23

by Draconican

Prologue

23
Prologue

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It was a warm Spring Saturday morning. The Sun was bright, the sky was blue, and Professor Marks was taking his morning class on a little field trip.

Nothing unusual there.

What was unusual was that Prof. Marks had managed to arrange a tour of an R&D lab for an electronics company.

So it was on this morning that a bus filled with 21 (mostly) chatting teens, one school professor, and a surly bus driver pulled up to the front of a lab. The 21 teens and one school professor climbed out of the bus, with differing levels excitement, and met a friendly guide at the door, while the bus pulled away. The guide led the class through the halls of the lab, showing them many of the things they were working on, even allowing them to try most of it out, until they came to their largest project.

Largest, because it was a room.

Before them lay a Virtual Reality (VR) room. Within, the walls were a sleek silver metal that their guide said housed the laser projectors that the project was based on. He explained in great detail how the whole thing worked, making light feel real, make the smells smell right, tastes taste correct. Only a few members of the class understood everything that was said, and most of those that didn’t began to grow bored by the end of the guides’ speech.

Then came the demonstration, and everyone perked up at that.

First was a plain. Rolling hills and seas of green grass as far as the eye could see. A cool breeze blew by, ruffling hair and stirring the grass. A sweet scent drifted by in the air. But for all this effort, greatness, and realism, something was off. The grass didn’t look quite right, it didn’t move the way it should, and the smell was not quite right. But it was a work in progress.

Next came a desert. Blazing sun above, beating down mercilessly upon the endlessly shifting sea of sand, and not a breeze to be found. Again though, it wasn’t quite right. Though the sand fell through their fingers when they picked it up, it didn’t feel particularly grainy. The sand didn’t flow in its dunes quite right. A few though, noticed that the desert was far more right than it should have been, judging by the plains.

The third and final simulation was turned on. It was supposed to be a jungle. Instead, what they got was a chaotic swirl of light, sound, and heat as their world exploded.

And then, nothing.

Comments

[gcwg57]

I'm interested, I hope there is dialogue in the next chapter.
Also, FIRST!