No one knows exactly when the aliens came and began slowly infiltrating the human race. Twenty years ago, when I was twenty-nine, the news began reporting incidents of strange behavior from people around the world. I was just starting my neurosurgery practice at the time. The medical community believed this was a new strain of virus that was spreading at epidemic proportions. Initially it was thought to be a variant of the Vika virus as it seemed to affect the brain first.

Author's Note: There is sex in this story. Some of it is explicitly described. I've seen folks post in the comments of other stories they were surprised or unhappy with this. Be forewarned.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

It’s time for some answers.

Chapter 22 recap.

She’s had enough rest, I think, watching Lorien’s confused but slowly softening expression. The tension in his body has eased, and his mind is clear again. Time to let her deal with this.

©2025 SammyC

Chapter 13: Facing the Music

The afternoon sun blazed down, shimmering off the surface of the pool as Yuqi floated lazily on her back, trying to relax. The water was cool and inviting, a stark contrast to the heat of the day. Kelly swam laps nearby, occasionally splashing Yuqi for no reason other than to be annoying. The day had been quiet, the kind of peace Yuqi knew wouldn’t last forever.

Here we are again. Please enjoy.

“Are you wearing lipstick?” Mike asked.

I nodded.

“Melissa, is he your personal make-up model?”

“Would you like to be my next artistic marvel?” Melissa asked with a subtle flirty hint to her voice.

“I could use a little hair work, maybe.”

“Oh, I can do a lot more.”

“We noticed,” Chad replied as we stepped into the building.

The hallway was crowded with cheerleaders, advisors, coaches and administrators.

“I think she knew there was nothing for you here. Not as a man, but even less as a woman, if that’s how you decided to live.” When I didn’t meet his eyes or say anything, he asked, softly, “Was she wrong?”