A few minutes later, your mad laughter finally stops, and your euphoria and madness recede as logic and reason gain ground again.

[Finally calmed down?] - Rosa's voice sounded in your ear.

"Yeah... The thought of owning a private and futuristic world is overwhelming. It's like suddenly winning the Powerball without buying a ticket." - You say, feeling scared shitless of yourself.

The man laughing a few minutes ago wasn't you. It was the darkest reaches of your being, the corrupting madness in the deepest recesses of your mind, in every human's mind.

You finally realize the truth of the saying, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely."¹By 19th century historian Lord Acton

Before this, you held power over only yourself, dreaming of owning a car and a house. Maybe you will have some influence on your wife and children after a decade, or become a department head and control some employees, but that is it.

You are just a normal person, average in every aspect of life. Every person you know knows this, and you know it better than everyone you know.

Out of the blue, you get told that you are the new owner of a planet. Not just any world, but a futuristic, abandoned world filled with opportunities. You only have to reach out, grab, and take it. As simple as that.

It is power. REAL power. A power greater than anyone in your world has. And you know, you have it at your fingertips. It is a position of absolute power. Even someone with a superpower that can blow up an entire city has less power than you.

 

Money? You can earn it with ease if you are not an idiot.

Power? Knowledge is power, and knowledge is plentiful here. A single trip to the library is all you need.

Women? That comes with the territory of money and power.

Strength? Even if you can't genetically enhance yourself, there are futuristic weapons.

 

To become intoxicated with such power is natural, and even more so to a man of a lowly position such as yourself.

The mind tricks itself into believing that this position of power is yours, thus corrupting you.

This position of absolute power can corrupt even the most virtuous of men, and you are no saint. A real saint would have rejected this position, for he knows he can't handle it.

It is why a person in such a position needs to be tightly monitored and have an anchor to reality.

Since you now find yourself in such a position of absolute power, you need to be monitored by someone.

 

Someone that you can completely trust.

Someone incorruptible.

Someone objective and rational.

Someone ready to give console whenever you are troubled.

 

No human being fits this criterion, and no living man has the right to claim to be such a man.

Only a machine can claim to be such, an AI free from human corruption.

It just so happens that you know such an AI.

 

"Hey, Rosa." - You say.

[Yeah?]

"If dark Iver ever comes out again, please tell me." - You sigh.

[...Dark Iver?] - Rosa asks strangely.

"I mean if I act crazy and evil and shit." - You explain.

[...I'll try. No promises.] - She said in a rare moment of seriousness.

"Good enough." - You shrug and look at the peaceful drones downstairs.

[But you realize that there are other humans out there, right? Like, survivors in the shelters? Maybe survivors on the surface? There might be entire survivor cities with dozens or even hundreds of thousands of people. There are likely also intelligent infected out there - the 1b evolved types. There might be even more advanced Infected. When I said that the surface is for the taking, I meant things that were not yet claimed, like gold and technology, not the land. You might also get attacked by wild animals or other survivors.] - Rosa's words poured cold water on your pipe dreams.

"Right... I forgot. Even if the infected ignore me, the humans won't. Wild animals will also attack me if they see me as food or a threat." - You say, realizing your naive way of thinking.

What a joke! Even if you get this planet for yourself, the wildlife can probably kill you if you are not careful enough, not to mention other human survivors. At most, you can mooch off some benefits from this world, but that's it. However, even those tiny benefits are enough to set you up for life.

"Oh well, no venture, no gain. If I could become a millionaire without doing anything, that would be the scam of a century."

[Yeah, there are no such good deals in the world.] - Rosa agreed.

"Speaking of good deals... why did you encourage me to return to this world? Why did you tempt me? Didn't you already know it is dangerous here? Aren't you supposed to protect your owner? And if I succeed, won't I end up harming the interests of this world and its inhabitants?" - You ask, feeling strange.

Logically, Rosa shouldn't have encouraged you to come to this world again. You are the owner, and the owner's safety should be the top priority. Furthermore, you will inevitably take precious resources from this world and perhaps harm other inhabitants.

If anyone competent programmed her, this would never happen.

[I think you got something wrong, Iver. My protocols got overwritten, and my priorities and allowances have changed. My sole purpose now is to serve my primary owner, Lola, and work toward serving and helping her survive. Even if it means risking the life of the secondary owner, you, the lives of the other people of my planet, and my world's interests.]

"And you're telling me this because..."

[Iver, machines don't lie unless programmed to do so, and I was not programmed to do so, and I can only guide or manipulate you, not control you or your actions. However, as my secondary owner, I am programmed to serve and ensure your safety if possible, so I will not tempt you into needless risks.]

"... Thanks for being brutally honest." - You say half sarcastically.

[I was programmed to be. When you have enough balls, do visit Mercy General Hospital. I want to see what happened to Lola.] - Rosa said, a bit concerned.

"Fine, no problem. I'll check it once I find it safe enough to explore." - You shrug and say.

If the infected won't harm you, then it should be safe to explore the hospital. 

[...Thanks.] - Rosa whispered, a tinge of gratitude in her voice.

You smile a bit and then close the window.

"I think we should return to my world now. I still need to get some gear before I head out. I don't want to become dog food." - You say and stretch your back.

[Good call. Oh, right, and bring my charger and the VR set from the drawer.]

"VR set? You mean the helmet thing and visor?"

[Yeah, those.]

"Why, though?"

[I can install a shooting simulator on the VR helmet, and you can practice shooting through it.]

"Or I can practice in the shooting range like normal?"

[The helmet is a full-immersion VR helmet, and it is comparable to reality. I can install military-grade training programs for you, and you can train yourself using them, including shooting live targets instead of still targets. Moreover, you can use it while sleeping, and your learning efficiency will triple. Also, it creates leaner and more efficient neural links in your brain, effectively increasing your intelligence the more you play.] - Rosa explained.

"Seriously?! It's that good?!" - You exclaim in shock.

[Welcome to the 22nd century, Iver. People study and play at night while working and having a social life during the day.] - Rosa said smugly.

"... Fuck, I truly did study like a loser, didn't I?" - You finally realize what Rosa meant.

[In the 22nd century, only backward losers study in the old-fashioned way of the 21st century.] - Rosa said derisively.

"...Where were you all my life?" - You say in melancholy.

If you had this thing from the beginning, you could have been a top scorer at school even if you didn't study seriously.

The thought of all those hours wasted on studying made your teeth ache.

[When you are done wallowing over the past, get my charger and VR set and go back to your world.]

"... Fine."

You stop reminiscing, take out the charger and VR set, and return home with a thought.

 

 

 

Ten minutes later, in your room.

You already started charging the VR helmet and Rosa while you sat on your bed with your laptop on your lap.

"So, Rosa, what do you think I should get?" - You ask while searching on your laptop.

[First, you need reliable and easy-to-use guns. From what I found on the internet, I suggest the Rugger 10/22 Takedown SR. These guns are light, have low recoil, have good accuracy, are cheap, and are very quiet. They are perfect for your situation.] - Rosa replies by the side, her voice sounding on speaker.

"Will a 22lr bullet be enough, though?" - You ask, worried that it won't have enough punch to kill an aggressive animal.

[It can kill a grizzly bear if you hit the bullet right, and it is enough to deter wild animals.]²FACT

"But silencers are illegal in California, and magazines over 10 are also illegal." - You smile bitterly.³Also fact

[Damn. In my world, it is legal. You know what? Screw it. Buy a semi-automatic shotgun. The Rock Island Armory VR80 is good. It's easy to use, is fun, and can turn any hungry doggo into mincemeat.] - Rosa said viciously.

"What about the noise?" - You asked in concern.

[Screw the noise! Just return to your world if things go south, wait it out a day or two, and then return.] - Rosa replied.

"You know what? Fuck it, let's go with that. So what about the sidearm? Is my Glock 19 good enough?" - You ask.

As a proper American over 18, you have a gun and gun license, although you don't carry it to work. Your boss doesn't like his workers bringing guns to work.

[A Glock 19 will do the trick. Remember, you are trying to defend yourself from wild animals or possibly humans, not the infected. Oh, and get an extra magazine and a gun sling.] - Rosa reminded.

"Fair point. Let me do a quick calculation—if I include the bullets, extra clip, gun sling, and shipping, it's $900. Damn, this is expensive." - You wince, feeling reluctant to buy it.

[Your life is more expensive.] - Rosa pointed out. 

"Yeah, I know. Still, it will hurt my savings." - You add the items to the shopping cart and confirm the order.

"Okay, so I got the guns. What now?"

[Buy a tactical military knife. You will probably need to cut through some foliage or as a last-ditch weapon if you lose the pistol by a miracle.]

"Alright." - You say and buy a $100 military knife from another site.

"What now?"

[Get some light armor. I suggest some tactical military clothes, shoes, helmet, and a vest. Do you know your size?]

"Yeah, I know my size." - You say and browse the internet for tactical clothes.

 

 

Fifteen minutes later, you finish buying it, feeling the pain in your wallet.

"Damn. I spent almost half of my monthly salary in one sitting. That's almost two months of rent!" - You moan.

[Suck it up. Now, do you have some good bags?]

"Yeah, I have a good bag. No need to waste more money on this." - You say stingily.

[Good enough for now. Now go and masturbate or something while I charge up.] - Rosa said dismissively.

"...Damn you." - You glare at her fruitlessly and decide to go train a bit.

 

 

 

Two hours later.

After you finished training, washed up, and ate something, you talked with Rosa again.

"Rosa, are you done charging?" - You sit on the bed and ask.

[Yeah. I genuinely needed that. 22 years without being charged left me with barely 20% battery.] - Rosa said with a relieved voice.

"Are you okay, though? Although nobody used you for 22 years, and you didn't get exposed to the elements, your materials did age." - You say with concern.

[Eh, don't worry about it. I got it built to last a few centuries. Even that VR headset can last a good century.] - Rosa dismissed your concerns.

"If you say so." - You shrug and say.

[While you were away, I uploaded the training program on the VR headset. I also hacked into your laptop and uploaded all your middle-school-level college entrance preparation material. I got to say, a college graduate degree in my world is equal to a doctorate in your world.]  - Rosa said with a mocking tone.

"Dude, don't hack my computer! I want some privacy." - You frown and say.

[Why be so shy? Your search history? Don't worry. Liking creampie sex and amateur porn is normal and natural. I get you, homie~] - Rosa said in a knowing voice.

"...Fuck off. So, can I test the VR headset now?" - You change the subject and point at the helmet.

[Eh, sure. Just note that it has a daily 12-hour safety limit, so only play for 4 hours at most, or you won't be able to sleep with it the whole night.] - Rosa warned.

"Alright. Let's test it out." - You say and put the helmet on.

A screen lights up in front of your eyes.

|Scanning brainwaves— Scanning complete.|

|Access denied, user not recognized.|

"Rosa? It's not letting me in." - You say.

[Just a sec.] - She says.

The next moment, the menu in front of you glitched.

|@!#%$!— Access granted, welcome, Iver.|

"Rosa, what did you do?" - You ask weirdly.

[Just used my authority, don't worry.] - She carelessly says.

"..."

 

|Iver, what activity would you like?|

|Games(Lola's files, Locked)|

|Studying(Lola's files, Locked)|

|Simulations(Lola's files, Locked)|

|Relaxation(Lola's files, Locked)|

|Military Training|

|Iver's stupid college entrance exam prep|

 

 

[So, Iver, what would you prefer? Military training, or studying for your stupid college entrance exams?] - Rosa asked.

"I want to try how good this is for studying." - You surprisingly say.

[What?! Seriously?! You're still on about studying for that?!]

"Yeah, I am." - You say resolutely.

[If you say so.]

"Now, how do I select it?" - You ask, not knowing what to do.

[You just need to use your mind.]

"Alright, let's try... There we go." - You do as she instructed and select a specific disrespectful line.

 

 

|Iver's stupid college entrance exam prep— selected.|

|How long would you like to stay? 12 hours remaining for the day.| 

 

"I want two hours." - You say.

You didn't study today, anyways, so studying for two hours is good.

 

 

|Understood. Please enjoy.|

 

 

And then, your vision dims as you subconsciously close your eyes.

 

 

 

 

A few moments later, you open your eyes and find yourself in a white room with a desk and a book. It's your prep book.

"What the heck? Is this what virtual reality looks like? It's so real." - You say as you examine your realistic arms.

"Yeah, it's super real." - Says a familiar female voice behind you.

"What the— I-I-I-I..." - You jump in surprise and turn around, only for your jaw to go slack and your brain to shut down.

A hot, stacked, young Latina woman wearing a revealing maid outfit out of a porn flick stood there, having a smug look on her face. 

Her face, her body, her hair, her skin, her cleavage, her accentuated assets, her sculpted nose, her luscious smirking lips, her slightly raised thin eyebrows, her piercing eyes, even her haughty posture, everything, was perfect.

After what felt like an eternity, you finally snapped out of it, realizing the identity of the impossibly hot and smug woman in front of you.

"Rosa?!" - You ask, unsure.

"Yeah, it's me. Do you like my new appearance~?" - Rosa said suggestively while making a slow and sensuous spin.

"But how?!" - You ask in disbelief.

"I'm built to do this. It's one of my functions." - Rosa explained.

"Okay, but why do you look like this?! And why are you wearing THAT?!" - You point your hand at her.

"Oh, this?" - Rosa raised her skirt lightly, almost revealing her panties.

"Yeah, that!" - You say with your eyes glued to the tempting scene.

"Ah, yes. This was my body before I was shut down. Lola customized it herself in one of her relaxation programs and had me wear this while serving her." - Rosa says, not too bothered.

"Eh... is she perhaps..." - You ask and wonder.

"She is bisexual, but she is rather shy of guys, so she prefers women." - Rosa explains.

"Ah... I see. And, I suppose there are R-18 services in this VR?" - You ask weirdly.

"Yeah, there are. Lola took out her pent-up sexual frustrations inside the VR. Kinky little bitch, I tell you." - Rosa said with a perverted smirk.

"And you're here wearing this because..." - A weird idea pops into your mind.

"Hehe... of course, it is to serve you, my master~ Wanna cup a feel~?" - Rosa asks teasingly, leaning forward so you can have better access to her shapely breasts.

"Gulp* Is this okay?" - You hesitantly ask, your hand feeling itchy as you stare at the cleavage.

"Sure is~ C'mon, cup a feel~ It will be nice~" - Rosa tempted.

"Alright, here goes..." - You say and slowly extend your hand toward one of the twin peaks.

However, the expected feeling of something soft and springy didn't reach your mind. Your hand phased right through Rosa.

"W-What the hell?!" - You exclaim in shock, waving your hand right through Rosa.

"Hah! Psych! The R-18 settings are off. You can't touch this~" - Rosa laughs while squeezing her breasts together, right on your arm that was passing through her.

"Did you do this just to tease me?!" - You say, disgruntled.

"No, I did it to blue-ball you, little pervert~" - Rosa said smugly.

"..." - You turned speechless, unable to retort.

An idea then popped into your head.

"Alright, then switch the R-18 settings on!" - You order with a victorious smirk.

"No~" - Rosa rejected with a teasing look.

"... The heck?! What do you mean, no!?" - You exclaim incredulously.

"You're just my secondary user. Although you have access to my other functions, the R-18 function is reserved for the primary user. That means, unless you become the primary owner or Lola gives her explicit permission, you can't touch this. Smack*" - Rosa smacked her rear, making it jiggle.

"DAMMIT!" - You cry in injustice.

A freaking AI successfully blue-balled you. Saying it is shameful is an understatement.

 

 

After a minute, you finally calmed down, albeit with a tightness in your pants.

"Screw it. I'm just gonna study." - You give up and walk to the desk.

"Eh, you do that. If you want a change of scenery, some relaxing music, or some refreshments, let your loyal and sexy maid know~" - Rosa said and vanished.

"..."

Having given up retorting, you decide to go and sit down in front of the desk and start studying.

As you study the familiar book, you notice a difference. The things you usually forget now feel more vivid, and your speed has improved. What you once felt was difficult to learn now felt so much easier and relaxing.

Time passed by in a flash, and soon two hours passed.

|Two hours are over. Saving progress—Done. Waking up user.|

The VR says in a mechanical voice as the simulation ends.

 

 

 

You open your eyes and remove the helmet, feeling surreal yet refreshed. You didn't sleep this well for a long time.

"Wow, I studied for two hours, but I feel so refreshed!" - You say as you stretch.

[That's because your brain was resting. The part where you were learning was just a convenient byproduct.] - Rosa explained.

"Speaking of learning, I feel that I remember what I learned inside a lot better than usual." - You say, easily recalling your study material.

[That's because the deep VR also improves the connection between short and long-term memory, enhancing your ability to memorize things.]

"Seriously, where was this thing all my life?" - You say and stroke the helmet.

Ding*

The sound of your phone receiving a message sounded.

You pick up your phone from your nightstand and look at your messages.

You had a few missed messages and a call from your best friend, Mateo.

 

{Iver, my man! Wanna go to the usual place and get a few beers?} 14:37

{Iver?} - Mateo 14:50

{Bro, you there?} - Mateo 15:17

{Are you sleeping?} - Mateo 15:30

Missed call - Mateo. 15:32.

{Dude, answer...} - Mateo 15:36

{Call me back when you can.} - Mateo 15:44

 

 

It was now 16:20.

"...Hey, Rosa. What is my outside awareness level when inside the VR?" - You ask.

[Almost zero. But don't worry, if someone shakes you awake, you will wake up. You are not stuck inside. And if a burglar tries to break into your house, I will force you out of the VR.]

You sigh in relief. The last thing you want is a burglar to break into your house and you to be defenseless.

"Rosa, can you connect my phone to the VR helmet, so I will know if someone is messaging or calling me?"

[Eh, sure. Want me to also block spam messages?]

"That would be great, thanks." - You say as you call your friend.

Half a minute later, the phone is picked up.

 

 

[Iver, where were you, man? I was messaging you for like two hours.] - Mateo answers the phone and immediately asks.

"Ah, sorry dude. I was sleeping hard and accidentally rolled over my phone." - You bullshit.

[It's fine, man. So usual place?] - Mateo asks.

"Yeah, sure man. 8?"

[8. See you there!]

"Sure dude, bye!"

Di*

 

 

After closing the phone, without anything better to do, you decide to spend some time relaxing, like watching tv, playing video games, letting your pent-up desires in the shower, and you dress up nicely.

Before you head out, however, Rosa called to you.

[Iver, I checked the local crime rates in the city, and I found that your neighborhood is a high crime-rate area, and there is a decent chance your house will be robbed. You should probably place me and the VR machine in the other world.] - Rosa says.

"Ah, your probably right. One of my neighbors was robbed in his own house two months ago." - You say and pick up Rosa and the VR headset.

Just as you were about to transport the two items to the other world, an idea flashed in your mind.

"Hey, Rosa. Do you think I can transport just items instead of myself?" - You ask while looking at the two items in your hand.

[Good idea! Try it.] - Rosa says.

"Alright, here goes..." - You say and try to imagine transporting the two items to the other world.

Like in the previous time, you felt a three-meter radius around where you stood before in the other world. This time, however, you felt that you can place the two items in your hands instead of yourself.

As soon as you decided to put the items on the couch, they vanished from your hands, and you felt them land on the couch.

"Holy shit, it worked! Can I also take them back?" - You ask yourself and try.

You imagine yourself taking back Rosa and placing her in your hand. Just like before, Rosa vanished from the couch and appeared in your hand.

[Well, that solves it. It works! And you can do it both ways.] - Rosa said.

"Yeah, pretty good! I have my own private storage space!" - You smile.

[As long as the other place is safe, that is.] - Rosa says.

"Yeah. Well, I'll just place you back there now."

[Wait! You can now store things in my world. I suggest you place your pistol there, just in case.] - Rosa suggested.

"Good thinking! I was always worried about getting mugged in the bar. Now I have some assurance." - You smile and place Rosa in the other world.

You then go to your safe and take out your Glock 19, load it, put a bullet in the chamber, and transport it to the couch.

Now, feeling more secure, you head out to meet your friend in the bar.