Della's smile faded some as she laid back down, facing the ceiling. "What year is it, anyway? Back in the real world?"
Eli tucked in his tail and fumbled with his wings, trying to get comfortable. "2027. July. I just graduated, actually."
"2027? Seriously?" Della popped up once more to stare at Eli. She sat on the edge of her seat this time.
"What's it like? Are there flying cars now? Did we send anyone to Mars? Did World War III happen!?"
Eli chuckled at her reactions. "Woah, woah. There's no flying cars yet. Pretty sure we proved that a flying car is basically just an airplane, though; but Spacex is planning a Mars launch for later this year. And no, WWIII never happened."
Eli looked over at Della, who was now deep in thought. He paused for a second before continuing.
"Wait. You said you were eighteen... How long have you been in Peri-Helix's program? I thought it was brand new..." he asked, curiously.
"I thought it was new, too. When I said I was eighteen, I meant it. My story is the same as yours. Invited right out of high school with promises of career success in gaming technology. I was the global star of Peri-Helix's gaming tournaments, but I wanted to design games, not just play them. So I accepted, thinking that I'd move up the ranks if I started as a tester."
Della's eyes glazed over. She shrank in stature, no longer giving off a confident aura — this new aura was sore, tired, and sad.
"When was that? What happened?" Eli asked, softly.
"According to your date? Ten years ago." Della flopped over onto her bed once again. "I'm 28 now, apparently." She murmured.
Eli's mouth gaped in shock. Ten years? How is that possible? And how does she not remember any of it? Surely they had to let her out, somehow... at least occasionally... right?
"Ten... ten years..." Ei repeated.
"Looks that way, yeah."
"But then how are you still new in this game? Surely you'd have been seasoned by now" Eli asked. There was anxiety in his voice. Would he be here for ten years, too? He had so many questions, now more than ever.
"As far as I remember, I've been through at least fourteen games. The only recollection of time that I have is in those games, and for half of them, time doesn't change at all until chapter, cut scene, or objective is completed. I've tested first-person shooters, RPGs, puzzle games, 2D and 3D platformers... all from several different genres. The worst..." Della stopped and swallowed, like she was getting choked up. "The worst was a first-person horror game. I hate horror..." A small tear welled up in her eye.
Eli's heart ached. Della's supposed 'best years' of her life were taken from her. He jumped down and jogged over to Della, crawling up onto her bed to sit next to her. "I'm sorry, Della... that's awful." He reached out gently to pat her hand. "I hate horror, too." He smiled, attempting to keep Della's spirits up.
Della smiled weakly. "Hah... thanks. Anyone else that's been in and out never really asked about my personal life; they just thought it was all part of the gig."
This made Eli feel another pang of guilt. "I'm sorry, Della. I wish there was more I could do. But unfortunately it looks like I've met the same fate." He sighed, feeling helpless.
"Hey, you're here, and you've already proven you care about others. That's a pretty good start." Della smiled. After a moment, however, she paused in thought.
"What is it?" Eli asked, noticing her change.
"Maybe there's a way we can get out. It's a long shot, but it could be all we've got." Della said with a serious tone.
"If you think it's worth a try, I'm with you all the way." Eli assured her. He wanted to help her escape this prison, whatever it took. He felt a sense of purpose, for the first time in forever. He patted Della's hand once more.
"Thank you, so much." Della whispered, as a teardrop rolled down her cheek. She swiped it away with a giggle. "Look at me, crying like a baby."
Eli smiled. "You're no baby. You're the strongest person I know. And I just met you today" He chuckled in response.
"So, what is your plan?" Eli asked. He perched beside Della, who sat up and leaned against the wall.
"Well... I don't remember much about them, but the transitions between games can get fuzzy. Sometimes they feel like dreams. I thought they may have just been visions or something, but now I believe that those were me being unhooked from one game, transferred to waiting, and re-hooked to the next game."
"Oh, I see. That would make sense, considering they would probably have to leave us semi-conscious to function. Perhaps some kind of trance. So it could be, then, that once they pull you off, they have to deliver some anesthetic to ensure we wouldn't wake up too much" Eli pondered. Could this be their way out?
"If there's a way that we can will our way out of that trance, or while in transit, that might be our way out. But the only way they change games is if we complete it, or at least get far enough that they determine our progress is satisfactory. I also know that process takes a bit of time, and can be stringent on us, which means that could also be an escape opportunity."
Eli soaked in every word carefully. Though he hadn't experienced it yet, everything that Della was saying seemed to make sense. He felt invigorated.
"So, when do we start?"
"Considering that we just started this game? We get to work." Della said, smiling confidently.