3rd Person POV

[Maverick, Koharu, and Klein are still training with Kirito]

Klein: All right! I don't wanna fall behind here! Time to train like I've never trained before! Or at least, I wish I could but a man's gotta eat, right? I already ordered myself a pizza. Alrighty, I'm gonna take off here. You're the best Kirito!

Maverick: Hey!

Klein: Oh, you too, Maverick. You guy too! Catch ya later!

Kirito: See you around.

Koharu: Oh yes! Do join us again!

[Klein tries to logout but can't find the logout button.

Klein: Huh? The heck? Where's the logout button, anyway?

Maverick: Really?

[Maverick looks at his menu]

Maverick: Uh...

Koharu: Hmm...Oh, looks like there isn't one on my menu, either. Not on Maverick's either.

Maverick: Please don't look at my menu.

Koharu: (Embarrased) I'm sorry!

Klein: Ah well the game just started up today. I guess I suppose there'll be some bugs. Bet the devs are having a fit.

Kirito: Are you really okay with this? Don't you have a pizza waiting for you?

Koharu: It's gonna get cold, you know?

Klein: Shoot! You're right! Jeez, cold pizza I worse than a cup fulla melted ice cream.

Koharu: Is the menu the only way to log out? Is there no other way?

Kirito: There wasn't even anything about that kind of urgent disconnect in the game manual.

Klein: So that means, I either have to wait for someone to fix this bug, or wait for someone to pull this gear off my head, is that what you're saying?

Maverick: Basically.

Kirito: This is no normal bug. An unexitable game is a huge problem for the dev team and this game. Yet still there haven't been any announcements or any emergency measures put in place.

Maverick: Something isn't right.

Koharu: Maybe they're just flooded with so many requests that they can't keep up?

Kirito: If that was the case, they would just boot everyone from the game until it was fixed.

Maverick: What's going on here?

[Suddenly everyone is teleported to the Teleport Gate plaza]

Koharu: This is the Teleport Gate plaza? Look at all these people?

Klein: Sheesh. This looks like every single player in the game. Huh?

[Suddenly a large avatar appears above everyone. It looked like one giant red cloak with no wearer]

Kayaba: Dearest players, welcome to my world. I am Akihiko Kayaba, now the sole person who holds control over this world.

Koharu: Kayaba is one of the SAO devs, right? You think this is some sort of kick-off announcement.

Maverick: Something tells me that isn't it.

Kirito: I doubt it. Ahkihiko Kayaba has completely avoided any public appearances until now. He's never acted as a Game Master until today. What's this all about?

Maverick: I have a feeling we're about to find out.

Kayaba: I am most certain you have all already noticed that the logout button for this game is no longer anywhere to be found. But this is no error. In fact, this is exactly how Sword Art Online was intentionally designed. None of you will be able to voluntarily exit the game until you have reached the top of the castle. Nor will you find yourselves rescued from those outside the game stopping your Nerve Gear. Should you try, your Nerve Gear's electronic signaler will output high power microwaves that will destroy your brains and put an end to your waking life.

Koharu: Is he saying we could really die? That's not...It's not possible, right? I mean, this is just a game, right?

[Maverick holds Koharu's hand. He was trying to calm her down]

Kayaba: And just so you are aware, we have already witnessed more than few cases in which the family and friends of your fellow players have ignored this very warning. And as a result...Unfortunately a total of 213 players have been permanently removed both their lives in Aincrad and their lives at home.

Koharu: What? That can't be true.

[Maverick squeezes Koharu's hand]

Klein: No way. I'm not falling for that! This is all just some sort of event, right? Some kind of opening story arc. Right?

Kayaba: All of your real world bodies will likely be transported to hospitals and other care facilities with your Nerve Gear intact to receive care. So I ask that all you simply relax and focus on making your way through the game.

Kirito: Do you even hear yourself? Make our way through the game? You think we can just go about leisurely playing a game we're trapped in?

Maverick: This isn't a game anymore.

Kayaba: I also ask that you all act with caution. For the world of Sword Art Online is now another reality for all of you here within it. Should your HP fall to zero, your avatars will be permanently erased from the game and your minds in the real world will be fried by your Nerve Gear. There is but one way out of this game. Climb to the 100th floor atop Aincrad and defeat the last boss and beat the game.

Klein: Beat the 100th floor? You really expect anyone to pull that off? Back in the beta no one made it anywhere close!

Kayaba: Now, before I go, allow me to prove to you that this is now your "real" world.

[A nondescript hand mirror appears in everyone's grasp. The face that reflect back everyone is...]

Koharu: Huh? Why does everyone look different?

Klein: Different? Woah, this is just like my real face.

Kirito: Is that you, Klein?

Klein: That you, Kirito? So that must mean...that's Maverick!

Maverick: What? Do I have something on my face?

Koharu: Is that you, Maverick? Really?

Maverick: You hardly changed at all Koharu.

Koharu: I just use my real face. I don't usually play games anyway. I just bought Nerve Gear for the VR shopping mall.

Klein: Wait what?

Koharu: Can't find good clothes with a fake face, right? This is the same avatar that I used for trying on clothes in VR. When I started the beta it asked me if I wanted to convert it and I didn't really know better so just clicked OK. It was kind of embarrassing, so I thought I'd change it but I wanted to make sure Maverick could still find me again so I just kept it.

Maverick: Aww. I did the same for you!

Klein: Forget what great pals you are. Is it really that easy to recreate someone's face?

Koharu: The Gear has those high density signalers, right? It scans your face and then creates a lookalike avatar.

Kirito: So that's how it all works then. It measures your height and weight when you set it up. So that's how he did this. These might be digitized bodies but they look like us and Kayaba knows that this will force people to think of this all as real.

Kayaba: I developed Nerve Gear and SAO solely to create and admire this world. And now my dream is finally a reality. This concludes the official opening tutorial for Sword Art Online. Players...may fate smile upon you.

[Kayaba vanishes]

Boy #1: This is some kind of joke right? No way!

Boy #2: Cut the crap! Let's get out of here!

Girl #1: No. I don't want to play anymore. Mommy.

[The plaza is overwhelmed with a mix of screaming, crying, and panic. Kirito is no longer anywhere to be found]

Koharu: Oh yeah. We can't go home, huh? We're trapped in here.

[Koharu sits down in silence. The reality of the situation draining her of hope]

Maverick: Koharu.

Klein: Hey, you alright? Guess not. Maverick, can you help me pick Koharu up? Not gonna find much rest around here. I'd say we get away from this plaza.

[Maverick, Koharu, and Klein walk over to the shopping area]

Klein: How ya feeling Koharu? A little better?

Koharu: Yeah. Hey, so where is Kirito?

Klein: He left town. He's off to do whatever it is he can do.

Koharu: I see. I suppose we all need to stand strong now, huh? Sorry for troubling you.

Maverick: We were just worried about you, Koharu.

Koharu: Thanks. Just the thought of being stuck here was too much to bear.

[An unfamiliar voice is heard]

???: Hey, we get it. None of us ever expected that things would turn out this way, right?

Klein: Bwah?! Where the heck did you come from?

???: I've been here the whole time. You're the one who showed up afterwards, mister samurai man.

Klein: Ah, sorry then. I'm no samurai though. The name's Klein. And you are?

Argo: Call me Argo. Nice to meetcha. This is all pretty crazy though, huh?

Klein: You don't seem too put off by it.

Argo: Seeing everyone else panic kinda helped me focus. But I mean look at you, helping others and stuff.

Klein: There's not a whole lot I can do. But this other guy, he went to work. So I can't just sit around crying either. I better head out and meet my pals. They're probably back at the plaza.

Koharu: What? You're leaving us?

Klein: I've known these guys since our last game. They're newbs in this game too so I can't just leave them out there.

Koharu: Right. Of course.

Klein: C'mon. Don't give me that face. Just hit me up if you need anything. I'll head right out to meet ya. I may not look like it but I headed up a guild in some other games! I'm around whenever you need me!

Koharu: Thanks for everything, Klein.

Klein: Okay, later then!

[Klein walks away]

Koharu: This all feels so unbelievable. It's not a bad dream though, huh.

Argo: Unfortunatley we're all wide awake. You two got a plan or something? Where you off to?

Maverick: We got to do something.

Koharu: Where should we even start? I don't understand any of this. Think anyone outside the game can help?

Argo: I doubt it. It's already quite a while since we all go locked in, right? If anyone could bring help they'd probably already have done so.

Koharu: What should we do then? Are we just stuck here forever?

Argo: Hey, don't ask me. All I know right now is that if we head beat level 100, then we beat the game. That's it. If no one can jump in and help then that's our only chance. Can't say I like it, though.

Koharu: Oh...I'm sorry, Argo. I know you're just stuck like the rest of us.

Argo: Don't sweat it. In times like these it's best to just let it all out. Anywho...Whatcha gonna do from here? You can stay cooped up in town waiting for help that'll never come or work to make your way out of here. There's really only one chance.

Maverick: I don't plan to just wait around.

Argo: Well, first things first. We need Col. So, money. Let's just try and stay alive for now and level up our gear and stuff. There are lots of ways to earn Col. Easiest is to take down lots of monsters or do a bunch of quests. Best case scenario, you do both in one go. Can't beat that. Speaking of which, I've got some juicy intel. Think you can go gather up three Reckless Fang? The Frenzy Boar out in Origin Plains drop them. If you bring me a bunch, I'll buy them at a high price! Sound like a deal?

Maverick: We have a deal.

Koharu: I'll...I want to help out too. Just like Klein said, we've all got to do what we can. We'll never get anywhere if we all just sit around and not do anything at all.

Argo: That's the spirit! I'll be hanging around over here. Drop by again when you're done, okay? Good luck!