Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Empire Of The Dying Sun By CSquared (Part of the "Virtual Insanity"
communal universe on Electronic Wilderness Publications)


Prologue:
The driving rain fell in sheets as Joel De'Lambre struggled his way
towards the light he saw in the distance.  It never seemed to get much
closer, but the HUD readout told him it was steadily approaching.  His
mechanised suit sank deep into the sodden ground with each step, and its
progress had severely slowed since his departure of the guardtower half an
hour previously.  _`Probably towing half a ton of mud with me.'_ Joel

thought, dismayed.  _`I'll have to bloody clean it up too, won't I.'_

   He glanced back at the readout - over 15 kilometres to go `til he
reached home.  He growled, and set the machine to autopilot.  With that, he
curled up, and `went to sleep'.

   Joel pulled his VR helmet from his head, and leaned back in his seat
with a sigh.  _`That's the problem with these ultra-realistic
simulations...'_ he thought.  _`They're too bloody realistic!'_