The People in My Head: Joe Parker
Joe Parker was a bit of a shut in. He lived in a small apartment with only his computer for company. He had a lot of friends he had never met; they existed as voices in his head. He heard them as he read the words they wrote to him on his computer. Chat programs, massively multiplayer online role playing games, discussion boards, this was where he lived. His body was less important to him than his mind, he fed it, clothed it, washed it and when the caffeine stopped working he would let it sleep. When other needs came up his computer would become a woman for him as well. But slowly that lack of flesh and blood to keep him company began to feed into his consciousness and he realised maybe he might be lonely. He rationalised that a woman around would not be an inconvenience, as she could cook and clean and look after him. So he turned to his computer once more, discovered a Russian Bride website and over the course of two weeks he established what he was looking for, placed his resume and photo on the site, interviewed and found a wife. Two months of legal wrangling later and she was moved into his apartment.
At first Fiveia seemed happy to be in a new country, in a new home, filled with every modern convenience and brimming with opportunity. But soon she began to feel trapped. Joe never went out, never had people over, never did anything except sit on his computer and type. When she asked him where the money to keep feeding them came from, he showed her the online auction sites. He played multiple characters in various online games, gathered up money, special objects, rare weapons. Then he sold the imaginary items to the highest bidder for actual money. He also acted as a middleman in some dodgy bank transactions, probably the result of identity theft, taking a percentage in return for the illusion of anonymous communication. He didn't worry over the morality of the action, the world was as it was. The money he earned was not enough to make him rich, but he played and traded obsessively enough that it was enough to keep himself and his wife and have enough left over to save for a future together. When she saw how easy it was for him to do this, she understood why he did not leave the apartment. But still she longed for a life of her own.
Joe slowly became conscious of this fact, but his solution was more conformist than kenotic. The new PC arrived with a gentle knock on the door, and after he had signed to take delivery, it was set up next to his own in the study. Now she could join him in his life online, participate in his adventures, fight the same demons he fought, and profit the same way he did.
Fiveia took to it as you would expect from someone who met her husband online. Soon they were one of the most famous teams online, a legendary husband and wife duo, fearless in battle and wise in the workings of the game world. Few people would emerge from their engagements unscathed, they were nearly unstoppable. And the money flowed in, the dual income increasing their wealth considerably. They considered their savings, now modestly large, and bought a small house in an out-of-the-way suburb. They had no need of other people, only a high speed internet connection and to be within the delivery circle of the nearest supermarket. The mortgage, small as it was, still took two years to pay off, but with the dual income and the rental money now freed up, it was not hard.
Joe found himself becoming more and more attached to Fiveia, and the pleasures of the imaginary worlds they travelled together became less interesting to him than her life back in Russia, all the things she had left behind but never spoke of. It may have been nothing more than curiosity, but he wanted to know more about her. She wouldn't speak about it, as if it was too painful to acknowledge. Russia held nothing for her anymore, and she insisted she did not want to revisit a past she had left behind.
As she slept, Joe began to research her background, anything he could find out about her. Translation tools and easily available hacking tools meant he could access government sites, discover her home town, learn that her parents had died when she was five, that she had a twin brother, and that he was still alive. It was all there on his screen, and it gave him the idea for a gift.
It wasn't as hard as he imagined to contact the brother. He was surprised but happy to discover his sister was living in another country. They had not seen each other in years, and yes, he would be very happy to come and visit them. There were many obstacles to getting a visitors visa for a person viewed as being at high risk of overstaying, but Joe traded some favours with a gamer who worked in the immigration department and soon the brother was on a plane.
To keep it a surprise, Joe stayed at home with Fiveia while a taxi picked her brother up from the airport and delivered him to their doorstep. As the taxi pulled away there came the knock on the door that signalled his arrival. In seeming curiosity, Fiveia joined Joe at the front door. When Joe opened the door he paused for a moment in shock. There in front of him stood himself. He was not identical, but so closely did they match that Joe felt like reaching out to touch the mirror he felt he was staring at. Instead he felt a sharp pain in his back and an explosion in his chest. The last thing he saw was his own face fading into darkness.
The immigration officials came by several months later. Joe didn't say anything. Fiveia spoke for him, as he was too upset by the whole matter. They apologised for the investigation, but they had to do their job. Fiveia was understanding, her brother was no good, dishonest, and she hoped they found him. He just wanted a new life, but he had gone about it the wrong way. Joe just stood around looking distraught. When they left Joe smiled, took his wife by the hand, kissed her and together they returned to their wonderful adopted life.
At first Fiveia seemed happy to be in a new country, in a new home, filled with every modern convenience and brimming with opportunity. But soon she began to feel trapped. Joe never went out, never had people over, never did anything except sit on his computer and type. When she asked him where the money to keep feeding them came from, he showed her the online auction sites. He played multiple characters in various online games, gathered up money, special objects, rare weapons. Then he sold the imaginary items to the highest bidder for actual money. He also acted as a middleman in some dodgy bank transactions, probably the result of identity theft, taking a percentage in return for the illusion of anonymous communication. He didn't worry over the morality of the action, the world was as it was. The money he earned was not enough to make him rich, but he played and traded obsessively enough that it was enough to keep himself and his wife and have enough left over to save for a future together. When she saw how easy it was for him to do this, she understood why he did not leave the apartment. But still she longed for a life of her own.
Joe slowly became conscious of this fact, but his solution was more conformist than kenotic. The new PC arrived with a gentle knock on the door, and after he had signed to take delivery, it was set up next to his own in the study. Now she could join him in his life online, participate in his adventures, fight the same demons he fought, and profit the same way he did.
Fiveia took to it as you would expect from someone who met her husband online. Soon they were one of the most famous teams online, a legendary husband and wife duo, fearless in battle and wise in the workings of the game world. Few people would emerge from their engagements unscathed, they were nearly unstoppable. And the money flowed in, the dual income increasing their wealth considerably. They considered their savings, now modestly large, and bought a small house in an out-of-the-way suburb. They had no need of other people, only a high speed internet connection and to be within the delivery circle of the nearest supermarket. The mortgage, small as it was, still took two years to pay off, but with the dual income and the rental money now freed up, it was not hard.
Joe found himself becoming more and more attached to Fiveia, and the pleasures of the imaginary worlds they travelled together became less interesting to him than her life back in Russia, all the things she had left behind but never spoke of. It may have been nothing more than curiosity, but he wanted to know more about her. She wouldn't speak about it, as if it was too painful to acknowledge. Russia held nothing for her anymore, and she insisted she did not want to revisit a past she had left behind.
As she slept, Joe began to research her background, anything he could find out about her. Translation tools and easily available hacking tools meant he could access government sites, discover her home town, learn that her parents had died when she was five, that she had a twin brother, and that he was still alive. It was all there on his screen, and it gave him the idea for a gift.
It wasn't as hard as he imagined to contact the brother. He was surprised but happy to discover his sister was living in another country. They had not seen each other in years, and yes, he would be very happy to come and visit them. There were many obstacles to getting a visitors visa for a person viewed as being at high risk of overstaying, but Joe traded some favours with a gamer who worked in the immigration department and soon the brother was on a plane.
To keep it a surprise, Joe stayed at home with Fiveia while a taxi picked her brother up from the airport and delivered him to their doorstep. As the taxi pulled away there came the knock on the door that signalled his arrival. In seeming curiosity, Fiveia joined Joe at the front door. When Joe opened the door he paused for a moment in shock. There in front of him stood himself. He was not identical, but so closely did they match that Joe felt like reaching out to touch the mirror he felt he was staring at. Instead he felt a sharp pain in his back and an explosion in his chest. The last thing he saw was his own face fading into darkness.
The immigration officials came by several months later. Joe didn't say anything. Fiveia spoke for him, as he was too upset by the whole matter. They apologised for the investigation, but they had to do their job. Fiveia was understanding, her brother was no good, dishonest, and she hoped they found him. He just wanted a new life, but he had gone about it the wrong way. Joe just stood around looking distraught. When they left Joe smiled, took his wife by the hand, kissed her and together they returned to their wonderful adopted life.
posted by Andrew Lee at 1:30 PM
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