“-please agree to the terms of service,” the voice rang in my head, every echo bringing an echoing pain thundering over my nerves. My shaking hand still clutched my aching chest. Ragged breaths left my lips. Everything swirled in a drunken torment. Someone had tried to rip my heart out from the inside, squeezing, and only now letting go to give a moment’s reprieve.

White light from the monitors burned my eyes in the dark bedroom. Everyone in the house was asleep. I would have been too… I should have been. Maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess if I had been.

On the monitors lay a mass of text so tiny and vast I couldn’t hope to read it even on a good day. I saw words I was used to like “Player” or “Levels” but little more than that in the sea of sentences.

“If you do not agree to the terms within fifty-three seconds, your next punishment will be upgraded to a Tier Three heart attack,” she warned, her voice noticeably feminine and cold. “Please agree to the terms of service.”

Beneath the wall of text was a single button waiting for my shaky mouse pointer. My hand was already beginning to sweat as I struggled to guide the pointer to the waiting button. I didn’t know what I was agreeing to. This mysterious voice didn’t explain. But if I didn’t agree, that pain would return… worse than before.

And I already felt like I was about to die after just experiencing the last one. I had stupidly tried to call out for help after the first punishment, only for the voice to hit me with a Tier Two punishment for my attempt.

Fear. Desperation. I slammed my quivering finger over and over, clicking as quickly as my teeth chittered, hitting the button with dozens of wild clicks.

That had to be enough.

A massive burst of light sent me reeling back into the chair, my hands covering my eyes as grand white letters formed on the screen. ‘Welcome to Babel, Player #D771 Andy McLaw.’

As that text wiped itself away, new words replaced it. ‘Congratulations! You have completed your first step into entering the world of adventure. You have gained one IRL reward. Your Moderator will oversee its selection and delivery. We look forward to seeing you soon.’

“...what?” I gasped, slumped in my chair like a boneless rug. Everything was moving too fast.

The voice answered me, still speaking inside my head, “Congratulations. And welcome to Babel. I have been assigned to be your personal Moderator and shall oversee your advancement within Babel’s domains.”

“To begin, please select your quest reward.” The moment she finished saying this, my vision blurred, three floating images appearing in front of me; one of a shampoo bottle, one of some sports drink, and the last a chocolate bar. As if on a floating display pedestal, the three objects slowly turned while suspended in midair, uncaring that they were defying the laws of gravity.

I blinked. I bat at the images as if a cat smacking at twine, but my hand passed through them harmlessly as descriptions appeared beneath each.

‘Excellent Hair Dye x 1: change hair permanently for one month to any chosen color.’

‘Thor Energy Drink x 1: gain infinite stamina for one hour after drinking.’

‘Succulent Chocolate Taste x 1: everything tastes like chocolate for eight hours after consumption.’

“What… the heck?” were the only words I managed to summon.

“Please choose one reward.”

“But-”

“-Please choose one reward,” she insisted, and I wasn’t about to risk irking her.

Meekly, I selected, “...the energy drink.”

The hair dye and chocolate bar vanished while the energy drink floated down to my desk and sat there, waiting. Reaching out and tapping it with a finger, I confirmed it was real. And cold. Already the light blue and yellow aluminum can had started sweating in the summer night air.

“The Thor Energy Drink shall grant your infinite stamina for one hour. Please remember that if a non-Player drinks it, the effect will be lost. Additionally, this drink will not mitigate the adverse backlash the body will experience from extreme duress during that time.”

“...good… to know…” I took a deep breath, trying to regain myself after the shock of the past few minutes. Two heart attacks. Nearly a third. Signing up for something called… Babel… as a Player. I dared ask, “What is going on?”

“You have been selected as a Player of Babel. During set days, during your normal REM cycle, your consciousness will be transported to Babel in order to begin your duties as a Player; as such, your daily life will not be negatively affected by your duties. Besides the mandatory quests assigned to you, you are free to enjoy all Babel has to offer at your leisure.”

“So… it’s a kind of game?” It sure sounded like one. Besides the realness of whatever it was… my aching body was a testament to that.

She replied, “You may consider it a game if that is what you desire, as it is structured in the same manner. However, as you see before you, you may acquire real life items and benefits to compliment your desired lifestyle. Seventy-one percent of all Earthly billionaires reached their current fame and fortune through Babel. As such, it is in your best interest to succeed.”

That was a lot to take in. Unbelievable didn’t even cut it. What came next really brought the ice water down on my sudden dreams of fame and fortune though.

“Be warned that failure to complete your responsibilities as a Player will incur punishment,” she stated. “This may result in eventual termination.”

All moisture left my mouth and I smacked my lips in a vain attempt to fix it. I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t think. The only thought zipping through my head was the memory of that indescribable pain from one of those ‘punishments’ and how I was now doomed to feel it again if I ever failed.