A helicopter blade slices through the air inches away from your face, filling your nostrils with the smell of burning metal. You don't have time to process this, however, as a ball of flame unfurls in your direction.

You leap onto a neighboring rooftop and tumble around a smoldering chunk of engine. Today was supposed to be your day off, but when you saw a news chopper careening out of control above the city, you couldn't just stand by like a common pedestrian.

As you pull clear of the wreckage, you see that the ejected pilot floats high above the rooftops from a parachute—one that is crawling with licks of flame. It won't be long before the parachute burns through and the pilot drops hundreds of stories to his death…

So, how are you going to save him?

You jump onto the ledge and use your finger to trigger the zip-cord. It shoots from the top of your wrist, with a magnetized tip set to latch on to the pilot's metal seat.

Your shot lands perfectly. Then, with great care, you begin to retract the zip-cord, pulling the pilot safely onto the roof beside you.

As your vision fades to black, you remove the virtual reality helmet and end your 3D gaming experience. You blink several times to adjust to the sunlight in the room, which pours in through sleek glass windows. Then you look across the conference table at a buttoned-up executive eyeing you.

"So, what do you think? They really ramped up the graphics, right?" she blurts out. "Oh, don't spoil the surprise—take the game home for your full report. You can collect your advance from the front desk on your way out. Thanks, as always, um…"

You are Virtuous Reality's best game tester, but this executive still doesn't know your name. You force a smile and remind her that you are named: