Author: i really wanted to write this. Any refferences can be found at my deviantart page. Just take out the parathesis. .com
Artemis stood, leaning on the balcony and staring out at the grey that stretched before him. He didn't pay much attention to it though because he was lost in thought. A lot had happened since he'd created this world and it had developed its own life, something he hadn't foreseen. Originally it was meant to be a game, but now it was much more.
A female voice interrupted his thinking, "Artemis?"
He turned to her, a look of surprise on his face that turned to worry when he saw her expression, and said, "Yes, Serana?"
The woman sighed and sat on the balcony's edge, looking out at the grey. She spoke with sarcasm, "A real great sight, isn't it?"
He looked at her seriously and tried to get her to tell him what was really on her mind, "What's wrong, Serana? I know you didn't come up here to talk about the view."
"You got me," she said, "I thought it'd be a good way to start the conversation. There's something I need to ask you."
He raised an eyebrow and said, "Whatever it is I'm here for you."
She nodded and continued, "Do you remember what you said when you found me? I've been thinking about it ever since then. You're not like other people, Artemis."
He looked to the ground thinking, In more ways than you know…
Serana pressed forward, determined to say what needed to be said, "I think about you a lot, all the time really. The things you say, what you do, everything about you fascinates me and I can't get you off my mind. We've been together for a while now and I was thinking that it may be nice to be something… more."
He looked up at her now, surprised, and asked, "What do you mean by more?"
She smiled kindly, her red eyes looking directly into his, "Artemis… What I'm trying to ask is, will you marry me?"
"What are you up to, Artemis?"
"Huh?" the raven-haired teen asked, looking up from his computer. On the monitor to his right a centaur stared at him curiously and with a little suspicion. This took the boy by surprise, but he didn't let it show.
He cleared his throat and answered in the business-like tone that was normal for him, "I am constructing a system that will digitize a person into a virtual reality where they will be capable of interacting with objects and people in said reality."
The centaur wrinkled his nose for a moment then said, "So, it's an interactive video game?"
"No, Foaly, it will be a tool to use to conduct meetings with people around the world face-to-face without the need for actual travel. Say you and I were to schedule a meeting to discuss a new technology, the two of us would simply use this device to digitize ourselves into the virtual world that would be running on its own server. From there we would be able to have our meeting as we would normally without leaving our respective homes and return to the same place instantly when we are finished." Artemis responded matter-of-factly.
Foaly rolled his eyes and asked in an attempt to chance the subject, "What's with the bracelet?"
Artemis glanced at the silver band sitting next to his keyboard. He picked it up; opening it from the bottom, revealing that it was pliable by falling into a straight line when both ends had been freed. He wrapped it around his wrist and closed it once more, then pointed the top, which hand a tiny panel built into it, toward the webcam on top of his monitor. Once again he began to explain, "This 'bracelet' is the control mechanism to get in and out of the virtual space. By touching the panel a holographic screen will be projected to choose options from. The only option that will be available in reality will be to enter a virtual world, but once one enters a various number of options will appear based on clearance level and server choice. This is the first and only one I've created. I am currently setting up a world as a test before I proceed with creating the full version to be marketed."
"Ok. That's kind of impressive, but if I had wanted to do something like that I could have at any time." Foaly huffed.
Artemis ignored his comment and continued working on his project, typing in lines of coded that would create objects. Foaly, even though he didn't want to admit it, was interested in this project. He tried to sound uninterested as he asked, "So, what will it look like?"
Artemis didn't look up, but he replied by saying, "It will look exactly as it does now. The appearance of this prototype is also the final design."
The centaur rolled his eyes again and said, "I didn't mean the bracelet, mud boy! I meant the virtual world!"
"It will be a simple room," Artemis responded, "with a conference table and chairs. It's only a test."
"That seems kind of boring, Artemis. If I created a world, even as a test, I'd make it some place amazing. I mean, it's your world, so why not make it somewhere that you can be exactly what you want to be without the things in reality the hold you back?"
Artemis was silent for a while, thinking about what his friend had said. Eventually Foaly yawned and told the teen before leaving, "It's getting late, Mud boy. I'm off. Can't wait to hear how your big project's coming along tomorrow."
After another half hour Artemis erased the code he had written. Nothing to hold me back… he thought to himself. He would never admit it, but Foaly had been right. He began writing a new code for an entire world of his own design, programming NPC's and places. It would be a world where he could do what he wanted, instead of the things that were expected of him. For years Artemis had worked to be what his father wanted him to be and to take over the family business as was expected of him. Even now, he tried hard to be what his parents wanted, though it was in a different way than before. The idea of a world where he could be his own person was something he couldn't deny that he wanted, so he spent the night creating it. By morning he had finished and fallen asleep at his keyboard.