Virtually True

Virtually True

Summary

Sebastian Shultz was a 14 year school boy from South London. He was crazy about computer games as was his father. Once he was in his car, playing a computer game on his laptop, when the car clashed. What happened at the time of the accident makes twist in this story. When Sebastian banged his head in the accident, his head had been plugged to the computer. His memory was saved in the computer's memory and Sebastian lost his memory. He remained in a coma at the General Hospital. While Sebastian lay in coma in the hospital, someone stole his video game slot and sold at the Computer Fair. This game was eventually purchased by the narrator, Michael. When Michael played this game, he met Sebastian Shultz, the very same boy who lay in coma, and was even able to communicate with the Sebastian in the Game. A virtual Sebastian. 

The story may appear to be a flat nonsense but there can be possibilities for similar phenomena. Read the following questions and answers to understand the story better.

Level 1 - Wild West Guns - Sheriff Dowson - Sheriff

Level 2 - Dragon Quest - Knight 1 - Knight 2

Level 3 - Jail Break - Prisoner 1 - Prisoner 2

Level 4 - War Zone - Soldier 1 - Soldier 2

1.   According to the newspaper, what had happened to Sebastian Shultz?

Answer:

According to the newspaper, Sebastian Shultz, 14 years old boy, was recovered from coma which doctor feared might last forever. Sebastian Shultz was badly injured in a motorway accident. His condition, as declared by doctors, was stable but critical.

2.   'Dad's nutty about computers.' What evidence is there to support this statement?

Answer: The narrator says that his dad was nutty means crazy for computers. We come to know about this from the event where his dad spends entire Saturday afternoon at the computer fair. His dad purchases the latest configuration computers with printer and speaker. His dad couldn’t resist himself from purchasing new gadgets and gizmos, and in the fair, his dad buys all the latest interactive games.

3.   In what way did the second game seem very real?

Answer:

There are various instances in the chapter to describe that the second game seemed very real, such as “As I lowered myself down I felt the dragon's fiery breath”, “And the whole time I could hear and feel and even smell the evil dragon following in close pursuit”, etc.

4.   The last game has tanks, jeeps, helicopters, guns and headings would you put this and the other games under?

Answer:

Warzone can be categorized under simulation games. Wildest is a strategy game. Dragonquest is a fantasy role-playing game and Jailbreak is an action game.

5.   What was Michael's theory about how Sebastian had entered the games?

Answer:

According to Michael, Sebastian was probably playing those games when he banged his head in the accident. The computer had saved his memory into its own. Michael bought a lot of games at the fair. Some of them were the stolen ones of Sebastian. When Michael was playing those games, the computer was trying to retrieve Sebastian’s memory.

Read these lines from the story, and then answer the questions.

'That was my idea' said Sebastian excitedly.' If only it would go a big faster.

1.   Where was Sebastian when he spoke these words?

Answer:

Sebastian had just broken a jail with help of Michael and was on the rooftop.

2.   What was his idea, and what was he referring to?

Answer:

Sebastian was referring to be rescued by a helicopter from the jail, before the guards catch up on him.

3.   Was the idea a good one, and did it eventually succeed? How?

Answer:

The idea was a good one, yet did not succeed because the jail guards and their dogs catch up on them, while Sebastian slips and falls down.

Answer the following questions briefly.

1.   Why did the news of the 'miracle recovery' shock Michael?

Answer:

The news article mentioned that a fourteen-year-old boy called Sebastian Shultz, who had gone into a coma following the accident, had miraculously recovered. Michael was shocked to read this. When he saw the picture of Sebastian, he realized that he was the same person whom he had met in the virtual world and was trying to rescue him. Michael couldn’t understand that how he could meet Sebastian if he was in coma.

2.   Michael's meeting with Sebastian Shultz had been a chance meeting. Where had it taken place and how?

Answer:

Michael’s chance meeting with Sebastian had taken place in the virtual world. He had met Sebastian for the first time in a game called Wildwest.

3.   What kind of computers fascinated Michael and his dad? Why?

Answer:

Michael and his dad had recently bought a Pentium 150 MHz processor, with 256 of RAM, a 1.2 GB hard disk drive and 16 speed CD ROM, complete with speakers, printer, modem and scanner. This computer could do anything: paint, play music, create displays and even make rubbish homework look fantastic.

4.   Describe the first place where Michael was virtually transported.

Answer:

The first place Michael was transported was the time period between the American Civil war and end of the 19th century. (mid 1830’s-1920). Geographically, it was west America. Michael was playing a game called Wildwest where he was a Sheriff caught in a gun fight in a saloon.

5.   What help did Sebastian Shultz ask Michael for? How did he convey this message?

Answer:

Sebastian Shultz was in the virtual world when his accident took place. As a result he got stuck there. He encountered Michael in this virtual world. He wanted Michael to rescue him. He sent a message to Michael which appeared on his printer.

6.   Why did Michael fail in rescuing Sebastian Shultz the first time?

Answer:

Michael couldn’t rescue Sebastian the first time because before he could save him, he was shot by gunmen.

7.   The second attempt to rescue Sebastian Shultz too was disastrous. Give reasons.

Answer:

Sebastian chopped the princess’s long plaits and tied them together to form a rope and managed to flee from the tower. He and Michael headed towards the dungeons. However, the dragon followed them. As they were going down the steps, the dragon appeared and caught Sebastian. Michael tried to kill the dragon but he had already taken Sebastian. Thus, the second attempt to save Sebastian failed as well.

8.   Narrate the accident that injured Sebastian Shultz.

Answer:

Sebastian Shultz was badly injured in a car accident. He had banged his head. When he was brought to the hospital, the doctors described his condition critical but stable. Despite doctors’ efforts Sebastian could not regain consciousness. He had gone into coma.

9.   How had Sebastian Shultz entered the games?

Answer:

At the time of the accident, Sebastian was using his laptop to play one of the psycho-drive games. He was plugged on to the computer when his head banged in the accident. The computer had saved his memory in its own. Thus, Sebastian had entered the games but could not come out of it.

10.               How was Sebastian Shultz's memory stored on Michael's disk? Did Michael discover that?

Answer:

At the time of the accident, Sebastian was plugged on to the computer. The computer had saved his memory in its own. When Sebastian’s family was in the hospital, somebody stole their whole lot of games. Some of them ended up at Computer Fair, where they were bought by Michael. Michael discovered this when he read an article on the internet about Sebastian’s miraculous discovery.

Sebastian Shultz had a close brush with death. After he recovers, he returns to school and narrates his experience to his classmates. As Sebastian Shultz, narrate your experience.

Answer:

Hi friends, great to see you all. I had almost lost hope to meet you all again ever. Six weeks ago, I was on my way out of town with some friends for a weekend. I had my laptop with me. It was a four-hour journey to our destination. So, to engage myself, I logged on to one of my psycho-drive games. After an hour of driving on the highway, the car suddenly screeched to a halt. Since we were driving at a great speed, the driver lost control of the car and car somersaulted before falling into a ditch. As the car fell into the ditch, my head hit against the roof of the car and everything blacked out. I don’t remember what happened to me after that.

I was told that I had slipped into coma and only a miracle had brought me back. Another miraculous thing happened to me. At the time of the accident, I was in the midst of a game. Although, I entered it I couldn’t come out of it. Somebody stole my lot of games while I was in the hospital. Some of those were bought by a person called Michael, who rescued me and got me out. So, indirectly he is my saviour. I am planning to meet him soon. It is great to be back friends! I have had a harrowing time, VIRTUALLY!!

The Snake

1. Where did the snake go and why?

Ans:- Due to the scorching heat of the sun, the snake was thirsty and arrived in his elegant style to the water-trough of the poet. He drank water quenched thirst and sneaked back in the earth fissure.

2. How did the snake quench his thirst?

Ans:- With his long slack body the snake rested his throat on the stone bottom and sipped water with his straight gum. Then he lifted his head like the cattle and looked unseeing like a God. Then again he drank water like the cattle. Peaceful, pacified and thankless the snake went back to the horrid black hole.

3) Why does the poet decide to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking? What does this tell you about the poet? (Notice that he uses 'someone' Instead of ‘Something’ for the snake)

Answer-Owing to the prodigious presence of the snake at the water through, the poet had to show civility. Thirsty in the extreme hot weather, the poet was awestruck coming to the water trough as there was the godly presence of the snake. This reveals that the poet was of an accommodating and sympathetic nature.

4) In stanza 2 and 3, the poet gives a vivid description of the snake by using suggestive expressions. What picture of the snake do you form on the basis on the basis of this description?

Answer- The snake consisted with yellow brown belly trailed over the edge of the stone trough. He rested his throat upon the stone bottom and rested upon the stone bottom and sipped the water into his slack long body. After drinking water he raised his head just like cattle do and flashed his forked tongue.

4) How does the poet describe the day and the atmosphere when he saw the snake?

Answer-Scorching was the heat in the hot summer day. Death still was the atmosphere without a bit of movement in the air. The poet was standing under the shade of the strange scented carob tree.

5) What does the poet want to convey by saying that the snake emerges from the  'burning bowels  of the earth’?

Answer-The dwelling place of a snake is at the bottom of the earth. It encompasses through the hole of earth and rests there. The bottom of the earth is equated with burning bowl. Besides, it denotes the hot summer weather situation of the place.

6) Do you think the snake was conscious of the poet's presence? How do you know?

Answer- Irrefutable is the cold fact that the snake was heedlessly aware about the presence of the writer.

            The snake was fully au courant of his presence. He lifted his head and like a god and had a vaguely look. Though seemed like the act of drinking cattle, the snake presented extreme form of ignorance.

7) How do we know that the snake's thirst was satiated? Pick out the expressions that convey this ?

Answer- The following expressions suggest that the snake was satiated to the utmost:-

i) “He sipped with his straight mouth, softly drank through his straight gums, into his slack long body silently

ii) And stooped and drank a little more.

8) The poet has a dual attitude towards the snake .Why does he experience conflicting emotions on seeing the snake ?

Answer -The influence of education and civilization which shaped his thought process had put him in dual conflicting emotions. His rational sensibility prompted him to curb down the venomous threat. On the contrary he is equally amazed by the gracious presence of the guest at his trough to drink water. This conflicting emotion unnerved him and he hurled a log at the snake.

9)The poet is filled with horror and protest when the snake prepares to retreat and bury itself in the 'horrid black ' , 'dreadful' hole. In the light of this statement, bring out the irony of his act of throwing a log at the snake.

Answer- Instinctively, the poet becomes fanatic of the snake and treats him like a guest and feels honoured that he has made his gracious visitation on the cue of drinking water. So he protests when the snake was about to withdraw into his hole.

            But rationally he thinks that he should kill the snake. He throws a log but immediately regrets his mean action. The irony lies in the fact that he likes the snake, treats him like a guest yet tries to kill him.

10) The poet seems to be full of admiration and respect for the snake .He almost regards him like a majestic God. Pick out at least four expressions from the poem that reflect these emotions.

Answer- i) But must I confess how I liked him.

            ii) How glad I was he had come like a guest.

            iii) And looked around like a god.

            iv) One of the lords of life.

j) What is the difference between the snake's movement at the beginning of the poem and later when the poet strikes it with a log of wood ? You may use relevant vocabulary from the poem to highlight the difference .

Answer- Pole asunder was the mobility of the snake at the beginning in comparison to the ending. We get lackadaisical movement of the snake when he comes to the trough to quench his thirst. Later, when the poet, moved by the voice of education throws a log, the snake twisted in velocity and with great alacrity  vanished into the hole.

k) The poet experiences feelings of self derision, guilt and regret after hitting the snake.Pick out expressions that suggest this.Why does he feel like this ?

Answer- i) And immediately I regretted it.

2) I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act!

 3) I despised myself.

            He is having the pricking of conscience for he tried to kill the snake

l) You have recently read Coleridge's poem The Ancient  Mariner in which an albatross is killed by the mariner .Why does the poet make an allusion to the albatross ?

Answer -  The poet brought a comparison with an event of the celebrated poem of S.T. Coleridge Rime of the ancient mariner’ to similarise his act with the snake. In Coleridge's poem the mariner had killed the bird for shallow reason and longed for its return. In this poem too the poet had tried to do harm to snake without proper reason and longed for its return from the underworld. 

m) ' I have something to explain'-- Explain.

Answer -The poet was guilt ridden as, like a nincompoop he hurled a log of wood to kill the snake. And to atone for the meanness of this heinous act he uttered the last line. We get here end of his duality and taking the positive part of considering the snake as a king god.