"So how are you teleporting around?" Kithera asked me.

"I figured out his mystical gesture." I show her the gesture. "I don't know if only works for this avatar or not. I know I could switch back to my character, but I'm not sure if I could switch back once I leave it. I haven't tried." That might have been a bit more than she was asking.

I turn to face my player and tell him, "I have to say it feels a bit strange to finally meet you. Can I call you Zach? Calling you Hashi would be too weird."

Zach replies, "That is my name, so yes that's fine. When we're around other people in the game we should probably stick to the nameplate names though. I didn't expect to ever get to meet you. Doktor Urmind asked me to avoid it if at all possible. He never did explain his reason though."

"How did you meet Doktor Urmind?" I ask Zach. Kithera's sitting listening to both of us.

Zach looks around the room for a little while. I guess he's thinking about it. Then he starts talking, "Well that is a bit of a story. I'd been working on an idea I've been toying with for a while. I was trying to build an auditory based augmented reality device for the blind. I wanted a way for the sight impaired to have a way to get more information about their surroundings. I thought using a game system would be a good way to train it. Oh yeah, the Doktor Urmind part. I was able to make a prototype. A definite contender for the 'Ugliest hat award'. Basically, it was a hacked up VR headset with sensors strapped on and cables back to several computers. I'd been testing it for several days while logged into the game. I ran into a lot of people, trees, buildings, monsters, and a few times off of cliffs. I was in town getting supplies when Doktor Urmind started talking to me at a coffee shop. I refuse to call it a 'wake me up' shop. Hey Hashi, I need to take a quick break. I'll be right back." Zach's nameplate changed to [Hashi (AFK)] and his avatar stops moving.

Kithera says, "Zach had to get up and walk around a bit, probably is going to go smoke. Be right back myself. I'm going to make some coffee." Kithera went AFK as well.

What's smoking? Walking around and smoking. Huh. I really can't imagine what that means. I'll ask them when they get back. I'm contemplating playing some sort of prank with their frozen avatars when they start moving again.

Zach continues, "Sorry about that. I was starting to have trouble with the narcolepsy and it was making it hard to type. Here's Kithera with the coffee."

I interrupt Zach, "Zach, what's smoking? Are you cooking something?" Kithera's back from AFK.

Zach answers me, "You've probably seen people in town using pipes. A person puts crushed up dried leaves from a tobacco plant in a bowl attached to a hollow tube. They burn the plant and inhale the smoke. Here in my world people do this for the stimulant effect it has. I find it helps my narcolepsy symptoms some. It's looked down on now because it can cause harm long term. It helps me with my symptoms. Hey, are you ok? I'm sorry you had to experience part of a cataplexy attack."

"Um, Zach, I've never really understood what people mean when the say 'Are you ok?' What's ok mean?"

Zach, "Feeling well?"

I reply, "Other than feelings of satisfaction, I have no feelings from my avatar. I'm not distressed. A bit worried about Doktor Urmind."

KIthera asks me, "Hashi, do you have another name. Outside of the game?"

I think a bit. "My only experience of being outside the game is when I'm in a big black space with no light, not sound, and no body.I don't know of any other names other than when I picked H Grindswell as a character name. It sounded better than Hashi006."

Zach and Kithera look at each other.

"Did I say something strange?"

Hashi006 6 pictures on the wall The first player to survive

I don't think those other pictures were of me.