The Metaverse: Virtual Life-Real Death

by William Kurth

  Who or what should they represent?

  “I think we need a changeup.” He murmured.

  ***

  Dominic Argosi strolled along the sidewalk of the entertainment district with Callum and Wu. Parker had to attend to some personal things and had excused himself for the evening after the end-of-day brief. Other agents in-world and out would continue to run down leads on shifts through the night.

  Argosi took a step back as the potent sights, sounds, and smells slammed into him. The summer sun was setting on the distant horizon of the sea backlighting yachts and smaller vessels in the Bay. Some personal watercraft raced back and forth among them. A light breeze blew in from the bay, the salt in the air palatable.

  The three had just left one of the finest steakhouses in New Polis. Owned by the family of an FBI Agent, the agents assigned to MCT-NP always had a table available for them, despite the typically long reservation list.

  Argosi could not fathom that he was consuming a gelatin Nutrient product and not an utterly delicious T-bone. The only clue was that the texture of the food was not quite the same as tearing into real beef, but that was more than made up for by the flavor. How did the synthesizer get it just right? Wu tried to explain it to him, but Argosi decided that it was better just to enjoy it. Apparently, it was a third party app patented by the restaurant that ran the synthesizer, after that Wu lost him.

  The red wine, an appropriately aged Cabernet, was unfortunately non-alcoholic, bureau regulations in the sim, but superb. Even the after-dinner espresso was fantastic and gave Argosi the pick-up he needed after a long day.

  Throngs of people strolled by enjoying themselves. Others drove slowly through the thick traffic in their exotic sports cars. A number rode bikes. Hearing a loud whistle, Argosi turned to see a police officer on a large horse directing traffic into some venue where according to the large digital screen some world famous band Argosi had never heard of was playing.

  “It’s the city that never sleeps, Commander.” Callum grinned as Argosi craned his neck around like a tourist in Manhattan.

  “How many of these people do you think are humans and how many are Artificial Entities?” Argosi asked.

  Wu spoke first. “The vast majority of them are real life humans, boss. Populated by people from all over the world who come here to live, work and play. New Polis is the truest cosmopolitan city. As the city was built up over the last couple decades, the AE’s became less as a percentage. There are still many. Millions in fact. You see them all the time, mostly in service jobs. But as a percentage, they are a shrinking minority, at least here.”

  Argosi gawked around him.

  “I can’t believe that most these people, thousands just within sight, are real human beings somewhere in a pod living this existence. Marvelous as it is, I don’t get it. Don’t get me wrong, especially you, Wu. I think the Metaverse is a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live here.”

  “Funny, Commander, I sometimes feel the same about the real world.” Wu jerked his thumb at the sky.

  Callum grunted. “For my generation, sir, a lot of it is about economics.”

  “Economics?”

  “Yes, sir. Look around; you see these young guys driving around in a sports car that would cost seventy-five or a hundred thousand dollars in the real world. Here they get it for pennies on the dollar. The same thing with the luxury apartments they live in or the expensive clothes that they wear.”

  “Yes, Pete, but they are not in the real car or apartment. They aren’t even wearing clothes, just a giant condom.” Argosi chuckled, making even Wu laugh.

  “Look I get it. You can make a modest income, either here or in the real world, and by using the Metaverse magnify that wealth by a factor of ten or greater. I see all these closed up buildings where people used to live and work in the real world and now they house H-Pods. People don’t even rent apartments. They rent a spot where they can place their pod or rent the pod with the place. It’s depressing to me. You go to where someone lives, and there is nothing except the mechanical pod and the servers, a real human enclosed inside, but nothing that says a person is present.”

  Argosi stared at the skyline for a moment before rolling his eyes at Callum and Wu. “I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. For guys like me there is a lot less traffic. Things are cheaper now as businesses and resorts try to woo people back from the Metaverse. But man, how do you compete with all of this?”

  Callum winked. “This is only a small part of it. Have you ever traveled or visited other places, outside of New Polis here in the Metaverse?”

  “Only in passing and obviously never in a full emersion mode.”

  Callum looked at his phone. “It’s still early, Commander. What do you like to do in the real world?”

  “Lots of stuff, but riding horses through peaceful meadows and mountains is a favorite.”

  Callum grinned at Argosi. “Come on, Commander; I know just the place. You too Wu, this will be a first.”

  Argosi looked at Wu, they both shrugged and followed Callum a half block to a transporter station entrance which consisted of a canopy with the symbol for teleport over a stairwell that led underground that reminded Argosi of the subway entrances in London.

  People were going up and down the stairs by the dozens. Callum led them down and walked a short way, passing people waiting in what must have been several dozen lines to use the transporters on one side. On the other side were the arrivals where every few seconds the doors opened and people walked out. It was loud down here from the combination of the band playing against one wall and all of the hundreds of conversations going on around them. Argosi had almost to shout. “Is it always this crazy down here?”

  “Here in the entertainment district it usually is, even more so in the evening. Lots of people getting off work or meeting at a central location like this. Huge nightlife down in this area, it will only get more crowded as it gets later.” Callum pointed.

  “Over here, Commander. I was looking for the queue for the multiple person teleport.”

  Argosi, Callum, and Wu had to wait maybe a minute before it was their turn.

  “So where are you taking me, Agent Callum?”

  “We’re going horseback riding as only you can do in the Metaverse, sir.”

  Argosi smiled and shook his head.

  “I’m wearing city clothes. No horse is going to respect me.”

  “No worries, sir; I’ve already take care of that for both you and Mr. Wu.”

  Finally, they were next and when the door opened the three entered. Callum used some app on his phone that synced with the teleporter before hitting the control panel. After about a second and a half, the door sprung open. Argosi suddenly felt something on his hair. He reached up and fingered the felt fabric of a hat. He lifted it off his head and chuckled at the white cowboy hat.

  Argosi looked down at the denim jeans and the plaid western shirt he sported, as well as the brown cowboy boots. Argosi felt right at home in the trappings. He flicked his gaze at Callum and Wu, similarly outfitted. Both looked less than confident in their apparel, however, especially Mr. Wu.

  They stepped out of the teleporter that slammed shut behind them. What had been a brightly lit compartment with shiny walls closed, replaced by an old wooden door. Across from that on a worn wood wall was a sign. “Welcome to Pegasus Ranch.” Argosi smelled hay and something else. Horses, or rather a combination of their essence and what came out of them.

  They fanned out in the T-cross walk of a large stable. The agents moved down the short crosswalk that was open to the outside at both ends. A center aisle bisected the crossway. Down the center aisle, Argosi could see a long line of stalls on both sides. Several contained the upper body and head of a horse looking his way.

  “Howdy boys, here to ride?”

  Argosi turned to see a large man, light blue shirt, blue jeans and dark colored boots with spurs that jingled as he approached them coming inside from a large outside doorwa
y at one end of the short crosswalk. The man had a large saddle and blanket that he held over his left shoulder. In his right hand, he held the lead of a magnificent beast of a horse, easily twenty hands or more.

  “We sure are,” Callum said.

  “Give me just a minute to put Henrietta here in her stall.”

  The man swung the saddle onto a saddle stand and hung the blanket on a hook. Henrietta let out a loud whine as she shook her massive head.

  “Yes, Henrietta, give me a moment.”

  Argosi stood transfixed as the man walked the massive beast down the crosswalk towards them and then turned to his right with her to go down the center aisle. Argosi then saw something that he never saw on a horse, well at least never a real one. There on Henrietta’s shoulders folded in tightly against her upper flanks were two large feathered wings, one on each side.

  “I’ll be damned. I’m not surprised to see something like that here. Seeing it in real life, well in a real-life simulation, is something else.” Argosi said.

  The large man returned, stuffing his leather yellow work gloves into his back-right pocket.

  “This way, fellas. I have fresh horses right out in the pasture here.”

  The three agents turned to follow him out the stable door and over to a fenced paddock. At one end were several animals every bit as magnificent as Henrietta.

  Argosi chose a shiny black mare named Sheila. The tall cowboy gave him a couple of quick pointers.

  “Put your left foot in the stirrup and swing on up then slide your right leg under her right wing, she’ll move it for you then put your foot in the right stirrup. Then you’ll move your left foot over the top of her left wing and similarly, slide your foot under that wing. When you ride on the ground your legs will be between her body and her folded wings. Got it, son?”

  Argosi chuckled at the large man calling him son. He then mounted the beast as the cowboy had instructed.

  “Got it, mister.”

  “Looks like you know your way around a horse. That’s good, she’ll respect ya.”

  “Well, never one quite like this,” Argosi said.

  “They are all the same. Squeeze your legs she goes. Pull her reigns she stops. If you want her to go up, say up, down you say down and so on.”

  “Sounds easy enough,” Argosi answered.

  “Ok, go have fun.” The man waved his cowboy hat at Sheila, and she backed up a bit.

  Argosi pulled the horse’s reins to the right, squeezed and off she went. Callum and Wu followed on their mounts. Argosi whistled.

  Intellectually his mind told him he was in a pod and this was a sim. But physically, even emotionally he was riding a horse, albeit one with wings.

  “Up!” Argosi commanded.

  Immediately, Shiela’s wings unfolded to their full and quite large expanse. With the slightest flap of the massive wings, she lifted gently off the ground to about twenty feet. Her speed had increased slightly, and Argosi watched the pasture race by beneath them. Behind him, Callum and Wu had their steeds airborne as well.

  Argosi gently tugged her to the right and the animal banked until Argosi released. They headed towards a wooded area, and the horse lifted up, to just above tree top level as they reached it.

  Argosi was impressed by how smooth and gentle the ride was. He made a mental note to bring his kids here sometime.

  After a while the trees gave way to grass again, and the animal lowered her altitude slightly. Callum and Wu had been experimenting, taking their mounts higher. Argosi liked it here, close to the ground where the thrill of flight was the most telling. It was also more like riding a horse than flying an aircraft at this level.

  The grassy plain ahead of him rose slightly before giving away to a drop-off. It wasn’t until Argosi got close that he realized that the drop off was the wall of a deep canyon that fell some three thousand feet to a lush valley with a river running through it. As Argosi crossed the edge, the animal nosed down, and Argosi nearly panicked as it followed the steep terrain downward, staying just feet off the steep wall. The wind picked up, and Argosi’s hat flew off. He held on for dear life as the animals decent easily hit a hundred miles an hour. Argosi leaned in over her mane to stay out of the air stream. In response, she tucked her wings. Like a dart the beast plunged towards the valley below.

  Argosi loved every minute of it. He was glad Callum had brought him here. It was a nice reprieve from the last couple of tumulus days and was much better than sitting in his room back at HQ or incessantly hounding the on-duty agents asking if there were any new leads.

  Shiela seemed to know her way as she banked to the left and then swooped down low over the river with its raging rapids. The mare flew upstream gently gaining altitude and following the river as the terrain climbed and rapids roared below. The river began to narrow and large pine trees closed in from both sides. The horse flew below the tops of the trees but soon began to climb rapidly to clear the approaching waterfall. Just below the crest of the waterfall Shiela slowed and flapped her wings differently and in larger movements. She had slowed her forward speed to almost nothing and was in a slow climbing hover just as she cleared the top. The roar of the waterfall here was enormous, and Argosi to his amazement felt the light misty spray of water on his face, as did Shiela who seemed to revel in the cooling and refreshing nature of it for a moment before gaining a few more feet of altitude before resuming her forward speed.

  The horse followed the river for a way before suddenly nosing up and banking to the right over some tall pine trees. There right in front of them was the ranch in the distance, the green pastures and stable beckoning Shiela who made a low-level dash toward the large stable flying right to the paddock where she had been when Argosi arrived. Clearing the fence with just a few inches to spare Shiela lowered herself to just a few feet above the ground gliding and finally flaring to a gentle stop. Shiela folded her wings in and walked slowly over to the big cowboy whom Argosi could see was holding a white cowboy hat.

  “One of my hands found this; I think it’s yours?” The man waved the hat.

  Argosi dismounted, careful to pull his feet out of both stirrups to clear Shiela’s wings then re-entered the left stirrup with his left foot, stood and pivoted down off the huge mare who looked back at him with curious disinterest.

  “Thank you, sir,” Argosi said, taking his hat back from the man.

  Callum and Wu arrived on their mounts, a couple of ranch hands helped them down.

  Callum picked his way over to Argosi.

  “You’re quite a horseman, boss.”

  Argosi chuckled. “I think everyone who comes here is. I don’t imagine that very many people fall off and if they do it probably doesn’t matter.” Argosi thought about the safety settings for this sim or any sim.

  Are they set at the factory in the server, or in the software? He wondered as they walked back to the teleporter. Callum had it take them directly back to HQ.

  FBI-MCT HQ, Metaverse

  Argosi’s alarm went off. He looked at the clock, 0600. He laid there for a moment. He wasn’t sure where he was. Looking around the room, Argosi watched the first light of the day illumining the lightly colored walls with various works of art hanging on them.

  The sheets were incredibly soft and the bed very comfortable making him want to fall back into blissful sleep. Argosi forced himself to get up. First sitting on the bed edge then standing he looked through the French doors that led to the large outdoor deck. Beyond the deck wall, the bay was itself coming to life with the morning sun. Argosi then walked from the master bedroom of the three-bedroom suite to the well-appointed commercial grade kitchen. Even before he got there, he could smell the brewing coffee.

  Then it hit him. He was not in some luxurious suite in a five-star hotel. He was in a simulation. He hadn’t slept in a comfortable bed with high count linens; he hadn’t slept in a bed at all. He had slept in his H-Pod.

  Argosi rested his hands on the granite countertop and leaned his weight on it a
s the coffee finished brewing in the stainless-steel machine. He looked out past the breakfast bar across the large living room with the comfortable couches and through the large glass windows which afforded another majestic view of the bay. A few small sailboats were out on the water.

  Argosi got a mug from the cabinet above the coffee maker and poured himself a cup, the steam of the hot liquid rising from the mug. He moved the mug with the steaming black coffee under a spout on the coffee machine. He selected hazelnut mixed with heavy cream then took a silver spoon from a drawer under the countertop and stirred his coffee before taking the spoon from the mug and dropping it into the stainless-steel sink where it landed with a clank.

  He knew that the maid would come in later. Do the dishes, make the bed and tidy the place up. All of which he thought patently ridiculous as he sipped the coffee, loving not just the warmth of the liquid but the heat from the mug when it contacted his lips.

  Everything in here, everything I can see is a digital creation or reproduction; nothing is real and yet everything is. Not even one day in-world and I’m feeling like I have cabin fever.

  He walked over to one of the large couches and sat down. Picking up the remote, Argosi turned on the large screen TV on the wall in front of him rather than using a voice command. He selected a Metaverse news station from the list.

  The Hendricks’s murder was the big story. Behind the talking head was the victim’s body still visible under the tarp on the crushed roof of the car.

  God, could they get anymore macabre? Argosi took a long pull on his coffee, which was quite good. The caffeine narrowed his thoughts.

  The reporter was going on about how a showdown was brewing between the CEO of GEI and DLS. The killer, or killers, had made it clear that they would not allow for the removal of the GEI employee’s body until GEI paid the corporate fee that covered the company and all its employees.

  The CEO of GEI released a statement that said it was Digital-Life Systems responsibility and that they, not GEI should pay the fee. He was threatening legal action against DLS holdings and would hold them financially liable for every day of work lost. Until DLS accepted responsibility, fixed what he described as a security breach and ensured his employee’s safety, even if DLS had to pay the ransom. He was keeping his employees out of the Metaverse and was urging other corporations to do the same.