WARNING: This includes sexually explicit material.
Please note any unfamiliar spellings and phrases may be due to the
fact I am English, not American.
I would like to thank the proof-readers for all their help
Any comments, including constructive criticisms, would be
most appreciated. Please send to artemis55@hotmail.com
This work is copyrighted by the author. You may download and keep
one copy for your personal use as long as my by-line and e-mail
address and this paragraph remain on the copy. Any posting or
reposting on a website, other than the archive or Dejanews, or
to a newsgroup requires my permission first (but I'll probably say
yes). This should not, under any circumstances be used to make a
profit by anyone other than the author
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REPOST NOTE: This was my entry to Celeste's Virtual Reality Contest. I
won!!! More importantly my husband and I finally agreed on this one.
It's probably one of the best things I've written so far. Even people
who hate sci-fi liked it.
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Back To Reality (MF, rom)[1/4]
by Vickie Morgan
Ellen had awakened in pain again. She checked the time, then
thankfully swallowed two painkillers. The throbbing ache from her hip
gradually diminished until she could once more successfully ignore it.
If she had known what the result would have been she would never have
run to the rescue. Well that wasn't really true. You would have to
be a totally selfish person to stand by and watch someone die because
you were worried you might yourself. She hadn't even
rationalized the situation at the time. Instinct and adrenaline had
her racing over to the wrecked car without conscious thought. The
smell of petrol had been heavy in the air and she had been frantic to
drag the driver a safe distance away before the inevitable explosion.
She had almost made it but the blast had thrown out a twisted chunk
of metal that had landed on her back. Burning fragments were falling
on and around them as the ambulance had arrived and she slipped into
merciful unconsciousness.
The doctors had performed miracles and she should have been grateful
that there was a good chance she would walk again. She would probably
always drag one leg but the experts were confident that with plenty
of physiotherapy she would make it. It had helped that the woman she
had rescued was Adrienne Peters, a well-known financier who had made
sure she had been given the best and latest of everything. Well aware
that she owed her life to Ellen, Adrienne had gone out of her way to
show her gratitude in any way she could think of. Her latest idea had
arrived yesterday. It used the latest advances in virtual reality to
create a completely believable experience without ever having to leave
the house. Since Ellen was housebound for a while it seemed the
ideal thing to entertain her. A technician was coming to show Ellen
exactly how to use it but she wasn't that excited. Few of the virtual
reality machines she had seen before really delivered what they
promised.
When the technician arrived he turned out to be an intense mix of
engineer and salesman. He introduced himself as 'Baz' and launched
straightaway into an enthusiastic spiel about the machine. Phrases
such as 'total immersion technology', 'central processing unit' and
'VR3000 Graphics Chip' flew over her head until eventually his
ebullience wound down.
"Okay, Baz. I didn't understand any of that. Can you just tell me as
simply as possible how it works?" He grinned at her.
"Sorry I get carried away. Basically in the past virtual reality was
created by producing images that your eyes found believable. The
YR3000 is unique because we bypass the eyes and plug straight into
your brain. We don't have to worry about co-ordinating movement and
vision because you don't actually move. Tiny electrical signals fool
your brain into thinking you are moving. So you get a completely
believable experience."
"Couldn't that be a bit dangerous, though?"
"We have safeguards built into the programmes. For instance say you
fall off a building in the programme. Your fall would gradually slow
until you were floating. Then you would get a menu telling you what
went wrong and offering you options to return to a previous point in
the programme or to quit."
"How do I stop a programme when it's running?"
"You just say 'programme exit' and the programme will freeze and a
menu will appear asking if you want to quit or continue."
"What about power surges or cuts?"
"The VR3000 is protected by several fuses and trip switches so it's
impossible for a power surge to affect it. There is also a back-up
battery which can run the VR3000 for sixty hours and automatically
recharges itself when the power comes back on."
"Sixty hours? Isn't that a bit of overkill?"
"Not really. Most programmes last about a fortnight."
"What! A fortnight hooked up to some computer game. You've got to be
kidding me."
"Wait until you've tried it. That's why it has intravenous drips to
make sure you get necessary nutrients and liquids and tubes to deal
with waste. The bed has to be specially fitted to the player to make
sure you don't get bedsores or abrasions. Your body will be
automatically turned and stretched without you being aware of it.
I'll have to come every month to restock everything and check there's
no adjustments needed. Now how about giving it a whirl."
Baz helped her into the bed, which resembled a sun-bed in design. He
showed her how to hook up the various tubes and electrical wires.
Finally he helped her fit the headset. Now all she had to do was
choose a program. He had brought a selection with him and she decided
to start with 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Although her eyes were open Baz's face faded as everything turned
black. In front of her words floated as a sonorous voice read them.
"Welcome to your VR3000 'Romeo and Juliet' experience. Please choose
your character.
"Juliet" Ellen said, reaching out a hand to touch the icon labelled
Juliet.
'Thank you. Romeo and Juliet' will begin in five, four, three, two,
one..."
* * * * *
Ellen was just finishing her meal when she heard a voice calling her
name. Walking into the next room she found Nurse bustling towards
her.
"Did someone call me?" Ellen asked.
"Your mother," Nurse replied, tweaking her dress straight and
smoothing her hair.
"Yes mother, did you want something?"
"This is the matter. Nurse, give leave a while. We must talk in
secret. Nurse, come back again. I have remembered me, thou's hear
our counsel. Thou knowest my daughter's of a pretty age."
"Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour," Nurse replied.
"She's not fourteen."
"I'll lay fourteen of my teeth - and yet, to my teen be it spoken, I
have but four - she's not fourteen. How long is it now to
Lammastide?" Nurse answered. Ellen listened to her in surprise. She
wondered for a moment why her Nurse was talking so strangely.
Then she remembered that this was the VR3000. It was incredibly
realistic. She had automatically answered to the name Juliet and she
had known without question that the patrician woman in front of her
was her and the plump woman was her nurse. She became aware
that her was asking her a question.
"How stands your disposition to be married?"
"That depends on who you want me to marry," Ellen answered.
"In brief: the valiant Paris seeks you for his love."
"A man, lady, lady, such a as all the world - why, he's a
man of wax."
"Oh I hope not Nurse," Ellen laughed, "He won't be much use to me if
his hard bits melt when things get hot."
"It is you who will melt from his heat, lady," Nurse cackled.
"Speak briefly: can you like of Paris' love?" Lady Capulet asked.
"Well I'd have to meet him first," Ellen answered. Just then a
servant who Ellen at once knew was called Peter came in.
"Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you called, my
lady asked for, the Nurse cursed in the pantry, and everything in
extremity. I must hence to wait. I beseech you follow straight."
"We follow thee. Juliet, the County stays."
"Go, girl; seek happy nights to happy days." Ellen winked at Nurse
before she obediently followed Lady Capulet. As she worked her way
through the various courses Ellen was amazed by the realism of the
program. She could taste the food, feel the warm Italian air on her
skin, hear the musicians play, feel the silk of her dress on her body.
People she spoke to reacted in a realistic manner to her comments
even though she made no attempt to modify her speech to more
Shakespearean speech patterns. Paris was a very handsome man,
polite to a fault. It was obvious he found her attractive and knew
her welcomed his suit but he made no attempt to be intimate
with her. Ellen soon found his punctilious speech boring.
She was relieved when at last they moved through to the courtyard
where the dancing would take place. Curious Ellen looked around,
trying to guess which of the masked milling around was Romeo. She
had been given a mask to wear by a servant and the restricted view
through the eye-slits added to the feeling of excitement and
anticipation. She almost forgot that she was in a computer program as
she danced her way from partner to partner. After months of being
unable to move without pain it was exhilarating to whirl around to the
music. She was taking a rest while her last partner went to get her a
drink when someone touched her hand. Turning she saw a masked
standing close to her. His mask covered his nose and eyes and she
could only see his firm chin and sensuous mouth but she knew this had
to be Romeo.
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentler
sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth
that rough touch with a tender kiss." Ellen smiled at him.
"Well let's test these pilgrims and see if they have anything to blush
about," she suggested and kissed him. He was startled at first but
soon his lips were moulding to hers and the hairs on her neck were
tingling. In the recess of her mind she was marvelling at the
verisimilitude of the program but most of her concentration was on the
feel of Romeo's mouth. She parted her lips and welcomed his tongue,
swaying against him. She was really starting to enjoy herself when
she felt someone tugging at her skirt.
"Madam, your craves a word with you," Nurse hissed urgently.
Reluctantly Ellen removed her mouth from his. Still she had better
go. It would not do to have the fighting start too soon. She leaned
forward and whispered in Romeo's ear.
"Come to my balcony after everyone has gone".
Her began scolding her as soon as she arrived for not spending
enough time with Paris but Ellen had no intention of wasting her time
being reprimanded. She wanted to see just how good the VR3000 was.
"I promised this dance, and I don't want to disappoint my
partner. I'll speak to you later." Ellen hurried away and slid her
hand around the arm of the first unattached male she came across.
"Dance this one with me," she invited, smiling as winsomely as she
could.
"I would be honoured, my lady," he replied and swept her into the
dance. She was whirled from one partner to another through the
dance's movements until she ended spinning breathlessly in her
partner's arms.
"That was wonderful!" she enthused as they took the customary
post-dance promenade around the courtyard. Her partner was wearing
the obligatory mask so all she could see of his features were his
strong chin and dark curly hair. "Come and walk with me in the
garden," she suggested impulsively.
"My lady, you know not who I am. 'Tis not a wise invitation from so
innocent a maid."
"So tell me your name."
"I am known as Mercutio, kinsman to Paris and close companion of
Romeo, only son of your great enemy Lord Montague." He swept off his
mask with a bow and smiled challengingly at her. He was than
Romeo had seemed, more a than a boy, with a reckless gleam in his
eye and, in Ellen's opinion, very attractive.
"Oh these silly squabbles have nothing to do with us. Come on, walk
with me." For a moment he resisted but then he obeyed her and
followed her out into the gardens. The Italian night was warm with a
soft wind gently whispering the leaves on the trees. Away from the
candles the purple twilight surrounded and isolated them. There were
quiet murmurs and rustlings, which indicated that they were not the
only ones to investigate the privacy of the gardens. Ellen led the
way to a seat surrounded by honeysuckle and roses. She breathed
deeply, enjoying the heady scent and marvelling again at the
verisimilitude of the program. Mischievously she decided to see how
adaptable the program was. It was logical that the main characters
were well researched but she wondered how much time had been spent on
minor characters and just what would happen if she decided to change
the plot.
She moved closer next to Mercutio and slid her arms around his neck.
"Kiss me, Mercutio."
"Fain would I refuse so sweet an invite but my lady, thy kinsman would
murder me if 'twere discovered I stole a kiss from thy maiden lips."
"Well I guess I'll just have to kiss you," Ellen told him, suiting the
action to the words. His lips were firm and warm and she could
faintly taste the wine he had been drinking. His resistance didn't
last long and soon their tongues were entwining and his hands were
roaming over her body. It was easy enough for him to slip his hand
inside the neckline of her dress to find her breasts. It had been so
long since a had touched her and she revelled in the sensations.
Dimly she was aware that he wasn't real, just a computer-generated
image in her brain, but at that moment she didn't really care. His
fingers were tracing delicate patterns over her sending
shivers of delight through her. Eagerly she pushed aside his
clothing, running her hands through the curly hairs on his chest
before tackling the tight leggings he wore. He pulled away from the
kiss and started to protest but she forestalled him by flicking his
nipple with her tongue. He gave a groan of pleasure and returned his
attention to her breasts. She finally managed to free his cock,
thankful that the program designers had remembered to include this
vital part of the male anatomy. Without any more ado she hoisted up
her skirts and knelt astride him. Slowly she lowered herself onto
him, feeling his hard shaft slide into her. His hands cupped her
bottom to help her move and his mouth was busy between her breasts.
She arched her back as her orgasm flooded through her, vaguely
registering that the below her was climaxing also.
She sprawled on top of Mercutio, unsure what to say. She had
basically just used him to see if the VR3000 could simulate sexual
feelings. Judging by the orgasm that she had just had the answer was
a resounding yes. Yet somehow she felt a little guilty and awkward.
She couldn't just say, "Thanks a lot. Now I'm off to flirt with Romeo
in accordance with the plot." She was rescued from her dilemma by
everything around her gradually darkening and some words appeared in
front of her, a voice reading them aloud.
"We are sorry to interrupt your VR3000 'Romeo and Juliet' experience.
An outside agency has paused the program temporarily. The programme
will stop on the count of five. One, two, three, four, five." The
voice gradually faded away and Ellen opened her eyes to see Baz
peering down at her.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to make a couple of small adjustments.
Your program will have been automatically saved so you can start from
the same place if you want to. If you could just hop out for a
minute." Ellen sat up slowly, the stab of pain in her hip a harsh
reminder of reality. She disconnected everything, then pulled herself
upright using the walking frame. She was slightly embarrassed,
wondering if Baz could tell what she had been doing in the program.
He had said her body didn't actually move when she was in the VR3000
but she could feel faint tremors in her legs still from her orgasm and
she was definitely very wet between her legs. It was only human
nature, though. Whatever new technology came along one of the first
things humans tried to do with it was to see if it could be used for
sex; the telephone, TV, the Internet, and now the VR3000. She was
sure she wasn't the first and she would not be the last to indulge in
virtual reality sex. Still she would prefer it if no one else knew.
Baz tinkered with bits and pieces for a moment then straightened up.
"That's it. All done. You're all set now. Any problems just give me
a ring. My number is on the card. I brought you a selection of
programmes and I've left you a catalogue of what's available.
There're new ones coming out all the time. If you let me know what
you fancy, I'll bring them with me when I come to service your
machine. Have fun."
Copyright Vickie Morgan, 1998
artemis55@hotmail.com
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