"So, how much link time have you logged?" Dr. Augustine asked as Brinn, Norm, and Jake followed her into the link room. Norm responded, "Uh, about 520 hours." Dr. Augustine's eyebrows raised, "That's good." She pointed to three link beds and said, "You're in there, you're there, and you're here." Brinn walked towards her appointed link bed and said, "I've seen the technology, but I've never experienced it before." Dr. Augustine sighed in slight disappointment and Brinn frowned. She asked Jake, "How much time have you logged?" Jake replied, "Zip. But I read a manual."
As Brinn settled onto the link bed, she could hear Dr. Augustine say, "Tell me you're joking." Jake muttered, "This is cool." Norm jumped onto his link bed and said, "Let's go." A crescendo of mechanical whirring filled Brinn's ears. A female technician came to strap her in, "Go ahead and lie still for me." Brinn did as she was told. The technician pulled something made out of lightweight metal over her chest and looked at the nearby screen on the wall. She turned back to the link bed and began to shut the top of it.
"Just relax." The technician said with a smile as she closed the top, leaving Brinn in the dark. The squishy, untextured gel-like padding underneath Brinn semi-lit up the cramped area. The sound of her own heartbeat thumped in Brinn's ears. The tiny space began to feel like it was closing in on her and her vision spun.
Brinn felt like her mind was beginning to slip away from her. Her thoughts slowed and dragged on, then eventually vanished. She inhaled shakily, struggling to remain calm like the technician said to. Her eyelids suddenly grew heavy and she slipped into unconsciousness.
A blinding light pierced Brinn's disoriented vision. She shut her eyes tightly, then blinked them open. The amplified hiss of a respirator sounded in her ears. Something felt…off. An unfamiliar face hovered above her. She squinted at the man. She could vaguely hear his muffled voice, which grew clearer as the seconds went by. "...Alright, She's in. Dr. Emberleigh, can you hear me?" Brinn nodded stiffly. A woman walked up and shined a light in Brinn's eyes. "Pupillary reflex is all good." She murmured to the man, who nodded in response.
The sound of fingers snapping near her ears made Brinn flinch. "Pinna response seems normal." The man said to the woman. "How do you feel?" He turned to Brinn. Brinn hesitated, then smiled, "I feel pretty good." She chuckled softly. Brinn began to sit up and the female nurse reached out to help. "There doesn't seem to be any truncal ataxia." She commented to the male nurse.
They then had Brinn do a couple of sensory motor reflex tests. She had a little bit of trouble at first, mostly due to shock at her blue fingers, but she eventually figured it out. "That's perfect. Great job." The male nurse nodded in approval after studying her actions. "Do you feel any lightheadedness or dizziness?" He asked. Brinn shook her head. Her newly attained height was throwing her off, but she would adjust.
She lifted her open hands to her face to study them, entranced by the intricate blue stripes and pale white specks that laced her fingers. "Distal motor control is good." The male nurse murmured. "Do you feel any numbness or pain?" The female nurse asked. Brinn replied, "No, I feel totally normal." She heard a few raised voices coming from behind her and glanced over her shoulder. She watched with wide eyes as Jake stood unsteadily. Dr. Patel's voice rang out over the intercom, "Guys, get him back on the gurney now." Nurses kept urging him to sit down.
"Jake! Listen to me. I need you to sit down. Jake!"
"Jake, you need to sit down right now."
Another male nurse said, "Listen to me. For your own safety, you need to sit down. You need time to adjust to the avatar- whoa! Jake!" Jake had whipped around and knocked a tray of medical equipment over with his tail, forcing the male nurse to jump out of the way. "Sedate! Sedate him!" The man yelled. "A thousand milligrams of Supitocam! Stat!" Brinn tensed. She placed her palms against the bed she sat on, resisting the urge to get up. Dr. Patel spoke again, "Guys, guys! Whoa, whoa!"
Jake's hand slammed against the glass separating them from the link room. He breathed heavily, groggily looking around. Dr. Patel began to yell, "You're not used to your avatar body, this is dangerous!" Jake grinned and laughed breathily, "This is great."
"Jake, they're gonna put you out." Norm said in a knowing tone. Dr. Patel continued, "Jake, listen to me." Jake simply began to laugh, ignoring the voices around him, and excitedly walked to the door. He pushed it open and left. Norm immediately stood. When a nurse told him to sit down, he said, "No, no. I gotta get out of these leads." Brinn waited a moment, then decided that she couldn't just sit there. She stood and waved away the nurses around her, "No, Brinn! Sit down!" She ignored their voices.
Two nurses ran out the door. As he left, the male nurse yelled, "Gosh dangit! Get them home! Norm, do not leave control!" Norm ran past a nurse and Brinn followed. Brinn had to duck as she ran down the hallway after Norm. Her heart raced. She could feel the cold metal flooring underfoot with each step. The nurses caught up and tried to stop Norm, but he resisted, "It's okay, I'll get him."
Brinn slowed to a stop as they exited the building. A wave of fresh-smelling air filled her nostrils. "Wow…" She breathed, distracted from the situation by the beautiful landscape. Lush, soaring mountains topped with hazy fog surrounded the area. It all looked surreal. In the distance she could see Jake start to sprint, followed by Norm. Without warning, a nurse rushed to her side and she felt a prick in her thigh. Before she could react, the world went dark.