“What is with the I.V. Doc?” I dropped back on the bed intentionally slowing my heartbeat as he clipped the heart monitor to the tip of my finger. I glanced down at the wheels on the medi-cart beside me. I hope they don’t squeak it would certainly make stealth troublesome when sneaking around the building later.

“The I.V. is to keep you properly hydrated during the game.” The doctor pulled down a screen from the ceiling and looked over the top of his glasses at the information displayed. “First time?”

“Yeah, lucky ticket.” I lied. “I don’t really think all of this is necessary though I will just go down to the cafeteria and have a soda if I get thirsty.”

The doctor. snorted. “This is the most immersive game in the world.” He walked up beside the bed and opened the drawer on the cart. “Any allergies I should be made aware of?” He gave me knowing eyes as if he knew something I did not.

I already answered the medical questions on the forms. Why do doctors always ask the same questions over again? “Not unless I developed them when I walked it.”

The door opened, a nurse walked in carrying blankets and a pillow. A man walked in behind her wearing a pinstriped black suit with a dark green tie tossed over one shoulder. He tossed the last bite of a sandwich into his mouth and pulled the tie back down to the front of his shirt tucking it behind the buttons of his jacket. He walked to the foot of the bed and picked up the data pad as he chewed. The nurse spread the blanket over my legs and started taking off my shoes.

“I can take off my own shoes.” I sat up in the bed and began untying. The man in the suit glanced up at me briefly then went back to scrolling on the screen of the data pad with one finger.

I sat my shoes down on the floor beside the bed. The man in the suit sat down the data pad and smiled up at me. “I see this is your first time. So wonderful that you should choose us for your vacation stay. I am the operations manager on this floor. I am Nate Kelly. He walked over and held up his fist.

I bumped his fist. “Any way you can start me by the kid in the lobby?”

“All drops into Visceral are random. Every player must make the best of the environment he finds himself in. Keeps each experience fresh.” He smiled again and I hoped I would be the officer that personally arrested that man. I would certainly rub his smug face and iron-pressed suit into the floor.

“What is the objective of the game?” I was sure I would have to spend some time playing the video game.

He gestured to the doctor, whom pulled a vial from the drawer and a syringe. “It is an open world game. Take any path you like. All decisions affect not only your game but the games of others. What ever money you carry out of the game we will give to you in a deposit after the game is over. Some very savvy players have made out like bandits.” He said.

I could make the precinct some money if I play well. I wondered if this would help my advancement. “Soo…” I was getting impatient and the quicker I could get them out of my room the better so I pretended to actually be interested in playing. Rubbing my hands together, “let’s get this game system out, where is the screen? Where is the controller?

“It’s not that kind of game.” He said as the doctor injected something into my I.V. “But if it will make you feel better…” He walked back over to the computer screen hanging from the ceiling, “How about this?” He pulled the screen down and positioned it in front of my face. The screen was gray and had the number Three in the center of a white circle, then the three changed to a two. Then the world pitched, I fell back into the bed and all went black. I could hear them speaking for a moment but soon their voices became warped and I felt as if I were falling from a plane.