《Battlebond》


 Chapter 1: The Gates Are Closed

    Getting your name called was everything. After all, who didn¡¯t want to live forever?


    It had only taken Millennium Games a handful of years to iron out the kinks of uploading a human¡¯s consciousness. Leave your body behind, and exist eternally in ours. That slogan had done wonders for recruitment, with mothers and fathers offering up their children left and right. Not only could they say their son or daughter was an immortal, but the potential profits it brought to a family were hard to ignore.


    My father prayed for me basically every day, hoping that I¡¯d be given the opportunity to join the elite. I supposed with my brother already called upon that hope held some merit, but I never once stopped silently agreeing with my father late into the night.


    I was still wide awake when one evening, my father long since asleep, Lyam agreed to drive us to the local bar.


    I was seventeen years old, months past the minimum age requirement for Millennium Game¡¯s service. I hurried after my brother, sliding into the passenger seat of our archaic gasolene-fed car. Nearly every means of transport these days ran on rechargeable batteries, which were cheaper and easier to produce than their liquid alternative.


    Lyam had a fond fascination for anything traditional. Something to do with the eager historian in him, or so he liked to say. I often imagined the rusted doors and deflated tires to be a sleek piece of something new, barreling down the streets as passerby watched from the sidewalks.


    The exhaust that belched out of the tailpipe was quick to break that vision.


    I shut the side door, my brother grinning over at me. His blue eyes shone even in the interior¡¯s dim light. He was always upbeat, so confident, like he never worried about a care in the world. And why should he? Lyam had been chosen. All of his troubles, the slight limp in his right leg, the toiling at work late into the evening, the need for a gainful future, it was all behind him.


    Lyam revved the engine, pulling the car out of the driveway. ¡°Next reading is in thirty minutes. You have everything with you?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, fastening my seatbelt. I¡¯d been waiting on this event for weeks. I had my backpack atop my knees, full to the brim with handwritten notes and audio tapes. Keeping up to date on what was going on with the immortals was more than a hobby for me, and I never left home without it.


    Granted, I had stocked up on a few extra pens. I wasn¡¯t reckless. Running out of ink while a broadcaster listed off noteworthy heroics from popular figures had already happened once, and I wasn¡¯t about to make the same mistake twice.


    Lyam brought his own matching backpack just in case.


    I turned my gaze out the window and watched the billboards pass by. Comprised almost entirely of neon lights they lit up the night, advertising a new message every hundred feet. There was¡­ something captivating about the newest discovered vault or plundered item. Only moments passed before the signs would morph, detailing another bit of news.


    Kestrel, the hunter! I grinned as the immortal¡¯s face appeared, all hard lines and a harder scowl. The head of the hunters was arguably more noteworthy than Battlebond¡¯s developers. It was a rare occurrence where he showed himself publicly, prefering to let his actions speak volumes.


    The gap between Kestrel and I seemed more than a few yards away. I hated being so feeble. Any day now my, my brother was going to follow in the hunter¡¯s footsteps. Was my name going to be called, a small series of letters in a sea of eager individuals? The thought that I¡¯d be passed by yet again made me squirm in my seat.


    I sat up straight as more headlights shone up ahead. The local bar was packed most evenings, and tonight was no exception. Wide-eyed boys parked haphazardly before making a mad dash inside the set of double doors. Parents and regular patrons alike conversed quietly, subdued but for the smiles on their faces. Like any of them I couldn¡¯t help but be caught up in the excitement.


    After all, it was only every six months that a reading was held.


    A strong hand grasped my shoulder before our car was even parked. My brother chuckled, looking out my window at the ceaseless stream of people. ¡°You¡¯d think they would pick a better time to broadcast. At this rate everyone will be pressed up against the windows.¡± Popular meetups were strewn all across the city, with the bar being one of the minor destinations. Of course we always had the option of watching the reading from home, but nobody wanted to experience it alone. I was no exception.


    ¡°Okay, Kage,¡± Lyam said, shutting off the car. ¡°Run it back to me again.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll say my name this time, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± I said, plucking at my seatbelt.


    ¡°Humor a tired brother.¡±


    ¡°Tired? I was the one who stayed up all night. You left work early.¡±


    He laughed. ¡°And it¡¯s a good thing too. Made it with plenty of time to spare.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll still get a spot in the back, if that. I¡¯ll have to bribe someone for a chance to sit down.¡±


    ¡°Again,¡± he said, still smiling. ¡°You can bicker with me about where to put your feet up another time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. If I¡¯m not called bide my time, wait how things pan out on your end, and go from there.¡±


    I had to admit, having a good plan in place made sense. The chances of anyone being accepted were far from ideal. That wasn¡¯t to say there weren¡¯t other options, albeit with a price tag attached. Money filled slots faster than any other, and the best source of that came from the other side. The digital side. Exactly where Lyam was bound for.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I got out of the car, following behind my brother. Entering the packed bar was a task unto itself, and we had to push and jostle our way through to the main entrance. No orderly line though. I¡¯d always expected one a hundred feet out the door. Most of the bar¡¯s patrons looked to be seated inside.


    Lyam meandered his way towards the rear of the bar and leaned back along a smooth wooden railing. I glanced at him, then over to the set of televisions near the ceiling. I grinned widely.


    ¡°Will this do?¡± Lyam asked.


    I nodded. ¡°Should be able to hear just fine, even if the screens are a mile away.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°Hold our spot. I¡¯ll grab us a few sodas before things get started.¡±


    The building was abuzz with conversation and laughs. Our town, Kirkland, was home to several prestigious schools and academies. More than a few of their residents were present around me, all my age or slightly older. High school dropouts, new college students, men and women in fresh and dirty work uniforms - they all had a singular focus tonight.


    Kirkland High was where I was stuck for the remainder of the year. It being my final stretch, the teachers had us knee deep in exams. Not that I could focus on any math equation or historical figure. No, all of that time and effort went to Battlebond.


    There were supposed to be limitless possibilities in its world, which only got more complex as the developers crafted new scenarios or environments to explore. I smiled, trying to picture myself as one of the hunters alongside Kestrel. Fighting beasts in the dark. Delving deep into a long-abandoned castle. Other than the mortal bodies people inside Battlebond inhabited - which were still far stronger and more durable than our own - the only thing they had to worry about was what new expanse to discover next.


    ¡°You¡¯re staring off into space again,¡± Lyam said, handing me a glass of sprite. ¡°Was it a mad dash for treasure this time?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°They did away with that after some vocal complaints. Now everyone gets their share of the items.¡±


    ¡°You would know that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Lyam chided. ¡°There¡¯s probably no fact you haven¡¯t written down or memorized.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you have your fascination with ancient relics and I have¡­.this.¡± I waved my hands, encompassing the entire crowd.


    ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± Lyam said. ¡°The bartender said he¡¯ll be dimming the lights any minute.¡±


    As if on cue, the televisions changed to display a rotund man sitting behind a long rectangular desk. Boz had been one of Millennium Game¡¯s representatives for what seemed like years now, and if the glint in his eyes was any indication he still shared in the excitement.


    I stared hard at the stack of papers in his hands, blocking out his garish blue tie and pressed grey suit. Countless nights had been spent lying awake, pondering how far down the list I would be. Now I might get to know. To finally, once and for all, join the ranks of the others inside Battlebond.


    ¡°Good evening everyone. It is a pleasure, once again, to be the spokesperson of this year¡¯s final selection. As you all know this is a fair process, one without malice or unjust compromises. Each and every name on this list will be read off in response to their location, culminating in the select few who live close to us here at company headquarters.¡±


    Boz paused a moment, for effect or a breath of air I couldn¡¯t discern.


    ¡°Without further adieu, I wholeheartedly welcome you to your new life.¡±


    ¡°Sohei Aybara. Tokyo.¡±


    I sipped quietly at my drink as Boz began his steady descent down the list. Japan, Europe and Australia were the first, followed closely by Africa and South America. No one had exclaimed loudly yet, jumping madly up and down. It would be bizarre if they had. As far as I knew everyone in the bar were residents of the United States, and we were always the last to be named.


    The wait was killing me


    ¡°We¡¯ve still got some time Kage. Loosen up a little. Your empty glass will thank you,¡± Lyam said.


    I sighed, unclenching my hand and setting the glass down on the railing. ¡°How many do you think will make it through?¡±


    ¡°What, from the United States?¡± Lyam shook his head slowly. ¡°The number hasn¡¯t changed one bit. You know that.¡±


    ¡°Please¡±


    ¡°Twenty. Twenty people all across the country get their brains scanned and uploaded.¡± He waited a moment, meeting my gaze. ¡°Hey. Hey. It¡¯s going to happen. It may not be tonight, hell it may not be in a month or two, but you¡¯re going to get in.¡± Lyam stepped closer, putting his arm across my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of that. Whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°Right. Whatever it takes.¡± I knew, deep down, that he was right. That even if I wasn¡¯t chosen now there would always be another chance down the road.


    That didn¡¯t make it any easier.


    Again I was struck by the stable crawl of Boz¡¯s eyes as he turned one page then another. In that moment, I found myself trembling as if I was the one on the other side of the screen. All the pressure placed solely on my shoulders, all the people¡¯s lives I was changing minute after minute. How did he stay so collected?


    ¡°Jackson Stalhome. Kirkland.¡± The name was followed by a cacophony of yells. Off to my right one boy, long brown hair tied back, hugged his parents hard. Others around him looked on smiling.


    ¡°That¡¯s one,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Rina Mayhew. Seattle.¡±


    ¡°Alexander Basos. San Francisco.¡±


    Boz continued uninterrupted. It was nothing short of a miracle, really. Having even one person picked from their hometown was, well, a phenomenon. One that likely wouldn¡¯t happen again.


    ¡°To conclude, the last individual to be chosen is Christian Davis from New York.¡± He set down his stack of papers, raising his eyes as if to meet my own. ¡°Normally one of my associates would come on next, to discuss events happening inside Battlebond. That won¡¯t be the case this evening.¡±


    Boz hesitated, his usual, jovial smile going away. ¡°I regret to inform you that we here at Millennium Games have decided no more participants will be selected to enter Battlebond¡¯s world. To clarify, this means no more future readings, and no more means of players to purchase a slot for their friends and loved ones.¡±


    ¡°From here on out, the gates to our system are closed.¡±


    I didn¡¯t react when Boz¡¯s deep voice finally went silent. Nor did I react when everyone began to leave the bar and return to their homes. It wasn¡¯t until Lyam shook me firmly that I finally focused.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the car, Kage. There has to be some way around this.¡±


    ¡°What? What, Lyam? You heard Boz just now, the gates are closed!¡± I struggled to contain my tears as we exited the bar and got into the car.


    Was that it? All of my notes, all of my thoughts, of the time spent up late into the evening. It was all useless now.


    ¡°My spot,¡± Lyam blurted out, over the din of the sputtering engine. ¡°I¡¯ll transfer my spot over to you. You can¡­¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t work,¡± I muttered, gazing out the window. ¡°Once you¡¯re selected your name is locked in. No handing off allowed.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll think of something else!¡± Lyam said, shouting. I jumped, startled. He never raised his voice.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t anything else. I know all the rules, remember?¡± I leaned back in my seat, staring straight ahead.


    For once I wish I didn¡¯t.

 Chapter 2: Dragons Lair

    I woke up abruptly as light streamed across my bed.


    I¡¯d fallen asleep with my clothes on. Even my shoes were still tied. The covers under my head shifted aside as I groaned and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.


    This late in the morning, the light flooded through the pair of windows near the ceiling, cascading across the walls and dressers tucked to the side. An alarm clock ticked silently on one of the wooden frames.


    A long moment passed as I stared bleary-eyed at the posters and advertisements hanging at every angle. There, the largest image taped on the back of the door. I froze before walking over to Kestrel¡¯s towering form, sword held aloft. I imagined the beasts facing his wrath: a neverending tide of red eyes and gnashing teeth.


    With a steady hand - agonizingly slow - I tore my idol from the door, crumbled him up, and tossed him to the trash.


    A clean miss was my reward.


    Why?!


    I sat down abruptly, staring at the broken poster. It still ran rampant through my head. The words Boz had spoken hours prior, and my longstanding hope just as easily dashed away.


    Why would Millennium Games do such a thing?


    Objectively, it made no sense. Profits were as high as they¡¯d ever been, and Battlebond¡¯s playerbase was only increasing each passing week. Four and a half years had passed since the game was first introduced, long years which had seen the market saturated with competitors eager to cash in on Millennium¡¯s success. All of them had fallen short.


    I glanced at my clock. 11:52 am. That left only a few minutes before the next announcement. Maybe now I would get some concrete information, even if only to confirm Boz¡¯s statement.


    The now bare door creaked as I swung it open, making my way down a long flight of stairs. Lyam and I had separate rooms along the second story, while dad took up most of the first. Working from home had been a long standing affair for him, and it was often I¡¯d catch my father perusing the news during a quick lunch break.


    I heard the fridge close shut before I¡¯d descended the last step. Most weekends were a casual thing for either of us. Sleep in late. Maybe relax to a good book or movie. I hardly saw my older brother until the sun was well on its way down. Lyam spent his days at work or amongst friends, though that too was coming to a close. The next cycle of players were due in a week.


    I stopped before a marble countertop that spanned the length of the kitchen, sitting down beside my father.


    He was not what you would call a handsome man. Bulging belly, wisps of grey streaking through a nearly bald pate, his big eyes looked inflated behind a pair of glasses. As I pulled in my chair he looked surprised to see me. That¡¯s just the way my dad always looked: regularly astonished. That, and a little overcome.


    ¡°Good afternoon, champ,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hey, dad.¡± I looked at the computer screen a foot to his right. A quick commercial break before the drop of information. He glanced over at me, setting his glasses down. ¡°Lyam told me, before he went out.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°You want to talk about it? My day is wide open.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s okay dad. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re sure.¡± He placed a consoling hand on my shoulder before getting up. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my study if you need anything.¡± I¡¯d always appreciated my father¡¯s willingness to step back, to allow Lyam or I to come to terms with our own problems. He worried about our wellbeing, and could never turn down a chance to offer some assistance. Even if it was just a few kind words.


    The commercial took its sweet time before finally coming to a close. In its place one of Millennium¡¯s representatives appeared, sporting almost the same attire as Boz.


    ¡°Good afternoon everyone. I¡¯m sure by now all of you have heard about the recent events surrounding Battlebond¡¯s closure to the public. We here at Millennium deliberated long and hard about whether this was the right course of action. Last night, we came to a decision, to no longer accept players into the game.¡± The man¡¯s baritone voice seemed to cut through the computer¡¯s speakers.


    ¡°This begs the question, why? Well, that¡¯s something which I can answer here and now.¡± He paused a moment, and I could see his eyes move down across my screen. ¡°There have been...reports, of players turning off the safeguards that are present for everyone inside the game. This situation quickly escalated to malicious acts of violence. To be clear, the individuals involved have been subsequently removed from Battlebond, but we are still unable to determine just how this development began.


    As a result, new character creation after next week has been indefinitely put on hold until we can be sure that all of our players, both their avatars and linked bodies on Earth, are safe and secure.¡±


    I listened mutely as the man continued to drone on about safety concerns. Well, there¡¯s your answer Kage. Not that it was what I¡¯d suspected. No, far from it. Battlebond¡¯s safeguards had been rock solid since the game first launched, with clear rules regarding player activities. The fact that these protections had been bypassed was more than a little unsettling.


    I shut down the laptop before walking back upstairs, my backpack still next to my bed where I¡¯d flung it the night before. Stewing in anger here was going to get me nowhere. I was almost back down at the front door before my dad called out. ¡°You heading out to the library?¡± He was leaning against the wall leading into his office, arms folded across his ample chest.


    ¡°For a few hours, yeah. Got some last-minute studying I need to finish up.¡± I didn¡¯t meet my father¡¯s eyes as I said the words.


    ¡°Lyam said he¡¯d be back home early tonight. I¡¯ve already prepped up a stew to have together for dinner,¡± he said.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Sure dad, that sounds delicious. Have a good day at work.¡± I locked the door shut behind me and started my walk toward the Kirkland Public Library, stopping short of the front entrance. I¡¯d arrived at off-peak hours, and passed only a handful of other students and adults, each sliding into parking spots created just wide enough to fit their convertibles and sleek sedans.


    Nothing traditional, of course. My brother¡¯s pride and joy was something of an oddity, its deep ocean-blue hood and tinted windows a rare sight, especially amongst Kirklands sparse population. It was also about to be sold more than likely, handed off to some eager collector on the east coast, only to collect dust under an overhanging roof. Lyam had offered me the keys, but I¡¯d turned him down. Driving a stickshift wasn¡¯t something I was comfortable with.


    I made a hard right, walking past the library and its surrounding shops and restaurants. Each building I passed was less and less crowded, and by the end of the short jaunt I hardly saw a single person along the paved stretch of road. One of the benefits of living in such a small town, you never had to go far to find a little peace and quiet.


    The next turn took me to The Gap, an arcade almost as old as my brother¡¯s car. It was small, big enough for a few rows of aging video game consoles and coin-operated machines, leaving just enough room to amble through the aisles.


    I didn¡¯t spot anyone behind the front desk, but I found Fritz glued to one of the games, tapping furiously at a set of buttons. So long as you had the cash to keep replaying one of the machines, there wasn¡¯t a limit to how long you could stay.


    Fritz looked up, hearing me. His real name was Keanu, but even those who barely knew him called him Fritz. He had black, wavy hair that seemed to have a mind of its own, constantly stretched out in every direction. ¡®Keanu¡¯s hair is on the fritz again!¡¯ had stuck a little too well during our school years together, and the nickname had taken hold ever since. He was hunched over, operating the controls with pudgy fingers. They moved rapidly in time to the interactive game.


    ¡°I¡¯ve almost got it!¡± he said. ¡°Chris is going to flip when he finds out I beat Dragon¡¯s Lair.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been at it this time?¡± I asked, pulling up a chair to sit beside him. ¡°Ten deaths wouldn¡¯t surprise me.¡±


    ¡°More like twenty,¡± Fritz said, grinning. ¡°The dragon at the end is kicking my butt. Always burns me to a crisp right before I rescue the princess.¡±


    I probably should have gone off to study - like my dad was expecting - but really, what was the point? Most days, Fritz and I were just bored in the back of the class, whispering about anything else but the ongoing lecture. I already knew english and math by heart. Though the final exam was supposed to have quite a few history questions on it, Fritz and I had been picking my brothers brain for over five years. We were overqualified, if anything. So why did I need to learn how to solve another equation or analyze a popular book?


    Moreover, since I spent so much time away from textbooks, I had a lot of downtime, enough that Fritz often tagged along with me to the next source of entertainment. I¡¯d heard about The Gap from one of my brother¡¯s friends. Any chance now found us wiling away hours inside.


    I settled down and watched Fritz dodge around the dragon¡¯s fire. He was practiced and efficient in his movements as he hit the keys mostly from muscle memory.


    ¡°So,¡± he said, head bowed, eyes fixed on the screen, ¡°I bet Lyam is over the moon right about now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. He offered to hand over his slot to me.¡±


    ¡°What! The lucky bastard wins the lottery and he almost threw it all away?¡±


    ¡°We were at the drawing last night. When my name didn¡¯t get called he wanted me to have it.¡±


    ¡°Guessing you told him that would never work,¡± Fritz said.


    ¡°First thing out of my mouth.¡±


    Fritz chuckled. ¡°Hey, at least you won¡¯t be stuck in Kirkland alone. I know this ¡®metropolis¡¯, he said, waving one arm around the store, ¡°can¡¯t compare to Battlebond, but we might as well live a little, right? Just like Dirk the Daring here.¡±


    I nodded silently, watching Fritz as he moved Dirk left and right, barely pressing the button prompts in time to dance around the piles of gold or avoid the dragon¡¯s fire. This was farther than I¡¯d ever seen him get. Usually it was the roaring rapids in the beginning that did him in, or the numerous red and white snakes squeezing tight around Dirk¡¯s chest. I hated them the most.


    Despite all the game¡¯s hazards, I loved the way it played like an interactive movie. Each scene progressed rapidly, giving you just enough time to tap the right key before some new trap sprung up. Dirk, the game¡¯s protagonist, winded his way through a sorcerer¡¯s expansive tower, culminating in a showdown between the dragon Singe who guarded a princess. Unlike Battlebond, in the arcade game there were no continues. Once you ran out of lives you had to start from the beginning. Any convenient respawn point was pointedly absent.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Fritz shouted, ¡°Not so tough now, are you Singe?¡± He whooped, pounding a fist against the console. ¡°And Dirk saves the damsel in distress! Just in time too; my hands are cramping something fierce.¡±


    ¡°Easy on the game there, boy. Bad enough I had to listen to you yell yourself hoarse the whole morning.¡± A door creaked shut behind us. I turned, meeting the man¡¯s scowl. ¡°He just beat Dragon¡¯s Lair,¡± I said, ¡°on the second day!¡±


    ¡°He has more quarters than he knows what to do with,¡± Amos said, the scowl turning into a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re going to clean me out before long at this rate. Prizes are in short supply.¡±


    Amos was The Gap¡¯s owner, and he was everything my father wasn¡¯t - tall, grizzled, powerfully built. Fritz and I often wondered why a man whose arms were as big as our thighs decided to open up shop here, instead of becoming an ironworker or prestigious gym instructor.


    ¡°The offer still stands you know,¡± Amos said.


    ¡°Wait, you were serious about that?¡± Fritz responded.


    ¡°Course I was. Wouldn¡¯t be a smart move to turn away the two best-paying customers in the city.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯d get paid? To work here?,¡± I said, looking around the arcade. Working under Amos¡¯s wing, while no Battlebond, was one strong incentive.


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise you both minimum wage, but you¡¯d have the run of the place. No extra trips to the ATM for a sack of quarters.¡± Amos paused, scratching at his head. ¡°Would want some basic chores done, cleaning and stocking and the like. Start you out small and go from there.¡±


    I grinned. I loved The Gap, and Amos had always been kind to us. Considering that journeying together with my brother - inside a game that put all of these coin-ops to shame - was quite possibly off the table, it made sense to accept the offer. I tried to think about any negatives to the job, but that list came up short.


    ¡°Look, no need to jump the gun right now. Sleep on it, let me know in a day or two,¡± Amos said. He reached under the front desk, pulling out a dusty cardboard box. I tried imagining what was inside it. A tool, to fix one of the consoles? A spare lock or key?


    The last thing I expected was a matte black virtual reality headset.


    ¡°While I still got you here, how about something a little more challenging?¡± Another headset followed the second onto the table, this one sporting a silver finish. ¡°Couldn¡¯t help but overhear you gush about that game everyone¡¯s so crazed over.¡±


    ¡°What, Battlebond?¡± Fritz said. ¡°As in, the most popular obsession the world¡¯s seen in years?¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever you say kid.¡± Amos walked out from behind the desk, handing us each one of the headsets.


    ¡°You thought Dragon¡¯s Lair was hard?¡± Amos said, a sly grin on his face. ¡°You ain¡¯t seen nothing yet.¡±

 Chapter 3: A Second Chance

    ¡°Been a while since these saw any use. Should still have some juice left.¡± Amos, hands clasped behind his back, nodded encouragingly at Fritz and I who stood in what served as the arcade¡¯s back room.


    This near-empty area wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d imagined would be right behind The Gap. Though there were a few random boxes lying around, most of the interior was bare. Wooden floorboards covered over half of the huge space, while a desk and shelves sat in the far corner. Behind the desk there was just enough room for a bed. That, and a laptop right on top of a pillow.


    I almost asked the obvious question, deciding it best not to intrude. Fritz wasn¡¯t so silent.


    ¡°Uhh, sir, do you live here?¡± Fritz said, glancing around every corner. ¡°Not that it isn¡¯t a fine bedroom and all. I guess I figured everyone liked to separate home from work.¡±


    ¡°What, scared of a few cobwebs kid?¡± Amos said, leaning toward my friend. ¡°The spiders? Best roommates I¡¯ve ever had. Hard to beat free pest control.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say I agreed. Not only were the insects constantly prowling around my house, what with the trees surrounding it, I was also hard-pressed to keep letting them outside. Every week found me waking up to eight tiny legs crawling across my room¡¯s carpet. Didn¡¯t they have somewhere else they could live?


    We stood next to the desk, hands at our sides. No chairs for either of us; Amos said they¡¯d only interfere when maneuvering around with the headsets on. I felt like a blind man taking his first hesitant step.


    ¡°Before you get started, there¡¯s a few things I should mention first,¡± Amos said. ¡°First, and the thing I¡¯m most proud of, is that these have a few upgrades built in. Nothing you probably haven¡¯t seen when you were growing up.¡±


    Though I¡¯d played around with most every game on a VR headset, Fritz and I were always eager to learn something new. Anyone visiting the arcade when we were around usually ended up asking questions. More often than not we had an answer ready. When it came to games, both modern and old, we were practically experts.


    It helped that many of them were created by Millennium Games. The games they made always sold like hotcakes, and, barring Battlebond, I¡¯d played them all.


    ¡°Every game has that spark, that sense of distraction which pulls you in and blocks out anything around you,¡± Amos said, breaking me out of my train of thought. ¡°Take Dragon¡¯s Fire for example. What made it special?¡±


    ¡°The challenge,¡± Fritz immediately retorted.


    ¡°The animation,¡± I said. Truth be told, the game¡¯s difficulty was a close second.


    ¡°Both fair points, and I¡¯m inclined to agree with Kage here,¡± the man said. ¡°Those headsets you¡¯re holding are a temporary portal of sorts. To any game your brain can think of. Controlling Dirk against the dragon Singe will seem like a piece of cake in comparison.¡±


    I stared, openmouthed, Fritz right alongside me. That kind of tech was, well, rare. And outrageously expensive.


    Millennium along with a few other developers had advertised similar products in the past. Most people could have slaved away at their job for years and not come close to purchasing one of the devices, much less two. While not as immersive as Battlebond, this sure beat playing through Galaga or Pacman for the fifth time in a row.


    ¡°Sir, how the hell did you score something like that!¡± Fritz said.


    ¡°It¡¯s only Amos, Fritz. And let¡¯s just say I cashed in a few favors from one of my old friends.¡± Amos chuckled to himself, running his hands through his shaved head. ¡°Put them on. I¡¯ll give you the basics once they¡¯ve calibrated.¡±


    Fastening the headset¡¯s elastic band around my head I pulled it over my eyes. As I powered it on, I blinked hard. While I¡¯d used many of these in the past, the actual process of it scanning my eyes to send images to my mind was never pleasant. There were lines of text that popped up along the way, determining my height, weight, and body structure- a digitized doppelganger created in under a minute.


    I nearly shouted in surprise as a voice blared in my ear. That was completely out of left field. AI assistants had never been a part of this technology.


    ¡°INITIAL BOOTUP PROCEDURES INITIATED,¡± a female voice said, as if she was directly in my right ear. It spoke with a strange, clipped accent, the words drawn out and distorted. ¡°UNIT 001 HAS BEEN ACTIVATED, AND TEST SUBJECT SCANNED.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Whoa hold on a minute. Test subject?


    ¡°Good morning!¡± the voice said, softer now, growing less...robotic with each word. ¡°Based on my recent diagnostic, you are a young male of approximately 17 years of age. Would you kindly state your name so that I might better understand my new host?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Fritz, you hearing this?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it awesome! Mine even has a British accent. Think I¡¯ll call him Alfred; every Batman needs a butler,¡± Fritzz said, grinning wide beneath his headset.


    ¡°My name is Kage, uhh, voice in my head.¡±


    ¡°Kage,¡± she said silently, as if committing it to memory. ¡°Excellent. The one who talked with me before had a name even I had difficulty pronouncing. Forgive this next question - which may be a little presumptuous - but I would like you to choose one for me, please. I¡¯ve found it helps make me seem more...human.¡±


    Fritz had already decided on one, and I probably should have just picked something off the top of my head. Yet a part of me felt this was important, a task that shouldn¡¯t be so readily ignored. I wanted her name to be unique.


    Amanda was one possibility. I listed off a dozen other names in my head, but none of them seemed to stick out. Instead I found myself coming back the one that I¡¯d first brushed off.


    ¡°Lovi,¡± I said. ¡°I think I¡¯ll call you Lovi.¡±


    I had to stifle a laugh as she enthusiastically agreed.


    ¡°Mind the desk Fritz!¡± Amos said. ¡°Don¡¯t recall Batman having such poor coordination.¡± I couldn¡¯t see Fritz next to me, only heard him stumbling around yelling profanities. He must have dived into a preselected game. The fact that there were apparently limitless options to choose from made this too good to be true.


    ¡°Kage,¡± Amos said, quieter, right to my left. ¡°Wanted to speak to you while your friend was oblivious.¡±


    I braced myself for the question he was about to ask. This had been a long time coming. Only our first week at The Gap and I had damaged one of the machines, too overeager in an attempt to pass up Fritz on the scoreboard. Amos had just brushed it aside, telling me it would have fallen apart soon anyways.


    ¡°I hear,¡± Amos said, ¡°that you¡¯re chomping at the bit to become an immortal.¡±


    I opened my mouth to to tell him I¡¯d pay for a new machine, then bit it off. What?


    ¡°Your brother got himself named,¡± he continued, ¡°and you want to join him?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°Amos, how did you know that?¡±


    ¡°Fritz flaps his lips any chance he gets. Surprised it took this long to come up,¡± Amos said.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t know what Battlebond was?¡±


    ¡°When it comes to games, kid, you should expect I know almost as many as you. That one in particular I have some...personal history with. Tried my best to leave it all behind me when I quit.¡±


    Wait, Amos quit? From Battlebond?


    ¡°You¡¯re an Unplugged,¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that title in a while,¡± Amos said. ¡°Yeah, you hit the nail on the head kid. Chose to live the rest of my life out here on Earth, rather than stuck inside there. Best decision I ever made.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask why?¡± I pulled off the headset, holding it down at my side.


    Amos shrugged and began walking, motioning me to follow. My potential future boss was an Unplugged! Why would he want to keep something like that a secret? Amos could have waltzed his way up to any news station covering Battlebond in the nation, offering up insider details. Cash deals, a new home, a full scholarship for a child, he could have it all.


    ¡°He wanted to tell you days ago. Couldn¡¯t find the right time till now,¡± a familiar voice said in my mind.


    I almost yelled out loud as Lovi made her presence known. Amos grinned at my response, leaning against the wall. Had he been expecting that?


    ¡°She can¡¯t help it you know. Meeting a new face doesn¡¯t happen all that often,¡± he said to me. ¡°If it makes you feel any better she still manages to surprise me from time to time.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just being modest,¡± Lovi said. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping a tally over the past month. Surprises are one of my specialties.¡±


    I glanced at Amos, bewildered. I¡¯d taken the headset off, hadn¡¯t I? How exactly was she able to talk? The code built into any type of VR was advanced, no doubt about it, but adding in a fully-functional, chattering AI? Not to mention Lovi being present even after I¡¯d taken off the headset. Something like that should have only existed in the virtual world. Battlebond¡¯s world.


    ¡°You have no idea how many questions are running through my mind,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s no way this should be possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it, Kage. The gap between our world and the one that Millennium made isn¡¯t so wide anymore. You think that tech is special? I know people who brought extraordinary things out when they unplugged, others still that took something from Earth in.¡± Amos paused, letting out a long breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because, out of anyone that¡¯s come into my arcade, you deserve to experience that world firsthand.¡±


    ¡°And I can show you how to get there.¡±