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Level Failed Short Story

In a post-apocalyptic world where reality is experienced through augmented reality, the protagonist, Chris, navigates his life as a virtual taxi driver. After a standard day of pickups, he encounters a mysterious passenger with a book titled 'The real reality,' leading to an unsettling experience as they are followed by another man. The story raises questions about the nature of reality and the dangers lurking outside the virtual environment.

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divyam
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7 views2 pages

Level Failed Short Story

In a post-apocalyptic world where reality is experienced through augmented reality, the protagonist, Chris, navigates his life as a virtual taxi driver. After a standard day of pickups, he encounters a mysterious passenger with a book titled 'The real reality,' leading to an unsettling experience as they are followed by another man. The story raises questions about the nature of reality and the dangers lurking outside the virtual environment.

Uploaded by

divyam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Level Failed

I woke up earlier than usual today, just as the clock had struck 1:30 PM. Some days, it
feels like there’s no point in even waking up anymore. Yanking the curtain aside, I see
the barren wasteland with little apartments, or I guess you could call them pods. I've
heard that before the war, back in 2054, you could actually go outside without getting
fried alive. But nowadays, the only way to go outside is virtually.

I got on the walkway that keeps me on the same spot no matter which way I walk.
Taking a last peek outside, I put on my augmented reality setup. As I put it on, I see the
dark, spotty land of nothingness turn into a bright and lively scene. Mile-high buildings
stretch into the sky, endless highways with hover cars zipping by. I look back inside my
house, which has transformed into a luxury mansion with everything a man could ever
dream of.

I walk to the kitchen to make some breakfast and sit down. My coworker told me that
before the war the only way they could eat was in real life but that seemed way too
bizarre. Speaking of coworker, I glance at my watch and realize I’m late. Grabbing my
keys, I head outside and get into my hover car, the Ultra 7. It’s not the latest model, but
it gets the job done. My job requires me to have a decent car as I am a taxi driver.

I drive to the digital hub, where practically everything happens and where all the drivers
meet. Once there, I step out of my car, hearing a familiar voice shout, “What’s up,
Chris?” It was Matt, a tall guy with a sharp, chiseled face. At first glance he might even
be mistaken for a model. Obliviously, he probably doesn't look like that in real life, his
name probably isn't even Matt. Take me for example, my name is Noah, but I’ve never
liked that, so when VR headsets showed up at our doors, I changed my name to Chris.
In reality, I’m around 5’8" and 200 pounds, but virtually, I’m 6' 2" and still 200 pounds.

I greeted Matt and we went inside. We checked in and I started driving, my first pickup
assignment was from a virtual house to a digital hub. Some people work in the hub with
high-level jobs; others not so much so my usual deliveries are from the suburbs to the
hub. My day was pretty standard and after finishing my usual pick ups and drop-offs, I
glanced at my screen, expecting another assignment, but I got something
unusual—from the library to the hub.
This stood out to me and I quickly accepted it and got on my way. Once I got there, I
didn’t see anyone until a short, sketchy looking guy opened my door and got into the
backseat. He had a big book titled “The real reality”. “What’s up, big man?” I asked.
“Shut up and drive,” he responded, annoyed.

I looked through the rearview mirror and saw he had another notebook. He seemed to
be drawing out the path we were taking. Now I am really interested. Once we got to the
destination, he asked me to wait there while he went inside.

After ten minutes of waiting, I started getting nervous. The guy hadn’t come back, and
the longer I sat there, the more uneasy I felt. Just as I was about to call it a day and
drive off, he reappeared, but this time he wasn’t alone. A tall man in a tattered black
coat followed closely behind him, clutching a metal case that seemed out of place in this
otherwise virtual world.

The short guy slid back into the car without a word and motioned for me to drive.
“Where to?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

“Just drive,” he muttered. The taller man climbed into a separate car parked nearby and
followed us, keeping a consistent distance. My curiosity was now mixed with a growing
sense of dread.

As we cruised through the virtual highways, I noticed that the short guy was frantically
scribbling in his notebook. Occasionally, he would glance up, his eyes darting nervously
between the road ahead and the car behind us. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Alright, man,
what’s going on? You’ve got me driving in circles, and I’m pretty sure that other guy is
tailing us.”

He finally looked up, his face pale. “Do you know what’s outside?” he asked, his voice
barely above a whisper.

“Outside?” I repeated, confused. “You mean, like, the real outside?”

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