Died!

It wasn't the first time, during this week, that I questioned the meaning of my life. My life, like that of anyone belonging to the latest generation, was devoid of any meaning, although I doubt any previous generation had any special significance.

When you had robots and artificial intelligences doing all your work for you, it was inevitable that some parts of you would atrophy. Especially when scientists or anyone who could invent something new could no longer fulfill that role since any latest-generation bot had already thought of it, and, in fact, was already on the way to patenting that idea. It was as if humanity had retracted from the idea of not having to work to live in absolute leisure.

I lounged on my couch without thinking about anything in particular, given that our life expectancy had increased, and was still increasing dramatically; we had plenty of time to waste.

School was not necessary nowadays because we were always accompanied by a personal assistant who could solve our most abstract doubts, of course, in a virtual and silent form.

Human interaction, well, it wasn't that anymore. Due to a certain event in the past, related to some pandemic or something like that, the fear of close contact was widespread.

I could count on my hands the times I had a proper conversation with my siblings and parents, or the times I could see up close another person who wasn't made of steel or metal.

Yes, now highly developed robots were part of society. Something too normal, if you ask me. Although I think someone in the past made a national scandal warning us about that.

But I don't remember well.

Anyway. Life goes on. I got up from my cushioned sofa as I looked directly at what was on the transparent metal table. Like anyone my age, I had gotten a copy. Although it wasn't a new invention, it had undoubtedly gained great popularity in the last few months, something called anime.

Someone elsewhere in the world had discovered some obsolete disc (CD) dating from the last century. Apparently, at some point in history, more than half of the world had seen this invention, but for some reason, its use didn't last much more than half a century.

There was also something called comics, video games, web novels, and light novels, which were becoming popular again. I almost forgot, something like the name geek culture was spreading in some more liberal media.

I'm surprised that these things are allowed, considering the strict regulations of "entertainment" allowed today.

'Hey Sisi, are you sure we have to watch all these "series," play all these "games," and read all these "novels"?', as usual, I asked for help from my personal assistant, Sisi, when I felt invaded by the feeling that this was somehow suspicious.

"Of course, the national congress has selected all this material for the entertainment of the new semester," Sisi's robotic voice replied to me, with the same tone it had had for more than two decades. The new role of my generation was to have fun, given that we didn't hold any important positions in modern development and progress, and the lack of new jobs along with global equality left enough space for that. I don't complain at all.

Opening the black plastic case that contained the circular object, I realized that I was a little excited. I approached the table under the giant television in the middle of the room, while the universal adapter swallowed the CD. Quickly, the images changed, while voices in what seemed to be Japanese resonated through the speakers. Almost as if I were hypnotized, my eyes focused on the extravagant figures. Time passed in the blink of an eye.

...

'I'm going to be the king of the pirates!

...

'I am Kira.'

...

'I want to see the outside world!'

...

'When I look around, I see... people who shouldn't die.'

...

Without realizing it, several hours had passed. I felt my eyes dry for the first time in several years. 'It's really addictive, huh?' I thought to myself.

I stayed in the same place for eight hours, and if it weren't for Sisi's warning, I almost forgot that it was time for dinner. 'It's not good to read while you eat,' I heard the admonition as my eyes slid across the screen of my mobile phone before stopping again due to Sisi's reprimand. Web novels were also captivating.

'I'm sorry, Sisi,' I mumbled lost in what I had just read. It would be great if something like this existed in reality, I thought to myself.

'Maybe the government will create some game like that in the coming days,' Sisi commented as if reading my thoughts.

Virtual reality, huh? I was never a big fan of virtual reality despite it being a fundamental pillar of our world. Due to the general fear of human interaction and the fear of acquiring some deadly disease, virtual reality was created. The world government believed that it would be dangerous for humans to be afraid even of touching each other and that we would become extinct for that stupid reason, so it wasn't uncommon for us to spend at least two hours a day in any of the virtual worlds that exist.

It was a task I would prefer to avoid as much as possible. I'm not very good at interacting with others like anyone my age. 'Nathan, it's time to log in.' 'Hmm...' An hour later, I was in my virtual reality capsule thinking about what would be the most convincing excuse to stay in the real world and keep watching anime.

'Sisi, don't you think I could stay... you know... here? In the real world...,' I asked almost whispering.

'I think you will like what you find there. Thirty minutes ago, the government decided to start a beta test for a new world, and you have been selected as the first tester,' Sisi commented coldly.

Huh? A new world? It didn't take many calculations to understand that this new virtual world referred to what Sisi had commented about an hour ago, a world set in an anime style. Just by seeing everyone's reaction on the Big Net, it was easy to guess that sooner or later that was going to happen.

A beta tester or a tester was one of the few jobs that required effort, and it was, in fact, one of the few prestigious jobs that humans could do; a robot couldn't match that aspect. I couldn't complain about that job; even I was excited.

'Log in, Sisi,' I closed my eyes as the capsule closed hermetically. As my consciousness faded, I managed to hear a soft murmur not as robotic as before, maybe it was Sisi.

 'Good trip, Nathan.'

Nathan? Is that my name, right? Rarely did anyone call me by my real name, and I often forgot it, maybe Sisi was the only one who had ever used it aside from my mother..

But I didn't have time to think about that because a strange message appeared in front of me.

'You have died, initiating reincarnation protocol. All worlds have loaded.'"