Something's not right

March 30th, 2020, the day everything changed. We were told to lockdown, bunker down in our homes for the indefinite future. All for the sake of survival. But that simply provided opportunity for those corrupt and greedy for power. One such agent? LOCKOUTT. LOCKOUTT was a simple game company specializing in VR tech. They had no standout features, but with the lockdowns, they gained a foothold.

"Come enjoy the world of LOOKOUTT, a nice scenic open-world game where you can interact with everyone worldwide, no matter the distance. All you need is a headset and copy of the game, each sold separately, and utopia awaits!"

The game flew off the shelves with retail trucks dominating the roads like stampeding animals as they went to and from LOCKOUTT HQ to homes across to country. My home, was sadly one of them.

"Why did you order such a stupid thing?" I glared as my husband opened the package containing the headset.

"Relax, Cherry, it's for work. See the boss is having us all meet virtually."

I knew my husband better than that. Any excuse to play a game, and he'd take it. I don't know how he gets a salary. Then again, I'm the main breadwinner of the house.

My name is Cherry Mirkwood, currently 25 at the time, wife of Sherman Mirkwood, a tech employee at Muugle, and mother of a young 5-year old girl named Berri. Law is my primary profession, which is why our family is afloat, as my aforementioned husband is quite lazy.

Why did I even marry him? Perhaps it was some long lost trait he had when he was younger.

For the time being, my goal was to try and dissuade him from becoming a shut-in gamer for life. I've currently been swamped with cases regarding VR headsets, many of which going as follows, someone buys a VR headset, puts it on, gets addicted to it, and then develops long-term health issues. The makers try to skirt away by including a health warning when starting up the device, but I suspect more nefarious intentions.

Some of those CEOs of the companies that make VR headsets own stock in pharmaceutical companies, pharmaceutical companies that make drugs specifically to combat migraines, headaches, and other potential conditions that those VR headsets are in fact capable of causing people to experience.

My husband brushed the rumors off, but I knew better. Sadly, he scurried to his man-cave like a lightning-fast cockroach, with VR headset in hand, of course. Must gaming be his top priority?

We don't even have ample food supply, and all he wants to do is play that game. I swear, I'm going to run for attorney general and ban those infernal things day one I take office.

I quickly changed out of my loungewear into a black leather jacket and capris. I might dress like a biker, and indeed I do own a motorcycle, but that life was in the past. I'm a refined woman now and must set an example for my daughter.

As I finished tying the laces on my sneakers, Berri approached me.

"Mommy, where are you going?"

"Out to get food."

"But the teachers said it wasn't safe. Just order it off of Whamazon and stay here."

I could understand her angst. She was only 5 and now living in an era where you couldn't go outside. I hope this doesn't last too long, we had enough problems in the world before this. Still, she raised a fair point. I could just order things off of Whamazon.

I grabbed my phone and went to Whamazon's store page, but all they had was LOCKOUTT'S VR headset. Even a search for food or literally anything other than that damn headset, came up as blanks.

"Sorry Berri, but Mommy needs to go out. Don't worry, she'll come back with lots of food."

As I drove out to get last minute supplies, I noticed the streets were mostly empty with the exception of the occasional delivery truck whizzing by. Though the quantity of them sure had decreased. You'd think the streets would still be filled with them considering how much food and supplies would be in demand. In terms of non-delivery vehicles, I was the only one. Not even a person out walking or sitting outside. I get the orders for lockdown, but the air itself isn't deadly. I didn't even see anyone outside on their porches, see any barbecue smoke, nothing. Don't tell me everyone's inside playing that stupid game.

As I got to the store, I noticed the shelves were mostly barren. Sadly an expected reality considering what's going on. But what struck me as odd was the fact that there was a sign for LOCKOUTT's VR headset. This is a grocery store. If it was a place like Mal-mart or Bullseye, sure, but this was a plain old grocery store. Batteries and the occasional DVD release were the most high-tech electronic items sold here.

The other oddity was the fact that only one register was open, with the sole employee running it appearing to be the only one in the entire store. Though as I scoured the aisles, it appeared I had made a hasty judgement. There stocking more food was another employee. It appeared as though he was stocking canned food, so I wandered up, but as I got closer, I realized it was the opposite; he was unstocking the canned food!

"What's the meaning of this!?"

The man turned to me and snarled. "Employee benefits, I need food too."

"You could share a little. Do you not want money!?"

"These cans are my money," he huffed as he barreled past me.

Scalper. Filthy, putrid, scalper. Another reason I need to become attorney general posthaste, then I can make scalping a life sentence. I did manage to find some edible matter. Not the tastiest, but beggars can't be choosers. I thought trouble was behind me, until I tried to check out.

All the self-checkouts were closed, so I had to go to the one run by that employee I saw when I came in. He was a large bald man with a thick mustache. The name tag said his name was Joelabambamduendewarmer Smith. An odd name, but people name their children dumb things, and even if they don't, people can choose to legally change their names, sometimes to the dumbest of things.

But as I tried to check out, he stopped me. "Hold it, where eez your LOCKOUTT VR Super deluxe model platinum headset?"

"Uh?"

"Sorry, we only do the checkouts for that. Nothing else."

"So I can just leave with this food then?"

"No, that would be stealing."

"Then let me pay for it!"

"You don't understand, we only checkout headset-"

"My husband has one, so let me buy the food!"

"No, you don't have it, so you must get one."

What the hell is with this guy!?

"You know what, I'll just order online through Whamazon."

"Sorry, but you can't leave. Not without the set."

Now I was starting to get scared. This was a grocery store I've went to for years, and never have I ever faced such hostility. And who even was this guy!? Certainly not the manager since I've spoken to him personally NUMEROUS times.

But it doesn't matter who he is, what matters is that I need to get out of here.

As I darted my head around, looking for an out, I noticed that other employee, charging from the back with a headset in hand. "HOLD HER DOWN, JOELABAMBAMDUEDEWARMER SMITH!"

The large man suddenly sprung to life, leaping over the counter. I screamed and shoved the cart at him, but he knocked it away with ease, along with me. Now I was tumbling closer towards that man with the headset.

"Heh, that worked out. Now, to put this on and she's-"

Bang!

The two men froze, slowly darting their heads down towards me and the smoking gun I held in my hand. The headset shattered in two, causing the man that had been holding it to shriek back in terror.

"Th- That was the last one!"

"Too bad, I ain't paying, unless you'd like your payments in lead."

But as I pulled the trigger, all I got was clicking. Oh no, I'm out of ammo.