Ep.1 - Linked - Pt.2 - Connecting

"Cynthie, is everything ready?" Jane asked her.

"Yep," she replied, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Let's start the stream and I'll get into it," Jane told her.

They started it up and waited for viewers to join.

Then, Jane greeted them, "Hey, guys," there were only 12 of them, "Did you all sleep well?"

"Mamasboi says: Yo, BJ, how you feelin'?"

"DorkMaul says: How's the neck? Itchy? Wish I was there yesterday."

"Yeah, no I'm fine," she informed them, "It's not itching at all, and the numbness is gone, like, completely gone. It's like nothing happened. And, dude... I actually slept like a log. I donno if it was the stress, or just the numbness in my neck last night, or what, but... Yeah, I slept like a baby. When I woke up, for a moment there, I thought the whole thing was just a dream... but the patch is still there, so... guess it was real."

"Wonderman says: Do you feel the tentacles?"

"Ha-ha, hilarious," she replied annoyed, "That Rosa lady nearly laughed me out of the clinic."

"Mamasboi says: We're just keepin' you honest, baby girl."

"Magneato says: I heard some people have tentacles coming out of their noses. XD"

"Oh, fuck you guys!" she said, hiding an embarrassed smile, "Why I even still listen to you assholes is beyond me. Anyway, let's change the subject before I hear any more wisecracks. What should we do today? I need to keep myself busy, or I'll go insane waiting for this thing to connect."

"Mamasboi says: Yo, how 'bout making a new char in APB Cyberpunk? By the time you done, it should be fully connected. ;)"

Jane laughed, "Oh, come on! I don't even take that long... Do I? Okay, maybe I do. I just love character creators, okay? And APB still has the best character creator... I mean, come on, you gotta admit."

"DorkMaul says: APB sucks ass. You should see how far you can get in HL4, starting from scratch."

"Hogwarts Legacy?" she wondered, "Let's put it to a vote, give me a sec." She quickly set up a vote, with a hand full of her favorite games. More viewers were popping in as she did.

"FoxyGent says: Hey, BJ, I heard you got linked yesterday. Is it true? How are you feeling?"

"Yep, it's true, I'm linked, and I'm good," she replied, "We're just waiting for the tentacles to do their thing."

"FoxyGent donated 5 tokens: Congrats! Can't wait to see you play all the new games. Btw, what tentacles?????"

"You don't know about the tentacles?" she smirked, "You poor summer's child. Guys, please... illuminate him."

She sat back, glanced at Cynthie, who shook her head, and watched the ensuing mayhem.

Then, she cut in and explained, "Yeah, these assholes made me ask the receptionist about the tentacles, and I actually fell for it. I'm so stupid. But it was kinda funny in the end."

Cynthie added, "Guys, the look on Jane's face... you had to be there. It was priceless."

Jane covered her eyes, "Oh, I just wanted to die."

"FoxyGent says: I found a shot of the tentacles. Check it out." He sent her a link to the Soulink under a microscope.

"Oh, so it does kinda have tentacles," she noted, "Except they're not tentacles at all... they look more like... What are those? Crystals? Can you all see the link he sent me? Yeah? Whatever those are, they're definitely not slimy tentacles like the ones I kept picturing. Thanks for the mental image, by the way."

"Magneato says: They're fractal crystals. The Soulink connects to the base of the brain by extending these crystals that grow like fractals."

"Yeah," Jane said, looking at the image again, "It's pretty cool."

"The vote's in," Cynthie informed her, "looks like we're playing GTA9."

"Sweet," she celebrated, fetching her game controller, "I'll play the campaign, it doesn't have a character creator, like the online mode, so, I won't bore you guys." Glancing down at the controller, she noted, "You know... this might just be the last day I use one of these..."

"Mamasboi says: Amen to that! I could never go back to controllers and keyboards. Way too limited."

She started a new playthrough. It was more of a boy's game, but it didn't bother her. In fact, for the most part, she liked the male-centered games. And GTA9 even had a badass female protagonist, a Japanese yakuza girl, one of five playable characters. It was the first game of the franchise to take place in Japan. Edo City was supposed to be their version of Tokyo. It was pretty cool... for an old game.

She played for five hours straight, doing all the silly shit her viewers asked of her... like sleeping with a transgender prostitute, stealing sushi from the sushi bar, and punching an old lady in the face... just the classy stuff... When she hit the five-hour mark, hunger set in.

"Guys, I'm starved," she said, looking at the time. It was ten o'clock, on a Friday night. "How 'bout we take this show on the road? Hey, Cynthie, wanna join me for some Hearty's?"

"Sure," she agreed.

Hearty's was Jane's favorite fast food place. It was a pirate-themed restaurant, where the waiters all dressed in silly pirate outfits and the menu was filled with even sillier pirate words like "Treasure Trove Burger", "Cursed Golden Fries" and "Red Rum Split".

Cynthia was Jane's best friend from back in high school, and, after graduation, she was the only one who really kept in touch. After a while, they moved in together and started taking the whole streaming thing seriously. And they were doing okay too... at least until the Soulink became a thing.

They went into the restaurant with the drone and sat at a table in a cozy corner. Cynthie landed the drone on the napkin box, making sure the viewers could see Jane properly.

A young and kind of handsome waiter came over and handed them a menu each, "Good evening, ladies. My name is Jessie and I'll be your waiter for today."

"Hi, Jessie," Jane greeted him, "yeah, I'll just have the Parley Salad and a Sprite for now."

Cynthia looked through the menu and made her pick, "I'll have... a Scuttle Burger, with fries, a Coke, and... Do you still have that big caramel milkshake thing, with the nut sprinkles... you know the one?"

"The Matie's Milkshake Pint?" he wondered.

"Yeah," she confirmed, "that one. I can't find it here in the menu."

"Sorry," he lamented, "we don't have that anymore. Can I bring you the Matie's Milkshake Mug? It's the same thing, just smaller, like, half the size. People complained the old one was too big."

"Oh, okay, I'll have the mug then," Cynthie accepted, "Actually, make that two, two mugs."

He took a mental note, probably on his Soulink, and scurried off.

"He's new here," Jane noted, "and cute."

"Sephymoth says: You like guys with zits all over their faces?"

"He didn't have zits," she argued, "did he?"

"No," Cythie agreed, "I didn't see any zits."

"Mamasboi says: Ho-ho! Sephy's jealous, yo. He's afraid you'll hook up with waiter boi."

"Magneato says: That Jessie guy might be okay, but you can do better, BJ."

Jane chuckled awkwardly, "Guys, chill, I'm not here to hook up with anyone, I came here to eat. It was just an observation."

The cute waiter came back with their drinks and offered, "Can I interest you in these appetizers?" He was holding three small bowls, one portion of unpeeled fries, one of breadsticks, and one of cheese nuggets.

"No thanks," Jane replied, "no offense, but those portions are way too expensive for their size. I'm a regular here, I know they tell you to slip those portions in without telling us the price."

"No offense taken," he said, smiling charmingly at her, "I'll just take these back."

"He IS cute," Cynthie noted, "and I think he thinks you're cute too. Did you see how he just smiled at you?"

"Oh, shut up," Jane deflected, "He's just doing his job."

"I dunno," Cynthie insisted, "What do you guys think? Didn't he give kinda of an I'M INTERESTED vibe?"

Jane rolled her eyes, "You just love it, don't you? Embarrassing me on stream."

Cynthie giggled.

"Wonderman says: If you ask me, I think he looks like a simp."

They laughed and chatted away for a bit until Jessie came back around with their orders. The Parley Salad was a large dish of veggies and chicken stripes, with a juicy sweet sauce. It was what she always ordered. The Scuttle Burger was really just a fancy name for a double-cheeseburger.

As Jane began to eat, something flew into her eyes and she rubbed them to get whatever it was out... but she couldn't get rid of it... "Damn," she complained, "What is this?" Then, she realized what it was... "Oh, shit! Guys... I think it's the Soulink..."

"Then, stop rubbing your eyes," Cynthie told her, "You'll only give yourself a red eye."

"DorkMaul says: What do you see, a circle thingy? If it's a circle, then it's the Soulink."

She stopped and tried to focus, "Yeah, it's a circle... It's the Soulink!"

"Magneato says: Yay! It's happening! How full is it? 25%? 50%?"

"It looks like..." she still couldn't quite make it out, "maybe... two-thirds? It's still blurry, or... not blurry, but... I dunno, it's hard to see."

"It can't be two-thirds," Cynthie pointed out, "It's not that fast. It's probably one-third and you're just confusing the LOADING part with the LOADED part."

"Maybe, I can't really tell," Jane admitted, "I can't focus on it properly yet."

"Sephymoth says: Relax. Just ignore it for now. It'll come into focus in time."

She smiled at the drone, "Not gonna lie, this is kinda exciting. I mean, screw it, right? They're gonna spy on us one way or another, might as well reap the benefits."

"Magneato says: I'm happy for you, BJ, but you're too paranoid. No one is spying on you."

"Oh, yes, they are!" she argued, "Didn't you see the Snowden documentaries?"

"Here we go," Cynthie complained, "What is it with you and this Snowden guy?"

"I'm telling you," Jane went on, "Look it up. He was a dude who worked for the NSA and blew the whistle on governmental surveillance. They had access to everyone's phones, dude. All the big tech companies were in on it. And that was back in 2010 or something... just imagine what they can do with today's tech. Just imagine what they can do now that we all have chips in our brains... Let THAT sink in."

"Wonderman says: You're really into conspiracy theories, aren't you? Crazy girl."

"Dude," she insisted, "seriously, do me a favor. Just look up SNOWDEN. Go ahead, look it up right now on Google."

After a short moment of silence, the robotic voice came back on, "DorkMaul says: Damn, boys, she's right. This Snowden guy really existed."

"Sephymoth says: Meh, don't believe everything you read. Sure, he existed, but did the gov really do everything he said they did? I doubt it."

"Mamasboi says: Yo, boys, check it. Seems legit to me. --> Edward Joseph Snowden (born June 21, 1983) is an American and naturalized Russian citizen who was a computer intelligence consultant and whistleblower who leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013 when he was an employee and subcontractor. His disclosures revealed numerous global surveillance programs, many run by the NSA and the Five Eyes intelligence alliance with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments and prompted a cultural discussion about national security and individual privacy."

"Wonderman says: Did you get that off Wikipedia? You know that shit's garbage, right?"

"Whatever, dude," she huffed, "I'm just saying, privacy is a thing of the past."

"Mamasboi says: I don't care either way. As long as I get to play my games and eat my chicken, I'm good."

"Yeah," she considered, "that's probably the best way to take it. Personally, I think it's a good thing they're keeping tabs on everyone."

"Magneato says: You think it's good that they spy on us? You don't mind people watching your every move?"

"It's not that I don't mind," Jane explained, "It's just that... I think it's a choice between privacy and security. You just can't have both. Either they watch everyone or they don't watch anyone. And if no one is watching the bad apples... well... we all rot."

"Magneato says: I never thought of it like that. I guess it makes sense. Still, I don't like having anyone peering over my shoulder."

"Wonderman says: Shit just got deep all of the sudden. My IQ is too low for this shit, lol."

"Sephymoth says: Mags is a fucking simp. And, BJ, no one is watching us ALL. The FBI has a list of people they keep an eye on, that's it. If they knew half the shit I've done, I'd be in jail by now."

"Mamasboi says: Yo, Sephy. You full of shit, boi! We all know you ain't done shit. You probably still live with yo mama. Sit yo ass down and stfu."

"Hey, cool it!" Jane warned them, "Come on guys, let's keep it civil, here."

As the conversation went on, they ate up their meals. Then, Jane signaled the cute waiter for the bill.

Just as they were heading outside, Jane noted, "I think I can already see it better. Looks like it's about 80% done."

"80%?" Cynthie echoed, amazed, "It can't be. Are you sure?"

"Unless it's decreasing," she pointed out, "yeah, pretty sure."

"Sephymoth says: Wow. That was fast. It took me the whole afternoon just for me to be able to see it clearly."

"Mamasboi says: Same. Maybe our girl BJ here is one of those super synkers."

"What's a super synker?" Jane wondered.

"Mamasboi says: You know, those people who synchronize really well with their Soulink. They have mad reflexes in games and shit."

"Oh, yeah," she remembered, "I heard about that... I thought it was a myth though... or, like, exaggerations, you know? Was I really that fast? I think it was about six in the afternoon yesterday that I got linked, right? It's eleven now, so, about... twenty-nine hours ago. Is that considered fast? The lady said it took a day or two."

"Jane," Cynthie said, in a serious tone, "it took me two days just to see the loading circle."

"Magneato says: It's fast, BJ, trust me. It took me 40 hours and my brother closer to 50."

"DorkMaul says: Yep, took me around 40hs too."

"Wonderman says: It took me 36hs and they told me I was faster than most."

"Sweet," she celebrated timidly, "A super synker, huh? Wouldn't that be something? We'll have to wait and see... I can definitely see it clearer now tho... It's at 82%... 82.75."

By the time they got home, the Soulink was at 91%. At that rate, it'd be just a few more minutes and she'd be fully connected. Her nerves were going through the roof with anticipation, she could barely keep it together. Cynthie landed the drone on its charger, still facing Jane's way so they could see her.

Once the PC was back up and running, Jane asked them all, "So, once I'm connected, what should we do first?"

Of course, there was a flood of suggestions. Among them, were "Courage Under Fire", or "CUF", an FPS that was the most popular game in the world, "Realms", the most popular MMORPG, and "Star Tales", a fantasy space opera game that looked a lot like Star Wars, with laser guns, glowing swords, and mental powers. But everyone had a favorite VR, from casual meeting grounds to the most hardcore combat arenas.

"Okay-okay, guys, hold up. That's a lot to choose from," she pointed out, "Settle down. Look, why don't we pick some hub world to meet up in first? We'll figure it out from there."

Hub worlds were VR sites where people could buy virtual houses, keep track of their favorite games, movies, shows, or whatever, show off their achievements, and connect to all the other VRs out there, like all the new games Jane wanted to play. But again, there was another slew of suggestions... "Googleverse", "Amazonland", "iWorld", "Netflix Nation", "Xbox World", "Disney Planet", "Sonyville"... but the one that seemed to come up the most was "Wonderscape". It was the first VR city specifically designed to be a hub for the whole world. Before they came along, people just logged into whichever game they wanted to play. But after they created Wonderscape, every other corporation made their own hub world. None of them seemed to capture the wonder of Wonderscape though. It was by far the one with the largest population, with over two billion people owning a place there. It was crazy.

"Wonderscape, then?" she asked them.

Everyone agreed.

"Cool! Wonderscape it is!" she decided, "I kinda wanted to go there first anyway, just to see what the fuss is about." She checked the loading circle, "96%... So close... Come on come on come on. Oh, I'm gonna go crazy... Come on, guys, help me out here, tell me something about Wonderscape, just to keep my mind off this loading circle."

"Mamasboi says: The streets are paved with gold and the skies are made of sapphire."

"Nice," she commented sarcastically.

"Sephymoth donated 20 tokens: I have a place in Wonderscape, in the steampunk district. You should come visit me there, I'll show you around."

"Oh, sweet," she said happily, "Thanks Sephy, maybe I'll drop by there sometime. But... don't I have to create an avatar first?"

"Wonderman says: Oh, here we go, boys. Maybe she'll be done with her avatar by tomorrow morning."

Jane chuckled, "Hey, a girl has her vanity. I want to look good on my first day in VR, it's a momentous occasion, after all."

"Magneato says: We should meet up at the central plaza. I'm already there waiting for you, BJ."

"Okay," she agreed, "sounds like a plan."

"FoxyGent says: Hey, BJ, FYI, when you log in, you can just go with your real appearance. Not sure how, but the Soulink knows what you look like IRL. Personally, I think you look great IRL. You should just log in as yourself IMO."

"Aw, that's sweet of you," she said, blushing, "Maybe I'll do that..."

Cynthie chimed in, "Yeah, that's true. Your Soulink automatically creates an avatar for you. It's based on your own perception of yourself or something like that. The Soulink uses that memory as base for your initial avatar."

"Well, I might edit my look later," Jane considered, "but I'm kinda excited to meet you guys, so... yeah, I'll just log in as myself for now... Guys... 99%... We're almost there!"

"Mamasboi says: Yo, I second the motion. You look fine IRL, girl. I'm here at the plaza too, btw, with Mags and Sephy. This is gonna be EPIC!"

"100%!" she announced, "Okay, I think it's connecting..."

The circle was full as it faded away and a screen appeared. On it, were the words "Your Soulink chip is now online! Please wait a moment as it sets up your profile." A few seconds later, she saw her name pop up "Jane Perkins Brogan", followed by a photo of herself.

"Oh, hell no!" she thought to herself, "I gotta change that name."

There was a small "edit" button under the photo. For a few seconds, she puzzled over how exactly to press that button. There was no mouse plugged into her head, nor was there a touchscreen to touch... But then, as if reading her mind, more words appeared. "To interface with the Soulink, simply THINK what you want to do." It seemed obvious once she read it. She focussed on the edit button and just like that, she went into edit mode.

"Are you logging in?" Cynthie asked her.

Jane suddenly realized that, for the first time in her streaming career, no one could see what she was doing, it was all just in her mind.

"Oh!" she cried, startled, "Shit, sorry, guys. I'm not even connected to anything yet. I was just, uh, getting used to interfacing with the Soulink... Doing everything mentally is... kinda weird."

She quickly changed her name to "Jane Brogan", removing the "Perkins", without even bothering to find out how to edit her avatar, she just exited the editing mode.

She began to ask, "How do I connect to..." But when she glanced at her PC, she saw a little menu hovering over it, asking her "Connect to PC?", with the options "YES" and "NO".

"Oh, well now, that makes things much easier, doesn't it?" she noted, as she clicked "YES" and typed in her password. "Okay, I'm online... Now, to find Wonderscape."