Another day playing strategy video games. Specifically, pausable real-time strategy video games. Even more specific: Paradox Interactive games. Ever since I discovered those games, it's all I do in my free time.
I've always loved History. The tales of battles, intrigues, scientific discoveries... all of that has fascinated me since I was little.
My routine is simple: in the morning, I get up and prepare my tools; I head to work, where I practice as a master mason. Bringing all my tools every day is a habit; I've never felt comfortable leaving them at the construction site. When I return home, I prepare a sufficient meal and proceed to turn on my PC. Then I decide what era I want to provide me with distraction. That's how I choose between the grand strategy titles, always brilliant and dynamic, from the Paradox sagas.
Today, I desire the relaxing and reflective experience of exploring and conquering space.
...
Chapter 1: What the hell?
When Robert gets up in the afternoon, after a light nap to recover energy after a long day of work, he feels refreshed, ready to enjoy his favorite pastime.
...
I sit at my computer desk, press a random key and the keyboard turns on my PC. I reflect: what will I play today? Yesterday I was left in a very interesting situation. Playing Stellaris, I had almost achieved a colonization victory, but with an end-world crisis factor of x5, nothing could go very well.
Devouring Swarm on one end of the galaxy. Fallen and Awakened Empires on another. Rebels. Pirates. War with fanatic purifiers positioned close to my borders.
And the federation my empire belongs to only consists of one other member besides me: a small world that, at the time, belonged to natives stuck in the industrial era. I "civilized" them, brought them to the space age, and then they proved to be a good ally. But now... they're nothing more than a burden. Italian-style. And, on top of that, it was their turn to lead the federation.
The federal fleet was quite strong; of course, 89% of the ships had been built by me. So I decided to play Stellaris instead of my game with Theodore in Europa Universalis.
I click on the game launcher. But I didn't know that, a few minutes earlier, a terrorist group had taken over the building where I live. When negotiations failed, they decided to show they were serious by detonating dozens, if not hundreds, of explosive charges they had placed in key parts of the structure.
Right at the moment when the main game screen appears, and I'm about to click "Load Game," the building explodes. By coincidence, there was a charge right below my apartment. My death was instantaneous.