His eyes showed determination, need and honesty. Although he showed he approved of how I looked he still looked away after the customary first glance and there was no lust or primal needs just pure curiosity and interest. Honestly, I would give anything to remember that first time as if it was now.
Angie Greenwood (quote)
New York 04 was one of the most developed cities on the earths new development since the ‘Technological AI Boom,’ that happened since fifty years ago. It was divided into 3 zones namely; The Citizens (Outer circle), The Advanced (Middle circle) and The Elite (Inner circle). In the inner circle in a huge video game stood a huge bodied youth who was staring at the shelves as if he was searching for a treasure among the games offered.
However, Thomas Wolfpack was not a fan of video games really, whether it was the old tabloid or the new Full Immersive Online Virtual Reality (FIVR). It was nothing personal really he just never got to really enjoy most of them no matter how much he tried in the past. Especially since most people would just use the games to ignore their own failures and push them onto others.
So why you might ask why was he here at a video game shop then. Well he would probably just think back to how the workers at the main coffee shop had chased him out after making him promise to spend his final year in high school being a teenager and not some thirty-year old enterprise workaholic (and that was him putting it appropriately and not how degraded he felt.) And according to his memory the exact words that his Head Manager Alfred used were ‘Tom go out there and be a teenager for once and not waste your life like an old lady with five cats at home.’
One of the workers another youth who happened to be in his 20s had even suggested getting into Video Games and earning at least one legendary title as his achievement to prove how he had kept his promise. At that moment Thomas had wondered if earning a title like ‘legendary Fool,’ also counted but thought wise about it since video game fanatics like Carlos would always have different paths on how such a title was useful for example how easy to rob a back it would be to get away with crimes in game with such a tittle since no one would ever suspect a fool. Well he tried not to assume the many thoughts that popped up in his mind about how that things could go west in a second.
Well that was all another whole issue all together, what was making his head ache right now was what the hell he was supposed to play. I mean there were almost dozen of immersion games on the shelves and he was actually supposed to pick one. But which one, which genre and whether full reality or sub reality.
Full reality games were the ones where all the gore and blood include the 18+ pleasures were available while sub reality was where the gore was toned down and no pleasures of the accepted adults were available.
Just as he was about to just go and come back later after doing some research he heard footsteps approaching him. When he turned he realized it was one of the android artificial intelligence citizens which had been legalized over 50 years ago as people by the law with rights and freedoms. But all that didn’t matter right now as it seemed she was on her shift right now as a helper to the adverse technology users such as himself.
“Excuse me, but you seem to be having some problems.” She said and her voice sounded like it was laced with honey and her looks were also sublime if he was being honest. He took a moment to look at her with curious eyes which held no lust as he had long trained and taught himself to respect women or girls no matter what. He was never going to be anything like his father.
She was neither tall or short, her body was curvy enough to be attractive but not too much to be the center of attention. But what really drew him in were her eyes, they were a forest green that twinkled with amusement staring right back at him realizing he was caught staring too much as she drew a long lock hair so black as coal behind her ear.
“Yes, am having trouble choosing what game I want actually.” I said turning back to the shelves, “Which one is actually my million-dollar question.”
“Oh! So that means you’re not really one for the Role Playing type or SCI-FI fanatic then.”
“Exactly, never really did specialize in any. Am more of the business and control type players.”
“Then I believe one of our new arrivals may be your new calling,” she walked over to the shelf and grabbed one of the games from the full reality sector, “It is both a RPG and SCI-FI so am pretty sure you will love it.”
On the cover was the presence of advanced technology and magic casters of sorts which drew me in into the game as I saw myself in an office taking care of my business and making more money after fulfilling my promise as well as breaking it in a sort of way. The woman AI whose name I now knew was Angie Greenwood from her nametag smiled at me as if she knew she had right where she wanted.
“What’s the name of the game.” I asked almost holding my breath.
“The World of Bastardis online. Only for 2500 credits plus 1500 credits if you want it installed with the latest pods which have been designed by the exact same gaming company.”
The price was high compared to most games but that didn’t matter since even though I looked almost obese and dressed without a lot of fashion class compared to my family I had some money saved up. I considered my options but non seemed to attract my attention from the shelves like this game so in the end what did I have to lose other than 500 credits a month to play the game.
After some thoughts I looked at Angie and decided to just help pitch in her sales maybe even making her the first to sell the expensive new game officially.
“Sure, why not how soon can it arrive?” I looked at my tech watch and saw that it was a Sunday. I opened my credits account and transferred 4500 credits to the shop and 500 credits to her through the tip system. I saw a look of surprise appear on her face when she looked at her own watch and knew I must have really boosted her earnings for the day or she just really needed the money.
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“Latest by Saturday and earliest by Friday afternoon.”
I thanked her and turned to leave the shop as I knew all my details were provided the moment I purchased the game.
Thomas walked out into the busy street and boarded an already waiting cab but had he turned around he would have seen the grateful look in Angie who had a look of gratitude and a little bit of something else that was more gentle that he would probably have been shocked.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
It was finally Friday a day many loved since it marked the beginning of the weekend for many students. And such was the case for most students except for the exceptional few, the bullied and the geeks. Fate however can be cruel for Thomas was treated as one of these legendary few at St Fosters High School. For right now he was in a struggle with one of his tormenters in the classroom like was usually whenever his bully was bored.
His whole week from Monday started as usual his father lamenting how revolting he was and his stepmothers saying how much a disappointment he was. And that was one of the things that would never stop puzzling him, considered he got higher grades than them and he was also participating in many weight lifting tournament how were they better than him. While the rest of my siblings gloated at how they were praised which he found to be stupid since of the four of my elder brothers only one of them really had a business mind at all. One thing about his family was that they were stinking rich, well the of his family were anyway. His only source of income and support since his late mothers passing was the coffee shops and cyber cafes she had owned which his father had not been named as an heir. Which had totally infuriated the old bastard but who cares at least she went out with a bang he always thought with a smirk on his face.
At school it was also not that much different, he was the outcast almost by default but what was to be expect when he studied with his brothers in the same school. He used to have friends in the past but after his brothers threatened them well he had been a loner all his life. Whenever he looked in the mirror he saw his slightly chubby cheeks and massive body which was not helped with my height of 6 feet 0. He was not overweight per se but just too big for my own good. He was not handsome but just average enough that if things had been different his 18 years of life would have had a girlfriend who knows.
His bully was actually another boy in his class, a guy with the name Steve Myers the school athlete, the playboy and undeniably the hottest guy our year. Since he was friends with my brothers he seemed to have made it his mission to make him suffer.
As had earlier been mentioned today was Friday and of course one of those days, where they had me wet after pouring buckets of oily water on me and almost beating me to a pulp which was really hard to do considering I towered and was stronger than most of them. But who knew numbers really did matter. Steve had his hands around Elisabeth Sanders the hottest girl in our class and of course his girlfriend.
She was also the school’s valedictorian and also head cheerleader at the school. And even though it would pain Thomas to admit it, Steve and Elisabeth did indeed look good together. They had shining blonde hair and blue sky eyes that made them seem like twins but also made them all the more presentable. Even the teachers approved of them and who could blame them. With Elisabeth being a valedictorian and head cheerleader at the school which didn’t lack anything with Steve’s track record it was even encouraged. But that didn’t change a thing about how much I hated Steve and how much Elisabeth always ending my suffering early by always dragging him away made it all the more aggravating. Like right now.
“So that’s enough for today guys,” Steve sneered as he turned to walk away with his gang. Elisabeth continued the pouting act and complaining how they were late for their date as she mouthed a sorry my way while literally almost having to drag him away. I stayed on the floor just sitting and relaxing to enjoy the peace of being alone for a while until the chill of my wet cloths reminded me I was soaked. As I walked out the classroom the rest of the students just looked me over and sneered along the corridors. The cameras that were installed all over the school and the android workers and teachers who worked in the school all noticed my condition but they either ignored me or all out just pretended I was a fly in the air.
But it was also during this short walk that I overheard some of the students discussing something. I heard terms like character, levels and bastardis. It was then a game appeared in my brain and I remember that I was expected the Full Immersive pod for The World of Bastardis Online today. Hence wishing to get as much information as I could I slowed down to hear as much information as I could.
“I heard that the game has no character creation?” the first voice said.
“Yeah, the character one gets is the most similar to the player joining the game from all the characters created in the game and are already almost people with their lives but died and you possessed their bodies.” the second voice said.
A third but softer voice reached my ears and I knew it was a girl. “Yeah, but to the game sents you were in a deep sleep for 3 days and awakened blessed by the goddess of life and light.”
The rest didn’t reach my ears as I had already arrived at the washroom and not wanting to look like a creep standing out there listening to their conversation, I went in. It was some 20 minutes later that I got out of there and by that time my information speakers had already left the school. But from what I heard from them it seemed that things were going to be very interesting. I mean the possibilities of what type of character one was going to end up having to act as all depended on the compatibility of your real body and in game character. Which means there would be very few exaggerated beautiful women and overly absurd masculine men this time round.
Basically one was going into the game almost themselves approximating 50% as that would likely the most reliable percentage in this kind of set up. Well for me this was nothing but a bonus at least I would have nothing to waste time thinking about a stupid in game character looks. Also the Sents as we called them which were basically the game non player characters which were Sentinent but would never know of the outside world seemed to be pretty advance if they had to make the players take over the characters a believable excuse like the intervention of a goddess.
Not only did it prove how much work and dedication had been put into this game but also their commitment to make sure the moment players log in they leave the outside world behind and assume them in game identities to the fullest. I raised my smart watch and ordered an uber to come pick me up as I whistled to myself as I walked towards the gate. I made up my mind that no matter what character I was going to end up as they were all going to be wealthy business tycoons by the time am done with them. And to make this goal true it was either go home or go big.
A smile then slowly appeared on my face as I remember a certain attractive android lady. It seemed my ‘which one,’ question to her had really paid off. I mean what are the chances I asked her to pick a game for me and actually ending up with such an amazing one right off the bat. I should visit her and give her a bigger tip.
Thomas was really pleased with how things ended today which for him was a win despite the earlier situation. The doors opened to reveal the shining sun on his eyes and the crude air that smelled of oil and rust. Forests were almost extinct and the few remaining were protected zones, this had been the tradeoff for an advanced technological future nature would pay the price for it. The uber car which its own driving AI was already outside waiting for him to board. He stopped to inhale the air one more time and pray that whoever had been the passenger of the uber had at least not done anything to ruin the air.
Although the AI of the car would always clean up that did not mean some lingering smell would not remain from stuff like cigarettes and alcohol. But he was thankful for the uber was clean and smelled fine before sitting down on the chair. With a reminder of safety protocols, the car began moving.