f-020107

[f-020107]

Videogame

It was a very long day at work. You know, I have to deal with my obnoxious coworkers, especially with my whining boss. Lindsey was a bitch in every sense of the word. There is no doubt in my mind that she is going to fire me sooner or later. Well, if that is what is going to happen at least I am going to take every bit of money from that company as much as I can. It was a shame that everything would end like this. In paper this should be my dream job… working as a marketing coordinator on a videogame company. It sound awesome, it should be awesome, but I was very miserable at this organization. The only good thing was that I could test new games before they hit the market and that is exactly what I was planning to do for the rest of my day.

My friend Tom was the one that gave me this VR device. He was very secretive when he gave it to me. Maybe I should expect that from someone giving me prototypes that he stole from R&D. I don’t understand why he takes risks like this… at the end, we got discounts when the games are released, we don’t really need to steal anything. But hey, who I am to judge.  I looked at the device in front of me. It was not a visor like the one of Oculus, this seemed more like a motorcycle helmet. I inspected it for a while and then I decided to put it on. I watch as screens surrounded me, and a menu opened in front of me. It just hear one voice saying: “Select your Avatar”. It should have appeared some menus or something that allows me to create a character. Instead, I just stared in silence as pictures of a handsome man appeared in front of me. I could understand it, it was a prototype, so I was probably looking at the images of the model that they were going to use in order to build up the game.  

I began to move my hands trying to trigger the start of the game. Suddenly, I hear a robotic voice “Connecting… connecting to the host”. Stroboscopic lights flashed into my eyes. I was blinded for a bit. I felt some nauseating sensations. I almost fall into the ground, but gladly I was able to sit in a nearby sofa. However, when I opened my eyes… my god… the graphics of this game were in a completely new level. I touched the sofa, the texture felt completely different to the one in my home… and that is the moment that I looked for the first time at my hand. It was so big; I could see the veins and it was full of calluses. I touched it in disbelief. I looked at myself and realized that I was wearing a dress shirt and navy trousers. It was bizarre, all this experience was so surreal.

At that moment I stood up and looked for a mirror. I watch in silence as I realized that I was wearing the face of that model. Sure, that was the character that I selected. But still… this didn’t seem like a simulation. It was too real to just be a program. I made faces in the mirror and watch in awe as my reflection followed my movements to a tee. Curiosity took the best of me. I quickly took of my shirt, revealing a body that can only be achieved by staying long hours in the gym. My beer belly was gone, it was replaced by a firm set of abs. My arms felt muscular and my chest was covered by a thin layer of hairs. I then proceed to reveal what was hiding between my legs. The dick of this character was humongous, and it was very sensitive to touch. Why on earth will someone program something like this? I should have stopped and explore the place. Instead I stood there and played with this digital dick. I couldn’t believe that it felt better to reach climax in this avatar than on the real world. It was not possible… my mind could only wonder if this was really a videogame… I only knew that Tom would need to answer so many questions. Now, I only need to find a way to get out of this videogame.

After two hours in this fictitious world, I just heard the robotic voice saying, “Connection Ended”. I found myself on my own place. However, I immediately grabbed that weird helmet and headed to my friend’s house.

“Tom, what the hell is this?” I said to my friend as I enter his place.

“So, you like it” he said as he grabbed the helmet and put in on a nearby shelf.

“It was too real; I cannot believe that this was a simulation. I am no tech expert, but this seems to be too futuristic.”

“Well… so that means that you like it?”

“Yes, I like it… but how does this work.”

“Ok, remember that you like it… I have something to confess.”

“Confess?”

“This is not a videogame… it is a product that the team is developing for the Central Intelligence Agency.”

“The C.I.A?”

“Yes”

“Why don’t you call it like that? Wait… our videogame company does stuff for the government. Did you steal this from the government… Tom what have you done?”

“Relax my friend, nobody knows that I have this I make sure of that.”

“So, this is a training vehicle or something like that.”

“No… they created to make cover operations safer.”

“What do you mean?”

“You only need some hairs of a person of interest. That allows the machine to connect you to them. Your mind, inside someone else body. Isn’t not crazy.”

“So that means.”

“That you were really inside the flesh of Christopher Caruso”

“This feels so bad.”

 “Don’t worry, he is a bully.”

For the rest of the afternoon, Tom tried to convince me why I needed to go back and take over the life of this guy. It seems that he knew Chriss very well… he was a personal trainer at a nearby gym and my friend described him as the biggest douchebag that has ever lived. However, when I looked at his Instagram account, he seemed like a goofball. I didn’t get why my friend resented that guy so much. I was not sure, my mind wonder… not knowing if I should use that helmet one more time.

I would not deny it. It was extremely hard working that week. Not only because I needed to tolerate Lindsey whining, but because I knew that in my house sit a tool that could allow me to get a better life. I just doubt myself; I just didn’t want to become the man that ruined Chriss life. However, when Tom told me that this guy was going to a 3-day escapade to the nearby lake. I knew that I needed to give it a shot. Can you believe it, I was inside this guy for a complete weekend, and I have a total blast. On the first day, I went on a fishing trip. On the second, I have fun waterboarding. I just hang with this guy’s friends, get to know them, have fun, and enjoy every moment of it. There is nothing else that I could want. I was starting to enjoy the idea of being Chriss… to steal his life for good. However, everything turn bad when Chriss’ girlfriend make a surprise visit to the boys. Yeah, knowing the girl that conquer this man sound exciting. However, when I realized that Lindsey… my fucking boss… was this guy’s girl, I just wanted to throw up.

Of course, I was super mad at Tom. Why did he omit to mention the small fact that my bitchy boss was in a relationship with Chriss. Of course, when I was back on my old body, I was determined to confront my friend.

“Don’t you see. That is why I thought that Chriss would be a great match for you.”

“What do you mean? I don’t want to sleep with her.”

“No man, think it in another way. You are not seeing the full picture.”

“Be direct”

“Revenge… you can make her pay. Break down with her in the most horrible way.”

“That is crazy”

“It is not. This tech allow us to do something incredible.”

“And we reduce it to do something pity.”

“Look at yourself… all alone, no good prospects, living in a job that you hate. You are a good guy man; you deserve so much better.”

“Are you suggesting taking over the life of Chriss for good. Is that even possible?”

“It is… I was going to tell you… next that you see me I will not be the lovable Tom.”

“Are you serious?”

“Let’s not talk about that. Look at Chriss Instagram. Those are the photos that were taken when you were in control. You look so happy… don’t deny it… also don’t deny it that you want to have some sweet revenge on that bitch.”

I was very nervous as I walked though that street. I couldn’t believe that I was going to have a date with my former boss. I was reluctant to do it at first. However, the day that I dreaded so much happened… last Friday she finally fired me. I didn’t take it well, but now I was ready to get my revenge.

“Hey Tiger, so happy to see you” She said as she run to kiss me

“Hey” I said a bit serious, trying to hide the fact that I was extremely mad at her

“Are you feeling ok, Chriss? I really need a drink”

“How so?”

“I needed to fire some guys at the office. Can you believe that Lucas didn’t allow me to save anyone. I begged him… but it happened what you told me.” – She said with her voice almost cracking. I have never seen her like that. She was acting so different, as if she was a completely different person.

“Hey… we don’t have to go to the movies… let’s head back to my place.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, tell me exactly what happened.”

Perception can be a tricky thing. I really believed that Lindsey hated me. However, that couldn’t farther than the truth. She know me extremely well and she only have words to praise me. She was harsh, not because she was a bad person, but because she was under a lot of pressure. She was giving her best in order to save her department. But everybody knew that cutting the marketing headcount was one of the easiest things to do in order to incentivize a higher stock price. She pushed her team to the limit. But all her effort were futile. She needed to fire us and give some lame excuses of why she had to do so.

I don’t know, I was able to see a new face of Lindsey. She was funny, sweat and vulnerable. I don’t remember for how long we talked. I just remember our first kiss. As how she slowly took of my shirt and the gentle sex that came afterward. I just wake up in my bed completely excited to wake up by the side of an amazing woman.

As I was unemployed, I start taking over Chriss in a more regular manner. Before I was doing it only during the weekends. Now I am doing it almost every day. I loved every aspect of being him. I loved the relaxed life of being a personal trainer. I loved the time that I spend with my new friends. But I loved the most was to be by the side of an amazing woman. Yeah, Chriss will never be rich or powerful… not the most successful man around. However, he was something that I was never able to reach with my own life, he was happy.

“Tom, so how does it work.”

“Hey… I am no longer Tom.”

“I am sorry friend… it is Dean?”

“Yes, the only one”

“Another one of your bullies”

“No… he was my boss. He never saw it coming. He became victim of the technology that he created. Call it, divine irony.”

“So, if I want to become Chriss for good… how does it works.”

“I will disconnect the device while you are inside that man.”

“What will happen to my body.”

“Your mind will be far away… brain dead.”

“And the real Chriss?”

“Sleep… he will not be aware… don’t feel bad for him, remember that he was a bully”

“Ok… let’s do it.”

It was weird knowing that this was the last time that I was putting on that helmet. I breath deeply as I moved through the menus and the machine connected me to my new self. I saw the stroboscopic lights for a last time and then I wake up inside Chriss body. I walked through the gym and motivated some of his… my clients. Then I felt a weird sensation, a small pain in my chest… signifying that the connection with my real body had been severed. Then I could only smile… from now on, this was my life. I don’t believe in coincidences. Working in a videogame company with shady government contracts. Befriending a crazy guy that was willing to steal this kind of tech. Or the craziest of all, that Chriss was the bully of my friend so many years ago and now he is the boyfriend of my ex-boss. No, too many coincidences. Yeah, this tech put me inside the body of this man. But I really believe that there are some higher powers involved and it was my destiny to become him. Maybe, I will never understand why. I can only try to live my new life to the fullest and I can assure that I am going to have a blast being Chriss Caruso.