Janet "Pehpsi" Burress was one of the first group of beta testers for Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, and one of the first members of the Guild of Greeters. Her avatar name came from her favorite beverage, and the "h" was added later when concerns arose about copyright infringement. This is her story in her own words:
I have been a Myst addict since Myst first came into being. I loved Myst, Riven and I even loved Exile. But none of them had the impact on me that Uru has had. I am an avid (fan) and I didn't see how that could be any deeper than it already was until I made my first steps into Uru. Let me say part of that again and stress what I mean: Until I made my first STEPS into Uru. Why have I stressed those words? Because I live my days in a scooter (electric wheelchair), it is my legs. Unless you have ever been likewise confined, you can't completely understand what I am about to tell you, you can imagine what it might be like but you can't really completely understand it. I have been mostly confined to my scooter from Juvenile Rhumatoid Arthritis (diagnosed at age 13), since I was 16, and I am now 50. I remember how it felt to run and jump in my mind, but that hasn't been the case for over 20 years now. But I recently was allowed to feel that feeling again. I wouldn't have believed it myself. As much as I love Myst, D'ni and the whole Atrus storyline, I would never have believed what impact a game could have on my life. But it did, and I will be forever grateful to Rand, Cyan and Ubi for giving me that feeling back.
My first night in Uru was so unbelievable. I had heard about the beta test and applied with little hope of getting in since I had never done anything like it before. But I was accepted and when I entered the desert, it seemed like the start of any game, a fun thing but nothing more. Or so I thought at the time. But as I began my journey, things began to change. It wasn't just the clues and the puzzles, and for that matter even the beauty I was encountering. It was the way I was beginning to feel inside. I stayed to myself mostly, shy and unsure of myself. But then I met CAGrayWolf, or GW as I affectionately call him. I also met Tink, and others, and felt the lure then of actually being with fellow Mysters in this magnificent environment, and the feelings kept evolving. No longer was I just Janet in her scooter in the living room at my "pooter". I was Pepsi, who could walk and run and jump, and Oh God, that was wonderful! When I was in Uru with my newfound friends, exploring, I was in D'ni, with my newfound friends, exploring. I could feel myself jump to the ledge in Eder Gira, and get the journey cloth, and I could feel myself running through the puddle of water in Kadish Tolesa while heading for the second puzzle. These were not the only feelings going on, however. I also felt that I was really there when we would gather just to talk, or play tag, or hide-and-seek. I have made so many close friends in Uru. This has been a very unique "game". Uru is a game that just isn't a "game". It's a "game" that gave me back my legs and let me forget about the scooter while I was there. What has Uru meant to me? It has meant the world to me.
~ Pepsi
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