2149: Emergence

Laura Maverik is an orphaned programmer who lives in a virtual reality completely cutoff from the suffering that plagues the world. But how will she cope when a glitch takes her out of her virtual sanctuary and into the real world? By 2149 the ubiquitous use of virtual reality creates a failed utopia, a system of indentured servitude, and the virtual division of society. In theory, the VR Initiative of 2051 intended to save the planet from overpopulation, promote equality, and help the Earth heal from human-caused environmental destruction. In practice, it allowed The VR Corporation to silently create a planet-wide totalitarian regime and enslave a global workforce all for the sake of keeping humanity "safe" inside a virtual reality. After spending eighteen years in the VR, Laura finds herself back in this damaged and unforgiving world she tried to escape. She's anxious to return to her life in the VR, but forces reveal a different world than the one she remembers. She learns of a resistance movement fighting to free humanity from enslavement and discovers the true legacy of her deceased parents. Can Laura help free humanity from a corrupt corporation and restore her parents' legacy before it's too late?