"Bye"
"Have a nice day" I responded
It's been long while since I started working here, it's not the best but honestly, there is no reason to find something better out there.
Leaving the building I start walking my way home, the city is shining with neon lights, roaring with cars and singing ads, the commercial district is full of people working or walking their way to work, just a normal day in the bunker city.
As I navigate my way through crowds of people I reach the station... wait a minute, is that... an android, they finally started replacing us with machines, I knew it would happen eventually, but seeing with my own eyes still leaves a heavy feeling in my throat.
"Good evening"
"ID or credit card?"
My credit score been bad since I was involved in a crime scene a few months back, my life only got harder because of that incident report, and I was the victim.
I give my ID and the machine open the way, as I navigate though the station, I found a old friend of mine.
"Hey Derek!" I wave
"Oh, good evening Henry" he wave back
"Did you see the new guards?"
"Yes, maybe we should mess with them, just to see if they react?"
"You know what happened to my credit score for just being involved in a incident right?"
Derek freezes for a moment, then he start looking around, probably looking for cameras.
"No need for that reaction, I say it's probably more suspicios when you start looking like that"
"I'm not trying to get the attention of secret police, so we should go ahead"
We wait a bit as the metro reach the station, the journey is cramped and long, but since my bike was stolen thats the only transportation I can afford.
As scenes change and the neon glow of the metropole start to fade, the polished glass of the center gives way to cracked concrete and flickering streetlights. The air grows thicker, smelling of rust and dampness. I don't need a map to know we're reaching the suburbs.
It look more ugly, but I'm more comfortable here.
"Henry, do you remember the game house we used to play together?" Derek ask
"Yes, I heard it was closed" I responde
"But they are creating a new game house there, I talked with the boss and he invited me to test the new games there, would you like trying something, maybe for the nostalgia?"
Well, it's not like I have anything better to do, so we leave the station in the suburbs, it's not the safest place but we a least can walk in the streets without worrying.
"Wait, it's that the game house?"
I remember the place, it's in ruins I don't know how the safety regulations let that structure still exist.
"Yes, the old game house, nobody has the energy or money to keep the place, so it was abandoned" Derek respond
"If so, where is the new game house?"
My friend smirk at me and start walking around the building using a path hidden from view, now I'm a bit scared but I think my friend wouldn't harm me, so I keep follow him until we reach a back alley and he knock on the door.
"Who is that" a voice barked from behind the door.
"It's Derek, I have a friend with me"
The door open and the guard a huge man with moustache look at us
"And who are you, is he trustworthy?"
"His a old friend of mine, we can trust him"
MY GOD DEREK, WHERE ARE YOU BRINGING ME IN TO
"Y-y-yes sir, I just came to play some games"
The huge man glares at me, I'm so scared my knees feel weak, and a cold sweat prickles the back of my neck, maybe I will faint at any moment.
"Your friend is looking bad"
"No problem, come over Henry "
I'm draged by Derek inside the building, I was starting to think maybe it was a mistake coming here, they could do many things to me, I heard many stories of people missing and showing years later in complete despair.
"Henry?"
How long it would take to someone notice I was missing? My mom it's the only person that really cares, but I only visit her once a month, job? The supervisor will probably consider another resignation.
"HENRY "
I awake looking around, I'm sitting in the sofa with Derek on my side, a old table in the center with a old man looking at me in another sofa
"I ask again, do you remember on what we have agreed?" The old man ask
"We will keep a secret, and pay for the experience" Derek respond
"Do you think your friend can keep this a secret?"
"I believe him, we are friends for life"
You have to be kidding me, Derek is my only friend, but if this friendship end up almost killing me it's probably better leave it.
"I'm can keep a secret, but how much does it cost?"
"I pay for you, can we play together?"
The old man node and call the guard, I'm still scared of the situation but it's ok, the place still looks old, but it's way better than outside, it's clean and well managed, the guard guide us to a room with huge machines and many cables.
"Ohh, what is this place?" I ask
"This my friend is virtual reality" my friend Respond
Wait, so it's true, I heard of science achievements in brain virtualization, there was a bunch of outrage when the news came, but honestly I don't really care, if I can
keep living without worrying about how they will exploit me again, I be happy.
"What kinds of games do we have here?"
"It's only one, this place is kinda of experiment, a prototype"
And they still want us to pay for it
"There is any risk to it?"
"Not that I know about, but we have a limit of one hour, for playthrough"
The guard/guide open the door for one of the machines, my friend respond as he enter
"If we stay for to long, we might lose or sense of reality"
The door close, and then he guides me to another machine, a comfy chair with a strange headphones, as I sit the guide just say to stay quiet, the game was about to start.