The Italized text is for thoughts~

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"instinct, huh."

As someone bumped into me, I was roused from my thoughts. I quickly recollected myself, and moved on.

I was walking down the street, slowly scuttling towards my home. After one more failed job interview, I stopped at the window of a home depot store to watch the interview of some big honcho. Turned out it was about a quite interesting new game.

"Let's see what it costs, maybe i'll give it a try."

I entered the store, and instantly stopped in aghast. There was a huge line from the door, going all the way to the counters. It seemed to even curl on the different aisles, making the total lenght of the line hard to grasp. On the end of the shelves in front of me, I saw several posters about instinct and it's receiver called "Solace 1.0". It looked pretty much like an extremely thin helmet, reaching all the way to your neck, made from some kind of glossy fiber. It also sported a small visor on top of the eyes. Apparently the helmet could be bought in various colours, but the visor was always black.

"Excuse me sir, would you like to enter the line for Instinct? Today the receivers are most probably going to be sold out all around the world, so it's your last chance for awhile to get one." a Female store attendant was asking me by the door, looking slightly bored. Not a bad looking bird, but I was still slightly stunned from the amount of customers and failed to notice the glint in her eyes.

"Fresh start huh. I sure could use one." I think as I reminisce a bit of my past.

I've always been somewhat well off in my life, and I had quite normal upbringing. My family was loving for a long time, but as time passed, the became somewhat distant from each other. Not arguing a lot or things like that. Just seems they turned from lovers into friends, and stick together more out of a habit than anything else. They're not totally unhappy either, so I guess its all right. Of course it affected us kids a little, but I was about to move out on my own, and my big sister spent her time with her music circle and University dorms, so we mostly just ignored the whole situation.

That was some 5 years ago. I graduated from high school with average papers, and started working at construction sites. I somehow always admired the idea of being able to build the things your need, on top of being strong and durable. Able to take on the nature to accomplish your work. I would probably became a postman or a store clerk if I didn't start working at site, but in the end I got lucky.

As of now, I'm 24 years old and proudly unemployed. The years of working have made my 180 cm tall body somewhat muscular, in a lean way. Light brown hair and blue eyes combined with my semi-athletic body made passing by women often give me long stares, especially on the hot days on the roof without wearing a shirt. After the initial company I started at, I switched two times after more alluring salary. In the latest one I worked for 2 good years, until the shit hit the fan.

Long story short, the head of the site asked me to take care of one incoming shipment after work, which I did. Too bad one old shitstain of a person had gotten riled up on our verbal exchange in the break, knocked me out when I was alone in the storage building and framed me for "misplacing some of the goods" along with few of the more expensive equipment that we had stashed there. The head got shit for giving a youngster keys to storage, and I got shit for losing that all.

I was sacked on the spot, and i was under inspection for little more than 2 months. They declared me clear, but the trust was gone. Rumors made way from site to site, and I was made outcast. Only offers I got were minor ones, with shit pay and no hope of better future.

Only good thing in the last 3 months was that I once found that cunt called Grant on a sidewalk in early morning, wasted as a sailor on a drought. He was half asleep and babbled jolly about how he fucked me over, and how he had sold most the stuff. I was furious, and wanted to get back at him.

I gave him some punishment, and after that, I called cops to his apartment. They found just few leftover tools he wasn't able to sell, but he got caught nevertheless. My name got cleared up, and his wife instantly ditched him, though apparently the divorce was already up in the air. Being married to a fat alcoholic didn't suit the wife, and all that stress made Grant snarky at work too. Well, in the end he reapt what he had sown.

Too bad all of this still didn't help me to get a new job, given the ongoing recession. Rumors are long living after all.

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After trying for some time, I kind of slipped into a bubble. I realized it would be hard for me to enjoy my job anymore, given that  backstab. If I hadn't gotten lucky, I would still be wondering what had happened, with my name tarnished. I still need to make a living somehow, but I can't think of anything interesting to do.

I've always wanted to be kind of an explorer, uncovering mysteries in the world and being the first to see new places, animals and things. Even being archaeologic crossed my mind once, but after researching how the work is these days, I dropped the idea as mind boggingly boring. If i wanted to use brush for days to end, I would rather become a painter. Rest of the alike jobs either required long studies, to be a slave to a corporate or a government, luck or all of them.

All in all, I felt stuck and dead. Since I was still young, there was plenty of options open for me, but none too intriguing. The more days passed, the more I felt like the walls toppling on top of me. Frustration combined with emptiness, making me somewhat passive.

Luckily I never led too fancy of a lifestyle, so I had plenty of savings to continue living, but those would run out eventually.

"Change sounds really good at this moment."

"Yes, please, would you mind telling me what is the current price for the receiver and the game?"

Seems I was submerged in my thoughts for awhile, as the attendant had started to stare at me like I'm a retard. "It would be 1500 dollars, and that includes 4 months of game time. After that, the monthly subscription fee is 200 dollars. Please take this print, it has your number In line, and give it to the cashier when buying the game. The game will be delivered straight to your address from our storage, as to prevent any envious persons from robbing you on the way."

Attendant then turned towards the next customer, without even ushering me forward. Obviously they will run out of stock today anyway, so she couldn't care less about single retarded customer. I finally got a grip of myself, started smiling a bit crookedly and moved to the start of the line. Seeing my weird smile made the attendant even a little bit of disgusted of me...

My smile was crooked because the price is about 40% of my savings. That amounts to about 2 months of bills. With the rest of my savings I could live about 3 months, if I lived strictly on tuna and noodles. That's...quite of a hurdle. But then again, if I'm to believe the commercials, i could eat anything I want in the game. Though it's just virtual, it would at least make IRL more tolerable. And I really do need to get some kicks now...

I confirmed my resolve, and continued moving along the line. It moved ever so slowly, and I spent my time observing other people. Some were really agitated for the long queue, some didn't mind at all. In front of me stood a short guy of about 160 cm's, though well built. He seemed to be rather well off too, judging from his high quality leather coat and shoes. It was late autumn after all, so it was getting somewhat chilly.

After moving along the line for couple hours, I was finally nearing the cashier. Seemed that after me there was only 40 or so customers, so I suppose they were already running out of stock. I might finally see my luck turning!

15 more minutes and suddenly all the cashiers turned towards the line I was standin on, and started applauding. A fanfare started to play from the speakers, and a manager-looking guy spoke towards me.

"Sir, as claimed in the policy of the Gorotech corporation, the last receiver in our stock will be free of charge for you, dear customer! Congratulations, mister...?"

"Gregory, Gregory Saltbridge."

"So once more, Congratulations Mr. Saltbridge! If you wouldn't mind, please fill up this paper for the delivery of the game."

My eyes turned dead. Just when I started feeling little lucky, life suddenly RKO'd me out of nowhere. The small, rich looking man in front of me, was the said Gregory.

"Fuck me and fuck him." I turned around to make my way to the alcohol section of the store, as a hand grabbed me from the elbow. I was forced to a halt, and i heard an amused voice behind me; "Oi kid, where do ya live?"

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Please let me know if you have any thoughts about this chapter! Do you like how the conversations are made, or should verses be separately? Do you mind colour in the text? The pace will be tad bit slow for the start, but fear not! Action is it's way due few chapters :)

Cheers!