Dawn was breaking, and the dew atop the giant mushroom under which I had spawned last night began to glisten in the morning sunlight. No sign of Nick yet, but that was no surprise. From what I've read, GenLink was the most expansive and immersive VR experience yet; a bold claim in 2070.
Ever since the invention of the suspension tank, the VR experience has become more advanced with each passing day. Within 50 years, flimsy smartphone helmets have become full body tanks filled with a viscous liquid that, using nanotechnology, can change scent, temperature, and texture with speed and precision. Once you strap on your breathing apparatus and lower yourself into the tank, you can be transported anywhere you choose. Be it a zombie pirate fight in the darkest depths of the ocean, or a luxury spa treatment courtesy of Sandals Marsβ’, if you have the program, you can be transported there.
But GenLink was in position to become the new standard. For the first time in history, there was a VR RPG set in a fully detailed world that took advantage of every specific capability of the suspension tanks.
What makes GenLink unique is that players are at the whims of other players and the world around them, not only visually and audibly, but now completely physically. Premiering with this game was an opportunity for players to create an entirely alternate life to their own, complete with all the pleasures and pain that come with reality.
There are problems, of course. Within the first week, GenLink drew international criticism when "in game" roving gangs murdered other players; the bodies of whom were found hanging lifelessly inside their suspension tanks. But along with outrage came dependence. The game was never regulated beyond its original rules and mechanics because voters and politicians alike weren't willing to trade their newfound lives for "in game" safety.
And so, here I am. 18 years old and finally of legal playing age.
I looked back up at the dew covered mushroom, then down at myself. I wore nothing but a simple brown tunic. It felt like extremely worn leather; breathable but strong. Underneath, however, I had the same tall but average body that I occupied in the real world. I looked around for some sort of icon with which to change my appearance, but I saw nothing more than the abnormally large vegetation and wilderness around me.
Are all the plants in GenLink this big, or am I just abnormally small? I wondered.
As if to answer my question as abruptly as possible, I heard a thundering voice call out, "I smell fresh meat! I hope you're ready for a life of servitude!"
And in that same moment, two enormous fingers grabbed the back of my tunic so tightly that I could hardly breathe. All at once I was lifted up past a pair of feet, each the size of a minivan. The air rushed through my ears as the gigantic player continued to lift me past legs as thick and resolute as young redwood trees. And finally, I reached the real monster. Everything about this player was gigantic, and his penis was no exception. It stood erect, roughly the size of a school bus, and its musk filled the air around me. His balls were heaving and covered in hair thicker than jumper cables.
"I hope you like that smell you little bitch," boomed the giant. "Because you're going to get