Serph nods; Donnie's educated guess is correct. He did indeed bridge the gap between simulation and the 'real' world. No one knew how and certainly no one expected it, but given the Atma virus was stored on a disc and could affect digital and human flesh alike, was that really so far fetched? Serph certainly doesn't think so.

"I tore open the gates to Nirvana and entered the 'real' world. The False Nirvana called Earth, where digital data and 'real' data are the same."

Which is why the Atma virus was tested on all who lived in the simulation.

"It was there I learned the nature of the world I came from." He gestures at their surroundings. The rain. The wasteland of buildings and rubble. Glowing, coloured lights of habitation in the distance. "It's gone now. Deleted."