GameTopius - The Geeks Paradise.

It was a typical weekday summer evening. My kids were playing with some choice toys in the living room. Each was taking a turn enjoying each others' company., laughing, smiling, having fun being kids. The occasional whimper could be heard from my 1 year old daughter as my 7 year old son grabbed something from her that she shouldn't have been chewing on. Per habit, I would go to my usual websites searching for the latest RPG news, free thought blogs, and other interesting internet tidbits in order to find material for my weekly podcast. My wife was set to get off of work and we were all eagerly anticipating her arrival. We planned on hunkering down after a nice dinner and enjoying some snacks while my wife played Eternal Sonata.

All of us were excited at the prospect of her getting to the boss in chapter 3 and continuing the saga of Polka, Alegretto, Frederic, and the rest of the beautifully animated cast of characters. As we finished dinner we gathered in the living room and sat down. It was time.

My wife grabbed a 360 controller, a sliver of the moon gleaming as it hit her eye perfectly through the sliding glass door. Indulgent in the opportunity to play a video game without having to worry about watching the kids, she hit the buttons expertly dispatching enemy after enemy. “Just a couple more levels and I think I'll be ready!”, she said, anticipation climbing into her voice. At this time she had been leveling up her characters for 2 ½ hours. She was finally ready. Time or fatigue was not going to hold her back from unleashing her worst on an unsuspecting boss. As expected, the 3^rd level boss was no match.

A long beautiful cut scene ensued. In the middle of this cut scene a loud annoying beeping sound cried out. “Beep, beep, beep, beep!” Pause. “Beep, beep, beep, beep!”. What the hell is that? I asked as I got up to see what the commotion was about, all the while the cut scene playing out on the T.V. The source of the beeping was what looked like a smoke detector alarm mounted on the wall in our hallway. There was no fire. This was no fire alarm.

On the back of the alarm was a clear indicator: carbon monoxide. Was this thing broken? Were the batteries in need of replacement? That had to be it, right? I quickly took the AA batteries out and put in 3 fresh ones. The silence was short lived. “Beep, beep, beep, beep!” Again the sound as loud as church bells ringing in my ears. I turned my head in my wife's direction, “It's not the batteries. Seemingly annoyed from the interruption of an epic cut scene, my wife replied, “What should we do?” With a bit of confusion and hesitation I made a decision. “Call 911.” My wife, understanding the urgency on my face, began to dial the number. Through bits of the conversation I could decipher the exchange of words. The message was as clear as the beautiful Denver summer night sky: Get out immediately!I quickly gathered my daughter in my arms as my wife made sure we had coats, blankets, pacifiers, and any other necessities I tend to forget.

We sat on the curb of our apartment complex parking lot waiting for the fire department. In the distance I could hear the call of the siren. Meanwhile, my kids faces said what I was thinking: What the hell is going on here?! The fire truck pulled up with the normal array of blue, red, and white bright lights reflecting off of the surrounding vehicles, buildings, and anything else that was in the way. A mustached burly fireman began asking an array of questions to which I replied honestly. He jettisoned off into the building and within a couple of minutes he came back. “You're apartment has a carbon monoxide level of 350 PPM (Parts Per Million)”. “OK, what does that mean?”, I said. “The typical level should be 10 PPM or less.”, the reply cutting at my psyche like a sharp knife cuts butter.

In a whirlwind of oxygen masks, EMT's, and needles we were all whisked away to a nearby hospital. Before I knew it, a doctor was standing before me explaining the effects of carbon monoxide and the damage that was and could have been. The pepper haired doctor explained if the level of carbon monoxide would have reached 400 PPM we would have probably passed out, in all likelihood never to wake again.

The funny thing about mortality is you can't shake it. If not for my family and I's love for gaming, I can confidently say none of us would be here today. If not for the brightly colored sprites of Polka, Alegretto, Beat, and the rest, my kids would not have the bright future I have envisioned for them. I wouldn't be here writing and letting you know the next time you hear that “beeping” noise either literally or in the back of your head, you should trust your instincts. They just might save your life, just like Eternal Sonata indirectly saved ours. Thank you Eternal Sonata for keeping my family's attention, for keeping my wife interested enough to keep playing, for keeping my kids eyes glued to the gorgeous graphics, and most of all for giving me the time to make a good decision.

-Frank Branches