7 F*** It's Real?!?!?!
"Urgh".
Jacob let out a groan as he slowly awoke. After yesterday's fiasco and the fruitless job searching, he had decided in all his 20 something years of life that having a few drinks would be a good idea.
It wasn't.
Waking up with a splitting headache at 12pm wasn't a good thing and if he was honest with himself, he would definitely say he had a drinking problem, but right now he didn't care, maybe after he actually landed a job, any job, he would care.
Grasping blindly for his bed side phone, he slowly shifted himself up not wanting the headache to get any worse as he looked to his emails, hoping for some good news.
Once again nothing.
It was as he was closing his emails down that he caught sight of a new SMS, clicking it open, as he got up to make a late breakfast, he froze in his tracks, the words registering in his addled mind.
(This is a notification that there has been suspicious activity in your banking account, account number ending in XXXX. Please check your balance online or by calling XXXXXX.)
Now that woke Jacob up. The fog in his mind cleared better than any hangover cure he had ever found online as he scrambled for his banking app.
He was about to click it open and check when he took noticed of the [Consol] app.
'Was the app the reason? Could it be malware? A virus? Fuck me! But I don't keep my bank details on my phone?? Never mind I can't risk it.'
Making up his mind, he chucked his phone to the side and rushed to his computer. Quickly booting it up, he clicked into banking online and started inputting his details. If he had been paying a little more attention as he scrambled to check his bank balance, he might have had an aneurysm, because sitting quietly on his home screen was [Consol].
Getting into his account Jacob stopped dead in his tracks. He starred in wonder as he looked at a new balance, specifically his savings balance. Now in his mind, the worst-case scenario that could have happened was to see some zeroes in his account and technically he was right.
There were 4 Zeroes, but there was also a 1 in front of them, in his Saving account, which he knew was empty!!!!!!!!
$10,000
'WTF'
'No wonder I got a bloody message, what am I a drug mule? High level Escort? Where the heck did all the money come from?'
Jacob once again started to freak out on the inside.
'Money sent to the wrong account? Some mix up in the system? A long lost relative that has randomly given me money?'
Well, he knew the last one was stupid. In the end, after worrying about it for a few minutes, his mind turned back to the most important question.
'Should he keep the money?'
It was wrong, but damn did he need the money right now, rent, bills, food.
'But if I'm found out...'
He let out a small sigh as he opened up the account to see who the money had come from. Once more Jacob was stumped as he looked at the sender. (ROB pty ltd.)
'ROB?'
He racked his brain for a second.
"Reinbeck's Opticology Branches?"
'The same people that linked him the [Consol] app?'
….
….....
…......
'But that wasn't possible'.
Jacob sent a glance back at his bed where his phone lay quietly.
'Why would [Consol] send him money, wasn't it just a sick joke from the guys? Also, they didn't have that sort of money to throw around'
'It couldn't be real, could it?'
'But then why the fictional character names?'
'Aliases for the patients, they semi describe what problems they have in real life?'
'No that's just stupid.'
Without realizing it Jacob had already moved back to his bed and was holding his phone. His thumb hovered over the [Consol] app, as he hesitated to go in. His mouth was dry as a few wild thoughts entered it.
'Could it be real?'
Opening the app, his eyes scrolled down the menu, quickly noticing 1 new message in the [1 on 1 appointments] heading and 4 new messages in the [Pay] heading.
Heart beating quick he opened the [Pay] Menu.
4 Messages appeared before him, each coming one after the other, with small green numbers to the left. He read them slowly, his eyes widening in shock.
[Calculating Counseling affects for User [Darth Vader].
Short term results found:
Distance from Sheeve Palpatine. (Mental Stability Improved)
More time spent wife, Padme Amidala. (Stress Reduction 😉)
Pay Reward: +$5000]
[Calculating Counseling affects for User [Ruin Princess].
Short Term results found:
Thoughts about current strength and improvement. (Minimal timeline change)
Pay Reward: +$1000]
[Calculating Counseling affect for User [Dark Knight]
Short term Results found:
Thought about safety of protégé current and future. (Slight change in timeline.)
Long term Results found:
Re-assessment of contingency plans and an upgrade in their security and safe keeping. (Major Timeline change)
Pay Reward: +$8000]
[Calculating Counseling affect for User [Phoenix]
Short term Results found:
Distrust of Major fatherly figure. (Paranoia increase)
Questions about self-mental stability. (Breaking down of mental stability and on set split personality)
Pay Penalty: -$4000]
Jacob's hands were shaking by this point his mind a mess. He tried to deny the facts before him, but it was becoming too much. He thought back to what the group chat was called and felt a shiver go down his spine.
[Multiverse Counseling Group Chat]
'B-b-but if it's real. What I wrote yesterday...'
A pit of guilt began to well up inside as his eyes drifted to the final message.
(Paranoia....Breaking down mental stability and on set split personality.)
'I Caused this...'
With trepidation he tried to push aside his mounting guilt as he finally went to the last menu he hadn't gone into before.
[1 on 1 Appointments]
Before him a table appeared at the top the words, [Appointment Request], sat.
Below sat none other than a person he could have seriously hurt with his words.
[User ID] [Booking Status] [Confirmation]
[Phoenix] [Pending] [Approve] [Cancel]
Jacob didn't know what came over him at that moment, but if asked later he would definitely reply with guilt. But as he stared at the pending status, his thumb subconsciously moved to the approve button and pressed down.
Before he knew what was happening the [Booking status] flashed from [Pending] to [Approved] in bright green lettering. Quickly followed by a change in screen. Going back to the main menu and then the chat group, a new direct message appeared before him.
Admin:(First [1 on 1 appointment] booking confirmed.)
Admin: (Time set in 6 hours.)
Admin: (Sending confirmation now to User, [Phoenix])
Admin: (First time appointment privileges, [Free], [Time allotted, 4 hours])
Admin:(Beginning [1 on 1 appointment] orientation for User, [The Counselor])
"Huh?"
Suddenly Jacob wasn't in his room anymore, he wasn't even wearing the same clothes. He was standing in a room with a nice polished wooden floor and a window looking out at the sea. On the walls were a few paintings and other assortment of items.
In the middle of the room sat a comfy brown leather chair, while next to it sat a comfy, red and soft 'chaise lounge'.
Needless to say, Jacob was gob smacked.
"Holy Fuck it's real?!?!?!?"
