Let's Play

It all started with The Poster. That’s where everything went so horribly wrong, and so incredibly amazing at the same time. The Poster changed everything, everywhere, for everyone.

The year was 2196, and it was an ordinary day for Sigma Male. He was flying to school with his favorite sweater, a pair of jeans, and forest green sneakers (all holograms, of course). In his hand was his favorite book (also a hologram), and the holographic pages called to him, making it so that he couldn’t put the book down. He flew and flew until the personal AI in his brain told him to stop. 

“You have arrived at OHIOSKIBIDIRIZZ Middle School. Have an alpha day.”

Sigma looked up and saw the school in front of him. The sun shone in his eyes and glinted off his pale skin. He didn’t spend much time outdoors, since video games were his main passion. He had been practicing his “Steal a Brainrot” skills for years, and it finally paid off, since he quickly rocketed up the rankings and was even good enough to make the news. Sigma remembered when his parents saw the article on their phones. He smiled at the memory of their celebration. They had even teleported to Brainrot Land for 2 days.

Sigma’s thoughts snapped back to the present. Quickly closing his book, he lovingly traced the letters on the outside of the hologram. Ready Player One. It was a classic story about what it was like in ancient times. The main character was a boy named Wade Watts who lived in the year 2045. The planet was dying, and everyone was on the brink of chaos, but James Halliday, creator of the virtual reality game called the OASIS, promised his wealth to the first person to discover a secret easter egg in OASIS. 

Wade becomes a hero as he goes on a treasure hunt unlike any that anyone has ever seen before.

Sigma thought that the book was the most skibidi hologram this side of the Milky Way. The language was a bit strange, though. There was no brainrot at all.

He walked into school and was immediately greeted by his best friend, Da Rizzla.

“Ay Da! What’tup my man,” Sigma said.

Da and Sigma did their secret handshake. They had spent months coming up with it and thought it looked really cool. They cupped their hands and slapped them together. It always made a really loud noise that sounded like a shockwave. They were thinking of calling it a dap. Either that or a Tralalero Tralala boomer.

Sigma noticed a group of kids gathered around a wall. 

What were they murmuring about?

It was a pretty interesting wall, but nothing to stare at and gossip about. Did Alpha Joe throw a paint bomb again? It was possible. Da noticed Sigma squinting and the crowd.

“Haven’t you heard, me boy? They just listed who made it into the Steal a Brainrot world championships. This year, they’re only picking people based on how much money they made in the last year, so that it would be fair to people who started playing later.”

Just as Da finished his sentence, a girl shrieked loud enough that the aliens on Mars could probably hear her.

“OMG y’all, Sigma Male, like totes just made it in.”

Sigma couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He pushed to the front of the crowd and saw…

The Poster. 

That was the moment when everything changed, but to Sigma, all he could think of was his name written on the list. After all, what was the worst that could happen?

To be continued…