New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Opening his eyes inside the pod, Alexander reached up to open it. He pushed the top slightly as it lifted mechanically.

Alex went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up. Next, he ate a light breakfast before taking a short one-hour nap.

Although the game put him in some form of sleep, it was always better to have some proper sleep too, just so the body would regulate itself. He had learned that the hard way.

After his nap, Alexander went for a run before heading to the gym for his training session. Today was boxing, and his trainer was already waiting for him in the ring when he arrived.

"Ahh! There you are. I was starting to wonder if you gave up training after your misadventure!" his trainer, Clark, said.

"I haven't. But I might not be able to do much, since my arm is still out of commission for a few weeks. I was actually coming to ask what I could do with only one arm." Alex replied, pointing his arm in a sling.

"Well damn. And I was hoping to spar with you today. You should have told me you couldn't move your arm." Clark said, looking disappointed.

"Sorry. I forgot to mention it." Alexander said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Bah! It's ok. I'll find you something. We can start with skipping rope, to keep your cardio high, while you heal." Clark answered, waving his hand dismissively.

"I only have one hand available. How is that going to work?" Alex asked.

"Simple. We tie the other side to a pole or something. If we tie it at the right height, it'll be like you're holding it." Clark responded, flashing a big grin.

Throughout the three-hour training session, Clark kept finding solutions to accommodate his situation. Changing exercises, or coming up with new ones.

Alexander was happy he had gotten an excellent trainer, because some would have told him to rest up instead of working around his current handicap. But Clark was always bright and resourceful.

During the session, Alexander tried coming up with a way to convince Clark to start playing New Eden, but his efforts had yet to yield results. The man was adamant about not playing video games.

He kept saying they were bad for your body and brain, making you flabby and making your brain mushy. He also kept saying that had never been very good at games.

Alexander tried explaining to him that with VR it was the same as using your actual body, so he would do fine. He even told him some classes were perfect for martially apt people.

Clark had said he would try it, mostly trying to get him off his back, so Alexander had dropped the subject. Throughout the three-hour session, he rapidly noticed something.

Training with a locked body part was especially exhausting. By the time the session was over, Alexander was sweaty in places he thought couldn't sweat.

He was out of breath, and his left side was sore from compensating for his clipped right arm. But it still satisfied him.

He grabbed his stuff and reminded Clark about the game before leaving.

"Yeah, yeah! I'll try it out. But you better not slack on my training because of this!" Clark had responded, heading for the gym showers.

Alexander preferred his shower, where he was safe, to the open showers at the gym. He had become slightly paranoid after the attack on his home, and took the safer option whenever he could.

After getting back home, Alexander took a long, hot shower, and put some clean clothes on. He then made himself lunch, cooking up a nice omelette, filled with vegetables, cheese, and bacon.

He needed the calories after his training, otherwise, he would feel burnt out. He sat outside on his big balcony to eat his omelette, looking down at the cityscape below.

After eating, he washed his dishes and sat back outside, picking up a book he had started. But something cut his peaceful reading time short.

His intercom rang. Someone was calling up his apartment from the lobby.

He walked back inside, tapping the screen to answer.

"Hello."

"Hello, Mr. Leduc. Sorry to disturb you at lunch hour, but you have a guest." The receptionist said.

"A guest? I wasn't expecting any guests. Who is it?" Alexander asked, frowning.

He then heard a deep voice over the intercom.

"Tell him it's Khalor." the person said.

Before the receptionist could even transfer the message, Alexander told her to let the man up. Then he shut down the intercom.

He had been waiting for this meeting for some time now. He stood before the screen, waiting for the camera in the elevator to reveal David's face.

But when the man stepped into the elevator, the camera blurred out entirely. It was wavy and choppy, like someone was rocking it.

'Is he using a jammer?' Alexander was wondering.

He gave up looking at the screen and instead went to wait before the elevator door. A few moments later, the elevator arrived.

*Ding!*

When the doors opened, something flew out at Alexander. His reflexes kicked in, twisting his body and catching the object with his available hand.

That's when he saw what it was. It was a throwing knife!

Alexander turned his head back at the elevator, as the man inside it walked out slowly.

"Good. I see you are at least ready for intrusions this time." David said, grinning widely.

That's when he took off his hood, revealing his face to Alexander. Before him stood a well-built man, with brown hair and blue eyes.

The man had an aura about him that commanded respect. It was like Alexander was standing before a military officer.

"David Magnus, pleased to make your acquaintance in person finally," David said, extending his hand forward.

"You could have killed me! I'm already wounded!" Alexander growled.

He then dropped the knife to the ground before shaking David's hand. Alex half expected this kind of thing, but now that it happened, he felt slightly peeved.

'What kind of man barges into another man's home, throwing knives at him?' Alexander grumbled internally.

But when he shook his hand, a vision flashed in his eyes. When David had taken off his hood, he reminded him of someone.

*Gasp*

"It was you, that day in the alley!" He exclaimed.