Alan jogged along, five minutes away from the base, trying to process this new information, when he was interrupted by a message from Thiago:

T: We’re pretty sure this is your fault. You’d better be able to explain yourself fully.

Great.

***

Alan took a deep breath before he spoke, staring into the glaring, accusing eyes of the rest of the group. They’d all gathered in the main room in the bunker, standing around Alan as he tried to defend his actions.

“Look, I’m sorry for what happened," Alan said. "It was stupid, and I know that, but let me explain myself. After Ace and Daisy left, everything went to hell. There was a full on war downtown!

"Eve suggested that in the confusion I try to kill a sniper and steal their items, as I was still missing a ranged weapon. So, I did. But, somehow, the United World Government was able to determine I killed the sniper. It was an accident, and it never should have turned out this way.”

“Are you a fucking moron?” DaLong asked, rage seething in his eyes, as he pushed Alan into a table. “Did you seriously think, oh, this is just a stupid fucking game, I can go kill that player, take their items, and no one will care? Did you consider that you, a nobody who shouldn’t even be here, could jeopardize this entire group with your actions?”

Alan began a reply, struggling to move away from DaLong, “Hey, wait, look, I wasn’t trying—”

“Of course you weren’t. You weren’t trying to fuck us all over, but you did. You continue to think of this as a game, rather than an actual world, a world where a single action can affect everything else, perhaps even the fate of humanity. Instead, you’re preoccupied with gathering loot and experience and skills, unaware that your every action could change the balance.

"What if you taking out a sniper changed the fate of this battle? Do you even know which side is which? No, of course you don’t, you’re just a little kid out of his depth, being told what to do by the babysitter you invented. I don’t get how someone so fucking smart that they created a functioning AI can make so many stupid decisions.” DaLong continued ranting, spittle spraying onto Alan’s face.

“Now, look," Alan said, "I don’t know about you, but I have zero experience with any of this shit. I’ve never fought anybody but a couple of kids in grade school. Making Eve, that was done using an online tutorial, with lots of time, dumb luck and book smarts. She basically taught herself, playing games that I provided.

"The only experience close to this is what I’ve read in books or seen in movies or played in games. I haven’t had time to consider the implications of my every action, and, despite what you seem to think, this is clearly a game. That means taking risks when the rewards are worth it,” Alan replied as he stared back at DaLong.