Bob Waterhouse opened the letter as he sat at the breakfast table. His face registered a mix of surprise and confusion as he read:
‘Dear Mr Waterhouse,
It has been brought to my attention by the manager at the Cristelee Safari Park that you recently had an unfortunate accident in the park during which your car was damaged. The manager also informed me that you previously had a company car which was taken from you when you unfortunately lost your job as a salesman, due to the company you worked for ceasing to trade.
It is very sad when a family man, such as you, is out of work. One of the effects of this is that money is in short supply and your family suffer because they cannot have the things that other families take for granted.
However, this letter may bring you some good news. I am currently looking to increase the work force in my company and I need to employ extra salesmen. I would like to offer you the chance to become one of my new employees.
Please come for an interview on Friday 10th April at 2pm. If the interview goes well, as I am sure it will, you could become a part of my sales team.
I look forward to seeing you at the appointed time.’
The letter was signed by Zak Araz, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Lazar Virtual Reality Computer Games Company. According to the address on the letterhead, they were based in Cristelee.
“Are you going?” asked Pamela Waterhouse, after she had read the letter handed to her by her husband.
“I don’t know,” Bob replied warily. “Who are they? Why have they written to me? And how does this Zak Araz know all about me and know my address too?”
“He must have got the information from the manager at the safari park,” said Pamela. “You know, the one who got us towed home and paid for our car to be repaired. It says in the letter that the manager has got in touch with them. Anyway, it doesn’t matter how they got the information, the fact is they are offering you the chance to work for them. I think you should go to the interview. You need a job and we need the money. There’s nothing to lose, so go and see them. You’ve got plenty of time, it’s only 8.30am now and they don’t want to see you until 2pm. You’ve got ages to get showered, shaved and dressed. You can wear that new shirt you had last Christmas and you can put on your good suit too. You want to make a good impression, don’t you?”
Bob didn’t look too convinced, but he did as he was asked. He spent the rest of the morning trying not to think about the interview. He was feeling quite nervous although he’d had interviews before, and he was used to meeting and talking to people from his job in sales. But this time his nerves were allied to a sense of suspicion about why a complete stranger whom he’d never heard of, and never met, should send him a letter containing personal information about him, that no one outside of his family apart from one or two other people knew. He was even more wary of the fact that this same person was considering offering him, Bob Waterhouse, a job.
*
The Lazar Virtual Reality Computer Games Company stood alongside the park near the centre of town. It was a big, old building that in the past might have been a theatre or cinema, or even a chapel. Bob looked reverently at the tall, imposing building. He liked old buildings. He had always admired the architecture, the workmanship and precision that had gone into such constructions, ensuring that, unlike many modern structures, they stood for an eternity.
When Bob arrived in the reception area for his interview, he was met by a young woman who told him she was Mr Araz’s secretary and would take him up to her boss’s office. On the way, Bob asked her about the company and the products it made. She answered all of his questions in a pleasant enough manner and with a smile on her face, but Bob couldn’t help thinking that she seemed a little distant and distracted in the way she responded. She did not make eye contact with him and if she hadn’t given him such precise information in her replies to his enquiries, he’d have sworn she wasn’t listening. He was chary at the vagueness in her voice, despite the quality of her answers; he found her tone to be rather flat, stilted and wooden – like some ham actor in a cheap amateur drama production – and her demeanour was almost trance-like.
She led him into an office where he was greeted by a most charming man dressed in an immaculate navy blue suit, pale blue shirt and a tie in varying shades of blue displayed in diagonally striped patterns.
“Good afternoon,” said the man, offering his hand to Bob. “I am Zak Araz, but you can just call me Zak. I am the owner of this company.”
Bob sat down at Zak’s request and for the next half hour he was subjected to a formal interview, being asked about his previous employment, his interests, his family and his skills and abilities. When it finished, Mr Araz offered him a job – selling and delivering a new virtual reality computer game that his company was about to market. Mr Araz told Bob the game was called ‘Being There’ and that it took players into a virtual reality world that had not hitherto existed.
“This game actually allows you to take part in the event you select, just as if you are the main participant. You experience the true reality of the situation, the excitement, the adulation, the nerves and the celebrity status,” Zak said. “As the name implies, you are there!”
“How does that work then?” asked Bob, his scepticism and doubt evident in his voice.
“Trade secret I’m afraid,” replied Zak, smiling, “but you can try it for yourself. I’ll give you a copy to take home and you can play it, along with all of your family members. I’m sure they will enjoy it.” He handed Bob one of the games.
“It will work on any computer. You don’t even need a games console,” continued Zak, getting up from his chair. “Now come, I’ll take you around the factory.”
Bob followed Zak on his tour, asking questions where he deemed it appropriate and getting what he felt were reliable and authentic answers. As they walked around the factory, Bob met a number of the workforce and chatted to them. They were polite, informative and industrious, but he couldn’t help thinking that they all seemed to be as distant and vague in their mannerisms as was the secretary whom he had met earlier.
Bob felt a little apprehensive about this, but quickly dismissed his concerns as a combination of his own nervousness and the work personnel trying to be business-like, especially when their boss was around. He thought they might be a little more chilled and relaxed when Zak wasn’t there, and hopefully they would turn out to be friendlier when he became one of their work colleagues.
Back in Zak’s office as they were about to say goodbye, Bob asked him a question. “How did you know that I was out of work and that I’d had some trouble in the safari park?” adding, “And how did you know where to write to me?”
Zak smiled again. “I have a friend who works in the park and he told me about the problems you experienced on your recent visit, so I got your details from the park manager and then took the liberty of calling your old boss – who said you were a very good worker and that he was sorry you lost your job.”
Bob nodded and was about to leave when Zak addressed him again. “You can start on Monday, if you want,” he said. “Your new company car will be ready by then.”
Bob thanked Mr Araz and went home, where he informed his family of his good news and gave them the computer game.
Sam claimed first go, and he quickly set up the computer and made his selection from the list of reality events in the games menu. He chose to score the winning goal for England in a World Cup final. Putting on the headphones, he was pleasantly surprised to find he was immediately catapulted into a full and very noisy football stadium where he could see a match taking place.
Sam quickly recognised the England team as he settled into his seat. He noticed how close he was to the action and was shocked to see he was sitting on the substitute’s bench. Abruptly he felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a voice, which he recognised as that of the England team manager telling him to get ready as he was going on in a minute and there were only five minutes until the end of extra time and the match. If there were no further goals, the game would then be decided on a penalty shootout.
The next thing Sam was aware of was when the crowd roared as he ran into the centre of the pitch as he took his place as an England substitute. Almost immediately, the ball came towards him. He brought it under control and moved forward, before passing it to the winger who took it on upfield. Sam ran into the penalty box, arriving just as the winger crossed the ball. Sam saw it coming and launched himself forward in a dramatic dive. He felt his head connect with the speeding sphere and it rocketed past the flailing goalkeeper and into the roof of the goal net.
The crowd went wild and Sam was buried under a mass of bodies as the England players leapt on him in jubilation and celebration. Soon afterwards, the referee blew the final whistle and Sam was carried shoulder-high off the field. Then it was all over as the computer game ended and the screen went blank.
Sam took off the headphones and handed them to his dad. “I enjoyed that,” he said in a voice that was flat and subdued, and gave no indication of the excitement he had felt when he was immersed in the game.
“Me next!”
It was Holly who spoke up. She grabbed the controls and made her choice, electing to sing a duet with her favourite boy band. She too was ecstatic as she belted out the lyrics in front of a capacity crowd in one of America’s biggest stadiums while gazing lovingly into her idols’ eyes.
When it had finished Holly tonelessly told her family, “That was good.”
Bob was next to seize the controls and he was beside himself with joy as the car he was driving spectacularly overtook the two leaders on the final lap, to give him victory in the British Grand Prix.
“How was that?” Pamela asked him when the game had finished.
“Okay,” was his bland reply.
It took some persuading and a lot of cajoling from the other family members before Pamela Waterhouse took over the controls, and a long time before she settled on a menu item that interested her. She eventually opted for a winning performance in the Strictly Come Dancing final and rapturously melted into the arms of her chosen partner, before gliding, twirling, pirouetting and gyrating her way to a well applauded and acclaimed triumph.
Her session ended with a subdued shrug of the shoulders and the curtly spoken words,
“I can’t see why people get excited over that. I’m going to make some tea.”