Chapter 3: Chapter 1 : Before The Dive (Pt.2/3)

Vincent slurps the insides of his a plastic cup which is coated in brownish white. "Fwahah! And this is why a warm milk coffee's the best! For me, it releases the fatigue on the body after staring sitting still and staring at screen at a prolonged time."

Gently, i shake my ice cup to mix the upper and bottom part inside it. "I still prefer a cold green tea mixed with mint herbs over that. I don't wanna spend my time tonight at the company being insomniac after what you've put up on my drink back then" I fiddle around with the straw inside my old greenish coated cup.

"Yeah yeah. You and your weak body after drinking a cup o' white coffee. You jelly?"

I lift up my left middle towards him. "Shut it, you big musclehead. Anyways, i wanna head back home early, i'll follow up later at the company 2 hours from now on if i'm not busy"

He sways off my hand that showed him the sign just now. "Buy a gift for your lil' bro before that! I recommend a good luck charm or memento and the likes!"

I stand up, carrying my bag and everything else from the company in check. "Yeah yeah whatever, later then"

*Bell rattles*

I walk out of the cafe, with the feeling of being out in the cold. ( *breathes out* A gift, huh? To consider what i'd best buy for my little brother, he really is a family man at heart. *sniffles* Ugh, getting cold these days)

Leaving Vinn behind at the cafe, i went back to the company's underground garage with the plan to take my motorbike to a gift shop at the nearest plaza before going home.

(Will another ant doll do? How about writing tools? Does he paint? Pretty sure drawing is also enticing to him. What about taking him out for a walk with Sara? Maybe have another swim nearby? What about just buying him an ice cream?... Man, just what would it best be?). Scratching my head, i haven't figured what present i may give.

*Buzz, Buzz* I notices my phone buzzing in my pants' left pocket, and looking at the screen turns out is the boss' number calling for me. (Great, another boulder on my shoulder ... Welp, it won't pick itself up)

I press on the call button. "Boss. What's the matter calling me this late tonig-"

"Alan! I need you in my office ALONE as soon as possible tonight, don't keep me waiting!" My ears were blasted, making me turn down the volume by a few ticks.

I see the timer for the phone call just stopped. "Wait! I ... *sigh* a~nd she called it off without a reply" I tap the red button to close my end of the call.

(Great, what's the matter with her just now? She sounds a little excited and more joyful than usual. Hope it doesn't involve me changing to another department).

I quickly go back towards the company, enter the elevator to the 4th floor and walk fast straight to the boss' room, knocking before opening the door. " *knock knock knock* Excuse my intrusion, Boss. It is Alan, you called for my presence?" I peek the room, looking at the woman standing at the far end of the room.

The woman is crossing her arms, while putting a thinking pose. "Ah! Come in, Arl! You're just in time"

Closing the door, i saw her magnificence as the brown dim light around the room shows the beauty of her sitting gallantly looking at the scenery of the town.

In a model look of black office-themed attire, blue heels and semi-transparent black stockings, fine-looking body line and her assets, and her medium-length hairstyle that covers her right eye, anyone would think that it's a no-brainer to propose to her at one point... Is what people would normally think, but unfortunately only to me she's a sometimes a pain to deal with.

Scratching my back, i haven't figured out why i am here in the first place. "Umm... What's the matter, boss?"

The woman struts off around her table and closes in towards me. "Arl! Do you want to be one of the testers?!"

I back off because of how uncomfortably close she is. "Yeah sure do, but not to the extend of debugging and the likes . . . i still haven't heard the matter yet, boss"

"It's nothing urgent really, we've just hired 2 more people talented in your stead so you can rest more easily"

(Hmm, at least a good news from her, once in a while. Now, how about i do the usual again? Hehe)

"... That it, then? Because of how excited you are from call earlier, i thought you needed me for another date so your parents can -"

She closes hear ears with both index fingers. "Nanana, i don't wanna hear it~, i'm still eager for this company afterall. Besides, i can have you for myself"

I faces backwards off her. "Of course you are, with you as a leech"

As intended, she walks to my front as to face me. "Wha-?! How dare you call this lady a leech!"

I reaches my hands out pointing towards the nightly lit city. "Well, if i were to date a girl around here, i'd prefer her to be more ... Charming than you are right now, Sa~ra"

She flails her arms around. "Oh, boohoo, what a surprise~, the man i'm dating with still wants other than me. . . Say, what do you find i'm lacking off?"

"Well, you're a little cold but still cherishes the team that time Alfred's department struggles with the 3D models.

Calculative, but it's not like you're always perfect on your job so that's why i sometimes prepared as to reduce your workload that came from the higher ups

And i know how you differentiate when in And out of the company, and i savor them both.

As far as i know, there'd be someone more better than you but, that's exactly why i don't want to search for someone other than you" My right hand reaches her left shoulder.

She touches it with her right hand. "Mmm... Can't help but be proud when you put it that way. But from the way you talk just then, it's like you were trying to-"

I put my right index infront of her mouth. "Shh~. I never said about wanting to break up, do i boss?"

"...I, guess you didn't... You damned tease..." She holds my right index for a few seconds before putting them away.

I shrug my shoulders off. "Is that so?"

Sara Arson, the moment i got eyes on her on the company i knew she's just the right type for me. She's in her early thirties, has a brown skin, a bit more on the tomboyish side, short haircut and lastly, the one i teases the most in this place.

She's our neighbor with her house facing directly to us. I know this one morning after having a light jog we saw each other in front of another.

We greeted each other and she tells me to come by her house sometimes if possible. I did so by then, where we two just go on playing an aircraft arcade game until it's almost midnight, i still remember how red my ears were after being grounded.

Weeks ago while working on the job, she called me out to go out with her to the park. Expecting it to be a meeting of sort, i reflexively saved my works and gone up to her office immediately, and the moment she sees me she tells me to help her with the luggage. After fitting them to her car, she tells me to sit with her on the car and to leave the bike behind. I was tense, cold sweat all over my hands, after arriving at the site i was ... uh, dumbfounded.

It's just a casual picnic with her talking about the company's work and tips for the workout on the morning and afternoons, how's family and all that. That is, until the very end

"*giggle*" I can't hold out my laughter when i recall a moment from the past.

She furrows her eyebrows. "What're you laughing at?"

"Oh, me? I just can't believe there comes the moment that the one i respect the most gets to be the one i had fun chatting with the most.

Like honestly, i still can't forget how you were dumbstruck back then"

She facepalms with how her face trying to hide the embarassment. "Ugh, who wouldn't? I've prepared all of that stuff just for you to be so accepting? I mean, i said 'Would you go out with me with marriage in mind' and you just reflexively said 'Sure' ? Off all things you can answer, it is 'Sure'?!

I thought the date'll end at least a little bit more sweet.

No wonder i am the way it is right now"

"Welp, who would dare to refuse such proposal from one of a kind gorgeous lady?

Anyway, is me being a tester the only matter?"

She goes back to her desk. "Actually, i will be accompanying you for it" She picks up her bag from behind the desk.

I prepare along while opening the door exiting the room, waiting for her behind me. "Heh...You sure are possesive, boss"

She light-punches my back. "I told you to call me Sara when we're alone, and i'm just being thoughtful is all"

"Alright then, so when will it be?"

She heads outside the room first before me. "Now" She stares me deeply, guilting me with pressure.

I closes the door and walk towards the way down. "... OK then. Need any help before going to the 2nd floor?"

She follows suit and walks alongside me. "Nah i'm fine, we're bringing nothing inside the company anyway"

"You so sure about that?"

Her face looks to the left, showing me her nape. "... Well, seeing as almost everyone is home, while we're going down, would you... um... " She scratches it with her right fingers.

I instantly know what is in her mind by experience. "Sure, just give me your hands"

"Huh?! I haven't said anything yet!" Her face flustered and a little red.

My thoughts said so exactly. "Your body does it for you anyways, so i win"

"Ugh..." She does as i said, with no one to see us inside this building along the way.

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(Score 3 out of 1 this week, i can only plan for some payback for that last one someday). We compete with each other and the one who wins the most gets to do the other 'biddings'.

From accompanying to a meeting with her parents, helping me with my jobs, and accounting on the best pitch for the game. (But yeah, it feels... nice. For now, that is.)

Minutes gone by, and we've arrived at the playtesting room at the 2nd floor and when i open the door to the room, us both are greeted with the quiet sounds of the machines as all the attendants in the room are immersed in the Dive-gear they're wearing on their head. (Oh. It's awkward, alright)

These Dive-gears are the pieces of equipment needed for our project.

If Virtual Reality headsets is a medium for the games that one will boot up within their own personal computers, Dive-gears is a little more heavy on the price and requirements it needs to be inatalled and work properly.

From the outside, it may look like we're just sleeping with VR headsets attached ontop of a bunkbed, and that is exactly what is needed before one is able to Dive in.

The 'bunkbed' is of course, the main component of these Dive-gears. Heavy processing workload specialized CPUs, 4x64 DDR5 RAM, Water-cooling technology with the maximum efficience able to put out more than 30 celcius, all this from a trusted and known manufacturing company that 'supports' the project and acts as our main sponsor.

Controllers and other hand-motion tools don't exist for Dive-gears as the project took solely within our conciousness assisted by the 'bunkbed', making those tools obselete.

1 pcs of these Dive-gears costs at least 375 $ U.S Dollars, complete with the 'bunkbed'.

We're not sure about the right pricing for the game but i estimate it'll be above 80 $ when it's In The Gold.

Sara faces me, nodding towards all the slumbering attendants. "Alrighty then, which one of us is "Diving In" first?"

I approach the closest Diver after closing the door. "That'a not a proper question you'd be asking the others, but...I'd say you first, being the boss and all"

"Oh my, if that is what... wait, are you looking for a chance t-"

I put my right index infront of her again. "No, i am not looking for a chance so i can oogle you. Sheesh, it's too late for you to be wary of your body being fondled with in this situation? Should've done that back in your room"

"I always wondered if you're a psyc-"

"You're way too obvious, that's all"

"Fine, fine, you win"

I follow after her, she picks the farthest and empty Dive-gears from the other testers in the room. 'Course she does, these afterall are her own sets, including another 3 closest to it. 4 sets in total.

They're engrained with marking specifically to tell which is the common's and VIPs'.

I just happened to be her appointed guy and so i have the privilege to be directly by the boss herself, so we both straps our Dive-gear simultaneously. (Countdown starts from 15 to 30 seconds and i need to calm my heart for my first time Diving)

I can only see black with few lights seeping in inside the Dive-gear i'm wearing.

[ Booting : 6 % ]

I feel my right hand being gripped tight. (... Damn, why now of all time ?)

[ Booting : 23 % ]

"Ey, i thought you've Dived right in first, Boss?"

"It's Sara"

"... Why're you holding my hand before the dive, Sara?"

"Can i not surprise you before it?"

"*sighs* But of course.

I'll welcome you if you asked for it, is all i'm saying"

"... I hope we get to meet again shortly after"

"No promises, though. So to make it easier, how about some catchphrases and words that'll make it easier for both of us to know each other ?"

"Hmm? I guess your usual one will do. Mine is-"

"You tease?"

". . . Is that ... ugh, so annoying! I bet you're grinning from the sound of it"

"Because you're filled with charms, i have the strength to do so"

[ Booting : 74 % ]

"Well, enough chitchat, i'm just 5 seconds away so let's try our best in there, yeah? "

"I will . . . Arl? Don't die and . . . I lo-"

Something within me just urges me to say the one thing if i were to be said one. "Me too" I tightened my grip on her hands before all my senses, even the sense of touch, came to a halt.

I can only see darkness, before lights starts to seep in at some point. (I get the last one but what's about the earlier one ? 'Don't Die'?) I have mixed feelings about this. And i also noticed how it feels like we'll be away for some time.

Why? 'cause time flows differently in the Dive.

While it's 3-4 weeks in the game, on the outside it's only about 1-2 hours.

That and my intuition telling me something is gonna happen on the outside not far from now on.

(. . . Should've bought a gift for my little brother first)

My conciousness is fading away when my vision disorientates, spiraling onto the center of a dot that enlarges revealing coloured tubes with spinning waves and all kinds of particles.

(Whoa, i'm being sucked in a wormhole of sort. Seeing it directly, i can see why many people still prefer these genres mix-ups even until now. I totally made the right decision on not experimenting with the HUD on that plane... hopefully. Oh, i see light. Can't wait to see what's over yonder)

. . . 

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