Chapter 1 - "For a smile"

Chapter 1 - "For a Smile"

Guard: "Good morning, Mr. Nakamura"

The guard at the desk, a well-built guy with a bushy but neat mustache and a blue uniform, holds out his hand to me. I grap it with an exaggerated gesture and shake it, clearly against his will.

Nicolas: "Good morning, David."

Guard: "Very funny ..."

The man in front of me is David Jackson. We get along qite well, but I would not go so far as to say that we are friends. A very serious person ... when he's sober.

Guard: "Come on, you know the procedure ..."

He becomes impatient. Of course I know what he wants. I pull out my passport from my breast pocket and put it in his still outstretched hand, whereupon he slides it over the data pad, which lies next to him on his desk. Some information appears on the pad, along with my photo:

   [Name: Nicolas Nakamura]

   [Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania]

   [Born: 17. 04. 2047]

   [Born in: New York City]

   [Age: 26]

   [172 cm]

   [...]

This is me. A typical American.

My ancestors came more than five generations ago to America, and somehow my foraign name has managed to to survive over the years. In my bloodline there are Asian, European and African-American blood and you can see a bit of all of them on me. I joke sometimes that I do not know if I belong to all ethnic groups simultaneously, or none of them at all.

Nicolas: "It will always show the same thing, no matter how many times you pull it over the scanner."

Guard: "These rules are there for good reasons, Mr. Nakamura"

After scanning my ID Card, the lights at the passage in front of me turn green and the security gate is unlocked.

Nicolas: "I think you could you all try to relax a bit, its not like if we are researching chemical weapons here."

I get no answer back, only my ID Card and a tired smile.

   The floor in the Hallways are covered with gray linoleum. The walls are, aside from the note Signs, empty. The large windows are giving a view on a clean mowed lawn. All in one word: "Lame". Not even posters or plastic plants.

I am already here for over two months, and the hallways look exactly like on the first day. Convenient - functional - boring ...

???: "Nicolas!"

A familiar voice reches out to me from behind. I stop and turn around. A young woman named Alina Karaljowa is tripping hastily after me. Although it looks as if she would hurry, she is not really hastening. Like me, she is one of the testers for the "Virtual Vacation" program. She is from Russia, strictly speaking from Vladivostok, and she come here in order to participate in the program as part of her psychology studies. Normally, her outfit is more suggestive and evin daring, but during the tests she is wearing the required clothing like everyone else, that consists of of a grayish shirt and pants.

Nicolas: "You here too?"

My answer is short, but friendly.

Alina: "Yes, do you know what we're testing today?"

Her English is excellent, but not American at all, the Russian accent is hard to overhear.

Nicolas: "The tec-guys think that the problem with the"flikering"have been resolved.

Alina: "Really? That would be nice, It always felt very irritating to me ..."

The "flickering" ... caused by the dream-paradigm.

During the Ciber Dives the brain gets the information from the computer, so to speak, the "raw material" fo building a dream, and the dream-paradigm rounds the thing off. If the raw information is not accurate enough, the dream paradigm leaps and interpret it with information from the users memory. If for examplethe the computer gives the information that the ground of where the User is standing is made of wood, then the dream-paradigm will arrang the annual rings on it. Sometimes it is not sure abot how the arrangement of the rings shuld be, their exact color or size for example, or how other small things within the virtual world should be best illustrated and sends several different informations. In a normal dream it would not be noticeable, because your dream-paradigm is telling you, that "everything is fine", but since it is a wake dream, it is indeed noticable. Shapes of rocks, number of flowers on a plant, textures of clothing ... things that you would not even be aware of ... if they would not flicker.

Nicolas: "irritating is the right word."

I'm talking to Alina about the latest tests, while we wander through the bleak corridors.

The "Virtual Vacation" project, or "Viva", as people call it here, is the next generation of cyber Diving ... So far, the technology allowed Dives for no longer then 6.5 hours. This is currently the absolute maximum. the stress factor for the brain is simply too big to stay longer in it. In addition, there are the obvious other factors, such as eating or toileting. The Vivo uses a different method of interaction between man and machine, which almost neglates the psychological stress and allows to remain almost indefinitely inside the system, at least in theory. I do not know the technical details, but the bottom line is it gives the dream-paradigm more freedom and therefore leaves a larger portion of the computing power to the brain.

"Hellman Interactive Technology" (derived from Jonathan Hellman, the founder of the company) is the operator of this institution and is financing everything. The company had some minor, slightly profitable projects in the past. But "Vivo" is their "Holy Grail". If it fails, than Hellman Interactive. can close their Doors for good.

Although the Viva project is still in the middle of development, the media reports that this will be the next technological breakthrough since a view months now. [... Completely silly!] Since when is "escapein from the own problems" a breakthrough? But the people believe it. And what is even more shocking, a number of contracts have already been signed in regardto the commercial distribution of the new technology, though not yet been determined if it really works.

But the technical departmant is confident and when mager bugs as the "flickering" have been fixed, then for us testers comes the final phase: the long-term test. This means ...

Nicolas: "... Two consecutive months inside the system"

Alina: "Huh?"

Nicolas: "I find it both exciting and disturbing."

Alina: " ... Ah, you're talking about the long-term test. it probably will be soon, right?"

Nicolas: "Yea, the technicians are working realy fast, as long as no new problems arise, we can probably soon expect it to be anounced."

Alina: "Is it not exciting that we finally get the Chance to relax in some kind of Paradise. As a reward after the hard work? You know, [Vacation]?.!"

She brightly looks at me and I intuitively respond her smile. I like the way she smiles, even though I know now that this is a trick. A simple trick to manipulate people: to give someone sympathy, and to harness it later for her goals. "Could you help me?" "I do not know how to do that ...", "Can you explain this to me?". This cute charming smile could rapidly turn into a desperate, sorrowful expression that awakens protective instincts in a naive man. It works even on me, although I am aware of it. [Why?] This question I asked myself qite a view times. [Because I am allowing it.] [Why would I do that?] ... I'm not sure, I guess I just want her to Smile again.

I like the way she smiles.

No, she's not evil. She simply knows how to use her feminine assets to her advantage, as do most women. Only that that she is more aware of it than others. She is studying psychology after all.

Nicolas: "Vacation ... yea, if all goes well, it probably will turn out that way.."

Alina: "That does not sounds very optimistic."

Nicolas: "Thats because I am not an optimist."

Alina: "What?! Are you a pessimist then?"

Nicolas: "I am a realist!"

Alina: "That's the same!"

Nicolas: "Oooh, that's not even close to being the same!"

We playfully nag each other for a time, she likes that. At the end she aticks out her tongue in resignation ... and smiles again.

Alina: "What makes you worry?"

Nicolas: "Nothing special, just that we are the first ones that will be loged into a Machie for such an extendet period of Time, it is unclear what all can go wrong, or what long-term effects it has. Perhaps it leaves lasting damage on us, or ... we may not wake up at all ... isn't this making you worry? "

The smile in Alina's face dulls, and I already regret that I said that. She becomes silent for a long moment.

Alina: "..., sure i was also thinking abot that ... but you know, I see it from another angle: If people would be to afraid to take risks, then today we would not be able to travel the oceans  in ships, or fly in aircraft across the sky, or travel into space ... "

This is surprisingly sharpmindet of her, I am admittedly somewhat surprised.

Alina: "... we are in some ways pioneers. When we will be back out of the simulation, then we can stend safely alongside people like "Columbus" or "Gagarin" and say: I am also a pioneer!

I do not know the second name, but I understand what she is trying to say.

Nicolas: "A pioneer, huh ...?"

I do not like to admit it, but the idea is really motivating.

On the other hand, when Eve would be afraid of the consequences, she would have never tasted the forbidden fruit, and we'd still be living in paradise, but if I say that out loud, Alina will just describe myself merely as a grouch.

with a smile I let her know, that her encouragement succeeded. And she smyles back to me.

I like the way she smiles.