Limitless Lands, Chapter 16.

Chapter 16.

“Hey there, did you want a snack or some coffee? These cookies are really good, I have chocolate chip ones, but the white chocolate raspberry are my favorite, well, except for the nuts in them. Why do old people always want nuts in their cookies, its kind of gross,” A far to chipper voice called out to Sally, startling her.

“Oh, uh, no, I’m fine, thank you for asking,” Sally replied. The girl was dressed in a hospital uniform with a large volunteer tag and looked somewhere between ten or twelve, a kid doing some volunteer work for a school credit or something. Instead of leaving, the kid walked over to the medpod and stared inside.

“Sorry to be nosy, but is that your husband, or grandpa, or your boss, or something? What’s your name?” The kid asked in rapid fire fashion.

“Wow, okay, first, I’m Sally, and this is my brother,” she replied.

“Nice to meet you Sally, I’m Lauren. What’s your brother’s name, was he in the Army too?” She asked.

“No, my brother Craig was in the Navy, he was a captain before he retired to start his own business,” Sally answered, wondering when the kid would stop asking questions and leave her in peace.

“Being a captain is cool. How long has your brother been sick? I’ve seen him in here, but this is the first time I’ve seen a visitor,” Lauren said.

“He wasn’t sick, he was hurt in an accident. I just found out that something happened to him. We, well, we weren’t all that close over the last few years,” Sally admitted.

She and her brother hadn’t been on speaking terms for the last thirty years, but then she received a call from an old friend that used to work with Craig, telling her of the horrible accident that happened to him. She was surprised and shocked, just thinking about her brother usually brought feelings of anger, but hearing he was on life support triggered something else. After a long time working it out in her head, Sally knew she had to see her brother before he passed, anger or not, he was the last family she had.

Sally had almost hoped her brother would have left instructions to not allow her to visit, that would have made things easy, but Craig never was one to make things easy for her. If anything, he would do whatever he could to see her struggle.  The staff seemed surprised that she even existed, and she half felt they didn’t believe she was his sister. Despite that, they gave her directions to Craig’s room and told her the visiting hours.

She stayed in the hallway for some time, trying to convince herself to enter her brother’s room. Eventually she worked up the courage to enter after the doctor and nurse inside had finished whatever they were doing and left. Sally had hoped to have some quiet time alone with her brother, but this volunteer, Lauren, didn’t appear to be leaving anytime soon.

“Oh, I’m sorry, is he in the game or just kind of hanging out? Most of the old military guys like to go in the game,” Lauren said. Sally wasn’t sure what she was talking about, this was a hospital not an arcade.

“What do you mean? He’s in the life support medpod, not an arcade,” Sally replied.

“Huh, didn’t they tell you about it? The hospital should have given you an orientation when you agreed to have him placed in the medpod,” Lauren told her.

“I’m not the one that gave permission for this,” Sally said, looking with disgust at the machine her brother was housed in. It was an ugly thing she thought, not a place someone should spend their last days trapped inside of. “I’m not even sure I should be here,” Sally said, standing up to leave. This had been a mistake, there was nothing for her here, her brother had been gone, dead to her ever since they parted ways so long ago.

“Oh no, I’m sorry, please don’t leave. He knows you’re here to visit him, at least that’s what my grandpa said when he was in one. It was kind of a feeling he had, knowing his family was outside waiting for him when his mind recovered,” Lauren said to her.

“I don’t think he would be too happy to know I was here,” Sally said, pausing at the door.

“You can’t know for sure, family is important, why don’t you ask him if he wants to see you?” Lauren asked.

“I can’t really do that, Lauren, he’s not even awake in there,” Sally said.

“Oh, you are so wrong. Did you really not know about the medpod and what happens to the people inside?” Lauren asked. Intrigued, Sally stopped at the door.

“What do you mean, I didn’t have anything explained to me,”

“Well, okay, there’s this game, Limitless Lands that’s controlled by a super awesome AI. Are you a gamer?” Lauren asked.

“No, I never had time for that,” Sally admitted. Sure, gaming was taking the world by storm, bypassing other forms of entertainment, but she didn’t see any use for it.

“Woah, are you in for a shock. You see, that AI, she’s named Clio in case you were wondering, well, she doesn’t just control the game, she also controls these medpods. When someone is treated in one, the AI will create a cool virtual environment for them to stay in, or they can opt to join in and play the game. Your brother will be in one of those two places. My grandpa was in the game and I was able to play with him, it’s a long story, but we had a great time together,” Lauren said excitedly. Could it be true, was her brother inside some kind of virtual reality that she could visit? Would she even want to?

“I had no idea,” Sally said.

“Ok, all you have to do is get a gaming rig and then you can join in. I can check for you and see what server your brother’s on if you want. That way you guys can game together. If he’s inside his own virtual environment, you can visit him there too, but most of the old military guys decide to play the game,” Lauren told her.

“Thank you, Lauren, I’m not sure I want to take that step just yet, but its good to know he’s not just unconscious or in pain inside there,” Sally replied.

“No problem, did you want me to get someone from the hospital to talk to you about your brother?” Lauren asked.

“No, thank you, I have to run, but you’ve been very helpful young lady,” Sally said. She took one more look at her brother in the medpod and left the hospital.

Unsure what she should be feeling, Sally drove around for hours. She had flown to Knoxville where the VA hospital was from her home in California, intending to turn around and fly back the same day. She honestly didn’t know what to think about the whole situation. The anger was still there, she didn’t know if it would ever leave, but seeing him there in the hospital reminded her of other times, happier times. Pulling out her tablet, she booked a nearby hotel for a few nights, she had retired long ago and had nothing back home that needed her attention, so she might as well stay here while she tried to come to grips with her emotions.

Sally stopped at a small local restaurant near her hotel, enjoying a bit of southern cuisine, which mainly involved deep frying everything on the menu. She tried to ignore the sheer amount of calories and fat she was ingesting, and took her time, processing everything in her head. Her brother was most likely inside a game, could that be true? Technology had made amazing leaps over the years, but Sally really hadn’t been too interested in it. Her VR television at home was nice, but she didn’t care to play games, no matter how realistic they were.

Further down the strip mall was a gaming store. What would it hurt to at least see how her brother was doing? Maybe the game would let her to observe without him knowing or something? She had come here to confront her own demons, ones that she piled upon her brother’s shoulders for the way he treated her and her husband. That had been the catalyst for all their conflict, when she had married Raymond. Her husband had died many years ago to a cancer that was found too late, and his passing had hardened her heart against her brother even more.

Raymond and Craig had worked together and even been friends once. Sally thought her brother approved of them dating and eventually marrying. All that changed when, shortly after their wedding, Raymond told Craig he was leaving Larson Industries. Her brother was disappointed to have his friend and brother in law leave the company, but not angry. That all changed when it became known that Raymond was not only leaving, but he was also forming his own firm that would directly compete against Larson. To her brother, that was a sin he couldn’t overlook, it was a betrayal of him personally. Harsh words were said, things that can’t be taken back, and Sally was cut from Craig’s life as if his relationship to her meant nothing to him.

Raymond wasn’t much better than her brother, she had to admit, and taking down Larson Industries became his life’s goal. He destroyed the company he had created, in a failed bid to drive Craig out of business. It was foolish, she realized now, but family disputes rarely follow logic. After his company closed, they were forced to live a simple life as her husband took work as a ship’s officer on various cargo vessels. Her husband was working long hours at sea on a container ship when he found out he was ill. Long stretches of time at sea, and bull-headed stubbornness prevented him from seeing a doctor until it was too late. New therapies helped, but the cancer had progressed to far, too fast.

She lost Raymond, and her brother never said a word, never acknowledged her or her loss. Craig always had a strange sense of honor, though, the same honor that forced him to see Raymond as a personal threat to his business, also made him make sure she was taken care of financially. A check arrived every year without fail, it was supposedly from a life insurance policy that Raymond had taken out, but she knew that wasn’t true. She could never link the money to any of the Larson Industries companies or affiliates, but she knew it came from Craig. It galled her to take the money, but she had needed it after Raymond had passed. She had been thrifty with her spending and she was now comfortably set for her remaining years.

After paying her bill and leaving a large tip to the friendly waitress, Sally took a walk along the shops of the strip mall. It was a typical affair with the requisite dry cleaner, nail shop, barber shop, and sandwich place. The second to last store, crammed in one of the smaller storefronts, was a place called Level Master Games. Before she could talk herself out of it, Sally opened the door and stepped inside.

She wasn’t sure what she had expected, having never entered a game store before, and was a bit overwhelmed by the shelves crammed with gaming books, display cases with some kind of playing cards, and rows of gaming gear lining a wall. There were a few customers inside, including a group playing some kind of game involving what looked like miniature knights and monsters. One of the pair of workers inside spotted her standing just inside the entrance and took pity on her confused look.

“Welcome to Level Master, can I help you find something?” The young man asked.

“I’m not sure. I was wondering if you had a game called…” Sally struggled to remember the name of the game that the young volunteer Lauren had told her about. “Limitless something or other?” She asked.

“Limitless Lands?” The salesclerk replied.

“That’s it, Limitless Lands. Can I buy a copy of the game here?” She asked.

“Well, they haven’t had physical copies of games for a long time, you have to get it directly through your rig. We have a few pre-paid game cards if you need those for a gift or something,” the clerk offered. It was obvious she wasn’t a gamer, and he must have pegged her as an out of touch grandma that wanted to buy a gift. He was only partially correct. She was old enough to be a grandma, but had never had any kids, and she wanted the game for herself, not as a gift for someone else.

“Well, I wanted the game for myself, but as you can see, I’m clueless about these things, I’ve never even played a video game before,” Sally admitted.

“Woah, that’s kind of cool that you’re starting now,” the clerk then got a look of fear on his face before stammering further. “Uh, not that your old or anything, I just mean…” Sally cut him off to save him from further embarrassment.

“Don’t worry, I am kind of old, I admit, that’s nothing I’m offended about, it’s a sign of pride that I’ve made it this long. I really am new to gaming and was hoping you could guide me through the process,” She told him. The clerk relaxed once he realized she wasn’t going to do the whole “I want to talk to your manager” routine.

“Wow, your really cool and I’d be glad to help you out. I’ll start from the beginning. First off, you’ll need a rig,” he paused, noting the confused look on her face. “A rig is a virtual reality system that allows you to fully immerse yourself in the game. They come in several varieties and price points, but none of them are cheap I’m sorry to say. Once you have the rig, which are very easy to use, just follow the instructions on how wear it and the thing will walk you through a tutorial. Once inside you can buy any game you like, including Limitless Lands. I have a few rigs here for sale, but you do need something pretty powerful to run that game, it’s a beast and requires strong specs for the full effect,” the clerk told her.

“Well, I suppose I need to buy a ‘rig’ as you call it, what do you recommend?” Sally asked. The clerk showed her a couple of the models he had on hand. After hearing that she didn’t live nearby and would be traveling, he suggested something that looked like a fully enclosed helmet with a jumpsuit she would wear. It was bulky but would fit inside her luggage on the return trip. After getting some step by step instructions on how to find the game on the rig’s interface, Sally left the store with a box full of gear and a much lighter bank account. The price for games had definitely gone up from when she was a kid.

Back in her hotel, Sally followed all the instructions for her new gear. The jumpsuit wasn’t too uncomfortable, but it did take time to adjust it to fit her correctly. She also had to overcome her mild case of claustrophobia when putting on the helmet. Thankfully, the system booted right up, and she had something to distract her from her anxiety. The detail in the interface was much better than her TV and she could actually feel it in her hand when she selected something. She followed the instructions the clerk had given her and found the page for Qualitranos and their game Limitless Lands. Sally almost choked when she saw the price and the monthly fee required to play. Oh well, it was her brother’s money anyway she supposed and made her purchases.

Starting the game, Sally found herself flying above forests, deserts, oceans and volcanic eruptions. The camera brought her closer to the ground and she could see small cities of various designs and even armies fighting. Zooming in further she could see a small group of people fighting with swords and magic against some kind of monster when the Limitless Lands logo popped into focus. The system verified her credentials and she waited while the game finished loading.

Sally found herself standing in front of the counter at the back of an old store. She could smell the dusty air and feel the rough wood of the counter. An old-time cash register was at the end and a small bell was placed in front of where she was standing. A card was placed in front of the bell asked her to ring for service. Sally did just that, the pleasant ting of the bell echoing throughout the empty shop. A strange little man emerged from behind a curtain and approached. He was fully grown but only a few feet high, with pointed ears and only four fingers on each hand. Sally knew there were other races than human in the game but seeing one in the flesh was bizarre.

“Good day to you, I’m Finley and this is the Commencement Commissary where we will begin your journey in the Limitless Lands. Please wait while I locate your gamer data,” Finley told her.

“Uh, hi Finley, look, I don’t have any gamer data and I’m trying to find my brother in the game,” She said.

“Oh, that’s fine, we do get the rare person who hasn’t played games anytime recently. What is your brother’s name and gamer id tag, I’ll be glad to show you how to send him a friend request so the two of you can communicate,” Finley offered.

“Oh, no, I don’t want to communicate with him, at least not yet. I was kind of hoping I could just watch him in the game, see how he is doing,” Sally said.

“Hmm, viewing someone’s gaming activity without their consent isn’t possible unless their profile is public. Please tell me your brother’s name and I’ll check for you,” Finley said.

“He’s Craig Larson, do you need anything else?” She asked, giving her brothers date of birth and current city of residence.

“Oh, I see, this is a special situation,” the small man, she thought they were called halfies or something, said. He stood perfectly still, frozen in place while the game did something.

“It appears your brother is in a program that requires special permissions to view. Clio said she would be happy to explain everything to you,” Finley said.

“Who’s Clio, and yes, I’d like an explanation if it’s possible,” Sally replied, starting to get confused. The halfie man didn’t reply and instead motioned for her to go back behind the curtain. She stepped behind the curtain and found herself in a cozy little room, a table set for tea waiting for her. An elderly woman with a happy smile motioned for her to take a seat.

“Hello, may I offer you a cup of tea?” The old lady asked her.

“Yes, thank you, I take it your Clio?” Sally asked.

“I am, and I also happen to be the AI that controls the game world. You’re Sally Burman, maiden name of Larson, are you not?” The AI asked.

“I am,” Sally said, a bit creeped out that the AI knew this much about her, calming down when she realized the game had most of her information already from the extensive account creation process. This AI, Clio, took a sip of tea before continuing. Sally left hers untouched. From what the game store clerk had told her, the high-end gaming pods allowed the player much more sensory input, including tasting food and drink. Her simple rig wasn’t didn’t provide anywhere close to that level of complexity.

“Your brother is in a special medical program, one that I also control. What do you know of his condition?” Clio asked.

“He was severely injured in an accident at the shipyard and the prognosis isn’t good,” Sally replied.

“He was very seriously injured indeed, but I won’t bore, and don’t have the permission, to bore you with medical details. Suffice to say, he is under my care and is responding positively to the treatment,” Clio told her. Sally wasn’t exactly in the frame of mind to interrogate the doctors at the hospital about her brother’s condition during her visit earlier, so to hear that her brother was responding to the treatment, whatever it was, gave her a surprising sense of relief.

“I know you requested to observe him in-game. Normally you do that without a problem if his feed allowed public viewing. If he had selected a private gaming experience, I could send a request and see if he would grant you permission to observe. Unfortunately, your brother is not in the game with the other players. At least, not yet. His condition is a special circumstance, which is all I can tell you at this point. For now, I’ll gladly submit a request to allow you full access to both his gaming information and his medical condition. While we wait for a response, would you like to play?” Clio asked.

“How long will this request take; can I contact someone directly?” Sally asked. She had no desire to really play the game, she just wanted to observe her brother, at least she thought she did. All these hoops to jump through might just mean its time for her try and forget him. No, she couldn’t do that, she still hated him, but there was also concern. In addition, she was a Larson, and the Larson’s don’t exactly like to be told no.

“The request has already been made, but you can feel free to follow up here, within the game, or through the special number I’ll send to you. I’m sorry I can’t do more at this time, but I do have a suggestion,” Clio offered.

“And what would this suggestion be?” Sally replied, getting a bit annoyed at this point.

“You may wish to invest in a more capable gaming rig if you think there is any chance of wanting to interact with your brother,” the AI said.

“Sure, thanks,” Sally replied shortly, logging out of the game. She could have almost believed that Clio person was real, up until she started trying to upsell Sally. There was no point staying here, this wasn’t some attempt to reunite with her brother or reconcile their differences, no, this was an attempt to, well, she didn’t know what she was attempting to do or if this game was going to help in any way.

Sally started to call the main desk to cancel her reservation and book a flight home, but then stopped. She would sleep on it and see if she could sort out her feelings before making any rash decisions.