paused . FEATURED STORY // DEC 2018
[Highest #32 in FantasyAdventure]
It starts with the dreams...
Set in the year 2060. Some stayed the same, but a lot has changed. Despite technological advances, none can find the cure or cause of teenagers passin...
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Stay awake. The words nagged at the back of my mind, but I brushed them aside because we had more pressing matters at hand. Who did Alex kill? What was that creature? Why was it trying to hurt her?
We went to my place at my suggestion, thinking that we could put all the latest technology my father owns to good use. He has highly sophisticated programs that allow users to find specific information, filtering it automatically depending on the authenticity and relevancy.
"This is sick!" Cameron said while manipulating the grids that overlay our computer room. "I've never seen this setup before, even in those high tech virtual reality cyber cafes."
"Cyberealities." Hady corrected mindlessly, her attention was on a screen at the back of the room.
"You don't even need rigs! How does the computer even know what I'm doing?" Cameron continued.
"We have sensors installed in the walls." I answered.
"Is this even legal?" She asked. I was about to say it was perfectly fine to have sensors until I realized she was studying information that displayed in an interconnected web beside a video screen. "Real name, address, blood type, relationships... It's all here!"
"What?" Alex and Cameron said simultaneously, walking towards Hady to see for themselves.
"Well, no. It isn't legal for the public, which is why it isn't on the market," I explained, feeling something like a criminal. "But my father wrote the program."
"What?! I always saw your dad as sort of a benefactor." Cameron said.
"Where do you think the money comes from?" I asked rhetorically.
"Old money, maybe?" Alex supplied, "Your house certainly looks as though it's been handed down generations. I feel like I'm in some historical drama. Except, I don't think there were many Asians in Victorian times."
"Our family has always been invested in... Staying ahead. We were quite philanthropic back then, selling ideas and patents to the poor by requesting a sum of their royalties. So we have always been able to live comfortably without being in the public's eye. That's what my father's told me. Although, in recent years, he decided to go public with a corporation, which is why I understand why you thought that." I directed the last line at Cameron.
"That's pretty awesome if you ask me." Alex said.
"But still..." Hady trailed off, still captivated by the web of details. "I feel like some kind of digital pervert. I know how many cats she's had, what their names are. What her father does for a living, Christ! I now know more about her than I do myself!"
"Look, it's not something we power up every day. My father likes to keep a piece of his technology here and I thought it would be useful to aid us in our search. However, if you're uncomfortable using it, we can use another system."
