The voice, loud and impossibly clear, jolted Finn from a stupor. He found himself lying on a sidewalk, the grit of the concrete cold against his back. He’d been there all night. Rubbing an aching head, he looked around, but the street was empty. There was no sign of who had spoken.
He dismissed the voice and staggered to his feet, a prickle of alarm making him head for home. He couldn’t remember what he’d been doing, but he was certain it hadn’t involved napping on pavement. His mind raced through a grim catalogue of medical conditions that could make a person simply black out. A seizure? That wasn’t the kind of excitement he was looking for in life.
Back in his apartment, he went straight to the bathroom and stripped down to check for injuries. A constellation of fresh bruises across his side and shoulder suggested he’d fallen hard and fast.
“I apologize for that,” a voice said, this time directly in his head. A tiny woman, no bigger than his hand, materialized in the air before him. She was the spitting image of the heroine from the Arachnid movie. “There really is no gentle method for assimilation designed into your species. A major design flaw, in my opinion.”
“What!?” Finn yelled, stumbling backward and landing hard on the tiled floor. He stared up at the miniature floating woman, shock overriding fear. It wasn't that he was scared, precisely, but her sudden appearance had been one hell of a jump scare.
“Oh dear. The host acclimation manual mentioned this kind of reaction… let me see… ah, yes. A self-introduction is required.”
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am the augmented reality avatar provided by the Crossroads Hotel. During the assimilation process between the Crossroads Hotel System and yourself, an analysis of your memories provided a template to define the optimal method of interaction.
“The scan indicated a recent and growing fondness for novels featuring a ‘System,’ so that is the template we chose. The scan also showed your greatest affinity is for this particular female character, and thus the avatar was created in her likeness. This process is irreversible. In summary, you now possess a System, and I am its avatar. You may ask me any related questions.”
Finn, still shirtless on his bathroom floor, stared up at her with his jaw hanging open. It took him a long moment to process her speech before he mumbled to himself, “Am I going crazy?”
“I’m sorry,” the tiny woman replied, “I meant you can ask questions related to the Crossroads Hotel. I have no data regarding your mental faculties. Would you like me to display your status for review?”
Finn felt a distinct sense of being mocked. Pushing himself to his feet, he dusted off his pants, his face an expressionless mask. He walked to the kitchen, pulled a carton of apple juice from the fridge, and poured a glass. He settled onto his sofa, the floating woman hovering nearby, and took a slow sip. For a long time, he just sat there, watching her, his thoughts churning behind a carefully blank facade. His expression flickered—a serious frown, then a quirky smile, then a far-off, dazed look.
“What does the System do?” he finally asked, his voice steady.
“The Crossroads Hotel is a universal establishment that provides accommodation, sustenance, entertainment, safety, and other facilities to those who wish to avail themselves of them. The universe is a dangerous place, but also a prosperous one. The clients for the Crossroads Hotel are varied, from weary travelers to adventurers, from those who are lost to those who seek change. The Crossroads Hotel is the most renowned universal hospitality establishment in the entire universe.”
She paused, then added, “Please note: the Crossroads Hotel is currently the only universal hospitality establishment in this universe.”
Finn felt the overwhelming urge to slap his own forehead.
“So you want me to manage a hotel for space travelers? I guess that means… aliens are real?”
“That is correct,” she replied, a hint of excitement in her voice. “But there is much more to it than that. The Crossroads Hotel will gain many more features and amenities as your authority increases. Currently, the Hotel has no physical existence; it will be up to you to develop it. You will be guided through quests on how to level up.”
Finn sipped his juice, mulling it over. A small, rational part of his brain insisted he was suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s or something. He’d never studied medicine, so the details were fuzzy, but the gist was that he might be insane. For the most part, however, he believed her. And even if he was going crazy, there wasn't much to be done about it now. Might as well enjoy the ride before someone locked him in a padded room.
“So what do I call you? Or are you also the Crossroads Hotel?”
“You may call me Iris, or Clio for short. The name was taken from your memories as part of your first childhood crush. Only your establishment and the System are named Crossroads Hotel, after the time you first encountered it.”
A faint blush crept up Finn’s neck. Wasn’t that a bit arbitrary? Then again, compared to the naming conventions in the novels he read, full of assistants called Little Black or Little White, he supposed he couldn’t complain.
“Alright, Clio,” he said, the name feeling strange on his tongue. “Where did the System come from? And why did it pick me?”
“Your current authority is insufficient to access the System’s origin. As for why you were chosen… a thorough analysis of various factors such as IQ, Luck, and Competency among your world’s populace caused the System to… momentarily lag. During which… the System crashed into you and initiated assimilation.” Clio blushed and looked up at the ceiling as if admiring the world’s most fascinating paint job.
Finn facepalmed. It was probably best not to dwell on philosophical questions like ‘why me.’ What mattered was that the System was here now.
“Can anyone else see you?” he asked.
“No. You have not yet unlocked the projection capability, though it is a possibility. Furthermore, no one can hear me. You can communicate with me through your thoughts and give me complex orders to carry out while you focus on other real-time tasks. I can only assist with tasks related to the Crossroads Hotel.”
After a moment, having no more immediate questions, Finn straightened up. “Alright, time to get to business then. Show me my Status Panel.”
“With pleasure,” Clio replied. She waved a hand, and a translucent screen shimmered into existence before him.
Cultivation Level: Mortal
Health: Suboptimal (developing brain tumor, damaged muscles, damaged joints, weakened digestive system, weakened lungs, weakened heart, mild nicotine addiction…select to display full list)
Crossroads Hotel Level: 0
Inventory: Starter Pack
Quest: Open starter pack!
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