Link (excerpt)
June 18th, 2049
East Hills, NY
Henry Stone never managed to work a full eight-hour shift. He always found a way to dip out early. He sat in his gray sedan and examined the cars ahead. A long line of beige blobs sat stacked on top of one another along the interstate. The rearview mirror reflected an image of a tired looking 29-year-old. Unamused, Henry waved his hand over his watch, and the rugged little hunk of metal blinked to life. He scrolled through the news updates on his wrist.
-UNITED STATES REACHES NEW HIGH IN INFECTED WILDLIFE-
-ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR OZONE DEPLETION FAIL-
-DEPRESSION RATES SKYROCKET AMID GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS-
Henry rolled his eyes before fixing them back to the cars. “Link, show me traffic updates.” A cheery sounding jingle played above Henry’s head and an automated man’s voice answered, “Certainly.” A wash of rainbow pixels danced across Henry’s windshield, leaving room for him to still see the landscape. A map appeared with his pinpointed location, as well as highlighted nearby car accidents. His estimated arrival time to his house was noted in the corner. “Ugh. 30 minutes? Link. Show me shortcuts.” Henry exhaled.
“Of course. Collecting data now.” The screen blinked a few times before ultimately producing the same information as before.
“Given the circumstances, it looks like you will arrive at the estimated time regardless of your route,” Link responded. Henry gritted his teeth.
Link inquired, “Henry, a new update allows you to customize your view. Would you like to customize now?”
“Sure,” Henry grumbled.
The windshield flashed a few times before generating a sunset beach in the distance. The traffic was still visible, but the location had been altered entirely.
“Set Sunset Beach as default?” Link asked.
Henry swiped his hand across the dashboard. He cycled through many stunning options; a thick green forest, a country backroad, a sunny poppy field. Finally, he chose a grand mountain-scape layout complete with falling snow.
“Nice touch, Link.” Henry said, marveling at the view. He didn’t seem to mind the rest of the drive home.
. . .
Henry turned into his cul-de-sac. He stepped out of his car and looked up at the gray sky. The rain had let up a bit, but the darkness was endless. He had been able to forget for a half hour. Inside, Henry slung his messenger bag off of his shoulder and laid it on the counter. He stood in a pristinely clean kitchen and stared through a large window to the clouded yard. He listened to the rain ricochet against the pane as it began again.
The same automated voice from the car echoed throughout the house, “Status update; Jade landing in five minutes.” An image of a posh young woman in her mid-20s appeared on the window along with a five-minute countdown. Henry opened the fridge to reveal neat piles of white cubes. He selected one and checked the side. It read Chicken Curry in small print. He tipped the contents of the container onto two circular dinner plates.
Henry looked down at his curry-stained shirt. “Shoot.” Henry dabbed at the smear with a cloth. “Link, help me out here.” A digital stream of light projected onto the stain and created a swath of color-matched imagery. The stain was no longer detectable. He leaned against the countertop and stared at the front door. “Link, mood music,” Henry requested. A slow saxophone reverberated from every corner of the kitchen.
Jade opened the door hurriedly, looking down at her phone. She wore a crisp, navy collared shirt tucked into a black pencil skirt. She typed something ferociously as she chewed her lip. “Hello, dear,” Henry cooed.
“Can’t. Work stuff.” She replied. She threw her keys and work I.D. on the counter. Jade was never much for trivial chatter. She spoke into her earpiece, “Yes, one moment. Send me the link and I’ll join now.” Henry listened to the clack of her heels disappear against the tiled floor as she left him alone in the kitchen. He looked down at her picture on her I.D. It read Digi-Earth in big yellow letters. Her headshot smiled up at him. He smiled back. Feeling defeated, he sat down with his food. He spun to the large window.
“Link, go to the home-screen.” The glow of the window lit up across Henry’s face. Once transparent, it now held infographics and weather updates, as well as blinking application buttons. Henry stuffed his mouth with curry as he swiped his other hand to cycle through the options.
“Incoming transmission,” Link sang in his usual, cheery voice.
A wave of colors filled the screen before formulating a depiction of a mountainous valley. A good-looking young man with a no-nonsense haircut and unblemished skin appeared in the center of the screen. Thick glasses framed his unreasonably blue eyes. Something about him wasn’t entirely human, but Henry didn’t seem to notice. He glanced down at his own attire: Henley shirt and sweats. He exhaled in disapproval.
The man on the screen spoke, “Hello. I’m Link, your digital attendant.” Henry stopped chewing and listened to him speak. It seemed he pictured him differently. Link continued, “Earlier today Link Tech Enterprises has received the green light on our most recent project, LinkSphere.” The screen cut to a video of a crowded city under a dark clouded sky. A sad-looking young woman with mousey brown hair walked beside a large, melancholy-faced young man. They pushed their way through the sidewalk teeming with other downcast people. They all walked in the same direction. Link’s voiceover resumed, “Due to decades of human neglect and disregard of the environment, our habitat is rendered almost unlivable.” The couple on the screen turned to one another. They shared a longing look before taking each other’s hands. They turned around, now traveling against the current. Link continued, “Soon, a revolutionary tool will be provided for all persons currently residing in the continental U.S.” The screen cut to the couple from before, only this time they were in their home. It was clean and large, much like the one in which Henry lived. A white box was placed on their front door; the man lifted the lid. A beam of light spilled onto the couple’s faces. They grinned stupidly at one another. Henry furrowed his brow in displeasure.
Link went on, “LinkSphere is much like a gaming system. But, with the new and improved virtual reality software, you won’t just be playing the game, you’ll be living it.” The screen now showed the couple sipping a glass of wine together on a terrace overlooking the brilliant city of Spain. They clinked their glasses and laughed dramatically to one another. The screen wiped to show them snowboarding down an icy slope beneath a blinding sun. Henry was captivated now. “Our new programming is highly intuitive. It includes our patented GeoGesture technology.” The screen transitioned to the man sitting with the woman in their living room. Each wore a metal band across their forehead. The man made a cyclical motion with his right hand. The screen phased to the man’s view. Link voiced, “When you move,” the man now stood on a lavish boat with a fishing pole in his hand, casting the line into the cerulean sea, “It moves with you.” His wife nestled her head into his shoulder. The couple smiled at each other. The screen cut back to Link. “Wherever you want to go, whatever life you want to create, LinkSphere is ready to take you there. It’s not a simulation, it’s a second life.” The screen faded to black before returning to the home screen. Link’s pleasant voice returned to the house’s speakers, “Transmission has concluded.”
. . .