TWO
Concrete & Glass
An endless stream of code scrolled across the central monitor in the laboratory. Victoria scrutinized it with absolute concentration, searching for the error that occurred every time the virtual simulation program was launched. It wasn't the first time she had to review the work that Mauro had done wrong. They had been friends since college, and both had found a sense of freedom in technology. She wouldn't have chosen anyone else for this project but him, but his recent carelessness was costing her too much time, and it bothered her greatly. She didn't want to confront him because the laboratory was set up in his house, in a room on the terrace, and also because she knew the reason for his distraction: Liliana.
She hit the spacebar almost impulsively, and the code stopped in front of her. She reread a section, placed the cursor on a block, and began programming several segments. Victoria Wong had Asian features thanks to her Chinese father, which, along with her short, jaw-length, black, shiny, bob-style hair, gave her a penetrating look.
Mauro opened the door, and the sound of rain increased as he entered. He brought two cups of hot tea. He had arrived more than half an hour ago, just before it started raining. He had gone out with Liliana, taking advantage of the fact that Victoria would be correcting code, alone, as she preferred. He placed a cup for her on a table near the bank of monitors and examined the code on the screens.
"I think it's ready," said Victoria. "Let's try it. Give me the neurotransmitter."
Mauro handed her the device. It was a brain-computer interface with spider-like limbs. Victoria installed it on her head, and the device's lights turned on when it detected contact with her skull. Then she stood up and picked up a pair of virtual reality glasses from the desk, a smooth, chrome-plated model that she put over her eyes. Mauro pressed a key, and various loading bars appeared on the monitors, completing quickly.
On a transparent plastic table rested a prismatic device with square faces, the lateral sides of which were smooth and matte black, except for one with a touchscreen control panel. The top face had a round core made of cold, metallic material. The blue lights on the sides began to flash suddenly due to data processing.
"Yes, it's working now," said Victoria as she explored the virtual space.
"What was the issue?" asked Mauro with curiosity.
Victoria lowered the visor with her head tilted.
"There was a problem with data transmission to the screen," she explained with relief. She turned off the neurotransmitter lights with a keyboard button and removed it delicately, placing it on a transparent plastic stand. "You need to pay more attention to the details," she added with a hint of anger in her voice.
Mauro fell silent, as he had reviewed the entire process many times without finding any errors. He apologized when he realized what he had overlooked.
"You didn't make mistakes like this before. Is something bothering you?" Victoria asked, hoping Mauro would realize that his preoccupation with Liliana was affecting his performance.
"Nothing, I just didn't see it," Mauro replied, still confused.
"Well, pay more attention next time," Victoria said firmly, trying to contain her frustration. She left the visor on the table, pulled her leather jacket from the back of the chair and headed for the exit while slipping an arm into the sleeve. "Remember, we have the meeting at Mindsoft tomorrow," she reminded him. "Early, at eight." She opened the door and left the laboratory, not waiting for a response.
*
From the hallway, the conference room could be clearly seen thanks to its glass walls that extended farther than those of other departments with similar transparency. Through these walls, one could observe the executives moving amidst their daily hustle and bustle. The main wall of the room displayed the company's logo, "MINDSOFT, technology development and research," etched in frosted letters. Inside the room was Victoria, delivering her presentation in front of a screen that spanned the entire wall.
At the head of the table sat the three most important executives. In the middle was the current CEO, Bret Lingford, a stern-looking American with deep features, tall, fair-skinned, and with salt-and-pepper hair, dressed in a fine suit. To his left was the director of project financing, and to his right, the vice president of technological development, Corban Preston, who had a more friendly but enigmatic demeanor.
Mindsoft was a company specializing in the development of technologies that merged the human body with machines. They created brain-computer interfaces that allowed for mental control of external devices. Among their achievements was the release of devices that, when connected to specific areas of the brain, helped individuals with Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders. Additionally, they led the market in immersive reality devices and were at the forefront of nanotechnology research, although they hadn't yet launched any products to the market.
Despite their success, Mindsoft constantly had to deal with a series of dark rumors about their projects. A corner of the internet claimed that the previous CEO, Karl Ferrucci, had created a hidden division to develop and build a machine capable of stimulating controlled emotions through programs that regulated the body's chemicals. Although several years had passed since that rumor circulated, nothing had ever been confirmed. To restore their image and credibility with the public, Mindsoft had refreshed its leadership and gained a better reputation.
The windows that extended horizontally toward the city were so large and pristine that they appeared absent. The landscape was perceived with higher definition than usual. It was cloudy over the growing, grayish city of concrete, metal, and glass.
"What's the next step in creating an immersive experience for the entertainment industry?" Victoria asked as she moved across the small stage. "It's no longer enough for the audience to merely observe the narrative in augmented realities or compete to achieve objectives. They want to be a part of it and make free decisions to the point where they can truly... live it."
Mauro approached Victoria, who stood on the left side of the stage, and continued her thought.
"For years, we've sought to envelop the user in a powerful atmosphere. We present to you the next step in immersive reality development."
Victoria pressed a button on the remote control, and on the screen, five three-dimensional letters came together to form the word "ORION." It was accompanied by a technical infographic of the inside of the square prism and the artificial neurotransmitter.
Corban settled into his seat and examined the graphic.
"Orion, a high-precision neural scanner capable of detecting the player's will. The era of physical controls is over," Victoria declared.
Mauro took a seat on a gamer's chair, placed the neurotransmitter on his head, and put on the virtual reality headset.
The square prism resting on a glass table lit up, and its lights began to flash.
The wall screen displayed what Mauro saw through the headset.
In first-person perspective, Mauro found himself in the midst of an epic battle in a world of gigantic plants, fighting against an alien species with crab-like claws. Alongside a team of soldiers in metallic armor, he ventured among the trunks, shooting amid bursts of bullets into the ground. They took up a defensive position beneath a giant purple bush. Mauro began to reload his weapon when suddenly, the branches behind him parted. He turned around and aimed the barrel at a massive green crab-like alien. But before he could pull the trigger, the creature attacked him with a long spike that served as its tail, piercing through his heart.
Sitting in the chair, Mauro jolted and involuntarily moved his head. The screen indicated that the game was over, and the main menu appeared. He removed the headset and returned to the room. He glanced at his friend. Victoria wore a satisfied smile; the presentation had gone as planned. However, an air of unease lingered among the executives who, for a moment, hesitated to say anything.
Suddenly, Corban cleared his throat.
"This thing you've put on your head, is it safe?" he directed the question at Mauro, who still needed a few more seconds to recover.
"Of course," Victoria replied formally, rescuing the question from the air.
I mean..." He leaned forward and pointed to the square prism with a digital pen. "Do you know for sure there won't be any side effects from excessive use?"
Mauro and Victoria looked at each other, each waiting for the other to respond. They had never asked themselves that question, and they had no details on it whatsoever.
"We're aware that several of our competitors have similar proposals," Corban continued, his American accent unmistakable. "But no one has been able to guarantee that prolonged use won't affect the user over time."
"We've been working on this project for over five years," Victoria defended, her sincerity and expertise helping to restore her confidence. "From the beginning, we've conducted all the tests and made adjustments on ourselves. We haven't seen any side effects."
Mauro and Victoria appeared less certain. Corban leaned back in his chair, typed something on his translucent digital tablet with a sense of disappointment.
At that moment, Bret leaned in towards the vice president and whispered in his ear. Corban nodded as if he had received an order and then said to them:
"We've been forced to reject projects like this due to that reason, and unfortunately, yours is no exception."
A moment of silence followed. Corban lowered his gaze as he folded the thin translucent tablet in half, almost like a book.
"Commercialization isn't the only thing we can negotiate," Victoria suggested, somewhat hastily before they all got up. "For now, we're only seeking financing to merge these two devices into one." She paused and realized that she had regained their attention. "During this time, we're open to collaborating to conduct a more thorough analysis of potential side effects."
Corban turned to the director of project financing to gauge her opinion.
"According to the budget you sent us," she said as she calculated figures on her digital tablet, "that would mean an investment of less than seventy percent of the estimated cost for us."
"In the event of resolving the issue of side effects, Mindsoft will have eighty percent ownership of the device and complete freedom to expand potential research. This is our only offer," Corban told them.
Mauro and Victoria exchanged glances. He shrugged his shoulders. They both knew they wouldn't get a better deal elsewhere.
"We accept," she said.
Corban turned to look at Bret, who remained silent with his gaze fixed on the metal console, as if trying to see the future it could unveil.
The vice president of technological development felt the impact of Bret's eyes when he suddenly looked at him. He leaned in to speak in his ear once again, and after he finished, he stood up and left the room to attend to other matters.
The door closed, and the room fell into an eerie silence.
Corban opened his translucent tablet once more.
"Could I take a closer look at the chart from earlier?" he asked Victoria as he stood up.
Victoria pressed a few buttons on the remote control, and the internal diagrams of the devices reappeared on the screen.
Corban crossed the empty seats and approached the infographics. For a few minutes, he evaluated the details, wrote down notes, and made calculations. Then, he moved closer to the square prism and began assessing its external construction.
"I can see the..." He pointed to the spider-like device Mauro held in his hands.
"Neurotransmitter," Victoria pointed out.
"Yes, 'neurotransmitter,' thank you," Corban responded with little interest in the name.
Mauro handed it over carefully. Corban received it with the tips of his fingers and began examining the surface contact electrodes at the end of each arm. Corban displayed a cold demeanor and a keen gaze. Rather than conducting an evaluation, he seemed to be strategizing in his mind.
After a few seconds, Corban returned the object to Mauro, closed his tablet, and simply said with a cold smile:
"Welcome to Mindsoft."
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