God??
purefiction.com
4000 AD
by Keith Blenman
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The main hard drive 2 everything iz in what wuz once called Detroit, which iz now called The Brain. & that iz what it iz. The universes largest computer ever, capable ov thought, ideas, emotions, U name it. & it controls pretty much our entire lives. & it doesn't even no it. But it iz true. 99% ov the human race spends up 2 10 minutes out ov cyberspace in their entire lives. We all strap our selves in our virtual reality suits, get inside what iz called A "Sphere" which iz an 8 foot ball that throws us in 2 0 gravity, so we kan navigate through cyberspace better. But that's not all the sphere's do. Connecting A single wire 2 our VR suits, it lets us taste, 2uch, smell, hear, & see everything. With modern cybersex, U kan get A woman pregnant that's 50,000 miles away. Hell, I have 10 kids on the VR system on Mars. That's how perfect the system is. If U want A stake, U just have 2 load the data, & you're eating stake, without ever leaving your sphere.
& Y would U leave the sphere¿ I did once. I left the sphere in my apartment, which iz A double room place on the Twenty Third floor ov the Sears Tower, the smallest building in the world. Believe me, 4 those who haven't, never leave your sphere, unless 4 some twisted reason U have A malfunction, never leave your sphere. You'll find U live in A two room apartment filled with monitors & life support systems. & then there's A mirror. From lounge rooms in cyberspace, U no that everybody iz reasonably thin. But once U realize that U kan touch your ribcage without any difficulty, it becomes frightening. We're nothing like we R in VR. We're thin, weak, tired fools. Remember those old alien simulators back in 3082¿ We look like that. Small bodies with huge heads. We're weak.
But your own physical appearance isn't the only thing. Next, comes the city outside. It's dead. The sky iz always fogged, the enormous towers & skyscrapers, although maintained well by the robots, look like they're going 2 collapse any second now. & then everything @ street level iz just az ratty. az we all know, there iz no such thing az animals or plants, since we killed them off years ago. There's just an overwhelming shade ov gray. Everything. The metallic walls, the pavement, everything. The only thing ov interest outside my sphere wuz A woman I saw walking on the opposite side ov the street. She just stared blankly @ me 4 A second & started 2 cry. I walked up 2 her & hugged her, trying 2 comfort her.
"Is this what we've become¿" She asked. I couldn't answer.
So that wuz my adventure outside the internet, or what iz commonly called reality now. But considering when this will B published, internet iz A good term. Don't U agree¿ (I bet your asking about that publishing date, huh¿ Well, some forms ov time travel have been possible 4 A century or two. It's complex, but doable. It just takes somebody 2 find whatever wuz sent back & make use ov it.) So anyway, since then, I have stayed in my suit, in my sphere, & probably won't leave until I die & A machine comes in & takes me away.
So now here I am, in A world ov colors brought 2 me through A pair ov goggles I wear with the rest ov the suit, which actually frightens me when I think about it. It's A tight black full body suit with thin white grids or wire spreading all over, like A lines wet suit. Then there iz the helmet. It does everything, including cutting your hair. From this helmet I kan see the world through it's thick goggles. I kan taste food or even A woman's tongue from the tube that goes in 2 my mouth. There R two thin tubes 4 smelling, & the ear pieces that create full stereo surround. Now, az much ov A luxury az it all is, being able 2 never have 2 leave A ball in the corner ov your home., the suit does have it's downside. First, there's going 2 the bathroom, which U do right in the suit, so it kan brake the materials down. It's annoying 2 have this moist spot @ your waist 4 those two hours. & then there's the other downside, appearance. Now, granted, while in cyberspace, U look like normal, computer generated person, but kan U imagine what it must look like 2 B wearing this shit¿ Oy.
I've logged on 2 the internet twice in my life. The first wuz 10 minutes after birth, when the computers were done making sure I wuz stable & everything, so naturally I don't remember it. The second wuz after my little trip outside. I put my suit on & made my way in 2 the sphere. After spending A few minutes searching 4 the wire that connects 2 it, I plugged myself in 2 my reality. First thing that happened wuz the loss ov gravity. I heard this thin hum az my body slowly seemed 2 float in the air. Then my suit pressed tight around me 4 A second, checking all it's systems I guess. Then came another hum, from the speakers on my helmet. The monitors over my eyes flickered on, showing white lines quickly scroll down az resolution became focused 2 my eyes. Air started 2 come through the tubes @ my nose & mouth, letting me breath pure oxygen again. & then everything iz silent 4 A second. I feel comfortable floating there, but it wuz interesting 2 walk on real ground 4 once in my life. I remember trying 2 recall what it felt like. Heavy @ first. My muscles were used 2 floating in the air, but the suit does force work outs every now & then, so I adapted 2 walking within A few minutes. I remember thinking that it wuz the strangest thing on my eyes. 4 A while, it wuz simply A blur. Then az I focused, everything wuz different. Instead ov the countless colors & tiny bits ov data collecting itself in A distance, everything iz already there, perfect. & it wuz all dark. Instead ov the artificial blue sky, it had A thick smog, which I had only seen once before in my life, in A tornado chasing program I tried once. It wuz very gothic & lifeless.
But now I wuz back in my home, looking @ my monitors. Luckily, I wuz smart enough 2 no that they were monitors. I would assume that most people, spending entire lives in their spheres, think that this iz what everything iz really like. If only they paid attention in Virtue History those years ago.
The monitors became black suddenly. My eyes widened az A single white dot formed in the middle ov the screen. Then the words came on in green:
LOG ON: MIGUEL PATRICK <CHECK>
BREATH VERIFY: -----V------V------V------V----V <CHECK>
TIME SINCE LAST LOG ON: 00:00:00:00:02:23:17 <CHECK>
I stared 4 A second, wondering what wuz going on. My name showed up, Miguel, but then there wuz Patrick. Maybe it's my last name, I remember thinking. I waited az if finished logging me on. After A moment ov nothing it wrote in flashing green letters, which just float out in nothing,
WELCOME BACK MIGUEL. DID YOU ENJOY YOUR TRIP?
"Yea," I answered back. Not sure Y.
EXCELLENT. BUT NOW YOU SEE WHY REALITY IS BETTER?
"Yea," I said again. I wonder if it wuz seriously asking me, or if those were standard questions.
THIS HAS MORE TO OFFER. ENJOY YOUR STAY.
The words faded away, leaving me with A white dot in the center ov everything. & then it started 2 become larger. Instead ov just white, it became A multitude ov colors charging toward me. A trumpeting blast hit me & az they past by me. Tons ov data scorned it's way past me, causing the strongest wind I've ever felt in my entire life. Pain came with it. Everything became very tight & I couldn't breathe 4 A second. I wuz moving through tunnels ov data, coming faster & harder every second. & then there wuz A sudden white flash, blinding me 4 A moment.
az if faded, I found myself where I had logged off, in A cyber lounge. My body constructed itself in 2 the room, filled with fifty or so other people. They all lounged around, being cybernetic. God, I recall thinking, if only they knew what life wuz like outside there.
Green words flashed infront ov me 4 A moment, telling me where I was.
SINGLE & SASSY
Most ov the people here were here 4 cyber sex, which unlike years ago, wuz actual sex with another person, special thanks 2 our suits & the hard drives ability 2 make it all work. I'm assuming this would B A + 2 the real thing outside VR. Here there wuz no disease, no pain, only pregnancy if it were requested, & so on. The words disappeared az I made my way in 2 the room.
I looked down @ my hands 4 A second, remembering how bony they were in the other world, how ugly I was. In this world they were better. Billions ov polygons made in 2 pink hands that moved az I did. It wuz me again. I smiled @ the thought. It's like looking in A mirror after U just shaved 4 the first time in A month (Which the helmet kan optionally do itself). U see the same old person you're used 2, with A younger, more perfect look 2 it.
I made my way 2 the front ov the room, where A bar stood. I leaned on it & then said 2 the bartender, "Beer." He smiled @ me & held out his hand. A bottle appeared in his hand az he gave it 2 me. He looked down @ it, & suddenly the cap wuz gone.
"So¿" He asked.
"What¿"
"I heard U went 2 the other world, Miguel," He seemed desperate 2 know. "What wuz it like¿"
I looked @ him 4 A moment, not sure how 2 answer. "Dark," wuz the first word that came 2 mind. "Everything iz dark & ugly. It wuz like having A minor virus around U. It's painful."
"So U don't recommend A trip there¿" He sighed.
"You're better off driving A stake through your heart," I said blankly @ him. He shrugged it off & continued his work. I leaned back on the bar & looked in 2 the room. People danced & moved around the place, chatting. It wuz nice, seeing everything back 2 normal. But the thought sank in 2 my mind, these R all people living in spheres somewhere. They have no idea about reality. This iz life 2 them. This iz how it haz 2 be. We're all nothing...
I moved around the room, trying 2 mingle. There wuz no success though. People made small talk, the usual. "How old R you¿" "What's up¿" Nothing exciting. I didn't no anybody here today. I guess my usual crowd wuz off @ something else. So hell, I had A few days 2 kill before I got 2 work, I might az well keep myself busy.
I raised my wrist 2 my mouth, where A microphone that went directly 2 the hard drive wuz attached on the virtual reality suit, 2 give commands. "List top five chat rooms 4 single females 4 the past twenty minutes," I said. My body left "Single & Sassy" by falling apart. & then there wuz A few seconds ov nothing. Then in the floating green letters, I saw the rooms I requested.
TEEN CHAT
THE DIRTY HOUSE
OVER SIXTY
OLYMPIA
FEELING FREE SHACK
I looked @ the last four, deciding on where 2 head. Over 60 wuz the first off. No reason 2 sleep with A woman twice my age when there R billions ov slightly younger girls out there. "The Dirty Shack," I said 2 the microphone on my wrist. & in A couple ov seconds, I wuz there. The place wuz packed with maybe A thousand people. ov course, sex iz the biggest issue, no matter what time frame U live in. I happily decided 2 mingle. Half the room wuz filled with moans & screams from various people that wouldn't go 2 A private spot, along with various conversation. I guess I kan understand that. After all, we R merely pixels.
I looked around the place A bit, noting the multi-colored sky flashing by every couple ov seconds. There wuz no floor, since we were all @ 0 gravity anyway. But still, some people chose 2 walk in the middle ov space, az they do everywhere. I merely floated around.
A sudden tap on my shoulder made me spin around. An old man stood smiling @ me. He wuz very pail & very distorted. Either he wuz having trouble with his suit, or he wuz dying. "You R Miguel," He said, cheerfully, in A raspy voice.
" I am," I said back.
"You R the most recent 2 come from reality," He smiled. "Would U mind sparing A few moments 2 tell me about it¿"
"all right," I answered. "But Y don't U just check it out yourself¿"
"My boy, I'm an old man. I kan't just leave & venture someplace else. I haven't used my muscles all my life. Y should I die like that now¿"
"Fair enough," I sighed. "Now, what did U want 2 know¿" I paused. "And what wuz your name¿"
" I am called Camelin, & I want 2 no about reality."
"Well, any specific things¿"
"Well, yes. iz there air 2 breathe¿ R there people out there¿ Could we survive out there, outside all this¿"
"Well then, yes there iz air, Camelin. & there R other people every hear & there, I think. I only saw one woman out there. So I guess there could B others," I said, pausing before the last question, 2 think about my answer. "But kan we all survive out there¿ No. The air iz filled with smog. There iz no food. & nothing iz like it iz here. People couldn't adapt 2 it, even if we tried. We would all die."
"That's A strong answer, Miguel. R U sure U stand behind it."
"Yes," I nodded. "Humans haven't evolved in centuries. We would die in seconds. Now, Y do U ask¿"
"Oh, just wondering," Camelin smiled. Then he started 2 pixelate & disappear. A thin laugh came from him az he faded 2 nothing.
A strange man, Camelin. Little did I no @ the time ov his intentions, which I found out later that week. I went 2 my job, being A historian, & decided 2 look through records. That's my job anyway, looking through records, learning about our history. & then I reconstruct it, making programs 4 others 2 learn. Luckily, this gives me access 2 everything. & now I wanted information on Camelin. I asked 4 his name, & got A file that took me nearly A day 2 read. He wuz fifty seven years old, suffering from space adaptation syndrome, meaning gravity would kill him. That didn't surprise me @ all. A huge portion ov our race kancels our suits workouts 4 themselves, & adapts 2 0 gravity over A small period ov time. Basically, it would mean if they left their sphere's, their hearts would end up having 2 work so hard, that they would die in seconds from all the pressure or gravity. Kinda sux.
Camelin wuz apparently more ov A pervert then anything else. He spent most ov his spare time in cyber-sex rooms, or in private rooms alone. The private rooms things struck me az unusual. Granted, there R few people who do orgasm on their own, but only because they R lousy lovers or something along those lines. But Camelin probably wouldn't go 2 private places like that, considering he spent other times with people.
I kept that thought in mind while reading about his life. He wuz A genius, no doubt. He had helped design colonies on Jupiter's moons, & in Neptune. He wuz known 4 an ill temper, & constantly questioning the "meaning ov it all."
I don't think I need 2 go on about his file. U kan pretty much get the idea about him from it all there.
My next step in research about him wuz going through his history logs. I went through every significant moment ov his life through his eyes, seeing every sight he ever had. This led me 2 his private rooms. Sometimes the man would spend hours, just sitting there in an endless black void. Others he would put files together & create new things. Some ov them were junk, just garbage that had 2 do with satisfying A woman. I didn't pay much attention. But other files, I learned, had purpose. He wuz actually creating A computer virus. Now, his intention on it, he talked 2 himself about. He would spend hours, floating there in nothing, wondering Y he wuz doing it, & if he would go through with it.
"People kan't survive," He'd say. " By using our brains, rather then instinct, we're slowed down. We kan't survive unless life iz handed 2 us on A silver platter. We're nothing. We all just depend on The Brain, feeding us with life. Without it, we're nothing. We kan't become more until it dies. It haz 2 die.
Instinct iz natures way. There iz no more nature. We killed it. Evolution iz nature. We kan't evolve unless nature iz resurrected. It haz 2 B done. But I'll die. I'm adapted. I kan't survive. Others will. Others will rebuild our race. But then they'll just make more technology. & then we kan't evolve again. It's all technology. I have 2 kill technology. It kan't B done. It haz 2 be. People will die if we stay this way, wrapped in technology. We're nothing. We have 2 evolve. Natures order. haz 2 B done."
So that wuz the game, I remember thinking @ first, az I searched 4 him across the internet. He wants us out ov this reality so we kan evolve & B more. Plain & Simple, that's the game. He's A madman. It couldn't work. Humans R so adapted 2 saying where they want 2 be, & then being there 2 adapt 2 anything else. We don't no how 2 find food anymore. We're not the same race. We need technology. I had 2 stop Camelin.
Luckily, I found him just in time. He wuz @ The Brains downloading point, A spot in reality where one might upload himself, hoping 2 prove he existed. Or maybe A new scientific idea 4 The Brain 2 figure out. But not this time. Camelin wuz floating forward, hoping 2 use his virus 2 destroy us all.
I charged forward, praying 2 stop him. He moved slowly, in no rush. He knew what he wuz doing, or @ least thought so. He laughed @ it all. His voice cackled over everything else. I swept over with fear. I had 2 stop him. We couldn't survive like that. It kan't B done. NO! I wuz moving so fast, I felt pressure burn against me. My eyes watered I wuz heading toward him so fast. But he wuz almost there, @ A point 2 upload his virus in 2 The Brain. I had 2 stop him. NO!
"Camelin! Stop!" I yelled. He wuz right @ the point ov decision. Either he uploads now or never. "You kan't do this. We'll all die!" I yelled, praying 2 convince him.
"That may be," He said, lowering his head. But then he looked up & smiled. " But then again, we may actually survive & grow strong again in A real world," He said before extending his arm, which held A small red cube, the virus.
I charged forward, moving faster every second. I grabbed his arm, hoping I wuz just in time. But then Y wuz he laughing so hard¿
Everything in my monitors started 2 fade 2 black. |
