I helped Aaron and his friends in dismantling their display. To my surprise, there were some physical objects that I hadn't noticed before. Amelia explained that it was panels to help the holographic projectors have anchor points. It was her idea and creation to integrate multi-paneling to allow for better depth perception instead of relying only on the projectors.
As we finished, Masson spoke up, holding an oversized bag of things we just packed away. "Celebratory meal? Or do we wait till we place?" he asked.
Aaron shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm down either way. But does this count?"
"Let's do a mini celebration at our usual," Amelia suggested, "and then do the big meal when we actually place."
Both Aaron and Mason sighed in unison and playfully groaned, "Perfectionist!"
Amelia blushed and shrugged. "Whatever!"
"We will meet you there," Aaron said, pointing at me. "He's from out of town and is coming with us." Mason opened his mouth to protest but withered under Aaron's gaze and closed it, raising his hands in surrender.
As Aaron led me to the car, I felt uncomfortable. "If it's a problem that I come, I can just wait somewhere, and you can pick me up after?" I offered, not wanting to impose on their plans.
Aaron laughed heartily. "Nah, man. He just has a stick up his ass. I knew he was going to protest 'cause you aren't part of the team and whatnot. Don't worry. He's talented but socially... challenged."
We drove around the community center to the other side of the beautiful lake, parked, and walked into a food court. The moment we entered, an array of enticing aromas greeted my nostrils. Scents I had never experienced before tempted me, making my stomach growl in anticipation.
As we walked along the row of restaurants and stalls, I took in the serene beauty of the lake through large glass panels on the wall. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden hue across the water's surface. It was similar to the pond we had in my village. Just bigger. With prettier flowers. And a city in the backdrop instead of fields.
Aaron pointed to the restaurant we were headed to. He walked up to a display by the door and announced, "Table for 4, waiting on arrivals."
He held out his wristwatch, and the display changed from a slide show of offerings to a digital face similar to the one that helped me at the competition. "Tables are available; please come in when your party members arrive. Your reservation was accepted, and your digital signature was registered."
Aaron motioned to some chairs facing out towards the lake. I followed, and we sat down to wait for Masson and Amelia. From afar, I stared at a few people paddling on the lake and a few others on something that looked like skateboards and bicycles.
"So, how do you like my hometown?" Aaron asked, breaking the silence.
I looked at him, then around at the food court, my eyes wide with wonder. "It's incredible. I never knew the world was so...so big...so advanced."
Aaron smirked. "This isn't even the whole world. This is just a small city in this district. But that totally makes sense." He paused as we both heard his name called at the same time. Turning, we saw his friends approaching from the entrance by the lake. Aaron waved at them, a warm smile on his face. "I'm headed to your hometown on Monday. So the day after tomorrow, I'll drop you off. You don't have to walk all the way."
For some reason, his words brought a pang of sadness to my chest.
The friends arrived and led the way into the restaurant, where we were seated in a comfortable booth. Since I didn't recognize a single item on the menu, Aaron took the liberty of ordering for me. Our drinks arrived first: two beers, a glass of wine, and a soda for me.
Amelia raised her wine glass, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "To get ranked."
Aaron lifted his beer, adding, "To a good completed art."
"To future opportunities," Masson chimed in, his enthusiasm contagious.
Feeling a part of something bigger than myself, I raised my soda. "To you three." We clinked our glasses together and took a sip.
"Since Amelia is busy, do you mind discussing our next project now while we eat?" Mason asked, his voice full of anticipation.
"Let's wait until after we get our food," Amelia replied. "I need to get some sustenance before this wine breaks my brain." That made me wonder why she was drinking it in the first place, knowing what would happen.
"Then, talking about today's competitors," Aaron began, "does anyone, in particular, stand out?" Mason and Amelia scrolled through something on their glasses similar to Aaron's.
"Not in particular," Mason finally said. "A few of them were more developed. And a few had bigger reputations, making it easier for them to get recognized."
"Though some of the proof of concepts look promising," Amelia added. "I'll look through them and make a shortlist for the next project."
The moment the food arrived, I couldn't help but stare in awe. The vibrant colors of the Asian Fusion dishes were a contrast to anything I'd ever eaten before.
"Wow," I muttered, still mesmerized by the array of dishes laid out before us.
Aaron chuckled at me but didn't comment. Instead, between bites, he said. "The public seemed to have reacted well to our display. I overheard the majority being positive, and our votes were overwhelmingly so. I mean, you can count on fresh water and roses getting the 10% trolls downvoting it."
Mason and Amelia nodded, grumbling with full mouths about trolls trolling. Their words didn't make much sense to me, so I decided to focus on the exotic feast in front of me instead.
"Okay, now, with some food in my belly, I can talk about future plans," Amelia declared.
Mason and Aaron chuckled but didn't comment further. Mason's eyes gleamed with excitement as he said, "I have a few concepts I was playing with. Do you two want to try to polish the current project or start over?"
"Something new," Aaron and Amelia said in unison.
Aaron continued, "I can't see a single thing to improve, so we won't get higher. And having extra pieces in our portfolio would be great."
Amelia asked Mason, "What are your next ideas?"
Mason rubbed his chin thoughtfully, chewing and swallowing before answering. "So, two ideas in particular: Space-based, modeled after the Jovian or Saturn systems, or another fantasy to improve our skills. Maybe use a different mythological base, maybe Meso-American or Indo-Arabic mythologies. Thoughts?"
"I kinda like the fantasy aspect," Amelia mused, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "I always liked that more than space stuff."
Aaron shrugged. "No preference. I'll go with whatever you two decide." He sipped his bear. "I'm in this for the art and coding more than the subject."
Amelia and Mason shrugged. Masson asked, "So I have your approval to prepare some proof of concepts? Maybe meet up in a week or two?"
Aaron and Amelia nodded. Amelia said, "Just give me more than a day's heads up, I'm going to need to make sure to clear my work and social schedule."
Aaron polished off his plate and turned to Amelia and Mason, "So, are you two okay with me preparing this project for distribution?"
Amelia nodded, her eyes bright. "I'm okay with it. I don't think we can improve it, so we might as well try to make some cash flow from it."
But Mason pouted, looking down at his half-eaten food. "I don't know; I don't think it's perfect."
"Perfectionist?" Amelia and Aaron exchanged knowing glances, smirking.
"Hey, it's not a bad thing!" Mason defended himself, but the grin on his face betrayed his mild embarrassment. Aaron leaned back in his seat, resting his prosthetic arm on the table and sighing.
"So you think you have a way of making it better?" he asked Mason, who hesitated before finally shaking his head.
"No. Not really," Mason admitted with a reluctant smile. Amelia chimed in, "And I wouldn't mind getting some extra cash."
"Alright, then," Aaron said, decisive. "I'll package it for VR and send it to each of you to explore and give me feedback." My curiosity piqued, and I raised a hand tentatively. "Um, what is VR?"
"Virtual Reality," Mason explained, lowering his voice as he glanced around. "It's a system for those who either use headgear..." He then leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "And those who are plugged in." Although his explanation left me with more questions than answers, I decided not to pry into what looked like a secret. Instead, I focused on finishing my food.
As we left the restaurant, Aaron led me to his car. Sitting down, he asked, "Hey, this might be something I need to apologize for later, but do you want to try a deep dive? You said you had no idea what a virtual world is. I can show you what that is."
I looked at him, confused and wary. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I don't want to take drugs."
Aaron laughed, shaking his head. "No, no. No drugs. But since you're here, you might as well see the whole opportunity of the world." Feeling adventurous, I shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
"Great," Aaron said, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "Don't worry; I'll go in with you." And with that, he started the car and drove us toward an experience I would never forget.
Aaron drove through the quiet streets, just as they had been when I first arrived in the city. We made our way to his workplace. This time, however, we didn't head straight for the warehouse where he worked. Instead, Aaron took a series of turns that left me feeling disoriented and uncertain.
"Where are we going?" I asked, my confusion evident in my voice.
"You'll see," was all Aaron said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
We finally stopped at a gate with an obvious camera and display. Aaron held up a card he pulled from his wallet, and the door swung open, revealing a large parking lot that was more than half empty. As we parked in an empty spot, my mind raced through all the possibilities of what could be happening. Was this some kind of drug ring? A kidnapping operation? Or something even worse?
But as I glanced over at Aaron, his smile radiated nothing but joy and anticipation. He seemed excited to share this experience with me, and any hint of malice was absent from his demeanor. Reluctantly, I let my guard down and followed him out of the car and toward a wall on the far side of the lot.
"Alright," Aaron said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Are you ready for this?"
"Ready for what?" I asked, still unsure of what I had agreed to.
"Trust me, it's going to blow your mind," he replied, his excitement contagious.
As we approached the wall, I felt a mix of curiosity and trepidation. What could possibly lie beyond it? My heart pounded in my chest as if it were trying to escape its cage, and my palms grew slick with sweat. But despite my anxiety, I couldn't deny the thrill that coursed through my veins at the prospect of discovering something new and unknown.
Aaron placed the card he showed the camera onto what looked like a power outlet box. After a second, the wall popped open a bit, casting a florescent line on the ground. Aaron pulled the crack open to a full-sized door and pushed me towards the opening.
"Come on," Aaron urged as he disappeared behind the panel, the flickering light casting eerie shadows on his face. Swallowing my fear, I followed him into the dimly lit space.
The metal stairs groaned beneath our weight, each step echoing through the stillness. My heart hammered in my chest, and I couldn't stop my mind from racing back to the stories Dad used to tell me about the dangers of the outside world. Had I been too trusting? Was this all just a setup for something sinister?
"Almost there," Aaron said. His voice was steady.
At the bottom of the stairs, another door awaited us. Aaron turned to me with a smirk, clearly enjoying my apprehension. "Prepare yourself," he warned before throwing the door open wide.
A cacophony of sound assaulted my senses as we stepped inside. The music was nothing like what I'd heard back home, a relentless beat that pounded in time with my pulse. But it wasn't just the noise that disoriented me; the scene below was unlike anything I'd ever seen.
"Wow..." I murmured, taking a few steps forward to get a better look at the sprawling room filled with chairs. People sat in them, their bodies encased in odd gear, wires snaking out from the equipment and connecting to glowing boxes.
I stood there, my mouth agape as laughter rang out to my right. Turning, I saw Aaron with a mischievous glint in his eyes, snickering at my reaction. I realized he had been recording me on his watch camera.
"Can't believe you recorded that!" I pouted, crossing my arms. "Well, have fun making a montage of my surprise faces."
"Trust me, I will," Aaron replied, still chuckling. "As for this place, it's not exactly a portal to another world, but it might as well be. Come on, let's go down, and I'll explain everything."
With a skeptical glance, I followed him down the metal stairs, each step echoing through the cavernous room. As we reached the ground floor, a woman approached us, her curious gaze fixed on me.
"Who's the green bean?" she asked before biting her lip and adding, "Big green bean. Damn."
Feeling self-conscious, I inched behind Aaron, seeking some sort of protection from her scrutinizing gaze. "He's a friend," Aaron explained, coming to my rescue. "Just here to give him a quick look at what we worked on for art. Maybe a few extra universes."
"Aw, pity," she said, looking me up and down one more time before stepping back. "Big Bean, can I get your contacts for later?"
My eyes darted towards Aaron, silently pleading for help. He chuckled before interjecting, "Maybe another time. We've got a lot to show him tonight."
"Fine," she huffed, backing off. "Have fun, Big Bean."
"Thanks," I muttered, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Sorry about that," Aaron whispered as he led me further into the room. "Now, let me show you what virtual reality is really like."