Chapter 1: Researching the Void
As the first group of students emerged from the hidden door, they found themselves in a dimly lit hallway. They walked down the corridor, their footsteps echoing off the walls, until they reached another door. As they opened it, they were surprised to find themselves outside in what appeared to be a virtual representation of their college campus.
Suddenly, their smartphones powered on, and a message from the friendly hologram Dada appeared on their screens and moved with such reality. A light and fun personality, that would do the occasional movement. “Congratulations on completing the warm-up!” the message read. “I hope you enjoyed the first part of your journey. Now it’s time to get acquainted with the virtual world and conquer the various challenges.”
The students looked around, taking in their surroundings. In the real world, there was a large clocktower on campus, but in this virtual representation, there was a digital timer showcasing 24 hours. At the bottom of the tower was a locked door with a keypad requiring a four digit code on it and a symbol of encircled B on it. What could this mean?
“What do we do now?” Brittany asked, looking at the others. “How do we continue?”
Alex scratched his head. “I’m not sure. Maybe if we explore the virtual world, we’ll find some clues or hints, maybe it has something to do with that symbol.” Alex pointing his finger at the encircled B.
Carlos frowned. “But we don’t have much time. The timer is counting down, and we have to solve the final riddle and escape before it reaches zero.”
Dana narrowed her eyes. “We need to focus and use our skills and knowledge to figure out this puzzle. We can do this. We just have to stay calm and work together.”
Their phones flashed and began downloading info about the clocktower that they needed to collect at least 12 Bitcoins for entry and that the game timer will be synced to their smartphones.
As the group scanned their surroundings on the virtual campus for clues and hints, they eventually made their way to the park. They began walking across the grassy field, when they noticed that the sky had grown dark and ominous. Suddenly, clouds formed overhead, and roots began to emerge from the ground below, entrapping the group.
Their phones chirped, and a timer for 5 minutes appeared on the screen. “What do we do?” Brittany cried, looking at the others in panic.
Alex tried to push against the roots, but as he did, thorns appeared and knicked his hand, causing him to bleed. “Ow!” he exclaimed, cradling his injured hand.
The group looked on in fear as the roots and thorns continued to grow, slowly closing in on them. “We have to find a way out of here!” Alex yelled, looking around frantically.
As they looked around, they noticed that there were items scattered across the field that might be able to help them escape. There were a couple of rocks, a broken branch, rope, a shovel, a frisbee, and an old shoe.
Dana’s eyes narrowed as she thought. “There must be a way to use these items to get through the roots. We just have to be creative and use our resources wisely.”
The group worked together, trying to find a solution to their problem. They searched for clues and examined their surroundings, looking for anything that might help them escape. As the timer counted down, they knew that they had to act fast.
They quickly got to work, forming a plan to use the items to escape. They used the shovel to dig a trench around the roots, trying to loosen their hold on the ground. Carlos and Alex used the rocks and the broken branch to bash at the thickest roots, trying to break them apart and slow down their growth. Dana used the rope and the frisbee to create a makeshift pulley system, trying to lift the roots off the ground.
As the timer counted down, the group of students worked frantically to escape from the roots. With only a minute remaining, they finally managed to create an opening with their makeshift pulley system.
“Quick, crawl through!” Alex shouted, gesturing to the opening.
The group scrambled to get through the gap, but as Dana was crawling through, her leg became caught in the roots and thorns. “Ow! It hurts!” she cried, trying to pull her leg free.
Carlos and Alex rushed to help her, pulling on her leg and trying to loosen the roots. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they managed to free Dana’s leg, but not without leaving a number of deep scratches on her skin.
“Ouch, that really hurts!” Dana exclaimed, rubbing her injured leg which began to bleed profusely. “It feels so real. It’s like the pain is actually happening to me.”
The group looked at each other, their eyes wide with shock and fear. They knew that the virtual reality game was meant to be immersive, but they had never experienced anything like this before. They had to find a way to escape and fast. Alex, who had the shoelace from the old shoe, used that and his sleeve to temporarily keep Dana’s leg from bleeding until they were able to find some first-aid.
As the timer reached closer to zero, the group knew that they had to act. They gathered their strength and determination, and with a burst of energy, they pushed through the last of the roots and thorns, breaking free from their grasp. As they emerged on the other side, they let out a sigh of relief.
Their phones chirped, and a message from Dada appeared on the screen.
“Congratulations on completing the first challenge!” the hologram exclaimed as she did a backflip. “You are well on your way to claiming the $1,000,000 prize. Here is a hint to help you on your journey:
I hold knowledge and books,
offer quiet contemplation,
facilitate discovery and bring people together.
What am I?”
The group looked at each other in confusion. “What does that mean?” Brittany asked, furrowing her brow. At that moment all of their phones flashed with an incoming payment of 1 Bitcoin for each of the members.
“We’ll have to figure it out as we go,” Dana replied, grimacing as she looked at her makeshift bandaged leg. “But first, we need to find some bandages and antibacterial for these injuries. They feel real enough.”
The group nodded in agreement and set off in search of a convenience store. After a few minutes of walking around campus, they spotted a small store on the corner and rushed inside.
“Do you have any bandages and antibacterial ointment?” Alex asked the cashier, holding up his injured hand.
“Sure thing,” the cashier replied, reaching under the counter and pulling out a small first aid kit. “That’ll be 10 Namecoin.”
The group’s faces fell as they realized that they only held Bitcoins. They looked at each other in desperation, not knowing what to do. Alex then asked, “we each have 1 Bitcoin, would that work?”
“No sorry, I can only accept Namecoin here,” the cashier said, seeing the look of despair on their faces. “If you do not have it I’ll make you a deal. If you can solve this tiny computational math problem on the computer behind me, I’ll give you the first aid kit and ointment in exchange.”
Carlos stepped forward and examined the problem. “I think I can solve this,” he said, his fingers flying over the keyboard. With his programming skills, he was able to find the solution in a matter of minutes. It would have been a difficult equation for anyone to solve, but Carlos made light work of it, noticing some similar versions of this code from his studies. He noticed as he entered the solution a transaction on the computer was executed and a message appeared showing a received payment in the form of Namecoin. “Hmm,” Carlos thought to himself, “ interesting seems like solving computations results in currency. Challenges might not be the only way to earn cryptocurrency.”
The cashier grinned and handed over the supplies. “You guys are alright. Good luck on your journey.”
The group thanked the cashier and quickly tended to their wounds, grateful to have a bit of relief from the pain. As they left the store, they knew that they had to be careful in this virtual world. They had no idea what dangers lay ahead, but they were determined to emerge victorious.
As the group left the convenience store with their first aid kit, they began a discussion on the importance of getting acquainted with this virtual world and how it worked.
“We need to find a way to gather information and figure out what we’re supposed to do,” Dana said, limping slightly as they walked. “We can’t just keep stumbling around blindly.”
“Maybe we should try asking someone for help,” Brittany suggested. “There has to be someone in this world who knows more than we do. Maybe the hint that Dada gave us is our next step.”
As if by coincidence, the group spotted a library in the distance. Dana grinned while muttering the hint Dada had given them under her breath. “The answer is a library,” exclaimed Dana with excitement. In agreement the group decided to enter in hopes of finding some clarity. They were greeted by a librarian who handed them a pamphlet titled “Welcome to the Void.”
“This should help you get started,” the librarian said, smiling kindly.
The group thanked the librarian and eagerly began to read the pamphlet. As they poured over the information, they began to get a better understanding of their surroundings. They learned about the different areas and landmarks through a detailed map, the types of challenges they might face, and the various ways to earn game currency.
“It looks like we have our work cut out for us,” Alex said, scanning the map. “We need to explore this world and gather clues to solve the final riddle. And we have to be careful. We are not sure what dangers are lurking out there.”
As the group walked towards the exit of the library, Carlos suddenly stopped in his tracks. He had his phone in hand and was staring at the screen with a look of amazement on his face.
“What’s going on?” Brittany asked, peering over his shoulder.
“I just walked near this altar,” Carlos replied, his eyes glued to the phone. “And suddenly, my phone started flashing and downloading data.”
Dana looks and notices a symbol of what looks to be a document with the word “Data” written across the top of it.
“What kind of data?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t know, but it looks like some kind of advanced information,” Carlos replied, still scrolling through the data on his phone. “The pamphlet we got from the librarian was helpful, but it seemed like more of a guideline to follow. This data seems like it’s more detailed and specific.”
“Oh my gosh, that’s amazing!” Dana exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. “We have to use this information to our advantage!”
The group nodded in agreement and quickly began to pour over the data on Carlos’s phone, trying to make sense of it all.
As they looked at the newly downloaded information on Carlos’s phone, they were surprised to see a list of early cryptocurrencies. There was Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Namecoin, each with a brief history and explanation.
“It looks like these are the types of currency we’ll be using in the game,” Alex said, frowning as he tried to make sense of it all. “But I have no idea which one to use for what, or how to even use them.”
The group nodded in agreement, feeling equally lost and confused. They continued to discuss the information, trying to come up with a plan.
As they talked, they were unaware that they were being observed from afar. Behind a bookcase, a pair of eerie eyes was leering at the group, taking in every detail.
Suddenly, Brittany got a chill down her spine and spun around, as if sensing someone was there. “Do you guys feel like we’re being watched?” she asked, looking around with a perplexed expression.
Alex noticed her discomfort and followed her gaze. “I don’t see anyone,” he said, frowning. “Are you okay?”
Brittany nodded, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were not alone. Who was watching them, and what did they want? The group had no idea, but they knew that they had to be careful in this virtual world. Feeling a little uneasy, Brittany reached into her pocket and lightly felt around for a white circular pill;her “joy drops” she would call them and quickly popped it in to take off the edge.
Continue the story with Chapter 2: dolla dolla bill ya’ll.
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