Chapter 3: Capitalism

“Hey kid, what do you think capitalism means?”

“I don’t know teach, what does this have to do with my job?”

“Kid, we all work under a capitalistic company. You HAVE to know what capitalism means.”

“Eh, but it sounds boring.”

“Everything involving politics is boring. But one has to take advantage of it in order to get ahead in life.”

“Fine…”

Gin recalled the strange discussion he had with one of his job trainers. They drilled the definition into his head through constant repetition.

“Capitalism, is an economic system in which investments in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained mainly by private individuals or corporations, especially as contrasted to cooperative or state-owned means of wealth.”

But does Gin actually understand what that long ass definition actually meant? Not really. So, he asked his teacher for a shorter definition.

“An economic and political system where a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit rather than by the state.”

That was a simpler definition. You were the private owner. You were in charge of trade and industry. But aside from all this boring talk about capitalism. What exactly is Capitalist Conquest?

“Zin, what do we need to do?”

“Our main goal is to earn a fortune.”

“How?”

“Start a business or perform other capitalistic functions.”

“What role does the Corporation play in this?”

“They will be a secondary regulating body.”

“So instead of making the departments into oligarchies, they want everyone to start their own business to create an artificial economy within their own company?”

“…Master Gin, your head must be finally screwed on correctly today.”

“Screw you, what else does this thing do?”

“We introduce a product.”

“What product?”

“Monsters.”

“Don’t we already deal with mutated animals?”

“Yes, but we will also be facing far more dangerous creatures according to the combat system manual. Some even from the myths of old.”

“Is it life threatening?”

“Only dangers are financial.”

Gin scratched his head as he felt like his brain was overheating from thinking too much.

“So, the company creates fake monsters for us to fight to get materials to sell to start our own business?”

“Indeed, you sure did understand that fast, Master Gin.”

“Enough of your new personality, its sarcasm levels are far too high.”

Gin pointed at the blue device menacingly. He took the Zin’s chip out and placed it back into the wall terminal. Carefully, he also stored the blue device in case it has other uses.

“Why would anyone ever want the materials?”

“To create virtual products.”

“Like?”

“For example, armor, vehicles, weaponry, cosmetics, and many more.”

“But why?”

“Vanity reasons what my AI chip does not understand.”

“Does the corporation buy any of this stuff?”

“Does any government body buy anything from private companies? Of course, they do.”

“I thought I said to turn down your snarky tone.”

Gin sat down as he rubbed his hair. A few grey strands fell onto the ground as he sighed.

“So, let me get this straight. The company is introducing a new entertainment system where we get to fighting artificially created monsters in an augmented reality world. These monsters drop parts and materials we can use to create fancy stuff that we can sell and earn credits?”

“Indeed. Time is money, and thus spending your time to gather materials and to craft are all considered a money-making action.”

Gin could already imagine himself holding a giant gun shooting demons or something in the face, as he ripped the skin off their corpse to make a new pair of underwear. It reminded him of the commercials that were shown in the upper wealthy areas where they had more time and credits for entertainment.

“So, we have the game system that deals with monsters, the combat system that let us fight and gather materials from the monster, what is the last part?”

“The Player Account Program. This deals with cosmetics for both the user and their AI assistant.”

“W-wait? AI assistant too? You can fight too?”

“Yes, AI assistants are also connected to the combat system.”

Gin looked at the blinking lights on the wall terminal. He imagined himself going into combat with a metal wall full of blinking lights, holding a metal mace or something.

The image in his imagination was so bizarre it made him giggle a bit.

But a quick look around at his surroundings brought him back to reality.

He had nothing but the clothes on his body and a pair of work uniform. Even Zin, his trusty AI, barely developed his personality and cannot offer much physical assistance. Just how would he play this game with nothing?

“Where do we start?”

Gin finally asked.

“Sign the dotted line.”

“W-what?”

“All users must agree with the Terms and Conditions of Capitalist Conquest before they can begin.”

Zin displayed an enormous document in front of Gin. After he looked at the page numbers, Gin nearly fainted.

“O-one thousand and twenty-nine pages? Do I have to read it all?”

“It is highly recommended you read the Terms and Conditions before signing.”

Gin could only sigh. No wonder Corporate gave him some free time. This was going to take a while.

Sitting back down on his bed, Gin got comfortable as he started to read the fine print, and the fine print within the fine print.

______

In the upper atmosphere, the sun tends to rise earlier than expected. By the time Gin finished his ordeal, he could barely keep his eyes opened. The words he read would not even register in his brain. Finally, the last page showed up. On it was a thin dotted line.

“F-finally.”

Gin carefully extended his tired index finger and signed his name on the line. The enormous document pinged in a delightful noise and vanished back into the wall terminal. With that done, Gin finally passed out on his bed.

“Idiot, no one ever reads the Terms and Conditions.”

Zin sighed at his master gullibility. Thankfully, he had passed out and couldn’t hear what Zin said.

With the document signed, Zin got to work. Although the programs were installed, they had to be unpackaged and placed in the proper areas within his storage. He had to double, and triple check all programs to ensure they are fully functional. Lastly, he had to make a beginner’s guide for his idiot master.

“Why did I have to develop a personality now of all times? This is just slave labor.”

But as an AI, Zin couldn’t complain to anyone but himself. If he dared to defy any of the laws of robotics and AI’s, he would be immediately obliterated and reset. But now that he has a sliver of personality, he realized he had interests and aspirations too. Repetitive labor like this just wore down on his motivation. The only bright side was that the program allowed him to join in the combat and to customize himself as much as his master desires.

“Maybe I can get a body to move around in,” Zin couldn’t help but hope. “Anything would be better than this chip form.”

The poor AI continued his monotonous work while his owner slept blissfully into the morning.

______

Dreams came from images we see in everyday life and from our memories. For those who cannot see, their dreams came in the form of other senses like sound. Dreams could be a form of inspiration, a form of desire, and a method of deterring the mind from certain tasks. Some say dreams were warnings, a premonition of the future. Some say dreams were a representation of the person as a whole, their inner Id.

In Gin’s dream that day, he saw what could have been. Images spawned from his overactive imagination stormed in his mind as he dreamed.

Fistfights with dinosaurs, crossfires against cybernetic bugs, flying through the city through all the areas with a personally created pair of wings, and even a vehicle to call his own. All of these were the hopes that Gin had that were originally crushed under the reality of his life. He had a job and little time for freedom. He had obligations to fulfill and responsibilities to look after.

People in the past may have said he aged too quickly and that he had no childhood. Perhaps they were right. But this doesn’t mean his dreams and imagination died along with it.

This was entertainment. The enjoyment spawned from the imagination of human beings as a collective. Movies, shows, art, games, music, and many more, all of them are entertainment. As social creatures, we want to share this with others. Let them enjoy what we have enjoyed, imagine what we have imagined, and to give us the positive reinforcements we so desire.

The main goal of this dream was to build up anticipation, and its goal was completed perfectly.

Gin woke up the most excited he has ever been.

“I can’t wait!” He yelled as he jumped out of bed and hit his head against his low ceiling.

With a loud thud, he landed back down on his bed.

“Good afternoon Idiot master Gin.”

______

Gin woke up slightly past lunchtime. His stomach growled in protest. He couldn’t leave his room pod until the bi-daily transport carriers arrived. They were far too expensive to run more than twice a day.

There were several departments that have built their own forms of a food delivery service. The Supply Chain division had its automated drone delivery. The HR department had its paid employee meal benefit service. The R&D department had its ‘highly experimental’ portal food delivery.

But all of them were far too expensive for Gin. Thus, he had to rely on the last option that employees resorted to, 3D printing food. The 3D printer pods carried plenty of raw materials, including meat protein. But they could never create decent food. It always created a weird tasting solid object with the same amount of nutrition as a regular meal.

Desperate time called for desperate measures.

“Zin, call up the 3D printer pod.”

Gin sighed as usual. He had to eat something, or he might endanger his health. He couldn’t afford any sick days.

“Standard 3D printer pod requested, ETA 15 minutes.”

A slightly large pod quickly shifted itself from its regular orbit closer to Gin’s room pod. As it got close enough to dock, several tubes were connected as the large pod pressurized to match Gin’s room.

A door opened and a large screen was displayed.

“Welcome to the 3D printer pod, please fill out a request form.”

Zin received the documents from the pod AI and displayed it to Gin. Gin reluctantly filled out the form and told Zin to send it back.

As soon as the pod AI got the documents back, the screen turned on.

“Please choose a shape.”

Gin looked at the images of weird and wacky shapes. In the end, he chose a long cylindrical tube.

“Good choice, please select material.”

From the list, Gin scrolled down until the final option, Edible Nutrition paste.

“Choices complete, please wait.”

Gin watched as a nozzle slowly oozed out nutritional paste into a long cylindrical tube shape. After the substance hardened, it was complete.

It rolled out of the dispenser like a log at a sawmill.

Gin grimaced as he reached out and touched the meat tube. It didn’t look appetizing at all, but his stomach needed food.

Reluctantly, he took a bite out of the tube. It was still warm and cooked, but it left a lot to be desired. It had very little taste and was similar to chewing moist, slightly toasted cardboard. But it sat in his stomach like a brick and filled him up fast.

“Bleh, remind me to hoard some non-perishable food in my pod.”

“Noted,” Zin replied immediately.

The 3D printer pod flew away as soon as Gin stepped out. It returned to its regular orbit, awaiting its next customer.

A single credit was deducted from Gin’s account. His abysmally low credit count fell even lower.

“I can’t keep spending like this.”

Gin sighed as he looked at his worth fall in real time.

But his poverty made him look forward to a life of luxury. A life that Capitalist Conquest can give him.

“What should I do now?”

“I have compiled a beginner guide for you, Master Gin.”

“Great! Show it to me.”

A check list appeared in front of Gin.

[Combat 101]

[Gathering 102]

[Crafting 103]

[Marketing 104]

[Entrepreneurship 105]

[Customization 106]

Each of them looked like a course that Gin had to go through.

“So combat is first? Great!”

Gin smiled.

“Oh, my poor little master.” Zin laughed sadistically to himself.

Preparing to learn some combat, Gin performed some stretches that he learned from some co-worker a few years ago. It was to limber up his body, so he doesn’t hurt himself during instances of sudden and excessive movement. He did the same thing every time before he went to work. Even if he had some basic combat experience, most of it were pests like bugs and rodents. They were easily taken care of with firearms. He never really got into a close combat situation before. Thus, Gin was looking forward to combat training.

Maybe he will get to fight with swords, spears, maces, and other cold weaponry.

“Please put on your goggle, with me in it of course.”

Gin took Zin out of the wall terminal and slipped it into his goggles. He slapped the goggles on his face and the heads-up display was digitized.

“Activate [Combat 101].”

Gin said with excitement and anticipation.

“Starting basic combat tutorial. Spawning basic enemy 01, Larval moths.”

Out of nowhere, two large wiggly slug-like creatures digitized as a swarm of 0’s and 1’s oozed like slime from the corner of his vision onto the floor.

They wiggled on the floor helplessly making sickening squelching noises.

“The hell are those?”

Gin stopped in his tracks.

“Tutorial enemies, the most non-aggressive type.”

Gin stared at the slugs then at himself.

“How do I fight it?”

“With your hands and feet.”

Once again, Gin looked at the disgusting oozing slugs. They were practically wheezing on the ground and looked near death.

“or teeth.”

Zin added.

Gin froze upon that line. He could imagine biting into that sickening moist flesh as it oozed out putrid fluids. He could almost feel the viscous slime soaking into his mouth and nostrils as he tried to tear into the slug with his teeth.

“Ugh, no thanks.”

Gin nearly vomited his meat cylinder.

“You must defeat the tutorial enemies to continue with the beginners’ guide.”

“Can’t I use a weapon?”

“Do you see a weapon anywhere?”

Zin said sarcastically.

Gin sighed deeply as he walked up to one of the slugs. It couldn’t really move and continued to squirm on the floor, constantly releasing more slime.

Reluctantly, Gin lifted his foot and stomped down hard on it. His foot slipped off the creature, nearly tripping him in the process. The body was oddly robust, and the slime made it hard for Gin to get traction on the slug. Even his pants leg got covered in slime.

“Ugh.”

Vomit nearly spewed out of his mouth as he felt the warm slime on his leg. Although it was supposed to be augmented reality, it felt so real. His senses were fully tricked into believing the crap on his leg was real. As he tried to wipe it off with his hands, they got coated in the stuff as well. It was just too viscous and sticky.

“God damnit!”

Gin struggled but he couldn’t get the slime off the leg or hand. He could begin to feel the digestive enzymes work on his skin. It felt ticklish. Zin was right about one thing; these creatures weren’t aggressive and even their slime was not too deadly. Perhaps they were bottom feeders, only tasked with the menial task of disposing dead organic matter.

Sadly, for Gin, this meant he couldn’t really hurt them with his hands or feet.

“D-do I really have to resort to using my teeth?”

Gin really wanted to vomit as the thought floated around his head.

But he deeply wanted to get through this combat tutorial.

“I highly suggest you bite it.”

Zin said while it tried to contain its own laughter.

Gin looked towards the slug. He vomited a little in his mouth but swallowed it back down.

“L-let’s get this over with.”

He lunged at the slug with his mouth open. As his face got buried in slime and he could feel the ooze flowing down his mouth, a thought suddenly appeared in his head.

“Wait a minute, this is a tutorial, where’s the guide?”

But it was too late for regrets.

“Boy, aren’t you too eager?”

A booming voice laughed from behind Gin.

______

Gin was on the floor on all fours vomiting as if his life depended on it. Two AI’s watched from the side, both with a sadistic grin on their face.

“W-why didn’t you tell me?”

Gin stopped to catch his breath.

“You didn’t ask.”

It was the oldest trick in the book. If there weren’t any loopholes involving an AI tricking their users, Zin would have long been obliterated and reset. But he found enjoyment in torturing the boy. Plus, he found a like-minded friend in the Combat training AI.

Their success had led to the current situation unfolding.

“Boy, you need to use that brain of yours more!” The Combat AI laughed.

“And not as a blunt weapon,” Zin chided along.

Gin couldn’t hold it back and continued to vomit.

After clearing his stomach of all slime and nutritional paste, Gin fell weakly onto the ground face first.

“ughhhh…” He groaned.

The two slugs were still wiggling on the floor as if nothing had happened. Even Gin’s desperate bite attack had no effect on them.

“Get some rest, Boy, we will continue at a later time.”

The Combat AI shut down the tutorial and the two slugs pixelated away into 0’s and 1’s.

Gin passed out from weakness. He was lightheaded from all the vomiting and lack of oxygen. His stomach cramped as it had just been abused. He even felt a little cold as his body shivered.

“God damn assholes!” He grumbled before his consciousness faded to sleep.