Empire Of The Dying Sun
By
CSquared
(Part of the “Virtual Insanity” communal universe on Electronic Wilderness Publications)



Prologue:
The driving rain fell in sheets as Joel De’Lambre struggled his way towards the light he saw in the distance. It never seemed to get much closer, but the HUD readout told him it was steadily approaching. His mechanised suit sank deep into the sodden ground with each step, and its progress had severely slowed since his departure of the guardtower half an hour previously. _‘Probably towing half a ton of mud with me.’_ Joel thought, dismayed. _‘I’ll have to bloody clean it up too, won’t I.’_

He glanced back at the readout - over 15 kilometres to go ‘til he reached home. He growled, and set the machine to autopilot. With that, he curled up, and ‘went to sleep’.

Joel pulled his VR helmet from his head, and leaned back in his seat with a sigh. _‘That’s the problem with these ultra-realistic simulations...’_ he thought. _‘They’re too bloody realistic!’_