I can’t see, I can’t feel… this distinct lack of stimulus is rather unnerving.
I can’t tell how long I’ve been like this, feels like ages but maybe it was mere seconds? Who knows…
…
Suddenly I could feel something on the edge of my perception. Like my body was riding on a tide, creeping closer with each wave.
…
Suddenly sensation bombarded me
“ALASAILJFEISNV” I yell to no one as I try to grapple with my sudden onslaught of senses.
As I sit here catching my breath, I take a pause…
I’m in a void of endless almost too bright white.
Isn’t this… nah it can’t be…
“Am I dead?”
… maybe? I can’t tell… but I do have a body now. It looks like… at least I think it looks like my body? Actually, on that note, who am I? Maybe i’ve always lived in an endless void? Nah that doesn’t seem right? What would I eat?
Then it hits me like a truck, an idiom that’s far too ironic for the memories that suddenly find themselves in my head. I remember I was heading home from working on my big software project, I had my computer in hand.. Then I was crossing the road and… well, if a person and a truck were to fight who would win… I think I now know who to bet on.
“Well then… what do I do now?”
Hmm… the un-answering and cold emptiness of this void is starting to unnerve me.
All of a sudden I hear a soft whirring and the sounds of clicking that could be compared to an old fluorescent light bulb turning on. I had heard way too many of those, my building was really out of date… I’m surprised I didn’t die from the building collapsing on me.
Then a screen started blinking into existence, ‘bout scared me half to death in the process… geez I hope these sorts of things don’t happen too often. In my curiosity, I reached out to touch it but my hand passed through it. Freaky… where am I? isn’t this sort of thing impossible? And this screen is basically just a plane of pure light… isn’t that breaking a few of Newton's rules?
As the screen stabilized I realized that there was text being displayed on it.
> Soul Container Simulation finalizing ………… 89%
>
> The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Huh… that’s rather suspicious.
WAIT AM I IN A SIMULATION! Then doesn’t that mean all those Matrix junkies were right? … nah, there's gotta be something else to this… right?
After watching the screen for a bit, it finally reaches 100%... I wonder what's gonna happen now.
> Soul Container Simulation finalized
> Beginning SCS tests and awakening SES hardware
> (====-_____) 45%
Oh… more waiting… yeah I could’ve guessed that was gonna be the case. I don’t know how long I waited, but it finally got to 100% again. Hopefully it's done?
> SCS test results: 97% OK, within bounds
> now starting SES systems
Oh? This one doesn’t have a loa-
All of a sudden my thoughts are interrupted by a loud cracking noise, as if the sky itself had shattered. Which I suppose it had. The screen had cracked and the space around it had as well. I won’t even begin to try and rationalize that. How was I supposed to? If the sky starts breaking you just kinda dill with it. Not much you can do.
Peering at the weird screen again I see a new line appear
> SES damaaaaaaaggeddedeasfsc32@)#%(#@$@_$@)#$%&@#
> attempting resta!!#%#@)*)%^&$()
Then the cracks start spreading. I sure as heck don’t wanna touch those cracks, what if I shatter as well? I really don’t wanna test my luck by dying a second time.
Then the sounds of glass slowly cracking fill the… air? Void? Who knows, either way, it was loud. Soon enough some pieces of space were breaking away and falling into nothing, the cracking spreading fast.
Then with one big CRAAAAAAACK.
…
…
…
“AOIJELIFNSNIQ” I gasp for air, only to realize my lungs are already full.
What happened? As I look around the endless void is still just as creepy as before… What about the screen?
As I swivel my head around, I quickly find the screen again. Making my way to the screen I find a new line of text displayed. This time, in blood red:
> ERROR: system process "S@U#_$!^~$" failed, error code -1... good luck wayward soul, make your way out into the physical world and search for answers
… that can’t be good. O Great Pie in the sky, with all your overly sweet filling and crispy crust, what did I do to deserve this?