After I clicked the button to join the invitation, the screens darkened, and the room disappeared. I voiced my confusion. "Um, Aaron, it's sending me to a new tutorial."
Aaron's voice came through the speakers. "It's mandatory for the first time a devise logs into a new project. No idea why. I made the tutorial short, so just do it."
He was right. The tutorial was short: it had me review the movement pads and action buttons before dimming and returning me back to the living room of our apartment. Aaron was again inches away from my face, and I gasped.
My sudden gasp at Aaron being so close startled him, causing him to jump back apologetically. "Sorry, again," he said, hastily waving his hands, stepping back. "I should have updated the safe boundaries since you're sitting down on the couch. That could have been bad."
I blinked and responded, "That's fine, I think. I'm done with the second tutorial."
Through the mask's speakers, Aaron's voice came through, "I'm sending you an invite to the LAN." Almost immediately, a prompt appeared in my virtual view, offering me the choice to 'accept' or 'decline' the invitation. Hesitantly, I reached out with the right controller and clicked 'accept,' curious about what was to come next.
As I accepted the invitation, Aaron's apartment faded to a grey room with a grid, and then the grey room with its grid vanished, replaced by a lush forest. Standing next to me was an avatar resembling Aaron. "Welcome to the magical forest, Title Pending," his virtual counterpart said. I looked around, recognizing the landscape from the art competition. My gaze drifted up to the waterfall, then around at the towering trees. Unlike the version I had seen earlier, this iteration lacked animals and flowers, and there was no movement in the foliage or the waterfall. It felt like a static snapshot of a once vibrant world.
"Is this the same forest from the competition and deep dive?" I asked, astonished by the level of detail.
"Yep," Aaron replied, his voice coming through as if we were in the same room. "I made a few tweaks here and there, but it's mostly the same."
As we stood there, I my face smile. This forest - even in its static state - represented a world beyond the confines of my reality. It wasn't a deep dive. But this place where creativity and technology merged, allowing me to experience something entirely new. My heart raced with excitement.
"Let's bring this place to life," Aaron suggested. With a few swift gestures, he set his virtual tools into motion.
After a few button clicks, the once-static forest transformed before my eyes. The waterfall roared to life, and the trees swayed gently in an invisible breeze. The grass rustled softly under my virtual feet, and I was mesmerized by the vivid colors and intricate details that surrounded me.
"Wow, this is amazing," I breathed, my voice barely audible above the sound of the waterfall.
"Right?" Aaron's avatar grinned at me. "And this is just the beginning. Watch this." He raised his hands as if conducting an invisible orchestra. As he did so, the wind began to pick up, rustling through the leaves in a symphony of natural sounds.
"Unbelievable," I muttered. I didn't feeling the virtual breeze against my skin. It was eerie how realistic it sounded and looked though.
"Ready for more?" Aaron asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Definitely," I replied, my heart racing in anticipation. What other wonders could this virtual landscape hold?
We ventured deeper into the forest, the soft crunch of leaves and grass underfoot punctuating our conversation as we discussed the possibilities of this world. I tried my hardest to give pointers to Aaron. I did manage to notice a few things he missed. He thanked me and jotted it down in his virtual notebook. I felt proud of myself.
After I ran out of things to comment we walked in silence. After a few steps "Imagine being able to step inside my favorite book," I mused, pausing to crouch down and examine a cluster of intricately rendered mushrooms. "Or exploring ancient civilizations as if you were really there. The possibilities are endless."
Aaron's avatar nodded, "Ready for the fauna? I programmed it as well already."
I hesitated my anticipation building within me.
"You mean animals?" I asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of my voice.
"Yes. I keep everything organized in separate script folders for easy modification," Aaron replied.
"Alright, let's see them," I said, my heart pounding with excitement. But when I looked around, nothing happened. No birds, no deer, not even a single rabbit.
"Is something wrong?" I turned to Aaron again, feeling a twinge of disappointment.
"Hang on, I'm activating the different scripts. Give me a second." Aaron's words were reassuring.
As Aaron's avatar performed a sweeping gesture, my breath caught in my throat. Birds materialized in the air and perched on branches. Suddenly, they took flight, swooping close to our heads. I couldn't help but marvel at the details—the individual feathers, the variety of species. There were at least five different kinds of birds, each one unique in its appearance and behavior.
"Wow," I breathed, unable to tear my gaze away from the spectacle above me.
"Amazing, right?" Aaron's voice broke through my reverie, sounding both proud and excited. I nodded, momentarily forgetting that he couldn't see my physical movements. "Yes, it's incredible," I managed to say, my voice filled with awe.
"Ready for the deer?" Aaron asked.
I nodded before remembering he couldn't see my physical movements. "Ready?" he repeated.
"Yes, go ahead. You can't see me nod?" I responded.
"No, I can't. Your device is the simpler model. Have to say it out loud." With another wave of his hand, a group of deer appeared – their intricate spots and detailed pelts strikingly lifelike, more realistic than any I'd seen back in the village. Curious, I moved closer using the left controller, but to my surprise, the deer looked up, noticed my virtual presence, and darted off into the woods.
Aaron chuckled, "Oops, I forgot to turn off their proximity response. They react to movement, just like real deer."
I tried not to feel too disappointed. "Well, that's realistic, at least," I muttered, watching the retreating forms of the deer.
"Ready for the fox? Or bring back the deer?" Aaron queried.
Eagerly, I responded, "Yes, let's see the fox." With a graceful gesture, a fox suddenly emerged from a nearby bush, startling me with its sudden appearance. It sat down, gazing curiously in my direction, then gracefully curled its tail around itself. I zoomed in closer, captivated by the vivid colors and textures of its fur.
Unlike the deer, the fox didn't react to my movements. The detail in its fur and the way the grass flattened under its weight was stunningly vivid. It was a mesmerizing display of the virtual world's capabilities, making the fox seem almost tangible.
"Unbelievable," I whispered, feeling my jaw dropping as I maneuvered my avatar in a slow circle and took in the virtual world before me. "Aaron, this is truly fantastic. It looks better than the deep dive."
"Thank you, I've been working on polishing it up," he replied, his avatar's grin matching the pride in his voice. "Now, about those insects and flowers – just watch."
With a flick of his wrist, butterflies in various shapes and colors filled the air, their wings flapping gracefully as they fluttered around us. Bees buzzed from flower to flower while dragonflies performed aerial acrobatics along the riverbank. The artistry behind each creature was extraordinary, leaving me speechless.
"And now for the weather system," Aaron said, his eagerness infectious. With a few quick gestures, the clear sky shifted to a cloudy overcast. Snow began to fall gently, turning the lush forest into a winter wonderland. As we walked, our virtual breaths formed clouds that vanished in the frigid air.
"Wow," I murmured, marveling at the snowflakes accumulating on the branches above us. "How did you manage all this?"
"Time and dedication," Aaron answered simply, his eyes twinkling with satisfaction. "But there's one more thing I want to show you."
As we ventured deeper into the forest, it seemed to stretch on forever. The trees continued to emerge, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze. Occasionally, deer, foxes, and birds would appear, adding depth and life to this digital landscape.
"Everything here is procedurally generated," Aaron explained as we navigated through the dense foliage. "It creates an endless, ever-changing world for us to explore. But now, let's go from snow to rain."
With a motion, the falling snow changed to rain and melted away from the ground, and trees, leaves, and flowers sprouted from the branches and grass, regrowing in an instant. Then, the rain began to clear, revealing a sky painted with hues of pink and orange.
"Can you imagine the stories we could create here?" I asked Aaron, my voice filled with excitement. "It's like stepping into a fairytale."
"Actually," Aaron replied, his avatar grinning widely, "there are VR adaptations of classic stories. This forest was inspired by those fairytales."
"Really? That sounds incredible! I'd love to explore them – can you show me the library?"
"Of course!" Aaron's avatar waved, and a menu appeared.
After a few clicks, a notification appeared in front of me: "LAN is being terminated, will be transferred to the lobby," with a countdown below it. Once it hit 0, the forest melted to a room with a grid, on one side was a one that revealed a magnificent virtual library filled with countless tiles. The other had a large space labeled "Store," and the third side had notifications and messages. The last was labeled Favorites.
Aaron's avatar turned to me with a wave of his arm. "Welcome to my lobby, Eli. This is the central hub for all my VR experiences," he said, his voice echoing slightly in the digital expanse.
He gestured towards a panel labeled 'Notifications and Messages.' "This is my first stop in loading up. It keeps me updated on the latest changes or additions to the VR experiences I follow, as well as notifications from other people I play with and imitations of events, raids, and excreta. Think of it as your personal newsfeed in the virtual realm."
Aaron gestured me towards another area marked 'Favorites.' "Here's where you can curate your own virtual experiences. You can bookmark scenarios, environments, or particular moments that resonate with you. It's a personal collection of top experiences. Once you do a bunch of these, you'll accumulate a lot of stuff. This will make it easier to find what you want to find."
Before I could respond, Aaron moved us to a grandiose section named 'Library.' It was an impressive collection of virtual experiences and story adaptations. "This is where all the rest of the experiences are. Basically, this is the big black hole of everything you download to your local drive and purchase for re-download. You can remove things from here, but in general, I just make sure to keep everything here in case I want to revisit it. I think I have things here from when I was 16."
I gazed at the vast array of titles, feeling a surge of inspiration. "It's an endless!" I breathed.
Without hesitation, Aaron turned us towards the final area marked as 'Store,' a virtual marketplace of endless possibilities. The vibrant displays showcased a myriad array of experiences and tools available for download. "This is the store," Aaron explained, his avatar sweeping an arm across the digital horizon. "You'll find both free and premium content here. Everything from games to educational experiences, and even tools for creating your own VR worlds."
He paused, turning to face me. "There's a lot of free stuff you can try out, including full packets, but just promise me you won't purchase anything without asking. I'd like to avoid any surprises on my account."
I nodded eagerly, "Of course, I won't buy anything without telling you. I appreciate the access."
Smiling, Aaron continued, "I'm not setting up a separate account for you, so you'll have access to my library. It's extensive, and I think you'll find a lot of it interesting."
I breathed out, "Thank you very much, Aaron."
Aaron's avatar nodded, "Good intro, but we need to head to bed. We spent a long time here. Tomorrow we have a lot of stuff to do."
I said, hiding my disappointment. "Sure thing. Thank you. I'm looking forward to using this again."
Aaron motioned his hands, and I got a notification: "LAN is shutting down; prepare for detachment."
The sensation of leaving the virtual world washed over me like a wave, leaving behind a mix of longing and subtle disorientation. It wasn't as intense as the deep dive experience. But still. I felt an urge to dive back into the VR but resisted, mentioning to Aaron, "I'm really looking forward to using this daily after work."
Aaron chuckled as he wiped down his headset with a cloth. "You just said that," he reminded me.
"Did I?" My cheeks flared with embarrassment. His words snapped me back to reality, clearing the fog in my mind a bit.
Aaron took the gear from my hands and stored it on the shelf, asking me, "How's your writing coming along? The one for the art project?"
"Actually, yes. I've got a solid outline." I pulled up the document on my phone and handed it to him to review. I watched nervously as his eyes scanned the text, searching for any sign of approval or disappointment.
"Wow," he said, handing back my phone. Settling next to me on the couch, he continued, "That's really good, Eli. There's potential here." I blushed, still unsure, "Thanks, but I'm not certain about the execution."
Aaron's eyes lit up with an idea. "We can work on that," he assured me. My confusion must have shown, prompting him to explain, "I can help you create visual aids for your story. It won't be perfect, but it'll be a start."
Unsure, I asked, "I thought we needed to go to bed?"
Aaron waved a hand dismissively. "I'll just show you a little bit..." His voice tapered off.
He activated a program on the big screen and gestured for me to look. "Start reading your first beat, and I'll input ideas into an image generator. Let's bring your vision to life."
I obliged, my heart pounding with anticipation. As I read aloud, Aaron's fingers danced across the keyboard, translating my words into images. Finishing, I looked at the screen filling with a breathtaking display, the scene from my story coming to life in vivid detail.
Slack-jawed, I looked at Aaron. "Wow! That's amazing!"
Aaron responded with a wide smile, "I know, right! I guess we can work on this for an hour without too much damage to our sleep."