Episode Four: Virtual Reality

    For a few seconds Troy Lombardi felt nothing.  Mr. Senoma's contraption intercepted all the communications to his brain and left it bare of all input.  In this strange void, the clarity of his thoughts heightened, no longer distracted by a constant stream of information.  This strange, momentary sensation ended as a wash of artificial information, coming from Mr. Kilgore's program, flooded his brain.
    Troy Lombardi stood in the center of a large circular stone platform, made from a single thirty foot slab of red and white marble.  The word “Origin” was carved in letters larger than a man in the center of the stone, right in front of where Troy stood.  Four arrows were also carved pointing to each of the cardinal directions.  A large N labeled the arrow directly in front of him.
    A beginnings of a river flowed peacefully on his left, coming from a large clear lake.  The smell of evergreen trees, from a thick forest just across the river, filled his nostrils carried by a light wind.  Patchy clouds floated on a vast blue sky warding of excessive heat.  To his right stood a large grass covered hill.
    Troy took a deep breath of the fresh air, then looked down at himself.  He looked and felt great.  The computer had edited out a few pounds and returned his youthful energy.  It had also dressed him in simple jeans and a white t-shirt. 
    He dropping one knee to the ground and felt the smooth polished marble with his hands.  Then, on impulse, he ran and jumped off the edge of the stone.  His body moved in perfect form without strain.  The dirt and gravel ground under his weight and cushioned his landing.  He felt the grime of dirt with his hands.  The prime condition of his health was the only evidence that the entire scenery around him was fake. 
    A sudden electronic ring burst from the cell phone on his belt.  Startled he stood and wiped the dirt off of his hands.  After a few more rings he answered it.  
    “Hello,” he said.
    “Congratulations!” came Mr. Kilgore's voice over the phone, “You are the first man to experience full virtual reality.”
    “This is absolutely incredible,” said Mr. Lombardi.  “I feel as though you dropped me in Yellowstone.  This is wonderful.  You should see this place.  I don't hardly believe my eyes.”
    “We can see it sir,” said Mr. Senoma, “Well, at least a computer screens worth.  I'm sure the full panorama is much more dramatic.”
    Looking back Troy saw a small camera mounted on a poll next to the origin.  It slowly turned around surveying the valley then stopped and focused on him.
    “You two come in as soon as your ready.  I'm going to go skip some rocks on the lake.”   Without saying goodbye he hung up the phone and picked up a particularly flat rock he had noticed earlier.
    When Dean and William arrived a few minutes later they found Mr. Lombardi knee deep in the lake with his pants rolled up and his shoes left behind on the shore. 
    “Well, Mr. Kilgore, how does it feel to be inside a universe you created?” said Mr. Lombardi as he sloshed his way back to shore.”
    “I've seen so many maps and computer generated pictures of this place as I worked on building it that I feel right at home.  The lake looks bigger than I thought it would now that I am standing next to it. But still, this all is so real. I have a hard time believing I designed it.”
    “I thought you said the landscape was random,” said Mr. Lombardi.
    “Once you get out of this valley it is.  I wanted to establish a good base to explore from.  There is a lodge with all the supplies you could possibly want on the other side of that hill.  If you follow the river you will arrive at a shore line where a boat is waiting, just in case seafaring is in your plans.  On the canyon wall on the other side of the lake is a huge waterfall with a staircase cut next to it in the cliff.  That I added just for fun.  Once you reach the top of the staircase, or the ridge-line of any of the mountains you see, or sail out to sea, you will venture into the frontier where no one knows what you will find.”
    “Ouch!” Troy jerked his foot out of the water.  A small trickle of blood mix with water dripping off his foot.  He stumbled onto dry ground and examined the small cut.  Turning to Mr. Senoma he said, “Maybe, you should have left out the pain sensation.”
    “Pain is a part of reality.  If I took out all the pain it would be just another computer game, not a virtual reality,” Dean said.
    “You're right I suppose.  Without pain, there would be no fear, without fear there would be no need for courage.  There would be no adventure.”
    “I did put a limit on the pain though.  No matter what happens to you, a broken arm is about the worst thing you'll feel.  Not fun, but it won't kill you.”
    “And any injury will be fixed by the computer after three hours, so you can continue exploring,” added William.
    Mr. Lombardi sat on the ground and began putting his shoes and socks back on.  “Well we have a few hours before we have to be back in the real world.  Let's go to the waterfall Mr. Kilgore mentioned earlier.  I'd like to climb those stairs and see what the computer will generate for us.”
     “The best way to do that would be to cross the lake on canoes.  There are a bunch over at the lodge,” said Mr. Kilgore.
    “Well,” said Troy, “lets go.  You said the lodge is behind this hill?”  Not waiting for an answer he began to climb it. 
    Dean put his hand on William's shoulder stopping him from following Mr. Lombardi.  William looked at him expectantly, but he didn't speak until Mr. Lombardi was out of sight over the hill.
    “Just curious,” said Mr. Senoma, “How do we get out, back to the real world?” 
    “Eventually you will be able to use the phone to exit,” said Mr. Kilgore, “but I ran into some strange errors that I need to work out before I incorporate it into the main program, so that is currently disabled.  Right now you just have to call Elizabeth and ask her to get you out.”
    “Is there any other way out?” Mr. Senoma's question was deliberate, seeking a specific answer.
    “No, not really,” William answered, “Why?” A strange dark feeling ran through his body.
    A smile formed on Dean's face. “Good,” he said.  Then opening his phone he said to Miss Stratford, “The plan will work, get me out of here.”
    Dean Senoma vanished.  The white t-shirt and jeans he had been wearing crumpled to the ground.