The group wound through multiple hallways before finally coming into an enormous space. Tiers of flooring rose from the sides, giving the appearance of movie theater seating. Ten pods rested on each of the flat platforms. The line of people filtered up the steps and groups split to each tier to stand beside their respective pods. Atlas reached his floor, and they directed him down the line. When he finally stood by the pod, he marveled at the design.
The egg-shaped contraption had a glass top, and the padded inside looked like a fluffy cloud. A helmet rested in the space with a large tube extending from it and into the back of the pod. The device itself rested on a small, circular platform that kept it from sitting directly on the ground.
As Atlas approached, the glass front swung open. A female technician stood near the pod with a clipboard and a smile. She gestured for him to enter and he slipped into the confines. The seat was comfortable, and the fabric breathed well. His original fear was the bulky material would make him sweat horribly.
“What’s your name, sir?” the attendant asked.
“Atlas, Atlas Remere.”
“Good to meet you, Atlas. I’ll be the one starting the interface for you. It’s a quick procedure. I need you to sign these release forms first,” she said as she handed him the clipboard. Atlas glanced at the first page and saw what looked like a standard Terms of Service agreement. Common on every game and piece of software he’d ever seen and scrolled through and accepted faster than the computer itself could usually acknowledge. The second page worried him for a moment. The title on it showed Medical Release.
“What’s the medical release for?” he asked.
“When you go into suspension, we will insert intravenous lines into your body to keep it hydrated and healthy. This release merely asserts we won’t administer any medicines or chemicals of any kind unless in an extreme emergency and directed to do so by a board certified doctor.”
Atlas reflected on that. Kinda scary. I guess they have to keep our bodies going somehow.
“How long can we stay in at a time?” Atlas asked.
“We allow a maximum immersion of two days. After that you’re not allowed to re-enter for at least twelve hours.”
“Holy crap! I can stay in the game for two days before I have to leave?”
“Sure can,” she said with a smile. “Questions?”
“Uh, how do I go to the bathroom while stuck in there?” He asked as he nodded toward the pod.
She giggled at the question before responding, “We equipped the pods with nanotechnology that allows them to slow down the metabolic rate of your body. It almost freezes time for your physical body as you stay in the game. Because of this, you won’t have to take care of those specific functions. I will tell you a trip to the bathroom will definitely be one of the first things you do as soon as you log out.”
Atlas thought about the situation and just shrugged. They are obviously smarter than me, so I guess I should just enjoy the game.
“Then I can’t think of anything else,” he told her.
She walked up and placed the helmet over his head. The inside appeared to be lined with something resembling microfiber, and it felt like millions of tiny hairs as the device slipped on. The woman moved and adjusted it until it fit just the way she wanted and stepped back.
“As soon as the interface finishes, I’ll insert the intravenous lines and then close your pod. When you log out, someone will be here to help you out of the pod. Enjoy your time in Divine Genesis,” she told him with one last wave as she walked to the side of the pod and pressed a series of buttons on a small control panel.
Lights flared to life around the pod and Atlas squinted his eyes at their brightness. A low humming noise filled his mind before his vision went black.
Chapter 2
Divine Genesis
Atlas watched a kaleidoscope of colors swirl in his vision before the space turned a solid gray and a screen popped up in front of him. He looked at the screen carefully as it floated in the space.
Welcome to Divine Genesis. Please proceed to the portal on your left to choose a class.
As soon as he finished reading the text, a portal of blue energy with streaks of silver lightning appeared to his left. With a shrug, Atlas stepped through. He entered a room that looked like a walk-in closet. Arrayed in front of him were a large assortment of people, but all stood with an eerie stillness. All twenty of the races were visible in this room, and there was a male and female variant of each.
Their forms lined the area from shortest to tallest. A glance at the short side of the line showed him some familiar sights. Two sets of dwarves and what looked like some kind of vulpine character sat near the end with their short stature. Out of curiosity, he walked to the first set of dwarves and a box appeared.
Mountain Dwarves
Racial Abilities:
• 5% increased chance to find items when mining.
• Endurance - Stamina drains 15% slower when doing strenuous activities.
Description: Mountain Dwarves live underground in mountain ranges and are known throughout the world for their skill in harvesting ore and gemstones. Their smithing skills are typically better than almost any other race in terms of craftsmanship.
Neat! So each race has specific bonuses to them. Atlas looked at the next set of dwarves and saw it listed them as Hill Dwarves. While being a dwarf would be cool,
