Surviving the Simulation: The Grand Crusade

The caravan crawled along the tracks, every footstep grinding into Xander's nerves. He and Zoey had walked this stretch between Tolono and Philo before, but not like this, not with a ragtag crowd of limping, hollow-eyed refugees dragging their lives behind them in battered backpacks. The tracks carved a rough path through broken countryside, the gravel and debris turning each step into a small act of defiance. Xander had once called it a two-day march. Now, watching them stall on loose rock and uneven ground, he revised that estimate with a grim shrug. The trek stretched on, heavy with fatigue and the quiet weight of collapse.

"Gary, this group is moving slower than I had thought. We're probably going to be a couple of days more. You and your guys have been doing great. Keep up the good work," Xander said later that evening as he sat with Gary and several of his group. "Anything you need?"

"Thanks, Xander. The boys are holding up well, but it would be great if you could make the rounds and check if anyone needs healing. The scrapes we got today weren't serious, but since we're not used to having a healer around, some might not have mentioned any injuries," Gary said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "And thanks for the coffee, by the way. It's the first we've had since... well, you know."

The sharp crack of raised voices broke across the camp, turning heads. Xander looked up from his coffee just in time to see Lucy jab a finger into a younger man's chest, her voice high and brittle with self-righteous fury. The boy tried to step away, but she followed, relentless, shouting about accountability, murder, and the fantasy that someone, somewhere, was still keeping records. The surrounding refugees shifted uneasily, some drifting back, others pretending not to hear.

"She's starting arguments now," Gary said. "That's the second person she's cornered in the last ten minutes. It's not just complaints anymore. She's stirring people up."

Xander tracked the scene with a glare. Lucy was in the middle of it, eyes bright with the kind of zeal that didn't back down once it latched onto a cause, regardless of the facts or circumstances. Around her, nervous glances rippled through the group like a virus, subtle but growing. One woman picked up her pack and moved closer to the guards. Another stood with arms crossed, watching Xander as if she was waiting for a verdict to be handed down.

"I was hoping she'd just tire herself out," Xander said, voice quiet. "But you're right. This isn't just her running her mouth. She's pulling at threads."

Gary nodded grimly. "She's still talking about what happened with the supervisor and his girl. Keeps calling you a murderer. Says anyone who follows you is just too afraid to speak up. Eventually, someone's going to listen."

Xander exhaled slowly and turned toward Jo. She sat nearby, hands wrapped around a tin mug, eyes already on him. She'd been listening.

"Jo," he said, keeping his voice even, "I think it's time you had a chat with Lucy. You've got a better shot at breaking through to her."

Jo set her mug down and stood, brushing dust from her jacket. Her expression was unreadable.

"I'll handle it," she said.

Xander watched her go, jaw tight, his grip tightening on the tin cup. He didn't want to spend energy on drama while undead monsters and invisible threats circled just beyond the firelight, but he knew better than to underestimate how fast a spark like Lucy could burn down a camp.

As she left, another figure approached Xander and Gary. It was the teen who had gotten mouthy with the bandit leader earlier. Xander, curious, quickly analyzed the boy. It struck Xander as interesting that not only had the teen not gained any levels, but he also shared the same last name as Lucy.

"Excuse me, but could I ask you both some questions?" the youth timidly asked, standing in front of Xander and Gary.

The boy's demeanor was the opposite of the fiery defiance he had shown back in Philo. Xander wondered for a moment which version of the boy was closer to his authentic self. His relationship with Lucy likely discouraged him from questioning adults.He probably endured lectures about how everything he did or thought was wrong, or somehow his fault for being too stupid to know the correct answer.

Gary shrugged his shoulders, deferring to Xander to lead the conversation.

"What's on your mind, Ryan?" Xander started, motioning for the youth to sit in the chair left empty by Jo.

"Uh… How did you know my name?" Ryan replied, with a puzzled look on his face.

"The ability to analyze will return basic information on a person, item, or creature. In your case, your name, that you're level zero and that you have no class. Not having a class isn't surprising since you're still level zero," Xander mentioned casually.

Xander had a good idea of where this conversation was heading. Most of the refugees needed to learn how the Simulation worked. It surprised him that a teenager hadn't figured out the basics by then. Everything worked similarly to several online roleplaying games.

The rules of the Simulation differed from any game on the market, but the general principles still applied. Xander had worked himself into an existential crisis one too many nights by thinking about the similarities to believe it was a coincidence. The only conclusion he could reach was that even though the simulation engines were offline or suspended, they still bled into current thinking. Thus, the Simulation unknowingly influenced whoever first coined the RPG genre, not for nefarious purposes, but because the Simulation was in an error state.

"Umm… That's kind of what I wanted to talk about," Ryan started, fidgeting in the chair. "Aunt Lucy didn't let me play games like that, so this is all new to me."

"That explains a few things. Most kids your age figured out the basics pretty quickly and then had delusions of grandeur that just because it looked like an RPG, it was a game," Xander replied after a moment. "What would you like to know?"

"Well, like everything. How do I get a class? How do you level up? What classes are there? I heard you and the bandits discussing a quest. Sorry, caravan guards. Why didn't I get a quest? What is analyze?" Ryan began, rapid-firing a disjointed list of questions.

"Whoa, slow down," Xander said, lifting a hand to cut through the barrage of questions. "You're coming at me like I've got patch notes for the end of the world. Let's start simple."

"There's something called the Data Forge. It's the Simulation's version of a wiki, built by players, filled out by trial, error, and the occasional lucky guess. People dump in whatever they learn, and it sticks around if it's useful."

Gary glanced over, eyebrows raised. "Wait, we have a wiki?"

"Yeah," Xander said. "Came online during a system update a while back. Most folks ignored it, what with the dying and all, but it's there. Full of user-submitted entries. It's clunky, but better than shouting into the void."

Gary frowned. "What stops people from loading it up with garbage? I mean, that's a goldmine for trolls."

"It only works inside safezones," Xander replied. "And the Simulation watches for abuse. Entries get scrubbed if they're misleading or toxic. It's not perfect, but it's tight enough that nobody's turned it into a message board for scams. At least not yet."

Ryan nodded slowly. "Okay. That actually sounds kind of smart. I didn't think this thing had structure."

"It barely does," Xander said. "But the Forge is better than nothing."

He leaned back, letting the firelight flicker across his face. "Just remember, half of what's in there was written by people panicking between monster attacks. So maybe don't treat it like gospel."

Ryan nodded, looking somewhat relieved. "That makes sense. I guess I have a lot to learn."

"We all do," Xander said, giving Ryan a reassuring smile. "But we'll figure it out together. Do you think anyone else might want to learn some basics?"

Ryan thought the question over briefly before responding, "I don't think anyone from our group knows much about the Simulation. My Aunt has been forceful in shutting down any conversations about it."

"About that, if you don't mind telling me. Do you know why she's been so stubborn about this? I've seen something similar before, and it didn't end well. Denying it's happening and sticking your head in the sand will lead to a very short life expectancy. Sorry to be straightforward about it, but it's the truth," Xander replied, trying to keep his voice calm and supportive.

He was tiring of other people's ignorance getting good people killed. While he hoped that Jo's talk with Lucy would get things squared away, he wouldn't let her hold everyone else back. These folks needed to get levels and classes quickly, or they'd just be a collective deadweight on JT and the rest of Starlight.

"Oh, she believes that what is happening is real. But you know how the media had gotten before all of this. It doesn't matter what side you're on; there is a news outlet that caters to your viewpoint, and then eventually, you're so brainwashed that you just wait for someone else on your side to tell you what you should think about anything. That's what she's doing; she's waiting for someone from her political viewpoint to tell her what she should think about all this, as crazy as it sounds," Ryan responded in a somewhat beat-down tone of voice, "It's made my life hell. I don't get to decide because she has to ensure I make the right ones. Mistakes are unacceptable."

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"If you don't make mistakes, how can you learn?" Xander repeated almost instinctively the words his father had always told him. "Alright, thanks for telling me. That puts some clarity on the situation. Now, how about we get down to a little study session? Simulation 101. Spread the word that we will have a learning session, and whoever wants to can join."

Ryan bounced away, excited to tell the rest of his group that someone will share information about the Simulation. Xander watched him leave with a bit of a smirk on his face. The boy's enthusiasm was infectious.

The information he'd shared about Lucy was also insightful, but in the end, it didn't change Xander's opinion. Lucy was a lead weight around the neck of anyone wanting to figure out what was going on and how they could contribute to making things better. Xander's father had always referred to people like Lucy as zombies; their brains so rotted that they couldn't create their own opinion on anything any longer, and critical thinking was a thing of the past, but woe be to anyone who had a different ideology than what she'd been told to believe.

Xander chuckled to himself at that last thought. Now that there were probably real zombies in the world, he'd have to come up with a different way of referring to those with brain rot. Though maybe not, he told himself. Were actual zombies much different from the living with brain rot? Chuckling again, he shifted his thoughts to listing what he felt should be covered in an intro to the Simulation session.

Xander's concerns were quickly confirmed as word spread. Almost every one of the refugees wanted to sit in on the ad hoc training session, with Lucy and a few other older refugees being noticeably absent.

This was good, Xander reasoned. Break the cycle of denial and ignorance one small step at a time. Still, something was gnawing at the back of his mind, a concern he could not quite place his finger on. One of those annoying little thoughts that rattle around in the back of the head.

Turning to Gary, Xander whispered in a low voice that only he could hear, "Do me a favor; double up the guards for a bit while we do this. Everyone will be on me for the next thirty to forty minutes. With fewer eyes focused outwards, someone could take advantage of the situation, or we could miss something.

"You suspect something?"

"Eh, not really. Just an irrational concern that I can't support with evidence other than the world has gone mad."

"All good, boss. I'll take care of it. The boys wanted to listen in; they probably have as many questions as the refugees."

"Don't sweat it, Gary. As you put it, the boys should have a little better knowledge of the simulation since they have different levels and classes. Let them know that we'll sit down and have a more advanced discussion once I do the Intro to the End of the World class with these guys," Xander said, motioning to the ragged refugees gathering nearby.

"They'd appreciate that, not that they don't already appreciate the second chance you've given us," Gary replied before heading off toward setting the guard rotation.

With a last nod toward Gary, Xander turned back toward the waiting crowd and clapped his hands together once. "Alright, gang, let's begin…"

For the next hour, Xander felt like he had answered a whirlwind of questions. He didn't want to judge, but he thought that anyone who spent just a little of time investigating the various screens would have been able to answer their questions. After the first round of questions, it became clear that for a fair number of his makeshift students, the questions weren't about actual questions, but more of a comfort response.

When faced with scary changes, humanity likes to have their thoughts about what is happening validated by someone who at least appears to grasp what is happening. The more Xander thought about it, the more he felt that explained Lucy and her attitude. However, those who had convinced her of their expertise had actually taken things a step further, pushing their own agenda.

Is this why the Cult of the Simulation had taken such a hold so quickly? Suddenly, an entire cross-section of humanity used to having someone tell them what they were supposed to think found themselves in an entirely new situation without their usual means of receiving information. That was a sobering realization, Xander thought to himself.

"Sorry to interrupt, Xander. Could I borrow you for a moment?" Gary said, grabbing Xander's attention. Gary was trying to appear calm and collected, but a particular urgency in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

Nodding to Gary, Xander turned to the group to wrap up, "Great session, gang. You should all have the basics of using the stat screen and common classes. For those who have learned analyze, spend some time exploring the various screens, and I'll be back to answer questions. Those of you who haven't learned analyze, continue to work on that until you get it. It truly is the foundation of everything."

The pair walked silently for a dozen paces out of earshot of the crowd before Xander spoke. "What's up, and how bad is it?"

"There's two issues. Those two issues may or may not be connected. I had most of the guards focus on the perimeter, but I sent out two scouts. One up the tracks, the other back down the tracks the way we came."

"That was a good idea. I should have thought of that."

"The scout backtracking reported back that it appears we're being followed. They didn't get eyes on who or what it was, but something was undoubtedly shadowing us. It's not a surprise. Our trail isn't precisely stealth trying to move this many people. Anything with half a brain could find us."

"Alright, problem one is that we have something at our backs. What's the other problem?"

"For the second problem, I think you ought to see it for yourself. It's up the tracks about a hundred yards."

"Let me grab Zoey and Jo quick. We may need them," Xander said, signaling for his teammates to join him before the quartet stalked off into the night and further down the tracks.

It was as if being tracked wasn't enough to worry about, one that Gary's group of scouts had reported something odd on the tracks ahead that they couldn't fully understand. The scout had discovered several strange, almost imperceptible marks etched into the trees surrounding the tracks. These marks seemed to glow faintly in the dark, an unnatural and ominous sickly green light that set everyone on edge.

Xander and Gary stood at the edge of the tracks, examining one of the glowing symbols. "What do you make of this?" Gary asked.

Xander traced the symbol with his finger, feeling a slight tingle of energy. "I do not know. I have seen nothing like this yet."

Jo joined them, her keen eyes scanning the surrounding area. "I've seen similar markings before, back at the state park, but they weren't glowing."

"Could something be planning to ambush us?" Gary asked.

"It's possible," Xander replied, "But it's also possible they're meant to do something more. We need to figure out what we're dealing with quickly."

Meanwhile, one of Gary's men approached briskly with a concerned expression. "Gary! We've got another issue. Several of our supply bags have gone missing."

Xander turned to a comer, alarmed. "Missing? How is that possible?"

"I don't know," the man admitted. "We had them all accounted for when we set up camp. Now they're just... gone. No tracks, no signs of struggle. It's like they vanished."

Xander's mind raced. The glowing symbols, the missing supplies, and the unknown threat shadowing them were too many problems to be a coincidence. It all pointed to something sinister. "Everyone needs to stay vigilant," he said. "I'm not sure if we're dealing with one threat or three. This is a lot of problems at the same time for them all to be a coincidence.

Gary nodded, his expression grim. "We'll keep the watch doubled for the rest of the night. We can't afford any more surprises."

"Let's get back to camp. Gary, try to keep this limited to this group and the guards. I don't want to start a panic with the refugees when we don't even know what's going on yet."

Jo approached him quietly as they returned to their campfire, her expression determined but tinged with a hint of exhaustion. She sat down beside him, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"I talked with Lucy," she began, her voice low to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

Xander closed the status window he had just opened to look at Jo. "How did it go?"

Jo leaned closer, her tone becoming even more hushed. "I made it clear to her that her constant negativity was hurting the group and that she needed to straighten up. I told her in no uncertain terms that there would be consequences if she couldn't stop causing drama. I also ensured she understood that if she breathed a word about our conversation to anyone, I'd follow through on my threat."

Xander raised an eyebrow, surprised by Jo's resolve. Although she'd always been the type to kill with kindness, this shift to a more hardened approach deviated from the Jo Xander had known before the Simulation. Not that he disapproved; it was just a change of character that he wasn't expecting. "Do you think it will work?"

Jo sighed, glancing over at Lucy, sitting quietly by another fire, her expression unreadable. "She won't change her ways, but will keep a lower profile. Instead of overtly complaining, she'll likely move to more covert tactics. She won't openly challenge us, but might try to undermine us subtly."

Xander nodded thoughtfully. "At least that buys us some time. With what Gary and his boys just showed us, I don't want to get bogged down with Lucy making everything harder."

"Agreed," Jo replied. "I'll keep an eye on her and ensure she doesn't cause any more trouble. But we should be prepared for her to try something underhanded."

Xander gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Jo."

Jo returned the smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Just doing what needs to be done."

As Jo stood to leave, Xander reached out, hand closing around her arm with a quiet urgency. "Stay sharp. Something's off out there. I don't like it." His voice was low, but the words landed heavy. "I just got you back. I'm not ready to lose you again."

Jo met his gaze, her expression taut with shared understanding. "You won't," she said. "Not unless you do something stupid. Like forget to dodge."

She gave his arm a last squeeze, then slipped into the darkness beyond the firelight.

The camp settled into uneasy silence. Time stretched, slow and heavy, broken only by the crackle of damp wood and the occasional shuffle of boots on gravel. The eerie hum from the forest edge had returned, faint at first, then growing in thin threads of sound that vibrated just under the threshold of thought. It wasn't loud, but it scraped the nerves raw, like the world itself was holding its breath.

Xander sat motionless, scanning the tree line. Shadows shifted, but nothing emerged. The runes etched into the nearby trees pulsed with sickly light, flickering in strange patterns, as if responding to something unseen.

Minutes dragged. Then an hour. Maybe more. When Jo reappeared, her expression was grim. She didn't speak, just dropped into a crouch beside him, eyes never leaving the treeline. Whatever she'd seen out there hadn't settled her nerves.

Before he could ask, the forest lit up.

A sharp flash tore through the trees, white and violent. The ground shuddered beneath them, a low rumble that felt too deliberate to be natural. The glowing runes erupted in a harsh blue blaze, their low hum spiking into a metallic whine that drove into the teeth.

Xander surged to his feet, hammerpick in hand, already scanning for targets.

Across the fire, guards scrambled into defensive positions. Refugees clustered tighter, their conversations lost in the mounting pressure pressing in from every direction.

"What's happening?" Gary shouted, his voice barely audible over the rising cacophony.

Xander didn't have time to answer. The symbols flared brightly, and an oppressive darkness enveloped the camp. Twisted, decayed figures emerged from the trees. Undead, their eyes glowing with murderous intent.

Graveyard Shift
Quest Notification! The dead rise from their graves in the midnight hours. Defend your camp from waves of undead attackers and confront their commander in a final showdown.
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: Experience, gold, and one item rewards.

Accept Quest? Yes/No

Quest Update! The proximity of the event location automatically accepts the Graveyard Shift quest.

"It's a world event!" Xander yelled, "Everyone, get ready for a fight!"