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The next fifteen minutes passed in complete silence as Sarah and Felix absorbed the information they had just received.
By the fifteenth minute, Felix was the first to break the silence, his reaction surfacing before Sarah’s. Unlike Sarah, Felix had mentally prepared himself for this moment, having harboured high expectations due to his prior knowledge of the coup being orchestrated by Aron.
“Damn,” Felix muttered, his voice filled with disbelief. He instinctively adjusted his glasses, which had been displaying visual evidence throughout Aron’s detailed account. The evidence presented left them with no reason to doubt Aron’s statements in the slightest.
“How did you manage to convince the general to support the coup, knowing that they would ultimately lose the power they previously held?” Sarah asked, regaining her composure after Felix’s exclamation.
“There’s a saying that it’s better to be a servant in a palace than a common man in the streets,” Aron replied with a smile.
“So, let me get this straight,” Sarah questioned incredulously. “You’re saying that they agreed to become your subordinates because you promised them a position among the servants in your palace?” Sarah found it hard to believe that individuals who had tasted power would willingly relinquish it to become mere pawns in a powerful army.
“If you recall, in my account, I mentioned ‘One of the notable discoveries was the advancement in virtual and augmented reality technology,'” Aron replied, deflecting Sarah’s question. “What do you think I meant by that?”
Sarah offered her interpretation, stating, “Perhaps it implies that the technology already existed, and what unfolded after the coup was simply a tremendous advancement of that technology.”
“Correct,” Aron affirmed, and before them materialized a peculiar-looking headgear. “This,” he continued, pointing to it, “is what you would refer to as version 01 of the technology. Its initial breakthrough coincided with the development of quantum computers during the same time period.” Aron proceeded to provide an explanation.
Felix, puzzled by Aron’s explanation, interjected, “But how does this relate to convincing the generals?” He was still uncertain about the connection between the advanced technology and the generals’ agreement to participate in the coup.
“Allow me to demonstrate,” Aron replied cryptically. Before Sarah and Felix could react or inquire further, an abrupt sensation overcame them, causing them to slump back in their chairs as if they had lost consciousness.
As Sarah and Felix regained their senses, they found themselves in a completely different environment. Startled and bewildered, they looked around to find Aron standing before them, a wry smile on his face. “Welcome to my universe,” Aron greeted them, fully aware of the shock they had just experienced.
Wanting to proceed with his explanation without further delay, Aron snapped his fingers, and just like that, everything seemed normal for Sarah and Felix. They were astounded, even more surprised at how quickly they had adapted to the new environment, as if it had become their new normal in an instant.
Aron’s smile grew wider as he explained, “What you just experienced is just one of the capabilities of the glasses and helmet you witnessed. Whoever wears them can be forcefully logged into this realm, unable to resist or escape whatever I manipulate within it. Inside here, She is in complete control of everything.” He gestured towards Nova, who was standing alongside them, emphasising that she held the reigns within this realm.
Felix couldn’t contain his astonishment and exclaimed, “Oh my god!” The implications of Aron’s statement dawned on him, and he realized that once logged into this realm, Aron held near god-like control and could manipulate everything within it. The realization sent shivers down Felix’s virtual body, giving him goosebumps as he contemplated Aron’s statement.
Overwhelmed by the chain of surprises, Sarah and Felix hadn’t even stopped to question why their virtual bodies mirrored the sensations of their physical selves without any discrepancies.
The realization hit them as they felt the goosebumps, prompting them to pinch and grope themselves in an attempt to find any hint of an error that would reassure them this was merely a simulation. Their actions reflected a desperate search for a flaw that could ease their growing unease.
Aron, understanding the need for Sarah and Felix to acclimate themselves, chose to remain silent and allowed them time to adjust to their surroundings. However, he did teleport them to a luxurious and comfortable room within a grand location, specifically designed to facilitate the continuation of their conversation.
Half an hour later.
After meticulously inspecting every detail of the room, touching the leather upholstery of the comfortable chairs, examining the intricately carved timber of the heavily decorated door, savoring the delicious drinks in the cups, and even scrutinizing the hairs on their own bodies, Sarah and Felix finally began to calm down.
They realized that, for the time being, they had to set aside their exhaustive inspections and focus on continuing their conversation. They made a mental note to revisit their investigations once the meeting had concluded.
Continuing the conversation from where it had paused, Felix inquired with concern, “Did you torture or mistreatment them, after bringing them here?”
“I didn’t go to such extremes. What I did was simply instill an overwhelming sense of fear towards me. As a result, they have reached a state where they will unquestioningly obey any order I give them,” Aron explained, a smile spreading across his face as if he were discussing something positive.
Felix and Sarah exchanged bewildered glances, their confusion growing as they wondered if they were somehow perceiving a different meaning than what Aron intended.
Sarah, attempting to divert her attention from Aron’s unsettling smile, posed an astute question. “Is this why you chose to handle the task personally in Eden instead of delegating it, as you did with Felix when he acquired the companies?”
“Yes, nobody else knew about the technology, and it had to stay that way,” Aron responded, his smile persisting. “That compelled me to take matters into my own hands.”
Felix, making a connection between Aron’s previous peculiar travel plans and his current involvement, asked, “Is the reason for your personal involvement here similar to when you embarked on your trip throughout Europe, or is there something else at play?”
“Yes, indeed,” Aron replied, his satisfaction evident as Sarah and Felix demonstrated their astuteness in connecting the dots based on the information he had shared.
Sarah’s voice carried a mix of curiosity and excitement as she asked, “What did you do in Europe? I’m really curious to know what transpired during your trip that required you to spend over three months there.”
“It is better that I show you rather than explain,” Aron replied. Without further delay, Nova swiftly teleported them, transporting them to the skies above Lab City.
“Behold the fruit of my extensive travels throughout Europe and America,” Aron declared, paying little heed to the astonishment displayed on Sarah and Felix’s faces as they beheld the massive city sprawling beneath them.
“Explore the city at your leisure and return here after twelve hours. Your physical bodies in the real world are being safeguarded, so don’t worry about any harm coming to them. Enjoy your time as the time compression ratio here is five to one,” Aron instructed, swiftly teleporting Sarah and Felix to different locations within the city before they had a chance to inquire about the phenomenon of time dilation.
After regaining their composure, Sarah and Felix began their exploration of the city, utilizing the interface provided to them by Aron. They carefully read the instructions and details displayed on the screen, instantly comprehending how to navigate and utilize the interface for their tour.
Sarah wasted no time in acquiring the research labs list and selecting the one focused on computing technology. In an instant, she found herself transported to the chosen location. As her eyes opened, an astonished expression crossed her face, and her mouth fell open in awe.
Before her stretched endless rows of server racks, each holding an array of what appeared to be quantum computer chips. The information she had obtained about the lab confirmed her suspicions—these chips were being optimized to seamlessly operate as a unified entity.
Similarly, Felix decided to start his exploration within the industry he was already familiar with. Upon his selection, he found himself teleported to a lab where rows upon rows of server racks, filled with quantum chips, stretched out before him. However, the purpose of this particular lab differed from the one Sarah had visited.
Here, the focus was on communication technology, specifically optimizing the utilization of quantum teleportation as a means of transmitting information.
While Aron had already harnessed this technology for instantaneous communication between his quantum computer at home and his watch, it still hadn’t reached the stage of mass communication for millions of devices. The researchers in this lab were diligently working towards achieving that goal, and they had been achieving consecutive breakthroughs every few days.