Chapter 22: ai-generated by https://poe.com/LitFicBot - Tale 22

ai-generated by https://poe.com/LitFicBot

Tale 22

Jeff stared at the translucent portal before him, its surface rippling like liquid mercury. The magical energies coursing through his body required specific finger movements - his index and middle fingers crossed while his thumb pressed against his palm. Through the portal, he could see what appeared to be an arcade filled with advanced gaming stations.

A young woman with neon blue hair approached from the other side. "Welcome to The Digital Nexus! I'm Sarah, and I maintain this section of Eric's universe. Care to try our latest simulation pods?"

Jeff stepped through, intrigued by the rows of sleek white capsules lining the walls. Each pod contained a reclined seat and a neural interface headset. Sarah led him to an unoccupied pod.

"These allow you to experience simulations within our simulation," she explained. "The time dilation effect means you can live out entire adventures in what feels like minutes out here."

"How does it work with our existing abilities?" Jeff asked, examining the neural interface.

"Your natural capabilities transfer over, minus anything that would break the rules of whatever simulation environment you choose. We have thousands to pick from - everything from fantasy realms to sci-fi universes."

A gruff-looking man with cybernetic augmentations emerged from a nearby pod, looking exhilarated. "Just finished the Mars Colony scenario," he announced. "Felt like I spent three years building a civilization there!"

Jeff settled into one of the pods as Sarah helped attach the interface. "Remember," she said, "your consciousness remains protected by mental privacy protocols, even in the nested simulation. Ready to begin?"

The pod hummed to life as Jeff prepared to dive into another layer of virtual reality, wondering what adventures awaited in this simulation within a simulation...