Yvvaros: The Digital Frontier (15 page)

“And here’s my son…” Chris Smith stood next to Luke at his desk, holding a half-empty bottle of liquor in one hand and the hand of a lady friend in the other. “Making his old man proud by becoming a slave to a fucking video game.”

Luke turned and glared at his father.

Easy now, he’s drunk.

“It’s the video game that you helped design, dad,” he said. “Doesn’t that make you just as responsible?”

Chris Smith laughed and then whispered something in the woman’s ear, which caused her to also break out into a cackle.

“You think you’re so fucking clever,” he said. “You don’t know a goddamn thing.”

Luke stood up from his desk and resisted the urge to get in his dad’s face. Instead, he stood where he was and remained silent, waiting for the man to continue.

“Find somewhere else to be for the next few hours.” His dad’s words were slurred, but that didn’t reduce their bite. “We want the place to ourselves for a bit.”

Mom would be so proud if she could see us right now.

Luke bit his tongue and walked over to start packing up his laptop. At the very least, he figured he could check in with Ben and see if he could stay there for the night.

“Leave that shit.” Chris’s voice was sharp and angry. “I’m ashamed that my own son ever started playing it in the first place.”

“Dad, hold on, I-”

“Are you fucking arguing with me, Luke?”

Luke didn’t say anything.

He won’t hesitate to break things, including my bones, as drunk as he is.

Instead of putting up any further resistance, he walked around his dad and the woman and hurried down the stairs. It took every ounce of his willpower to not scream out in rage, to put a voice to the emotion that was welling up in his chest, like boiling water inside of a covered pot.

It’s not my fault…

Luke could still remember how his dad was, back before the man had changed into his current volatile self. He’d been a kind man, a loving father, and someone that he’d looked up to.

The car crash had changed everything. Luke had been there, sitting in the passenger seat. He’d been arguing with his mom about something insignificant, a toy that he’d wanted that she wouldn’t buy. She hadn’t seen the other car speeding toward them. The driver had been drunk and run a red light, and all Luke remembered was the sound of his own screaming and the blood.

If I’d just kept my mouth shut and let her focus on the road…

His mother’s loss had created an unbridgeable void. Luke had withdrawn, as had his father. As Luke had grown older and begun to live his own life, his guilt, and his father’s anger had intensified in proportion to each other.

Their relationship was broken, but in a way that made a twisted kind of sense. The way their dysfunctional relationship worked let both of them express their powerful emotions without ever requiring them to actually come to terms with them.

The first thing Luke did after being ejected from his home was to take a deep, calming breath. The second thing he did was slam his fist into the door of his dad’s car, causing no real damage beyond a small unnoticeable dent. His hand throbbed.

It was past nine, and the stars were clearly visible in the night sky. Luke walked down the street with no particular destination in mind. He thought about Yvvaros, about Ben and his avatar, about the guild hall, and about Tess. It was a world that made sense to him, unlike the one that he physically resided in.

He walked to the park, more out of habit than a conscious decision. It was beginning to cool off and Luke wished that he had a sweatshirt. He slowed as he approached one of the empty park benches.

“Luke…”

He turned around and saw Sam walking by on the sidewalk with a group of her friends. She said something to them and then split off. She walked over to him with an unhappy look on her face.

“Oh, hey,” he said. “What’s up, Sam?”

“You never texted back earlier. It feels like you’ve been avoiding me.”

Luke shrugged.

“What does it really matter, anyway?”

Sam glared at him and walked closer to the other side of the bench. She leaned forward against it, letting her face showcase all of her emotions.

“Luke, you… kissed me.” Her tone of voice started out full of anger, and then slowly softened as she went on. “It’s not like we can pretend that it didn’t happen.”

Luke’s chest felt tight with emotion.

“So what, Sam? You have a boyfriend, and it’s not me.”

Sam was silent for a long moment.

“You never used to be like this, so indifferent, and so… passive.” She paused and continued. “It’s the game, Luke. It’s that stupid VR game.”

Luke shook his head but said nothing.

“I know it is,” she said. “It’s changed you.”

“Why is it that everyone seems to view VR as a gateway to hell or something?” Luke sighed and stared up into the sky. “Maybe, just maybe, there is a reason why I find it so compelling. A reason that goes beyond wasting my time or escaping from my problems, whatever it is that you think.”

“Luke…”

Sam reached her hand out and set it on top of his.

“You’ve been going through something lately. I don’t know what it is, but…”

Sam’s emotions were staring out of the windows of her eyes.

“I want to be here for you, Luke.” She took a deep breath. “I want to be here for you more than I want to be with Mike.”

Sam slowly came around to the other side of the bench and let her arms wrap around Luke.

What…

“Sam… I…” Luke’s jaw was stupidly agape, and he blinked several times. “I don’t know what to say. Are you serious?”

Sam nodded and smiled at him with tears in her eyes.

“I’m serious.”

Without any hesitation, Luke pulled her tight against him. Her body was tiny and soft, but the static in his mind made it almost impossible for him to notice.

Tess…

“Luke…” Sam set her hand to his cheek, and the next thing Luke knew, they were kissing. She tasted like sweet strawberries, and he could feel her lips against his. “I want us to spend tomorrow together, Luke. I want us to go on a date, a real date.”

How in the world is this happening?

Despite himself, Luke began nodding.

This is Sam. This is what I used to dream about.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s… go on a date.”

Sam hugged him again, for a long time.

“I… I should get going.” She kissed him on the cheek and then slowly parted. “Text me. I’m serious about this, Luke.”

“Sam…”

She turned and walked away, looking over her shoulder at him as she went as if trying to impart some final hidden message. Luke’s heart skipped a strange rhythm, and for the first time in a long time, his physical body, his real body, felt happy and buoyant.

What does this mean for Kato? What does this mean for Tess?

He stood in the park for a long time. After a while, he began to wonder what time it was. He was acutely aware of much he needed sleep. Despite wanting to know the time, Luke was reluctant to check his phone. A text message from Sam or Ben, or Tess, if there was magically a way, could set his life on a new, uncharted course. Luke was scared of change.

A cold breeze swept against his back, sneaking in under the hem of his thin t-shirt.

Luke slowly began to head back to his place. He stood outside the front door once he’d reached the house, pressing his ear to it and listening in, confirming the silence before heading inside.

He was tired, and it didn’t take him long to get to sleep.

Luke woke up comparatively early, for a Sunday. It was around the time that he’d usually get up for school, and he found himself wide awake.

Last night… did that really happen?

He reached over and grabbed his phone as if to confirm. A quick scan of the home screen revealed no new texts. Luke sighed and swung his legs over the edge of his bed, slowly rising to his feet.

After brushing his teeth and taking a shower, Luke took his time picking out an outfit. He wanted to spend as much of the day out of the house and away from his dad as possible. Ben would be around to work on the guild in-game. And then there was Sam…

She said she wanted to go on a date today…

Luke grabbed his bag and stuffed his computer and headset into it. He made his way downstairs as silently as his feet would carry him, stopping to grab an apple and a package of pop tarts from the kitchen before slipping out through the front door. He walked quickly as he ate and instead of heading straight to Ben’s house, he took the long way around.

A strange rhythm was developing in Luke’s life, and it made him feel as though his priorities were beginning to change. He wanted to get to Ben’s house and play Yvvaros. He wanted to text Sam and go on the real date she had suggested. But it didn’t feel like he could choose to do both.

I’ll just start out at Ben’s, and then figure out what’s going on with me and Sam later.

When he finally arrived outside the front door of Ben’s house, Luke knocked as softly as he could to still be heard. He waited for what felt like at least a minute before the door opened.

“Luke, hey…” Emily was standing in the doorway, smiling. She wore a thin nightgown that looked phenomenal on her. “Come on in. I’m not sure if Ben is awake yet but you are always welcome.”

“Thanks, Emily.”

Luke walked forward as Emily stepped back and allowed him in. She gently closed the door behind him, an odd tension settled in to the air.

She’s just… watching me?

Luke awkwardly scratched his head. It looked as though Emily wanted to say something to him, something important but was holding it back.

“I should probably go wake Ben up,” he finally said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, of course.” Emily crossed her arms and looked as though she was searching for her tongue. “Uhm… Luke?”

“What’s up?”

“I… I can make you guys breakfast after if you get hungry.”

Luke smiled.

“Sure, that would be great.”

She’s acting weird.

He made his way upstairs and into his friend’s room. Ben was still sprawled out in bed, tangled in blankets and thankfully, wearing pajamas underneath. Luke pulled up a desk chair and gently began shaking him by the shoulder.

“Wake up, sleepy head,” said Luke. “We’ve got a guild to expand and monsters to slay.”

“Uhhh…” Ben looked as though he was still in the midst of a comforting dream. He slapped Luke’s hand away before slowly beginning to stir. “What time is it?”

“Half past eight,” said Luke. “I figured we might as well get an early start.”

Ben rubbed his eyes open and then sat up in bed.

“Fine.” He yawned and stretched his arms in an almost exaggerated caricature of a middle-aged man. “Can you pass me what’s in my top desk drawer?”

Luke opened the desk and found, unsurprisingly, Ben’s pipe and a bottle of prescription pain meds.

“Really? This early in the morning?” Luke frowned. “Can’t you at least wait until the afternoon?”

Ben climbed out of bed and slid Luke and the chair aside. He tossed a couple of pills into his mouth and took a hit of the pipe with quick, practiced movements, as though they had been a part of his morning ritual for a very long time.

“You have got to start thinking about cutting back,” said Luke. “This isn’t a healthy way for you to go through life.”

“Says who?” Ben exhaled a bit of smoke with each word. “It helps dull the pain, a lot. And besides, it’s no different from zoning out and playing Yvvaros.

Yvvaros… is more than just something to zone out into.

“Whatever,” said Luke. “But come on. Think about what your sister would say.”

Ben laughed.

“Emily isn’t exactly as well adjusted as she looks,” he said. “There’s a reason why she’s been home from school this year.”

“I thought it was to look after you?”

Ben shook his head.

“I’m only telling you this because you’re my close friend. Don’t let her know I told you, seriously. Luke, at the end of last spring, she attempted suicide.”

“Jesus…”

Emily? Suicide? She seems so happy.

The silence was interrupted by Ben taking another hit from his pipe.

“Anyway, all I’m trying to say is that we shouldn’t get too caught up in self-analyzing. Sorry to dampen your mood.” He walked over to his desk and took his wallet off of it. “Come on, they’re releasing the new version of the Gamesoft VR headset today. I have one preordered, and I figure if we get to the store early enough, we can scoop up another before they run out of stock.”

“Dude, I don’t have money for that.”

“Consider it a loan.” Ben walked across the hall to the bathroom and started brushing his teeth. “We… need you… playing at your best.”

“Alright, sure,” said Luke. “What makes these headsets so important? The ones we have already work well enough, don’t they?”

Ben spat into the sink.

“These ones don’t have screens, or speakers, or anything like the ones we use now. These headsets induce a noninvasive transcranial neural connection.”

“Uh, you mean like… a brain implant, or something?” Luke tried to not sound as confused as he felt.

“They are a bit more sophisticated than that,” said Ben. “You put on the headset, and the electrodes connect through the skin of your head, to your brain.”

“Does this mean I’m going to have to shave my head?”

Ben grinned.

“No. A bit of saline solution on each one should do the trick. Come on, let’s go.”

Emily was still downstairs and still in her nightgown as Luke and Ben made their way by. She gave the two of them a curious glance.

“No early morning gaming session?”

Ben shook his head.

“New headsets to buy,” he said. “They make the current generation of VR equipment look like old CRT TVs in comparison.”

Emily looked a little thrown. Her arm stopped stirring the bowl she had a spoon dipped into and she bit her bottom lip.

“Oh…” she said. “Oh yeah, I have to run some errands… I probably won’t leave until you two get back, but just so you know, that’s where I’ll be.”

“Whatever sis,” said Ben. “Come on, Luke.”

The gaming store was in their town’s tiny commercial district. It took Luke and Ben about half an hour to walk to, and once they got there, they were greeted by a surprisingly large crowd of mostly teenagers and younger adults.

“It looks like we weren’t the only ones anticipating the new Gamesoft release,” said Ben. “Come on, let’s push through the crowd.”

Luke nodded and began making his way through the mass of people, toward where the headsets were lined up along the back wall.

This is the same type of crowd I’m always running into in Stark Town and Kantor, and many of these same people are probably part the game.

There was only a half dozen of the new headsets left. Luke worried for a moment that they might not end up with theirs, but Ben elbowed a husky, bearded man out of the way to scoop one up.

“Alright, they should have the one I reserved behind the counter,” he said. “Let’s pay for them and get out of here.”

“Sounds good to me.”

After another half hour or so of waiting in line, they were finally able to pay for the headsets. Luke thought for a moment that he hadn’t heard the cashier correctly when he told them the price. Ben paid it without batting an eyelash, and they each carried a bag outside.

“How can you afford that?” Luke was shaking his head in disbelief. “That’s… $700 I’m going to owe you? Jesus, man, it’s going to take me an eternity to pay off.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Ben. “I’m not exactly strapped for cash. My parents give both me and Emily an expense account for all our needs.”

The walk back to Ben’s felt as though it went by much more quickly than the walk out had, even though they were going a bit slower. Ben stared at the back of the box and read aloud from it, hyping Luke up with the immersive details that the advertising copy promised.

“This is the ultimate VR experience. You don’t have to use gestures anymore, and there’s even touch sensory feedback in-game.”

“How is that supposed to work?” Luke couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s enthusiasm.

“Its cutting-edge technology, man,” said Ben. “The original VR headsets were just as mind blowing when they came out. So was the television, and the radio, back in the day.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true enough.”

The two of them headed to Ben’s house. Emily had left on the errands that she’d mentioned before, and Luke and Ben began unboxing the headsets in the living room.

“Whoa… this looks interesting.”

Luke held one of the headsets in his hand and took a careful look at it. On the outside, it resembled the previous model, but on the inside it was as though the entire headset had been gutted, the screens and tiny speakers replaced with odd-looking circular, sponge covered electrodes.

“I’ve seen a couple of crazy tech demos of what they can do,” said Ben. “They’re being used in therapeutic applications, like helping quadriplegics and people with locked-in syndrome live normal lives again.”

“What do you think it… feels like?” Luke turned the headset over again in his hands, touching it with the kind of reverence that a musician would afford an expensive new instrument.

“There’s only one way to find out!”

They each took a headset and walked upstairs to Ben’s room. Luke opened his laptop and connected all of the wires, finding it just as easy to set up the new model as it had been with the old one. He started up the Yvvaros launcher and made it all the way through the log in sequence, up to the black screen informing him that it was time to put the headset on.

“Ready?” He glanced over at Ben at his desk and saw him nod.

Luke pulled on the headset, pressed enter on the keyboard, and everything changed in an instant.