"Good day brave hero! As always, so wonderful to see you in my humble pub."

The innkeep was a plump man, rather plain in all aspects. So plain, the only thing you could guess with certainty about his character was that he surely was not particularly good nor bad at anything.

"Thanks... I just.. can't help but think..." the Adventurer muttered, "Are we born as only to be transient machinations in an enormous whole, a predetermined world in which the only reasonable outcome is one that follows a plan that has already been strictly delineated?"

"Yes! Very well put my friend. And, pray tell, what does 'delineated' mean?" The innkeep was also not a particularly sharp fellow.

"What I mean to say is, what happens when it's all over? Sure, we all know one day we will live our final day, but are we really ready for that? Can we be?"

The innkeep's brow furrowed. He liked the Adventurer for slaying the dragon that had been stealing kegs of the inn's finest liquors, but the hero had a way with words that didn't really lead one to feelings of relaxation or pleasure.

"Such matters I can't be trusted to discuss my friend! Growing up here in Augertowne, I didn't exactly receive a good education," guffawed the innkeep.

"Perhaps that's it... perhaps in each of us exists an intrinsic value, one that we are in fact acutely aware of, however seeming unconscious it may be. This inscrutable feeling, decided by genetics and pure chance, dictates whether or not one's life could be considered worthy," mused the Adventurer.

Always with the poetry! He thought he was so blasted clever. And ever since he had that quest with the roving salesperson that happened to be the leader of the growing eugenics group, the Adventurer was saying more and more extreme ideas. The innkeeper said, trying to hide his growing frustration, "Sir, I'm frankly not very sure what you're talking about."

"Ah, that angers you. Typical."

"Anger? Never my friend! You have done me many a service."

"Enough. I am a powerful man, more so than the townspeople can even fathom. And I have just realized that this village may no longer be in need of my services."

The innkeeper's eyes narrowed. He and several other men from the village had stumbled upon a terrible truth last night. The Adventurer, who had helped them so much, was found frozen in time, face expressionless. The group hid out of sight and watched. An ethereal aura floated in front of the hero, words pointed at with a ghostly arrow.

INVENTORY <-

SAVE GAME

ABOUT

The arrow moved down, selecting "ABOUT." The villagers watched in silent disbelief as words formed in front of the stock-still Adventurer.

GAIA IS AN RPG EXPERIENCE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE LATEST IN RealLife BRAIN STEM VR TECHNOLOGY. OUR SYSTEM DOES AWAY WITH MEMORY LIMITATIONS BY CREATING NEW AND DELETING OLD LANDSCAPES FOR THE PLAYER TO EXPLORE AS THE STORY PROGRESSES. RealLife: A NEW VISION. FEEL. LIVE.

The men backed away, by some miracle not being noticed by the standing specter of the hero's body. Technology, story, deletion - if the Adventurer left, would their village really be destroyed as the aura had said? They decided they couldn't find out.

Odd jobs, anything would do. The chickens are out. Barbara needs a new wedding dress for her big day tomorrow! Wait, I can't find my glasses!

But it wasn't enough. The townsfolk knew the hero would grow tired of these menial tasks. There would have to be a more permanent solution.

Palms slick with nervous sweat, the innkeep's portly hand wrapped around a well-loved butcher's knife.