Interlude- Brandon by Terry Schott Page B

delivering this goal.
    The General walked onto the stage, smiling and pumping his fists with excitement. These were his children, and his smile conveyed the pride he felt at being in their midst. He moved to the edge of the stage and touched hands with the children as they pushed forward in an attempt to make physical contact with their hero. After a few moments, he went back to the microphone and smiled as the cheering continued. Finally, he raised his hands and the cheering quickly subsided.
    “You are the best of my children,” he said. This statement caused another round of cheering, and it took several minutes before they calmed down enough so that he could continue. The General smiled and waved during the applause, letting them build into a frenzy of excitement and adoration.
    “I know, a parent isn’t supposed to have favourites,” the General said when they quieted down. “The cold hard truth is that when a Gamer turns eighteen, the world becomes a much better place for having the protection that you all bring to it.”
    Again the crowd of over 1500 gamers roared with pride and excitement. The General navigated the stage and worked the crowd until it quieted down.
    “I’m here to share some very exciting news with you all today,” he said. The crowd became silent; the few who continued to talk were hissed at by their neighbours. No one wanted to miss the General’s announcement.
    “I’m here to announce something truly exciting,” the General said. “The face of Gaming is about to change forever, and you will be the first to lead the way.”  
    The General waved his arm and the huge curtain on the wall opened to reveal a massive view screen. The lights dimmed and a program began to play. In the video, the General appeared and began to speak. Over the next fifteen minutes, the video told the crowd about virtual reality and how it worked. Then it cut to a scene of a young person putting on a headset and being immersed in a virtual reality simulation. The video was professionally produced; it was both informative and exciting. When the screen went blank and the lights came up, the room was completely silent.
    The General looked out over his audience and smiled inwardly. He could see the hunger in the children’s eyes. They had been introduced to the future of playing games, and they wanted to play. “Some of you will be playing in virtual reality before the year is over,” he said.
    The crowd cheered loudly. The General grinned.
    Standing in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by kids much larger than himself, Brandon stood quietly. No matter what it took, he knew that he would be one of those kids.
    Deep down, Brandon knew this was his destiny.

 
    Chapter 15
     
    “There must be a way to immerse an individual into VR without putting them onto a table and inducing a coma,” the General said.
    “Why?” Thorn asked.
    “It’s too… invasive,” the General said. “Why not just put a helmet on and sit still in a chair? I’ve seen prototypes like that.”
    “Failed prototypes,” Thorn said. “The reason is complicated, General, but valid. The subconscious mind is more complex and aware than we realize. If you are able to move around, even in the slightest capacity, the subconscious part of the brain detects it and prevents a successful virtual reality experience.”
    The General looked at Thorn, his jaw twitching slowly. “Have you ever experienced it?” he asked. “Have you gone into the VR simulation?”
    Thorn flashed the General a sly smile. “Maybe I’m in a simulation right now,” he said.
    The General laughed, and then stopped as he considered what Thorn was implying. His face became thoughtful; what if life itself was nothing more than a computer generated reality? As the implications of the thought sank in, the General scowled, causing Thorn to laugh.
    “I’m just fooling with you, General . Of course we aren’t in a simulation right now; that would be too incredible to