A Wild Hayride
The knock at the door startled Lizzy while she waited impatiently for her guide to arrive, her resulting jolt spilling crumbs from her breakfast bar all over the floor by her feet.
"Aah--come in!" she called, instinctively stooping to pick up the stray crumbs from the carpet and put them in the wastebasket. The door swung open to reveal a many-armed robot standing with Alex.
"Morning!" Alex chirped, and her robot companion moved forward with a cheerful greeting of its own. A surprised expression lit up its digital facial display and it quickly stepped in to take over the task of picking up the remaining crumbs on the carpet. Still unsure of how she was supposed to respond to the robots and their activities, Lizzy simply froze in place and took her final bite while the upbeat machine bustled around her and made quick work of the mess, even disposing of the empty wrapper after gently plucking it from her hand.
“So,” Alex began, cutting right to the chase, “Have you decided what you want to do with VR yet?”
Lizzy smiled, excited but still nervous. Swallowing back her fears and reservations with the last of her breakfast bar, she gave a single, firm nod.
“I’m doing it!” she announced proudly, the hairs on her arms standing on end as she committed to the exhilarating decision aloud.
“That’s great!” Alex said, gesturing to the robot and its small briefcase, which Lizzy hadn’t even noticed. “Otherwise, it would have been a bit embarrassing to have brought all this stuff along, huh?”
Lizzy smiled in agreement and would have giggled if she hadn’t been so busy following the robot’s briefcase with a nervous eye. Her curiosity and imagination wasted no time in running wild with ideas of what might be in the case. What, exactly, would it take for her to complete the surgery and get started in VR? Alex had reassured her that it was easy, but the strangeness of it all was still a bit intimidating. Luckily, Alex addressed her concerns without her even needing to verbalize them:
“So, like I told you yesterday, this really isn’t going to hurt a bit.” She leaned forward and grasped Lizzy’s wrist, rapping a few fingers against the back of her hand in a firm but painless demonstration. “That’s all you’re going to feel, right there. The robot’s got some top-of-the-line anesthetic so you won’t even feel a pinch. Then there’s the numbing spray for later, remember? Easy as can be!”
The robot's facial display looked cheery as it gestured to the bag with an endearing dramatic flair. Lizzy knew it was just a machine, but she couldn’t help but find a level of comfort in its happy, reassuring gestures.
“I am G-151, but you can call me Gerry-1! I will be your helper today as we get you ready to enjoy VR through your very own World Tree Neuropod!”
The robot extended two of its arms theatrically towards a large, rectangular box that Lizzy had previously assumed to be some sort of dresser or storage unit. Alex stepped forward and pressed a button located discreetly on the side. The smooth top panel slid back and the sides descended immediately afterwards to reveal a high-tech but cozy-looking chair.
“Pretty nice, right?” Alex said. “Keeps the dust off the chair and makes a pretty great reveal for first-timers! Take a look.”
Thoroughly impressed, Lizzy walked over to the sleek VR chair. Despite its general look of sterility, the ergonomic design and plush padding made it look more inviting than any piece of furniture she’d ever seen. Before she could drink in the details too deeply, however, the robot interrupted her thoughts.
“Please face me for a moment so that I can take the most accurate possible body scan.”
Lizzy faced the robot obediently with her arms at her sides, unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do. Alex gave her a nod of encouragement while the robot extended its topmost arm. A sharp line of white light scanned over Lizzy’s entire body, front and back, from head to toe.
“The scan takes care of all kinds of stuff,” Alex explained. “First of all, it tells the robot exactly where the best spot is to install your VR jack. It’ll also help adjust the settings on the chair to best fit your body and prevent any physical fatigue or strain in case you get caught up in a really long gaming session.”
Lizzy felt slightly overwhelmed by the flood of information, quietly nodding when appropriate as she battled the feeling that everything was happening awfully fast. Suddenly, Lizzy felt her braid lift off the back of her neck to allow a cool, wet spritz on her skin. She jumped slightly, unable to suppress a startled yelp.
“Do not be alarmed! I have simply applied a disinfectant and anesthetic spray to prep you for surgery. In ten to fifteen seconds, the back of your neck will feel no pain whatsoever. Please lie down in the meantime.”
Cautiously, Lizzy lay face- down on the bed.
“Go ahead and turn on your side with your back facing the robot,” Alex corrected jovially. “By the way, the procedure really won’t take long and you’ll be ready to try VR almost immediately afterwards. Only thing is you might want to take breaks every now and then to reapply the numbing spray. Hold still--Gerry’s going to stabilize your head to keep the procedure as safe as possible. Just relax!”
“Alright,” Lizzy said, striving to keep as still and relaxed as she could despite the slightly unnerving feeling of the robot’s padded grip holding her head in place. She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly while Gerry-1 spoke:
“Initializing. Installing plug in five . . . four . . . three . . .”
“Ah!” Lizzy cried out in surprise as a sudden thump jolted at the base of her skull before the robot finished its countdown.
“. . . Two, one! You’re done!” Lizzy opened her mouth to scold the robot, incredulous at having been tricked, but Alex’s lighthearted chuckle diffused the tension of the moment.
“Hah! Neat trick, right? It’s just to counteract the tendency that people have to tense up right when they expect something to happen. And, hey! It worked, didn’t it? Just keep still for a couple more minutes while everything’s finished up, and then Gerry will help you get situated in the Neuropod.”
Lizzy felt a sudden spike of uncertainty.
“Just the robot? Aren’t you going to stay and help me learn how to use Virtual Reality?”
Alex smiled and tilted her head even though Lizzy couldn’t see her from where she lay still to allow the robot to stitch up the jack’s installation site with precision and finesse.
“Of course I’m going to help you, but I can’t do that as effectively here as I can in VR with you. I’m going to head to my own room, right here in the building, and join you in VR myself so that I can show you how everything works from there. It’s the best way to learn, trust me! And trust Gerry-1, too. He’ll get you all set up in the chair and ready to go, just follow what he says.”
Lizzy carefully lifted her hand to wave goodbye to Alex, who reached out to give it a comforting squeeze.
“There’s nothing to worry about--promise! Just be ready to learn and have fun. See you soon!”
“See you soon,” Lizzy repeated, nearly breathless at the thought of entering Virtual Reality in a matter of minutes.
Everything felt surreal as the robot eventually released its cushioned, stabilizing grip and cheerfully asked Lizzy to stand up and head for the chair. At its prompting, she laid down in the chair, cautiously resting her freshly-implanted neck against the supportive headrest. Despite wincing instinctively, she felt no pain.
“Please lay back and relax while your Neuropod, or ‘Pod,’ calibrates itself to your exact proportions,” Gerry-1 requested. “This will ensure that you are as comfortable as possible during your VR experience. I will also set this briefcase” -Gerry held out one arm to display the case Alex had pointed out earlier- “right on your bed so that you can easily apply your numbing spray as needed. The spray is safe for both you and the chair’s circuitry, so you can simply reapply and go right back into the simulation!”
Lizzy drank in the robot’s words as she felt a slight tugging sensations towards the back of her head. She heard a gentle click as the magnetic plug inserted itself painlessly into her newly-installed jack. The various cushioned sections of the chair shifted and adjusted themselves around her as the chair conformed itself to her body, just as Gerry-1 had described.
This is downright incredible, she thought to herself, more able to appreciate the wonders of the technology around her now that her worries about the surgery were behind her. A relaxed smile spread across her face with a gentle sigh as the chair settled into its new shape. It truly did feel wonderful.
“Your guide, Alex, is telling me that she’s in VR and ready to greet you. She has already selected a starting zone for you. There is a button located right by your left thumb: Press it once to accept Alex’s suggested starting zone and then press it again as soon as you’re ready to enter VR. Good luck and have fun!”
Lizzy took another deep breath, briefly wondering if her tendency to do so wasn’t just as big a contributor to her lightheadedness as her excitement was.
This is it, she thought.
Closing her eyes tightly and praying for the best, Lizzy pressed twice against the side of the hand rest with her left thumb.
“Hey there, Lizzy! You’re here--open your eyes!”
Lizzy slowly began lifting her lids with the utmost caution, but her eyes flew open the instant she caught the first glimpse of her virtual surroundings.
A pristine, beautiful garden sprawled out before her with more flowers than she could count as fantastical butterflies lazily drifted from one sweet blossom to another. Gentle rays of sunlight filtered down through delicate lattices of willow leaves to dance on the rippling waters of an intricately-carved marble fountain. Lizzy immediately stepped forward to dip her fingers in the crystalline fountain, as entranced by the splashing water as the friendly birds that hopped and twittered on the marble’s edge.
With a start, Lizzy realized what she’d just done: She’d already taken her first steps in Virtual Reality without even thinking about it. It was as easy as breathing. Already eager for more, she reached out and dipped her entire hand in the water, gasping at how cool and refreshing the fountain felt.
It reminded her of how it felt to splash in the creek at home after finishing up the laundry with her mother.
It felt so incredibly real.
Momentarily stricken by the intensity of it all, Lizzy felt her eyes well up at the sheer beauty of the scene before her. It took her a moment to process how incredible it was that she could feel such vivid sensations in a completely virtual world. A purple and yellow butterfly fluttered around her, lifting her cheeks with a grin once more as she blinked back her tears and laughed.
“Well, look at you! At this rate, you hardly need me here to teach you at all, huh?”
Lizzy spun around at the sound of Alex’s voice behind her, startled but smiling. To her surprise, Alex looked quite different from before. Instead of her casual sweatshirt and joggers that she’d been wearing in Lizzy’s room, she wore an impressive bodysuit with stylish, contoured sections of green and black. Instead of her short, bouncy cloud of black curls, she sported intricately-woven cornrows that cascaded in magenta braids down to her knees. However, her facial features were only slightly different, and Lizzy took some comfort in the tidbit of familiarity.
After taking in Alex’s appearance, Lizzy felt the urge to look at her own. She held out her hands and found that they looked . . . the same as ever. Almost disappointed, she gave Alex a questioning look.
“This is . . . is this me?” Lizzy asked with uncertainty, fumbling her question. The bridge of Alex’s nose crinkled with amusement as she answered.
“Yes and no! This is all VR, so you aren’t using your real body right now--you’re interacting with the virtual world through your avatar. But, your avatar is automatically based right off the scan that Gerry-1 took of your body when you got your surgery, so it’s an exact copy of you! I didn’t want to spoil the surprise by telling you before you got plugged in. Either way, you can change your appearance however you want.”
Alex threw her arms up, tilting her hips and striking a runway-ready pose.
“As you can see, I made a few little upgrades, myself!” She pointedly flipped her long, pink braids for dramatic effect and Lizzy couldn’t help but giggle.
“I’m not sure I want to change my appearance too much just yet. Maybe just . . .,” Lizzy trailed off for a moment in thought. “My hair color. Can I just change my hair to be pink, like yours?”
Alex chuckled a bit.
“You can change your hair to look however you like! Although, I don’t blame you for wanting to have pink hair like the pros,” she said with a wink.
Alex moved to stand next to the fountain with Lizzy.
“Why don’t you go ahead and take a look around? This garden we’re in is designed to give you the chance to practice some basic commands and get a feel for things without any strangers barging in. Before we switch simulations you’ll need to lock in all the setting changes you made in here with biometric authentication. But for now, I’m sure you’d rather get to the fun stuff.”
“Yes! You said I could change my hair?” Lizzy asked before she even finished nodding to show that she’d understood. Alex smiled at her eagerness, happy to explain.
“Well, the great part about a VA is that you just talk to it, remember? So just address your VA by name and tell her how you want to change your hair color.”
“Annabelle,” Lizzy called out, “I want to change my hair color to pink.” A mirror and a swatch menu popped up before her eyes, offering her a vast array of choices that ranged from the most delicate pastels to the boldest shades of magenta. Lizzy grinned even wider than she had the first time she’d stepped off the wagon and into the city.
This is great!
By the time Lizzy had flipped through more hair shades than she’d ever dreamed of and gotten a feel for the basic VR voice commands, she felt more confident than she had in a long time.
The garden was enchanting, peaceful, and perfect. In fact, everything about VR was perfect so far: She could control everything about her experience, from the temperature of the garden to how much she felt in her real body if she pricked her finger on a rose thorn. But after sprucing up her appearance with a few moderate pink highlights and testing her limits by climbing and jumping over every hedge in sight, Lizzy felt herself itching to try something new.
“So,” Lizzy asked after setting up her password and confirming her avatar changes with guidance from Alex and Annabelle, “What else can I do in VR? Where else can I go?”
“Oh, man” Alex said, shaking her head, “You can go just about anywhere! Any place or any time,” she added meaningfully.
“Any time?” Lizzy asked. Alex nodded enthusiastically as she absentmindedly fidgeted with her long braids.
“Oh, yes! Everything is virtual, and any programmer who wants to can create simulations for others to use. As you can probably imagine, the library of simulations is just about endless. Plus, a lot of people enjoy the vibes of bygone eras that they’ve learned about, so there are plenty of VR settings that simulate other time periods. Anything from ancient civilizations to the Victorian Era. Personally, I’m a big fan of the Hippie days and the 1980s.”
Lizzy pondered this information for a moment before deciding that she’d tackle the vast opportunities of VR time travel later.
“I’m not sure about any specific time period yet,” she said. “But, could I maybe go to a carnival? Or a theme park? I heard about them as a child but never got to try one.”
“Sounds great, why not?” Alex replied. “Go ahead and ask your VA to take us there.”
“Annabelle, take me and Alex to a carnival with rides.”
“Showing best simulation matches for ‘carnival with rides.’ Please make your selection and confirm.”
Lizzy sifted through a list of simulations until one caught her eye: Western Wonderland. Excitedly, she confirmed her selection and Alex accepted alongside her. The surrounding garden faded to black and within moments a whole new scene filled in around them, pixel by pixel.
A lively group of musicians in cowboy hats and leather vests plucked a jaunty tune on their various string instruments next to a giant sign that displayed the title Western Wonderland in flashing, vintage light bulbs. Behind the welcoming sign stretched a seemingly-endless assortment of snack stands, petting zoos, and sky-high roller coasters.
Barely able to contain her excitement, Lizzy charged through the gate, darting erratically from one attraction to the next as she struggled to decide what to try first. She settled on a petting zoo with goats much like the ones she tended at home, but soon moved on in a rush to taste everything else the amusement park had to offer.
Somewhere amidst all the thrills of the carnival games, Lizzy couldn’t help but marvel at how lifelike the characters operating the attractions were. Each new Artificial Intelligence had their own voice, look, and personality. If she hadn’t known that they were all part of the simulation, she could easily have mistaken them for real people.
Finally, with several bean bag tosses and two full bags of caramel popcorn under her belt, she knew she was ready for something bigger.
“That roller coaster up there,” she announced to Alex, pointing out the one she meant, “I think I want to go on that one.”
Alex looked at the red coaster rails that climbed higher than any others at the front end of the park and whistled theatrically.
“Oooh, the Lightning Hayride? Are you sure? Looks pretty intense!” she joked as she nudged at Lizzy’s ribs with her elbow, her knowing smile and sing-song voice making it clear that there was really nothing to fear. Lizzy nodded excitedly, giggling with anticipation as they jogged to the ride’s entrance.
The smiling ride attendant waved them into their seats, reminding them to buckle up safely. The simulation of the roller coaster, complete with convincing rattling and clanking sounds, was immersive enough to make Lizzy’s stomach twinge as they reached the dizzying peak of the tracks.
Lizzy gripped Alex’s hand as the ride paused at the top to build up the suspense. The sweat on her palms felt as impossibly real as the rest of their surroundings did.
Suddenly, the roller coaster car dropped and Lizzy screamed at the top of her lungs as it went speeding down the rails. With every twist and turn, she whooped, savoring every wave of the adrenaline rush and the intensity of the wind in her face. She might never have been to a real carnival before, but she was pretty sure that this was as ideal as a simulation of one could hope to get.
Every wave of excitement was overwhelming in the best way possible and the ride was almost over too soon. Lizzy briefly considered going on the Lightning Hayride a second time, but the countless other roller coasters that she’d glimpsed from the ride’s peak spurred her interest towards new and different experiences.
“That. Was. Incredible!” Lizzy yelled, jumping up and down as she stepped off the ride’s landing platform with Alex and savored the exhilarating rush from the roller coaster ride.
“I know, right?!” Alex responded with a grin. “See, I knew you’d like VR once you actually tried it!”
“Oh, I sure do!” Lizzy cried, her reservations from that very morning already entirely forgotten amidst the sounds of carnival music and the scent of funnel cakes. “I really, really do!”
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