Virtual Reality

I had just returned from the store, lugging back bags of groceries and grumbling under my breath. When I kicked open the door to our apartment my roomie, Tanya, jumped up and steered me to the kitchen putting a finger to her lips.

“My brother just came back from this game con he was at in the capital,” she murmured.

“So?” I raised my eyebrows and began to unpack the groceries.

Tanya twirled a strand of her black hair and looked away. “He’s here right now with this new game and he said we can borrow it…”

“I take it there’s a catch?” Her brother Hans was very holy about his virtual games; especially the ones he obtained through less…legal means. Game con my foot, he’d visited his scaly friend in the city again. But my curiosity was piqued.

“There is…” she traced imaginary patterns with her finger on the kitchen counter.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Spit it out.”

“He said only if you go on a date with him.” Tanya grabbed a fold of my shirt in her hands and leaned towards me. “Please say yes! Pleeeeease!”

One thing you should know about Tanya: she’s a complete and utter geek, nerd and major gamer all thrown in there together. She had bad social skills and gaming was her escape from reality. I was not so fond of it myself but that she would ask something this big of me could only lead me to wonder what this game was.

I rolled my eyes and gave in under the pressure of her magnetic brown eyes, the effect only enlarged by the thick glasses she wore. She didn’t need them but she wore them because they were antiques and had belonged to her grandmother “Okay, okay. Let go, you’re making my new shirt wrinkled.”

“Thank you so much!” She yelled and wrapped her arms around my neck. “He’s in the sitting room; I’ll tell him right away.”

“I can’t breathe!” She released me and I looked nervously at her retreating back. Had this been a wise decision? Her brother was odd…to say the least. I shrugged mentally and began to prepare dinner.

Someone rubbed my head, as if I was a dog, messing up my French plait. “Hans,” I groaned but continued chopping carrots.

He leaned over and grinned widely at me, his blue eyes sparkling. “So glad you agreed, you’ve made two people very happy today.”

“Why do you REALLY want me to go on a date?” I waved my knife at him and he stepped back.
“Whoa, whoa!” I stepped closer and he held up his hands his overly long blonde hair falling into his face. “Okay, sheesh woman. I’m having a get together with some old friends okay…I want to create a good impression.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I lowered my knife and put it down. “Now, where’s this game you promised us?” I placed my hands on my hips and gave him my evil eye. He better not have duped us with an awful second rate game.

“It came out a few days ago actually,” he said sounding excited despite my best glare. He led me into the living room where Tanya was fingering a strange head piece device. I glanced at Hans and he gave me the thumbs-up, his smile genuine.

I sighed knowing he had never let his little sister have something dangerous.

“This better be good.” I sat down next to Tanya on the couch and peered at the machine.

“Well, it’s actually reached number one rated game worldwide in only a few days. Can you believe that? It’s surpassed the sales of every other virtual reality game before it. Apparently this is much more complex, the details are scarily realistic…and I can’t really explain it you’ll have to see for yourself. While you sleep you play.” He bent down and lifted out a thick booklet from a sleek black box on the coffee table. I assumed it had come with the helmet.

“You better read this. It’s the game book, containing everything you need to know, especially about creating your character.” His slender figure straightened and he winked at me. “Suspicion does not become you Kat.”

I had been looking at him this whole time trying to determine if he was lying or not.

Tanya sighed. “Kat, this is the real deal, they’ve been talking about this on every gaming forum I’m subscribed for YEARS!” Tanya looked up at me and smiled, “This is going to be so exciting! You know how much these things cost? Not just the average Joe can afford them.”

“That’s precisely why I’m worried,” I told her pouting. “Where’d he obtain the hard cash from?” I looked at Hans.

“Oh!” he murmured and bent his head. “I’m accused wherever I go.” His head snapped up and there was something shifty about his eyes. “Let’s just say I did a favour for a friend okay?”

His naïve sister sprang up to hug him. “You’re really the best.”

Hans glanced at me over her shoulder and I made the movement of knife moving across his neck, my warning clear.

“See you girls later!” he said after I had grumblingly fed him some of our dinner. Loafer. “And see you,” he pointed at me. “Next Friday night.” I rolled my eyes as he closed the door behind him. I locked it eagerly glad to be rid of him.

But when I saw Tanya’s bliss as she read through the game manual I softened and muttered, “Next time you won’t be so lucky Hans.”

“Hmm…I’ve never played virtually…nevermind online,” Tanya mused taking her glasses off and rubbing her eyes as she read through the page she was on.

I bit my lip, grinned and swooped down on the helmet. “Ah ha!” I held it out of reach from Tanya who had jumped up. “You write an important exam tomorrow, you won’t pass the course if you fail it.”

“Let me just play for a bit!” she whined tears pricking her eyes.

I shook my head vehemently. “No can do. Remember last semester?” We both thought back on the day I had found her passed out in front of the computer screen, cans of beer littering her room, and her unfinished English essay work stained with chocolate fingertips.
Tanya’s eyes lowered.

“Don’t worry,” I said hastily seeing her downcast face. “Just think that as soon as you’re finished writing you can try it tomorrow night.”

She gave a heartfelt sigh and shuffled off to her room. I carried the helmet in its box back to my room and placed it on my desk. I had no assignments due for tomorrow and I had recently finished my last exam while Tanya still had a few left. So I idly picked up the game manual and sat down on the edge of my bed.

On the cover was a realistic looking virtual girl with ridiculous clothes on, with a sceptre in her hand. The title read,

“All you need to know about Quest Seeker”

The manual was filled with the usual dribble about where to find monsters, where to buy potions and equipment, etcetera. What I hadn’t told Tanya or anyone else was that I used to be a very serious gamer but I stopped playing years ago since everything was the same.
I glanced at the box. But this, this was something on a whole new level. I had never played virtually before and apparently it was something you had to try. But a game that you logged into while you slept? That was really expensive technology. I’ll grill Hans about where he really obtained it from, later.

A few moments later I blinked and I was standing in front of the desk with the shiny helmet ‘headpiece’ in my hands. I closed my door and locked it before lying down and
putting the machine over my head.

My hand scrabbled on the side looking for the switch the manual had described. I found it and flicked it.

My vision went from black to stark blinding white.