Path To Radiance; First Ascent

Chapter 2 - Character Creation: Part 1

"What do you mean, check the news? He hasn't been here but his car is home. So is Andi's. She's not here or answering the door either." A blonde woman in her late fifties turns away from the bed she has been staring at for ten minutes. The bed is only a little rumpled and a VR headset is still on, left across the pillow. She has a cell phone to her ear, speaking to her husband.

She's in her son's room, done up in blues and whites. He had been staying with them for a short while until he found his own place again. His nasty little slut of an ex-girlfriend had recently kicked him out. Anger still flares in Lynn Jaxon at the thought. No woman was allowed to treat her son like that.

Lynn turns the TV in the corner on with the remote. A news anchor is speaking rapidly as a banner summarizes his report below him.

"We just received another update. As of right now, the total number of missing people is well over 750,000. What exactly is happening...." The TV continues the news report as Lynn passes out and falls to the floor. A small voice can be heard from the phone

"What is it, Lynn? Lynn?"

******

I don't remember being reformed or being put back together; Whatever the process was. I just regain consciousness. I'm laying down on a solid surface in the dark.

I cautiously sit up and look around. Whatever room I am in is huge, like endless huge. Despite the lack of obvious light, the darkness has depth to it. There isn't a wall in any direction as far as I can tell. That tells me there has to be light somewhere.

As I sit there, in the dark, I went over what happened to me the last time I was conscious. I remember my weekly WW3 match with my team, the War Machines. Regretfully, I let Striker name our squad. Then Andi and I went to Oscar's. There was the whole book publishing contract and visiting with Jerry. So far, everything seems present and accounted for.

It got a little hazy at the bar the second time. Andi's confession hit me a little hard. Trying to process that much emotion in one week isn't possible. It didn't help that we both drank way too much way too quickly.

After calling Designated Driver, a service that drops off a sober driver to get you, and your car, home, we made it to Andi's.

I checked my v-mail before bed and there was that strange letter. I shudder at that memory. So much pain had ripped through my body. I have never felt anything like it before. Not even breaking my arm hurt that bad. My brain tries to expel that thought but I push through. All the effort is for not as there is nothing after the pain. Just waking up in the dark.

"The letter said 'welcome player'. This must be a game." My voice works just fine and I'm pain-free, at least. Being alone, speaking my thoughts aloud helps me keep my cool.

Next, I try to log out of this "game".

I use the gesture I set as default to pull up the settings menu of any game I play. I use my thumb to flick my middle and ring finger in front of me. The menu window comes up where my fingers are, but I can't make it out which is weird as menus are usually backlit. I then make my emergency logout gesture. I touch my pointer finger and pinky to my thumb on my right hand and make a scooping motion. Nothing happens this time.

I stand and look all around. I can make out black swirls of nothing floating in the air. Getting lost in one of those swirls leads me to find a pinprick of light. It's way off in the black mist and is barely discernible but it is there.

The moment my eyes lock with the light, it blurs as it shoots in my direction. It grows in size and intensity, but I don't have to rush to move out of its way or anything. It isn't coming straight at me. It looks like it'll pass right by me so I just standstill. I still raise my fists in a brawler's stance, just in case.