A message popped up at the top of my field of vision that read, New achievement unlocked! You found your game guide!

  Reward: The reward for finding your game guide is pretty obvious, right?

  “Game guide?” I looked around as the text in my vision faded from view. “What game we playin’?”

  “BioZone City, and I am your guide, Steel.”

  “What are you talking about, old man? I live in New York City.”

  “Not anymore. Now you live here, and you have—hold on, getting to the right screen—almost a week to find an exit to Quadrant 1. It would be to your extreme benefit to make sure that exit takes you to Quadrant 2.”

  I looked at the old guy closer. I had seen that name above him just moments ago, though it had disappeared after a few seconds. As I looked at him again, I noticed three dots that formed a triangle hovering above him. I focused on the triangle and Steel – Level 90 popped up again. I concentrated on those words and a bunch of text hit my field of vision about the guy. There was something about how he was some kind of big deal swordmaster and what I thought was a steroid sensei. I had to read it a couple of times before realizing it said storied sensei. But the steroid thing sounded better to me. I’m not a big fan of reading, so I concentrated on the name Steel again the same way I had done when that info dump appeared and the words went away, thank god.

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  “All level 1 players start with a single ability. They’re parceled out at random. It looks like you got Weapon’s Lore. That will prove highly useful in—"

  “Your name really is Steel? What kinda name is Steel?”

  Steel held a detached look. “As your game guide, I will advise you to stay focused on the game rather than the guide. As I was saying about Weapon’s Lore, this will give you deeper information about weapons in the game, allowing you to—”

  “So, I have to get out of this quadrant? How do I do that?”

  Steel looked irritated, probably at the constant interruptions. “You fight. And in the game death is permanent, so you’d best be on your toes. And this?” Steel held up my packet of Z. “This will get you killed. So stay off.” Steel made a fist and then opened it and my Z was gone.

  “You punk!” I lunged at the old man, but he held out a hand and I was held in place. “What are you doing to me?” I looked around. This place looked like my home. I was pretty sure it was my home, and this Steel guy was nuts.

  Steel stood, picking up a long heavy staff. He drew it back and swung fast and hard. I tried to move away but was still frozen in place. The staff came to a stop an inch from my nose.

  “You have one last chance to learn from me. Will you listen?”

  I wanted to say no, even though I knew it a bad move, but what did I have to lose? “No,” I said, and it felt good to buck Steel’s authority.

  Steel grimaced. “With your stats, zero items, and that stupid attitude, you’re not going to last an hour in here. I was going to give you a sword, a good one too,”—he pulled out a small leather sack and shook it, clinking what sounded like a bunch of coins together—“along with these and a tutorial, but have it your way. Figure the game out for yourself or, more likely, die.” Steel grinned at me and began to turn into multicolored pixels as he faded away. “Stay in the Zone.”