Jacques was in the middle of unlocking a pickup truck when a police officer spotted him.
He had to abandon what he was doing and run. He couldn't afford to get locked up in the game while being locked up in reality too.
Jacques was fast — unbelievably fast. Among his peers, he was the best at running, maze running, and tag battles. They called him Eel, some even called him Slipper. That kinesthetic talent carried over into the VR world, where physical movement directly shaped the gaming experience.
But this cop was impossible.
No matter how fast Jacques ran, the cop always managed to catch up. It was as if every time Jacques outmaneuvered him, the cop got smarter. Now, as Jacques vaulted to a higher floor of a building, the officer followed with unnerving precision — not just following but mimicking Jacques's parkour techniques with frightening accuracy.
If he were just a system, it would make sense for Sigma to adjust the AI's learning patterns. But this? This felt like cheating — like the cop had downloaded parkour skills straight from a professional.
"Freeze, or I'll shoot! I swear to God!" the cop shouted, drawing his taser gun.
Jacques, of course, didn't listen — until he felt something sharp embed itself into his shoulder. The next second, electricity surged through his body, and his muscles seized.
That's when the VR system shut down. Jacques could feel the taser gun being withdrawn from his back in real life as well.
Jacques pulled off his VR goggles, his breath ragged. His shoulder throbbed where the taser had struck, muscles twitching involuntarily as the aftershock lingered in his limbs. His heart hammered in his chest, the taste of metal sharp on his tongue.
Back in reality, the hologram of Sigma, looking as neat as ever, hovered closer to him.
"Jacques boy! You look unwell. What happened? Is the game too tough for you?"
I'm going to reform his face! Jacques growled internally, unable to voice it. His jaw tightened as his fists clenched at his sides.
"Aww… no worries. My little friend will take care of it," Sigma said with a smirk.
A baseball-shaped drone emerged from a hole in the wall, whirring to life as it floated toward Jacques. Tiny mechanical arms extended, scanning his back with a soft hum. Jacques tensed as the drone's pincers latched onto the taser barbs still embedded in his skin.
"Hold still," Sigma's voice echoed, too calm for the situation.
Jacques hissed through his teeth as the barbs were yanked free with a sharp sting. A thin needle emerged from the drone's side, injecting a cool sensation into his shoulder. His muscles, which had been painfully locked, started to ease.
The drone sprayed a disinfectant mist over the puncture wounds before sealing them with a thin layer of synthetic skin. A soft beep signaled the end of the procedure, and the drone retracted its arms.
Jacques rolled his shoulder, his breath still uneven. The lingering burn in his muscles was fading, replaced by a dull ache. His pulse was beginning to steady.
"Good as new," Sigma said, his grin widening. "Now, what would you do without me?"
Here's your scene with improved grammar, flow, and natural dialogue:
"That cop suddenly got really good. Were you watching me play the game?" Jacques rolled his shoulder, testing the lingering stiffness.
"Why not? I mean, it's a beta version, and you are the beta tester," Sigma replied simply.
Jacques smirked. "Is that why so many NPCs suddenly started flirting with me? Did you really want to see what type of girls I'm into?"
Sigma put on an innocent face. "Well, no. I think my AI bot was just messing with you."
Jacques laughed, shaking his head.
"Anyway, Jacques, I hope you've eaten today, because it's time to go over the game summary. Did you enjoy my simulator?"
Jacques narrowed his eyes, thinking about it. "Well… generally, it's a really good stress and anger relief. Some NPCs looked way too much like people I know, and beating them up felt super good."
"Oh?" Sigma's grin widened. He found this hilarious. After all, when he was upset with the Godfather, he often entered the VR game and beat up NPCs designed to resemble his enemies.
Jacques crossed his arms. "I'm not telling you who they were, but of course, they were among the NPCs I tortured."
Sigma let out a low chuckle. "Interesting… You beat up a lot of people, but strangely, the only men you didn't fight were James and LeRoy. Why not? Aren't they annoying?"
A holographic screen appeared, displaying pictures of James and LeRoy. James was fat and bald, with a thick black beard and a noticeable beer belly. LeRoy, on the other hand, was thin and small, with bronze hair, glasses, and a nervous posture.
"James is cool," Jacques shrugged. "He always gives me good prices, so I can overlook his homophobic and misogynistic speech."
"And LeRoy?"
Jacques scratched his chin. "Well… I can ignore him practicing his broken saxophone. Most people probably can't stand how he does drag performances at the bar every night, but honestly? He's a good neighbor."
"Ooookay…?" Sigma tried to sound like he understood, but he really didn't. "So, are you up for testing another game?"
"Sure! What's next? Another VR?" Jacques's excitement grew. He hoped it was a fantasy RPG with swords and magic this time.
"Oh, it's a dreamwave game," Sigma said casually. "A prototype online game where you play using a dream state."
Jacques's enthusiasm wavered. He had heard of something like this before. The government had banned such games after people got trapped in dream states, unable to wake up when they died in the dream.
"That sounds risky." He smirked. "I can't wait."
"Atta boy!" Sigma grinned. "We'll start after you eat because you might be in that dream for days."
"Days?" Jacques stood up, narrowing his eyes. "What kind of game is this? A trap room in a dream world?"
For a moment, Sigma froze. This kid is eerily perceptive… But no, it had to be a coincidence. There was no way Jacques knew his true plan. Sigma forced a laugh.
"What are you talking about?" He waved off the thought. "Of course, we won't let you get trapped. Look…"
With a gesture, Sigma summoned another holographic display, presenting a slideshow. The first image showed a futuristic reclining chair that resembled a dentist's seat.
"That's where you'll be lying. It's a rocking chair, so if you sleep for more than seven days, we'll inject you with liquid food and gently rock the chair to keep your blood circulating."
He flipped to the next slide, which displayed a monitor stationed beside the chair.
"And whatever happens in your dream, this amazing device will translate your brainwaves into images we can see and hear."
Jacques nodded, intrigued. "Ooh, interesting. And what do you want me to do with it?"
"We just need to see if the monitor works properly. We're still working on translating brainwaves into clear visuals. Once everything is perfected, this technology will revolutionize therapy." Sigma's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm.
"So, basically, it's like hypnotherapy?"
"Exactly! My wife is a therapist, and she believes this machine could help people access their subconscious and heal from deep-seated issues." Sigma folded his arms, then tilted his head. "Have you ever heard of shadow work?"
Jacques nodded. "Yeah… but I'm not really sure what it means."
Sigma leaned forward slightly. "It's the process of confronting the parts of yourself that you don't want to see—the fears, the guilt, the shame. Your ego tries to protect you from these feelings, so it buries them. Shadow work forces you to face them head-on."
Jacques took a moment to process that before nodding. "Got it."
"Good boy." Sigma's grin widened, showing off his perfect teeth. "Now, shall we begin?"
"Easy, I've been playing VR all day—I need to eat and sleep first." Jacques ran a hand over the back of his neck, grimacing. "And do you have a shower? I reek right now. My own dried sweat is annoying me."
Sigma snapped his fingers. A section of the floor rose, walls forming around it to create a futuristic shower stall.
"Damn." Jacques muttered. "All I had to do was ask."
"Take a good rest, boy. I'll see you again in eight hours." Sigma's hologram flickered before vanishing from the room.
When Sigma turns off the communication and the big screen before him darkens, he turns to Beatrix. "He sounds happier, doesn't he?"
"Affirmative." Beatrix's eyes flicker as data scrolls across her display. "The act of violently confronting the NPCs likely triggered a cathartic response. Aggression in a controlled virtual environment can simulate a sense of dominance and agency, which may help Jacques process underlying frustration and emotional dysregulation. Data suggests that individuals who experience prolonged feelings of powerlessness or emotional suppression are more likely to seek compensatory dominance in simulated environments. The act of asserting control through violence within the simulation may serve as a psychological corrective, temporarily alleviating his underlying sense of vulnerability."
Sigma narrow his eyes as he process those explanation. Then he turn to Beatrix, "you mean, the more violence someone is, the more they were feeling helpless in the past? based on his biography, can you tell or analyze what the situation was about?"
Beatrix's eyes pulse with soft blue light as she processes the request. "Analyzing… Cross-referencing historical patterns and psychological markers in Jacques's behavioral profile…"
Her gaze steadies. "His biography reflects indicators of systemic social rejection and emotional neglect. His early environment, he was raised by a dog, and treated like a dog by humans that he encountered. This already shows patterns of peer isolation and fractured familial bonds. This causing unstable emotional anchors that may have reinforced his need to establish dominance in simulated environments where outcomes are within his control."
"Exelent." Sigma smiles, "calculate what kind of trap will works against him in long terms. and By long terms, I mean decades."
"Calculating...." Beatrix's eyes flashes green light as her processors works hard. "...most working dream trap for Jacques Durant."