Arcade

I never believed in heaven.

But I learned to believe in hell

when Mom sent me there.

Just when you think I'm here, the moment's gone.

Either everything's in the past, or it's in the future.

There is no now.

So where are you then?

I'm in the past.

We don't have to stop now.

Oh, no, that's okay.

I've got a class coming up anyway.

I've gotta study.

I must tell you,

I'm a little concerned about you, Alex.

Your grades have fallen.

That's going to limit your options in terms of college.

It's been almost a year now since your mother-

Killed herself?

Yes.

And now your father-

Is a basket case.

You know that, you've talked to him.

He might as well be dead too.

- Alex, would you like to come back again next week?

Look, Dr. Weaver,

I don't even know why I came down here.

I can't get her out of my head,

and there's nothing that you can say

that's gonna change that.

It's all my fault. I didn't try hard enough.

I must have let her down.

Hey, Alex.

- Fine, I'll show you. I'll definitely show you.

How did it go?

She thinks I'm sublimating.

What the hell does that mean?

- I'm sorry. - It means she's screwed up.

Fucked up, that's what they said I was.

You are fucked up.

Yeah, but only 'cause I wanna be.

- Come on, you guys, cut it out, all right? Please?

Look, those counselors don't know

what they're talking about.

They're full of shit.

You don't fit the perfect mold of a student, they freak.

I know, Greg.

- All right, so why don't you tell me you're all right then?

I'm all right.

Good.

Because I'd freak if you weren't.

Watch this.

Take off your glasses.

- Greg. - Come on, just take 'em off.

Give me one of those smiles I love so much.

Okay.

Will you hold this? - Yeah.

Let me see.

All right, well, the key is you gotta

move the emulsion around while it's still warm,

but it should come out.

There.

Hey, cool. Right on.

Safekeeping, all right, buddy?

Oh, you guys going to Dante's after school?

Um, I don't know.

Check it out.

It's the new Vertigo Tronics game.

It's interactive. The graphics are unbelievable.

Yeah?

They were handing these out at Dante's,

test marketing it or something?

Gonna have a demonstration today.

So, how about it?

I'm game. Greg?

Um, all right, we'll go,

we'll stop by Dante's Inferno,

and then we'll get some dinner after.

Keep on driving?

Yeah. Disappear forever?

Wanna go?

Hey, Mr. Finster!

Stilts, god damn it, I've got my eye on you!

Games like Arcade go beyond interaction.

I'm telling you, man, virtual reality

is the wave of the future.

Hey, Alex.

Sorry, man, I didn't see you there.

- Stilts. I thought I told you to stay out of here.

Well, I'm just, you know,

checking out the preview for Arcade.

Check it out, it's gonna be in there.

It's supposed to be real cool.

If it's so cool, then how come

they're previewing it in this shit hole?

Maybe if you weren't such a dick,

you'd see how cool this place really is.

Give me a break, man.

They got fucking Space Invaders in here.

That shit's for retards.

So what are you saying?

I'm, like, retarded? Is that what you're implying?

- No. - Cool.

Now that I'm standing here,

I'm noticing you're an ugly little fuck,

and you're making me sick.

- Stilts, cut it out, man! He'll kick your ass!

- Hey, hey, hey! - You stay out of

my face too, man. - Back off.

I said, back off.

You're gonna go after this guy?

Shut up!

- Come on, now, Mr. Finster. Everything's all right, man.

Everything's okay. - No, it's not.

What's the matter with you?

Look at the size of him. Shut up.

It's funny, huh? You think it's funny?

You're a shit, and I want you out of here.

Yeah? Well, your place sucks, man!

Who gives a fuck about Arcade anyway?

Try saying that to my face.

Ooh, pretty scary!

Out of the way, kids. Out of the way.

Mr. Finster, how are you? You look rested.

Come on, kids, I got something

to show you in the other room.

It'll blow a hole in your shorts.

Okay, out of the way here, kids. Out of the way.

Okay, kids, come on in here. Don't be frightened.

Don't be shy. Come on in.

This is Arcade.

We think it's gonna be a big seller.

But do you know what?

You're the guys that make it happen.

You're the market share that we're all

tearing each other apart to get at.

It's your opinion that's gonna make us or break us.

So how about you? You wanna give it a try?

- Oh, no, no. It wouldn't be much of a challenge.

See, Alex always loses.

- Never ending design problems, that's what I heard.

So aside from the package, what makes Arcade so different?

Now there's a man after my own heart.

Straight to the point.

What makes Arcade different is the way it reacts.

It responds like a human does.

Each time you play it, it changes its strategy.

It learns. It adapts.

And it's all done in virtual reality.

It's so real you'll actually think

that you're in the game board.

That's impossible.

- You think so? Why don't you give it a go?

Show him what's up, Nick.

- The cyber gloves are key to the game's response mechanism.

You'll be able to pick things up inside the world,

tools, weapons, and they'll actually feel

as if they're in your own hands.

The goggles, they heighten the experience.

When we said reality will never be the same,

we weren't kidding.

What's this button? Escape?

- Yeah, well, that's in case things get a little intense.

It's kind of like an eject button.

Things can get a little squirrely, you know?

Nick won't need it.

Oh, yeah? You're good, huh?

The best.

So what's the scenario?

Am I trying to save a princess?

Fighting zombies? Killing mutants?

- Well, it changes. There are seven levels.

Each one is a different layer of the Arcade universe.

The concept is you enter the video world itself,

the virtual world, and you make your way

across the game board to Arcade's brain, its soul.

Okay, so let me ask you something.

If I die, is it a virtual death or a real one?

Like, do I go to a virtual heaven?

Can my parents collect virtual insurance benefits?

Funny guy.

Anyway, how do I start?

My treat. Here, do something useful.

Okay.

Enjoy.

Stand back.

I am the future.

I am Arcade.

If you want to play games,

you picked the wrong machine.

What's your name?

Nick.

Nick, kiss reality goodbye.

What's it doing?

It's memorizing his features.

Nick?

Be careful, Nick.

If you spend too much time on one level,

I'll send out the Screamer.

Then there's no escape.

What the hell?