"Kathy?" Uncle Gibbard's voice crackled urgently over the comms. His tone, usually calm, was laced with unmistakable anger. Despite his imposing stature and the fearsome scar that stretched across his cheek, he had always been a distant figure to us. At over fifty-five, with grey hair streaked with white, he looked as formidable as he did ancient. His muscular build could easily intimidate anyone. We'd barely interacted with him before, but now, he was our only hope.
My voice quivered slightly as I responded, "Yes, Uncle Gibbard, I'm listening."
"We don't have much time," he snapped. "The video feed is cutting out. Lift up your necklace and show me the map before it's too late."
I fumbled with the black pendant around my neck, which housed a small embedded camera. I raised it, aligning it with the map projected above my head. Just as Uncle Gibbard captured the image, the feed cut off completely, leaving us in darkness.
To my surprise, Uncle Gibbard's commands came through in the specialized language Damian and the others had taught us. His authoritative voice was clear and precise, guiding me through the chaos. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on me, especially as Daisy's distant voice informed us that the video feed was completely down, leaving only the comms and in-body receivers operational.
"Daisy, what's our situation?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Only the comms are working," Daisy's voice crackled through the static. "The video feed is lost, and we're dealing with electromagnetic interference."
The realization struck me hard. With the video feed gone, our hope for rescue seemed to be fading. Uncle Gibbard's commands, however, were clear and precise, providing a glimmer of direction. Meanwhile, Karun was struggling on his own, following Aiden's advice when he could.
As the battle raged on, the building was overrun with enemies. We needed to escape. I spotted a window pane and, following Gibbard's advice, prepared to jump. But then I noticed a broken pipeline and decided to crawl down instead. I signaled Karun, who was still firing at the advancing enemies, to follow me.
Karun quickly followed, and we landed on the ground. We needed cover and a moment to regroup. Scanning the area, I saw what initially appeared to be a stadium but turned out to be a museum. It was dark and quiet—perfect for a brief respite. I reported to Uncle Gibbard, "Moving into a broken museum for a full refill." Gibbard acknowledged our move.
We raced into the museum, using the broken trucks, buses, and debris for cover. As we moved, I felt a sharp, searing pain in my ankle. It took me a moment to realize I had been grazed by a bullet. The pain was intense, threatening to make me collapse, but Karun was quick to react. He scooped me up and carried me into a dark, secluded corner of the museum.
Inside, Karun set me down gently and examined my injury. Blood was seeping from the wound. Karun's face was etched with worry as he reported back, "Kathy's injured. I need to treat her."
Despite the agony, I fought to stay silent, biting my lip to avoid making noise that might attract attention. Karun's distress was palpable. "I'm sorry, Kathy," he said, his voice breaking. "I promised I'd protect you."
I managed a pained smile, trying to comfort him despite my own suffering. "It's okay. I was reckless. It's just a scratch," I said, though the pain was excruciating. I tried to lift his spirits in the midst of the crisis, finding a small measure of hope in our shared determination.
The neutralization suit wasn't functioning as expected, and Karun quickly searched for the bullet but found nothing. He frowned in confusion, examining the wound. "Strange, I couldn't find any bullet remnants."
Daisy's voice crackled through the comms, "You're in a 3D game, remember? There won't be any real-world bullets or remnants. The suit should protect you from real damage, but the injury might just be a simulation effect. You're essentially just a game character now."
The statement hit us like a ton of bricks. Karun's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at me, then back at the empty wound. "What? How is that possible?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Aiden, on the other side, also seemed taken aback. "What do you mean, Daisy? This doesn't make any sense."
Daisy's voice was calm but firm. "The game is designed to simulate injuries with actual physical harm. The pain and symptoms are real to your in-game character. This is part of the game's immersive experience."
Karun's face was a mask of frustration and fear. He clenched his fists, trying to process the new reality. "So, what does this mean for us? Are we just... figments in this game?"
"It means you need to focus on surviving the game's challenges," Daisy replied. "The game's programming might be manipulating your perceptions. The sooner you adapt to this reality, the better your chances of making it out."
The revelation left us all in stunned silence. For Karun and me, it added another layer of anxiety to an already tense situation.