Cure for the Common Universe Read Online Free PDF

a chart with about a dozen other names. Then he stared at the name. “Oh! I get it. Clever wordplay.”
    â€œThought you might like that.”
    â€œWell, Miles  . . .” He leaned back into his chair. “Video Horizons opened about two months ago. We don’t even have a logo yet, but our population has practically doubled every week due to the ever-climbing number of kids who are afflicted with an electronics addiction. You might be asking yourself, is it really that many?”
    â€œI was asking myself that,” I said.
    Actually, I was wondering what Serena would think if she could see me right then. She’d probably throw her Schwinn at me and run.
    â€œUp to thirty percent of youths are addicted to video games,” G-man continued. “It’s a growing concern in our society.That’s how we were able to earn enough grants to acquire this old military training center.” He smiled at the fluorescent lights as if we were in some pleasure palace. Then he grew serious. “Humans spend more than three billion hours a week in the gaming world. If you were to add up all the time players have spent in World of Warcraft, do you know how much it would amount to?”
    Six million years, I thought.
    â€œNo,” I said.
    â€œSix million years,” he said.
    â€œThat’s crazy,” I said.
    My dad had fed me the same statistic. I’d probably contributed a couple of years myself.
    â€œVideo Horizons is focused on slowing that number’s growth,” G-man said.
    â€œAn admirable mission,” I said.
    â€œI’m glad you think so,” he said.
    â€œI do think so,” I said.
    I didn’t. G-man didn’t understand gamers. And he certainly didn’t understand me. When the real world rejects your efforts for sixteen years, when you’re mocked at school, when you can’t get a date, when you don’t get picked for sports, when your knowledge of Japanese gods is worthless, even frowned upon, it’s hard not to turn to a community where your talents are appreciated.
    Also, you get to kill dragons.
    â€œYou’ll find that we’re a bit different from a regular rehab,”G-man said. “Video game addiction isn’t as serious as a drug or alcohol addiction, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a major concern. Especially if you’ve been playing some of those games that have no end. I think you know the ones I’m talking about.”
    I exaggeratedly rolled my eyes. “I do, unfortunately.”
    The Wight Knights were probably so pissed at me right then, trying to battle through Skyscrape Arena without their trusty tank who had been torn away from the world and hurtling to . . . whatever the hell this place was.
    â€œBut don’t mistake us for strict disciplinarians,” G-man continued. “We’re not trying to re-create the video game recovery facilities they have in China. You know, with the militaristic drills, and flashing colorful lights into your pupils at six a.m.”
    â€œThank goodness for that !” I said, faking a chuckle.
    â€œNo, we actually try to have some fun here at Video Horizons. We operate on a revolutionary system that appeals to a gamer’s sense of success. We are going to try to reprogram your behavior by breaking your game habit with—get this—another game. Think of it as the PlayStation 5 of addiction therapy.”
    â€œWow,” I said. “You are really speaking my language.”
    He narrowed his eyes and leaned over his desk.
    I leaned in too.
    â€œWe’ve devised a system where players such as yourself earn experience points.”
    â€œThat sounds like a video game,” I said, coloring my voice with intrigue.
    â€œIt is like a video game. But it’s the video game of life. Instead of leveling up pixels and polygons, ones and zeros, you are going to level up”—he swiveled his finger in my