1 Hopelessness

I woke to a day much like the last. I had been stuck in this room for just over three years and each day was the same. The nurses would, of course, talk to me about new things going on in the world and I tried my best to never take the pain of my situation out on them. It wouldn't do any good anyway taking my pain out on others wouldn't restore my arms or legs.

Just over three years ago just after my eighteenth birthday, I was in a forty-eight-car pileup all caused my driver having too much to drink while he was waiting for me to finish at a martial arts competition. He crashed the car into the car in front on a busy motorway. I thought I was going to die but I survived. I wish I hadn't even if my legs and arms were intact, I was paralysed from the neck down. Fortunately, I had amassed a large amount of money in my youth from martial arts competitions and various patents I have produced.

The hospital I was stationed at was one of the best. What was left of my body was well taken care of but my mind was fully functional and bored stiff. Some may call a lifetime in bed watching tv a dream come true, but I hated TV so many fake people acting out poorly written roles. I spent most of my time in meditation to help me get through one day and onto the next.

A change came to my miserable life in the form of a goth playing nurse. The day started like any other the normal nurses came in and did what they had to do to keep me going pointlessly offered to turn on the TV again and then left. Then half an hour after that she came in a young woman wearing a nurse's uniform but most definitely a goth due to the makeup and black boots she was wearing.

I realised she was most likely not an actual nurse when she sat on my bed and said: " hiya how ya doing".

At this point, I was very curious about this somewhat cute goth girl who had entered my room. Some would be worried about the potentially crazy girl coming into your hospital room while you complied immobilised. I, however, replied to her " considering my condition reasonably well, can you tell me your name nurse?"

She replied " its Hollow thunderstorm so what ya in for I am a healer you see so I might be able to help you"

I decided the girl was definably an escapee from the restricted ward but what the hell it makes no difference to me anyway. While I was walking, I was a grand master martial artist and captain of more school clubs than I could remember but it was only three months until people stopped visiting me. This girl was the first visitor I had in years and I was going to take whatever I could get.

I said " I'm paralysed from the neck down and I don't have arms or legs"

Hollow Thunderstorm replied, " dam that's harsh well I don't have magic powers here so I cannot grow them back for you but why are you here anyway it's really boring in this little room why not go to GOD."

Shocked, I reply to her " I don't plan on killing myself miss even though I have considered it a few times I am not quite there yet" I said it but to be honest if the crazy girl killed me I wouldn't necessarily argue.

She quickly corrected me though "no dummy the great online domain my parents say I cannot stay there all the time otherwise I will go crazy but it's so much better there than here and with a neural interface you don't need any limbs to play it's totally in your head".

At this point, eight nurses came in and restrained the young lady and dragged her out of the room constantly apologising for the disturbance. I, however, wasn't bothered in the slighted a seed was planted in my mind. Considering the mad woman that had entered my room the hospital Manager was very happy to tell me about the great online domain.

G.O.D or the Great Online domain is a fully immersive videogame that you could log into via a gaming cabin essentially it put you into a medically induced coma then reactivated your brain with your sensory input and output being sent and received from the server. In essence, your body was useless in this game only your mind mattered. I had the hospital order me a cabin and one week later I logged into G.O.D for the first time. This was going to be a new adventure for me I had done so many activities in my youth I had never played any video games. I was what I was soon to find out was called a "total noob".