I’m excited to share that I’m currently working on a short story titled Dream Job! It’s the first in a series that follows Avery, a man who witnesses a tragic death and begins to suspect foul play. As he digs deeper, secrets unravel that could change everything he thought he knew.
Here’s chapter 1:
A green indicator light turned on in Avery’s head-up display, alerting him that it was safe to enter the War Room. Immersed in the fantasy-themed visuals and low synth music thrum, he didn’t see or hear the automatic doors open. He walked through what seemed to be an archway. Without the tether, he would have seen a modern meeting room occupied by two grim guards from the delivery gate, but with the tether, they were guardians of the realm seated near an old oak table in a room with epic stone walls. Pyra died in front of Avery, not far from their gate. He had seen Pyra die a thousand times in-game, but that was different. There would be no respawning for Pyra in the real world. He opened the Players Nearby panel on the virtual screen, which appeared with a few eye movements and blinks. It confirmed the identities of Garry and Steve. Avery, still shaken, forced himself to nod. They returned it. As Avery approached a chair, it glitched into its real-world proportions. It felt lighter than expected as he dragged it from the table. It had taken him a while to get used to the way things were at Synalux Studios, especially when it came to full immersion while programming. But he would never get used to Pyra dying in the real world.
Ferrox faded in at the table’s far end. “Chief Alchemist,” Avery thought—could the Alchemist bring Pyra back to life? He was looking at the fantasy avatar of a mere lead engineer, with mortal stress etched on his brow.
Ferrox said, “It’s just tragic what happened to Pyra. I know your team was tight.”
Avery glanced at his hands.
Ferrox said, “I know the police already questioned you, but we need to do our own investigation for HR. I’ll make this as quick as I can.” Ferrox shifted in his seat. “Raven won’t be joining us. She’s seeking treatment for shock with our counselor. I’ll catch up with her when she’s up to it.” Ferrox’s voice softened. “Anyway, how are you holding up? Are you okay to continue?”
Avery cleared his throat. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Did Pyra seem depressed to you?”
“No. She seemed great. She was looking forward to finishing the upgrades to the NPC module. She was pumped.”
“The local authorities are saying her death was a suicide.” Ferrox broke eye contact. “You never really know what someone’s going through… Sometimes you miss the signs.”
“Not Pyra. If she wasn’t happy, she told everyone.”
Ferrox held out both palms. “Okay, she may have been pumped, but sometimes people just need distractions.” He leaned in. “Excitement can be a fragile mask, Avery. Even you might’ve missed it.”
Ferrox shifted in his seat again. “This is a campus, and you know how rumors spread. So we heard that Raven and Pyra didn’t always see eye to eye. Do you think that could have affected Pyra’s state of mind?”
Avery’s chest tightened. “No, no way. They would be at each other one moment, then laughing like they’re BFFs at a café the next.”
“Well, some of the team seem to have a different take on it.”
Avery felt his teeth clenching, but he resisted the urge to shake his head. Ferrox studied him for a moment. “You were at the Mexican food stall near the delivery gate. What did you see?”
Avery looked at his hands. “Pyra just walked straight into the path of the quarry worker bus. Raven and I called out to her, but she didn’t seem to hear us. It was like she was tethered.”
Ferrox said, “She couldn’t have been tethered, Avery. The Wi-Fi doesn’t reach that far.”
“I know what I saw. She was doing hand gestures like she was still playing. We screamed at her; she didn’t react, didn’t even flinch. There’s no way she heard us. And she absolutely did not look depressed.”
Ferrox sighed, rubbing his temple. “I want answers, too, Avery, but the tether drops when it’s out of range.”
Avery shrugged. “All I know is she wasn’t reacting to anything in the real world.”
Ferrox sighed. “Your concern is noted. Let’s keep this moving.”
Avery’s jaw dropped in disbelief. His Bioflux alert went off as his heart pounded in his chest. A look of annoyance flashed across Ferrox’s face as his own alert chimed.
“This is a stressful situation, Avery. We can’t afford any more distractions. Let’s put our alerts on mute for the rest of the meeting,” Ferrox said, his voice clipped.
Avery tapped on the band that was flashing on his wrist.
Ferrox scanned the room. “Now, as I was about to say, rumors are going to spread—you know how it is on a Caribbean island. We need to keep a lid on this. The locals are very suspicious of us as it is. If you are approached by journalists, direct them to the media liaison.”
Ferrox turned to Garry. “Did you notice anything odd with Pyra before the accident?”
Garry glanced at Steve, who shrugged. “We were handling a delivery,” Garry said. “I didn’t see her pass the gate, not until we checked the CCTV later. The lunchtime crowd was thick. We didn’t notice anything until we heard a scream.”
Steve nodded. “I ran up to the scene. I saw her neck misaligned, like it had a high cervical break. No pulse, no breath. So, as an ex-corpsman, I knew she was gone; there was nothing I could do.”
Ferrox sighed. “Send me a copy of the CCTV files. Every angle you have.”
Steve said, “Sure. We got the accident on video, but it wasn’t very clear.”
“Thanks, that’s all for now. Keep me updated if you think of anything at all. Avery, please stay for a moment.”
Garry and Steve logged out. Avery, immersed in tethered synth music, didn’t hear them leave the room.
Ferrox said, “Take the rest of the day off, but when you get in tomorrow, I’ll get you to rename all the NPC modules. We’re naming the first release ‘Ezerboth, the Quest for the Book of Light.’ Can you edit all the placeholders in your modules to reflect the new name?”
Avery’s eyebrows shot up. “Yeah, okay, but I was kind of hoping to have a couple of days off. I mean, I need to process it all.”
Ferrox said, “I know it’s a big ask, but we’re on a deadline… next month’s release is tight, and with Pyra gone, it’s a mess. I don’t mean to pressure you, Avery, but if we miss it, we could all be out of work.” His eyes flicked to the window, as if tracing the ocean’s edge. “Take tomorrow off. Fish at the pier. I hear it’s your spot to unwind.”
Avery shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll see how I feel tomorrow. Do you want me to check the logs or test the tether system to see if it had anything to do with the accident?”
“We’re all shaken, Avery. I’ll check the logs myself… You need a break.”
“Well, I was thinking that I should do it. I did some work on the tether system module, and I kind of… well, I want to be sure it wasn’t my fault.”
“It wasn’t your fault. We know that the Wi-Fi doesn’t reach that area. Anyway, you’re too close to be objective. Take the rest of the afternoon and tomorrow off, and get back on the NPC module when you return. Thanks.”
Ferrox shimmered out of the meeting. Avery’s frustration erupted. He logged out of the tether. His eyes adjusted to the room’s artificial brightness as the visor went transparent. He dropped into a low crouch, clenching his fists. It was all too much: Pyra, the deadline, everything. “Ahh.” A sharp beep and a synthetic voice cut in: “Protocol Violation: Unauthorized Logout During Work Hours. Please reconnect immediately.” He swore under his breath. Guards like Garry and Steve could log out and walk away. But developers? They had to live in the VR world, feel every challenge, like players: no shortcuts.
Everything pulled him toward compliance: his headset, the company, even the silence around Pyra’s death. Something wasn’t right. He knew it. And he wasn’t stopping until he had proof.
Want to know when this story drops? Follow me on X (Twitter) for the latest updates, sneak peeks, and the big reveal!”