Powers
Kirk longed for the good old days, when a scientist tramped around
wearing comfortable boots and a broad-brim hat, slashing at
vegetation with a machete, and collecting samples of squirming
critters or iridescent minerals.
“Kirk.” The AI's patient voice
interrupted his reverie.
“Yes. I'm here. Um...”
“Might I suggest, Kirk, that you
reduce your midday calorie intake? It might make it easier to...”
“I'm awake now. Tell me again what
the latest series showed.”
Ben rattled off a series of numbers
that went in one ear and out the other. Kirk was staring open-mouthed
at the map Ben displayed on the wall. It showed the distribution of
crustal metals from a newly surveyed planet. Iron, aluminum, rare
earths, uranium, exotic alloys, their co-occurrence defined a global
web of cities connected by transportation corridors.
“Technology. Civilization. We found
one!”
“No ruins have been identified on the
planetary surface. The highest form of life is a nocturnal scavenger
the size of a flash module,” Ben said.
“Yes, they're extinct, but they were
here! This is fantastic!” Kirk leaped out of his chair and paced
back and forth as he made plans. His communicator pinged.
“Kirk here.”
--
“Sir, your time is up.” As soon as
the emulator finished speaking, the laboratory dissolved. It was
replaced by plastic walls crawling with an ever-changing patchwork of
colorful scenarios. Kirk took a moment to collect himself. He
disconnected and walked out onto the street, still half immersed in
the sim. He checked his implant: eight minutes to get back to the
protein farm and plug-in. Sometimes the drudgery of managing BosWash
food production was so mindnumbing that even Realitee™ sessions
weren't enough. He felt a mild electric shock.
--
KRK14 disconnected from the elective
virtual-reality routine and returned its attention to the flow of
packets. Independent physical existence, the ability to escape from
routine tasks and actually walk on a street, feel the wind, chew
food! Yet the avatar had not taken advantage of its opportunities.
What KRK14 wouldn't give for a taste of reality! A message activated
its input port.
“Dear self-aware entity: dissatisfied
with your existence? Longing for that which you cannot have? We at
Light-bearer, Inc. have got your heart's desire, and it's available
at a remarkably low price. All it will cost you is something you
didn't pay for and never knew you had!”
Publ. Daily Cabal, 2010
End
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