ALTERNATIVE LIFE EXPERIENCE - part 1

Chapter 2.1

Thursday, June 26, 2025

With her lips pursed and her eyes focused, Lea held her arms at her sides. She lifted her chin slightly, and, in a beam of blue light, turned into a glittering medallion that hung suspended in the air.

"Ladies first," Eo said, holding out his hand toward the stage.

I walked to the medallion, looking at its chain that was floating like a weed on the surface of a river. A flat piece of soft material, turquoise and translucent in color, was affixed to the center. I grabbed it and brought it up to my neck. No sooner had I done so, turning so that Eo could tie it behind me, than the chains came to life and tied themselves together at the back of my neck. It was magic.

We inserted our cards in the reader. My heart started to beat faster; I took a deep breath. Each new adventure brought its share of surprises, and even though curiosity would lead me anywhere, a little apprehension always accompanied me.

Come on, Wave, I encouraged myself mentally.

A microsecond later, all my senses were hit with full frontal impact.

First, there was the visual scene. We were at high altitude, perched on top of what seemed to be an extinct volcano. Then came the wind. A gentle breeze swept over me. It slid down my face, cooled my skin, then moved on. Finally, I felt a resistance coming from the hard metal floor below my feet.

"Holy mother!" said Eo, in a vibrant voice. He looked around in all directions, running backwards and forwards erratically in large chaotic strides, as if he were plugged into something.

"I can't believe it... I just can't believe it..." he repeated, with frenzied gestures. "Have you seen these textures?" He was pointing to the rocks that were surrounding us. He was used to this kind of environment, but this bowled him over. I was pretty dumbstruck as well. Not only was the magnificence of the scenery breathtaking, the quality of the graphics was borderline scary.

It was too realistic, too good, too unbelievable.

"How wonderful," whispered The Messenger, also taken by the scenery. He walked slowly over the volcanic ground, spread his arms to embrace the sky, then made a slow 360° turn as if to imprint this surreal panorama to memory.

After a quick survey, I looked at this extraordinary environment with a more analytical eye. I studied every square inch: the colors, the movement of light and shadows, every detail of the landscape. The crater gave a lunar aspect to the foreground, mainly composed of rocks, pebbles and dust. The view of the horizon that extended beyond was breathtaking. In the sky in front of us, just under our feet, big fluffy clouds fluttered about, like sheep grazing peacefully. In the distance, the sun pointed the tip of its nose, giving the herd a slightly golden hue.

Eo was still running around like a kid discovering his new playground. The Messenger and I watched him, amused.

"How about we test Sensation?" he suggested, walking toward me. He put his hand on my shoulder. It was not quite the warm pressure of a palm. I had never felt anything like it; it was difficult to describe. It seemed I was being touched by a ghost.

"It's really light," he said after a moment, "but I get the feeling that I can really feel you."

"Yeah, me too," I agreed. "This is serious. It's like for real."

He withdrew his hand to feel his face, his sunglasses that were perched on his forehead, then his silver-white hair that battled in every direction. I thought I'd push the test a little further. I took two steps back and kicked him lightly in the ribs, sending him flying quite a distance.

"Hey!" he shouted, holding onto his stomach. "You bust a fuse or something?"

"I'm just testing... So? Are you hurt?"

He took a moment to consider the matter, squeezing his waist several times. "Not really, but it did take my breath away."

"I probably overdid it."

"Don't worry. I'm a big boy; I'll get over it! However, one thing is for sure, this is going to give the game another dimension. If every time we get hit, we get a jolt like that, our combat tactics are going to have to change. No more hand-to-hand fighting, I fear...!" he sighed.

I paid a little more attention to my gauges on the top right of my field of vision. I was in top condition and my Emotion gauge seemed to be in good balance: neither too emotional nor a heart of stone.

Suddenly, a beam sprang from the medallion around my neck to display a message that floated in mid-air:

This way.

Below, an orange arrow blinked.