Experienz had gone to great lengths to make the virtual holiday feel just like the real thing. The reception area was a large, airy room with a glass facade that resembled the check-in desk of an airport. This led through into a waiting area made to look like the departure's lounge. Michael and his family sat on one of the long benches, waiting for their names to be called over the tanoy.
Damien fidgeted constantly; he was after all, only 5. Tugging at his mother's skirt, he whined plaintively. "Just play with your games machine," Susan sighed exasperated. "We'll be going in in a minute."
"The batteries are dead!" he moaned.
"Then go ask your father if you can play with his phone."
"Oh no," Mark, her husband, said bluntly. "Not again. I've got important clients on there. If he breaks it again..."
"Just give it him, dear," Susan said, and for the next few minutes at least Damien was quiet playing Angry Birds.
Michael played with Rex, his dog, inside his pet carrier, stroking his fur through the bars. Though it was only going to be a short holiday (from the perspective of reality), none of the family had had the heart to put Rex in a dog home for the duration, as he always fretted and worried terribly. Jessica, his twin sister, chatted vacuously on her mobile to her friends. Ryan, Michael's older brother, sat with his head laid back over the top of the seat, his hoodie pulled over his eyes and his earphones in.
"Anderson family, now departing," a feminine voice came over the tanoy. Grabbing their bags and elbowing Ryan in the ribs, the family moved on from the departure lounge.
A peroxide blonde woman in a sky-blue, air hostess uniform greeted them in the next room, which looked more medical that transporational. The room was as stark white as her bleached smile, with a row of what looked like MRI scanners built into one wall. "Hi and welcome to Experienz holiday! Are you ready for the trip of a lifetime?"
"You bet we are!" Mark crowed, rubbing his hands in glee. Even though the virtual experience was far cheaper than conventional holidays, he had still sunk several months pay into it.
"Great! We just need to get your personality chips extracted and then we can begin!" the woman chirruped.
"Uh, this is... safe right?" Michael spoke up hesitantly.
"Absolutely! Experienz holidays is far and away the safest way to travel. In fact it's one hundred percent safe! Technically, we've never had a single fatality!" she bubbled.
""Technically"?"
Her smile wavered a little. "...legally."
"Quit whining, Michael," Ryan grumbled, thumping his brother on the arm.
"Perhaps you'd like a demonstration," the hostess said in a soothing voice and before he could resist she had plucked Rex's carrier from out of his hands. She placed it on one of the long beds inside the MRI-like scanners. Rex began to bark, but she pressed a button on the side of the machine, there was a bright flash of light, and Rex went suddenly silent, slumping limp to the bottom of his carrier. Out of the machine popped a small, plastic card about the size of an SD card. The surface of it was smoking slightly. "Using this neural scanner, we're able to extract the personality of your dog onto a memory card," she explained, removing the card from the machine, holding it carefully between her thumb and forefinger. She carrier it over to an array of hundreds of slots linked to a bank of computers and pushed the card into one of the slots with a secure click. "Then we use this machine to upload his personality into one of our many, custom-built, bespoke simulations that provide him with the most believable, immersive experience available. Over the course of a few days, he can experience weeks of happiness."
"What happens to his body?" Michael asked, worried at the sight of his dog laying so still.
"Ah, that's the best part! We upload personal fitness personalities into all of our bodies for the duration of your stay. While you holiday, they'll be exercising, eating healthily, and undergoing a full detox program. Not only are you getting a vacation, you're getting a tune-up too! When your time is up, we simply reprint your personality back into your body. Believe me, you're going to feel like a new man."
Michael was still concerned but Damien, unwilling to wait any longer, had already clambered into one of the machines and laid down, causing the rest of the family to follow him. Surrendering, Michael laid down with his head inside the body of the machine.
The hostess moved along the row, zapping each family member in turn. When she got to Michael, she leaned down, giving him a view of her ample cleavage, and smiled reassuringly. "Enjoy your trip," she crooned.
Flash!
Red-hot fire seemed to run down every synapse in his body.
Michael 'awoke' to find himself in a gigantic stone room. Before he could ask any question, his twin sister Jessica's voice said beside him, "What is this? A church?"
"That's be one crappy vacation," Ryan said popping up beside Jessica. "Yeah, church is boring." Damien added in a pouty voice.
"Now now Damien," Michael's mother Susan said popped up by Damien and grabbing his hand as she looked around the stone room that seemed to be loading banners and rugs around the room.
"This is no church, this is a castle." Michael's dad Mark said as he saw some thrones pop up at the end of the room.
"Cool!" Damien said running up to the smallest throne and hopping in it.
"So does this mean I'm a real life princess now?" Jessica said trying not to sound too excited. Michael knew she was trying to play it cool, but he knew that being a princess was a dream of hers since she was a little girl, and he had to admit that being a prince did have it's appeal as well.
Suddenly Jessica had a glow about her, and as soon as the glow dissipated Jessica now was wearing flowing white and pink dress made for a princess. Not only that but she seemed to have physically aged a year or two judging by her physical stature.
"It sure looks like it," Mark said as he began to glow. Soon he was dressed like a king, crown included, and now had a bit of a pot belly and a full beard on his face.
One by one the family members went through a wardrobe change that was befitting of a royal family and even had minor physical changes that fit the role. Damien now had long hair, Susan was now covered by so much fine clothing that she seemed to barely have any mobility, and Ryan was now very muscular. Upon seeing this change Michael began getting excited as he soon felt a change and saw the glow surrounding him. He was anticipating a lot more muscles much like Ryan but that didn't seem to be what was changing. As the glow was dying down, before Michael could check himself out, he heard Ryan laughing. "Oh this is rich." Ryan said pointing at Michael.
"What's so funny?" Michael said as he looked at himself and realized very quickly what he was laughing about. Michael wasn't a prince like he'd assumed he was going to be, he was a....
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