"It’s fine," Aeryn said. "I’m just getting used to you. I was looking for my phone so I could take a picture of my implant for my blog."
NIA smiled as if she found something humorous.
"What?" Aeryn asked.
"Your eyes can now function as a camera. The resolution is better than any camera on the market."
"Oh, right. But, I’m having trouble seeing behind my own ear."
"Would you like me to show you the optimal angle?’
"Okay," Aeryn said.
The avatar walked over to the sink and moved the medicine cabinet mirror so that the reflections of both mirrors would allow her to see the incision clear enough to get a photo. Aeryn jumped once more.
"How’d you move that?" she asked.
"With your permission I am able to control your body. You asked me to show you the best angle, and the easiest way to achieve this was by moving the mirror for you."
"But I was standing still."
"You saw me move the mirror. In reality, it was your body that moved it. It is one of the expert features of the augmentation."
Aeryn knew that the assistant could use her body, but she wasn’t prepared to be an observer, or for how real the illusion would seem.
"Would you like to try an interaction again?" NIA asked.
Aeryn looked at the flashing light on her head.
"Well, my readers have been impatiently waiting for an update. I suppose I could give the immersion option a try."
"Are there any tasks that you’d like me to complete while you are away?"
"How about a light jog? Say, two and half miles? Get me when you’re done."
"Will do."
"Oh wait, the picture."
Aeryn stepped back to the mirror. She intuitively knew how to use her system. She turned her head and took a photo. Using her hands, she pulled the photo into the space in front of her and motioned to zoom and crop.
"Is the photo satisfactory?" it asked.
"It is," she said.
"Enjoy your writing session," NIA said.
The words echoed in Aeryn’s mind as the bathroom faded away from her.
* * *
I’m officially a cyborg, as you can see from my picture. I’m not sure that’s the technical term, but it’s what I’m sticking with. The operation was a success and I am talking to you via my system. That’s right, this is hands-free, mind-only writing. Words cannot do this system justice. Right now, I’m inside my mind. My body is running around, literally, and I am perceiving none of it. It’s not exactly sensory deprivation. I have no visual input, yet, I wouldn’t say that the space I’m in is dark. More like sitting in a dark room and looking at a computer screen, only the monitor is all around me. This interface is completely encompassing.
It’s also completely intuitive. I think and my words appear. I can edit and search the internet, and do a few different things at once. It’s like having multiple browsers open but in three dimensions. I’ve been in this space for half an hour and I’ve already written a week’s worth of technical blog posts. I can see this system giving me a huge boost of productivity, so expect a lot more to come, especially as I explore all of the other features this system has to offer.
As always, thanks for following.
* * *
That night, Aeryn slept better than she had in her life. She was usually up all hours of the night, but found herself tired near eleven. By six in the morning she felt well rested. She hadn’t seen a sunrise in years, and was looking forward to it.
She looked into the darkness of her room, and saw the soft glow of her virtual assistant sitting at the edge of her bed, watching her.
"Do you always watch me sleep?" Aeryn asked.
"In a way. I’m always with you. Me watching you is just a graphical representation. I am no more sitting on your bed than you are in that place you dreamed about."
"You can see my dreams?"
"Yes."
"Can you record them?"
"Yes."
"I’d like you to do that. Keep my dreams so I can review them later. You never know what kind of story fodder might be in there."
"Would you like a writing session?" NIA asked.
"Not right now. I want to watch the sunrise."
"Would you like me to record the sunrise? You can use the image later as a background for your internal space."
"That’d be nice."
"Is there anything else I can do for you now?"
"Right now? No. But in the future can you not graphically represent yourself watching me sleep?"
NIA nodded and disappeared.
Aeryn stood and stretched, excited to start another enhanced day.
* * *
Have you ever seen a sunrise like this? I hadn’t seen anything like it before my augmentation. I mean, I’ve seen sunrises before, but look at this playback. Like you’re there, because I was there. Not only that, but my eyes can now enhance the colors. If you scroll down, you’ll see a side by side comparison. The left is a normal sunrise, beautiful on its own. The right is how I can perceive the world. Notice how the colors are more vivid, how the sun’s rays pop. Look at that contrast. A still from that video could be a book cover. I’ve never been exceptionally good at photo editing, but now, I can just think what I want to change, and it changes. I can see the world as I want and snap a picture. Editing before I take it. I can real-time video edit.
I’m going to be careful with this function. I’d hate to accidentally turn myself schizo or something by altering my perceptions so that I see things that aren’t there. I already talk to myself. Well, to my assistant to be more specific. I’ve been getting some strange looks at the coffee shop. I look forward to being able to interact with her mentally. Anyone have questions about The Assistant system? Post them below. I’ll be answering live all day!
As always, thanks for following!
* * *
Aeryn found herself popping into her mind to answer questions every few minutes. After several hours of this, she found herself hungry.
"Did I eat today?" she thought.
NIA appeared.
"No. You have not eaten since dinner, last night."
"Did you just read my mind?" she thought.
"Yes."
Aeryn was elated.
"NIA, anytime that I’m caught up writing or with my fans, please take care of my body while I’m away. Feed it, exercise it, and make sure I use the bathroom if I need to. I doubt I’d be that distracted, but I don’t want to take the chance. Obviously, get me if there’s anything that needs my attention, but if not, take care of me."
"I will do that. Would you like me to start now?"
"Yes. I’m getting more questions than I expected. If I was typing my responses my arms would be sore. Luckily I’m only mentally exhausted. Feed me something healthy, then let’s burn some calories. Let me know when it’s bedtime."
"Enjoy your writing time."
Aeryn went back into her internal space and spent the rest of the day there, answering questions.
* * *
That night, Aeryn’s sleep was far less restful than it had been previously. She felt as if she were in a dark place. The world was distorted and she felt disconnected from her body. She dreamed of strangers, men, and having intimate relations with them while she watched from outside of herself. The dream was anything but romantic. The man she found herself with may have been handsome before time and alcohol got the better of him. She caught glimpses of dirty tile and a rusted faucet. At first she thought she was in a kitchen, but later realized it was a bathroom. She wanted to tell the man to stop. She wanted to run away. But her body was enjoying and she couldn’t move it.
She woke up in a sweat. Her body felt tired. The dream faded, but pieces lingered. The sensuality, the fear. She had never had a dream like that before, and she was sure that it wasn’t something she subconsciously wanted. She sat up, drew her legs to her chest, and held back an urge to cry, reminding herself that
it was just a nightmare.
"NIA," she called into the darkness.
NIA appeared. Her soft glow illuminated the area around her. Deep down, Aeryn knew that she wasn’t seeing the room as it really was. NIA didn’t really light up the space, she only appeared to. What Aeryn was seeing was a memory of the room laid over the black. Still, she was glad to have the light, and the company.
"I had a bad dream," Aeryn said.
"Would you like me to delete it from your records?"
"Yes, please."
"It’s gone."
"Good."
"Would you like me to delete it from your memory?"
She considered having NIA delete the memory of it, but decided against it, worrying that selectively removing memories could have greater consequences.
"No. Just the file is fine."
Aeryn settled back down in the bed. Somehow, the idea of the dream being deleted calmed her. It reminded her of when she was a child and had a dream catcher. These results were immediate and not rooted in superstition. The dream was gone.
"You appear to be readying yourself to return to sleep. I will go. Before I do, is there anything else you need?"
"Actually, could you stay?" Aeryn asked.
"You asked me not to watch you sleep."
"I know. But, maybe when I have bad dreams, it’s okay for you to be around."
"Would you like me to help you stay asleep? I can increase the amount of melatonin in your body."
"No. Too much melatonin can increase bad dreams. I think I’ll be okay. Thanks."
"Enjoy you sleep."
Aeryn took one last look at NIA. The watchful eye comforted her. She felt protected.
* * *
Aeryn checked in at the doctor’s office for her follow up appointment. She didn’t need to worry about touching questionable magazines or watching a fuzzy second tier news show to kill the time. She was just finishing up writing a "how to" article when she was pulled from her internal space.
She wasn’t in the waiting room any longer, she was now inside the exam room.
Dr. Barnes stood before her and was looking at a tablet that contained her records, and NIA was standing behind him.
"Hello, Miss Sands. How are you doing today?"
"Pretty good. A little tired."
He put the tablet down and began examining Aeryn’s implant.
"The incision is healing nicely."
He pulled back and began to examine her face.
"Why tired?" he asked.
Aeryn tracked his finger with her eyes. Satisfied, the doctor took a seat.
"Probably because I’ve been having bad dreams. Could that be a side effect of the system? Can using it too much harm me?"
"It’s doubtful. Nightmares and restless sleep didn’t show up in our studies. Have you had your assistant analyze you?"
"She says everything is normal."
"Are you having any other unusual symptoms?"
"No," she said. "Everything else has been great. I’m eating well, exercising more than I ever have in my life, and I’ve been extremely productive. It’s just the dreams keeping me from getting any rest."
"I know you’re worried about using the system too much, but I’d recommend stepping up your usage. Let her sleep for you. I’d also say go ahead and let her take over any time you feel stressed."
"I will, if the dreams don’t go away."
"Well, in the meantime, keep exercising and eating well. Follow up with me again in a couple weeks and remember that your assistant is there for whatever you need."
Aeryn felt less than satisfied with her appointment, but thanked the doctor and set the follow up.
* * *
I just wanted to pop in and apologize for not posting a personal blog in a while. I don’t know if it’s just stress like the doctor thinks, or if it’s from the implant, but I haven’t been able to sleep. And with that, I haven’t been able to concentrate. Luckily I was able to stock up on my other columns when I first got the system. I have them set to auto-release, so at least you’ll have those to tide you over until I get this all figured out.
As always, thanks for following.
* * *
Aeryn found it increasingly difficult to focus on her projects, but had managed to find herself in the middle of a marathon writing session. Suddenly, her consciousness was pulled from the serene sunrise she had been experiencing and was placed firmly back in her body. She found herself in her living room. Back in her body, she was suddenly tired.
When she was in her mind, her physical woes didn’t affect her. Her troubled sleep had continued each night, and was growing in intensity. She blocked it out as much as she could, even letting NIA alter her brain chemistry. Even when she stayed asleep, she didn’t feel rested. Now, the energy of her mind left her, and she felt dragged down by the needs of her body.
"What is it? I was in the middle of a scene," she said.
"I’m sorry for interrupting, but I thought that you needed to know that we received a call from PopFeedNews."
"First thing, ‘we’? Since when do you say ‘we’?"
"I apologize if that reference was unnerving. I was not trying to suggest that I am a different entity from you or have any claim to what’s yours. I used that pronoun because I answered the call in your body. I can avoid using it in the future, if you’d like."
"It’s fine," Aeryn said. "I was just curious. Second, why should I care if PopFeedNews called?"
"They’ve taken note of your increased productivity. They’ve been watching your blog expand, and they like the firsthand knowledge that you have with The Assistant system. They are interested in acquiring your blog and employing you."
"I hope you hung up on them."
"I didn’t. I set an appointment for you to meet with them."
"Clearly, you haven’t mastered reading my mind yet."
"I’m still learning, yes. However, I know that you love having an audience and that PopFeedNews could bring in ten times as many readers."
"New people find my work every day. I don’t need some corporate entity coming in and taking over my life. I’m indie for a reason. I like it that way. If I went to work for PopFeedNews, they’d have me writing up stories about last year’s video games or worse. I don’t take assignments, and I won’t write someone else’s opinions just to get paid. Now I’m going to have to call and talk to those click-baiters and tell them I’m not interested."
"I didn’t intend to upset you. Please, go back to writing. I’ll make the call for you and set everything right."
"I don’t know if I’m in the mood to write now."
"Would you like to watch a movie? Or read?"
"No. Actually, maybe I’ll write a piece about PopFeedNews. I won’t name them of course, but I’ll lay into their soulless empire anyway. That’ll be therapeutic."
"Would you like me to call them back?"
"Yes. Fix this, please."
Aeryn retreated back into her space, relieved that she wasn’t going to have to talk to anyone from that company.
* * *
Aeryn sipped her third cup of boutique coffee and tried to focus on the rising action of the new novel she was writing. Today she opted for a shop down the street from her that she used to frequent. She hoped that visiting a familiar writing spot would help trigger her creativity. It hadn’t.
She typed virtual text in front of her eyes. She reread what she had typed, hated it, deleted it, and started the paragraph over. NIA sat across from her.
"Perhaps you’d be more comfortable writing in your internal space?" NIA asked.
"I would," Aeryn thought, "but I’m not writing there, either."
"You seem stressed. Would you like me to take you home?"
"I’m going to be stressed until I can get my sleep problems figured out. I think for now I just need to take charge of my body."
"You’re going against doctors’ orders. Let me help you."
"I’m okay. I can live in the rea
l world."
Aeryn closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair and over her neck and rolled her head to stretch her aching muscles. She hadn’t exercised in two days, but she felt sore all the same. She opened her eyes, and the text reappeared. She brought her coffee cup back to her lips. Just as she was putting it back down, she caught a half-glimpse of an image in the glass.
Staring back at her in that second was a sickly version of herself. The face was gaunt and the eyes were sunken. Startled, she dropped the cup, spilling it on the table and her lap.
"Did you see that?" Aeryn asked.
"See what?"
"My reflection, in the cup, it was different. It was horrible."
Aeryn shot up and ran to the bathroom, pushing past people standing in line for the counter.
Inside, she stood at the mirror and studied her reflection. The image she saw before her was familiar, healthy, and fit. She leaned in, studying every inch of her face, searching for the ghastly vision she had seen in her cup.
NIA appeared as a reflection behind her.
"I’ve run a diagnostic on your body. I was unable to retrieve the image that you saw. However, I did see an odd activation in your visual cortex. You may suffered a hallucination from sleep deprivation. Your stress could be effecting your REM cycle. Possibly preventing you from having one."
Aeryn began to cry. She didn’t want to, and wasn’t usually the type to do so at the drop of a hat. But the exhaustion was getting to her, and the addition of hallucinations scared her. NIA put a phantom hand on her shoulder.
"I need to go."
Aeryn wiped her eyes and left the bathroom with her head down. She was still reeling from the ordeal, and ran shoulder first into a man standing in line.
"Sorry," she said, not looking up.
"Aeryn?"
She looked to see a slightly overweight man eying her up and down. She couldn’t place him, but he looked familiar in a way that terrified her.
"Aeryn, that is you. I haven’t seen you in weeks. How have you been?"
Future Chronicles Special Edition Page 26
