simple 'spell' to resurrect them. 

"You started playing that game with a child Avatar and grew up in that world. In your earliest interviews, back when you still did those, you talk about how the beginning is based on a more fantastical version of the childhood you wish you had and it being a type of therapy for you. Whatever your intentions you must realize how confused you have become. 

"The Hub World is as close to a real society as we can get in this digital box. You can vote and even interact with people who can't be programmed to like you. The Hub is where people actually live their lives, but this has become the game for you. Fact of the matter is we don't matter to you. The characters you created mean more to you then my son ever could,"

I felt a knot in my throat and had to swallow it before I could speak, "Just because I care about my world, doesn't mean players are meaningless to me. I get your son is a real person, I just acknowledge that AIs are people to,"

"That isn't the issue," Solar Flare insisted, "The issue is you think the game world you created is more important than the hub world, and I don't want my son to interact with someone that mentally unstable,"

I hung my head, "I understand," 

"I don't think you do," said Solar Flare as he pulled a business card out of his pocket, "There is a support group. They will help teach you the difference between acknowledging the AIs' sentience and forgetting the world itself isn't real. If you promise to attend these meetings, I'll let you play with my son,"

I hesitantly took the card. It linked the address of the support group and listed the time they meet, a couple hours from now actually, "None of this is real," I looked up at him, "Not my game and not the hub world, does it matter which I choose to live in?"

"You should be living in both," Flare informed, "I saw on your profile that you haven't even been to the hub world before you met my son. In ten thousand years you haven't left your own little bubble... I doubt your real family approves of your lifestyle either,"

I looked down, "They don't," I sighed.

"I also saw in your hardware you have a Mental Regulator chip,"

"THAT is working fine!" I insisted, "The AIs check it regularly,"

"It does mean you are prone to obsessing about things and have a natural difficulty telling what is real and what is not. That is already difficult in this world. You might not realize this but I am trying to help you,"

I looked back at the card, studying it a moment, "I know you are," I sighed as I examined the card.

He gave a formal nod, "The support group meets every work day, while the other kids are at school. I realize the fact it is held during school hours won't really matter to you as that is a level of socializing we both know you aren't ready for. My wife has suggested we take turns bringing you to the group in the morning. After which we will bring you to our house and you can play with Pearl. If you want to spend the night, bedtime is at 8..."

He seemed to struggle as he thought how to phrase the next part, "Despite your troubles with gaming, my wife and I would very much like to be your caretakers. According to your profile, you have a lot in common with both our sons and... well my wife and I would like to try being your caretakers. As such we would expect you to behave well you are with us. If we decide you are misbehaving, and need to be punished, you will not run away or throw a tantrum. You will do as you are told and accept however we see fit to punish you. That could mean opening your mouth to get it scrubbed with soap, or pulled over one of our laps for a spanking. We understand each other?"

I gulped, as nerve racking as that was it was also kinda a dream come true. Maybe I should have come to the hub world a while ago, "Yes sir,"

"Good boy," The Kirin nodded, "We will talk about it in more detail with my wife later today,"

Although I wasn't quite prepared for what was waiting for me.

###

After our talk, Mister Flare took me straight to my first meeting and stood off to the side to mingle with other grownups while I went with my group. I was seated in a circle with a bunch of other age players, with varying ages to their Avatars. This group seemed to be specifically for people with child Avatars that were "having trouble remembering their games weren't real". 

Our counselor was an adult, a brown Unicorn with a purple main. The Stallion was wearing the upper part of a pinstripe suit but no pants. He seemed like a kind stallion, who was very patient and encouraging. However he was managing this group in a pretty odd way. 

He had us go in a circle, one at a time, and made us talk for a good hour. In between calling the next one he would set up an activity we had to do with the other kids... it was kinda fun but I quickly realized we were all a little awkward around other players. I didn't think my social skills had decayed this much. I was back to square one when I was first learning how to force myself into social situations after I was diagnosed with Autism.

The chip was supposed to fix me but I realized it just made it so I thought more clearly and didn't have schizophrenic hallucinations or delusions (I had a few mental disorders)... I was still awkward from lack of practice, which is really weird because I didn't have a problem at all with my AI friends... still, I wanted to get better with organics.

The counselor made us take a nap halfway through the day... two pegasi got spanked for whispering to each other instead of sleeping. That got the rest of us to settle down and take a nap. 

During nap time the counselor had me call my family members in a group call, So I could tell them what is going on and I was getting help... they all seemed so worried about me... and where actually relieved when they saw I had a child's Avatar and Flare introduced himself as my new caretaker... I wasn't sure why at first but kept my mouth shut since it seemed to calm my family a great deal. They were just happy to see me out and about in the Hub World.

After 8 hours of therapy the Counselor let everyone go home.

It was only 3 in the afternoon by the time I got out, so I had plenty of time to play with Pearl before bedtime.

We were just up the block now, standing in line outside a phone booth looking thing. The other group members were in line with us. There was one of these booths at each corner of each city block. They were like teleportation booths so you could move around the city. We actually arrived in that booth after using my map to teleport us.

I was a bit distracted at all the pony Avatars walking around the Canterlot like setting. We were in the downtown area of the brony town of Equestria. The place we were in now was filled with government buildings, banks, movie theaters, a park, and just all kinds of stuff that the AIs ran, but strangely no shops. Flare explained when we got here that all player based shops of the Downtown area were in the market district, AKA 'the Mall'. There was so much to see and learn and it was all just fascinating!!! 

Although there were some places ran by players in the Canterlot district too, like Restaurant Row and the hospital, which we were now standing in front of. The Hospital was more to treat mental health, with hundreds of group therapy rooms run by players and private psychologist as well. However Flare told me there were also checkup rooms operated by the AIs where they run diagnostics on our software and give us upgrades through injections. I assured Flare that my AI doctors in the game I was living in did the same thing but he insisted we schedule an appointment with his family doctor.

I had accepted my share of Friend requests from the kids in the group and their caretakers. Some of the kids didn't have an adult bring them but it seems most of them did... and that is actually the reason why they come out to these group therapy sessions.

The kids explained that adults that look after ageplayers but haven't officially adopted them are called, "Caretakers" as slang, but they are listed as "Guardians" on your profile. I was all kinds of shocked when I looked up my profile and my family category had updated automatically. Under "Hub Family" Solar Flare and his wife Ice Hot Harlot were now listed as my guardians, while Pink Pearl was listed as my brother. It also said I had an older brother named "Fluffy the Magic Dragon".

The kids told me not to sweat it as that thing updates automatically through verbal agreement. That they didn't have access to my parental controls and it was a more causal relationship. It can lead to adoption, but usually doesn't as it is more like dating. It was basically the parental version of a boyfriend before marriage, testing the waters and all that before Adoption. Usually it doesn't work out but sometimes it will. They said there was a law passed that they have to be your guardian for ten years before they can adopt you but people can go as long as a hundred years before they are sure they want to be adopted. It was a huge step in a relationship and people took it very seriously, like marriage was in this digital world as you were legitimately pledging to be together for eternity in a very literal sense.

Guess that would explain why Solar Flare was so nervous when he asked to be my caretaker. Speaking of Flare, he looked rather deep in thought.

"I'm sorry," Flare looked bashful as we continued to wait in line.

"What are you apologizing for?" I asked, eagerly looking around. There was a flash of light from the booth and the next people went in, the whole line moving up a little.

"I should have made it more clear to you that what you were agreeing to had legal ramifications," He informed as the line moved up again, "I should have known you wouldn't understand what a 'caretaker' was,"

"Oh... Yeah you pretty much tricked him into becoming my parental boyfriend," I teased, but he didn't seem to get the joke.

He hang his head, all serious, "It's not exactly like a boyfriend. You can still have one of those if you want. I'm more like... a foster parent. You verbally agreed to give me rights over you, but not to the extent of a true Adoption. I don't have access to your parental controls but if you misbehave in public, and I'm not around, players can get my name off your profile and call me. They will likely spank you themselves and bring you to me to be spanked again,"

My eyes widened, "Like Earth's 50s?" I wasn't around back then but it was pretty well known to spankos like me what it was like.

"Exactly," Flare nodded, "My wife and I are in charge of you but it is a much less formal relationship then what I have with my son, understand?"

"Yes sir,"

"Are you okay with that?" He asked.

I smiled, "It actually sounds pretty awesome if I'm honest. A good middle ground between an orphan and having parents. I don't really like the idea of giving up all my rights like that,"

He frowned, "We would never abuse that privilege," He promised me, "but that probably isn't for a long time from now anyway. Most children have a caretaker for several decades before any formal Adoption is made,"

I hesitantly nodded, though still not liking the idea of handing over all my rights.

"When we get home we will go over the rules you are expected to follow and what will happen if you break them. Be careful what you agree to because verbal agreements hold legal weight in this world. Your hard drive records all your conversations and they can be reviewed by the AIs for legal disputes,"

I paled at that. That sounded like science fiction utopian hell kinda stuff.

Flare didn't notice my concerns and kept talking, "We will also go over if you want this to be a more traditional guardianship, or if you want us to occasionally molest you,"

I froze and Flare had to nudge me forward as the line moved up. Putting his muzzle on my tail end and making me take a few steps forward. Then he stood tall again and explained, "You still have the mind of an adult so it isn't like having sex will be harmful to you, and you get to determine the limits. I will suggest stuff and then you will tell me 'yes' or 'no'. You need to say 'no' if something bothers you. It is very important, understand?"

I gulped, "Yes Sir," I stood there, very quiet, while occasionally taking a couple steps forward when the line moved, "I'm Asexual," I suddenly blurted out.

"So is Pearl, but that just makes it all the better as he gets really fussy about it. Still he gave his consent for unconsensual. If you don't want do that then just don't consent to it, is very easy, and we will respect your wishes," Flare promised.

When it was our turn to go into the booth. I stood there, totally spaced out, for a moment. Flare patted my rump, with his soft as marshmallow hoof, and guided me inside.

"Didn't we come here through the red one?" I asked as the door closed. 

"That is for incoming players. The green booths are for outgoing. You know. 'Red means stop, green means go',"

I nodded, looking around. Whereas the other one was just a big empty room with some cool designs on the walls (as all kinds of ponies spawned about inside). This place was just as much big-ness contained in a little booth but with a round table in the middle. There was a huge round map in the center of the room, like the one in my house, and Flare got to work on it.

He pushed his chest to summon his profile and went to his favorite places. 

Before he could click on anything I asked, "Celestia spoke with you," but it came out as more of an accusation, which caused him to pause just before clicking a link. So I added, "Didn't she?"

Flare sighed as he lowered his hoof, the screen disappearing, "You know people are waiting on us outside," he commented more then asked.

"I wanted to confront you before we got to the house, but we never had any alone time," I fidgeted.

He nodded, even outside we were surrounded by ponies, "Yes, Celestia came to my house the night you met me and told me how you reacted when you learned you had to start your game over. She admits to knowing she was causing you discomfort as a means a stimulating you but didn't realize it would affect you that badly. She asked if my wife and I would be interested in watching over you as you really seemed to hit it off with our youngest son... and our oldest has... similar gaming issues,"

I hesitantly looked up, "He does?"

"He does," Flare nodded, "I have spent the last few hundred years trying to teac