WALL-E: The Apocalyptic Game Developer

Danica blinked as the message appeared across her VM interface:

[Do you want to synchronize and turn on Livestream?]

She grinned and tapped "Yes." A soft hum vibrated through the watch as the contact lens synced, and just like that the stream was live again.

Within seconds, comments began pouring in across the corner of her vision, bright and fast:

[BobaBruh]: Why did the livestream cut off, Dani?

[Hexxenhound]: Whoa, is this the game? It seriously looks like the real world!

[LanternBoi]: Did you already check the place out?

Danica cleared her throat and smiled at the lens. "Hey everyone! Sorry about earlier, I guess I got a little too into it."

She pointed behind her. "After I created my avatar and logged in, I woke up inside that chamber pod. It was filled with some kind of nutrient fluid, and when it opened up, I was just… stunned. The realism is crazy! I forgot about the stream entirely until the announcement played."

She gestured to the skintight, glossy black suit she now wore. "This is part of the starter gear, by the way."

[CloudShy]: You really forgot about us, huh? You traitor! 😤

[MeatSaber]: Wait… if that's your beginner gear, then that means… 😳

[SpicyThorn]: …you were naked in the chamber??? (nosebleed.jpg)

[GigaMew]: AHHH DAMMIT!! Why did the devs cut that scene?! Injustice!!

Danica rolled her eyes, but then paused as a different comment scrolled up.

[CalicoCruiser]: But seriously, why did the stream cut? Was it a bug or intentional?

"Right, good question," Danica nodded. "So when a player logs in, they're given three starter items. First, this suit. Second, this watch,"—she raised her wrist—"which gives access to your status since this game doesn't use traditional skill menus. It's all immersive."

[VortexApe]: Whoa, it's like actual hologram tech!

[GremlinFuel]: Wait… no beginner skills?? Just stats?

[BreadIsPower]: That's… kinda realistic. I dig it.

"And the third item…" she continued, tapping her temple, "is this contact lens. At first, I had no idea what it was for. But once I wore it and synced it using the watch, it activated the livestream again."

She stepped forward, the door opening with a smooth whoosh, revealing a corridor bathed in soft lighting. "Apparently, it can also take screenshots, record videos, and stream—but it's exclusive to beta testers."

[Dr4g0nFridge]: So much for 100% realism lol

[NekoRamsey]: Makes sense. Probably to let testers gather media for marketing or feedback.

[ShroomCake]: Wonder if they'll sell it later. I'd kill for that kind of immersion.

Danica walked through the corridor, the camera on her VM lens smoothly tracking her movements. As she neared the hall, she could already hear voices.

When she stepped in, she was greeted by the sight of more than 29 players, all of them wide-eyed and amazed. Some were jumping or running in circles. A few were literally touching or licking the walls.

"They're really licking the.... walls" she muttered to chat.

[Silent_Tofu]: LOL they're going feral

[YakitoriDealer]: Can't blame them. Game's probably tastier than my real life

[Crimson_Pixie]: Bro this IS the dream 😭

Nearby, she overheard a few players talking.

"This is too real. I totally thought it was a scam," a guy named VodkaPapi muttered.

"Hey, slap me, I think I'm still dreaming," said another—Bonbon.

PAK!!

"ARGHH!!" Bonbon yelped, holding his face. "Okay, that felt real! Why'd you hit so hard?!"

"You asked for it," VodkaPapi shrugged.

Such chaos filled the room until the hallway doors suddenly slid open with a hiss as silence fell.

From the hallway emerged a line of uniformed soldiers some wearing sleek blue suits with glowing accents and Earth-inspired emblems.

Others wore black-and-red tactical gear, each marked with the crimson Hydra insignia. The soldiers lined the walls in formation.

Then, three figures stepped forward.

To the right stood a tall, broad-shouldered man in a red combat suit. Blonde, clean-cut, his sharp features radiated discipline and command.

To the left, a slightly nerdy but sharp-eyed man in a lab coat black hair, calm posture, and glasses that somehow made him look approachable and brilliant.

But all eyes were drawn to the center figure.

Silver-haired. Crimson-eyed. Dressed in a clean lab coat, his presence radiated authority, mystery, and just a hint of menace. The players stared in awe.

[MinxDrop]: Are those NPCs???

[CloakedPanda]: Holy hell, they look better than our real actors 😍

[KitKatZ]: Good face ✓ Chiseled body ✓ Overwhelming aura ✓ Sign me up!!

[Tofu_Overload]: Is this a game or a secret otome sim

[Sugar mama]: The realism is too much, I can even see their Adams apple move.

[Disappointed_One]: Oh shut up already. This isn't a dating game, go fangirl somewhere else

Danica stared too was swallowing hard.

"These aren't your average tutorial NPCs…" she murmured to her viewers.

Murmurs rippled through the hall like static electricity.

"NPC?!"

"No way… that's not motion capture. That's a real person!"

"Is this really a game world?"

"I can see the pores on his face… this is way too real."

Then a firm voice echoed through the hall.

"Silence."

The voice didn't shout but it didn't need to.

Something about the tone froze every whisper, every comment. Like magic, the players all stopped and turned toward the source.

Steve stepped forward. His red uniform practically gleamed under the overhead lights. His back straight, shoulders squared, and with a commanding stare, he was the perfect soldier.

The silence hung.

Then Denji stepped up between Steve and Professor Utonium.

His silver hair glinted under the soft light, and his crimson eyes swept calmly across the hall full of new arrivals.

"I welcome you all to Earth," he said. His voice was calm but carried an unmistakable weight like a leader addressing soldiers before a grand campaign. "My name is Denji Tachibana, Director of the Earth Reclamation Project under the Pioneer Program. To my right is Professor Utonium, our Chief Scientific Officer. And to my left is Commander Steve Rogers, head of the Pioneer Defense Corps."

He paused for a moment, letting the names sink in.

"You are no longer citizens of the orbital fleets. You are Pioneers—the first batch of awakened individuals entrusted with the future of this world. Earth has changed. It is not the green and blue home from your history files. It is wild, broken, mutated and forgotten."

He took a breath and stepped forward.

"But we are not here to mourn what was lost. We are here to reclaim it."

Players stared at him captivated.

"Your mission is simple," Denji continued. "Explore. Learn. Survive. From today onward, everything you see, hear, or encounter is a piece of Earth's story waiting to be discovered. Some of you will become scouts. Others researchers, defenders, engineers, or even diplomats. But no matter your path, you are all part of the Reclamation."

He turned and gestured for them to follow.

"Come."

The group followed Denji and the others through a set of massive blast doors that slid open with a hydraulic hiss. What lay beyond took their breath away.

A vast hall stretched before them—sleek, luminous, and layered with glowing holograms hovering over raised platforms. The floor was smooth metal interwoven with illuminated hexagonal paths.

Digital trees projected bioluminescent shadows on the curved ceiling. The design was a seamless blend of futuristic tech and preserved Earth aesthetics.

"This," Denji gestured broadly, "is the Pioneer Hub. Here, you'll find your mission assignments, briefing debriefings, gear requests, medical assessments, and research interfaces."

He turned and pointed toward a row of cubicles along the right wall each with transparent holo-screens floating above.

Inside each cube sat a personnel member—clones with calm expressions and uniforms of pale blue trimmed with silver.

"If you want to receive missions," Denji said, "speak to the personnel at those cubicles. You'll find everything you need logged in your VM systems."

Professor Utonium gave a polite nod to the crowd. "Make sure to scan often. The smallest discovery may change everything we know about Earth."

Denji finished, "From here on, your journey is your own. Good luck, Pioneers."

With that, he turned on his heel. Professor Utonium followed.

Steve, however, remained behind, stepping to the side to join a squad of red-uniformed clone soldiers stationed by the gate. His posture was alert, vigilant, the classic image of a battlefield commander.

The moment the cutscene-like interaction ended, the players erupted into motion.

"Cutscene over! Mission time!!"

"MOVE MOVE MOVE I wanna be first!!"

"This place looks like a freaking sci-fi palace."

Danica smirked and walked calmly toward the cubicles.

She passed by players crowding into the mission desk area some excited, some confused, and others already trying to figure out who to flirt with.

She stepped up to a booth.

The personnel inside was a calm-looking young woman with silver eyes and short white hair. "Welcome, Pioneer. How may I assist you?"

Danica gave her best streamer smile. "I'm here to accept a mission."

The staff tapped a glowing interface, and with a flick of her fingers, a holo-tab appeared in front of Danica.

[PING!]

A soft sound chimed on her VM as her watch lit up.

Two missions were now listed in her log:

[Scan the Environment]

[Difficulty: F]

[Description: The Pioneer ship has landed on Earth, but with 200 years of unknown development, everything must be documented. Help scan local flora, fauna, or structures using your VM's scanning mode or by taking photographs.]

[Reward: Pioneer Points (based on discovery value)]

______

[Get the Sample]

[Difficulty: A–E]

[Description: Earth has changed drastically, and scientific study is vital. Collect samples from local environments. Be warned—some samples may be in dangerous zones.]

[Reward: Pioneer Points (based on item rarity and hazard level)]

____

[KoiTrapper]: Whoa, the missions are live!!

[Rice_Retainer]: "Scan and sample" huh? Feels like we're interns at Jurassic Park 😂

[TigressTwist]: Hmm… What are Pioneer Points exactly?

[GraveSnack]: Probably the in-game currency or leveling system

[Dino_Crush]: Or reputation maybe? I bet you can trade it for gear

Danica nodded, impressed. "Accepted both missions. Let's go, chat!"

Once the interface vanished, Danica joined a group of players heading toward the ramp at the far end of the hub. Sunlight filtered through as the landing gate slowly opened.

She stepped outside.

The Earth.

Real, vast, and terrifyingly beautiful.

The air was thick and fresh, carrying a faint scent of wet moss and something… alien. A dense forest stretched ahead, humming with unfamiliar sounds. To the left, the skeleton of a ruined city sprawled across the horizon, its buildings wrapped in vines and rust.

Danica took a deep breath and activated her lens recorder.

"This…" she whispered, "is the new frontier."

[VanillaTitan]: It's so… beautiful

[GhostSock]: Look at those trees! Mutant forests confirmed

[SimperialGuard]: I call dibs on being the first to punch a radioactive bear 😤

[ZappyChurro]: Dani, scan that weird glowing plant behind you!!

Danica smiled, tapping the scan button on her watch.

"Let's see what secrets you're hiding, Earth…"