Fiction - Total Immersion

The small slip of paper exchanged hands silently streets away as Sandi bounded up the steps to the immersion arcade, Sandi was one of the growing number of young children addicted to the modern version of role-play games, when she played it really was for real.

The small slip of paper changed hands again.

Sandi slid easily into the tight fitting bodysuit and TI assistants carried her trailing wires carefully as she made her way over to the tank of thick blue liquid. As she immersed herself the slip of paper was carried into an untidy room full of computer equipment.

"We got the code," said the excited youth carrying the slip of paper, "let's do it." His calm-faced companion quietly took the paper from him and typed the codes into the ready computer equipment.

All but Sandi's head was now immersed in the thick liquid, the assistants gently lowered the sense-enhancement helmet over her head, it would feed her images and air as long as she was in the game, just as the bodysuit's pads would let her touch objects she would see. Then optic wires snaked from the back of Sandi's head into the computer mainframe in charge of the games, the ultimate fantasy would be hers, she would be able to feel and live her fantasies. TI games were understandably popular. Sandi had been told to stay away from the gamesby her brother, but she didn't see any harm in them, she was sure she wasn't addicted and found her brother a bore. As she became immersed in the liquid she knew she was right.

As the calm faced young man tapped his computer keyboard his companion grew even more excited, on the other side of the city a small tingle shot through Sandi's nerves as she linked with the control computer. Her game began.

A landscape grew about the tall, blonde haired girl as she examined the light green tunic she wore, it's fibres were perfect in every detail, as was the bow and quiver full of arrows slung across her back. The mountains in the distance were sharp even though seen this far away, the girl grinned. Unconciously she knew her mission, to seek out Morakle, the Evil One, and destroy her with a magical arrow, she made her way quickly through the thick green foliage around her.

The calm face of the youth did not flicker as he watched the screen, "Splicing will begin in five seconds," a pause, "two, one." The computer flashed as zero was reached, the room was silent apart from the excited youth's whimper of triumph.

All was silent around the tall girl, apart from the muted whisper of small animals, she smiled as Morakle's castle came into view, in the corner of her eye the clear blue sky started to twist. She swung around, the sky bulged as if it were warm plastic and a hand was trying to push through from the other side. Suddenly a huge split tore the sky and a huge figure fell through, the figure of a heavily armoured street football player, as he crashed to a halt he shreaded plants in his path. He came to rest against a gnarled tree a few feet from the tall girl.

Another figure poked it's head through the tear in the sky, "C'mon Dog, the team's waiting," there was a dumbfounded pause, "hey, who's the gork?"

The first figure staggered to his feet and gazed silently at the tall girl, he tried to figure how a forest wasn't on his game map, as he pondered, gape gawed, another bulge appeared in the fabric of the sky. A huge machine fell out of the sky towards them, righting itself at the last moment it hit the ground with a bone-jarring thump, as it surveyed the forest two more tears appeared, one in the gnarled tree. People in strange dress ran from the holes, escaping from unknown horrors appearing in their own worlds. The tall girl swung around in small circles, trying to work out what had happened to her perfect fantasy.

"News reports just in," blared the television in the calm faced youth's apartment. "Hackers broke into the Total Immersion Games system this evening and destroyed guards between each programmed reality." The screen flashed pictures from the games people had been hooked into. "Most players only suffered mild trauma as their reality broke down," bodysuits trailing ripped and burnt wires, "but those who suffered most are never expected to fully recover." Pictures flashed of people still in tanks, curled in fetal balls, the picture of a small, somewhat ugly girl stayed slightly longer on the screen. The calm faced youth had just enough time to read 'San' on the tank name tag before he recognized his sister.

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