You are a young salvager living in a dystopian world. Reality is bleak and life is a struggled. As you trudge home after a long day, you can't help but feel weary and disillusioned.
Finally, you've made it home.
[[Go inside]]Your apartment is slowly dilapidating. It has been this way for quite a long time. You immediately head to your virtual reality pod. It's your only escape from the grim reality outside.
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOpdGUNlUwUvjYQ6bcjXmRpwlxnib9OxAkEihQaeKJgld936uYnYyEpVYUiYjw4lxkrtCeFl_geux8uw7XBjRL6byYKS_c1iCtXAhjb1-ZuW0pFBoQ-GciJfVH-LW2Hyu1-xNlMTt-M-NbAshOO3rP1JA=w2047-h1365-s-no-gm?authuser=0"width="300">
As you pull your headset over your eyes, the monotomy of your surroundings fades away, replaced by vibrant colors and bustling streets. The sensation of a gentle breeze touches your skin. Where do you want to go from here?
[[Cafe]]
[[Garden]]*Ring*
The door swings open as you enter the cafe. The air is alive with the rich fragrance of freshly ground coffee beans, mingling with the sweet notes of pastries baking in the oven. Soft jazz music floats through the space. The barista greets you as you approach the counter. What would you like to order?
[[Iced Coffee]]
[[Matcha latte]]As you pass through the gates of the botanical garden, you're immediately greeted by a kaleidoscope of colors. Vibrant flowers sway gently in the breeze, their petals unfurling like delicate works of art. Towering trees create a canopy overhead. You hear the hum of bees and the chirping of birds.
Your soul is soothed.
In this garden, time seems to stand still, allowing you to lose yourself in the beauty of the natural world and find peace amidst the chaos of life.
You think about your reality.
Where did all of these go?
[[Ponder]]<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOEyH83DeEQoEnPRE6ZGz70uEHRPvP0XIRtoI-sN6LPEAQtsOdAhFK1I6sfhh0xkJF-mciLm_71xYPvKSxl4ueEhUuJmw46CBQyf0gZSOADjoawtBostBpblWRGtKtOKGq_zffgXI_du8DWMNwFFXaK5g=w1200-h801-s-no-gm?authuser=0"width="256">
The iced coffee looks real in your hands. The sensors on your VR headset allow you to smell the rich aroma wafting from the brew. You decide to take a seat by the window.
[[Continue]]<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczNmElGfLvc5yUW7Wzefjnq5uCOGlDj-dtSvNRHZOFNLRV-tGzA1_pVQf3oLhplU8q4ZJ96uk9Z4gmozRbZffiU1J3EHOveB2YkzHxjhi2aP_vtswt8Ikqb1Qx8mMxdBCUg1jRZjvrANNeooorNRhb3MbA=w1098-h1648-s-no-gm?authuser=0"width="256">
The earthy aroma of the matcha swirls around the cup. You feel comfort as you sip. The VR sensors welcome this enriching experience. You decide to take a seat by the window.
[[Continue]]You suddenly see a faint flicker.
Weird.
Maybe the VR system is reaching the end of its life.
[[But..]]The reality you came from is brown, gray and dull. You've lived this way your entire life.
Nature seemed to have vanished into thin air.
An environmental disaster must have occured. It could have been deforestation, widespread pollution, climate change, reckless exploitation of natural resources, or all of these factors combined.
[[Continue]]Static slowly filled your field of view.
Your environment disappears.
You try to access your VR interface but the glitch wormed its way into your neural connections.
[[What's happening?]]
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczNOULwEYTd2tpvNcrIQ_Nam7jpRHIi3wFRbz4uGR_d3A5-ieUPwOTgCVDygTBGTXVL4nvJH10jscpegzKiA0-c-so9xqaCesRjPX3vBa3khmJ72fxu9Iq_VOjB4rTePrn9oSO0q2x7sqRnKq7NxynPCAg=w2992-h1314-s-no-gm?authuser=0"width="700"height="500">
You are in an endless grid field. Faint whispers hover around your still body.
[[Wait]]
[[Attempt to move]]The whispers begin to intensify. Time stretches into an eternity, each moment heavy with anticipation. A sense of unease settles in your chest, like a weight pressing down on your soul.
But then [[you see a portal slowly opening up.]]You feel like you're trapped in between walls. Your muscles feel sluggish. With great effort, you manage to lift a foot, the ground yielding reluctantly beneath your weight. You struggle to take more steps for quite a while until [[you see a portal slowly opening up.]] You pull your body through the portal.
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOtzEOZujW7S5EwzrEUW0p43AHdJ_vws0AfK67zBzzNdxpcKWYL2IBSW1CagdSxX48x41FyMno58ykwFqFvQon1MC2ISVC9JRv8HxFQiCDL-JWR3CZPeR6HFRydD2T8KOU7N0Uiq__u1kXU9XwYXRA5uA=w1920-h1280-s-no-gm?authuser=0"width="256" height="300">
The darkness dissipates into a lush garden. A gentle breeze rustles through the leaves.
As you explore the garden, you feel a weight lifted from your shoulders, the worries and fears of the grid field fading into distant memory.
But you shouldn't feel relief. You need to figure out where the glitch came from.
You wander around the garden, hoping to find an answer.
END
Go back to [[The Beginning]]You stand for about 10 minutes.
The portal begins to pull away into the abyss.
You turn around and begin to wander aimlessly through the endless expanse.
Time loses all meaning as you drift further into the depths of the grid field.
You're trapped in an eternal limbo. The faint whispers now taunt you relentlessly, their mocking laughter echoing in your ears.
Days blur into nights, and sanity becomes but a fleeting memory.
In the end, you find yourself consumed by the very darkness you sought to avoid.
END
To back to [[The Beginning]]<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOR_-6FA8jmQHT5KbecSxPhQewGEwodeczGAktdC1NlptOBBYFqzYyXuEdPLMENdoTR8emjkXZepH4034_WyijkpKXh0anpz_RTd-GCpcBuMDQCsL5q1iUdxvMLpxbpU1CILEqMNCH20p63SiO_qtzFmg=w3024-h1330-s-no-gm?authuser=0"width="700"height ="500">
It seems like it's calling to you.
[[Go inside the portal]]
[[Don't go inside the portal]]