Chapter 2: 2: 5 Karma

"Living Jade Empire" was one of the most successful and most expensive advertising campaigns in history. Millions of people began playing it within days of the public launch. Hundreds of thousands bought the expensive new hardware to play it better, and the more systems that were connected, the better the network ran.

Older games had been published on systems that made their money on the games, and often took a loss on the hardware production. "Living Jade Empire" boasted that you could play it on almost anything made in the last twenty years, as well as on the newest VR systems that were crafted with more expensive space born technology. Anyone could play, making the audience vast, and the demand for the new hardware grew exponentially.

The game itself was merely the advertisement for the new hardware, and for the power of the computer it ran on. That computer orbited the Earth on a path that neatly aligned with the first of its clones. The company that built them was dedicated to slowly dragging humanity up and out into the rest of the solar system. The game was designed to say, "Look how much more can be done out here, and how much room there is to expand!"

 

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The Jade Emperor welcomed Danika back to the character creation room. "Greetings mortal soul, 'tis a fine night for adventures is it not?"

"How many people have already started life as half dragons, apart from elves?" Danika asked abruptly.

"5," the Emperor replied simply.

Danika blinked in shock. "How many have collected over 1000 Karma?" she queried the AI.

"1,642 including yourself," the Emperor replied cooperatively.

Danika couldn't understand it. "How many of those are elves?" she questioned after a moment of thought.

"351," the Emperor told her.

Danika scrunched up her face as she calculated. "1,286 people have collected over 1000 Karma and not become half dragons of any sort?" she questioned again.

"Indeed," the Jade Emperor agreed, with narrowed eyes.

Danika examined his expression.

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After awhile the Jade Emperor said to her her again, "You have carried 1005 Karma into my Empire, a treasure gained through great trials in many past lives. Will you spend it all to start your life as a dragon's child?"

"Are there any half dragons that even look like dragons?" Danika asked a little petulantly.

The Emperor's eyes narrowed again, and this time she was sure it was amusement. "Look into the mirror," he commanded.

Danika looked into the tall ornate mirror that stood beside the Emperor's throne. "A salamander," the Emperor stated. A small dragon-like figure wreathed in dancing flames stood in her place. "A race that is half dragon, half etain. They are very rare, and much sought by enchanters."

After a minute the image wavered and a blue serpent blinked dragon like eyes at Danika, mirroring her surprise. "A sea serpent," the Jade Emperor declared. "Half dragon, half nadia. They cannot travel long out of water, and feature in many nautical legends." It seemed like most of the elemental races crossed with dragons retained some of the dragon's form.

Danika wondered what was different about the dwarves, but before she could ask, the image wavered again, and a small armored dragon with vestigial wings took form. Danika regarded it with disappointment, it was the most "dragon" looking of the choices so far, but it had such a drab appearance, and it obviously couldn't fly. The Jade Emperor intoned, "A drake. Half dragon, half lizard. They are often mistaken for dragons."

The image wavered and Danika blinked as the little drake vanished, leaving behind only a sparkle of light in the empty room. She looked at the Emperor questioningly as he stated, "A fairy dragon. Half dragon, half pixie. Supposed by many to be a myth, but it has been recorded in the past as a wizard's greatest familiar."

Danika looked back at the mirror and realized that it was indeed a tiny figure that seemed to sparkle in mid air. Before she could examine it, it faded away and what appeared to be a dinosaur appeared in its place. "A wyvern," explained the Jade Emperor, "half dragon, half bird."

Danika glared at the vicious looking wyvern, which of course, glared back. "I'd like to see the fairy dragon again," she stated firmly. The Emperor waved at the mirror and settled back into his seat.

The fairy dragon sparkled back into existence. It was really tiny. Danika stepped up close to the mirror to examine it. "It's so cute!" she exclaimed as the small details became visible. The little dragon was perfectly formed, apart from having translucent butterfly wings instead of a more draconic shape. Little sparkles really scattered gently from the wings. She scooted closer to the mirror and touched the surface with her claws.

Danika gasped in surprise and fell to the floor as her wings stopped moving. The Jade Emperor chuckled. Danika was unharmed by the fall and quickly clambered to her feet. She stood up on her hind legs and peered over the lower border of the mirror. Her reflection blinked back at her, and she grinned. She was tiny, but she was a "real" dragon.

"How do I fly?" Danika asked the Emperor after a moment spent trying to flap her wings.

"Basic skills can be learned in the beginner's vale, now that you have chosen your race," the Jade Emperor declared. A fairy dragon sized doorway appeared in front of Danika. "Enjoy your mortal adventures as a dragon's child."

The sun sparkled warmly on a little stream that danced down the hillside that stretched before her. "Wait, what about my 5 extra Karma?" Danika questioned before stepping forward.

The Jade Emperor really did grin at her when he replied, "Yes, you will retain a balance of 5 Karma after you pass through the doorway."

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