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Virtually True Summary in English by Paul Stewart
Virtually True Summary in English
The story is about the world inside psycho-drive computer games which are played by the power of the mind and can be quite dangerous if someone gets trapped inside one of the games. The memory of Sebastian Shultz gets trapped inside his laptop when his head bangs against his laptop during an accident. He slips into a coma with little hope of survival. Another boy, Michael stumbles upon Sebastian while playing one of the games called Wildwest.
Sebastian appears dressed as a sheriff and tries to escape from the game but is shot at by one of the men and the game ends. Michael finds himself outside the game and receives a plea of help from Sebastian to help him by playing another game—Dragonquest.
Michael responds by entering the game and finds that the game entails that he save a princess called Aurora who is trapped in a tower guarded by a dragon. But before he can save the princess he once again meets Sebastian dressed as a knight who calls out to him to help him escape from the game. The game ends before he is able to save Sebastian, who is eaten up by the dragon. The next day he again receives a message from Sebastian asking for help. He now asks him to try and save him through the game, Jailbreak. Michael responds by entering the game but once again fails to rescue him.
Finally Sebastian sends him a message to try for the last time and play the game, Warzone. This time Michael is able to rescue Sebastian at the last moment. Simultaneously, he gets to read the news of the miraculous recovery of Sebastian in the hospital. This leaves Michael wondering how real the virtual world of computer games is.
Virtually True Summary Questions and Answers
Question 1.
According to the newspaper, what had happened to Sebastian Shultz?
Answer:
Sebastian Shultz had been in a coma from which the doctors feared he would never recover but he had come out of the coma. .
Question 2.
‘Dad’s nutty about computers.’ What evidence is there to support this statement?
Answer:
The narrator says so because his father had all the latest computer accessories as well as a computer which could do a variety of things. Also, he couldn’t resist the new gadgets and gizmos that came on the market.
Question 3.
In what way did the second game seem very real?
Answer:
The narrator enjoyed it because the big screen with the loud volume made him feel like he was inside the game, battling it out.
Question 4.
The last game has tanks, jeeps, helicopters, guns and headings would you put this and the other games under?
Answer:
The games can be categorised as psycho-drive.
Question 5.
What was Michael’s theory about how Sebastian had entered the games?
Answer:
According to the narrator, Sebastian’s memory had somehow got stored in the disk containing the games. These disks had been stolen from the Shultz’ house and they had found their way to the Computer Fair from where the narrator’s father had bought them for him.
Question 6.
Read these lines from the story, then answer the questions.
(a) ‘That was my idea ’ said Sebastian excitedly. ’ If only it would go a big faster.
(i) Where was Sebastian when he spoke these word?
He was in the game, ‘Jailbreak’.
(ii) What was his idea, and what was he referring to ?
His idea was to rescue Sebastian using a helicopter.
(iii) Was the idea a good one, and did it eventually succeed? How?
The idea turned out to be a good one. They used it in the game, ‘Warzone’ and Sebastian tumbled into the helicopter when the tank crashed into the jeep; the narrator then pulled him up.
Question 7.
Answer the following questions briefly.
a. Why did the news of the ‘miracle recovery ’ shock Michael?
Answer:
It shocked Michael because according to the report, Sebastian had been in coma for the past six weeks, yet during this time had appeared in Michael’s games and asked him for his help in escaping from one game or the other that were stored inside the CD.
b. Michael’s meeting with Sebastian Shultz had been a chance meeting. Where had it taken place and how?
Answer:
The meeting took place inside the game ‘Wildwest’ when Sebastian had entered the game as the second Sheriff and asked Michael to follow him.
c. What kind of computers fascinated Michael and his dad? Why?
Answer:
They were fascinated by the Pentium Mhz processor with 256 RAM, a 1.2 GB hard drive and 167 speed CD Rom. It could do anything—play, paint, play music, create displays, etc.
d. Describe the first place where Michael was virtually transported.
Answer:
Michael was transported into a dusty town in the Wild West, into a saloon filled with hostile looking men.
e. What help did Sebastian Shultz ask Michael for? How did he convey this message?
Answer:
Sebastian told Michael that he was stuck inside the computer and asked him to rescue him by trying to play the game ‘Dragonquest’. He sent the message through the printer.
f. Why did Michael fail in rescuing Sebastian Shultz the first time?
Answer:
Michael failed because the game ended and Shultz appeared to have been shot by the men following them in the game ‘Wildwest’.
g. The second attempt to rescue Sebastian Shultz too was disastrous. Give reasons.
Answer:
In the second attempt, Michael found himself having to rescue Aurora the fair princess from a fire-breathing dragon. Though Sebastian once again tried, he was not quick enough to escape from the clutches of the dragon.
h. How had Sebastian Shultz entered the games?
Answer:
Michael felt that Sebastian’s memory had been saved in the computer when he had banged his head on it during the accident and had entered the games.
i. How was Sebastian Shultz’s memory stored on Michael’s disk? Did Michael discover that?
Answer:
Michael discovered it. According to the narrator, Sebastian’s memory had somehow got stored in the disk containing the games. These disks had been stolen from the Shultz’ house and they had found their way to the Computer Fair from where the narrator’s father had bought them for him.