Missing

Chapter 2: The Gateway

Elena blinked as her vision adjusted to the surreal landscape that unfolded before her. The transition from reality to the VitaLink virtual realm was both dizzying and exhilarating. One moment, she was in her dimly lit apartment, and the next, she was standing on the edge of a shimmering meadow under a digitally rendered sun. The sky above was a flawless gradient of azure, dotted with impossibly white clouds.

The meadow stretched out in all directions, a striking contrast to the chaos she had left behind. Flowers of every conceivable color swayed gently in the breeze, and a path of cobblestones wound through the lush terrain. Everything was eerily serene. Elena took a cautious step forward, her movements slightly awkward as she adjusted to the VitaLink suit's sensory feedback.

A voice crackled in her ear. It was the VitaLink interface, offering a polite and slightly detached greeting. "Welcome to VitaLink. Please select your desired environment or proceed to the main hub for further assistance."

Elena gritted her teeth. She had no time for pleasantries. "Show me the most recent activity related to Marco Ramirez," she commanded, her voice firmer than she felt.

There was a brief pause before the serene meadow began to warp and distort. The colors bled together, and the ground beneath her feet shifted, becoming a swirling vortex of light and sound. Elena steadied herself as the scene transitioned.

When the distortion subsided, Elena found herself in a sleek, high-tech interface—VitaLink's main hub. It was an expansive, clean space with digital displays and floating menus. Avatars of other users drifted by, some engaged in conversations, others absorbed in their own activities. The atmosphere was impersonal, almost clinical. Elena's presence seemed to barely register.

A holographic assistant materialized in front of her. It was a friendly, animated figure with a perpetually smiling face. "Hello! How may I assist you today?"

"I'm looking for Marco Ramirez," Elena said, her tone brooking no nonsense. "He's missing, and I need access to his recent session history."

The assistant's smile faltered for a moment. "I'm sorry, but access to user data is restricted. Only authorized personnel can retrieve detailed session logs."

Elena's frustration mounted. "I'm not leaving until I find out what happened to him. Connect me with someone who can help, or I'll escalate this."

The assistant's eyes flickered as it processed her demand. "Please hold while I connect you with a support specialist."

While she waited, Elena scanned the main hub's interface. The displays showed various worlds and environments—each a reflection of users' fantasies and nightmares. There was an ominous undertone to the vibrant visuals, as if the façade of happiness masked something darker beneath.

After a brief wait, a new figure appeared. This one was human, but its eyes were hidden behind a pair of sleek, augmented reality glasses. The figure wore a corporate suit that was far too pristine for the virtual environment. "Ms. Ramirez," the figure said in a clipped tone, "I'm Simon Cross, senior technician. What seems to be the problem?"

"I need access to Marco Ramirez's session data," Elena stated firmly. "He's missing, and I believe something's gone wrong with his experience."

Simon's expression remained unchanged, but a flicker of hesitation crossed his face. "Access to personal session data is highly regulated. Can you provide any proof of your relationship to the user?"

Elena pulled up a digital ID card, showing it to Simon. "This is my brother. I need to find him, and I need your help."

Simon studied the card, his fingers tapping rhythmically on a virtual keyboard. "I will need to run a verification process. Please be patient."

As Simon worked, Elena's gaze wandered around the hub, catching snippets of conversations and fleeting glimpses of users lost in their custom worlds. A sense of unease grew within her. If Marco had encountered something within these virtual landscapes that was dangerous enough to trap him, what other secrets might be hidden in this digital paradise?

A moment later, Simon returned with a serious look. "I've initiated a trace on Marco's last known session. It appears he was exploring an experimental environment not typically available to general users."

Elena's heart skipped a beat. "Experimental? What does that mean?"

Simon's voice was devoid of empathy. "It means the environment might have been customized or altered in ways that could lead to unforeseen issues. I'm sending you the coordinates of his last session. You'll need to enter the environment directly to proceed."

Elena nodded, determined. "Thank you. I'll take it from here."

Simon's avatar flickered out of existence, and the hub around her began to dissolve into a new scene. Elena felt a brief sensation of weightlessness before the ground solidified beneath her feet again.

She found herself standing in a new world, one that seemed both familiar and unsettling. It was a distorted version of a suburban neighborhood, with eerily quiet houses and streets bathed in an unnatural twilight. The atmosphere was heavy, and the air felt thick with an unspoken tension.

The coordinates led her to a modest, unassuming house at the end of the street. It looked oddly out of place in the surreal setting, and Elena approached it with caution.

As she stepped onto the porch, she noticed a flickering light through the window—an irregular pulse of neon blue. The sight stirred a sense of dread, but Elena pressed forward. If Marco had left any clues, they would be inside.

With a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped into the house, ready to confront whatever lay within this unsettling environment. Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of her mission pressing down on her shoulders. She knew she was entering a world where reality was malleable and danger lurked behind every pixel.