The Etheros

Chapter 1

                                                          What really is reality?

Welcome to the real world, a world where chaos lurks and waits for prey around every corner. You see, there used to be another world, the Etheros. A virtual reality landscape of limitless possibility. Sounds great right? Not really. The people of Joval became addicted...too addicted. So now, this is it. The only world we have left after the GCC or as I should say Gaming Control Centre, took every game away. Well, that's what we tell our citizens. There are still some games lurking around in the black market and if you're found with them in your possession....Let's just say it's punishable by death. 

I know what your thinking, Great, now I'm reading a story with an old evil man as the protagonist. Well no you're wrong. That was just my introductory speech. My names Ava and I'm 22 years old. Yes, I'm a law enforcer from the GCC but not by choice. It's the only job around now that's secure and has enough pay to get by. And no I don't agree with the crap I just said about the whole punishable by death shit I just told you. Because well, I have a big secret, a very big secret. My brother is addicted to the Etheros.

  Now, what was I saying? That's right, I'm 22 years old and stuck in this wasteland salvaging anything with my low pay for me and my little brother Scott. He's 16 years old, has black messy hair and blue eyes. Even though he's younger than me he's already a lot taller. He's a nice kid but what really annoys me is how badly he's addicted to those stupid games. I've tried telling him so many times now how bad it is and what will happen to him if he gets caught but he never listens, he doesn't know I work for GCC. In fact, he has become so reliant on them that every day I have to go out after my shifts and salvage for any little food I can find while he lies in his stupid game coffin off in another reality. So far, I've managed to get half a loaf of bread that I'm walking home now.

When I get back to our little run down apartment, the first thing I see is Scott lying in his game coffin with the wires slithering around in his back as he lies there, oblivious to it all, completely motionless. It feels me with disgust so I turn away and place the half loaf of bread on the counter. I feel a cold draft move through the house and decide to turn the power off to Scott's coffin. I watch as the cables unlatch themselves from his spinal cord and slither out through the holes in his back.  An angry looking Scott sits up. "What was that for?" He spits.

"It's freezing, I didn't want you to get too cold," I say.

This annoys him. "You do know that the cables don't only make you feel what's happening in the game, but they give you enough nutrients to keep your body going and withstand the real weather. But you wouldn't know since you've never used the bloody thing." He says with disgust as if the real world was terrible. Which I agree with but not enough to get into that stupid coffin.

"First of all, they don't give you enough nutrients to last forever, that's why it shuts down automatically when you run out. And second of all, what makes you think I would enjoy having cables slide around in my back!" I shout.

"Whatever! I'm going to Rob he says he has a new game I would like." Scott yells as he storms off to Rob's secret black market shop. 

"Great another game," I mumble to myself.