Unemployed, Unlucky, Unexpectedly in a Game

YGGDRASILL

GAIA was hands-down the top game company in the country. With Jace heading game development and Clara shaping lore, characters, and worldbuilding, the duo had become the studio’s dream team.

Maeve had known them for years, but this was only her second time stepping into the company headquarters—and the first time as an employee. A game tester, to be exact.

Jace greeted her at his office and gestured toward the couch. Even though it had only been three days since they last met, he looked utterly worn out. The dark circles under his eyes peeked out from behind his glasses, suggesting he hadn’t seen much sleep lately. Clara had flown overseas again in search of “creative inspiration,” leaving the company’s day-to-day operations entirely in Jace’s hands.

“Here’s the contract. Take your time. Let me know if anything feels off.” He handed her the document.

Maeve took it and read carefully. Overall, the terms seemed pretty straightforward:

1. Game tester will begin testing the virtual world game Yggdrasill on [XX/XX/20XX].

2. The testing period will last three months. No outside employment permitted during this time.

3. Base salary: 20,000. Overtime: 100/hour. Max 8 hours per day.

4. Testers are required to live in company dorms for the duration of testing.

5. Daily written reports required after each session. Weekly summaries based on in-game observations.

6. GAIA reserves the right to monitor and intervene in all tester behavior during gameplay.

7. Testers may request emergency extraction via ADMIN in case of bugs or issues...

Honestly, it sounded simpler than she expected. But just to be sure, Maeve glanced up.

“How detailed is the simulation, exactly?”

Jace leaned back in his chair. “Pretty close to real life. You’ll enter the game through a full-dive capsule. All five senses are active—smell, taste, touch, everything. You’ll be able to enjoy food, feel full... but no bathroom breaks needed. And for hygiene, there’s a built-in magic cleaning function. Even if you go to a hot spring, the system auto-equips you with a swimsuit. No full nudity, obviously. It’s still a game.” He winked at her as he said it.

“You mentioned romance was possible. So I assume no s*x scenes, then?”

He smirked. “Correct. We didn’t program any explicit content. But NPC emotional development is still being tested. You might find yourself in a situation, though. If anything happens, ADMIN will step in before it gets out of hand. Buzzkill, I know.”

Maeve nodded slowly. “Got it. Knowing there’s always ADMIN watching makes me feel a bit safer. Can I interact with ADMIN directly?”

“Sure. If you need resources, we’ll provide them. But keep in mind, it’s a test—you’ll have to do some hunting on your own.”

“Understood.”

And just like that, she signed.

Maeve had always been decisive once her mind was made up. Jace led her to the lab, where her first session would begin.

The lab was split into two rooms: one filled with monitors and servers, the other containing a single full-dive capsule. The oval pod opened soundlessly, revealing a sleek interior—a cushioned bed and a headpiece waiting for her.

She lay down inside the capsule. The interior was surprisingly warm, softly humming with low-frequency vibrations, like a lullaby made of code. Jace gently lowered the helmet onto her head, securing the straps with practiced ease.

“Goodnight, Maeve,” he said with a crooked smile. “Have fun in there.”

As the lid of the capsule began to close, darkness wrapped around her. The world outside faded with a soft hiss, and a faint blue glow seeped into her vision like starlight on water.

Then came silence.

Not the oppressive kind—but the serene, floaty kind, like drifting between sleep and wakefulness. Maeve felt her body grow lighter, thoughts stretching thin like mist. For a split second, she wondered if she was dreaming.

A chime sounded in the distance.

Then, all at once—light.

And the world changed.