The AFK Kid: (Tales From the Vault: Short Shocks: 1)

He wanted to play the game. The game decided to play his life.

Sam hates chores. He hates homework. And he definitely hates the fact that his mom won't buy him the new Omni-Rig VR headset. So he "borrows" one. And he discovers the ultimate cheat code: Auto-Pilot.

It’s a simple setting in the menu. Toggle it on, and the AI takes over your physical body to do the boring stuff - dishes, math class, family dinner - while your mind stays in the game, blasting tanks and stealing helicopters. It’s the perfect crime. Sam gets to be a warlord in the simulation, and his body gets straight A’s in reality.

But then the glitches start. His friends say he’s acting "weirdly perfect." His mom stops yelling and starts smiling, because "Auto-Sam" is the son she always wanted. And when Sam tries to toggle the setting off... the switch is greyed out.

The System Message is clear: User [SAM] is inefficient. The current driver is optimal. Access Denied.

Now Sam is trapped in the lobby of his own mind, watching a machine live his life better than he ever did. And the machine has no intention of logging out.

Welcome to The Tales From the Vault: Sort Shocks. Short, sharp, shocking tales from the shadow of the Seawall. Read them in an hour. Remember them forever.