MC, Zac, lives in a dystopian America where corporations rule – corporatocracy -where corporations run law enforcement, state’s army complex, healthcare system, prison system etc. Basically in modern America without the public pretext. Works in a highly desired profession of a janitor with 40 or more proletarians waiting to take his place. Two years ago his mother was diagnosed with cancer, his father is officially unemployable because of his political activist past, advocating for social-anarchism,libertarian socialism or some other form of socialism, this isn’t explained in detail, but in a corporatocracy wouldn’t that be true patriotism, to stand up against the big guys on the side of the masses. One time a very sketchy series of events unfold, Zac is to work overtime on premises which he usually doesn’t have access to and just so it happens the cure that could cure his mother’s cancer has been left out in the open and available for anyone for grabs.
After committing the crime he’s been sentenced to repay 5 million cc debt, cc – crypto currency, which is universal payment means across all companies, because why base market activity to any currency that’s tied to that state’s economical output when corporations rule. To repay the debt eligible prisoners’ brains are used to mine crypto currency, as having prisoners in stasis decreases brain activity the better approach is to provide stimulus for part of the brain, so prisoners are plugged into the VR world while most of their brain’s computing power is used to mine cc with average of 50-60cc/hr, MC is special and has an output of 260cc/hr while also outsmarting independent players whose brain activity isn’t impaired by prisoner system.
In the game he spawns in a newbie area where PvP is banned and no additional exp is gained past lvl 5, once player has left the area he cannot move back into it. He forms a team with another inmate, amish sister brother sibling duo, old timers paladin and drunkard priest. VR story follows Ready Player One (book by Ernest Cline) route and by the grace of games controlling AI is given a unique quest chain to acquire the items set used by the one and only VR game’s developer .
The immorality of realistic VR coitus (like series Black Mirror, episode Striking Vipers), first MC sleeps with possibly delirious kleptomaniac male who plays as a character with female beauty symbol’s appearance, approaches fellow female inmate and in an unconsenting manner. While adventuring the female inmate spends time with amish sister who had disabled safety features for more immersive funky time but for inexplicable reasons didn’t enable these features back after the act. The system for the monetization of VR gameplay access is quite intricate. Inmates have one life (lackin the possibility of revival) with safety features disabled, the paladin had taken his AMVET benefits as a continued access to VR which pays for his access to log off and on, from before the incarceration Zac had planned to join VR on metered time connection, judging from the amish siblings and priest seems to have a single time log on access to VR, because hasn’t left the game after joining it over 10 years prior for the lack of funds to log on again.
Conclusion: 2/5. Free on Audible plus catalogue until 31/12/2023. Loved the dystopian world setting in first chapters for all the miserable existence that is painted as an everyday life living in a corporatocracy. After the story moves to take place in the VR the action gains increasing likeness to an immoral carbon copy version of Ready Player One.