Allen’s POV
“Dive suspended… you may experience disorientation when returning to reality.”
The world of Asoria dropped away from me at impossible speed. It felt like I was lifting into space, only space wasn’t stars and galaxies; it was just swirls of color dancing together in random sweeps that didn’t make any sense at all.
The colors surrounded me, then they faded away. My body felt heavy, numb, and energized all at the same time. It was inexplicable and painfully overwhelming.
I couldn’t move. It felt like I was sinking into a bed of needles, except the needles were in my brain, or maybe I was sinking into my brain, or perhaps I was in my brain and the needles were everywhere.
There was a digitized noise, like the sound of a person talking underwater. It was harsh and grating and loud and— “SHUT UP!” I roared, only to jolt so the shocking sound of my voice.
I banged my head on something, grunting in frustration as I tried to figure my way out of this…where was I again?
A wave of nausea hit, and suddenly the world was spinning, twisting, turning, and the sound was growing louder, and I couldn't breathe.
Something pierced my right arm. It felt like a giant bee stung me.
My vision blurred, and everything turned a hazy shade of pink, then my heart was racing, beating, thumping, pounding. It was like I could feel every beat and every pump and the whole world was crashing down.
Then it was gone.
I was just…floating.
“751… 751, can you hear me?”
Red?
“He’s gone…” the dull thump of a fist hitting metal sounded as a soft vibration spread. “Fuck!”
A digitized voice, the chair’s voice, said, “Stabilization successful… User number 751, welcome back to reality.”
I blinked, seeing a pair of red eyes peering down at me.
The pod began to open, but it was hard to breathe.
Red placed a hand on my chest and leaned in.
Unsure how to react, I stayed still as she placed her face next to mine, hovering above me for several moments.
I held my breath.
Her eyes stared into mine like she was searching them for the secret of eternal life or some weird shit.
I swallowed.
She scowled, backing up immediately. Her hand flew from my chest and struck me across the face as she barked, “Howthe fuck are you alive after ten hours in the machine, especially given you selected one of the most difficult character types to adjust to; and what’s more, you narrowly survived a mind melt on entry and you flatlined on exit! That machine should have been your deathbed. Do you even understand what I’m saying?”
I nodded, then shook my head. “Well, not the part about a mind melt. Are you referring to the odd sensation I had where I was weightless and without form, just drifting through a sea of color?”
She frowned.
The chair, or rather the pod, tilted forward, but Red, with her angry eyes, blocked me from getting up.
“Dive complete, please exit the pod carefully. Your body may feel strange after your prolonged dive. If nausea or dizziness occurs, please consult a doctor before your next dive.” The Holodiver chimed a little jingle, then it shut off.
I took a deep breath, sat up, then asked, “Can I stand?”
The redhead sighed, looking me over with a mix of suspicion and annoyance. She finally stepped aside, allowing me to get up.
I stood slowly, feeling like a newborn giraffe trying to find its footing. The ground shifted, swayed, and felt uneven and awkward. I stumbled forward, falling into Red.
She caught me, sighing again.
Maybe I should’ve gone slower…
“419, show him to his room and get him up to speed. From now on, his fuck up is yours too, so you better take this seriously.”
“Yes ma’am,” a man in a white mask said. His voice, like everyone else wearing a white mask, sounded digitized or synthesized somehow.
Red left without another word, disappearing through the sliding door.
The man beside me nudged me forward, saying, “Let’s go. We have a lot to go over before workouts tomorrow.”
I didn’t answer, instead I just allowed him to guide me as I focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
He was shorter than me, but built like an ox. Each time his heavy hand pushed against my back, I was reminded of the thugs in the alley, and of the agents who took me from my home.
All of it was running together, like one very long and inescapable nightmare.
The hallway was long, dark and selectively illuminated, just like everywhere else in this damned place. I wasn’t really sure how long or how far we walked before 419 grabbed the back of my collar, stopping me, then spun me to face a door with the number 751 on it.
He pressed his hand to a panel on the wall and the door opened. With a gentle shove, he nudged me forward and I stumbled into the room.
A bed was pushed against the right wall and a door on the left was open to a small closet.
There was a desk and a chair, but nothing else.
A black box sat on the desk. It had a glowing green light on top and a single button.
The agent stepped inside behind me, closing the door and motioning to the device. “That’s a special computer. You can use it like a normal computer, but keep in mind all your activities are monitored. Rosalin won’t complain about much, but if you’re into any weird shit be prepared for her to call you out.”
I stared at him deadpan. “Wired shit?” I asked. “Like what?”
He scratched the back of his head. “Well, we had one guy that liked to watch cats licking—”
“Nevermind! I don’t want to know.”
419 chuckled.
I sat on the bed, surprised at how soft it felt. The sheets were like velvet and the mattress must’ve been fashioned from clouds and a gentle breeze. It was the fluffiest, bounciest, and coolest bed I had ever touched.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
I looked back at him.
419 shrugged, saying, “Anyway, you should shower and prep yourself for drills in the morning. Oh, and you need to wear your mask from now until Ros or Mr. J says otherwise.”
I nodded. Then, for the sake of certainty, asked, “Is Rosalin the girl with the red hair?”
419’s mask lit up with a pixelated smile. The expression didn’t fit well with his posture, leading me to question its authenticity. He crossed his arms nodding slowly, then said, “But you’ll only ever call her Ms. Supervisor, unless you’re alone or looking to spend a week in the infirmary.”
I nodded, accepting his words as a fact and not an exaggeration. Even if he was stretching things, I had enough to worry about already. I didn’t want to do anything that might make things more difficult or unpleasant.
“You got any other questions before I go?”
“Yea, where’s the shower?”
“I’ll be back in a bit to show you. For now, I recommend getting to know your room. And take a moment to rest. You’re as wobbly and off center as a baby taking their first steps. You ain’t gonna last like that.”
The agent left the room and the door closed behind him.
I sighed.
It felt like ages since I ate anything, despite the meal I shared with— no, that was just the game. Aside from what I hope was only water, I hadn’t actually consumed anything since arriving here.
My stomach gurgled as if to agree.
I laid back, wondering if there was any way I might leave this place. But even if I could find a way out, where would I go?
Home certainly wasn’t an option. They were watching mom, so they’d know immediately. Besides, with the lies being spread on the news, I’d probably be reported and arrested long before I got home.
Reality felt like a ten ton plate pressing down on me. I could barely move.
Sure, I got to use top line equipment to enjoy the world's greatest and most realistic game, but this place—this prison—was a hell I wasn’t sure I could survive.
I took a deep breath.
The room was claustrophobic and lonely.
I took another deep breath, rolling onto my side and pulling my knees into my chest.
How did Seya even come across this job? Why did she send it to me…
I should’ve read the listing more closely, or better yet, I never should’ve clicked that damn link.
The door opened, prompting me to sit up.
419 was back. He held a bundle of towels and soap that smelled of pine.
I hate pine…
“Get your mask and let’s go,” he said. “The showers are the best thing about this place, so perk up… or don’t. Once you put on that mask it won’t matter how twisted your face looks or how bitter you sound. The mask will make sure no one ever knows.”
It struck me that his voice wasn’t just synthetic, it was emotionless. Now it made sense why their voices bothers me so much. Everyone in a white mask sounded flat and robotic, like they weren’t human, but androids or something.
I dreaded wearing one, but I knew there wasn’t really a choice.
I took a deep breath, picked up the mask and followed 419 out the door.
***
“Wow,” my voice sounded flat and distant, even to my own ears. “Is this really…” I couldn’t find the word, so I just motioned around me.
The shower was huge, with two levels and six shower heads on the wall opposite us. There was a waterfall that poured down from the ceiling into a shallow pool and steam filled the room.
There were benches around the pool and more on the second level, but what really stunned me was that both men and women shared the bath. No one seemed to have any shame; some even acted like animals, fucking openly without concern over being watched.
419 laughed, though it was difficult to tell the emotion behind his voice. He motioned to the pool and said, “Just be mindful of who's doing what, and where, and you should be fine.”
He tossed me my towel then added, “Also, the sex ain’t free. You’d best keep to yourself for now and be sure to stay far, far away from Zero Three. Don’t even look at her. Trust me, you don’t want that heat.”
I wasn't sure if I should laugh, or cry.
There was absolutely no way I could take a bath or shower here. It was one thing to change clothes in front of a woman, but this was on a whole other level.
419 slapped my back and said, “Go ahead and get washed up. Try to last at least thirty minutes for me. The water is nice and sweet and I want to enjoy it, but I have to leave with you today.”
Even with the mask suppressing his emotions I could hear and feel the grin on his face.
I took a deep breath, trying to convince myself that this was just like a locker room.
I started by finding a bench near a corner. The bench was empty and far from anyone else.
I sat my towel down. Then I removed my shoes and set them on the bench, trying not to hear the soft moans drifting up from the pool as I unzipped my bodysuit.
I pulled my arms out and let the suit fold over itself, but I hesitated to pull it down any further.
I heard a soft splash, followed by a loud, “AHH, YES.”
Even the sounds of pleasure were unnatural and emotionless behind the white masks.
I turned slightly to see a pale skinned woman pinned against the poolside behind me. Her breast bounced on the surface of the water as a tan man with chiseled abs pounded her repeatedly.
I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing hard as I turned away.
A pair of hands touched my back.
I jolted, startled, then a woman whispered, “Want some help with that? You seem a little lost, so why don't you let me guide you for a while.”
My face felt hot. I felt my body stiffen like a board and I let go of my clothes.
The body suit fell leaving me standing there naked as the woman pressed herself against my back.
“That’s it, little lamb. I see your instincts, and that, both work just fine.”
I was ready to pass out.
My heart and breath began to race as she hooked an arm under mine and traced her dainty fingers over my chest.
“Let me help you tonight, and you can help me out in the future.”
Her words barely registered, but a tattoo on her wrist made the hair on my arms stand up. It was some kind of emoji, one I hadn’t seen before. It had kissy lips and the left eye was tall and open making it look kind of like a zero, the other eye was definitely a three.
I pushed her hand aside, stepping forward and turning around to face her.
She had long silver hair and glowing caramel skin. Her body was toned and her breasts were full. She had a mole under her left collar bone and a scar above her right hip, but it didn’t harm her allure.
I couldn’t see her face, but she let her head drift down to look at my waist and I froze.
The mask hid her expression, leaving me to wonder what she might be thinking as she continued to stare.
She stepped closer, closing the gap between us.
The steam in the room seemed to increase with my heartbeat until it was like a haze over my eyes. She stood inches in front of me, her softness brushing against me as we stared at each other through our masks.
I felt like a deer in the headlights as she touched my chest.
Her small hands, warm against my skin, pushed me back onto the bench.
She took a step, lifting a leg onto the seat beside me.
This wasn’t at all how I expected my first time to be. I squeezed my eyes shut, but they opened again anyway. I couldn’t hear anything over the pounding in my ears and my mind went completely blank.
As she shifted her weight to the leg on the bench, I pushed her aside, jumping up and sprinting out of the shower room.
I couldn't take it anymore.
I had to get away.
I didn't care where.
I just had to escape.
My body moved on its own, rushing past others in white masks and following the path back to my room.
I could still feel her hands on my chest, the warmth of her body, and the gentle scratch of her nails as I tumbled into bed.
I closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep, but the images and sensations continued to haunt me.
There was a knock at the door, then it opened before I could say anything.
419 stepped inside carrying my clothes, towel and soap. “Be more assertive next time. If you don’t want it just say so.”
I groaned.
I wanted to argue, but I didn't have the energy.
I felt hollow, numb and defeated.
The agent set the bundle on my desk, saying, “I'm going to bed.”
The door closed and I just laid there staring and wondering how many people I’d run past in the halls.
I couldn’t say for sure.
At least with the masks, they won’t know it was me and I won’t recognize any of them either.