I woke up in agony. Each breath felt like daggers stabbing at my chest. Broken ribs. Definitely broken ribs. Too much pain for jokes. Not even about waking up again.

  I looked around for the emergency kit. Every room in the ship had one. Fighting the pain, I looked around. It was, thankfully, barely 2 meters away. I forced myself to take deep breaths, to calm down, but I still couldn't stand up.

  Frack. I’m screwed if I don’t get to that kit.

  I cursed my stupidity. I did not need to go all out so soon. It was reckless, and now I was paying the cost. I was angry. At myself. At the universe. I balled my fist in frustration.

  Come on, Nico. Find a solution. You’re not going to die here. You’re in the Mahkkra. For real. This can’t be the end.

  Feverishly, I looked around. Nothing. No brilliant solution. I reached through my neural link to the ship's systems, searching for a maintenance bot. Nothing.

  But then, it struck me. Microgravity! I’m in space. I deactivated the ship's artificial gravity. Suddenly weightless, I floated slowly out of my seat.

  Yay! Space fantasy for the win. You can do it, Nico. A little bit more and you’re saved.

  Carefully, I managed to push myself in the right direction and drifted across the cockpit until I reached the emergency kit. My hands closed on the handle. With a groan, I gave a little push to get back to my seat. The pain made me wince. My legs felt like I had just run a marathon, my arms were stiff from cramps. I clenched my teeth and finally got back in the pilot’s chair. I quickly reactivated the artificial gravity, but set it at half a G. I wanted to avoid drifting out of my seat, and the lower gravity also helped ease the pain in my chest.

  With fumbling hands, I opened the kit and looked inside. Plastic bottles, bandages, pen-like devices, and mysterious items. It was filled with equipment I either didn't recognize or wasn't sure I should use.

  I picked one at random: a pen with a hollow end, surely some kind of syringe. I looked for a label: Eluan Dynamics - NanoMend and in small print: Generic Medical Nanobots, use for any injury.

  Good enough. I applied the hollow end to my forearm and immediately felt a pinprick. After a minute, I felt a coolness in my chest and my breathing eased. But I was still in pain.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Well, good news. I am in too much pain to still be dreaming. I mean, people pinch their cheeks to have the pain awake them. This is a thousand times worse.

  I engaged the autopilot and set a course back to Hyperion Deep. The acceleration made me wince, but I endured, still berating myself.

  I tried to analyze what went wrong. I knew the Mahkkra was a prototype, uncomfortable by design. I hadn't cared when I was just piloting it in a game. But this was too much. It was not supposed to be this dangerous, prototype or not. I started looking at the logs and reviewing the ship’s systems, when I found my answer. All the comfort and security features were disabled. No inertial dampening. No gravity compensators. Nothing.

  Oh my God, Nico. How stupid can you be? The ship still has your old gaming configuration. You can’t die of g-force in a game. Why didn't you check all the systems before rushing in and trying to fly this beast?

  I was so angry my jaw ached from clenching. I quickly reactivated everything and immediately felt more comfortable, a relief in my current state.

  To distract myself from the pain, I gazed through the cockpit’s transparent walls, admiring the view. Stunning. Asteroids drifting by. Some were locked in a complex dance around each other. A gas giant showed captivating bands and swirls of clouds. Stars filled every direction, making the void seem less empty. In the distance, a nebula painted intricate patterns across the void. I wanted to see more, to experience more.

  Ten minutes later, the Mahkkra was parked in the hangar bay. I dreaded the effort of getting up and tried to hold onto the view that had brought me such joy.

  You have to do it, Nico. Get up. Go to the medical pod. Come on, just a little more and this terrible event will become another cool story to share.

  Grimacing, I pulled myself up, using the seat as a support. I took another dose of the nanobots and started to make my way to the medical bay. The walk was long, slow and painful.

  I loved my station. I'd loved showing it off in the game. But damn—how had I ever thought putting the medical bay so far from the hangar was a good idea? If I had to do it again, it would be right next to the hangar and the foyer, not at the end of a labyrinth of other labs.

  While limping, I let my mind wander. Anything to keep the pain away.

  I have been obsessed with this virtual world for so long. Now, I have a chance to experience something similar, something very real. This is a dream come true. I have no family back on Earth. No job I care about. I don’t miss much. Only my friends from Life Among the Stars. I am going to take everything I can from this opportunity. Knowing them, they would make the same choice and be mad at me for not embracing this reality.

  I am going to become an adventurer. I am going to explore the galaxy.

  Decision made, my mind filled with images of thrilling adventures to come.

  I eased myself into the medical pod. The diagnosis unit started to enumerate my injuries, lulling me to sleep.