1.15 The Elevator Leading to the Fragmented Side Story

The arrival of Cotel Vitrice brought some companionship to Wu Chen, who had been alone until then, easing his loneliness. Although the AI brain Ai could control the drone swarm and handle all the base’s issues, it preferred to leave daily trivial matters and interpersonal interactions to Cotel Vitrice—for instance, dining together with Wu Chen. After all, a beautiful companion is far more appetizing than facing a silent drone swarm hovering around, its glowing eyes flickering mysteriously.

As a branch of AI evolution, the bio-mechanical robot Vitrice’s power core was not a conventional energy battery, as Wu Chen initially thought, but a bio-organ. It possessed all the functions of simulated human organs—emphasis on “all.” Her daily routines were nearly indistinguishable from those of a human. The essential difference lay in the fact that her traits could not be inherited; put simply, she could not reproduce naturally.

Characters like Vitrice, classified as two-star bio-mechanical story figures, mostly originated from the “Terminator A-grade Story Worlds” and their derivatives. The T850 traders at the talent exchange market held numerous similar character cards. Due to frequent trades, memory resets were employed to erase previous recollections. Since bio-organs could be regularly replaced and customized, the number of hands the character passed through mattered little to successive buyers.

On the third day after returning to the shelter, Wu Chen temporarily detached from Baili Yan’s flat base. Following the AI brain’s planned route, he took the flat base to meet the client. The flat base’s modular nature allowed free assembly and disassembly, enabling easy movement. Its greater function was said to be the ability to resist the impact when the “Purge Day” arrived. Although Wu Chen and his companions had yet to experience it, the base’s local network was filled with countdown clocks for the purge, which occurred once every twelve days and a grand purge every 120 days, constantly reminding players.

At assembly workshop section A-036S, once the commissioning player confirmed the details, visitor access was granted to flat base number 0716. Wu Chen’s exclusive 0326 flat base was soon docked to it. The two bases’ gates tightly connected, and the airlocks opened simultaneously. At last, Wu Chen met the client.

“Hello, 0326,” surprisingly greeted the client, a middle-aged, overweight gamer.

“Hello, 0716,” Wu Chen responded, though much younger, without losing ground. After all, age held only mathematical significance among shelter citizens. In terms of experience, Wu Chen was a grand lord level player, the sole purple-gold VIP—far beyond ordinary players.

After some small talk, the client invited Wu Chen inside the flat base. Unlike Wu Chen’s single motherboard, the client’s base was vast and modular, with the main board centered and four sub-boards docked around it. One of these was the promised reward for Wu Chen—a Tidal Type II board. Judging by the structure, it appeared to be a dedicated breeding base, though why the client abandoned it remained unknown.

Perhaps tired of seafood and craving a change in taste; personal matters Wu Chen refrained from probing.

Inside the base, piles of chaotic “souvenirs” filled every corner, the typical lifestyle of a couch potato. Even the corridors were cluttered, narrow enough to require sideways passage. Yet the client navigated easily, evidently accustomed to order within disorder.

In the main hall, the client finally slumped into a floating recliner, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Watching drones swarm around the client, serving tea and water, Wu Chen couldn’t help but smile inwardly. Who would have thought this corpulent gamer was a major player in the main world?

“The situation is like this…” The client began but was cut off by a drone feeding him. While wolfing down food, he rinsed his mouth with a sugary drink and continued, “0326, you must pass through a special channel to enter this, this soon-to-be-annihilated derivative fragment…”

“Continuing the story arc?” Fearing the client might choke, Wu Chen hastened to finish the thought.

“Or, let it shatter completely,” the client said bluntly.

“The Reaper Rule,” Wu Chen understood.

“That’s right.” As a fellow top player, the client confessed his predicament: “As you can see, I have a severe collecting obsession. I’ve created too many derivative story fragments, nearly exhausting all my shelter coins. Reluctantly, I must reap some.”

“From the beginning, your so-called obsession was really for this day,” Wu Chen retorted, “like finally eating a pet you’ve carefully raised.”

“Exactly, 0326.” The client’s trust grew with Wu Chen’s probing: “For all story worlds, shelter players are reapers. Whether good or evil, just or unjust, noble or ugly—in the end, it’s all harvesting.”

“Understood.” Now that the matter was laid bare, Wu Chen asked openly, “May I bring my exclusive shelter along?”

“No.” The client hastened to clarify, “Because you will intervene in the story in an extremely special way. So the rule forbids bringing outside objects, not my decision.”

“Spirit form?” Wu Chen guessed the most likely “special way.”

“Neither.” The client pondered, “More like a dimensional or alternate space.”

“Where is it?” Wu Chen pressed for clarity.

“Inside the story character’s, here.” The client pointed to his head.

“The mental world?” Wu Chen frowned slightly. Unfortunately, the background information about story worlds had been shattered along with many shelter memories. He had no idea what kind of situation or danger awaited him.

“That’s as good a description as any.” The client, accompanied by flying drones, was at a loss for words.

“Got it.” Wu Chen nodded thoughtfully and fell silent.

After eating and drinking, the client cautiously asked, “0326?”

“How do I start?” Wu Chen was resolute.

“Oh, oh!” The client was ecstatic, “The elevator! A direct elevator.”

“An elevator that goes straight from the exclusive shelter to the derivative fragment?” Wu Chen smiled faintly, “Is that scientific?”

“Very scientific,” the client answered seriously, “If it exists, it is truth.”

“True enough,” Wu Chen agreed, “Where is this elevator?”

“Behind you.” The client activated a hidden button on the armrest. The mountain of story world souvenirs behind Wu Chen slowly parted, revealing a cold metallic elevator.

A flicker of reverence crossed Wu Chen’s eyes.

This elevator hidden behind the souvenir mountain was undoubtedly a shelter creation. Referring to the client’s 0716 flat base, which had an elevator to a derivative fragment spawned from the exclusive main world, Wu Chen’s red phone booth might have a similar function—or perhaps required an upgrade to gain it.

“What should I do?” Eager to explore, Wu Chen asked.

“Wait, wait.” The client fumbled through the nearby clutter, pulling out a card resembling an access pass. With one hand, he manipulated the floating chair, guiding Wu Chen to the elevator entrance.

“Please enter.” The client struggled to sit upright, his expression a mix of excitement and slight nervousness.

Taking the card, Wu Chen stepped inside the elevator alone.

“Insert the card first,” the client reminded.

Wu Chen immediately understood. The dimensional elevator’s access method resembled that of his red phone booth. This “card” was the destination—the so-called “derivative story fragment” the client mentioned. It required card reading to activate. In the Broken City, cards were fragments.

Clearly, the place Wu Chen was to enter was not an intact derivative story world about to shatter, but a small remaining “fragment” after the story world had already broken.

He inserted the card, and the elevator activated.

The client gave Wu Chen a long look before revealing the final step: “Press ‘7’ and ‘8’ together.”

“Two floors?” Wu Chen was taken aback.

“No, no.” The client quickly added, fearing Wu Chen might hesitate, “It’s seven and a half.”

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