Entertainment.
I've always viewed the world... simply as. Ever since I was old enough to acknowledge the word and truly understand what it meant. From media to interpersonal relationships. I've always found entertainment in everything; even the things so dark no one in their right mind could derive entertainment from it. Was this a mental health issue? I don't know, I never bothered to get it diagnosed because it wasn't a threat to those around me. I understood right from wrong.
Now... What if that distinction was threatened? What if such a line were to be crossed, but not at the same time? This is where we get on topic. This is where the set-up truly begins.
"Noah's Genesis," I announced. Sitting beside what could only be described as a pill-like chair with a cover suspended above it. Ready to enclose on anything that stepped inside, like a high tec coffin. My eyes were trained dead center on a camera resting on the table in front of me. What was I doing, you may wonder. Well...
"Ladies and gentlemen, through some connections, and a /lot/, and I fucking mean a /lot/ of money... I've acquired it. The latest Virtual Entertainment system created by Oculus. Isn't she a beaut'?" I rubbed the back of my neck, laughing off the fact half of my life-savings was blown on this wonderous piece of technology...all for a fucking game. It wasn't a strained laugh, but a genuine one. I found it hilarious that I would risk my financial stability for my own bizarre, limitless entertainment. What a world.
"Now, now. Some of you may not know...well. Most of you. Even though It's a massive fucking stride in technology, trust me, you'll see, but they kept this fine piece of ass on the down low. The down-down-down low." I lowered my hand to the ground. This was all theatrics. Viewers didn't like a boring personality, but you also couldn't force it too much. This, at least, was enough to bring a few smiles; at least, that was the goal.
"Yeah, yeah. You're all chatting about how we already have adequate VR titles that simulate real life nicely, but... Listen, my chicks. This shit? This is the real shit. The /REAL/ shit. Unlike Rogue Legacy, this has actual... simulations to the real world. What I mean is..." I chuckled, giddy at the thought of what I'd soon be entering. it was all very exhilarating to dwell on. I almost wanted to say 'fuck it' and just hop in, indulge to my heart's content using that alpha access, but I couldn't do that to my loyal fans, "If you talk to an NPC, you're not going to get a menu. You're not going to see a relationship gauge, and most importantly... They'll act HUMAN! That's the pitch! They've focused highly on creating a fantasy environment that would mimic an actual world! Listen, don't ask me how they've done it better than Triple A titles, but they did. I'm not a developer, but I am fucking amazed."
That was the biggest point. It was the very reason I spontaneously left a massive issue for the future me to deal with once he was finished with this game. A game that could simulate... real life? With limitless freedoms? When I say limitless, I mean... limitless. Truth be told, it took this long to acquire because of the 'lawsuit' regarding if these artificial intelligence(s) were sentient or not.
That simply goes to show how much these NPC(s) were going to be realistic.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've been given the right to be the first streamers for this technological marvel! Though, with a caveat. Until Beta access, I cannot show the game to you, however I am allowed to record a video every 2 weeks for 30 minutes. Yes, record... not stream. I'm as bummed out as you are," I waved it all off. Sure, it sucked that I couldn't profit from this completely, but my initial goal of securing the game had been completed.
"On that note, I'd like to bid you all goodbye until next time. The channel's entering a period of Hitas to focus on this little beauty. Don't worry, don't worry. It won't be long, but come on. I'm human too, let me enjoy things," I grinned. Waving my hand, the camera directly in front of me flickered. The red light brilliantly shining on its side dimmed until it went off completely. Knowing I was alone in my room with just myself and... the pod, I slowly turned toward it.
It'd be fucking weird to stroke it, but- when you've spent so much money on something, you almost treat it like a divine object. This thing was, quite literally, above myself in terms of net worth. I exhaled, forcing my nerves to calm. Before I go insane, let me set myself up.
It was a leisurely couple of minutes, the excitement in my heart didn't die down any less though. During that time, I had taken a shower, ate a very light snack, less I threw up, and stood in front of the pod. I could be in this thing for hours, maybe even a day, but that was alright since it had built in life-support systems and monitored the user's vitals. If something went wrong, or even seemed to go wrong, it'd immediately alert authorities.
How terrifying, I laughed. Positioning myself inside of the cockpit was odd... I felt like some futuristic pilot, hands on the arms of the chair as the large, glass cover slowly came to a close. Connecting with a faint click. Right, here was the part that disturbed most people when they tried out these coffins. Liquid slowly started to fill the pod... the uncomfortable feeling of 'drowning' insighted my body to act out, but I kept my nerves steeled. I couldn't bitch out now, huh?
As my consciousness started to slip from my grasp, my eyes jolted open in the next instance. Life seemed to come into... being through the manifestation of an impressive degree. Suspended... fuck who knows how many meters above the ground, I found myself around clouds.
In front of me... the clouds created words: "Genesis". It was definitely working. I chuckled through fading anxiety.
["Welcome to Genesis. Beta-Key registered through VE(X). All primary starts unlocked. Do not be disappointed when some starts are unavailable to you, these must be unlocked through reaching certain milestones through play."]
Reading it all with my eyes silently, I nodded. Just the thought of confirmation sent the prompt away, bringing up another couple of displays... from different and wild scenarios to very mundane ones. Last time I recalled, these were all randomly generated, but all adhered to a basis. Well... Some were randomly generated, others weren't due to belonging to key characters in the world. At least, that's what I remember being briefed on.
["Adria -
Born to two commoners... life is far from easy. This unfortunate child found this fact out at the young age of 5, when her village on the border of Demon Territory was ruthlessly destroyed by a high-class demon. As a side-effect, it had left her mentally scarred and riddled with demonic corruption, barely surviving in The Split Forest."]
Amazing. Just reading that was enough to catch my attention. Adrian would be difficult, from the sounds of it, but he had a few interesting elements. Far more interesting than some of the prodigies I'm seeing from a couple glances around. The question is, do I want an easy time or... something ballbusting? Jumping into the thick of it from the beginning is typically how I enjoy playing a game.
Learning from the hardest experience is... rewarding, way better than being coddled, but that, too, has its own merits. Mainly depending on the game, I found. I'll take a gander at the rest of the scenarios. As my hand swiped past the dozens of randomly generated options, I found another that... somewhat caught my eye.
["Garren Blackguard
Blackguard... a family that inspires all the souls of the Cracaea Empire. This young man has a responsibility to continue his family legacy and safe-guard all its citizens from the perpetual threat of foreign influences through pure-martial might. Born with a physique perfect for Martial Arts, will his family name help him soar or... simply drag him down to death?"]
You'd almost think these weren't randomly generated, all of these were compelling, and I've really only looked at two, but... Adria. It was something about Adria's background that really took my attention. Was it because of her bleak situation? Was It because I found it 'funnier' than everything else? It didn't really matter in the end because I made up my mind. Yes, I know what I'm going to choose. I'm excited. Moving my finger to the s... wait, couldn't I just...
"Uh..." I chuckle, this was going to be a bit silly. "Adria. I'll choose Adria's scenario," Contrary to my belief, silence sat, until... I felt my body drop. As if gravity finally caught up to me, heaviness dragged my being straight down to the earth. As clouds began to clear up, I witnessed a truly gratifying sight. A world impossible in our... dying earth. Lush with green, floating islands, bizarre flying figures in the distance, and overall a perfect rendition of what I considered 'fantasy'.
I was directly above a forest, one that got closer and closer by the minutes. Instinctively, my body tried its body to move... move in any way that wouldn't end me in becoming a pancake. Yet, that was all in vain, nothing could stop gravity after all. I hit the ground, or I assumed I did, because everything went black. Did I...
Die.
--
Leaves, darkness, and the scent of blood. Those were the smells that assaulted the frail, 5 year old girl who was on her knees in a tattered, linen dress. Her bruised palms held the ground as she breathed heavily. Rampant thoughts assaulted her mind. A brief one was set, who was she? It was solved quickly. Adria, and another. What was... this situation?
The forest laid before her, foreign, and distant noises plagued around her. From the howling of what could only be assumed as wolves to the chittering of insects, they had no assistance in providing any closure for her mind. She fell onto her side with a dull thud, dirt crunching beneath her.
A stone... It hurt, but she was too tired to move. Staring blankly at the shrubbery, grass, and other mass of plant life around her, the girl weakly closed her eyes.
Fresh in her mind was the image of her mother and father crying, screaming even as they both fought... something. Something scary, something horrifying, something she NEVER wanted to see in her life again, and also something that had taken away her life; her stability. The girl laughed. All of this was so sudden, just an hour ago she was laughing, and eating freshly made bread in which her father painstakingly had created.
Just moments ago, she was floating through the air dwelling on what was interesting. Unable to hold her laughter at all of these conflicting emotions, she eventually found a synergy. Exhausted mentally and physically from running for who knows how long, she laid on the ground exhaling and inhaling.
At some stage, she started to collect it. Creating a rhythm that stablized it, and in turn, her thoughts. Through exhaustion, she felt... anger and amusement. Hoarsely chuckling, the girl weakly rose to the ground. How long was she there? She truthfully didn't know. What she did know, however, was that she needed a plan.
A plan to... survive, a plan to grow stronger, and a plan for revenge. Whatever these strange thoughts were, whatever these foreign experiences were... She knew she was no longer the same, scared little girl who entered the forest. She had become someone else, and they had become her.
"...Mom, Dad," She weakly muttered, clutching her hands against her chest.
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