Like most gunters, I voted to reelect Cory Doctorow and Wil Wheaton (again). There were no term limits, and those two geezers had been doing a kick-ass job of protecting user rights for over a decade. It was the dawn of a new era, one where most of the human race now spent all of their free time inside a videogame. "No one in the world ever gets what they want and that is beautiful." [199] And now the conditions at any schools had gotten so terrible that every kid with half a brain was being encouraged to stay at home and attend school online. The Great Recession was now entering its third decade, and unemployment was still at a record high. (2045) show all 16 items) ...his obsessive adherence to routine and preoccupation with a few areas of interest led many psychologists to conclude that Halliday had suffered from Asperger’s syndrome, or from some other form of high functioning autism. ...contrary to popular belief, the OASIS won’t change that drastically when IOI takes control of it. I could barely believe it myself. IOI had actually tried to kill me. To prevent me from winning a videogame contest. It was insane. Capitalism would inch forward, without my actually having to interact with another human being. The sight of my tiny one-room apartment, my immersion rig, or my reflection in the mirror—they all served as a harsh reminder that the world I spent my days in was not, in fact, the real one. I could vote, in both the OASIS elections and the elections for U. S. government officials. I didn’t bother with the latter, because I didn’t see the point. The once-great country into which I’d been born now resembled its former self in name only. It didn’t matter who was in charge. Those people were rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic and everyone knew it. Besides, now that everyone could vote from home, via the OASIS, the only people who could get elected were movie stars, reality TV personalities, or radical televangelists. Questing kept me busy and served as a welcome distraction from the growing loneliness and isolation I felt. You know you’ve totally screwed up your life when your whole wid turns to shit and the only person you have to talk to is your system agent software. It’s not over until it’s over. Try and use your powers only for good. Okay? I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in the real world. I didn’t know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid, for all of my life. Right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it’s also the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real. Do you understand? (James Halliday)