It’s an honour and a pleasure for us here at VRDD to finally, after so many years of development, open our gates to the public. We have developed something truly amazing but you don’t need to take my words for it, just go to our page and listen to what our beta testers think.
In exactly one week from today we will officially launch the simulation. 15 000 people will traverse from this reality into the reality we’ve developed. We here at VRDD hold humans in the highest regard, we are sure they will make a great addition to our world, the world of Malregia.
Are you interested in participating in the single greatest Virtual Reality experience to date? Then please sign up at our webpage or visit one of our temporary information centres.
Heed the call of adventure, hero, wave 1.0 will commence soon!
[The official launch will start at 2043/04/13, 17:00]
“Number 729, please step forth.” A loud electronic voice echoed out.
“Yes, that’s me.” Emma moves with quick steps to the desk displaying her number.
“ID chip or card?” The monotonous voice of a service android asks.
“Chip.” Emma declares and offer her wrist. A quick scan later and she is guided into another hall. Other people are already waiting, a few glances over at her as she comes to stand amongst them. Its clear people from all around the world have gathered here.
The entire huge building is part of VRDD, inc. This is where people, no, where I will enter a chamber, fall to sleep and wake up in another world. The prospect is frightening but more than anything its exciting. That man must feel the same way, he straight up laughs out loud without warning.
Everyone who has bought or won an entry to the simulation wears a tag on their shirt. Emma’s tag says “Emma, Hero 729”. The people working here wears either professor coats, white of course, or white shirts with an ID badge around their throat. The workers are as excited, if not more so than the “heroes”.
Emma moves around a bit to observe her fellow heroes and the workers. The majority of people are roughly around the same age, between 20-30 years old. You are to have a clean bill of health to even stand a chance of getting in on this. More people continuously file in through the same door I used. Hours, it took literally hours, or perhaps it was a figurative hour but it felt like hours anyways. Even that excited guy who had been laughing by himself had calmed down at this point.
“Testing, testing.” A man tapped a microphone. That is one of those in a fancy coat.
“My name is Murata, I’m one of the great many people who have a hand in creating what you are about to experience.” He looked out over the thousands of people.
“I actually had to elbow some people to get the chance to speak to you before.. Before it starts. We don’t call this a game, do anyone here know why?” The response from the crowd was a forest of arms.
“Good, just for clarification I’ll go over it briefly. This is not a game because it was not made to entertain you or amuse you, in fact, it was not made for you period. We’ve developed a virtual world, a self-sustaining world without need for external input. The word “hero” the company likes to use in advertisement is, you know, not ironical as such but still pretty far away from the truth.”
Murata shewed on his words for a while. “You have no super-powers and there are no quests prepared for you. What this world will be to you is what you make of it. If you go in thinking you’re the king or queen of the world.. Don’t. There are plenty of actual VR games for your amusement, the best ones are obviously made by us.” Murata smiles exaggeratedly.
The crowd nodded along, as did Emma.
“This world is not the place for you looking for fleeting fun, this is the place for you who are looking for something greater. The beta test was live for 6 month or to clarify 6 months in our world. That is 10 years in the simulation.”
Murata now looks pointedly at the crowd of people who will soon embark on the journey.
“The beta testers, some of whom is here with us.” Murata waved at someone. “Yes, as I was saying, those who survived for the entire test experienced 10 years of life in Malregia. It is hard to fathom for most people but try to imagine it, it is enough time to make oneself almost believe it’s the real world.”
A suit suddenly came from behind the stage. “Don’t let professor Murata scare you. We’ve done extensive testing to ascertain the simulation has only minimal effect on mental and physical health. We have protocols to keep the mental acuity of all participating heroes.” He offered a merciless look at the professor as he stressed the word heroes.
Murata shrank back a little at that. “Obviously your safety is a great concern. The technical process is tested more than enough, what I’m referring to is your mental preparation for what you might experience. We have accomplished what previously was but a dream, complete immersion. That means pain, fear and pleasure. You’ll experience it all as if it was real. And, my advice is that you accept it as real, to a certain extent. This is not a game.”
The suit nodded, mollified. Regardless of the professor’s intention the only effect on the crowd was rekindled excitement. Emma too, shared the jubilant atmosphere. This is the reason she’s in China right now, the reason she said her goodbyes to the commune.
A white shirt took over the microphone and tried to get back people’s attention. It took a moment but when she dropped the formalities and yelled out “Let’s do this” people were, once again, eager to offer their undivided attention. And that was how the next round of wait for your number began..
Face to face with a big white machine. They really have a thing for white here, white clothes, white machines and most walls are white too.
“Miss Emma, are you listening?” The coat lady asked.
“Mhmm. Yes, I’m all ears. This here machine is magical.”
That earned me a small laugh. “No, But I hope you’ve read the material?”
“I signed under the line saying you are not liable should I die, enter a vegetative state or any and all other forms of illness and injuries. Yes, I read all the material, and if I may say so, it was unpleasant to read.”
“Good!” She made some squiggly lines on her handheld computer.
“Is it?” I raise my eyebrows as I stare at her.
“Yes? I mean good that you’ve read it all.” The coat lady tucked away her device and requested I lay down.
“I know there are a lot of wires and things, it looks scarier than it is. This is necessary to gain complete knowledge of you in real time. Now there is a safety barrier in place, what hurts you in there can’t affect your real body, ever. Can you please repeat the primary safety measure for me?”
“For you? Certainly.” I offer as big a smile I can muster. “I can at any time extract myself from the simulation by simply thinking about it deeply. At that point I will be asked to confirm my decision to leave the simulation and I respond in the affirmative.”
Miss coat offers a big smile in return. “Almost verbatim, good girl.”
“Are you mocking me?” I respond with an insincere sour face.
“Maybe, are you mocking me?”
“...touché.”
“Haha, I’m Lusiana by the way. I hope you’ll have a great experience.” She looked genuinely pleased.
“Thank you Lusiana, I hope I haven’t troubled you but I’m actually kinda, a little scared.”
A moment stretched as Lusiana took a nearby chair to sit adjacent to the machine. “It makes sense to be scared. Not that it will be dangerous or anything but it’s still a big thing to do. You’ll see the world developed by the smartest people in this place. If it makes it any easier for you, I’m pretty sure they are more afraid than you are.”
That doesn’t make any sense, what do they have to fret about? “Why?”
“They’ve dedicated so many years to this, they see the world as their baby and now a huge gang of unpredictable people will waltz in. Some are afraid you will damage it and some fear your opinion of it all.”
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Lusiana leaned in closer. “Such a strange thing, isn’t it? To create a world like this? I can’t say how many times I’ve laughed about their crazy discussions.”
“Thank you, I feel a bit better now. Any advice?”
Lusiana produced an apologetic expression. “Sorry Emma, I like this job too much.” It took a while to attach the helmet, the wristbands, the ankle straps and then there was all sort of other things a nurse helped with.
“Everything’s ready.”
Emma was laying on a special bed with rhythmic movement patterns to provide near constant stimulation for her muscles. This is to prevent atrophy and minimize muscle degeneration.
“Your heartrate is increasing and you breathing is erratic. Emma, calm down this won’t hurt or feel anything. It’s just like falling asleep.” Lusiana hunched down and took my hand. I couldn’t help but squeeze it.
“You can start, I’m ready.” My voice was more like a chirping little bird. I’ve never considered myself a coward but I’m dangerously close to calling myself a coward right about now.
“Initiate simulation, hero 729 F21 SSB.”
Click…
The white room is replaced with.. Nothing. No voice, no sight no feeling at all.
“Welcome hero”
“Wha- Where am I, who are you?”
Sight is returning; it feels like an explosion of lights and sounds.
“I am the interface system, I’m here to guide you for the last phase before you will enter the simulation.”
The voice emanated from a flying head, a cartoonish head at that. As I thought that the flying head acquired a body and the head took the shape of a child.
“Okay, please stop changing, I need a moment!”
“I apologise, I only tried to make you comfortable.” The child bowed slightly.
All around were now walls. On the walls were screens radiating soft white light. God I’m stupid, this is customization and probably buying gear and things, I knew that.
“You are correct, Hero 729. This is customization of your person, next you will have access to our store.”
“Yeah, this is all making sense now but I must ask, why a child?”
“I chose it to induce you in a relaxed state.” The computer child spoke.
“Okay.. Well can you help me with customization, I’ve read the tutorial months ago but it only said everything is customizable.”
“That is correct, you can use these screens to make any physical alterations to your form and the associated cost of that particular change. If you press this button” It indicates a blue button featured prominently on the wall. “You can view how your body would appear with the alterations in effect.” The child didn’t walk, more like hoovered around and its loose-fitting black coat just swivelled around after it.
The child continued: “I’m allowed to offer you the following recommendation. You have 100 resources at your disposal, you should not use more than 25 to alter your physical appearance.”
“Ohh, why 25?” Seems rather specific for a recommendation.
“Thanks to the beta testers we have gauged the survivability of different approaches to the simulation. Spending excessive resources on for example, large breasts or large penis, as is the most common cosmetic alteration, has a positive correlation with premature death.”
“I knew it, big boobs kill!” Emma made a triumphant fist of victory.
“No, that is not what I said, I mea-“ Emma interrupted it.
“I know, I’m joking. But.. on another topic, ehm, what does it cost to make someone else’s boobs just slightly larger?” It’s possible to blush in a pre-simulation, good to know.
The child was silent for a few moments. Enough time for Emma to feel awkward and stupid. Is it doing it on purpose? Asshole computer.
“That screen is dedicated for your chest.” The hoovering child pointed for a moment.
Let’s see here. This is pretty cool, there is the basic drag a little bar on a line gizmo, easy and effective. There is also a pretty advanced looking adjustment interface where I can tweak any little thing. Haha okay, I can give myself a lump. Emma proceeded to tinker for a moment then pressed the blue button.
The effect was immediate. A naked Emma stared back at her, with a significant lump on her left breast.
Delete alteration, are you sure, yes. And the naked Emma dissipated.
“Don’t look at me like that, it’s not like I’m going to spend all my resources on stripper-breast, just you now, a little.”
The child swished forwards to stand next to Emma. “I’m not judging you as a singular entity, hero, I’m judging the totality of the human race.”
How is that better? To be responsible for a computer’s poor opinion of the human race.
“As I communicate with you, I also communicate with 14 999 other humans.”
Good, there must be plenty of people out there far worse than I.
It took a full hour of anxious, self-conscious and self-deprecating commentary but eventually Emma had made the adjustments she desired.
“That seems good enough, hell maybe even great. What do you think ghost child?” The child had been muted during the entire process but suddenly perked up.
“Based on my database of 7 921 females, with your alteration increasing mass by 42 % you are now in the 53-percentile category in terms of volume.”
“In human speak we call it average, but really well done average if I may say so myself.” Emma poked at the complete replica of herself, except for the small alteration. She started to browse through the different screens until she stumbled upon something interesting.
“I need some of this, it will be the difference between life and death, this isn’t vanity, not at all.”
Almost drooling she stood before the screen that augments the hight. “Look, I’m 1,90 metres tall, I’m basically a giant and everyone else will look like ants!”
“The cost of improving your hight excessively is expensive, it goes against my previous recommendation.” Emma perceives an exasperation in the ghost child’s voice but that’s probably not real.
“I’m obviously not going that far but 5 centimetres shouldn’t break the bank, right?” She readjusted the slider and created the identical if slightly taller and bustier Emma with the blue button. The following hour was a process of removing a scar from a knee from a moped accident, a mole from her back and various lesser imperfections. Eventually she stood happy before the new and improved Emma, literally admiring herself.
“Are you satisfied with your alteration?” The ghost child asked.
“Yes.” Emma nodded.
“The complete cost is 24,31 resources. You will have 75,69 resources left, do you wish to proceed?”
“Hehe, yeah that’s good. I just barely squeezed under the ‘use less than 25 resources, idiot’ line, so that’s cool.”
“If that was attempted mimicry, I don’t sound like that.” I didn’t hear wrong before, it sounds offended.
“I did-“ The room suddenly falls away, or I fall away. Ahh not again.
A new room, much larger than the previous one, takes shape. The same soft light from the multitude of screen that decorate the walls.
The ghost gestured towards the walls. “Here is everything you can imagine, with exceptions, please take care to consider what you may need.”
“Can you direct me to the screen with clothes?”
As Emma perused the great selection her muttering could be clearly heard but the child remained silent.
“How can a pair of damn jeans cost almost as much as bigger boobs? That’s completely unreasonable! And another thing, why are these ugly things so much cheaper? You’re practically screaming at me what to buy. So, I want jeans, is that so bad?”
“I have no knowledge as to the rationale behind the price.” The ghost child responded.
This process took an hour, at least, but the final result was good enough. Emma selected one pair of black leather pants, for some reason they were well priced. A skirt in dark blue with a light-blue waist. I wasn’t all fashion, it had two pockets so should be a good selection. Then four pair of socks and underwear, two shirts, one black and one white. I need to think survive rather than flashy so this should be good choices. They can’t be bad choices, can they?
“Wait, this leather, its fake right? I mean I don’t want to wear an animal.”
“Are you asking if an animal came to harm in the process of making those pants?” The child replied.
“Obviously.”
“…Hero, please consider where you are..”
Ahh, ohh. Is it smirking? It is, isn’t it!
“Can you recommend a jacket that would suit me?” I forgot and I don’t want to browse that screen again.
“Certainly.” An item is immediately poofed into existence. A dark green snug jacket out of some kind of cotton that fits me perfectly. Two pockets at the side and then another pocket on the chest. If I’ve learned anything from camping then it’s that pockets are everything. I need to have gadgets n’ stuff.
The next little screen to play with was the weapons screen. I had been planning for a small sneaky pistol but apparently that was wrong. The only weapon in gun-shape was a musket-looking thingy, looks really heavy too. What does it cost? Yes.
Plenty of different swords and axes and the like but what am I supposed to do with that? I feel like a hero who is supposed to be standing away from danger not stab it in the face. With extensive help from ghost child, I pick out a small utility knife and a more impressive looking dagger.
Now that’s a weapon I can get behind. “I’ll be that badass archer.” I pick out a big bow and play around with the string.
“Hero, that bow has a draw weight of 55 pounds. You will be unable to use it.”
“Can you pick a bow you think is good for me then?”
Poof. The bow in my hand is suddenly a different bow, a much smaller thing. “This? It’s like a toy compared to the cool bow!”
“This bow has a draw weight of 30 pounds, I estimate it to be optimal for your stature and physique.”
Yeah okay, still a bow, I guess. I have the child pick out the right arrows, a large bundle of em’ and a quiver. The next step was a backpack to hold everything from this shopping spree. I ended up with a traditional brown backpack where the weight is on your shoulders.
“Hero, I recommend basic medical equipment, food and water.”
Can’t argue with the computer with knowledge of what happened to those who went before me.
“Are you satisfied, hero?” The child, or rather the program with the appearance of a child asked.
“I think so.. This should be good right?” A nervous tremor kicked in.
“Unlike many other heroes, you have followed the recommendations, your chance of survival is reasonable.”
“Ehm, thank you? Doesn’t really make me feel safe but, I won’t be safe, will I?”
“You’ve followed the recommendations hero, your prerequisite for survival is good. When you are ready to depart, I will transport you to Malregia.”
This is really it. I wonder just how low-tech this world is, I mean a musket, really? Is that where we’re at or is it that I simply can’t get better things now? At least I’ll look great in a new world.
“Ghost child, no, ghost buddy, will you please repeat everything I’ve bought and how many resources are left?”
Inventory list:
Black leather pants (2 pockets)
Dark blue skirt with light-blue waist. (2 pockets)
Socks and Underwear, 4 pairs.
Dark green jacket, slim-fit, blended cotton material. (3 pockets)
30-pound bow and a quiver [40 arrows].
Belt, black.
Dagger.
Utility knife.
Utensils. (1 knife, 1 spoon, 1 fork)
Backpack, brown.
Coin pouch.
Brown shoes.
Pencil and a notebook.
Anti-inflammatory cream.
Bandages.
Antibiotic (in pill form).
Water-skin 1 L
Nutrient-dense bars (50 grams) x20
Dark chocolate (100 grams) x2
Vitamin-tablets 4x packs.
“Resources remaining is 8,2. They will be exchanged with a monetary unit as you enter Malregia.”
“I guess this is goodbye, wish me luck.” Emma looked at the child. Unsure if it was meant to be a female or male child, not that it really matters.
“Good luck, hero.”
And yet another time, the world fell away. I wonder if this is how death feels like? No sight, no hunger and no hearing. No body or anything, just this drifting endless feeling. If so then I never want to die.