Auntie toasts the VRMMORPG

11.b In the Loser's Corner

Even though four metal folding chairs leaned at the wall, Flora was sitting on the cold metal floor. Rhythmically, she lay down and came up. She had switched from pull-ups to sit-ups.

The thought crossed her mind that she was risking a bladder infection, but she remembered the bladder wasn't part of the game. She discarded the next idea, getting an exercise mat to spare her bones and joints, as well. Super Mega Flora Fluss designed body parts needed no mats!

Aidan's console and two marbles lay by her feet.

Flora tried to push the latter away with telekinetics. Her magic didn't even reach the marble. Usually, the spell was as easy as picking up the object with her hands. Even more so, she operated it on instinct. Now, she had to analyze the process.

"I really hope I'm not like the centipede which after getting asked how it could coordinate 100 feet, failed to move ever again," She mumbled but discarded the thought. Vaguely, she remembered the process she had gone through years ago. It involved staring a lot. So, she stared again. At least, when she was in the sitting position of the exercise.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the barrier change color. Green replaced the orange, and the word "Open" replaced the timer.

"I should have asked you sooner, what that loser's corner thing is," Flora chirped, picking up her stuff. "You know, reacting like a normal person who gets suddenly imprisoned in a metal room with an orange barrier."

"May I ask why you didn't, Milady?"

"The text said I couldn't leave for five minutes. The barrier had a five minutes timer. So I conclude that I would be able to leave in five minutes. Now, we'll test if my assumption was correct." Flora strode through the green wall. "Success. I'm ready for further steps. Discovering where I am, getting back to the Doc, and learning how to avoid imprisonment in the future. Please elaborate if you have input on those topics."

"Indeed, Milady. I have access to the public network. We are in the 21 basement floor. Doctor Brownski is in the seventh, and not dying spares you visiting the loser's corner."

"Excellent!" Flora beamed. "Although the last point might be tough to accomplish."

Flora hurried back to the Doc.

After knocking, she heard him yell, "No, no!" A crashing sound followed. "Okay. Now, you can come in!"

As Flora opened the door, she wrinkled her forehead. The scene was eerily familiar. The doctor sprang up from the floor and shook her hand.

"I absolutely adore Earthlings!" He stared at her like she was a birthday cake, baked in his honors. "Let's resume the operation!"

Flora refused to look at his instruments again. Her stomach had poorly reacted the first time she laid eyes on them. She went straight to the operating stool and sat on it with her head leaning on the backrest to fixate it.

The Doctor tickled her nape, then her heads up display (HUD) turned black again.

You are defeated!

You may leave the loser's corner in 5 minutes.

When her vision returned, she found herself back in the metal room.

"So, where were we, Aidan?" Flora asked while fetching her marbles. "Dying isn't so bad in this world. Sure, losing your freedom for 5 minutes is annoying, especially during exciting experiments, but compared to rotting in hell or twiddling thumbs in front of heaven's gate, clearly the better option. And don't get me started on purgatory! All the heat would be better for toasting bread than people!"