Back to Reality (MF, rom) Ellen had awakened in pain again. She checked the time, then thankfully swallowed two painkillers. The throbbing ache from her hip gradually diminished until she could once more successfully ignore it. If she had known what the result would have been she would never have run to the rescue. Well that wasn't really true. You would have to be a totally selfish person to stand by and watch someone die because you were worried you might hurt yourself. She hadn't even rationalized the situation at the time. Instinct and adrenaline had her racing over to the wrecked car without conscious thought. The smell of petrol had been heavy in the air and she had been frantic to drag the driver a safe distance away before the inevitable explosion. She had almost made it but the blast had thrown out a twisted chunk of metal that had landed on her back. Burning fragments were falling on and around them as the ambulance had arrived and she slipped into merciful unconsciousness. The doctors had performed miracles and she should have been grateful that there was a good chance she would walk again. She would probably always drag one leg but the experts were confident that with plenty of physiotherapy she would make it. It had helped that the woman she had rescued was Adrienne Peters, a well-known financier who had made sure she had been given the best and latest of everything. Well aware that she owed her life to Ellen, Adrienne had gone out of her way to show her gratitude in any way she could think of. Her latest idea had arrived yesterday. It used the latest advances in virtual reality to create a completely believable experience without ever having to leave the house. Since Ellen was housebound for a while it seemed the ideal thing to entertain her. A technician was coming to show Ellen exactly how to use it but she wasn't that excited. Few of the virtual reality machines she had seen before really delivered what they promised. When the technician arrived he turned out to be an intense mix of engineer and salesman. He introduced himself as 'Baz' and launched straightaway into an enthusiastic spiel about the machine. Phrases such as 'total immersion technology', 'central processing unit' and 'VR3000 Graphics Chip' flew over her head until eventually his ebullience wound down. "Okay, Baz. I didn't understand any of that. Can you just tell me as simply as possible how it works?" He grinned at her. "Sorry I get carried away. Basically in the past virtual reality was created by producing images that your eyes found believable. The YR3000 is unique because we bypass the eyes and plug straight into your brain. We don't have to worry about co-ordinating movement and vision because you don't actually move. Tiny electrical signals fool your brain into thinking you are moving. So you get a completely believable experience." "Couldn't that be a bit dangerous, though?" "We have safeguards built into the programmes. For instance say you fall off a building in the programme. Your fall would gradually slow until you were floating. Then you would get a menu telling you what went wrong and offering you options to return to a previous point in the programme or to quit." "How do I stop a programme when it's running?" "You just say 'programme exit' and the programme will freeze and a menu will appear asking if you want to quit or continue." "What about power surges or cuts?" "The VR3000 is protected by several fuses and trip switches so it's impossible for a power surge to affect it. There is also a back-up battery which can run the VR3000 for sixty hours and automatically recharges itself when the power comes back on." "Sixty hours? Isn't that a bit of overkill?" "Not really. Most programmes last about a fortnight." "What! A fortnight hooked up to some computer game. You've got to be kidding me." "Wait until you've tried it. That's why it has intravenous drips to make sure you get necessary nutrients and liquids and tubes to deal with waste. The bed has to be specially fitted to the player to make sure you don't get bedsores or abrasions. Your body will be automatically turned and stretched without you being aware of it. I'll have to come every month to restock everything and check there's no adjustments needed. Now how about giving it a whirl." Baz helped her into the bed, which resembled a sun-bed in design. He showed her how to hook up the various tubes and electrical wires. Finally he helped her fit the headset. Now all she had to do was choose a program. He had brought a selection with him and she decided to start with 'Romeo and Juliet'. Although her eyes were open Baz's face faded as everything turned black. In front of her words floated as a sonorous voice read them. "Welcome to your VR3000 'Romeo and Juliet' experience. Please choose your character. "Juliet" Ellen said, reaching out a hand to touch the icon labelled Juliet. 'Thank you. Romeo and Juliet' will begin in five, four, three, two, one..." * * * * * Ellen was just finishing her meal when she heard a voice calling her name. Walking into the next room she found Nurse bustling towards her. "Did someone call me?" Ellen asked. "Your mother," Nurse replied, tweaking her dress straight and smoothing her hair. "Yes mother, did you want something?" "This is the matter. Nurse, give leave a while. We must talk in secret. Nurse, come back again. I have remembered me, thou's hear our counsel. Thou knowest my daughter's of a pretty age." "Faith, I can tell her age unto an hour," Nurse replied. "She's not fourteen." "I'll lay fourteen of my teeth - and yet, to my teen be it spoken, I have but four - she's not fourteen. How long is it now to Lammastide?" Nurse answered. Ellen listened to her in surprise. She wondered for a moment why her old Nurse was talking so strangely. Then she remembered that this was the VR3000. It was incredibly realistic. She had automatically answered to the name Juliet and she had known without question that the patrician woman in front of her was her mother and the plump woman was her nurse. She became aware that her mother was asking her a question. "How stands your disposition to be married?" "That depends on who you want me to marry," Ellen answered. "In brief: the valiant Paris seeks you for his love." "A man, young lady, lady, such a man as all the world - why, he's a man of wax." "Oh I hope not Nurse," Ellen laughed, "He won't be much use to me if his hard bits melt when things get hot." "It is you who will melt from his heat, lady," Nurse cackled. "Speak briefly: can you like of Paris' love?" Lady Capulet asked. "Well I'd have to meet him first," Ellen answered. Just then a servant who Ellen at once knew was called Peter came in. "Madam, the guests are come, supper served up, you called, my young lady asked for, the Nurse cursed in the pantry, and everything in extremity. I must hence to wait. I beseech you follow straight." "We follow thee. Juliet, the County stays." "Go, girl; seek happy nights to happy days." Ellen winked at Nurse before she obediently followed Lady Capulet. As she worked her way through the various courses Ellen was amazed by the realism of the program. She could taste the food, feel the warm Italian air on her skin, hear the musicians play, feel the silk of her dress on her body. People she spoke to reacted in a realistic manner to her comments even though she made no attempt to modify her speech to more Shakespearean speech patterns. Paris was a very handsome young man, polite to a fault. It was obvious he found her attractive and knew her parents welcomed his suit but he made no attempt to be intimate with her. Ellen soon found his punctilious speech boring. She was relieved when at last they moved through to the courtyard where the dancing would take place. Curious Ellen looked around, trying to guess which of the masked men milling around was Romeo. She had been given a mask to wear by a servant and the restricted view through the eye-slits added to the feeling of excitement and anticipation. She almost forgot that she was in a computer program as she danced her way from partner to partner. After months of being unable to move without pain it was exhilarating to whirl around to the music. She was taking a rest while her last partner went to get her a drink when someone touched her hand. Turning she saw a masked man standing close to her. His mask covered his nose and eyes and she could only see his firm chin and sensuous mouth but she knew this had to be Romeo. "If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentler sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." Ellen smiled at him. "Well let's test these pilgrims and see if they have anything to blush about," she suggested and kissed him. He was startled at first but soon his lips were moulding to hers and the hairs on her neck were tingling. In the recess of her mind she was marvelling at the verisimilitude of the program but most of her concentration was on the feel of Romeo's mouth. She parted her lips and welcomed his tongue, swaying against him. She was really starting to enjoy herself when she felt someone tugging at her skirt. "Madam, your mother craves a word with you," Nurse hissed urgently. Reluctantly Ellen removed her mouth from his. Still she had better go. It would not do to have the fighting start too soon. She leaned forward and whispered in Romeo's ear. "Come to my balcony after everyone has gone". Her mother began scolding her as soon as she arrived for not spending enough time with Paris but Ellen had no intention of wasting her time being reprimanded. She wanted to see just how good the VR3000 was. "I promised this dance, mother and I don't want to disappoint my partner. I'll speak to you later." Ellen hurried away and slid her hand around the arm of the first unattached male she came across. "Dance this one with me," she invited, smiling as winsomely as she could. "I would be honoured, my lady," he replied and swept her into the dance. She was whirled from one partner to another through the dance's movements until she ended spinning breathlessly in her partner's arms. "That was wonderful!" she enthused as they took the customary post-dance promenade around the courtyard. Her partner was wearing the obligatory mask so all she could see of his features were his strong chin and dark curly hair. "Come and walk with me in the garden," she suggested impulsively. "My lady, you know not who I am. 'Tis not a wise invitation from so innocent a maid." "So tell me your name." "I am known as Mercutio, kinsman to Paris and close companion of Romeo, only son of your great enemy Lord Montague." He swept off his mask with a bow and smiled challengingly at her. He was older than Romeo had seemed, more a man than a boy, with a reckless gleam in his eye and, in Ellen's opinion, very attractive. "Oh these silly squabbles have nothing to do with us. Come on, walk with me." For a moment he resisted but then he obeyed her and followed her out into the gardens. The Italian night was warm with a soft wind gently whispering the leaves on the trees. Away from the candles the purple twilight surrounded and isolated them. There were quiet murmurs and rustlings, which indicated that they were not the only ones to investigate the privacy of the gardens. Ellen led the way to a seat surrounded by honeysuckle and roses. She breathed deeply, enjoying the heady scent and marvelling again at the verisimilitude of the program. Mischievously she decided to see how adaptable the program was. It was logical that the main characters were well researched but she wondered how much time had been spent on minor characters and just what would happen if she decided to change the plot. She moved closer next to Mercutio and slid her arms around his neck. "Kiss me, Mercutio." "Fain would I refuse so sweet an invite but my lady, thy kinsman would murder me if 'twere discovered I stole a kiss from thy maiden lips." "Well I guess I'll just have to kiss you," Ellen told him, suiting the action to the words. His lips were firm and warm and she could faintly taste the wine he had been drinking. His resistance didn't last long and soon their tongues were entwining and his hands were roaming over her body. It was easy enough for him to slip his hand inside the neckline of her dress to find her breasts. It had been so long since a man had touched her and she revelled in the sensations. Dimly she was aware that he wasn't real, just a computer-generated image in her brain, but at that moment she didn't really care. His fingers were tracing delicate patterns over her breasts sending shivers of delight through her. Eagerly she pushed aside his clothing, running her hands through the curly hairs on his chest before tackling the tight leggings he wore. He pulled away from the kiss and started to protest but she forestalled him by flicking his nipple with her tongue. He gave a groan of pleasure and returned his attention to her breasts. She finally managed to free his cock, thankful that the program designers had remembered to include this vital part of the male anatomy. Without any more ado she hoisted up her skirts and knelt astride him. Slowly she lowered herself onto him, feeling his hard shaft slide into her. His hands cupped her bottom to help her move and his mouth was busy between her breasts. She arched her back as her orgasm flooded through her, vaguely registering that the man below her was climaxing also. She sprawled on top of Mercutio, unsure what to say. She had basically just used him to see if the VR3000 could simulate sexual feelings. Judging by the orgasm that she had just had the answer was a resounding yes. Yet somehow she felt a little guilty and awkward. She couldn't just say, "Thanks a lot. Now I'm off to flirt with Romeo in accordance with the plot." She was rescued from her dilemma by everything around her gradually darkening and some words appeared in front of her, a voice reading them aloud. "We are sorry to interrupt your VR3000 'Romeo and Juliet' experience. An outside agency has paused the program temporarily. The programme will stop on the count of five. One, two, three, four, five." The voice gradually faded away and Ellen opened her eyes to see Baz peering down at her. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to make a couple of small adjustments. Your program will have been automatically saved so you can start from the same place if you want to. If you could just hop out for a minute." Ellen sat up slowly, the stab of pain in her hip a harsh reminder of reality. She disconnected everything, then pulled herself upright using the walking frame. She was slightly embarrassed, wondering if Baz could tell what she had been doing in the program. He had said her body didn't actually move when she was in the VR3000 but she could feel faint tremors in her legs still from her orgasm and she was definitely very wet between her legs. It was only human nature, though. Whatever new technology came along one of the first things humans tried to do with it was to see if it could be used for sex; the telephone, TV, the Internet, and now the VR3000. She was sure she wasn't the first and she would not be the last to indulge in virtual reality sex. Still she would prefer it if no one else knew. Baz tinkered with bits and pieces for a moment then straightened up. "That's it. All done. You're all set now. Any problems just give me a ring. My number is on the card. I brought you a selection of programmes and I've left you a catalogue of what's available. There're new ones coming out all the time. If you let me know what you fancy, I'll bring them with me when I come to service your machine. Have fun."