If this was real, and she didn't see any reason to think it wasn't she knew exactly who she was going to call first.

She fiddled with her interface and then called Tom.

"If this is a marketing call you have very very bad timing." His voice was rough, it sounded like the few times he had pulled off an all-nighter.

"It's me Tom. It's Sapphire."

"How is that... no it makes sense that it's possible but it's deeply weird to be sitting next to your unmoving body while talking to you."

"That does sound unsettling. It's still pretty early, how are you at the Hospital already? Were you there overnight?"

"Nobody's sure what's going on yet. My first real sign something was wrong was when the paramedics showed up to get you. The hospital was willing to let me stay the night just in case that was the end. Something like fifty people died when those damn headsets off were pulled off them. I read the press release from that Decker lady but it doesn't seem quite real. Did she explain more to all of you in there?"

"I don't know what the press release said but I don't think so. She really didn't tell us much. Just that there is a way out and that there's other real-world rewards we can earn by playing the game. The only hint at a motivation was a weird lore dump about things in the game's backstory. I guess the other thing she said is that somehow the headsets, or maybe something in the calibration system was able to scan our whole bodies. I don't know enough about what would be involved in that to guess how crazy that is though."

"She said what? She managed to steal or invent revolutionary medical imaging technology and she's using it to trap people in a video game? That doesn't make any sense. Are you sure she was telling the truth?"

"Somehow my avatar mirrors the birthmark on my left labia minora. I don't see how they could have gotten that otherwise. I've been pretty careful about pictures like that."

"That's... that's not something an MRI would pick up. I don't know what sort of imaging would pick that up except actual cameras. This is sci-fi movie stuff."

"That's what people said about the whole idea of Full-Dive VR when it was first announced. Maybe they were more right than they knew."

"Maybe. Did you have any hiccups last night? There must be a cell-phone radio in your headset but even so I would expect the connection to glitch while they were driving you to the hospital."

"Not that I've noticed. I guess that's one more mystery for the pile."

She took out a notebook and jotted down some of this as yet more notes.

"I guess, enough about the mysteries though, how are you holding up? Are you in danger? The press release said that the starting area of the game was safe. I'm not happy about the idea that dying in a video game might mean dying in real life though."

"I'm not really fond of that part either but yes, I'm safe. I'm in a pretty luxurious apartment building, if one a bit more communal than most of what you would find in the real world. Daisy said that until we go through the Gates nothing can hurt us permanently. I... don't think I can promise that I'll never take that risk, but I'm going to make sure I'm as ready as I can be and I have good people to work with before I even consider it."

"Do you have to go? Can't you leave it to other people?"

"We don't know yet if one person getting out lets everyone else leave. If it does that's great but if not... staying in the safe area would mean I'm stuck forever. And also, I can't just sit and watch if doing something would make the world better for the people I'm with."

"I didn't know the first part. That's a good point. I guess I did know the second, I know you take risks with your activism sometimes. It's just this feels different. I don't want to lose you."

"I know, I want to come back to you too. I don't want to leave you. I never would have signed up for this game if I knew what as going to happen. We need to play the hand we're dealt though."

"I know, I just wish it hadn't been you. If I never got you to sign up for the game, maybe we wouldn't be here. It feels like it's my fault. It feels like I should be the one who's stuck in there not you."

"You know I don't blame you for that. Nobody knew what was going to happen. I don't think there were even any hints before today. And I wouldn't want to be outside looking down at your body either. Sometimes these kinds of things happen and it's nobody's fault except the people who do them."

"I know, that doesn't mean it's easy to really believe it though."

"Yeah, that makes sense. How are you holding up? Have you talked to Mom and Dad? I figure I'll call them later but I wanted to talk to you first."

"I talked to them, they haven't quite decided if they're going to fly out to see you or not. What with you being effectively unconcious as far as communication is concerned. As for me, I'm... I'm not great. I want to say I'm okay and that you should focus on you but I also know you wouldn't accept that. It's hard seeing you on the bed here and not being able to talk to you. I guess we're talking now but it's not the same. I miss your hugs already."

"I miss your hugs too."

"How long can you talk anyways? Is this a one time thing? I assume you would have told me if there was a tight time limit or you had somehow made a friend who has already hacked the game."

"Four days. The announcement for the players said we had four days to talk to people in the outside world and then things close down. It also said there's no guarantees we get another opportunity before we get out."

"Well that sucks, it's better than nothing, or even a one time phone call. But four days both isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things and it also implies things about how long they expect you to be in there for. I wonder why they don't want you talking to people outside after that. What secrets are they trying to keep?"

"I don't really know. It's something I bet a lot of people are wondering about."

"I guess the connected question is who they're trying to keep secrets from. Are they trying to keep secrets from you, secrets from us or both? I guess we don't really have a way to find out. Do you have short term plans? I'm guessing long term is pretty up in the air."

"I'm keeping to my term project at least for now. I'm taking notes on everything while I can. If I can figure out a way to do it I'll send you my notes before the window closes. Maybe you or someone else will be able to get something out of them. I'm also planning to send my notes so far to my professor. I don't know what he'll do with them but it probably won't hurt anything."

"That's such a you thing to do. I'll do my best with what you give me. I don't really know what that'll mean but maybe I'll figure something out or find the right person to pass them on to. Just, make sure it doesn't get in the way of making connections. It sounds like you'll need them more than academic detachment."

"I know, I already made that choice. It's easier for me than detachment would be anyways in most situations. It's grounding to have something to focus on though. Taking notes has been that. I don't think I was quite up to trying to help people deal with things while I was mentally flailing myself."

"And nobody would expect you to be. Make sure you don't go too far into putting others needs above your own. Don't go the carer burnout route okay?"

Sapphire smiled. "I promise."

"Good, those people in there are lucky to have you."

"Thanks. I'm feeling hungry so I'm going to see about making breakfast. I'll talk to you some more later. There's even an option for video calls I just didn't want to ambush you first thing in the morning."

"Yeah, breakfast is probably a good idea. We should absolutely do a video call later. I love you Sapphire. Stay safe."

"I love you too. Take care of yourself out there. It doesn't help me any if you skip meals or don't sleep."

"I'll do my best."

"That's all anyone can ever ask for. Goodbye Tom."

"Talk to you later."

Sapphire ended the call. A little of the anxiety that had been scared away by talking to Tom filtered back in.

In some ways a few inches away and in others a whole world away. Tom looked at his sister. He squeezed her hand even though he knew she couldn't feel it, and then kissed the back of it since the headset covered the places he'd usually kiss. "Please come back to me."