I am surrounded by the endless darkness of space. It is cold, quiet, and unsettling. The only thing keeping me company are the countless stars, all floating around like fireflies on a dark, summer night.
Connecting toserver...
A floating golden screen materializes before me. Its white text is blurry, constantly shifting and changing.
Loading...
Registering graphics...
Setting up pain sensors...
Engaging realism mode...
The text blurs rapidly, each line flowing faster than I can read.
Loading world...
Suddenly, the vast void of space slowly begins to peel away, leaving nothing but a white, and empty expanse.
But then, things begin to emerge. Dirt, trees, grass, clouds. They form all around me, almost as if I'm being dragged back into reality.
At first, it's rudimentary. It doesn't look real at all, but more like a mockery of the universe's many worlds.
But then, things begin to shift. The world begins to fill in, the details sharpening, the shadows forming, the textures deepening. The ground no longer looks flat and 2D, but real. My surroundings no longer feel like a drawing, but like something I can actually touch, feel, and experience.
The golden screen flickers before me once again, its white text becoming far more legible than before.
Welcome player.
Setting name...
WelcomeAchilles.
I look at the golden screen for a moment before tapping the X in its top right corner, closing the display.
Ive played video games like this before. Unlike most of my fellow prisoners, I've grown up lavishly.
I've played virtual reality before, and I know how this system works. Whoever controls the server runs the system. That's how they communicate with me and my fellow players.
The calm sound of waves crashing against the shore blesses my ears. I blink, realizing that I'm standing on a beach with the ocean stretching out endlessly before me. I see no other land in sight as I stare out into the ocean's vastness, its surface glistening under the weak and fading sun.
I take in my surroundings. A small hut sits near the coastline, its wood seemingly old and weathered. Other than that, the beach is barren-no people, no animals, not even a distant ship on the horizon. Just the endless stretch of sand and water.
As the sun continues to set, casting its long shadows across the beach, I turn my attention back to the hut. I walk toward it, seeking shelter against the dark night that is to come. The sand crunches beneath by toes, every step feeling so... eerily real. Ive never played a game with such realism before. This must be some new high tech machine, not yet released to the public.
I climb the stairs onto the patio of the small wooden hut. Outside the door sits a barrel filled with fishing rods. They seem kind of out of place, almost like they were placed here, yet there are no signs of other people.
I twist the door's handle, but it is locked.
Sighing in frustration, I slam my shoulder into the door, hoping to break it open.
I only end up embarrassing myself as I fall backwards, the lock holding firm against my efforts.
I have to remind myself that this is a simulation, not real life. I can't just break down the door with brute force, I need to actually find the damn key...
I stare at the rug beneath the door, an expression of disbelief on my face as a thought crosses my mind.
Theres no way, right?
I lift the rug, and sure enough, there's a rusty metal key hidden beneath it.
I cant help but sigh as I attempt to fit it in it's keyhole.
I twist it, hearing a small and satisfying click as the old door slowly swings open with a loud creak.
The inside is filled with dust and cobwebs. It's dar, too dark to see inside. The air is musty, and thick a clear sign of abandonment.
I feel the cool uneven wood as I walk through the sticky cobwebs guarding the door.
Squinting my eyes, I can make out a table, some chairs and maybe a bed tucked in the corner?
I run my hand along the dusty walls, using them as a guide, attempting to find some sort of light source. My fingers brush against something small and square. It's a switch.
I press it, watching the lights flicker for a moment before flashing on, bathing the small hut in it's warm yellow hue
On the table, I notice an old knife, a bow, and a cup filled with pencils, pens, and other writing utensils.
I walk over, picking up the knife and bow, and feeling their weight in my hands. They're old and worn, seeming more like relics than actual weapons.
I take the bow, wrapping it's string around my arm as I strap it to my back. There are no arrows, rendering it useless. I grab the knife, gripping its cold hilt as I look out the window.
The sun has almost fully set, it's light seemingly being banished from the realm, only to be replaced by the moons darkness.
Gurrrgg...
My stomach growls loudly, the sensation of hunger unmistakable. I glance down, feeling the emptiness in my gut. This simulation feels too real. I can basically feel the sensation of hunger in this merely virtual body. If this world didn't have a system, you just might have been able to trap someone in here forever, tricking them into believe that this was the real world.
I sigh, dragging a wooden chair over to the door. I can't sleep on an empty stomach.
I turn off the lights, grabbing one of the fishing rods from the barrel.
Stepping off the porch, it seems quiet. A bit too quiet. There are no birds, no wildlife, just the crashing of waves against the shore.
I cast the line before settling into my chair. In real life, one might need some bait, yet this was only a simulation. Here, there is no need for bait... I think.
I sit in silence, gripping my pole and knife, prepared to gut any fish I catch.
Ten minutes pass. Then twenty.
Nothing happens.
I'm about to pack it up and give in to the hunger when I finally feel it. A tug.
It's small and faint, but there definitely is a tug. I begin to reel it in slowly, careful, and excited to finally eat something.
As the fish finally emerges from the water, I find myself releasing a small disappointed sigh. The fish is small. Like, extremely small. I could probably eat it in a single gulp
But then I remember the most frustrating part. The fish is raw and I have no way of cooking it. No fire, no resources, no nothing!
Before I can even express my frustration, the golden panel appears once again with a cryptic message:
Night one has begun.
I freeze, staring at the words. What does that mean?
Well whatever it is, it must not be good...
I grab my rod, deciding to leave the chair as I begin walking toward the hut. I need shelter, and that's the only building nearby.
Suddenly, the ground beneath me shifts. The sand trembles, vibrating as if something lays underneath.
I break into a full on sprint, the ground beneath me beginning to sink, pulling me down like quicksand. I run as fast as I can, my heart pounding, desperate to make it back to the hut.
I almost reach the stairs when something grabs my leg. Cold, clammy, and slimy fingers clutch my ankle, pulling me down.
"Aghhh!" I scream, using my knife to stab at the hand. It won't let go.
The ground around me begins to erupt as figures-rotting, grotesque zombies-start clawing their way up from beneath the sand, Their eyes desperate for flesh and conversion..
This is a nightmare. How can I possibly escape so many creatures on the first night? I wasn't even warned about this!
They were like an ocean, rising out of the sand and flowing towards me with their innumerable numbers.
I yank my leg, finally pulling the infected creature out from beneath the sand. Its decaying and torn skin clings to me, but I manage to thrust my knife through its soggy skull, ending its quick and pitiful existence
It was disgusting. It's thick black blood sprayed on my hands. It was like ink, but slimy.
I tried to fight my way through, stabbing a few infected while kiting the others away. It was useless. They kept rising from the ground, an endless tide, like water pouring from a spring that never ceases.
They surround me, pushing me back against the ocean. There is nowhere else I can run. I cant make it back to my hut leaving me with only 1 option...
I turn toward the ocean, Its dark surface glowing under the moonlight. It's breathtakingly beautiful, yet also my only chance.
I sprint toward the water, diving in it, feeling the cool rush as I begin to swim as fast as I can.
Behind me, the horde stands at the shore, watching. Luckily for me, it seems like they can't swim.
Turning back, I remember the barrier. I know it's there, but as long as I don't cross it, I'll be fine.