By ANN CECILIE MOEN
If you're interested in excitement -- guns and war excitement -- Laser Tag is the game for you.
'When you come in the door, you leave reality and walk into a spaceship,' said Brian Reeves, owner of Laser Force in Provo.
I decided to give it a try and my experience was as close to Star Trek as I will ever get.
In the outer room of the Laser Tag arena, we were equipped with a laser gun and a vest that talks to you and signals when you hit somebody or have been hit by somebody else. The excitement increased as the referee went over the rules.
Before we entered the war zone, we had to swear that we would not break the 'space marines code of honor.' This includes no running in the arena, physical contact or foul language.
Smoke and fog gathered around us as we walked into a labyrinth of dark walls and floors. Bright colors were painted on the edges and on the floor, but black light made only the silhouettes of the people and walls in the room visible.
Still adjusting to the environment, we were 'activated' and the war started.
Sounds of bombs and shooting echoed in the room and I heard the sound of others walking around. I felt like a lonely soldier fighting a war against the world to save my life.
Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I tried to reach one of the three destinations in the room. As I got there and started to shoot at it, my vest told me that I was shot.
But it doesn't take more than a few seconds to re-charge, and I fired my gun (better than Arnold himself) before I escaped my enemy. Afraid of being hit, I was constantly reminded by my vest not to forget the target. Surrounded by laser rays, I hunted for the target, but with warriors who constantly remained in the same place, it was hard to reach the target.
Fifteen minutes seemed like an hour. I jumped up from the floor at every movement I noticed next to me, and it was a mixed feeling of relief and disappointment when my vest spoke, 'Game over, man! Game over!'
Back in the outer room we got our printed mission results. It told us how many shots we fired, how many times we were hit, and whom we hit.
Laser Force is trying to attract more of the 'big-children' and also students in the area. Special birthday and group deals are also available.
The business is at 264 N. 100 West and can be reached at 374-3400.