Game Over

BRROOOOOOOM.

A deep loud rumbling echoed in the cave. The heavy sound bounced from one wall to the other until all they could hear was its presence.

-Damn, girl. When was the last time you ate something?

-Shush, Nyco. This is serious-, Emma said. -We have to get out of the cave. Now.

-Why? What is…?

BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!

The cave started trembling. A beautiful and sharp stalactite impaled Nyco on his foot,

-Auch! Son of a…

-Are you ok?-, Emma asked worryingly as he fell on his knees from the pain. Nyco's suit started giving a warning sign. Since the armour had been broken, all the toxic gasses in the cave were getting inside the suit. He started coughing uncontrollably.

“Breach alert. Breach alert. The toxins are damaging your lungs. You will die in 3 minutes” said the alarm.

-That ain’t good…Cof! Cof!-, he joked while coughing.

-Ok, put your arm over my shoulders, I’ll help you out of here-, she guided Nyco while making him stand up.

-Cof! Cof! Is there even a way out? Cof!

-There is. The Planet-Gazers ended up finding one but it’s a bit far away so let’s go!-, she rushed him.

-Just go, Emma. I’ll see you back in your Cof!... room.

-No. I’ll stay here with you… Just… Take me out of my experience when you get out.

-Not having the option from inside Cof Cof! sure makes things exciting-, he joked, forcing a smile.

A sudden volcanic eruption lifted a huge wall of magma that reached the ceiling. They looked up seeing how all that amount of lava would fall on them in just a few seconds.

-Geez… Not looking forward to Cof Cof!!

-This is going to hurt-, she predicted.

Nyco covered Emma with his body in a futile attempt to protect her. The magma covered them and started slowly melting their suits off. They started feeling the burn shortly after. Then, a huge “GAME OVER” was all they could see.

Emma woke up and took her helmet off as quickly as possible. All the pain generated in the 5-S was all gone, but she noticed she was sweating.

-Aaaaagh!!-, Nyco complained. He tried getting up but he fell down.

-Are you ok?-. She rushed beside him.

-Yes. It’s this sitting position you had me do. My legs are asleep!

-... You do remember why you were in that position right?

-Yes… I do-. His small chuckle made Emma angry.

-Don’t laugh! And forget what you saw!-, she said, shaking him as if trying to drop those memories out of him as if they were apples from a tree.

-You just told me to remember-, he laughed. Emma started shaking him even harder. -Ok, ok. I forgot all about what was in that bag-, he pretended. With a red face, Emma stood up and sat on the bed.

-Well… That was an experience-. Nyco observed. -I did not think I would know how it feels to die being burnt alive from magma.

-We only felt 5% of how it would really feel like. But yes… it’s weird.

-I admire the commitment of wanting to make a realistic experience. Your dad is a total fart machine, but his work is amazing.

-Fart machine. Heh. That’s a new one I’ve never heard before. I’ll use it-, Emma said, fooling around. -He says that the 5-S should be used as a training method as well as a virtual experience. He wants to help people get prepared for planet exploration and that this way people will know how dangerous it is. At least that’s what he communicates to the public. I think he tries to scare people away from exploring the galaxy and that’s why his virtual experiences have that neuron link to give a hint of realism to the experience-, she explained.

-Well… I do think it’s pretty useful. It’s normal that the military uses his products and not his competitors. I hate to admit it, but the 5-S are the best out there-. he added. -How long were we in there by the way?

-The normal experience is 24 hours in the virtual world and 1 hour outside. We got the “Game Over” sign after 11 hours or something like that. So almost half an hour here.

-That is so cool. How did that work again?

-It’s like a dream that is scripted. In your dreams, time flows differently than it does in real life. You can have a whole story in just a few minutes in real life. When the helmet registers that you are willing to start the journey, it sends various waves to your brain making you fall asleep. Then it makes you see and feel what the helmet and the planet card have coded. It then registers your decisions and implements it to the narrative-, Emma explained

-You are like a living encyclopedia-, he complimented making the blonde teenager chuckle. -Being able to have a two person experience is the best!

-Yeah… but I hope they make a 3 person model soon. That way I can also go with my friends at the same time. We have to take turns, and since you can only go one round per day, sometimes deciding who goes in gets a little heated.

-Hahaha, so true. Well, I think it’s time for me to go. You’ll have dinner soon right?

-Probably, yes. My dad must be cooking right now… It'll be ready in half an hour or so. Will you be ok going out the window?-, the girl with acrophobia asked.

-I came in that way didn’t I? Don’t worry, it’s easy.

-Oh, I almost forgot what I bought you-. Emma went to get the present from one of the bags she left on the floor. -Here-. she handed a little box to him.

-Oh yeah, I totally forgot. After… after all that happened I forgot you bought me something-, the boy said timidly. 

He hardly had money for anything since he was an orphan and all his money came from the lost children foundation. He wouldn’t even have his own apartment if Juliet hadn’t insisted on buying him one. It was hard for him to convince Juliet to buy him the cheapest one available. He constantly wondered if he would ever be able to repay Emma and her mom all their kindness.
That’s why he always felt bad when receiving a present, he could never give one. Emma noticed this a few years back and stopped giving him things except for his birthday and Christmas time, those were non negotiable. Nyco got the small box and started unwrapping it. This gift was different, it came from a point of necessity.

As soon as he opened the box he was left speechless.

-Em… I… this is too much-, he muttered. -I can’t accept it.

-Oh yes you can. You need one, especially with your tendencies of getting in trouble-, she assured him. Her delicate hands wrapped the Warpy on his wrist. -I’m afraid I wasn’t able to buy any jumping orbs. They are so expensive my dad would be suspicious. But his anger will pass and he’ll buy me new ones. I’ll share them with you.

He looked at his new bracelet and felt a little sting in his eyes.

-After all the trouble I put you with your class and your father…

-I thought we talked about this. Your troubles are my own, so I don’t want to hear you say anything so negative again. Got it?

-Aha-, he assented. “What did I do to deserve such kindness from someone like her” he wondered in his mind.

-All the “staying away from me and not seeing each other” thing is done and buried right?-, Emma asked.

-... Yeah-, he smiled as he thought: “there’s no way I can keep away from you, Em. I’ll be a better person for you”. He hugged her as a sign of appreciation. -Ok, I’ll be going home then-. The cheerful boy opened the window and was about to activate the Rocket boots when he felt her grabbing his arm.

-Wait there mister. We haven’t talked about your punishment for your behavior today.

-What? Wasn't sitting on the floor with my knees enough punishment?

-Nope

-Then why did I do it?

-Justice-, she replied, making him roll his eyes. -I want you to teach me how to fly in those boots. I’m… really bad at it and it’s going to be part of the finals so…

-I have seen penguins fly better than you, honestly.

-Shush it. Will you do it?

-Yeah. You’ll go from penguin to condor in no time-, he assured her.

-Great. Ok then, see you tomorrow

-Well… not sure if I’m going to school tomorrow. I have to keep a low profile for a while so that Lasson gets a new target. But I’ll see you on Saturday to go to the cemetery.

-Thanks for always coming with me. See you on Saturday then

-See you-

The teenager activated his boots by sliding the button on his right glove upwards with his thumb. The boots started floating in the air. He gave her a military salute and exited the bedroom flying backwards. “Show off” she told him as he flew out the window.

As soon as he exited the room she heard AI-Juliet speaking from the other side of her bedroom door.

-It’s time for dinner, Em…. Emma. Your dad is waiting-.

“Oh no! Did it hear Nyco talking? If it has and tells dad… he’ll complicate everything AGAIN” Emma thought nervously.