Online In Another World

“It’s as I already thought: SAMSARA is the future of entertainment–no, that’s looking at it on the surface level. This is the future of mankind; a retreat for those done for this plane of reality,” Vincent spoke to himself.

As he stood back up, he brought the device with him into another room, which was already prepared with medical devices, such as tubes which would feed him nutrients and keep him hydrated during his time in stasis.

He laid on the comfortable bed, hooking up the sleek, all-black prototype before also hooking himself up to the necessary machinery to retain his health.

I’ve been waiting for this for three years now. I’m not the only person funneling money into SAMSARA, either. But, I am the largest stakeholder now—ICARUS and SAMSARA will be the future of this world. Perhaps ironic, considering…Heh, Vincent thought.

There was no need for assistance as Vincent had already become well acquainted with what precautions needed to be taken, already having his own training in the medical field.

He checked his heartbeat, finding it at a steady and healthy eighty before he hooked himself up to the machines around him, sliding the cords into the SAMSARA prototype as a neon hue of cyan light hummed from the grooves in its build.

“It’s time.”

Placing the headgear over his head, he laid back, closing his eyes as the visor sat over his face.

“On.”

The single command caused the device to boot up with beeps sounding out, causing the visor to light up.

[Welcome, user. [Vincent Icarus]. Your profile data has already been pre-registered by SAMSARA. Would you like to begin the initiation process?]

There was a moment of simply laying there as Vincent remained silent, though it wasn’t out of indecisiveness or last minute regret: he was taking in the new experience.

“Yes,” he answered with a confident smile.

The process of transferring his consciousness was faster and much more seamless than for normal versions of the device, causing him to shift from the darkness of his closed eyes to whatever awaited him in the great beyond.

[…Booting Up…]

What awaited the eccentric CEO was a space of total darkness, one in which he possessed a temporary, digital body.

In front of him was a small, feminine robot that greeted him, “User [Vincent Icarus], due to your special privileges granted to you by SAMSARA, you are able to come and go from each preset reality as you see fit. Would you like to see your options?’

For a moment, the white-haired man ignored the words of the robotic A.I., looking at his own arm, surprised by the sheer realism of the digital construction, though he knew it was only a temporary host for his consciousness.

I feel light, he thought.

“Show me,” Vincent finally responded.

As requested, the steel-made female greeter nodded before vanishing, being replaced along with the dark void of a scenery of the cosmos themselves, vast and endless in scope.

Filling what would be the emptiness of the grand scene of space were spaceships, coming in all shapes and sizes, roaming past the stars with gargantuan forms that swept past the gaze of the thrilled man.

It wasn’t just idle travel through the cosmos as he was teleported to different points in the endless space, witnessing the sight of colorful planets filled with sentient lifeforms, space colonies, but most importantly: conflict.

Agile ships soared through space, exchanging volleys of lasers that produced powerful impacts, colliding against energy barriers in thunderous battle.

Amazing, Haru. Look what you’ve created–well, that’s not exactly right is it? I know the limits of technology in our era. This is simply light years ahead of it. What this is…well, it’s a link to another world, isn’t it? Vincent thought, You never told me directly, but I gathered it myself. How frightening…just what kind of devil did you make a bargain with?

The robotic A.I. spoke to him again, “Would you like to preview the–”

“I’ll try this one out,” Vincent confidently decided.

As he interrupted the assistant intelligence, his decision was recognized as once more, everything went dark with his consciousness flickering into a transient state.

[After you wake up, you will find yourself reborn not from square one, but due to your inherent privileges, you will wake as the emperor of a grand fleet: The “Scarlet Caravan”. You will be bestowed with high-class usage of this reality’s unique power set: The “Glow”]

[Enjoy your stay, Vincent Icarus.]

Due to his unique circumstances as a VIP among the SAMSARA software, he retained his identity and was able to be given a start unlike any other–beginning leagues ahead of normal reincarnation.

“Let’s go,” Vincent grinned.

–

Like sparks flickering, his consciousness began to return from the first-time process of transferring his entire self into the likes of the intergalactic realm.

“–“

Vincent opened his eyes to realize as he sat on a commanding seat, cushioned and set like a mighty throne, forged of an onyx metal that matched the sleek interior of the room he found himself in.

It took him a moment to adjust, moving his fingertips as he glanced down, finding himself wearing an all-white uniform with a long, fur-lined coat of beige feathers that gave him a regal appearance. From what he could gather, he was in the same body he had always been in, though there was one, large difference:

As he moved his arms, he felt his arms coiling with strength beyond previous, feeling augmentations to his physiology that brought a smile to his face.

“I see. Is this the “Glow”? A physical amplification. Interesting,” Vincent muttered.

Standing up from his seat, he found himself in a dock of a ship with a large, clear window before him, seeing beyond the pane and into the majestic stars that awaited.

…It’s not just my consciousness being transferred is it, Haru? I can feel it deep down inside–my entire being is transported into this realm. I knew it was worth investing in this–experiencing it firsthand, it’s unveiling itself to me, Vincent thought, We’ve always had a rivalry in our creative endeavors and engineering developments. A battle of technological development that flung the world centuries into the future. But, I can confirm it now…you didn’t win on the front of technological capabilities–what you did is tap into a power unfathomable by any man made creation.

Though it resembled reality in almost every way, he could sense the smallest imperfections over time as he moved around, investigating both the space vessel and his own physical form. As he moved his arm rapidly, the feedback was delayed by the tiniest inth, something that wouldn’t be noticeable by any normal being, but Vincent was acutely aware of this.

I am still digital. I can feel it. Manipulating the intricacies of my mind won’t deceive me. This isn’t what I was looking for–but, I already knew this. If my guess is right, this reality and the world of cybernetics are merely a front–a “gift” or more likely a bonus given by the entity that helped you build all of this, Haru, Vincent thought.

Stepping closer to the deck to gaze beyond the pane, he already found his desire to explore the stars dwindled, having already experienced space for himself back in reality.

It’s “Arcadius”–the world of fantasy and magic, that is a true, alternate world. That is the conclusion I’ve come to. I wanted to check this option first to confirm it myself, but…it’s quite clear. I saw it that day when you briefly allowed me to see the development room: Arcadius couldn’t be monitored. Those “reports” are coming from something else, Vincent concluded.

Though the brilliant man’s mind fired off with these sharp thoughts, he stopped himself, chuckling as he realized a brief lapse in judgment.

“I need to be more cautious,” he spoke to himself.

In this space, SAMSARA can monitor me. Whether they can witness my specific thoughts, I don’t know–however, I shouldn’t risk it until I have my desired answers. I think my next stop will be Arcadius, he thought.

For the time being, however, Vincent chose to indulge in the grace of the reality of the vast cosmos, testing it out as he swiped his hand with a natural instinct, causing a digital pad to appear.

This was the culmination of his unique status as a SAMSARA entrant, possessing a tangible “U.I.” for himself, allowing him to log-out or adjust his own benefits within the current world.

Let’s see…He thought, “Ship controls”–ah, there we go.

Within the menu of the scarlet hud were detailed buttons that gave him completely control over the gargantuan space vessel he possessed.

There was a hologram hovering above the U.I. of a scaled down version of the ship he occupied, displaying its large, all-black build with a triangular shape to it that produced a menacing image.

Though, to make things simpler, there was an option to control the ship by voice command, which he pressed the large, black button on the hud to activate:

“To the nearest planet with life,” Vincent commanded.