We're all in this virtual space together.

Your footsteps awaken the sorceress and she jolts up, immediately wondering how she appeared here and confirming your suspicions about the others’ amnesia. It relieves you to know that they weren’t lying. The man with the shield has not changed his grim face, and the swordswoman regards the other with compassion, extending a hand to help the sorceress up. You find it strange to see such a soft look adorn the harsh woman’s features. When she is on her feet a doorway opens in front of you, and you nod to the rest of your party to follow. You wonder if a pattern is beginning to emerge.

The next area is not like the others, with a dark hallway awaiting you. You feel like you have been walking for eternity, and only the loud droning of humming code and your solitary footsteps greet your ears. You begin to lose sight of your party, glancing around nervously. You are sure they followed you but can’t be positive. Why would they not follow? You do not want to lose them. You do not want to again be Alone in this virtual space. You think you are starting to panic. Maybe you are starting to remember.

What do you do?

After going back to his living pod - a small, round bubble that jutted out with thousands of others in towers along the sides of the ship in designated residential areas - Myos was deep in thought. His pod was a relaxed and slightly cramped space, high along the walls. He barely spent any time here now, always on the move playing his games. Myos usually only came here to sleep and when he needed a quiet place to think – like now. Sure, it was obvious someone had to stop the Empress, but what could one guy who spends his life playing ARGs and his friends do?

Myos sighed, turning to lie on his side and staring at the specks of city lights across the ship. If he squinted just right, the lights would twinkle like stars and he could almost imagine it was the outside world. He wasn’t high ranking enough to have access to a living pod with an outside view of the space around him, so day after day his view of the world was the same. It made him grow restless, aching for something more in his life than the monotony of the same blinking lights. Perhaps that was the only reason he was even attempting to change things around this place - for his own selfish needs. He always had to be the one to save the day or rescue the princess - to have the highest hero score in every video and alternate reality game he had ever played. He craved the attention of heroism. Maybe all he wanted to do was become the next Emperor in the name of saving humanity.

He shook his head and ran slender fingers through his emergency alarm red hair, as if that action could also shake and remove the negative thoughts from his head.