We're all in this virtual space together.
Benetnasch

The whispering subsides and leaves you with an uneasy feeling. Youcan’t quite place the fear but it itches in the back of your mind, unending.You wonder if your surroundings have changed any. If not, you assume your life will be a shortone. You walk over to a wall and touch it lightly with your fingertips, feelingthe ebb and flow of coding creating the virtual space in which you are trapped. It feels . . . smooth and a bit cold.You shiver. Stepping away from the wall, you turn around to notice a doorwayhas opened itself on the other side of the space. Handy.

You walk through, seeing another virtual space identical to theone you previously left and discover a man armed with a shield.

What do you do?

A man with a two tonedebony and blonde undercut and green epaulette-covered broad shoulders stoodguard outside the main entrance to the inner sanctum of the Empress, tappinghis boot-clad heel on the wall behind him impatiently. This man’s name wasZeke, and he was a long time friend of the red haired boy. Unfortunately. Zekewas only a low ranking guard much to his chagrin, with a job description thatconsisted of merely standing outside and patrolling the area immediately beforethe hallways Myos had found himself in yesterday. While he was only a lowranking guard in this division, he had proven himself and worked through theranks to become a high enough official of the Empress to be guarding hersanctum instead of patrolling the streets. Not a very good guard, Myos thought, if hejust happened to wonder into a restricted area. But that was beside the point.

“Hey, surprise, youshowed up for once,” Myos teased, semi sneering at the other when he walked up,hands shoved deep in his pockets.

“Quiet, Myos, you neverhad any sense of responsibility yourself,” the taller of the two scoffed, nosein the air as he absentmindedly fingered the pin on his lapel. A pink heartwith darker ribbon extending from the bottom, while a stylized black wing burstout from the left side - the symbol of the Alioth Empire. Named after thebrightest star in the constellation Ursa Major, it represented the fact thatthe remains of humanity were the brightest that escaped from Earth. It was alsoa major navigational star for ships in the days of old, used to trek throughthe once brilliant seas they now use to trek through the brilliance of space.

“Well, Zeke, not all ofus could leave our best friends and join the Empress’s toys,” Myos shrugged ina half hearted retort, not looking at the other and instead adjusting theheadset that rested flush against his forehead. Though the two had been friendssince before grade school, they had never gotten along the way you would thinkfriends should. They had almost nothing in common, and constantly bickered witheach other over small things. The tension and animosity between them had grownin recent years ever since the other man had left to take up the mantle of aguard. The decision to do so had seem to come out of nowhere to Myos, with theother never seeming to have much interest in government prospects before. Zekedecided he was going to ‘make something of his life’ instead of being jobless.It would always be a sore spot with Myos that the man whom he thought would behis continuous partner in their regular gaming campaigns left him andcompletely changed his personality - while Myos worked up the high scoresboard, Zeke worked his way up in the Empress’s ranks.“I came here for animportant reason if you want to let me actually explain now,” the angular boycontinued on, catching sight of the ring on the ravenette’s thumb that matchedhis own.

Zeke narrowed his forestgreen eyes at the other, mandatorily bold bottom lashes crinkling as he did so.The Empress had strange uniform sense when it came to her guards, and it wasassumed the little touches of similarity in the ranks were aspects of her ownappearance – though no one was for sure. Zeke never seemed to complain, thoughMyos was sure he hated it. The man, polar opposite of his childhood friend,said nothing and simply waited for Myos to continue.

Exasperated - as usual -with the other, Myos launched into his explanation of every detail he heardfrom standing outside the Empress’s lair. He conveniently left out how he gotinto that situation, though, and just focused on what the voices in the roomhad said. Zeke’s eyes widened in shock as he learned of the plan that was beingmade behind his back, pride at being a high official for the Empress hurt toknow he wasn’t privy to such vital information. His scowl formed into a hardline on his face and his brow furrowed, deep in thought and beginning to ignorethe man before him even though he was still animatedly talking - somethingabout being ‘Myos of the Rebellion’ and staging some sort of uprising.

“I mean, you’ve gottajoin since all the high generals are the first ones getting technologicallylobotomized!” Myos practically shouted, waving his arms about energetically,the small black star charm on his wrist bouncing around.

“Wait, what did you justsay?” Zeke asked; focus instantly on his friend again. He had to learn to stopdrifting off in his own thoughts.

“Dude, of course all herpersonal men would be first,” Myos rolled his eyes as if it should’ve beenobvious.

Zeke’s demeanor changedin an instant - first dismissing the absent minded man in front of him thoughhe had been around him long enough to know his outlandish stories were almostalways true - his face growing darker as he twisted the pink fur lined cuffsaround his wrists, more symbols of the Empire he served. “They can’t do that tome.”

“Well, uh, unless westop them they are. Everybody else too.” Myos’s vibrant eyes grew feverishagain as he got lost in his own ideology. The redhead could get sucked up inhis own fantasy world like no other. “Everybody will be robots, just toilingaway in their own monotony for the rest of forever, never knowing when one daybegins or ends or anything and it’ll all just I don’t know be like some crappyvirtual reality space or something. We won’t even be people, just programs,” hepaused, regaining his casual smile and swiping the military style hat that satdaintily atop the other’s head. He placed it on his own head, not at neatly asit sat upon his friend’s. Zeke had to stifle a smirk at the smaller man infront of him, when Myos gave a strange salute. “So are you in or what?”