Exposure, 5: Read the Fine Print
04 Nov 2023Meowers
There's one thing I can't really get my grasp on: why the heck those cartographers have only one single damn term for every, no matter if it's terraformed or not, planet that allows you to wander around without a suit and without dying because of doing so. 'Earth-like World'. The more I think of it, the more common sense I see in the idea of a little improvement. Like, let's add some... Details. Levels, to say. Like, 'You’ll Never Want to Leave It' for the best places. 'Cosy and Comfy' then, a little lower. 'Quite Decent' as one more step down, still good and nothing really to complain about, yet could've been better in some ways. Then, something like 'Liveable'. 'Somewhat Liveable'. 'Barely Liveable'. 'Better Than Vacuum'. 'Utter Shite'. And, of course, 'Are You Nuts?' at the very bottom, for the most dedicated survival connoisseurs, cheap prison colonies or edgy teenagers who want to have a nice photo of them being cool. Hells, even the old Earth itself isn't quite the best place to live anymore nowadays.
So that's why we spent the last couple of days fruitlessly trying to synchronise our sleep-wake cycles and activity schedules to meet each other in that virtual space while being in a proper state: fifty hours long days in Kasumi's place weren't making that task any easier. Anyway... The day, the cycle... The point in time, to say, has come. And I sent a message.
"Hey!
So, are you ready? Don't shy away, there's no turning back now, mwahahaha. I think one of those basic rooms without any other people or bots around should do fine. Something like that rental place on Citi, only of more adequate size for two. And I have an idea that you're certainly going to like, at least secretly. Let's start that private server thing and appear there with our eyes closed. Then, once loaded, we'll open them at once, one-two-three. Like, getting the most of that first impression stuff. What do you think?
By the way... Even with your eyes closed you'll notice that I'm nearby. Phah.
p.s. Have you seen those fine specimens on the "find friends" page? I think you'd rather want to set your profile private."
And, with quick and quiet "shit!", I realised that I have to select and prepare that virtual room first. Not just by downloading some basic template and starting the private server, but also making sure there will be nothing annoying, irritating, stupid, out-of-place, etc. How naïve!
First thing I noticed: along with the developer-made free presets, there were two more categories with purchasable setups, one named 'Player Creations' and one 'Premium'. Player Creations one was as chaotic as it sounds, ranging from 'Living in a broken Sidewinder' kind of stuff, and that one claimed to have correct cockroach behaviour script included; all the way up to something vast, like medieval castles, apocalypse bunkers, weird forest people temples and other stuff you could easily get lost in, even more hopeless than I'm lost in my life. Premium developer-made, or at least developer-approved content was... More specialised. Targeted, I'd say. Looking at the amount of glass, white polished metal, gilded statues, sculptures, fancy carpets, fountains and all other sorts of classy posh pretentious nonsense. At one point, judging by the download counters, I thought, like, just mashing up and dropping that gleaming rubbish randomly to increase the total value was enough for most of them to become popular. Anyway. A good option for those who couldn't get a good inheritance by living in their parents' mansion for their first fifty years: just grab yourself a virtual one! It looks the same, it feels the same, yet it costs... Maybe four to six times less than a real real estate of that class. Great success!
Finally selecting an apartment that was simplistic and spartan enough for my liking, without any nonsense yet firmly above the unmistakable flair of a cheapskate's refuge, I started the download and put the VR simulation to pause, getting back to my real senses to grab a quick smoke hoping that everything will be good to go once I return. How naïve, again, dammit!
At the moment I got back to the bed and attached the headset, downloading was completed already. The VR switched to the 'free-floating' preview mode that allowed me to get a quick look... On the same place I've chosen, but with no less than a dozen of advertisement posters on the walls. Both rooms, the kitchen, even the bathroom. And, believe me, not all of them were those neutered socially-appropriate pictures you have seen thousands of times in station halls. Some, really, were quite the opposite. Okay, what could be easier, to the interface back I go...
"You Subscription Level is insufficient for removing this advertisement. Please, improve your...", ah, shit! "Save Big Now! Get your 1-year subscription for...", godsdamned idiots, I've already paid for the damn thing, yet they wanted me to pay more to use it without those bugging ads everywhere. Okay. Okay. Wasn't that expensive anyway.
Next step, sending an invitation for Kasumi to join.
"Your Subscription Level is insufficient for direct private invita...", fuck you! That's what those private servers are supposed to do, why should I sit there and wait for some random person to join? Okay, okay, I got it, let it be level three...
"The person you're trying to invite is more than 100ly away. Your bandwidth will be limited and visual resolution lowered to 50%, session duration limited to 20 minutes. In order to remove the limitations, increase your...", increase my arse, you useless gobshite!
"Invitation sent successfully. You will be notified once the recipient activates the connection procedure."
Finally, nothing to be angry about in the words of that synth incorporeal voice, at last. That was... A relief. My relief. Personal. Not only of my damn bank account. My vision quickly blurred and faded to black, and then restored once my character... Well, once I appeared in the middle of the room. Getting used to the virtual environment, I tapped a little touchscreen on the wall to fiddle with the ambient settings in a 'native' way, without using the interface overlay which, at that moment, had begun looking like... Cheating in a videogame, maybe. The simulated gravity was already at default 1.0G, yet the temperature felt a bit low for my comfort. So, 24C, moderate humidity, warm and slightly dimmed ambient lighting, and everything was good to go.
We didn't really plan to do anything super-experimental at this stage, other than, well, looking at each other, talking and getting used to the general concept of full-immersion VR. We had no additional software to run scenarios, simulations or games, even to have an 'outside world' any larger than a static image in the window. The private server without any of it is just... A room. With a screen on the wall to watch stuff in a built-in browser. And a computer to do any computer stuff, if your headset is connected to a real one, accessing its processing power. In my case. Other location presets had more stuff placed here and there, yet still no complex programming. So... My character's inventory was basic too: a set of clothes that looked like something I personally wear, like hoodie and cargo trousers, upscaled accordingly, and vanilla-flavoured perfume that was, honestly, my first and secret 'vanity item' purchase. They claim this VR thing can simulate everything precisely by pinching your brain where it's needed. That scent has been my favourite for... Hm. As long as I can remember; and everything felt... right, when I applied it. Like, real. Anyway, thinking that I'd better wait for any comments, and also feeling a little overwhelmed, I reached a chair in the corner and dropped myself onto it relaxedly. Like, well, I do in real life.
All four chair legs went off with an audible crack and the seat slammed onto the floor.
A second later, the screen on the wall turned on automatically.
"It seems like you're waiting for two minutes already! Why waste time? Look at the finest selection of products we offer you at a great price!..."
Crap.
You have only one chance to make a first impression.