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Virtually True: STORY

 Virtually True, a science fiction story by Paul Stewart, is about a boy named Michael who saves another boy named Sebastian from a coma through a series of interactive video games. The story explores the intersection of virtual reality and reality, suggesting that technology can have real-world consequences. 

Summary of the story

  • The narrator and the newspaper: The story begins with the narrator, Michael, reading a newspaper article about the miraculous recovery of Sebastian Shultz, a boy who had been in a coma for six weeks after a motorway accident. Michael is shocked to see a picture of Sebastian, as he recognizes him from the virtual reality games he has been playing.
  • The computer fair: Weeks earlier, Michael's computer-obsessed father bought a secondhand computer and some psycho-drive games from a computer fair. Unbeknownst(unknown) to them, these games originally belonged to Sebastian Shultz.

  • The virtual world: In the games, Michael repeatedly encounters a character named Sebastian. Through a series of interactions, Michael realizes that Sebastian needs his help to be rescued from the game-

  1. Wild West: Michael plays as a sheriff and is challenged to a duel. He is aided by a "second sheriff," who is later revealed to be Sebastian. While escaping, Sebastian is shot, and the game ends with the message, "Better luck next time".
  1. Dragonquest: Michael's next game is a fantasy quest to rescue a princess from a dragon. However, Sebastian appears as a second knight and urges Michael to rescue him instead of the princess. This attempt also fails when Sebastian is killed by the dragon. A new message appears, urging Michael to try the game "Jailbreak".
  1. Jailbreak: Michael, playing as a prisoner, finds Sebastian as his cellmate. They successfully escape their cell and evade guards, but Sebastian falls to his death while climbing toward a helicopter. For the first time, no message is printed.
  1. Warzone: After a gap, a final message arrives, asking for one last attempt in a game called "Warzone". In this war-torn city, Michael and Sebastian navigate explosions and gunfire. Sebastian arranges for a jeep and a helicopter. As they race toward the helicopter, Sebastian is thrown from the jeep by an explosion. Michael manages to pull him into the helicopter, successfully rescuing him. Michael hits the jackpot and achieves the highest score. 

  • The connection: Michael later discovers that at the moment of his accident, Sebastian was playing the same psycho-drive games on his laptop. When Sebastian's head hit the laptop, his memory was transferred and saved to the game disk. The games were later stolen from the hospital and sold at the computer fair, ending up with Michael. By rescuing Sebastian in the game, Michael helped him to recover from his coma in reality.
  • The message: After Sebastian wakes up, Michael receives a real email message from him. Sebastian thanks Michael for saving his life and asks to meet up, telling Michael to keep the games as a reward. 
Analysis of key extracts
  1. "At that moment, the woman's hand moved. I suddenly saw the photograph that went with the story, and gasped. The boy in the picture was Sebastian. There was no doubt. 'But how?' I muttered."
    • Context: This extract describes the turning point in the story when Michael realizes the connection between his virtual experiences and the real world.
    • Explanation: Michael is at the hospital, reading a newspaper with his mother. When he sees a photograph of Sebastian, the boy who made a "miracle recovery" from a coma, he is shocked because he recognizes him from the games. The realization that his in-game companion is a real person causes him to gasp and question how such a thing is possible.
    • Relevance: This extract highlights the central mystery of the story—how a virtual character can be connected to a real-life person. It shows the moment Michael's perception of reality is fundamentally challenged.
  2. "'My hero!' she squealed. 'Take me away from all this'. Behind me I could hear the dragon roaring. 'Rescue me now,' the princess said urgently. 'Never mind her', came a voice, and a second knight appeared from the wardrobe. 'It's me who needs rescuing!'"
    • Context: This scene takes place during the "Dragonquest" game, which Michael plays after failing to rescue Sebastian in the first game.
    • Explanation: Michael, playing as a knight, is in the middle of a clichéd quest to rescue a princess. However, the unexpected arrival of a second knight, Sebastian, who demands rescuing instead of the princess, disrupts the traditional game narrative. This extract represents the increasing influence of Sebastian's stored memories on the games.
    • Relevance: It shows how Sebastian's memory is embedded within the virtual world, hijacking the regular gameplay with a desperate plea for help. It also demonstrates Michael's initial confusion and the growing awareness of a deeper, stranger purpose behind his games.
  3. "I shook my head. A real message from the real Sebastian Shultz. We both knew that by reliving the accident, something wonderful had happened."
    • Context: This is the final extract, where Michael reflects on the email he has just received from Sebastian.
    • Explanation: Michael shakes his head in disbelief, but also in acceptance of the miraculous events. The message confirms that Sebastian, the boy he had rescued in the virtual world, is indeed a real person. The phrase "reliving the accident" refers to Michael's repeated attempts to save Sebastian in the games, which mirrored Sebastian's trauma and ultimately led to his recovery.
    • Relevance: This extract encapsulates the story's main theme: the blurred line between the virtual and the real. It shows the successful culmination of Michael's efforts and the profound impact his actions in the digital world had on a real person. It is a moment of both shock and joy, proving that what seemed "virtually true" was, in fact, truly real.
      • The story of Virtually True by Paul Stewart
      The story revolves around a teenage boy named Michael and his interactions within a series of interactive video games. He later discovers that his actions in the virtual world have a profound impact on a real person, highlighting the blurring lines between reality and virtual reality.
      The computer and the games
      The story begins with the narrator, Michael, describing his and his father's shared passion for technology. They buy the latest gadgets at a computer fair. Michael's father purchases a state-of-the-art computer and a collection of interactive, "psycho-drive" games.
      The games and the mystery
      Michael starts playing the interactive psycho-drive games and is completely immersed in their virtual worlds. In each game, he encounters a character named Sebastian Shultz, who needs to be rescued. 
      The shocking discovery
      A week after winning the game, Michael's mother shows him a newspaper article titled "Miracle Recovery". It details how a 14-year-old boy named Sebastian Shultz has miraculously woken from a six-week coma. Michael is shocked to realize that the boy in the picture is the very same Sebastian from his games. 
      The explanation
      Michael pieces together the sequence of events. When Sebastian had his motorway accident, he was playing a psycho-drive game on his laptop. When his head hit the laptop, his memory was somehow transferred to and saved on the game's hard disk. The games were later stolen from the hospital and ended up at the computer fair, where Michael and his father bought them.
      The real message
      Michael's theory is confirmed when he receives a real email from Sebastian. 
      "Dear Michael, Thank you. I'm not sure how it happened, but you saved my life. Let's meet up soon. Cheers, Seb. P.S. Keep the games, you have earned them." 
      The message proves that Michael's virtual rescue had a tangible, real-world impact, ultimately leading to Sebastian's recovery. 
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