His heads-up display spilled messages at him.
Lance sighed, logged out of the game, and pulled the virtual reality rig off his head. The shades were closed, plunging his home into a grey semi-darkness.
Sighing, he got up from the floor and walked to his favorite overstuffed chair. Pushing aside food delivery bags and ignoring the odor of stale french fries, he sat down. His phone buzzed. He was tempted to ignore it until he noticed it was Pastor Joe. Shame and guilt washed over him as he remembered how much he had abandoned his friends. He answered, "Hello?"
"Lance, I'm relieved to hear your voice. We've missed you," Joe said. "How are you?"
Three weeks ago, Lance’s parents and fiancée had been on a trip to visit her family in Venezuela. Their single-engine Cessna had gone down, killing all aboard. He did not want to remember; he tried to push it all away. But he had not been able to.
He glanced at his gaming rig. Ten years old, but still a decent setup. The headset and gloves pulled at him, all the treasure and even a new level.
"Are you there, Lance?"
"Sorry, Pastor. It's been a rough time."
Lance had taken the news in stunned silence, endured the funeral, and descended into grief.
"I suppose that's the understatement of the year," Joe said. "Can we get together for lunch?"
This startled Lance. He was not expecting an invite. "Sure… How about a burger?"
Joe was much more than Lance’s friend; he was his mentor and a pastor at his church. The man had taken an interest in Lance while he studied in seminary.
"That would be great," Joe responded. "Noon?"
"Sounds perfect," Lance replied, even though it did not.
###
As Joe entered the diner and walked over, Lance said, "I’ve ordered meals for both of us. Hope that’s okay."
"That's generous," The bulky, dark-haired pastor slid into the red plastic seat across from Lance. "How've you been?"
He did not immediately respond, taking a moment to consider how he did feel. "First, my brother left ten years ago, and now everyone else I care about is gone. I'm abandoned. I'm an orphan." Tears welled in his eyes.
"So many people love you." Joe tapped his blue sport-coat over his heart.
"I know, pastor, but you understand what I mean."
Joe nodded.
Lance continued, "Today I’m numb, really numb. But I suppose that's what I aimed at over the last few weeks."
"What’s the distraction?" Joe queried.
"I’ve been gaming. Haven’t done that since I was in high school, and even then, only a couple hours a week. But these last two weeks… I climbed in and wallowed in it."
"Yeah, I get it. What game have you been playing?"
"I have a copy of Shield and Spell."
The food arrived, and the dam Lance had built for his emotions broke. Joe sat beside him, putting his hand on Lance’s shoulder. "Go ahead. Let it out."
By the time Lance recovered, the burgers and fries were cold.
"Pastor Joe?" He said clearing the tears from his eyes.
Joe glanced up from his now-stale meal.
"Over the past month, I have come near to checking out several times."
Joe munched a fry. "So, you have been escaping into a game as a defense against the harshness life has thrown at you?"
Lance nodded as a tear trickled down his face. “Yah and more than that.” Lance let out a long sigh,“I understand it's not logical, but they abandoned me. Mom, Dad, and even Julie. Now I'm all alone, the only one left. I know they didn’t intend to leave me, unlike Darrin.” Bitterness crept into his voice as he mentioned his brother. “But still, the pain is the same. Here I sit all alone.”
He stared at the ceiling, "Maybe I sound like an addict, but I need this distraction right now. A new game is releasing soon. I'm thinking about trying it for a week or two.”
“Fantasy Mainline?” Joe asked, “A lot of the guys at the prison where I minister are talking about it.”
Lance had researched the technology used by Fantasy Mainline. Devices that could read and write neural signals were implanted in the gamer. The player was immersed in a virtual world they could see, taste, touch, smell, and hear. It was The Matrix, but for real. Fantasy Mainline would be the first title to use this new tech.
“The inmates tell me mainlining means injecting a drug into the bloodstream,” Joe said. “This new system is inviting people to move into an automated warehouse where their bodies are cared for by robots while they play full time, mainlining the game. Some men I visit at the prison are considering going in.”
“That makes sense,” Lance replied, now understanding the name that was so strange.“I think I'm going to buy a subscription and give this a try.”
Joe’s concern deepened. “Why would you do that? As I said before, you need your friends, not some game. You are an important part of the youth ministry at the church, and you are two-thirds of the way through your seminary degree. Spring semester starts in a week.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“I need more time; whenever I come out of the VR goggles, my thoughts and dreams are filled with horrible images. Would you object if I were to go to the Bahamas for a two-week vacation?"
Joe still looked troubled but shook his head.
"I'm going to visit this new world for a few weeks. Removing everything that reminds me of Julie and my parents will do the trick. Then, I will get back to real life. This is just a vacation.”
Joe sighed, “I can’t tell you ‘no,’ but I think this is a bad idea. Can I at least give you a ride when you check in?”
“Sure,” Lance replied. You probably want one more chance to make me change my mind.
###
Joe pulled up in front of Lance's home early. Lance had cleaned out his apartment and had been ready the previous day. So, he had nothing to do but sit on the stoop and wait. When Joe arrived, Lance jumped in. He had always appreciated Joe's 1960s Mustang, the genuine leather seats, and the rumble of the gasoline engine he could feel right through his feet.
"There is something about your car."
"They don’t make them like this anymore," Joe replied. "It's different when you lower the technology level."
With a smirk, Lance said, "I'm about to raise the tech level to 100%, and I have no doubt there are worries. But I need a vacation to decompress for a week or two."
Joe did not reply. He seemed to sense Lance's decision was firm.
Lance sighed, settling further back into the seat. This is what he needed now: someone who would sit by him and be a friend, chat about new gadgets or other fun things, but not judge him. The ride went quickly, and soon, they were heading into downtown San Jose. The high rise buildings cast long shadows as they arrived at the Fantasy Mainline facility. Joe parked, gave Lance a huge bear hug, and said, "I'm going to be praying for you, friend. God be with you, brother."
"And with you also," Lance replied with feeling.
"Contact me to let me know you are doing well once you are in, okay?" Joe said.
Lance nodded.
The parking lot was crowded, but not the crush he expected for a launch day. He thought about this for a moment but pushed the worries aside and reminded himself he needed a real break. Lance turned and waved at Joe.
Joe waved in reply and gave him two thumbs up; Lance noticed a tear in Joe's eye as he turned away.
As Lance stepped inside the warehouse-like building that would house his body and thousands of others who were entering the system. A young woman wearing a Fantasy Mainline polo shirt greeted him. "Welcome to Fantasy Mainline, Mr. Lindskoog. We are ahead of schedule. Are you ready to log in?"
"Sure," he said to the attendant.
She smiled and led him toward the back of the expansive lobby. The area looked appropriately high tech. A thirty foot ceiling, white floors and surfaces focused the eye on the huge Fantasy Mainline on the back wall. The brown and green fantasy themed logo was filled with swooping curls and sharp points. Lance noted several large wooden double doors under the logo. Attendants lead excited looking patrons through these doors and into the unknown.
“The process of immersing yourself in Fantasy Mainline,” She pulled his attention back to her. “Is simple from your perspective. We are going to lay you on a gurney and give you a small pill that will knock you out. While you are out, a robot surgeon will safely implant the devices necessary for you to experience the game, and when you wake up, you will be in Fantasy Mainline. Do you have any questions?"
Lance thought momentarily, "When I want to log out, how do I do it?"
You can return to your personal instance by thinking about it whenever you are not in battle. Once there, you will find a settings menu. The complete logout option will be at the bottom.
Lance nodded, "How about communicating with the outside world?"
The attendant smiled, "All communication forms are available from your personal instance. When you signed the agreement, I'm sure you noticed that we do not allow posting images or videos from the game. The one exclusion is your personal instance. You can text, email, and VR conference from there.
"In the same settings menu are options for how your avatar will appear when you communicate. You can keep your in-game appearance and gear or look like you do today; free clothing is available.” She tapped the air in front of her, manipulating a screen only she could see in her augmented reality glasses. I see you have already added your contacts to your account. All of them will be in your contact list, and you can add more anytime. All standard media channels from the outside, including the internet, are also available in your personal instance. We will, of course, be blocking any sites where people share information about the game."
Lance had done as much research as possible on the system, and though they had not released more than the basics of the gameplay, he had already heard about all of these features. It was still comforting to hear. "Okay, let’s do it."
The attendant motioned for him to follow her as she walked toward one of the doors at the back of the room. Excitement blossomed in his chest as they pushed through a set of doors. For years, he had dreamed about this moment, total emersion gaming. Once through the door, they found themselves in a square all white room. A couple of employees dressed in grey scrubs were waiting with a gurney. He sat down on it. The attendant took a small pill and a paper cup filled with water off a small metal table and offered them to Lance. He swallowed the pill. The world became blurry, and then…