Flashout

Air is low on fresh additives today.

Of course, it's long ceased to matter.

The universe is stupid.

But the multiverse?

No, not the infinitely inter-connected universe

of all universes.

All knowing.

Sentient.

This was my boss.

It gave me, gave those like me

small jobs,

minor adjustments.

That's how it all began for me.

Imagine you playing for real

in new worlds that you create,

real as the world you live in now.

Only you'll actually be there.

Enjoy an unlimited variety

of temporary but actual mini-universes.

Thanks to our unprecedented breakthrough

in the science of cosmic forces.

This is InterMate,

the very latest hyper interactive reality game.

In a guess who's real game of chance.

I'm Desa and I love this game.

You will too.

You can share your new world with friends

and amazing strangers.

Before your micro-universe collapses,

you must find out who's real and who's not.

Is he real or is he not?

Signal your choice.

But don't get fooled by the virtual players.

Find the real players before your micro-universe collapses

and experience our cosmo-neurological jackpot.

Nice moves.

Really nice moves.

Choose your right players

and your mutual focus ignites

our incredible flashout climax.

Ahhh!

The perfect extreme of ecstasy can be yours.

Subscribe now to our blind date alternate world game.

Visit real worlds, not virtual.

Experience actual baby universes

for two,

three,

or four players.

Step into cosmically astonishing new realities

with our exclusive white hole science breakthrough,

Intermate. Ready now through all microtainment outlets

within the habitat.

I had been assigned to this universe,

assigned to shut down InterMate,

to freeze it as is.

Use a simple quantum block, a small half measure.

To merely suspend their upstart mini realities?

That's all?

It was another weak work order.

I had more than I could remember,

mundane, repetitive.

Meanwhile, here, they were actually decoding

the hidden forces of space-time itself.

This time I had to break the rules.

I would improvise.

Use my own advance strategies,

my ideas for protecting the multiverse.

I would stop these hackers from unraveling

the actual fabric of reality.

Stop them totally and for good.

Dess

Yes, Taloor?

Good news,

I booked you for that holocast dream song.

Just a moment.

Now is that the sound of an agent

who sometimes works for me?

Please, I got you InterMate, didn't I?

Yeah, strange game.

Why, what's strange?

You play, you flashout, and you're home again.

I wanna work on things I actually care about.

Come on, Desa.

You're the official spokesperson for InterMate.

Tell me that's not a good thing.

I'll give you that.

But you also tried to book me for Vimalux.

Seriously Taloor, Vimalux?

A do-it-yourself gene splicer.

Work is work, Desa.

You were just getting started.

InterMate is making you a celebrity now.

Yes, it is.

I'm still on for the Synesthesia project at eight?

It's yours, holo confirmed.

Auto schedule finalized.

Smooches.

Desa, time for a quick game of InterMate?

These face paint technologies haven't advanced

for a thousand years. I'm sorry Lleva, no.

I have a holorecording at eight.

I've got it all set, no prob'lies.

We'll do one with Iastar.

Who's she?

You'll love her.

She's over 200, so beautifully age-retarded.

She's played just about every game.

Look, Lleva, I'm just the spokesperson for InterMate.

I just recite the words.

I never play these eccentric group games.

I don't need to.

Get out of your hypocritical rut!

I'm not hypocritical.

I just like to keep things real.

Channels S346.

No, I have a holo at eight!

The perfect extreme of ecstasy can be yours.

Subscribe now to our blind date alternate world game.

Visit real worlds, not virtual.

Welcome in, Iastar.

Love when you make me feel so inhabited.

Say, I do have one prime message.

Hi, I'm keeping our InterMate date.

It's really like going some place else, isn't it?

I know I'll see you there.

We're hitting channels S346, a four player.

Hello - Hello.

Yeah, you knew I'd be up for it.

A flash of fun will do you good.

Hello - Hello.

Where's all the players?

There.

This should be a quick game.

That's not a virtual player?

It's the only one here, it's real.

Come on.

Are you it?

Wait, where you going?

Chase him!

Why are you chasing me?

Why did you run?

Because you coming at me.

Time to focus.

We know you're not a virtual player.

Mutually observed reality ritual.

Hey, hey, hey, I'm warning you, step back.

Flash time.

[glass shattering and scrambling]

He is only a virtual.

Whoa.

Where'd I go?

Why didn't he disappear?

It's wrong.

A virtual player with actual flashouts.

Why aren't we feeling it?

You want players?

Follow me.

Follow.

It was my time now.

I had the coordinates for perfect interception.

All I had to do was intervene with their game,

disrupt it in just the right way.

My plan was underway,

a masterfully designed intervention, finely tuned.

Ladies, please

let me be of service.

You're cute.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...

There you go.

You like it?

It's new. I just got it.

A little birthday present.

Gentle now, gentle.

Interesting, the realtime hasn't run out.

Interesting?

I have a holorecording to get to.

Sit down, take it easy.

You can work it out.

It's like he's been flashed out but not really.

This does nothing.

There's no escape game circle, virtual sounds,

fake reality encoder.