hadn’t given that any thought ahead of time and it was too late to do anything about it now. Besides, in a place like this, they were probably all full-coverage ’suits. Full-coverage would be the big attraction. As if to confirm her thoughts, a hotsuit ad replaced the configuration menu.
Because if you’re not going to feel it
all
over
, murmured a congenial female voice while a hotsuit, transparent to show all the sensors, revolved on the screen,
why bother?
Which, Konstantin thought, wasn’t such an unreasonable question.
The headmounted monitor adjusted the fine-tuning for her focal length by showing her the standard introduction in block letters on a background of shifting colors. Konstantin sighed impatiently. So much introductory material with the meter running – she could see the clock icon tagging along at the upper edge of her peripheral vision on the right side. You probably couldn’t go broke operating a video service, she thought, unless you tried real, real hard.
The sign came up so suddenly that it took a second to register on her, and even then she wasn’t sure right away whether she was really seeing it, or imagining it. Seeing in AR felt strangely too close to thinking.
WELCOME TO THE LAND OF ANYTHING GOES
Here There Are No Rules
Everything Is Permitted
Uh-huh
, thought Konstantin. The words faded out; more faded in.
You can choose to be totally anonymous
You can tell the whole truth about yourself
You can tell only lies
The word
lies
lingered as the others disappeared, flashing on and off in different colors before it evaporated.
No real crime is possible In Here. If you do something Out There as a result of events In Here, you are on your own. In the event of your persona’s virtual death, you can request to be directed to central stores, where you can identify with another. The time used in choosing a new persona or performing any reference or maintenance task is
not
free, though a reduced rate may be available through your parlor operator, or through special promotions. Consult the rate file in your personal area for more information
.
Konstantin looked around for a speed-scroll option.
No speed-scroll option is available for this portion of your first session. State and federal law specifically declare that all users must be advised of conditions in the gaming area. By reading this, you agree that you understand the structure and accept any charges, standard and/or extra, that you will incur at your point of origin. Closing your eyes will only result in a full rescroll of the introductory material, at your own expense
.
Blink rate and eye movements could reveal a great deal about a person’s thoughts, Konstantin remembered uneasily, especially when used in conjunction with vital signs.
This concludes the introductory material. The next screen will be your destination menu. Bon voyage, and good luck
.
The screen that came up showed her four doors labeled
Post-Apocalyptic Noo Yawk Sitty, Pre-Millennial Hong Kong, Post-Quake Ellay
, and
Others
.
A small bright icon appeared at the bottom right corner of her visual field, a graphic of a hand twisting a doorknob. Just below it, on the status line, was the word
Cue!
Feeling awkward, she reached for the Noo Yawk Sitty door and saw a generic white-gloved hand moving toward the knob. As the hand touched the knob, she felt it in her own hand, the sensors delivering a sensation to the palm side of her fingers that surprised her with its intense authenticity. It was more like touching a doorknob than actually touching a doorknob.
The next moment was a flash of chaos, a maelstrom of noise and light, countless touches and textures everywhere at once, over before she could react to any of it. Under her feet, she could hear the scrape of the gritty glitz, the glitzy grit of post-Apocalyptic Noo Yawk Sitty; she could see the sparkle and glitter of it spread out before her – not Eliot’s etherized patient awaiting
Because if you’re not going to feel it
all
over
, murmured a congenial female voice while a hotsuit, transparent to show all the sensors, revolved on the screen,
why bother?
Which, Konstantin thought, wasn’t such an unreasonable question.
The headmounted monitor adjusted the fine-tuning for her focal length by showing her the standard introduction in block letters on a background of shifting colors. Konstantin sighed impatiently. So much introductory material with the meter running – she could see the clock icon tagging along at the upper edge of her peripheral vision on the right side. You probably couldn’t go broke operating a video service, she thought, unless you tried real, real hard.
The sign came up so suddenly that it took a second to register on her, and even then she wasn’t sure right away whether she was really seeing it, or imagining it. Seeing in AR felt strangely too close to thinking.
WELCOME TO THE LAND OF ANYTHING GOES
Here There Are No Rules
Everything Is Permitted
Uh-huh
, thought Konstantin. The words faded out; more faded in.
You can choose to be totally anonymous
You can tell the whole truth about yourself
You can tell only lies
The word
lies
lingered as the others disappeared, flashing on and off in different colors before it evaporated.
No real crime is possible In Here. If you do something Out There as a result of events In Here, you are on your own. In the event of your persona’s virtual death, you can request to be directed to central stores, where you can identify with another. The time used in choosing a new persona or performing any reference or maintenance task is
not
free, though a reduced rate may be available through your parlor operator, or through special promotions. Consult the rate file in your personal area for more information
.
Konstantin looked around for a speed-scroll option.
No speed-scroll option is available for this portion of your first session. State and federal law specifically declare that all users must be advised of conditions in the gaming area. By reading this, you agree that you understand the structure and accept any charges, standard and/or extra, that you will incur at your point of origin. Closing your eyes will only result in a full rescroll of the introductory material, at your own expense
.
Blink rate and eye movements could reveal a great deal about a person’s thoughts, Konstantin remembered uneasily, especially when used in conjunction with vital signs.
This concludes the introductory material. The next screen will be your destination menu. Bon voyage, and good luck
.
The screen that came up showed her four doors labeled
Post-Apocalyptic Noo Yawk Sitty, Pre-Millennial Hong Kong, Post-Quake Ellay
, and
Others
.
A small bright icon appeared at the bottom right corner of her visual field, a graphic of a hand twisting a doorknob. Just below it, on the status line, was the word
Cue!
Feeling awkward, she reached for the Noo Yawk Sitty door and saw a generic white-gloved hand moving toward the knob. As the hand touched the knob, she felt it in her own hand, the sensors delivering a sensation to the palm side of her fingers that surprised her with its intense authenticity. It was more like touching a doorknob than actually touching a doorknob.
The next moment was a flash of chaos, a maelstrom of noise and light, countless touches and textures everywhere at once, over before she could react to any of it. Under her feet, she could hear the scrape of the gritty glitz, the glitzy grit of post-Apocalyptic Noo Yawk Sitty; she could see the sparkle and glitter of it spread out before her – not Eliot’s etherized patient awaiting
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