A/N Sooo… I’ve sorta decided where I wanna take this now. Probably in the direction of Adam playing some role in a VR game, just not as a player. Not as a standard player anyways. I mean, a guy with direct digital interface and no physical brain limiter is just OP. I’m thinking more along the lines making him a sort of GM, admin, god, etc.

And in order to get from point A to point D, I’ve come up with this nifty thing called a time skip! Generously provided by the adorable little sister, Lexy. I hope I do her character justice. (Yes I skipped ‘B’ and ‘C’. What of it?)

Info on my future update schedule is in the endnote.

I’d say enjoy the chapter, but this will have been sitting in my harddrive for the last few days by the time you read this. Oh, wait. That line can still apply here so...

Enjoy the chapter. :)

/Alexandra (Lexy) Marx POV/

It’s been nearly two years since my big brother agreed to work with Realtek after his brush with death. The day the news announced that he and his team had been blown up with an I.E.D., I’d broken down and wept. Since the beginning, Adam had replaced the role of dad and become our family’s pillar of strength over the years. Growing up without a dad, I never knew what the word father meant, but if Adam and Mom were there, it was enough for me to be happy.

Seeing my only family work hard for my sake drove me to do the same for them. If Adam and mom could work to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table, the least I could do was do well in school and not cause any trouble. And, the one time I did punch a jerk in the face for mocking my family, my brother was there to support me when the school called to report the incident.

That is why I wish to be able to support Adam, even if I can’t do anything for him in his computer. Over the last two years, we’ve sent countless emails, photos, and video chats discussing everything from birthdays and holidays to school and friends. It might not be much, but I hope that those little conversations meant as much to him as it did to me. The only thing I didn’t like about those brief moments of contact is that he kept mentioning some woman named Eve.

Then, one year ago, Realtek had finally released information on their latest VR immersion technology to the public. It was all over the news channels, papers, magazines, and internet for the better part of the year.

Since then, I could visit Adam once a week in his little world through the use of their VR gear. In fact, the first thing I did when after entering his digital world at Realtek’s offices was to run into his arms and give him a big hug. No to mention that I finally got to meet this Eve person he talked so much about. It turns out that Eve is Realtek’s advanced AI who monitors all of their systems and is Adam’s only permanent companion in the digital realm. I’m glad that he has somebody to talk to, but I’m conflicted because Eve is so pretty. What if she corrupts him with her feminine wiles! And she even mentioned that they can manipulate any property of their physical constructs as they desire. That’s practically cheating! I can’t do that. I’ll have to keep a close eye on brother in the future.

If you can’t figure out what she means by that, get out… Then again, I did leave it pretty vague. I bet half of you are too innocent to understand. Wait. This is the internet. The internet corrupts so you should all understand it clearly.

Anyways, during our last few correspondences, Adam has hinted at something big being revealed soon and said to keep an eye on the news for the next few days. That brings us to the present. During my spare time, I’ve kept either my eyes or ears glued to the TV and radio for any news related to Realtek as brother mentioned.

Currently, in our new house kindly provided by Realtek, Mom is busy making dinner in the kitchen. Being a modern two story house, it simply feels too large for the both of us. It is luxurious to say the least. There are 4 full baths, an outdoor jacuzzi, 4 bedrooms including the master’s, a full kitchen, living room, and dining area. Not only is this house paid for by Realtek, the living expenses are covered too.

So, back to dinner, mom is making Adam’s favorite meaty pasta with mushrooms and garlic toast on the side. It’s too bad that I can’t send him some of this to eat.

“Lexy, could you please set the table for three? Sarah will be eating with us tonight.”

“Okay Mom.” My eyes linger on the TV in front of me a moment longer before I get up to grab the utensils.

What, are you surprised that Sarah is coming over? Sarah first came over to discuss Adam’s potential employment to Realtek two years ago and she’s kept in friendly contact ever since. At this point, she’s practically a family friend so we enjoy meals together once in a while.

With the table set, I return to my former seat in front of the TV to continue my vigil. The minutes tick by as the weather and sports are announced.

Knock-knock-knock

A few quick raps on the door announce Sarah’s arrival and getting up once more from my seat on the couch I go to greet her.

“Hi Sarah. Dinner is almost ready so come in and relax. Would you like something to drink?”

(Sarah) “Thanks Lexy. Work has been running me ragged with the release happening soon. I’m sure Adam mentioned it to you the other day. Oh, and a glass of water would be great.”

“What is this ‘release’ anyways. All that Adam said about it was to keep my eyes on the news for the next few days.”

(Sarah) “In that case, I won’t say another word. It’ll be shown on channel 7 at 7:30. Just over an hour away so we might as well enjoy dinner until then.”

Carrying a large bowl of pasta and plate of garlic toast, mom walks out of the kitchen.

(Mom) “Hello Sarah.”

(Sarah) “Hi Mary. The food smells divine. Shall we dig in?”

(Mom) “Thanks, but it’s nowhere near as tasty as Adam’s cooking. I’m happy that he’s alive, though in a computer, but I still wish he could cook for us.”

(Sarah) “From the way you talk about Adam’s cooking skills, it sounds like he’s a pro. I wonder if I could get him to cook in that VR world of his.”

The rest of the meal passes over the small talk of school, work, and Adam.

With the time nearing 7:30, we begin to clear off the table and do the dishes before turning our attention towards the TV.

“Thank you Sam for the riveting news in sports. Our next segment is for video game enthusiasts and tech geeks alike with new developments from the tech giant, Realtek.

Yes Bob. It was just last year that Realtek released its VR immersion technology to the public. With several models ranging from the visor, to the helmet, to even the immersion bed, virtual reality has become available for a wide range of households. Everybody from high school kids using it to meet friends across the globe to designers engineering and testing their dreams have had a blast with it.

It’s become quite popular, Leslie, but what’s the secret behind it and what does Realtek have in store for us today?

In the official release by Realtek, their technology utilizes the massive computing power of a now common quantum computer to track and interpret both your brain’s electrical impulses and nerve signals. As for their newest creation, I’ll leave their promotional video to tell the story.

As a video replaces the two news anchors on screen, the Realtek logo fades into view against a black backdrop with a tinkling chime. Displayed underneath is their catchphrase. “Real Technology for Real People” Soon, that too fades out and Realtek’s spokesperson appears on screen in front of a slideshow of their achievements.

“Over the last decade, virtual reality has been utilized in the military for performing impossible missions and saving the lives of our men. Seeing fit to develope it for civilian use, it had been released to the public last year for use in schools, businesses, and at home.

Now, what if I told you that virtual reality wasn’t just limited to small projects such as designing a science fair project or testing a new type of fuel engine. Not to belittle such projects, but that only scratches the surface of what our virtual reality immersion gear can do.

What if every one of those headsets, helmets, and beds could be connected to one world. Yes, not a server, but an entirely new world. A world where you can speak to a person face to face and even punch him in the face if you wished. One of fantasy and magic, filled with adventure. One where a legend could be made each and every day by regular people such as you and me.” A globe appears on the screen behind him. Like earth, it has oceans and landmasses along with two poles. The only difference is their formations.

“I present to you, Eden. A fully interactive world where your decisions can influence the environment around you. Just don’t forget that the environment can do the exact same to you. Utilizing the full functionality of our VR gear, you will be able to experience Eden as if you were right there.

If you want to eat, you can taste the juiciness of fire roasted meat. If you choose to fight, you can experience the adrenaline rush through your veins and the cool touch of metal armor. Your senses won’t even be able to tell the difference Eden and the real world. It’s just that realistic.

While it is still in its initial stages, one of our beta testers has compiled these clips you see here.”

To my surprise, Adam appears in the video. Wearing functional cloth and leather garb, he is shown fishing, cooking over an open fire, and even facing off with a monstrous bear the size of a house with a sword as large as himself in the midst of a fantastical forest. I have to admit, he looks really cool like that.

As the montage ends, Realtek’s spokesperson reappears on screen for one final message.

“What a rush, wouldn’t you agree? The world’s first VRMMO, Eden, will be released to the public one year from now and closed alpha testing will begin one month prior. If you wish to enter the alpha test, please enter a ticket on our main site. Additional information may be viewed on Eden’s official release page. I wish you good fortunes.”

With excitement building in my chest, I turn towards Sarah who’s positively beaming at me.

“So, can you get me into that alpha test?”

A/N Hey-o… Break’s a lot shorter than I thought it’d be. I’ve decided to just leave the current chapters as is and go over it all once I hit 20 chapters to make minor edits and adjustments. Nothing major. The next few chapters will contain some info from Adam’s side of things and then the alpha test. The alpha test in particular may include random-ish POVs and infodump the heck out of you as I figure out how I want this world to work. The various POV characters may play a role in the future but will be determined when the time comes. I plan on making the game mechanics as minimalistic as possible to ease the strain of writing but ideas and suggestions are welcome.

Anyways, about the swift end to the recently announced break, I just wanted to post this before college got in the way. It’ll be starting in the next week and a half so I will not have as much time to write or read on this site as I’d like.

Thanks for reading. :)

P.S. Ratings, reviews, and comments will help me fix what is wrong and motivate me to write faster so don’t be shy. Just post ‘em.