Free Sample
Preview from chapter one
All characters are over 18.
The tall glass building of Digital Dreams, Inc. stood out in the city skyline. On the thirty-seventh floor, five people sat around a big table looking at photos of women.
Matt pushed some pictures forward. "These are the ones we want," he said. "Perfect for our new game."
Jason, the boss who started the company, picked up a photo. "Good. When can they start?"
"Next week," Matt said. "Rachel, Andrea, Jane, and Greta. Greta looks exactly like the Viking warrior we need."
Digital Dreams made games with characters that looked almost real. They won many awards for their special way of making game people look like real people.
But the company had a secret. Deep under the building was a hidden place where the real work happened.
"Did they sign the papers?" Andrea asked. She handled all the legal stuff.
Matt nodded. "Yep. They think they're normal job papers. They don't read the small print on page twenty-seven."
"Good," Jason said with a smile. "They need to think this is just a regular job. We'll pay them three times what others pay. Nobody says no to that."
Rachel spoke next. "Their apartments are ready too. All set up with the special... equipment."
The company gave models fancy places to live while they worked there. The models thought this was just a nice job perk. They didn't know about the hidden devices in the walls, the special stuff in the air system, or the secret cameras.
"What about the new tiny devices?" Jason asked Jane, who ran the research team.
Jane showed a picture on her tablet. "Ready to go. Can't be seen once we put them in during their 'health check.' Work better than the old ones."
What Digital Dreams told the public about their technology was only part of the truth. The real secret that made their game characters look so alive was something they kept hidden.
"Perfect," Jason said, standing up. "Our players want the most real game experience. If these new models work out like the others did, our new game will be a huge hit."
When everyone left, Matt stayed behind. He looked at the pictures of the four women who would soon walk through their doors. They thought they were getting normal jobs at a famous game company.
They had no idea what was really going to happen to them.