We all sit in the room. The presentation begins shortly after; it’s a slideshow commented by an artificial voice:

"Greeting humans, and congratulation. You were selected to participate in our final test. Get to the top of the tower first, and you will obtain all you ever wanted."

"You're currently at the first level; here, hurting another participant is prohibited. Automatons are there to ensure that. There will be jail time for those who disrespect the rules."

"500 credits will be credited each month. View your current balance on your wrist.”

We all exclaim ourselves in surprise, discovering a strange tattoo that appeared on our wrist. Like a smartphone, it is filled with many apps, including a messaging system. I go through my contacts; it seems I can join everyone here.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“There are additional ways to gain credits; you’ll discover them while playing.”

“You’ll find a pain limiter on your device. Exceeding the configured value will cause immediate death: a penalty of 3 days in isolation.”

“The game will continue until someone reach the top of the tower, no matter how long it takes. This presentation is available on your wrist under the “my documents” folder. There will be no more information given. Thank you for listening.”

The presentation ends, leaving a silent black screen and everyone speechless.

That’s it? A 5 min PowerPoint? People in the room are starting to freak out. Where are we? Who fucking kidnapped us? One of the girls burst into tears. Some guys start to shout at the screen. I leave the room looking for a calm place; my mind is racing.