Alpha World Book One: Gamer for Life

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “Well, looks like it’s time. Good luck gentlemen, I might not be one of you wearing the shield anymore but I still support you every day. Hold the line and bear the weight, your dedication is honored.” Seamus said, seeing the faces all go hard as he spoke.

  Jasperson leaned over him, face grim, “Shut it, inmate.”

  Seamus shook his head being serious, “Can’t Sarge, it’s the truth whether you all like it or not. Until we meet in the next life or beyond remember: Dedication, Duty and Honor.”

  Growling, Jasperson walked next to the gurney as the medical staff wheeled him down the halls. Eventually he came to a processing room where his paperwork was being completed. Seamus could make out very large men in federal uniforms signing for him. Jasperson seemed very upset about the fact the feds were taking away one of his inmates. Seamus stayed silent as the feds pushed him out the door to a waiting heavy transport unit. He was placed into the back where a nurse was waiting to get the gurney secured. He read her name on her scrubs, smiling at it as he lay back while she worked around him. A few minutes later she took her seat and the engine turned over, making Seamus laugh.

  The nurse looked at him, “What is so funny?”

  “My freedom is the fact that I’m going to be poked and prodded as a science experiment that I hope will help those people who could use it while taking it away slightly from those who threw it away.” Seamus replied with a grin on his face, “It’s also why I love your name, Sunshine. The first rays of light breaking over the cloudy day my life had become.”

  Sunshine blinked, looking at him oddly, “Do you understand what is going to happen to you?”

  “I’m going into a virtual reality pod to test how very long term immersion affects humans.” Seamus said, his smile not dimming in the least, “During that time I am going to be able to partake in one of Mindblown Entertainment’s finest works.”

  “Well yes, but you won’t have contact with your loved ones anymore,” she said as if this should hurt him.

  Shaking his head sadly, Seamus answered her, “My father is dead, my mother hasn’t spoken to me since and I have no siblings.”

  Sunshine’s face seemed to scrunch slightly, “That’s horrible, for her to turn her back on her only child.”

  “No, she’s right to do it. It’s my fault dad died, I killed him by breaking his heart when I was arrested for murder. So I don’t blame her for turning from me even if he did forgive me before he passed. One day I hope she’ll find it in her to do the same but I will not beg her. I love her too much for her to see me broken before her.” Seamus replied before turning his face away from the nurse, “Is it going to be a long ride?”

  “A few hours, did you need something to drink?”

  “Nope, I’ll just get a nap in while we drive.” Seamus said as he closed his eyes to nap. Running away from the pain he felt in his heart at the loss of his mother comforting him even at his age.

  Seamus woke sometime later when the vehicle stopped and the engine cut off. Blinking open his eyes while yawning he looked around to find Sunshine hooking an IV bag up to a pole above his head. “Going to stick me before we roll?”

  Smirking, she looked down at his arms, “Don't need any more than I already have.”

  Following her eyes, Seamus's jaw opened up in astonishment. “Wow, now that is the work of a pro. Both arms without me feeling a thing while I slept and I'm not exactly a heavy sleeper.”

  “There’s a reason they’re paying my salary as the chief nurse for this little experiment. The head doctor, Rosenbloom, should be ready for us.” She cut off as the back doors opened and the four federal guards wheeled him out of the back.

  “Wait, the Doctor is Rosenbloom and the head nurse is Sunshine?” Seamus started to laugh, considering the names. “Too bad it's fall or I would so be making spring jokes right now.”

  Shaking her head, Sunshine followed the gurney and guards. “You seem very mellow for a murderer, with a second murder investigation ongoing.”

  Seamus snapped his mouth shut cutting the laughter off. “Oh, the nurse scores a point with that comment. Well done Sunshine, but if you knew the details you would understand.”

  “I read all of the related news bits I could find. After all, if I have to be around a killer for a year or more I wanted to know what I could. You killed him in cold blood while escorting him to court.” Sunshine replied as the guards trundled the gurney down a few halls all done in the standard jail décor of reinforced brick.

  “That thing,” venom dripped from the word, “deserved much more than I did to him. After all, I was kind. I only double tapped the back of his head. Then I waited calmly for my fellow coworkers and the sheriff’s deputies to show up and arrest me. You obviously skipped the real details of the crime he committed that led to me removing him from the gene pool.” Seamus’s voice turned icy at the end, cutting off further conversation.

  One of the guards grunted, “Shut up, Masterson.”

  Seamus looked over at the guard with hooded eyes, his face blank. He looked around, noting the signs of heavily reinforced walls with small windows way up off the floor. The door they came to had to be opened by remote, which made Seamus feel almost back on the job. No keys for this facility which meant escape was way down on the list of possibilities. Not that he wanted to, after all you don't turn yourself in to try and escape.

  A couple more hallways and doors brought him to something like an operating room, if you discounted the heavy reinforced door they came through. Six people in scrubs were moving around a metallic pod with way more wires than it should have. The guards brought the gurney to a stop next to the pod as an older white haired man came over.

  “Ah you must be Masterson, I'm Doctor Rosenbloom. I head up the medical staff keeping you healthy while you’re in the pod for the next year. Do you have any questions about what we are going to do?”

  “Kind of curious how I'm going to get enough nutrients?” Seamus replied. “Also, what about muscle atrophy?”

  “We’ll be using the nutrient solution the space agency created for the proposed Mars missions, before they were scrapped by the government. It was tested for years and showed that it would keep the body in good working condition while in stasis, which is what you’ll basically be in. As for your muscles, this pod is designed to flex your joints periodically. We’ll also be stimulating the muscles with small electric currents.”

  Seamus pursed his lips but nodded before asking his next question, “I know the normal pods work on inducing a sleep like state, what about this one?”

  Smiling broadly, Rosenbloom replied, “The same thing but we’ll be putting you deeper under. You will be in a medically induced coma for all intents and purposes. We just have a few procedures to do before you’re hooked up.”

  “What procedures exactly?”

  “First we’ll be conducting a thorough physical exam to get your base vitals for comparison purposes. We will also empty your stomach and bowels of solid waste. It’s for the best to do it before you go under as that will leave you with only the solution. That means only one type of waste to deal with in any real amount. I take it you don't want to know all the squishy details about what we will be hooking up to you and how?”

  Shuddering, Seamus looked away, “Yeah, don't tell me. That still sounds like a day and I didn't think the game was launching ‘til next week.”

  Rosenbloom chuckled, “The early access period will be launching Thursday. Which means you will have two days after today to wait before we hook you into the game proper. However, word has come down from Mindblown that they’d like you to test out some other new idea they’re tinkering with. Would you like a chance at bonuses at the start of the game?”

  Chuckling, Seamus nodded, “Who doesn't want extra shit when starting a new game? What’s the catch?”

  “They created an AI to test people who want extras to start with. It’s mostly a psych test, but there are also some things you’ll have to go hands on with. Are you
interested?”

  “Psych test? I really hate those things with a passion. Goodness knows I’ve had enough of them over the last two years. Fuck it, I’ll do another one to start out with bonuses.”

  “Very good, let’s get started then,” Rosenbloom said as the medical staff bustled around prepping machines for the physical exam. “Guards, remove his shackles please.”

  The one guard grunted and loomed over Seamus with a grim face, “If you ass up I will put you down. My orders are, if you harm anyone here, to stop you with any means I deem appropriate. Got it?”

  Seamus rolled his eyes, “Yeah, the government is looming over me with you as its chosen implement. Now play nice and do as the doctor says, Butch.”

  The guard sneered before unshackling Seamus from the gurney, stepping back and keeping his hand on the high voltage taser he wore. Seamus stayed laying down, “Ready when you are, Doc.”

  Sunshine came over to apply electrodes to him after his shirt and pants were taken off. Seamus didn't really want to be in the bright orange boxers only but fuck it, the less he made an issue of things the faster this would be over.

  Seamus complied with every order from the medical staff, watching Butch get itchy every time a new order was given. Seamus was sorely tempted to fail to comply just once to see what would happen, but the way the guard kept his hand on the taser stopped him.

  The tests went on for hours as they took blood, did x-rays, cat scans and more. Seamus was surprised at just how much medical equipment they had on hand. They gave him a chalky tasting drink eventually. Seamus twisted his lips at the taste, but drank up as he was asked to.

  Many hours later the tests were done and Seamus was voided of all solid waste. He felt like shit after the drink cleaned him out. Finally they put him into the pod, connecting up electrodes to various pads on him.

  Yawning, Seamus noticed the staff also looking tired. “We calling it a night soon?”

  “In about five minutes,” Rosenbloom said tiredly. “We’re going to induce the coma at that point. When you come to you’ll be with the AI. Any last questions?”

  “Nope,” Seamus yawned again, “just want to say thanks for making this clinical. I'm in your hands doctor, you and your staff. You’ve all been pleasant and I thank you for that. Now, if next time you can get less twitchy guards I would feel much better.”

  Rosenbloom nodded to Sunshine who pushed a drug into his IV. “Good night Seamus, we’ll speak again in a year.”

  Rubbing his eyes as he sat up, he winced at the headache he had but it was fading fast. Seamus looked around only to find himself back in his solitary cell. Blinking, he got up and checked to see if all of his stuff was where it should be. “Guess I was dreaming?” Seamus muttered to himself.

  A loud clang followed by Sgt. Jasperson telling Seamus to come get cuffed brought Seamus’s head around to face the door. Walking over, he asked what was going on only to be informed that his lawyer wanted to see him. Frowning, Seamus presented his wrists through the cuff flap behind him. He felt the first one tighten down like normal but the second one only ratcheted once. He heard the door unlock and spoke up quickly. “Sarge, stop,” Seamus yelled, “The left cuff isn’t tight. I don’t want you all to think I’m trying anything, so please tighten the cuff first.”

  The door paused and Seamus felt the cuff ratchet down tight. Jasperson then opened the door, speaking as he did, “Sorry about that. You know the way, start walking.”

  Seamus turned to follow the marked path to the lawyer visitation area. Once his cuffs were secured to the heavy ring on the bench he sat on the deputies left him alone with Moorehead. “What’s up, Moore?”

  “More paperwork,” Moore said, shaking his head, “Mindblown wanted another few clauses covered in the agreement.”

  Letting out a mild sigh, Seamus shrugged, “Well, let’s knock it out then. I was just having a dream that I had left here already when the guards came to get me. My nurse was named Sunshine and the doctor was Rosenbloom. It was almost enough to make jokes about if it had been spring.”

  Moorehead cracked a small smile, “I will not laugh at other’s names, mine is unfortunate enough. Caused me endless grief through school.”

  “I can imagine, all sorts of variations that could be said about your name,” Seamus said as he started to sign paperwork.

  While Seamus was signing papers, Moore cleared his throat to ask a question. “Seamus about our last talk, which of them is the real reason? Is it because you want people to be able to have a virtual life or that you want to see criminals digitally incarcerated? Which one of them is the primary reason?”

  “Already said it was the first one,” Seamus said not even looking up. “If I can give her a semblance of life again I’ll count it a win even if it costs me my own.”

  Seamus heard Moore get up and begin to pace in obvious agitation. “That can’t be right, though. Not from you, you had multiple disciplinary investigations for excessive force while you were a guard in the county jail. Why do you say it’s to help others when you really just want to punish the inmates more?”

  Glancing up to watch his lawyer pace, Seamus shook his head before going back to signing forms. “I was cleared of each and every one of those charges when they came up. Inmates love to claim abuse when we had to go hands on due to them not obeying simple orders. Like the one I had in an arm bar who kept saying he was choking, as if me having his arm prevented him from breathing. Look, Kaylee got fucked up bad by that asshole and won’t be able to walk again, much less dance like she used too. If what I’m doing means she’ll be able to spend years inside a virtual world where she can dance again, then I’ll do it.” Seamus kept his tone level and polite as he kept signing his name to each form.

  “Wasn’t it enough when you killed her attacker? Why risk your life like this just for the chance she might be able to have a digital life?” Moore pressed, coming over to lean on the metal table next to Seamus.

  “She’s the only child of my best friend, David McMullen. He would have done it himself if he had the opportunity. He didn’t, and he needs to be there to help Kaylee through these years where she feels as if life has been taken away from her. Did you know she always called me Uncle Seamus? When I went to see her after the attack she didn’t even want me in the room with her. She is physically broken and mentally scarred. Her father is the only man she’ll speak to now. She had scholarships to Harvard and Yale waiting for her to pick one because of her academic scores. How would she be able to deal with university when she can’t stand to be around any man other than her father?” Seamus felt his hands ache and realized he had them clenched tightly. He set down the bent pen and started to take deep breaths to clear his mind. “We’re done talking about this.”

  “But…” Moore started, but cut off as he met Seamus’s eyes.

  “We are done with that topic Moore. Period, end of fucking story, okay?” Seamus knew his eyes burned with anger even though it wasn’t directed at Moore. The wound of seeing the girl he treated as a daughter flinching away from him while crying had reopened from talking about it. He felt the same raw anger he had the day he had executed her attacker on his way to court. “Papers are done, and so are we.”

  Moore nodded, picking up the papers and pen before going over and knocking on the door. A minute later the guards came to escort Seamus back to his cell. Flinging himself onto his bed, he grabbed his pillow and covered his head. He could still hear her crying and telling him to leave her alone even after all this time. David had visited a few times after Seamus had committed the murder. The last time was four months ago when David told him Kaylee was finally going home with him. She hadn't improved since the attack which had made Seamus even more worried for her.

  Seamus came to some time later, his head on an oak desk. Sitting up he wiped at his mouth in case of drool, Seamus found himself sitting in a richly appointed study. Two walls were floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with all different types of books. He picked out a few
of his favorites in leather binding before he tore his eyes away from them. The carpet was thick and shaded a deep grey that felt wonderful on his bare feet. Blinking, he looked down to find himself barefoot but wearing jeans and shirt. The desk held no computer or knickknacks of any kind, not even the obligatory picture frame. Just as he thought about getting up the door opened to allow a woman in.

  She was wearing a modest white sundress with yellow flowers on it. Looking her over quickly, Seamus noted she was a little heavy set but very attractive, if anything the little padding she had helped accentuate her curves. His eyes found full red lips pursed in a quirky smile, above which was a button nose and two of the most intelligent grey eyes he had ever seen. Her raven dark hair was in a tight bun above her head, showing off her long neck and cute ears. “Hello Mr. Masterson, it is good to finally meet you.”