Page 4 of Immersed
Think like a player. Find the pattern. Don’t just survive—figure out how to win.
With trembling fingers that belied his attempt at a confident smile, Levi clicked start.
2
Reality is Just the Beginning
Painlancedthroughhistemples, sharp and immediate. Levi’s hands flew to the sides of the headset, fingers scrambling against the smooth surface.
His body tensed, spine arching against the gaming chair. The neural ribbons seemed to tighten, pulsing with energy that burrowed deeper into his consciousness. Levi’s vision swam, reality dissolving around the edges.
“This can’t be normal,”he gasped, his words slurring.“I should—”
The walls of his apartment stretched and warped. Colors bled together, swirling like paint down a drain. Levi’s stomach lurched as the sensation of falling overtook him. He squeezed his eyes shut against the vertigo.
When he opened them, everythingchanged.
Sunlight dappled through a canopy of ancient trees. The air smelled of pine and damp earth, so crisp and clean it made his lungs ache with the sweetness of it. Wind rustled leaves overhead, sending patterns of light dancing across the forest floor. Levi stood in a small clearing, surrounded by wilderness that stretched in every direction.
“Holy shit,”he whispered, turning in a slow circle.“This is... remarkable.”
His eyes traced the bark of a nearby oak, noting the intricate patterns carved by time and weather, the tiny insects crawling along its surface. He reached out, fingertips brushing against the rough texture. The sensation felt real—every ridge and groove as it should, the coolness of shadow-touched bark against his skin.
“This feels real.”Levi looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers in amazement. They responded without lag, without disconnection. Even the sensation of air moving between his fingers felt authentic.“I can’t believe technology has come this far. Though knowing my luck, this is the one game that’ll actually give me poison ivy.”
He scanned the environment for a health bar, a compass, or any kind of user interface. Nothing appeared. Just pure, unfiltered forest stretching endlessly around him.
“They really went all-in on the immersion,”he murmured, taking a tentative step forward. The ground felt solid beneath his feet, pine needles crunching with satisfying realism. Dead leaves rustled against his shoes.“No UI at all. Just... pure experience. Great. The one time I need a tutorial and they go full artsy on me.”
A bird called somewhere in the distance, its song echoing through the trees. Levi turned toward the sound, then paused. He couldn’t hear the hum of his refrigerator anymore, or the traffic outside his apartment window.
“Wow. They’ve blocked out the real world. I can’t hear anything from my apartment.”
He raised his hands to feel for the headset, but his fingers met only his hair. He patted his face, his neck, finding nothing but his own skin.
A twig snapped somewhere behind him. Levi turned around, more curious than alarmed.
Nothing there. Just more trees, shadows growing longer as the sun began its descent toward the horizon.
“Motion sensors, maybe?”he wondered aloud.“Environmental randomization to keep things feeling alive?”
The foresthadgrownquieter, the bird calls fading to occasional chirps. The wind picked up, carrying a chill that raised goosebumps along his arms. The sensation wasso authentic it made him shiver.
“This is extraordinary,”he said, rubbing his arms.“I mean, literally unreal, but it feels...”
He trailed off, trying to remember if therehadbeen instructions for exiting the game in all that technical documentation. Everythinghadbeen so complex, so far beyond his usual experience with simple gaming setups.
Another twig snapped, closer this time. Levi’s attention sharpened, a flicker of nervousness cutting through his wonder.
“Hello?”His voice sounded small in the vastness of the forest.
“Levi! There you are, man!”
A lanky figure in a faded beanie emerged from between two towering pines, arms spread wide in greeting.“We thoughtyou’dwanderedoff to commune with nature or something.”
Levi stared at the approaching man, recognition blooming in his mind. Based on the rumpled clothes, the perpetually relaxed expression, and his bloodshot eyes, this had to be the stoner.
“Jasper?”Levi ventured, testing the name based on what he remembered.
