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xp_logs2024-04-04 12:54 pm
xp_dominion) wrote in xp_logs2024-04-04 12:54 pm
TILT - Log 1: I Am Your Experience Coordinator
A mixed group from the mansion go to enjoy tickets to a specialty VR event in NYC. Unfortunately for them, there's more than meets the eye going on.
The Excelsior Digital Interactive Experience was currently housed in the Jacob Javits Centre, occupying the space for the duration of their three month stay in New York City. Tickets had been limited and as fiercely sought after as Hamilton seats had been on Broadway a few years prior. The reviews were almost unanimously glowing, praising the event for the mix of spectacle, cutting edge VR immersion, and the content of the programs. As the show was starting to wind down the run, they announced that they were holding a raffle for the tens of thousands of names on the waiting list and during the final week, would be offering discounts and group prizes to the winners.
Which is how Match found himself here, with the modern equivalent of the Golden Ticket and a group of mansionites ready to experience what might be the next stage in gaming. As they reached the end of the hall, one of the exhibit curators met with him, counted the number in the party, and waved them into another smaller room.
"We just need to finish setting back up from the last group. Your experience coordinator will be here in a moment. There's free popcorn and soda on the sidebar if you're interested." She said before leaving them.
A nod. There was no wonder in Match as he listened to the woman, instead there was a dull feeling that he’d recognized as the part of him that told him to leave places. This place was too hot, and he hadn’t made it this far in life ignoring the feeling that when something was too good, it was off. Clearing his throat, he turned to the purple haired young woman next to him and scratched his chin as he dropped his voice to not be overheard. “We should leave. Like now.”
Sharon turned from her inspection of the surroundings to give her tail an inquisitive flick. "Is your prize," she pointed out, although the tension in Match's body gave her pause. She, too, was feeling unsettled, but that had more to do with the Javits Center itself. Having never experienced an environment larger than a convenience store, the massive glass and steel facility somehow made her feel simultaneously exposed and confined. The indistinct sounds coming from the exhibit rooms were also making her jumpy.
"Is uncomfortable for me also," she admitted, "but we are here. I am told is important to sometimes leave one's comfort zone." The girl briefly wrapped her tail around Match's wrist. "Remain close. You shall be protected."
So it wasn't just him? "It's a bad day to be alive," Liam agreed, ears twitching under his beanie. He'd been holding it together, there was nothing specific to react to, but.... he'd had this feeling a few times in his life and it was never good. Never. It was also unhelpfully vague.
"She's right, y'know," Inez said, grabbing a free popcorn and popping a few pieces into her mouth as she waited. It was a free trip and, well, she didn't have anything better to do, so why not check it out? "'Sides, any day is actually a good day t'be alive, it sure beats the alternative, yeah?" she pointed out.
More popcorn followed as she tried not to let Match's mood affect her own, so she grabbed one of the sodas to wash down both the bits of popcorn in her teeth and what she hoped wasn't a kernel of truth from the young man's words.
***
"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Paul, your experience coordinator for today. Has anyone not done VR before?" There was a smattering of yeses and he nodded. "OK, this one is a little easier because it is a seated VR experience as opposed to a full body experience. Once you reach the seat, don the gloves and the helmet, making sure it fits properly over your eyes and ears. We'll have techs come through to adjust for you if needed. The gloves might feel a bit slimy at first, but it is just the type of material. Now, a couple of safety tips. If you are pregnant, suffer from extreme vertigo, motion sickness, heart disease or epilepsy, we strongly caution you from taking this ride and we assume no liability. However, if at any time, you feel any distress, discomfort or are overwhelmed, tap the button on the right side of your headpiece. It will immediately cut the experience and place you in a visual cooldown for thirty seconds while one of our people gets to your seat."
Paul looked around at the nods. "OK, back to the fun stuff. You get all three of our incredible experiences today, with a brief break in between, for a total of about sixty minutes. First is 'Impossible Coaster', where you will ride roller coasters that travel from space to the depths of the ocean, twist around in loops and spirals that defy the laws of physics, and ride against fantastical backgrounds. The second is 'Tour of the Solar System' where you will navigate the surface of planets like Mars' red vistas or Venus' violent storms of molten metal, sour through the storm clouds of Jupiter and see the lakes of Titan, narrated by Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson. Finally, you'll travel back in time to the jungles, plains and oceans of prehistoric Earth in 'The Age of Giants'. Developed in partnership between the international Paleontological Society and Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks, it will show the most up to date conceptualizations of life through the Mesozoic Era!"
“Um, Mr Paul, Sir? Would it be okay to ask about how it works? So, ah, you know, the guts and stuff? How’s it differ from normal VR?”
Emily smiled brightly at the adult and hid her hands behind her back as she clenched them tightly and repeated the ‘be normal, be normal, be normal’ mantra in her head. It mostly worked, at least it had until she’d lit on fire and scared the shit out of her Scout troop. Now it was a crap shoot honestly but she was hopeful!
"Highest framerates and 8K enabled graphic work available. Even most animation studios lack the overall computing power that our engineers and artists have at their disposal to create scenarios. You'll also receive stimuli from the DBOX enabled seats which will mimic response and movement without actual physical manipulation directly on the viewer." Paul said easily, the question response long rehersed.
Paige had never been very interested in video games, but the VR experience had sounded interesting. It was always good to try new things. “The tour of the solar system sounds exciting,” she said generally to the people near her.
Shatterstar was actually pretty excited by what Paul said- he would always prefer practical effects, but the technology Paul was talking about was so advanced it seemed like the future. Also an exclusive Dreamworks dinosaur experience? Of course he didn't want to miss that. He thought for a second about the vertigo warning, but surely his powers wouldnt be triggered by this. He'd be fine. "Very cutting edge."
Clea watched the presentation and thought it was very fancy. The last time she did a VR experience, it didn't go well. She was hoping this time it would be different as there was no way it that could happen again twice in a row. "It does sound pretty amazing." She did have to admit that this experience did sound safer.
"I'd rather stay on this planet," Rictor offered, hesitant to leave the ground and fly even virtually. His feet itched at the thought of being taken away from Earth. Maybe he could sit out the trek through the stars and just stick with the dinosaurs.
"I'm not too sure about the roller coaster." Jono typed. It seemed like a good way to lose control of his powers. This whole thing did really, but he hadn't paid much attention to the details when he'd been talked into going.
Hope was wriggling in her seat, excited; VR was another experience she'd never had, and while she knew of the Danger Room, that wasn't exactly for fun. She nudged Liam with her elbow as she reached for the equipment. "This sounds really cool," she said. "Is this stuff okay with your ears?"
He nodded, "They flatten," he responded giving a demonstration. It didn't bother him other than impair his hearing a little, but that wasn't really a concern for this. Still, there was something off he couldn't put his finger on. Well, the only way to figure it out, was to try it.
***
The doors opened and led to what broadly resembled a theatre. The chairs were more like pods, giving them room to shift about and sides to brace against. Each chair had a pair of gloves and the headpiece on a rack beside it. Paul stepped in ahead of them. "You guys are ticketed as a group, so you can fight each other for which specific chair you want. Put on your gear and then put your hand up. Someone will come by to do final adjustments. If you have any final questions or you've changed your mind, please let them know. Otherwise, once your hooked up, you can enjoy our slightly obnoxious commercials for the tour until everyone is ready to start."
"I'm not fighting anyone," Rogue responded cheerfully. This wasn't her favourite idea of a good time but when enough people asked (and it was free), she went along with it. Sitting down, she looked curiously at the set of gloves. "Well, at least I'm gonna be comfy," she said to no one in particular, as she took off her current pair and slid on the other ones. They were nice quality, soft, and she wondered what exactly would be happening with them. It was better not to wonder, actually. VR was a weird concept to her, considering her head felt like a VR set up at times but here she was. Putting on the headpiece, she leaned back and sighed.
Madin settled into a seat beside her and waved to the one next to them. "Ashley? Want to join me?"
Ashley had taken some mental notes when Emily had practically puppy-eyed the technological infodump from their coordinator. It was certainly a lot advanced more than the tourist places in New York, or Chicago, but the hardware buzzwords weren't her forte. "Sure!" She said, brightly, but paused at the chair to examine it. Every gaming chair she'd sat on - unless it was the big armchair style were just a little snug for her - but this one was wide, plush and even when she sat down and wiggled her butt into the seat, her hips weren't pinched or cramped. "Oh, this isn't half bad at all." She pushed with her foot and gave the chair pod a little nudge, and it spun and then rotated slowly back to it's original position. "Jessie, come look, the chair fits me!"
"For real?" Jessie hurried over, grinning. "Excellent. Looks amazing." She sat down as well, looking around her little pod. "Ha, I'm a pod person."
Mel took the chair on Jessie’s other side, eyeing it contemplatively. “This place sure is fancy.” She wasn’t sure she got the excitement around virtual reality. Why plug into a computer when the real world was already beautiful and right there? The chairs were comfortable though, she’d give it that.
As everyone donned their helmets, Paul's voice came through the headphones. "We're just going to do a final check. Our team is coming around to check all the rigs and make sure they are properly set. Meanwhile, we're just going to put you on our pause screen." A peaceful looking sunny meadow faded into view; a pleasant scene that would have been more impressive for a group that hadn't seen the Danger Room in action before. A couple of them felt slight adjustments to their helmets, settling them properly before it was all quiet again save for the pastoral sounds of wind in the trees and the chirps of small birds.
"Welcome to the Excelsior Digital Interactive Experience. You're going to see a sequence of flashing lights which will last twenty to thirty seconds as the program calibrates, and then you'll start the ride of your life with 'Impossible Coaster'!" Paul said, and as he did, the clearing disappeared and a rapid cascade of bright lights flashed before their eyes. The lights intensified, complex patterns and candela ranges directly into the visual cortex of the brain. The resultant cascade induced synchrony triggered a deep and instant state of unconsciousness and in seconds, every member of the group was limp in their chairs, deeply comatose.
The lights came back on and the staff came back in, led by Paul. They were quickly divested of the VR gear and carried through a back door to a loading garage and stacked in the back of a van. As they did, their phones were tossed into a bag and left in a garbage can. Within ten minutes, no trace remained in the VR theatre and the staff were climbing into the vans, ready to pull out in the street.
"This is Player 1. We have the targets disabled and secured."
"Good. Proceed to the complex immediately." A woman's voice said over the comm and 'Paul' waved to the team to move out, and the vans pulled into the Manhattan traffic.
On the other end of the comms, Miss Coriander tapped off on her ear piece and turned from her screen.
"Successful acquisition of over a dozen targets. Dataphage has been inserted into the centre's surveillance, wiping out all footage of our people and our guests. Player 2 has indicated that the exit training refresher for the actual EDIE staff is just wrapping." She said and behind his console Adam Lowenstein gave her a wide, white capped smile.
"Very good, Miss Coriander. The EDIE staff will have no idea anyone was in their temporary theatre and there will be no trace of our involvement or the attendance of our targets... and over a dozen? I was hoping for four or five. I can't imagine what my dear Uncle is going to think when he sees this, not to mention the extra points." He laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back. "Got to admit, the old man built to last. This Murderworld complex has been mothballed for over a decade and it is still top of the line hardware. I expected a total overhaul would be necessary, not just our software updates and the new suppression system."
"Yes, sir. May I ask why you've decided to re-open Murderworld? And target members of Xavier's compound? If history is correct, your uncle had mixed success in his interactions with them."
"Ah, see, it is my Uncle's birthday, and he occasionally forgets that he's no longer Arcade. It's bad for my endeavours if the underworld and darknet think there are two Arcades running around. So, for a birthday present, I'm going to kill at least half of these mutants and deliver the footage to him in high-def 8K surround sound using his classic tech. Even better, if some of the victim are the teenagers involved, it will also remind him that his prissy limits are not mine." Arcade's handsome sculpted features and too white smile turned ugly. "He'll get the message. As for Xavier's, they're a target of opportunity. A chance to get on the board early. With luck, they'll have far more pressing concerns than coming after me soon enough."
He got up and collected a bottle of water from the small fridge near the console. "Good thing we made extra trap rooms just in case. Tell security to load them in as soon as they reach Murderworld. I don't really care who goes where, although, for room 7, you choose which two you want to scan to program the simulator. I'm curious what kind of data we draw from that. If we can fused tech and psionics into an integrated system, there might be a future for a physical Murderworld after all." Arcade took a long sip and sat back down. "And wouldn't that be a lot of fun..."
The Excelsior Digital Interactive Experience was currently housed in the Jacob Javits Centre, occupying the space for the duration of their three month stay in New York City. Tickets had been limited and as fiercely sought after as Hamilton seats had been on Broadway a few years prior. The reviews were almost unanimously glowing, praising the event for the mix of spectacle, cutting edge VR immersion, and the content of the programs. As the show was starting to wind down the run, they announced that they were holding a raffle for the tens of thousands of names on the waiting list and during the final week, would be offering discounts and group prizes to the winners.
Which is how Match found himself here, with the modern equivalent of the Golden Ticket and a group of mansionites ready to experience what might be the next stage in gaming. As they reached the end of the hall, one of the exhibit curators met with him, counted the number in the party, and waved them into another smaller room.
"We just need to finish setting back up from the last group. Your experience coordinator will be here in a moment. There's free popcorn and soda on the sidebar if you're interested." She said before leaving them.
A nod. There was no wonder in Match as he listened to the woman, instead there was a dull feeling that he’d recognized as the part of him that told him to leave places. This place was too hot, and he hadn’t made it this far in life ignoring the feeling that when something was too good, it was off. Clearing his throat, he turned to the purple haired young woman next to him and scratched his chin as he dropped his voice to not be overheard. “We should leave. Like now.”
Sharon turned from her inspection of the surroundings to give her tail an inquisitive flick. "Is your prize," she pointed out, although the tension in Match's body gave her pause. She, too, was feeling unsettled, but that had more to do with the Javits Center itself. Having never experienced an environment larger than a convenience store, the massive glass and steel facility somehow made her feel simultaneously exposed and confined. The indistinct sounds coming from the exhibit rooms were also making her jumpy.
"Is uncomfortable for me also," she admitted, "but we are here. I am told is important to sometimes leave one's comfort zone." The girl briefly wrapped her tail around Match's wrist. "Remain close. You shall be protected."
So it wasn't just him? "It's a bad day to be alive," Liam agreed, ears twitching under his beanie. He'd been holding it together, there was nothing specific to react to, but.... he'd had this feeling a few times in his life and it was never good. Never. It was also unhelpfully vague.
"She's right, y'know," Inez said, grabbing a free popcorn and popping a few pieces into her mouth as she waited. It was a free trip and, well, she didn't have anything better to do, so why not check it out? "'Sides, any day is actually a good day t'be alive, it sure beats the alternative, yeah?" she pointed out.
More popcorn followed as she tried not to let Match's mood affect her own, so she grabbed one of the sodas to wash down both the bits of popcorn in her teeth and what she hoped wasn't a kernel of truth from the young man's words.
***
"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Paul, your experience coordinator for today. Has anyone not done VR before?" There was a smattering of yeses and he nodded. "OK, this one is a little easier because it is a seated VR experience as opposed to a full body experience. Once you reach the seat, don the gloves and the helmet, making sure it fits properly over your eyes and ears. We'll have techs come through to adjust for you if needed. The gloves might feel a bit slimy at first, but it is just the type of material. Now, a couple of safety tips. If you are pregnant, suffer from extreme vertigo, motion sickness, heart disease or epilepsy, we strongly caution you from taking this ride and we assume no liability. However, if at any time, you feel any distress, discomfort or are overwhelmed, tap the button on the right side of your headpiece. It will immediately cut the experience and place you in a visual cooldown for thirty seconds while one of our people gets to your seat."
Paul looked around at the nods. "OK, back to the fun stuff. You get all three of our incredible experiences today, with a brief break in between, for a total of about sixty minutes. First is 'Impossible Coaster', where you will ride roller coasters that travel from space to the depths of the ocean, twist around in loops and spirals that defy the laws of physics, and ride against fantastical backgrounds. The second is 'Tour of the Solar System' where you will navigate the surface of planets like Mars' red vistas or Venus' violent storms of molten metal, sour through the storm clouds of Jupiter and see the lakes of Titan, narrated by Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson. Finally, you'll travel back in time to the jungles, plains and oceans of prehistoric Earth in 'The Age of Giants'. Developed in partnership between the international Paleontological Society and Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks, it will show the most up to date conceptualizations of life through the Mesozoic Era!"
“Um, Mr Paul, Sir? Would it be okay to ask about how it works? So, ah, you know, the guts and stuff? How’s it differ from normal VR?”
Emily smiled brightly at the adult and hid her hands behind her back as she clenched them tightly and repeated the ‘be normal, be normal, be normal’ mantra in her head. It mostly worked, at least it had until she’d lit on fire and scared the shit out of her Scout troop. Now it was a crap shoot honestly but she was hopeful!
"Highest framerates and 8K enabled graphic work available. Even most animation studios lack the overall computing power that our engineers and artists have at their disposal to create scenarios. You'll also receive stimuli from the DBOX enabled seats which will mimic response and movement without actual physical manipulation directly on the viewer." Paul said easily, the question response long rehersed.
Paige had never been very interested in video games, but the VR experience had sounded interesting. It was always good to try new things. “The tour of the solar system sounds exciting,” she said generally to the people near her.
Shatterstar was actually pretty excited by what Paul said- he would always prefer practical effects, but the technology Paul was talking about was so advanced it seemed like the future. Also an exclusive Dreamworks dinosaur experience? Of course he didn't want to miss that. He thought for a second about the vertigo warning, but surely his powers wouldnt be triggered by this. He'd be fine. "Very cutting edge."
Clea watched the presentation and thought it was very fancy. The last time she did a VR experience, it didn't go well. She was hoping this time it would be different as there was no way it that could happen again twice in a row. "It does sound pretty amazing." She did have to admit that this experience did sound safer.
"I'd rather stay on this planet," Rictor offered, hesitant to leave the ground and fly even virtually. His feet itched at the thought of being taken away from Earth. Maybe he could sit out the trek through the stars and just stick with the dinosaurs.
"I'm not too sure about the roller coaster." Jono typed. It seemed like a good way to lose control of his powers. This whole thing did really, but he hadn't paid much attention to the details when he'd been talked into going.
Hope was wriggling in her seat, excited; VR was another experience she'd never had, and while she knew of the Danger Room, that wasn't exactly for fun. She nudged Liam with her elbow as she reached for the equipment. "This sounds really cool," she said. "Is this stuff okay with your ears?"
He nodded, "They flatten," he responded giving a demonstration. It didn't bother him other than impair his hearing a little, but that wasn't really a concern for this. Still, there was something off he couldn't put his finger on. Well, the only way to figure it out, was to try it.
***
The doors opened and led to what broadly resembled a theatre. The chairs were more like pods, giving them room to shift about and sides to brace against. Each chair had a pair of gloves and the headpiece on a rack beside it. Paul stepped in ahead of them. "You guys are ticketed as a group, so you can fight each other for which specific chair you want. Put on your gear and then put your hand up. Someone will come by to do final adjustments. If you have any final questions or you've changed your mind, please let them know. Otherwise, once your hooked up, you can enjoy our slightly obnoxious commercials for the tour until everyone is ready to start."
"I'm not fighting anyone," Rogue responded cheerfully. This wasn't her favourite idea of a good time but when enough people asked (and it was free), she went along with it. Sitting down, she looked curiously at the set of gloves. "Well, at least I'm gonna be comfy," she said to no one in particular, as she took off her current pair and slid on the other ones. They were nice quality, soft, and she wondered what exactly would be happening with them. It was better not to wonder, actually. VR was a weird concept to her, considering her head felt like a VR set up at times but here she was. Putting on the headpiece, she leaned back and sighed.
Madin settled into a seat beside her and waved to the one next to them. "Ashley? Want to join me?"
Ashley had taken some mental notes when Emily had practically puppy-eyed the technological infodump from their coordinator. It was certainly a lot advanced more than the tourist places in New York, or Chicago, but the hardware buzzwords weren't her forte. "Sure!" She said, brightly, but paused at the chair to examine it. Every gaming chair she'd sat on - unless it was the big armchair style were just a little snug for her - but this one was wide, plush and even when she sat down and wiggled her butt into the seat, her hips weren't pinched or cramped. "Oh, this isn't half bad at all." She pushed with her foot and gave the chair pod a little nudge, and it spun and then rotated slowly back to it's original position. "Jessie, come look, the chair fits me!"
"For real?" Jessie hurried over, grinning. "Excellent. Looks amazing." She sat down as well, looking around her little pod. "Ha, I'm a pod person."
Mel took the chair on Jessie’s other side, eyeing it contemplatively. “This place sure is fancy.” She wasn’t sure she got the excitement around virtual reality. Why plug into a computer when the real world was already beautiful and right there? The chairs were comfortable though, she’d give it that.
As everyone donned their helmets, Paul's voice came through the headphones. "We're just going to do a final check. Our team is coming around to check all the rigs and make sure they are properly set. Meanwhile, we're just going to put you on our pause screen." A peaceful looking sunny meadow faded into view; a pleasant scene that would have been more impressive for a group that hadn't seen the Danger Room in action before. A couple of them felt slight adjustments to their helmets, settling them properly before it was all quiet again save for the pastoral sounds of wind in the trees and the chirps of small birds.
"Welcome to the Excelsior Digital Interactive Experience. You're going to see a sequence of flashing lights which will last twenty to thirty seconds as the program calibrates, and then you'll start the ride of your life with 'Impossible Coaster'!" Paul said, and as he did, the clearing disappeared and a rapid cascade of bright lights flashed before their eyes. The lights intensified, complex patterns and candela ranges directly into the visual cortex of the brain. The resultant cascade induced synchrony triggered a deep and instant state of unconsciousness and in seconds, every member of the group was limp in their chairs, deeply comatose.
The lights came back on and the staff came back in, led by Paul. They were quickly divested of the VR gear and carried through a back door to a loading garage and stacked in the back of a van. As they did, their phones were tossed into a bag and left in a garbage can. Within ten minutes, no trace remained in the VR theatre and the staff were climbing into the vans, ready to pull out in the street.
"This is Player 1. We have the targets disabled and secured."
"Good. Proceed to the complex immediately." A woman's voice said over the comm and 'Paul' waved to the team to move out, and the vans pulled into the Manhattan traffic.
On the other end of the comms, Miss Coriander tapped off on her ear piece and turned from her screen.
"Successful acquisition of over a dozen targets. Dataphage has been inserted into the centre's surveillance, wiping out all footage of our people and our guests. Player 2 has indicated that the exit training refresher for the actual EDIE staff is just wrapping." She said and behind his console Adam Lowenstein gave her a wide, white capped smile.
"Very good, Miss Coriander. The EDIE staff will have no idea anyone was in their temporary theatre and there will be no trace of our involvement or the attendance of our targets... and over a dozen? I was hoping for four or five. I can't imagine what my dear Uncle is going to think when he sees this, not to mention the extra points." He laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back. "Got to admit, the old man built to last. This Murderworld complex has been mothballed for over a decade and it is still top of the line hardware. I expected a total overhaul would be necessary, not just our software updates and the new suppression system."
"Yes, sir. May I ask why you've decided to re-open Murderworld? And target members of Xavier's compound? If history is correct, your uncle had mixed success in his interactions with them."
"Ah, see, it is my Uncle's birthday, and he occasionally forgets that he's no longer Arcade. It's bad for my endeavours if the underworld and darknet think there are two Arcades running around. So, for a birthday present, I'm going to kill at least half of these mutants and deliver the footage to him in high-def 8K surround sound using his classic tech. Even better, if some of the victim are the teenagers involved, it will also remind him that his prissy limits are not mine." Arcade's handsome sculpted features and too white smile turned ugly. "He'll get the message. As for Xavier's, they're a target of opportunity. A chance to get on the board early. With luck, they'll have far more pressing concerns than coming after me soon enough."
He got up and collected a bottle of water from the small fridge near the console. "Good thing we made extra trap rooms just in case. Tell security to load them in as soon as they reach Murderworld. I don't really care who goes where, although, for room 7, you choose which two you want to scan to program the simulator. I'm curious what kind of data we draw from that. If we can fused tech and psionics into an integrated system, there might be a future for a physical Murderworld after all." Arcade took a long sip and sat back down. "And wouldn't that be a lot of fun..."