Prisoners of VR

"Can I...take some time to think?" Deepika asked, overwhelmed by the weight of information she received. She couldn't verify it when she wasn't privy to the truth, knowing just the dangers and the reasons related to it.

But the captured DOVA Agent was enough proof for all her doubts. A DOVA Agent was a strategic resource. From the DOVA uVR Earth to the virtual model they use to express their prowess of Induced Reality, everything was controlled by the state.

Moreover, the DOVA uVR Earth could only be procured from Pomegranate Corporation when a country displays a candidate with the capabilities to handle one. Megasphere would personally verify their brainpower.

And only when granted permission from multiple authorities would a DOVA uVR Earth even be dispatched from Pomegranate Corporation Headquarters located in Australia. All accounts were strictly kept, not to mention the information network cast in the country from spies of all countries.

It was impossible for a DOVA Agent to be created without the official channel.

Just consider Rahu's Liger for example. Its digital model was based on an actual Liger. To create it, a team of experts 3D scanned it with the highest definition capture model. This was just in terms of outer appearance.

X-Ray, thermal imaging, cell data, behavioural traits, genetic characteristics, and even DNA. Every single thing that made the respective Liger live and behave as itself, including its ageing was captured over a year without break.

From its breathing to the way it ate and shat, everything was recorded. Not just that, but the way it reacted to various things, from a human to a plant to an animal, to a rock, to rain, to sunlight, etc. Even its taste buds weren't spared.

All these data were combined to create a perfect replica of the original. That was Rahu's Liger, one despite being a digital model, aged over time. All the data necessary to replicate it was there.

This implied that the Liger could even learn from experiences, just as its real version would. Only at this level would the Liger actually be effective when used in Induced Reality.

The way it ran, the killing intent it emitted, the stench of its breath, the blood on its teeth from hunting prey, and the way it targeted humans, all was information necessary to trigger a primal fear from humans when they encounter it.

It wasn't limited to humans alone, but all biological creatures.

Otherwise, even if the Liger appeared before anyone, if it didn't seem real, it would be no different from a doll. That wouldn't trigger a reaction from them meant towards a living, breathing carnivore.

It was why a DOVA Agent was a strategic resource. After all, without being state-sponsored, one couldn't even be created. The required money to create, train, and develop one was simply astronomical.

This simply meant that the DOVA Agent they had captured originated from some country. The fact that they had captured someone of such a calibre meant that they had truly offended the respective country.

And considering Rahu's secret, this was just the start. More countries would target him even at the risk of their DOVA Agent's death. The secret was just that valuable.

The more she thought, the farther her terror developed, 'What...have I got myself into?'

"You have until I arrive at the office tomorrow." Saying so, Rahu dismissed her from his Virtual Space. He then got up and walked out of the dimly lit room, raising his hand to hug a Liger that pounced upon him.

"Did it hurt back then?" He rubbed its belly and asked in concern, "That opponent was strong, right?"

Purr!

The Liger showed its belly and rolled around. After playing it for a minute, Rahu gazed at the countless feline eyes staring at him from the dark. He paused for a moment before patting the Liger on the head, "Be a good boy now, alright?"

Watching it lick his face in response, Rahu laughed and disappeared from the Virtual Space, opening his eyes in reality as he stared at Deepika, motioning for her to leave his room.

"How many..." Deepika paused just as she touched the door, asking as she turned around, "How many know people know that you have it?"

"Anyone that needs to know already knows." Rahu replied, "That included both my allies and enemies."

"I see..." Nodding as such, Deepika returned to her room and weakly climbed her bed. She wrapped the bedsheet around her crouched form, trembling like a leaf in fear, "I...didn't sign up for that..."

She recalled the moment when Rahu casually gained control of her drone. That was a blow to her confidence. From getting into a course to becoming part of the group that could be equipped with a military uVR Earth to finally obtaining it; and from that day onwards, relentlessly training through sleepless nights to control the drone using her uVR Earth, Deepika had endured a lot.

Finally, she became head of the security team for a DOVA Agent, reaching the height of her career at the young age of 32. It was an accomplishment in and of itself. Moreover, during her career, she had been through her fair share of trouble.

And every single time, she displayed her dominance when compared to her military uVR Earth-wielding peers. But even for her, gaining control of her peer's drone would take a lot of time, with a significant chance of failure.

While she was focused on it, her comrades would attempt to distract the target individual. The moment his control slipped up, she would wedge through his command over the drone. It was a mental tussle following that, and the winner of the tug of war would gain control over the drone.

But Rahu's display of power was like facing a tsunami. Within a second, control over her drone was wrestled from her and fell into his grasp. It was an absolute display of dominance in the field.

"He's a...monster. Do I...have to face such monsters in the future?" This was her worry. Her pride didn't allow her to back down but she was also afraid. The ability she trained during all her service years could be rendered useless in an instant.

What would it mean if the security had to be protected instead?

The previous Chief was a diplomatic person by nature. He never lost his cool or even flexed his abilities. And having never faced a DOVA Agent, Deepika had underestimated the powers of one.

Rahu opened her eyes to reality. But even that would have been fine. DOVA Agents were targeted from time to time, but it was mostly by people that she and her security team could handle.

But what if the attacker was another DOVA Agent? She would be helpless. Her hands trembled as tears streamed out of her eyes. Deepika gripped the pillow and squeezed it, screaming in silence.

A notification resounded in her uVR Earth. She hurriedly wiped her tears and adjusted her appearance, connecting to the call to stare at her husband, "Have you eaten?"

He had called through a smartphone. Since people had gotten used to using one, even after they switched over to uVR Earth, many still carried one. It was also more convenient to video call through a smartphone since uVR Earth only displayed a first-person perspective in video calls.

If they wished to talk properly, they would have to enter Virtual Reality.

Her husband was seated on the bed, exhausted. Asleep on either side of him were a pair of twins, three years old. Staring at their sleeping faces gave her strength as Deepika involuntarily smiled.

"Not yet," Her husband smiled wryly, "They just fell asleep. They'll wake up if I move now. I'll eat later once they are deep in sleep."

"You need to rest. Your dark circles have gotten worse." Deepika said in worry before apologising, "Sorry I couldn't be there for you. My work doesn't give me any free time."

"Hey, I told you not to worry about that." Her husband flexed his biceps, "I'm fit as a bull. Taking care of two brats is simple as breathing."

"Besides," He smiled wryly, "Didn't I resign from my job just for this? Don't worry and focus on your work. Whenever you're free, call me. Looking at their cute faces gives you strength."

"I miss them..." Deepika said as her voice trembled. She choked a little as tears streamed out of her eyes. Covering her mouth to prevent her cries from echoing out, she let out muffled expressions of sadness.

"I know," Her husband stared at her with a knowing gaze. The two talked for around thirty minutes when he asked, slightly hesitant, "Can't you take a break from work? It has already been a week since you came home."

"At least make time for dinner."

"I..." Deepika stared at her children as she clenched her fists under the bedsheet, cutting the call, "I need to go now."

"I understand."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Just take care of yourself. Don't worry too much."

Once the call ended, she cried for a couple of hours. She stared at the image of her family on a large screen through Augmented Reality, in a daze for a long time. Without realisation, she fell asleep.

The morning the next day, she woke up, determined, "I need to work harder for my kids. No matter what, I won't die."

Staring at the time, she got ready, organising things with her subordinates that were stationed in the hotel. She contacted one of them through Augmented Reality, asking, "Did anything of note happen during the night?"

"Negative, ma'am. Sir had a pleasant sleep. He got ready just earlier and has even offered us some tea."

"Alright, you can rest now. I'll accompany him to his office." Saying so, Deepika adjusted her work suit, tidied up the hairband, doublechecked her ponytail height and strapped a watch on her wrist.

Carrying the suitcase containing her drone, she exited the room and knocked on the door to Rahu's room, saluting once he opened it, "Deepika Rajendran, reporting to duty, Sir!"