Free Minds

Chapter 8.

 It had taken us nearly thirty minutes, but the booklet in the Virtuo package with tutorials on how to wear the bodysuit and connect it to the glasses and other devices proved useful. Eventually, everything was ready.

"Okay," I took a deep breath as I placed the Speck Virtuo Glasses over my head. "Here goes nothing."

   I was met with utter darkness for the first few minutes until a burst of white light made me gasp in surprise.

"Tali? Are you seeing this?"

"I am now!" I heard her chuckle next to me. "Bright and clear on my laptop as promised. Eureka, bitch!"

  Two words I never thought I'd hear together.

   After the scanning that was described in the booklet occurred, I found myself in Zavlon's downstairs gym. Well, the model version of it anyway. The spatial audio effect of the upbeat music sounded incredible and I couldn't take my eyes off the countless glows in the dark butterflies that were fixed against the wall in multiple spotlight shapes that moved at intervals. There were students spread across the room. The ones that weren't on the dance floor had confined themselves to the bleachers, punch bowl areas, three socially distanced photo booths among other complimentary accessories added to the gym.

"This is unbelievable," Tali's whisper through the noise voiced my thoughts accurately.

"Beth!" A voice called out from the end of the simulated gym. I followed the yell of my name to face Minji and her date.

"You look great," she said, catching me in a warm embrace.

   No, really. Literal warmth. I could feel the mild heat from her spread through me. This was insane. Her comment made me suddenly aware of myself and look downwards to an amazing lifelike version of me.

   I'd always known it before, but still...Speck Tech is incredible.

   Putting away my fascination, I yelled back over the music, "So do you."

   Her equally realistic frame was draped in a cherry-red spaghetti strapped top with matching cropped pants. I liked how her usually messy blue hair had been styled into short curls. I also noticed Naru's bracelet was among her accessories for tonight.

"I've mentioned Naru." She gestured to her date. "Naru, Beth. Beth, Naru."

   We exchanged polite smiles and hellos.

"Damn, is this really how the boys in your school look? I think I'm into nerds now," Tali's voice merged with the sounds from the dance's venue.

   I tried to kick the enthusiasm out of Tali without losing my footing.

   Taking a look around the gym again, it was actually pretty weird seeing students I would never have imagined being so loose. Even Viola didn't look so terrible on the dance floor.

   I could do better though. 

   But seriously, Zavlon Academia was at a level of normal  I never thought I'd see. I was going to hold onto this one time.

"Hey Beth." I didn't have to turn around to know it was Camila who called my name.

"Hi." I pursed my lips into a tight smile.

"You look great." Her lifelike avatar made awkward strides toward us.

   I shot a suspicious glance back to the dance floor. Viola was still with her date, but I still wasn't going to stick around for some sort of trap.

   It was in these rare complimentary moments that I saw a bit of Minji in Camila. For some reason, it was only unveiled in Viola's absence. It took me weeks to let it sink in that she and Minji were cousins.