Reality Tester

Author: Tim

In the near future, Technological Singularity emerges and then just stays? No great war for survival or apocalypse, only a mostly helpful, slightly suffocating strong AI that knows what you need better than you do. Or so it claims. Enter Sean, a software tester whose career was made redundant because code is now flawless, so naturally he dislikes the new status quo. But when he is nudged to participate in a fully physicalized reality-game – it piques his interest. For he used to be an avid gamer, not just a tester. His mission becomes: find every glitch and issue, break every rule, and use it all for fun and profit! --- First of all: 100% human-written! Despite the story themes (about AI) there's no generated content inside! (cover is AI, but I'm no visual artist, c'mon, baby steps) The story is meant to be a light-hearted dive into complex topics, such as the meaning of life and humanity's future… interlaced with mistimed cultural references, bad puns, accidental innuendos and double entendres. And many more intentional, too! Originally posted on RoyalRoad, and I'm publishing as I write - so the story may go in all kinds of wacky directions yet! :> --- What to expect: - a male MC to start with, later on other meaningful characters too - developing his increasingly broken power in secret for sensible reasons - character-driven plot with low-to-mid stakes action and gradual developments - zero contrived harem, maybe some flirting or remarks… we'll see where it goes! - detailed and complex video-game-in-real-life mechanics, but no numbers – no need for spreadsheets, unless I have to… - JOKES! Expect a(n un?)healthy dose of puns, irony, and absurdist nonsense --- Note: This is a fictional work. While the title "Reality Tester" seems to match a real-world psychotherapy practice from the UK, this story and its characters are entirely fictional and unrelated to that site or its author, no endorsements whatsoever in either direction… though psychology seems very smart!