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[WP = Video Games aren't just games. They are simulations of alternate dimensions and the best players are chosen to invade these strange worlds in order to expand the multi-dimensional human Empire.]

The car door slammed as I turned towards my home, a bag of cheap beer in one hand, a bag of even cheaper burgers between my teeth and my other hand deep in my pocket, fumbling for me keys. I stumbled up the steps to the apartment complex and caught a look of myself in the glass window of the door. Unkempt hair, baggy eyes and a dirty beard poking out around the edges of the burger bag. I stopped for a moment, to think about what a let down my life has been but as usual the sultry allure of my Universe called to me. Dispelling any negative thoughts I bustled through the door and up the stairs, that was good, my fitness quota for the day completed right then and there.

Pushing the unlocked door to my home open, I never locked it, nothing of worth to steal besides my computer and even then, you'd be able to find a better one at a corner shop for 15 bucks. Still, it was enough for my Universe and if its enough for my Universe, its enough for me. Jingles appeared at my feet as I placed the bags on the grimey counter, damned cat is always on time for a meal. His loud mewling prompted me to open the cupboard and a realization hit me, I hadn't washed up and only one plate was left. I quickly weighed up my decisions and placed two burgers on the plate, then put the plate on the floor.

Easier to clean up that way and I dont need a plate anyway.

I crack open one of the warm beers after placing the others in an icebox, no fridge of course, too expensive, better to spend it on an internet connection but since the Mega-Corps started moving openly and placed their own legislation on what is defined as 'government infrastructure' the prices for net access were sky-high. It ate almost all my weekly allowance and even that was going soon, the Mega-Corps deciding that welfare was 'detrimental to the health of society'. Really they just mean they need more $1 workers for the mines.

The sun is setting and everything is getting darker so I flop onto my swivel chair and kick on the computer, it will be the only illumination I get tonight. Again. It doesnt matter though, my Universe awaits. Quickly and routinely I click through the directory and find it, Universe: Online. Being extoled as the greatest technological marvel ever created, players, or the 'Chosen' as the marketing campaign named them, were charged with building a space faring Empire starting from a post-industrial planet. It was completely interactive and ever single person playing was able to interact with one another on an incredible scale, only after you meet them of course. I had already met two Kings, one Democracy and four Theocracies, each of them hell-bent on destroying my people and assimilating its remains. They failed of course but I keep the Democratic player around, its a neat experiment I suppose.

Universe Online was a hit-sensation overnight, with hundreds of thousands of gamers all clamouring to get their hands on it. The reason for its sudden popularity is rather strange though, it isnt because the greatest players are televised in E-sports arenas, nor is it because of the media campaign marketing it as the greatest game and believe me it is.

Its popular because it isnt for sale.

People are always reaching for the unreachable and I was one of them. I'd stand in the cold with thousands of others to watch the greatest of Empires wage war with each other on a collossal scale, knowing I would never be allowed it. Then one day, I came home from a televised repeat battle, the Dysmorium Collective against the Kana Empire, to find my computer left on and sitting in the centre of the screen, a little icon. "Universe: Online". I remember how clammy my hands had felt when I first clicked play, believing it to be some sick joke but sure enough, the grand opera music began and just like that I was smack bang in the middle of a post-industrial planet. Four continents, eighteen factions, the smallest of which I was in control of.

Evidently, conquering your planet is a personal test and there is some kind of defensive shield against other players, we'd never seen the start of Universe: O, only the huge fleet battles between the grand Empires. Within a day, I was finished but the second the final faction fell to my fanatical armies and shrewd diplomats, a timer began counting down in real time and I was no longer able to control the speed of the game. I knew then and there that I was up against the other players now.

That was two years ago and now I was facing a war on two fronts, both the Dysmorium Collective and Kana Empire had decided I was a growing threat. Grimly, I wondered if the systematic butchering of my people was being televised to the masses I was once a part of. I could feel every nuke landing on my sovereign soil as a fist striking me. Every lance of energy striking at my fleets, a needle piercing my heart. I had grown far too attached to the 'lives' of my people and I was suffering for it.

Marshalling my armadas, I put up a terrible fight but of course, I was far too out-matched. Famed for its gritty realism, there are no miracles in Universe Online, save the ones you prepare yourself and I had nothing up my sleeve. As my fleets were torn to scrap I felt a blanket of depression descend on me. This was it, I had lost. My people were to be enslaved and the Unicorn Republic would forever be lost in the annals of history. I had failed the fates and all was lost. Thought a thought struck me in the darkness of my stupor, what of the second timer? The one that had begun the moment the two empires declared war on me half a year ago. There was twenty minutes left, the approaching Kana Armada was thirty minutes away by warp travel.

"At the very least," I harrumphed loudly. "I'll be able to see what happens when that timer reaches 0." "The game ends." A brisk voice calmly said in the darkness behind me. "Oh," I replied automatically before flinching as a realization hit me. My chair squeaked as I swiveled around to see a short, stocky, well-kept man in an equally well-kept suit standing in the middle of the room. "Wh-" I began, before he cut me off. "Mr. Ano, my name is Agent Colson and I'm here to talk to you about something very important." He said, calm and efficiency rolling off him in waves. He opened his mouth to speak before I cut him off. "Is this about that incident at the burger joint?" I said hurriedly, my face going red. He looked unperturbed that I had cut him off and replied with a smirk. "No, you see I a-" but he got no further before I blurted out "Because you see I really had to go and they refused to let me use their toilet and the wall was right there and I really really had to go so please dont arre-" I simply couldn't stop, like someone had twisted a tap on and kept twisting until it fell off. Nothing would be able to stop the gushing torrent but he managed it. "Mr Ano." he said, his words acting like a sluice gate, shutting me up, "I am here for one reason and one reason only." He seemed content to leave it at that so I had to ask, eyes wide and barely holding off my damnable stutter.. "Which is?" "Didn't you ever wonder who gave you access to this game? Only the greatest minds of our age, strategists, warlords, presidents, Mega Corp CEO's, men of an extreme calibre are able to play and yet here you sit, in a dinghy apartment eating 50 cent burgers out of a greasy bag." "The 50 Cent franchise has been a really big hit what with all his catch phrases and modern art being a very big impact on consumeris-" Once again, a combination of nerves and fear meant I simply could not control myself and once again, he silenced me with two words. "Mr Ano." He said, his smirk fading as he became serious. "I represent one of the greatest ambitions humanity has ever embarked on and you have been chosen as one of its vessels. This game wasn't JUST a test but it WAS a test. A test to find out the aptitude of the players. All but three failed to meet the criteria. You are on of them. "The other two?" I asked, a sudden calm coming over me. "Why, their fleets are poised to smite your last planet now." He said, the smirk returning. "Enough about that however, right now I need you to make a choice and I daresay it will be the greatest one you have ever made in your entire life. Come with me now and I promise you, you'll never regret leaving this place behind."

My world was turned upside down in a night and this man wanted me to come with him? It was crazy. Absolute madness. Only a fool would simply agree to something like that. "The cat comes with." I said. Definetly not a fool.

"Of course, we have already located it and it is waiting in the limo below." A limo? My mind asked but as I stood, almost like in a dream and followed him to the door I paused and had to ask. "You said that all of this madness was a test but not JUST a test. What else was it?"

The stocky man turned and I had an excellent view of his eyes as electricity flashed through them, clearly marking them to be cybernetic in nature. He studied me for what felt like an eternity before saying with a broad smile.

"Training."