"Bao! Bao! Can you go to the door please, I'm currently on the phone!" His mother screamed from the lower floor.

"Yeees! Just give me a moment!"

While still smashing the buttons on the mouse with his right hand at incredible speed, he typed the words 'AFK' in the guild chat with his other hand, right before throwing his headset on the table and running down the stairs without even putting on his slippers. By sliding over the just cleaned floor rather than walking, he passed in front of the kitchen where his mother stood and screamed at an image only she could see through her glasses linked to the cavity on her neck. Like a surfer who couldn't stop the momentum of the wave he was riding, Bao crashed against the front door of the house. He ripped open the door behind which stood a small automated vehicle that was about to drive to the next neighbour house.

"Stop! Stop! I'm here." Bao, who stood in the door frame screamed and waved at the machine.

It looked like a small van with several strange gadgets attached on the outside and a robot-like figure standing in the front, instead of the normal driver cabin. The car made an emergency break upon hearing his voice, making the wheels screech over the asphalt.

"I have a package for Bao, please put your finger on this screen to confirm your identity and that you received the package." A small display stuck on a pole shot out of the main body of the vehicle on which Bao put his thumb. "Thank you for your patronage." The robotic voice which came out of small speakers integrated on the side.

A mechanised arm dispatched from inside the trunk carefully placed a small cardboard box right before his feet. With a wide grin on his face and whilst whistling he brought the package back to his room.

"Who was it?" His mother, who apparently finished her conversation or rather argument, asked.

"The delivery." Bao didn't even look at his mother when passing the kitchen again.

"Again!? You already ordered something a week ago!", her scream echoed through the hallway. "I hope it isn't again one of those... those computer games!"

"No, it isn't Ma'!" Well, technically not, he thought. It wasn't a new component for his pc or another game, but instead something way better, something he already knew would take up most of his time in the upcoming weeks if not even years. Because no 2- or 3D game could ever surpass the immersiveness and details of Virtual Reality.

Not once in his entire life would he have thought to hold the pinnacle of gaming in his hands, at least not during his lifetime. Like a holy relict, he held the box high in the air before unpacking it with the utmost care. The box contained a cable, about eight meters long; a small USB-like device from past times and lastly an instruction manual on how to set up and install the whole thing.

"Step one..." -he cleared his voice and started reading out loud- "... check that no dirt is present in your cervical port. Step two, insert the data drive into your port, give it full access permission, and be aware that strong cramps, nausea, vomiting, and even unconsciousness might follow. If the symptoms don't pass within an hour after the program initiation, immediately call a doctor and give him the information on what the causes are. As written within this 'Instruction Manual' you are warned and thoroughly informed about any health consequences the usage of our product might entail. Therefore our company can not be regarded responsible for any lasting health damage that might occur during the installation of our product. Step three, insert one side of the cable on the internet port and the other on the back of the data drive. You can now start and play with our latest VR system, have fun."

He clumsily cleansed some dirt out of the cavity on his neck with a small brush before putting in the USB device without any hesitation. Immediately several permission requests popped up which he all accepted without even reading a single one of them. His muscles blocked themselves the moment the last window was accepted, immobilizing the whole body. The stomach started growling and it felt like a washing machine which was just shaking through the lunch he had eaten a few hours ago. Feeling sick and unable to walk he jumped on the nearby bed. His fingers gripped tightly around the blanket while his teeth grind each other like a sanding machine as his consciousness gradually descended into darkness.