Jobe has been obsessed with virtual reality ever since the terrible accident that left him crippled and his girlfriend dead. VR, he believes, is the key to escaping all his troubles in the real world, particularly the ongoing nightmares that force him to constantly relive the trauma of the accident. Polybius, a cloak-and-dagger figure Jobe has recently acquainted online, has offered him the opportunity to try out a new top secret virtual reality device called Presence: A unique VR experience so immersive and convincing it's been said to drive people insane, leaving most who have tried it unable to differentiate between reality and fantasy after they exit the simulation. For many users, the end result is having their mind forever trapped inside a realm of fear, amnesia, paranoia, and night terrors--and Jobe wants to try it. Whatever the risks, Jobe needs to know what it's like to experience true presence--the Holy Grail of virtual reality.
