A/N: Delving into the meat of the story now, hopefully. This stuff writes itself. All I have to do is get an idea and go. With that said, I only have a vague plot planned out. How long it will be or how this story develops in the future is anyone’s guess. I guess I’ll just take it a chapter at a time and go from there.

Criticism and ideas are welcome.

Enjoy the chapter.

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/Realtek R&D Offices, lower testing room/

/Subject 001 - Timothy Grimm POV/

I can barely contain my excitement! Here I am, standing alongside some of this century’s greatest minds and am about to experience the first VR fulldive first hand. Ok, honestly, I was told it was set at only 25% for the initial tests, but a full dive of this scale of realism is the first of its kind. You can imagine how hyped I was to take part of these trials.

Several days ago, I was notified by Major Kurt of an opportunity to work with Realtek in junction with Wartek. Me, a simple field engineer. I guess my hands on experience in the field with handling their prior equipment helps though.

Appearance wise, I’d say I’m above average in looks. The military training helps keep my body in fit condition. I stand at 5’10’’, have black hair cropped close to my scalp in the standard military fashion, and am told that I have a very youthful face, almost cherubic actually. Anyways, I had just gotten back from my second tour in Israel. I’m sure you heard of the team whose convoy got bombed. I had a few friends in that squad. It was a sad day for all of us...

Enough about the past though. Major Kurt said that this was an opportunity to develop and test the new generation of VR gear. Their military applications are endless. Drone strikes, precision satellite targeting systems, semi-autonomous sentries, and much more. Even with the risks involved, I readily agreed to participate in the trials.

Back to the present, I am making my way through Realtek’s main building. The moment I stepped in through the automatic steel doors, a female voice startled me out of my thoughts. It turns out that the voice belonged to none other than Eve, Realtek’s rumored AI, and she apparently had access to the entirety of the building’s systems. Let me tell you, this place is built like a fortress. Bulletproof reinforced triple paned windows, steel lined walls, emergency lockdown shutters, and other such defenses are said to be included in the building plans.

Anyways, Eve directs me towards the elevator and leads me to the lower levels. Now standing before a nondescript door, I give two quick raps with my knuckles.

knock-knock

“Come in.” a voice says from within.

My heart fluttering with anticipation, I open the door to a sterile white room. In the center of the room rests a reclining dentist’s chair and a table with the VR visor resting on top, its cables running down and into a connection port embedded within the floor. A few medical personnel stand along the left side of the setup conversing with a man who introduced himself as Dr. Deus. Next to him stands representatives from both the military and investors. They are busy standing in front of several large displays showing what I presume to be the digital testing room.

(Deus) “Welcome Timothy, or would you rather be called Tim? This is my assistant, Sarah.”

He goes on to introduce the other men but they are of little importance other than Major Kurt, my commanding officer.

(Me) “Thank you for having me. I believe that we will be using the new Mk1 VR gear to perform a partial full dive today, correct? Now shall we get started?”

(Deus) “That we shall Timothy. It’s quite a simple design. All you need to do is sit in the chair and put the visor on. After all the systems are checked, you may experience a falling or weightless sensation and your vision will black out. Please do not be alarmed as it is just your body’s main motor functions and senses being blocked to allow for a safer VR immersion.

As Deus gives his simple explanation, I walk over and sit down in the chair as the medical team rub me down with disinfectant swabs and secure the visor over my head. Next begins the countdown as the tech team go through one last check and sound off.

(Deus) “Systems check.”

“Dive gear transmissions are clear.”

“Data relays are functioning properly.”

“VR map is stable and ready to receive the patient.”

“All systems are go. Initiating the dive sequence.”

A few more things are said but one by one, my senses fade. First is sound, then smell, taste, touch, and lastly sight. A few moments pass before a popup window appears in the void before my face, or what would be my face, if I had one.

Welcome Timothy. Please wait as your body is scanned and avatar generated.

Then a progress bar appears. Once it is full, a figure clothed in a hospital gown fills in from the ground up with the exact same appearance as myself.

Body generated. Beginning synchronization.

Ever so slowly I feel myself be drawn into the avatar. As I ‘synchronize’, one by one, my senses return in the reverse order in which they went out. When I finally open my eyes, I find myself standing in the testing room displayed on the screens from before. It is as white and sterile as the room I am sitting in, but there are a few things which stand out. One is a table of food, another is a table of varying perfumes and colognes, the next is an assortment of instruments, and lastly is a shooting range at the far end of the room.

“Testing, testing. Can you hear me Tim?” a voice blares from some hidden speaker. It’s Deus.

“If you can hear me, respond please.”

In an attempt to speak, I am surprised as my voice comes naturally from my mouth.

“Yes sir. I read you loud and clear.”

(Deus) “Good. Our friends Adam and Eve will be joining you shortly to assist in the trial of the VR gear. In the mean time, feel free to test out your body. If anything feels off, just say so out loud.”

The speaker shuts off with a squeak of static and I begin testing my body. Stretches, running, jogging, pushups, situps, squats, I try it all. While nothing feels different between my avatar and my real body, I wonder who this ‘Adam’ guy is. I know Eve is Realtek’s AI but Adam? Is he a new AI? Or perhaps an employee diving alongside me from another room. I can’t help but think back to the Adam and Eve from the bible. I mean, seriously, the first advanced AI, the first VR immersion tech, and I can’t help but think that this ‘Adam’ is another sort of first. Now they just need to call this room Eden and the allusion would be complete.

After 5 minutes, two figures appear in quick succession.

The first is female. Dressed in office attire, she has eye catching proportions and is one of the prettiest women I have ever seen. The only thing odd about her is her eyes which are a striking gray.

Next appears a male. Wearing slacks, a brown leather belt, and white shirt, he is a man I never expected to see again. One whom I had thought to be recently deceased.

“Adam? Is that really you? I thought you were dead?”

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A/N: That’s enough for now I think. Next update should be coming Saturday or Sunday.