15 years ago on WoTmud

[Vivienne]

Fifteen years ago, I logged into the game with a cup of coffee in my hand and asked my normal question at the time: "How's everyone doing? Having fun in Randland? Need anything before I run bug reports?" The Future Fade was on the living room rug watching Blue's Clues and munching on some cereal. It was a normal day in our household, and the start of another normal morning on Wotmud. I hadn't turned on regular television - after all, one never ever got in the way of Blue's Clues. That would be sacrilege.

All comm lines exploded, and it was through WoTmud that I got my first report that something terrible had happened in New York City. Randland was a standstill, the Wheel had definitely stopped turning, players stopped being personaes and instead became very real people as we all started checking in on each other. We knew what players were in New York; we knew we had players whose family members worked in the area; we knew which players were assigned at the Pentagon; we knew who was somewhere in Pennsylvania. Somehow the phone lines were open between California and New York, so until we lost telephone access I was placing calls and leaving messages for players, and also for players who had family there that they couldn't contact because the phone lines were at a fast busy signal.

Through the day, the players of WoTmud strengthened their ties and showed that despite petty in-game bickering, beefs over scalps, arguments over unique items, and the drama llama that goes with roleplay, we're actually a family of gamers. Families don't always get along, but a good family bands together and gets serious when there's a crisis. On this day, fifteen years ago, we all got serious.

Today is a somber day in the United States of America. There's a lot of focus on remembering the terrorist attacks that took place. My focus is on being thankful in the aftermath, and for what came out of it all.

Thank you for being part of my family for over fifteen years. Stay safe for another fifteen more, at least, please.

Less than three,

Vivienne

[Firimei Lang]

A moving piece Viv. I may not of been there fifteen years ago, but I have been here for a good few years.

I may not be American, but what happened there echoed throughout the world and today we see so many attacks on the world by ISIS and so on.

Staying strong is what we do and work with others.

[Eol]

I remember signing on that night on darkside. The whole thing is still unreal when I think about it.

[Brocas]

I don't remember my wotmud experience that day/night at all. It's possible I didn't log in.

I do remember most of everything else that day.

Crazy thing to think about is there are kiddos in highschool that, apart from hearing it from their parents, are learning about it in text books.

[Curtis]

I'd just gotten to work and was about to log on my first character, the 15 19 19 15 11 mc. The net was behaving strangely that morning. My 4ms ping to wotmud (so spoiled as a newbie when everyone else was on dialup!) would have to wait as I was coerced into the warehouse by my superiors.

I turned on the radio and a voice flashed the ubiquitus headline. It still echoed when I flicked on the little black and white TV, but with grayscale repetitions of fireballs and flying debris.

I lugged the tiny TV up front, knowing that none of my fellow employees would believe. As they watched and gasped I attempted to scour the net for information on probably one of the fastest private networking around, but to no avail. Someone had obviously shut the overseas pipes.

We heard the next hit, and I took solis in knowing that I was supposed to be close to the Pentagon that day but my trip was delayed.

...and that's all I can remember.