The red stilettos made a distinct click-clack noise against the hardwood floor of the hallway. “Where are they…” she muttered to herself, while turning around to walk the way she had just come. Dr. Leblanc was prone to pacing when she got nervous. And anyone knew better than to disturb her when she was in one of these moods. Not that there were many people left to bother her anymore anyway. Today was a very big day, and she was extremely nervous. She had no idea what was going to happen over the next few days, but the world hung in the balance. Humanity hung in the balance. Pretty much everyone else in the station thought she was absolutely nuts. That was fine with her.
Dr. Leblanc had done her research. She had found ten young minds and bodies who all had something to hate about Maya Virtuele. She hoped it would be enough to help them end the virtual world for good. Not that it should be extremely hard to do so. All they would have to do was find Dr. Holloway. And her boss was extremely smart, and would know that when the kids explained how reality was falling apart, he’d make the decision to shut down Maya Virtuele. He was truly a good person, and never intended that his invention would completely make the world fall apart.
If anything the fact that his invention was so successful was just a testament to how brilliant his mind was. He had made the virtual world so beautiful and alluring, that people didn’t want to leave. But it was time for it to be stopped. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching from down the hallway. Her head pricked up, instantly on alert. This had to be them. The ten she had personally asked to save the world. A big responsibility, but they were her only hope. And then her saviors rounded the corner, in a straight line, escorted by four of her trusted assistants. They lined up in front of her, some looking confident, others looking nervous. She knew each of their faces by heart. Noah Rosenthal, Sailor Westfall, Jesse Kent, Avery Harding, Wesley MacKnight, Ainsley Brooks, Johnny Abington, Chloe Ferguson, Gavin Youngblood, and Serenity Winters. She felt tears come to her eyes at the sight of them all, but held them back.
“Welcome everyone, and thank you so much for coming,” she began, smiling. “You all know what is at stake here, so I’m not even going to mention that. Please, if you could all follow me, we’ll get this started.” She turned and walked the opposite way the kids had come, hearing the shuffling of their footsteps behind her. She led them through a few turns before arriving at a set of double doors. She had arranged this room just for the ten of them. She swept the doors open and gestured for each of them to have a seat in one of the white chairs.
The room was completely white, looking almost sterile, but had soft carpet, and pops of color from art on the wall and decorations around the room, making it look slightly more homey. The chairs looked like slim recliners, and were very plush. There were complex mechanisms hooked up to each one. Each of the ten took a seat, and she turned to face them all. “Your job is to find Dr. Holloway, and convince him to shut Maya Virtuele down. I really don’t think you should have many troubles. He is a good man, and in no way would want to destroy the world.”
She took a breath before she continued. “However, just in case you run into trouble, I have been working on a surprise for you all. Everyone else is ruled by Dr. Holloway, and has to follow his guidelines. Basically they are no different than themselves in reality. However, you will not have the same problem. Your abilities will be seemingly limitless. Anything you can imagine, you can achieve.” Dr. Leblanc was proud of herself for writing this code, and had been working on it for weeks. She had never been inside Maya Virtuele, and didn’t know what to expect. While everyone spoke of it as paradise, she didn’t know what would be waiting for the ten individuals in front of her. She wanted to give them every advantage she could.
“There are of course limits to these abilities. You won’t be able to change your physical form, you will look exactly as you are now. You also won’t be able to change anything in your surroundings, or the land. After all, you are still in Dr. Holloway’s world, and his imagination.” She had begun pacing again, becoming extremely nervous for the ten lives in front of her. The time was close. “I will be monitoring everything from here. I can track your progress and communicate with you. However, you will not be able to communicate back. I will only be able to see where you are heading, not what you are saying.” She walked over to a desk, picking up a tiny, round device. “Each of you will have one of these devices in your ears. This is how you will hear from me. And should you get separated, you can also communicate with each other.”
She placed the device back down, and walked back by the door. She pressed an intercom button, and spoke into the speaker. “It is time.” Within seconds, the doors opened and ten of her assistants entered the room, and each took a spot next to a chair. She nodded, and they instantly began working. The recliners began to recline, lying each of the ten back into a comfortable position. She kept talking as her assistants worked. “While you are away in the virtual world, you will be fed and get liquids through an IV. It’s the only way we can keep you alive.” She looked towards the ten chairs. “Hopefully you aren’t afraid of needles…” she said quietly, more to herself. She then began pacing and talking once more. “You will be deposited on the shores of Annafaire Ocean. There should be adequate transportation there for you, as well as a map of Maya Virtuele. Dr. Holloway is located directly in the center of Maya Virtuele, which should be accessible from a trip across the ocean.”
The assistants backed off, meaning the ten were ready to enter Maya Virtuele. Slight bands had been placed around their foreheads, with a set of glasses that dropped down to cover their eyes. “If you ever get scared, just know that I will be there with you throughout the entire journey. And I will do everything in my power to make sure you succeed.” She walked over to a panel, and took one last look at the saviors of Earth. “Now sit back, take deep breaths, and relax.” She pressed a button, and they were gone. “I hope to see you again very soon…” Dr. Leblanc stood watching them for a few minutes, then left through the doors to head into an adjacent room, where she could monitor their every move.
