The rhythm of the week settled into a comfortable pattern. It was eerily reminiscent of my life back home.
Each day, I rose early, prepared for the day, and packed a lunch. That took a bit to get used to; previously, my Mom handled that.
The other notable difference here in the city was Aaron's role in driving us to work, replacing my walks to the tractor or the fields. The familiarity was comforting, making adjusting and falling into a comfortable rhythm easier. I enjoyed the bustling city. I enjoyed seeing new faces regularly.
I settled into a comfortable routine at the warehouse, each task becoming more familiar and less daunting. The once intimidating labyrinth of boxes and heavy machinery I rarely used now felt like a second home. I was able to find my way around the warehouse with minimal navigation help from the data pad.
Working alongside Rocket was probably the reason for this. I quickly learned the ins and outs of warehouse operations, absorbing his tips and tricks. I was surprised to find myself keeping pace with him, even without the aid of AR goggles. My hands moved quick enough with the handheld device, scanning, sorting, and organizing with a rhythm that matched Rocket's, much to his amusement.
Navigating lunchtime proved more challenging than I had anticipated. Aaron had provided me with one of his lunch boxes. It wasn't like the simple metal box with a latch I had back home. This was a modern thing that did extra functions. Functions that I didn't know how they worked.
On the first day, I found myself sitting alone on the loading dock, a bit lost. I repeatedly lifted the prepackaged lunch in and out of the box, unsure of how to proceed. My confusion must have been quite evident because Rocket paused in his stride toward the food trucks.
"Eli, you look confused? Want help?" He asked in a teasing, childish tone.
I ignored the teasing tone and lifted the lunchbox to him.
With a half-smirk, Rocket approached and effortlessly showed me how to activate the heating element of the lunch box. I watched, fascinated, as he pressed a few buttons, and the box hummed to life, gently warming the meal inside. A brief wait ensued, filled with Rocket's humming a song I don't know.
When the timer ran out, he demonstrated the art of opening the meal compartment and skillfully using the disposable utensils provided. He held it in his grimy hands and tried feeding me, but I took the utensils from his hands and fed myself.
I smirked and said with a full mouth, "I know how to do that part of the process. Thanks for the first part."
Rocket shrugged and walked off towards the food trucks again, leaving me to eat the hot meal. It was another new meal. I would rank it below the sweet potatoes and brisket but above my mother's cooking.
Sorry Mommy.
The evenings in the city was a bit of a contrast to my life back in the village as well. At home, after a long day of tending to the fields, my responsibilities would stretch well into the evening till dinner or bedtime, with chores that ranged from caring for animals to tending the garden, or addressing whatever maintenance the house and my parents demanded.
Here in the city, once my workday concluded, so too did my responsibilities. I mean Aaron asked me to help clean up and help make dinner, but that took like 30 minutes or an hour. That left me with the concept of free time.
I never had free time.
The first night exploring this concept, after cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry, making dinner, and eating, I looked at the clock and still had a few hours before bedtime. I spent my time as a silent observer, watching Aaron as he meticulously worked on exporting digital art from their last competition.
As the week progressed, I found myself eagerly embracing these newfound evenings of freedom. I delved deep into research and writing for our upcoming art project. It was an exhilarating feeling to be able to dedicate uninterrupted hours to my own interests.
Day by day, I went to work in the morning with Aaron. Went home after work with Aaron. Worked on writing and art till bed.
Repeat/
On Friday, my routine was broken by unforeseen change, setting a different tone for the evening. As I stepped into the garage, where Aaron routinely parked his car, an immediate sense of unease washed over me. The space, usually filled with the familiar sight of his vehicle, now lay bare, the concrete floor stretching out emptily where his car should have been.
My heart sank.
I looked around, thinking I misremembered where Aaron parked. Nope, the other cars were in their usual spots. Aaron's truck was in its spot. I looked back to the empty spot and sighed.
As the initial shock began to subside, I realized I needed to take action. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone. "Please, let there be a message," I muttered under my breath.
Relief washed over me when I found a message from Aaron: "I finished early, good luck on the bus. Call me if you can't figure it out."
I was relieved for all of five seconds before I panicked again, realizing I now had to figure out how to get home on the bus. My hands trembled slightly as I re-read the message from Aaron. The jerk was nudging me to independence more than my parents ever did!
"Alright, Eli, you can do this," I whispered to myself, trying to build up my confidence.
With determination I walked outside, navigated the bus app on my phone, opening the directory Aaron had set up for me. Selecting the option labeled "Home," the app provided me with clear directions. I walked down the street, my phone buzzing at each turn to guide me.
Reaching the bus stop with a few minutes to spare, a wave of relief washed over me, and I exhaled the breath I didn't know I was holding.
The bus arrived and I paid with the digital wallet on my phone. It was a struggle, but I made it onto the buss. I found an empty seat close to the front of the driverless bus and watched the city drift past me the short distance that it would take to make it to Aaron's apartment, sailing through green lights.
I recognized the bus stop even before the bus announced that we were arriving. As soon as it stopped, I walked off the bus, tripping a bit, expecting the step to be smaller. Knowing exactly where I was made me less nervous, but now I was getting annoyed!
I fumed as I walked into the building and made my way up the elevator and to Aaron's apartment. I opened the door, and my anger fumes dispersed as I looked into the dark space. For some reason, the lights were out.
The door clicked shut behind me, and I looked around. The apartment was dimly lit for some reason. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I froze in confusion. Aaron danced around the room with a full-face mask and gloves on his hands, replacing his usual AR glasses.
"Hello?" I called out hesitantly.
His head turned towards me, and his voice came out muffled by the mask, "Oh hey! How was the bus?"
"Fine," I grumbled, instantly remembering my annoyance, "but I wasn't thrilled with the surprise!" My heart rate sped up again.
"Sorry," he apologized without any real sincerity. "I forgot I had a short day. Since you're home, it's dinner time. Can you get that going?"
I snapped back before thinking about it, "You are pushing me for independence more than my parents!"
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked, mumbling, moving back to his odd dance.
I grumbled, "No. Not really..." as I grabbed a meal from the fridge and put it into the autochef.
After washing my hands, I waited for the autochef to prepare our meal, curiosity got the better of me, over powering my annoyance. "What are you doing?" I asked Aaron, leaning against the wall.
His voice came through, muffled and tinged with excitement, "I'm testing the VR world we built. From the last art competition." Those words struck a chord in me, sending a shiver of anticipation down my spine. Memories of my first deep dive experience flashed in my mind, the immersive world, the sense of wonder and freedom.
My hands trembled slightly as I thought about the VR. If Aaron had a deep dive tech at home, why did we go to that warehouse? Why hasn't he given me access to the wonderful virtual worlds?
Before I could ask any more questions, the autochef dinged, signaling that dinner was ready, pulling me back to the moment. Aaron removed his mask and gloves, "Oh nice. Smells good."
Over dinner, I asked Aaron about the VR setup. Between bites of savory roasted vegetables and some sort of protein I couldn't quite identify, I asked, "So, this is or isn't like the VR place we went to?"
Aaron swallowed before explaining, "Not exactly. This is more basic. It's all the way dumbed down, like no deep dive. Deep dives are technically not allowed in our city. That place is kinda...well...really illegal. This one is about visuals, audio, and movement with gloves or controllers, but it doesn't stimulate your neurons like a full dive."
My interest was piqued as I took another bite. "So, what's the difference?"
He continued, chewing thoughtfully. "Deep Dive is more immersive, tricking your brain into feeling like you're actually there. This is more... let's say, surface-level. It's using your actual senses to interact with the system. I have a second set, I think. If it's not broken, I'll demonstrate it after we finish eating. I actually wanted you to see our project build before I send it to Mason and Amelia for final approval anyway."
The prospect excited me, and I found myself eating faster, my fork clattering against the plate in my haste. Aaron chuckled at my eagerness, teasing, "Don't choke, you little addict!"
His laughter was infectious, and I grinned back, my mind already racing with the possibilities of exploring this new virtual world. I felt my hands tremble slightly, and my foot tap without me willing to do so.
As I shoveled the last few bites of food in my mouth I glanced at Aaron's plate seeing it half full. I sunk into my seat chewing slower and swallowing. I was deflated waiting for Aaron to finish. I wasn't sure but it felt like he was eating slowly on purpose.
After Aaron finally finished his food, I cleared the table and put it in the dishwasher. Aaron strode over to a shelf and reached for a nondescript box. I watched with curiosity as he opened it with a flourish, revealing a second mask and a pair of controllers inside. It looked like a simpler setup than the one he'd been using earlier.
"This version doesn't have gloves, just these sticks," Aaron explained, holding them up for me to see. "You can't walk around, but it'll let you see and hear everything. And you move using the move stick."
I nodded, not fully grasping the tech but eager to try nonetheless. "What do I do?"
"Sit down," Aaron instructed, smiling. "Put this on and hold the sticks. They have buttons and movement pads. I'll start the tutorial for you." I followed his directions, slipping on the mask. The room around me appeared in a slight delay through the mask's projection, making me feel a bit disoriented and nauseated.
"Ready?" Aaron asked, donning his own gear. "Syncing up," he said, his voice now distant. Then, through the mask speakers, his voice was clear: "Starting your tutorial. I'll be here, but you'll be on your own in there. Let me know when you're done."
The familiar room dissolved into a grey grid, reminiscent of my deep dive experience but distinctly different. It wasn't in my head; it was in front of me. The sensation of having a room projected onto my face yet not being in the room was strange, and I struggled to find the words to describe it. As I moved my head from side to side, the image shifted along with it, causing a wave of dizziness to wash over me.
"Welcome," the avatar's voice greeted me, its tone synthetic but oddly soothing. "This will be a tutorial for you to understand how to navigate in this virtual reality." I grasped the left controller, feeling a slight vibration, like an electric handshake. "The haptic feed back is integrated to enhance your experience. Please consider upgrading to full gloves and upgraded interface."
The right stick vibrated "The controls for this world are divided across both controllers." A display of the controllers with highlighted parts and labels. "Try each button and see how it affects your environment and position in the virtual world."
"Alright," I murmured to myself, cautiously pressing the pad. My virtual self began to float through the space, and I couldn't help but gasp at the sensation. It was unsettling as if I were soaring through a dream.
"Doing okay?" Aaron's voice came through the speakers, concern lacing his words.
"Yeah," I replied, my voice steadier than I expected. "I just got dizzy."
"Keep going," he encouraged, and I could imagine him grinning on the other side of the room. "You'll get the hang of it."
"Okay." I refocused my attention on the task at hand. The avatar introduced the right controller, which vibrated in my grip just like the left one had. Following the instructions, I found myself immersed in a practice area filled with various objects with which to interact.
"Click 'done' when you are comfortable with all the controls. Ask me if you have questions," the avatar instructed, and I took a deep breath after moving my head too quickly, causing a wave of nausea to wash over me. Getting a few more laps in the virtual space done, I floated over to the done button and clicked it.
"Congratulations," the avatar announced, its voice devoid of emotion. The image of our living room returned to the screen, and I was startled to see Aaron only a foot away from me, his hands dancing through the air as he manipulated his own virtual environment.
"Hey! Too close!" I exclaimed.
"Sorry. I forgot you were on the couch. Are you done with tutorial?" He said taking a few steps back.
I nodded, "Yeah, tell me what to do."
Aaron nodded in his mask. "Hang on, I'll send you an invite."
I sat back on the couch, but before I could get comfortable, a box appeared on my screen. "Join shared space with 'Player 1'?" And 2 options to reject and accept.
I felt my hands get sweaty as I pointed the controller to the accept button.