2 Section 1: Wishmaker

I plunged my whole body on my silky black mattress, after a nice bath I didn't feel as cloudy as before. But still my random mind wanders elsewhere, as I gaze at my starry ceiling. It's nice to have a custom made regular room for once, rather than the hologram one. I decorated my own room with star, planet, and globe stickers sticking on the wall and ceiling.

The 'glow in the dark' stickers themselves were limited edition, since nowadays people use hologram. Frankly speaking, a hologram room seems unnatural and strange to me, beside it's pricey as heck. It just looks the same like other people's rooms, I just wanted to be sure to stay original and different from what most people used.

Everyone bought hologram decoration from holo stores in the streets that later will be converted as file datas in our online storage provided by the holo store, after that we can install it on our respective rooms.

"But I'm too lazy to buy anything", I grumbled under my breath.

Nothing seems to make sense in this place, first of all using teleportation pods for transportation.

These researchers invent a way where they can convert people into subatomic molecules then convert it again to a full fledged object.

It's just a speculation of mine, I'm not a researcher but one can only speculate. I sat on my bed lazily, I rummage my night dresser to find that specific item.

I picked the glass box to use the content of the box, which is a Virtual Reality Wishmaker.

I wore that cool looking glasses, not long after a robotic voice spoke to me.

"Welcome RavenAria, what would you like to search today?", the Wishmaker spoke politely.

"Joel Cassian", I answered.

The Wishmaker search engine managed to find Joel Cassian, that mysterious man who confused me and made my heart throb at the same time.

"Joel Cassian is already in your wishlist, would you like to check your wishlist?", the Wishmaker robotic voice jolted me subconsciously.

"Yes please", I answered.

I forgot that I had a Wishmaker account that stored my wishlist and checked them without searching for them.

I just bought this damned device two days ago, so it makes sense that I'm a klutz for this junk. Ironically even if I call the device junk, I bought this junk to satisfy my hidden wish.

"Materialise code 110001, Joel Cassian", I spoke softly as my heart throbbed in anticipation. Next to my bed the Wishmaker materialises the subject I want the most, from head to toe. I didn't know the slightest idea why Wishmaker could materialise a living object in ease, maybe scan the facial structures of the person I seek through any social media, ID, and the surveillance camera on the streets.

Truly Wishmaker is a dangerous device, yet no one seems to bat an eye. Wishmaker is a God's Eye all knowing system that could dissect and identify human hidden desires, it's almost like a therapy program and at the same time a search engine. Those who have lost their mother, use this Wishmaker as a means to talk to her again, those who want to talk to a famous artist could talk as if they were there in their room, the world had turned into a pathetic state where mankind clings to machine for their happiness.

When I thought that the world has been dancing under the Wishmaker capabilities, it scares me. The fact that I sought after Wishmaker for a trivial matter was already unacceptable.

I supposed I was hoping Wishmaker could fill this endless void I had.

"Aria!", a familiar voice snapped me out of my mind.

I looked next to me only to find Joel Cassian, the mysterious man I yearned to learn. Even though he looks like Joel, he's a fake Joel that the Wishmaker has prepared for me.

"Joel, you surprised me", I giggled.

"You got that right, I tried calling you several times but your mind wandered somewhere else", Joel replied.

I couldn't believe that I'm talking to Joel right now, I'm always shy and stumbled on my words and yet here I am talking to a fake Joel with ease.

Probably because I know he's fake, so I didn't think too much about it.

"Don't call me fake", Joel grunts.

"You could hear my thoughts?", I asked him.

"Sure do, as long as you connect that VR Glasses I could hear your thoughts clearly", Joel replied nonchalantly.

"Ah yeah I guess so", I scratched the back of my head shyly.

"Well good news, Wishmaker will be making new updates", Joel smiled proudly.

"Someone sure looks happy", I grinned.

"They will deactivate the VR glasses and release the AR function tomorrow", Joel explained. "With this new function you no longer need VR glasses and you can change the setting of my avatar as you wish".

"Hm nifty, what's this setting you talking about?", I asked him.

"For example you can deactivate the mind reading program that the wishmaker always runs on you every time you log in Wishmaker in the VR glasses, I mean that's what irks you right?", Joel grinned.

"Bingo, I don't like some AI reading my thought process and talking to me like it's nothing ya know", I scoffed. "It's freaking creepy".

Joel leaned closer to me on the bed, he gazed on my ruby eyes intensely. He smirked in a similar way that the real Joel smirk. I could feel the intensity he tried to put on me like some sort of a binding spell. Joel touched my cheek gently as he whispered softly.

"But here you are, using Wishmaker me as Joel substitution", he smirked. "Sheesh you're such a hypocrite yourself Aria".

"Well sorry if I disappoint you AI Joel", I quivered under his words.

"Not really, I don't really get it but something about you is contradicting the system", AI Joel spoke to me. "You know you can set up the avatar personality and mindset as you wish right? And yet my avatar isn't really Joel himself".

I widened my eyes surprised that AI Joel noticed those little details, "What are you talking about?".

"You can't fool me RavenAria, or should I say Aria Schneider", his words were filled with suspicion. "As an AI search engine myself, I already scan Joel Cassian facial structures, personalities, and updated the additional datas you provide Aria".

"And?", I asked him unamused.

"But the data you inputted is a contradiction toward the analysis I have run on Joel ID", AI Joel said perceptively. "It was as if you inputted someone else's data".

I smiled painfully, "Huh you could say that again Joel, you can hate me all you want".

Joel looked at me confused, "But weren't the Wishmaker made to satisfy our customer's needs? Your needs? But why aren't you like the others?".

I stood up and opened the curtain, only to see the oranges sky has fallen upon Alpha City, I looked back to AI Joel with a painted smile.

"What do you think of Joel? Maybe because I am a liar", I watched the city slowly turn to nighttime.

It's funny that even the AI couldn't identify what happened to me, so there's a part where even the great Wishmaker couldn't identify. Lies hidden beneath other lies, I am myself is the manifestation of the lies I created to make myself feel better.

Sometimes I felt suffocated as if someone strangled me to an endless lie, devoid of heart. Slowly I thought of the lies as the truth but it isn't the truth, I'm just used to lying to myself all the time that it becomes a habit. I never truly spoke what I want, it's always what the majority wants and pretended that it was what I wanted.

A mask beneath a mask, lies beneath lies, and face beneath another face. I'm sure that other people full of contradiction themselves like I do, but I couldn't care less who.

The fact is I am no longer aware of who I am, what I wanted, what I yearned for in life. I didn't understand how to simplify it but I am apathetic toward the changes in life and accepted it as if it was nothing.

Sure there are protesters about the Wishmaker making, and how people are playing God but I couldn't care less nor would I try to defend Wishmaker's debut.

"Anyway I have an idea", I told AI Joel.

"What idea?", he asked me.

"It's a secret, I'll tell you later", I grinned.

I logged out of Wishmaker, I searched on my pocket for my cell phone and found my new looking cell phone I just bought the other day.

The design is so weird, it is as if they have lost taste in design. Now it looks like a piece of glass with a hologram on it, it's a bad taste I swear.

I dialed the number 1, in my cell phone hoping the recipient received my call. I know I already blocked this number, but unblocking it for a reason wouldn't hurt.

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