Project Phoenix by Baldron NAK

Project Phoenix by Baldron NAK

Author:Baldron, NAK
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aconite Cafe
Published: 2021-10-19T00:00:00+00:00


CHAPTER TEN

October 5th, 2038

JACK REACHED FOR the helmet on his head, or he tried. The signal left his brain, “lift arms,” but his body wouldn’t respond. Instead, he felt himself sitting in the chair, but at the same time still felt the sensation of being in the game—the weight of his gear on him.

“April?” His voice came out rough and slurred, like he’d been drinking.

“Relax,” April said in a comforting tone as she approached.

She undid the strap under his chin. The helmet slipped off, and the lights of the room were blinding.

“It’s okay,” she said. “You were in for a little over an hour. If you hadn’t come out, I was going to bring you out. It’s recommended that you only play for two hours a day to start, but you’ll work your way up to ten hours per day, no problem.”

Jack heard her speak, but it was slowed down and echoed. “I want to sleep.”

He may have only been in the game for less than two hours, but to Jack, it felt like he’d just pulled a forty-eight-hour shift like he used to in college during finals. Back then, he could stay up two or even three days straight to cram it all in and pass his exams. He was only twenty-six now, but the past five years had taken their toll on him. He might not be old, but he wasn’t young either. Coffee had become a requirement to function, rather than a pick-me-up.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll take you to your room.”

She took his hands and pulled him out of the chair. He stumbled the first few steps, but his legs caught up to his brain by the time they reached the stairs. Jack didn’t look around the house as he walked—his eyes were still sensitive to the light. How did the other gamers deal with the jet lag? He kept a firm grip on the banister as they ascended the staircase.

April closed the curtains in his room and set the lights to their lowest setting on the dimmer switch. Jack collapsed onto the bed—not bothering to take off his clothes—and slipped his shoes off.

“The door’s locked from the outside. Your bathroom is through that door.” She pointed to a door on the other side of the room, next to the grassy meadow on the VR display.

“Goodnight,” she said as she opened the door to leave.

There was no response from Jack. While he’d heard her, he was already half asleep.

That night he dreamed he was floating in a sea of stars, surrounded by space dust that shimmered in the colors of the rainbow. It was almost like there was an oil spill in space, but beautiful.



Download



Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.