In his hand was a heavy, chrome pistol. On his HUD, a single mission objective appeared:

He flew straight toward the cursor, ready to fight the admin of his own destiny. If you'd like to explore more about this world: Should Aleksei to escape? Should he embrace being the Boss of the simulation? Should the aliens realize he's an unauthorized user? Tell me which path to take!

He looked at his hands, now rendered in high-definition textures. He took a step toward the ledge. He didn't feel fear; he felt a surge of "Super Sprint" energy humming in his veins. He jumped.

The wind screamed past him as he broke the sound barrier, leaping over skyscrapers and punching through alien Zin dropships. It was the ultimate "free download." No lag, no frame drops, just pure, unadulterated madness.

A notification popped up in the air before his eyes, written in the same font as the forum post:

Before his finger touched the plastic, the monitor roared to life. Instead of his desktop, a purple glow filled the room. The Third Street Saints logo pulsed like a heartbeat. A voice, gravelly and familiar, crackled through his cheap speakers. "You want the power for free, kid? You got it."

The room began to vibrate. The smell of ozone—and strangely, grape soda—filled the air. Suddenly, the floor didn't feel like carpet anymore. It felt like asphalt.