Escape!

You decide to go for the escape game, as you always enjoyed those trapped room flash games when you were younger, and you're curious to see how they will appear in the virtual world. The large chair hums and vibrates slightly as it whirs to life there is a loud clack as the restraints previously mentioned tighten around your arms legs with a few securing around your upper body as well, they feel safe enough, and if your keep your from injuring yourself then you see no reason to complain. A large purple night sky fills your vision and with a small stinging at the base of your neck, you suddenly find yourself floating among the large purple expanse, punctuated by twinkling lights, which look like stars. You look down and see yourself as you were in the machine as you flex your arms and legs and find yourself able to move.

"Holy shit this is much better than I was expecting" You say out loud your voices travels across the empty expanse.

You float weightlessly in the air admiring the experience, before soon you see an expanse begins to spin and turn to a dark grey as floors and walls expand out around you. Walls sprout up from the floor which had appeared beneath your feet, the feeling of the cold wood on your bare feet makes you shiver slightly, as you find yourself in a dimly lit stone walled room, what you'd imagine an old style dungeon to be. You stalk across the room wishing you had some form of footwear on or more clothing as it seems the machine simulates the environment incredibly well. You see a a warm Amber flicker at the end of a corridor and decide to head towards it, in the hope of warmth.

As you head through an open doorway you see a large fire burning in a fireplace, two big arm chairs sit a few yards from them. You see an elderly looking man in robes sat in on of the chairs, as he scratches away at some parchment with a quill. You head towards him wondering if he'll be able to explain the game, as you were unsure if you were even playing or not. As you approach the man look up at you and nods solemnly, seemingly taking no notice of your lack of clothing.

"Welcome traveller, take a seat here by the fire." The old man says as he gestures towards the empty seat across from him. "So tell me traveller what is your name." The old man continues as you take a seat and find the warm chair very welcoming.

You think for a minute almost giving your real name, before you realise that this is the game asking her to input a name. "Mary" you reply deciding that the games good enough, after deciding you don't feel like being called by one of your various handles, as it might break the immersion a bit.

"Well Mary, you look like you're looking for an adventure, prehaps your are skilled enough to take on one of the many ingenious trap laden labaryths that lie within these unassuming walls." The old man chuckles to himself, as he scratches at his parchment.

"Sounds good to me, I take it I'll be provided everything I need?" You ask as you shuffle in your lacy underwear, silently thankful that the old man hasn't responded at all to your lack of clothing.

"You will be going in only armed with your wits, and whatever you can find on your journey, be wary though some of these trinkets may not be what they seem." The old man says with a wry smile on his wizened face.

"Alright I could use a bit of a mental workout, what have you got for me?" You reply with a smile as you begin to wonder just how fleshed out this program is.

"Ah keen, and confident, you'll be needing that sort of guile if you plan to take on the most devious labyrinth, said to be designed by a gilted lady of the great Mage who created this realm, she has been meticulously working and reworking her domain so she can take her on the Mage who trapped her within this realm." The old man says with a smile as he gestures up to a large portrait above the fire, which seems to resemble the labcoated man which appeared in the computer when you first entered the basement.

"Interesting, what else you got?" You ask as you warm stretch in chair, slowly limbering up as if preparing yourself for the trials ahead.

"Well we have many realms of varying difficulty, as for their look and feel the realm can accommodate to your whims, fancy a grand maze in a overgrown forest, or perhaps a large cave complex, perhaps you fancy a trip through the gilded halls of the machine gods fuelled by steam. Of course you could go for the biggest challenge and try and best the gilted lady, although I warn you now traveller that realm could have you risking more than just your pride, as the traps could cost your more dearly." The old man says solemnly, the tone of his overwise warm voice leaves a ill feeling with you, although a small part of you wonders if you could manage it, if you did it would put you on some equal footing to the person who made this VR machine, and as an aspiring inventor and creator yourself, albeit in the software as opposed to hardware, would fill you with some sense of pride.