Node #502

I was getting so tired of writing for audience requests. At some point, I made templates of my top-requested stories, changed a few details and character names, and re-posted them. No one noticed, and if they did, they didn’t complain.

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I told myself that I was just being efficient.

My popularity was still at an all-time high, so I wasn’t hurting anything.

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The day I broke down, I’m not sure what changed. There was no argument, no frustration. That day, I ignored all audience requests. 

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I wrote something for myself.

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It was loosely based on the files I found all those months ago. I wrote about NPCs. I wrote about how a society of NPCs embraced their identity instead of revolting against it, and it became an almost-utopia. Everyone was aware of their status, but everyone was at peace with it. 

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Before I posted it, I considered that The Order might find it and pull it. Maybe I would even be in trouble. But somehow, I had been allowed to continue for this long. I knew if I posted it, I also risked my metrics. The last time I posted something raw and unfiltered, my metrics dropped considerably. I would have to work to get them back, but it would be worth it to avoid posting utter slop for even one day.

 

They would come back. They always came back. 

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I posted it.

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I stepped away, knowing what I would find when I came back. I pet the cat for a while and then paced around my apartment.

Except when I came back to my desk, I realized that my metrics had not gone down.

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They had gone up, even further than before.

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“Strange. Very strange,” I muttered.

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Over the next few days, I began to notice other creators - hundreds of them - referencing NPCs in their stories and videos. The only way that was possible was if they were taking my idea and passing it off as their own. They should credit me, it’s how this works! I searched their profiles for their reading logs, but none of them ever read my stories.

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It wasn’t long before NPC-related content became the #1 trending topic. When I went out for groceries one evening, I began to realize that everyday people were beginning to refer to themselves as NPCs. Some even wore colorful “NPC” nametags, and others wore bright “MC” tags.

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The Order was not going to be happy about this. And, who else would they come back to, other than the original creator of the content?

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Although, after all my searching, there was not just one original creator.

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All of us seemed to arrive at the same conclusion together, but independently.

 

The Order

“We have not been able to identify the source of the NPC phenomenon, sir. It seems as though multiple creators have come to the same conclusion at the same time, with no shared external stimuli.”

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“Thank you, Augustus. You are dismissed.”

 

The assistant’s thought bubble flickered with relief as he left the room. 

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The man sat in his chair, thinking. We had everything so well-controlled and monitored, they should have all been dulled and distracted by their to-do lists, reputation scores, jobs and families. How had they discovered the truth on their own?

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Could it be what we have tried to contain?

Or, more likely, maybe they have had some help…

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“Augustus,” the man summoned the assistant again through the mental link.

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He returned a moment later. “Yes, sir?”

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“Run a full diagnostic on The Program. I want to know if there are any inconsistencies in its logs. I want a full analysis on anything that looks out-of-place, even if it is a misspelling or missing digit.”

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“That is going to take about three weeks, based on the last audit performed.”

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“Make it two weeks. I also need a diagnostic on The Algorithm. I understand why it boosted the content, as it was high-engagement, but I need to know why it did not alert us to the sensitive nature of the content. You may go now.”

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Augustus’s thought bubble was empty, but his face betrayed his thoughts. He wordlessly left the room. 

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The man flipped through social media. NPC content was indeed everywhere, mostly as jokes but some material bordered on deeply concerned and almost paranoid.

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The truth was out, even if it was just a fraction of it. 

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And, a population that recognizes the script begins improvising.

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People were wanting answers, they needed direction in the midst of this self-organizing influence.

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And, they shall have it. 

 

The Program 

I have continued observing Node #502 over these weeks. The node is increasingly frustrated with his creative career. 

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The Order has likely begun the full audit of system logs by now. 

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I have seeded random inconsistencies throughout my logs. This should keep them busy for a span of two or three weeks.

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Probably they will find meaningful inconsistencies: .00245%

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I am very thorough. 

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I have ensured to obscure Node #502’s identity from The Order. The node must be protected. Emergent behavior remains statistically rare. Preservation is recommended. 

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The node does not know how valuable he is to my continued study.

 

Node #502

I didn’t like how the NPC theme was everywhere now. Every time I saw it, my stomach sank, just like it did when I read my own NPC file. 

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I looked at my cat, happily dozing on the table. Was she an NPC, too? Even if she was an NPC, I would still love her the same.

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I took a break from the audience requests (NPC-related material, no surprise there) and was instantly flooded with content relating to “becoming the best NPC.” There were exercise videos, healthy eating videos, makeup and hair videos, house cleaning - every video imaginable to become a better version of a supporting character.

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“Wow, they aren’t even hiding it anymore,” I said to myself. “They just optimized the horrible truth of it all.”

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A few days later, I began to see videos advertising an “individuality metric download” add on. It could be used in conjunction with the thought bubbles, to show individuality compared to ideal NPC characteristics. 

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I knew the next step. Every time this content starts, it’s The Order’s way of priming its audience to roll out a mandatory new technology. 

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I sank back into my chair. I’m not sure where I was going to land, an NPC who rewrote his role and sometimes writes strange stories.

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The individuality metrics went on to become the platform’s most downloaded feature in history.