The Massage

by Pippa K Cox

  Ultimate Entertainment

  Part One

  The Massage

  by Pippa K Cox

  Ultimate Entertainment

  The lobby was filled with sparkling white and shining chrome. The lighting had to be soft, it was reflected over and over, harsher lighting would have made the lobby blinding. There were lamps of spearmint green and pale, pastel blue. Behind the main desk there were three smartly dressed women. They wore uniforms of neat grey, almost white, reminiscent of the faux-medical outfits that the staff wore in spas and salons. Hannah was feeling nervous as she approached the desk, but the friendly smile of the central woman was reassuring. “Hannah Mitchum?” the receptionist asked. Despite this being London, she had an accent that Hannah guessed came from somewhere in America. That added to the feeling that 'Ultimate Entertainment' was taking this international launch seriously. The game was a hit in the states and Japan; now they wanted the UK and Europe.

  “That's right,” said Hannah. She was surprised that the woman knew her name. It was probably stupid to be surprised. 'Ultimate Entertainment' was a company that did its homework. They would not have invited Hannah to review the game if they had not researched her. She had filled in their questionnaire and allowed them limited access to her data. They knew she was a twenty-four year old tech journalist, they new what she looked like and they knew she was willing to push the boundaries with VR games. She was more than willing, she was eager.

  “Excellent,” said the receptionist. “We have a room prepared for you. My name's Jenna and I'll escort you.” She came out from behind the desk, her electric wheelchair humming. It was a sleek machine, designed for aesthetics as well as utility. The chair was as stylish as the rest of the woman's outfit.

  Hannah was impressed to see a receptionist who was a wheelchair user. The company were obviously keen to show their credentials when it came to diversity. It was almost too 'on brand'. 'Ultimate Entertainment' was famously diverse and surprisingly liberal for a global tech giant. It helped that the genius coder and political activist, Anastasia Silk, was the company's founder. Silk had been called a hippy, a guru and a crank in the press. Hannah reflected that a man with similar talents might be called a maverick or a genius. Silk had committed the crime of being female, powerful and outspoken. She had made billions through her technology and 'Ultimate Entertainment' was set to make billions more.

  Jenna led Hannah through an atrium filled with sunlight, water features and tropical plants. From there, they took a wide spiral ramp that rose lazily up through the building. White stone and polished chrome reflected their images into infinity. The architecture of the building was like the interior of a weird seashell. It felt organic. When Jenna stopped, it seemed at random, but a section of the wall slid open with a soft sigh, like something out of a spaceship in an old sci-fi movie.

  The private room was not large. It reminded Hannah of her dentist's office, partly thanks to the white chair, that sat looking hygienic and medical in the centre of the ivory room. The chair was a large recliner with a bulky frame. Hannah knew that the frame hid the tech. In the head rest of the chair in particular, there was concealed hardware that would put a hospital's brain scanners to shame.

  Jenna touched the wall and a flap opened downwards. There was a drinks cabinet in the recess behind. “Do take a seat in the chair. Can I get you a mineral water or fruit juice?” said Jenna. “It's usually best to swallow the pill with a drink.”

  All of this had been covered in the invitation. Hannah had watched the video clips and read the text. She knew the basics of what to expect. She would sit in the chair, take a pill and fall asleep. Then the tech would start the game and, so the marketing claimed, Hannah would be amazed. “Still water, thanks,” said Hannah. She settled into the chair. It was as comfortable as she had expected. The machine was probably already scanning her, checking her vital signs and assessing her suitability. Hidden cameras would be watching Hannah's body language and eye movements. The software needed data.

  Jenna placed a glass of water and a tiny white dish onto a plinth by the chair. The white dish contained a small, circular pink pill. The pill contained a cocktail of smart drugs. It also contained some nanotech. It was the sort of thing that frightened Hannah's grandparents, but nanotech was a fact of life. Hannah had ingested plenty of health-tech in her life, this piece would be no different. Without hesitating, Hannah popped the pill into her mouth and then swallowed it with a sip of water. She tasted nothing but artificial sweetener and mineral water.

  “Do you have any questions before I go?” said Jenna. “When I leave the room, the orientation will begin. None of the data from your session will be viewed by human analysts. All data will be used by the system to improve itself.” Jenna waited expectantly.

  Hannah flexed her hands on the arms of the chair. “It's half an hour, right?” she said.

  Jenna nodded. “That's right. Half an hour actual time. Within the game, though, you'll probably experience around an hour. There will be clocks in-game to let you know how long you have. May I help with anything else before I leave?”

  “I think I'm good,” Hannah said. She glanced around the gently bland room. The drinks cabinet had closed and vanished back into the wall. The door was behind her and she was facing a wall that was smooth and plain as the inside of an egg.

  “Have fun!” said Jenna. There was a gentle hum as she left, then the sigh of the door.

  Hannah was alone. The room smelt like the interior of a new car. Everything was clean and seemed unused. Hannah tried to relax in the chair. It was odd to stare at a blank wall. She knew it would soon turn into a screen, the video had explained all that. Until then, she waited.

  The lights from the ceiling lowered and there was a short whistle, three happy notes like a bird or a phone alarm. The wall became brighter than the rest of the room. There was a circular pink light at the centre of the wall. The light pulsed softly and a friendly, feminine voice spoke, “Hello! I'm Genie. I'm an avatar for Ultimate Entertainment. I'll guide you into the game. If you need to pause the game at any time, just say, 'Pause,' and I'll join you. Before the game begins, I'd like to pass you over to my friend Anastasia.”

  The wall became a mist that was fading. It was not a wall, it was a window. On the other side of the wall, there was a beach of white sand. It was so realistic that Hannah gave a delighted giggle. She looked around her empty room and saw that it had not changed. Only the miraculous wall was different. She was looking out onto perfectly blue sky and sea. She could hear the waves as they rolled up the beach. Walking towards the room, there was a tall, white woman. She was wearing a blue sarong and bikini top. She waved and said, “Hi, Hannah, I'm Anastasia Silk. This isn't a recording, it's totally interactive, so if you want to stop me or ask questions, just say the word!”

  Hannah had seen Silk on TED talks and interviews. She was a striking woman with the looks of Sigourney Weaver and charisma to match. Her accent was an odd blend of American, British and Eastern European. There was very little information in the world about Silk's background. She kept herself enigmatic. That was an enormous part of her appeal.

  The avatar of Silk approached the very edge of the wall, where the sand looked like it should be spilling into the room. The pink orb of light, Genie, was still floating. “Hi Anastasia!” trilled the light.

  “Hey, Genie! How's our friend Hannah enjoying this so far?” said Silk. It was clear that she was speaking words from a rehearsed script and that she was not the best actor in the world. Nevertheless, the simulation had a silly charm. The editing of Hannah's name into the script was perfect.

  “All the readings suggest that Hannah's a little nervous and kinda impressed!” squeaked Genie.

  Anastasia nodded and gave Hannah a gr
in. “It's normal to feel that way. Everybody does. Don't worry, you'll soon settle in. I don't need to tell you much before the game begins. You're a smart tech writer and you studied the introductory pack that we sent you. You know that the game works by putting you into a state of lucid dreaming. You know that the lucid dream is given a scaffold by my software. You're not here for a lecture, though. You're here to play-test! I'm giving you a free half hour in one of the default scenarios. In the full game, you'll have thousands of customisable options, but today I'm offering a brief sample of what the game can do. What do you want to know before you start?” she said. She looked through the wall as though she could really see Hannah. The simulation was superb. The avatar's eyes tracked Hannah's eyes flawlessly.

  “What's the scenario?” Hannah asked. She knew she was talking to software. This was not the real Silk and the floating pink sprite was just an interface. Still, this was how to interact with the interface. It made sense to play along.

  “You'll be visiting a spa for a massage,” said Silk. “The massage will get pretty intimate, if you know what I mean,” she added, giving a wink that did not match her public persona. Genie emitted a giggle, her light shining more brightly, casting a pink glow on the sand.

  “Sounds good!” said Hannah. She looked around the room again, noticing the way that the light from the screen reflected on the walls. It truly felt like the beach was real and she could walk out into it.

  “Sounds good, feels better!” said Silk. “Before we begin the scenario, we need to finish calibration. Genie will guide us through the process.”

  The pink light came closer to the wall. Then, impossibly, it drifted into the room.

  Hannah gaped. The effect was astonishing. A ball of light was floating in the room. There were no strings, no sound of tiny motors. “Don't worry, you're already experiencing the game-engine!” said Genie. “This is a generated hallucination. Do we have your consent to continue?”

  “Holy shit yes!” gasped Hannah. She had never been so impressed by a piece of tech. She looked down at her hands and her body. Everything was normal. Her jeans looked normal. Her nails were still painted blue. There was a pink glow over everything, though. Genie was really in the room. It was real and unreal at the same time.

  “Excellent!” said Genie, literally glowing with happiness. Beyond the wall, Anastasia clapped her hands and grinned. She looked pleased that her customer liked the product.

  “Follow me with your eyes, please!” said Genie. She drifted back and forth, left and right. Hannah watched her intently. Then Genie whirled around the room so quickly that Hannah's eyes could not keep up. Hannah was reminded of Tink from Peter Pan. The guide was like a fairy: mischievous and magical. “You lost me for a moment!” she squeaked, giggling.

  “You're fast!” said Hannah.

  “I have a few calibration questions,” said Genie. “Can you hear the sea?”

  Hannah nodded. “Yes, sounds normal,” she said.

  “Good!” said Genie. There was a gentle chime as though a check box had been selected somewhere. “Can you smell the sea?” Genie asked.

  Hannah frowned and then inhaled through her nose. Over the smell of new car, there was a smell of the ocean. She had only just noticed it. “Yes!” she said, surprised and delighted. A chime sounded.

  “Can you taste oranges?” said Genie.

  Hannah ran her tongue around her mouth. “What the hell?!” she laughed. Her mouth was watering and she could, indeed, taste oranges. There was another chime.

  “Finally, there's the sense of touch,” said Genie. “Anastasia, can you help?”

  Anastasia grinned and stepped from the beach into the room. “Sure thing, Genie. Nice to meet you, Hannah. Would you mind shaking hands with me to finish the calibration?” she said. She was standing in the strange light that was cast by Genie and reflected from the sandy beach.

  “Oh my god, this seems totally real!” whispered Hannah. Her throat was tight. She had not believed that the system could be so good. Silk had made reality malleable. With one little pill and a chair full of hardware, Hannah was awake and dreaming. She sat forward in the chair and put out her hand.

  Confidently, Silk took Hannah's hand and they shook. Silk's hand was warm, smooth and utterly real. “I'm glad everything's working, Hannah!” said Silk. “I think you're going to love the game! Remember that you can pause or quit at any time. Be sure to give me lots of feedback at the end.”

  “I'm blown away and it hasn't even started!” Hannah said. “I've always wanted to meet you, you know? Now it feels like I kinda have!”

  “I'm glad it feels that way!” said Silk. “Now, I have to go back to my beach and Genie will set up your scenario. Have a great game!” Silk walked back to the wall and stepped through it, onto her beach. Hannah noticed that some sand had spilled onto the room's carpet. The attention to detail was extraordinary.

  The wall began to fade back to white. Genie remained in the room, bobbing in the air. The beach and Silk had vanished. Some grains of sand still remained, though, it was a nice touch.

  “Let's start the game!” said Genie. She sounded playful and eager. “You'll need to lie back in the chair and relax. Close your eyes and wait until you can hear music. When you open your eyes, you'll be ready to start the scene. Don't be surprised if you have some confusion over what time it is and how much time has passed. We are going to upload some backstory into your memory just to contextualize the scene.”

  “Uh, ok,” said Hannah. She lay back, worried at the idea of memory manipulation. She had read that it was part of the game, but it was still worrying. The marketing literature had said it was no different to reading fiction. They claimed that, after reading a book, you could remember things that had not happened. The memory upload was supposedly the same. The memories would not be specific, just vague impressions. The thought unsettled her, but she wanted to try it. Silk had received excellent reviews so far and Hannah wanted to be part of the miracle. This was the next wave of technology, the next revolution. Some people were already claiming that this was a huge jump in human evolution. Whatever the truth might be, Hannah wanted to be there at the beginning.

  The chair was warm and comfortable. There was the faintest whirr from somewhere. It could have been the hidden hardware or something as innocuous as air conditioning. Hannah shut her eyes. She was still dimly aware of Genie's pink light through her eyelids. Hannah felt herself relaxing. She was surprised at how easily she managed to lose her initial nerves. She felt like she had spent a day at a spa.

  The thoughts of a spa meandered in her mind. She could imagine the look and the sound of it. It would be as white and clean as the reception outside. The staff would wear the same uniforms. Hannah wondered if she were falling asleep. She felt like she was in the odd state where waking thoughts become dreams. Her mind was associating ideas freely. She could almost hear the music of the spa.

  There was no 'almost'. She could hear music. Surprised, Hannah opened her eyes. She was wearing comfortable white slippers and a sumptuous towelling robe. That made sense, she had been at the spa all day. She frowned. She knew that she had just arrived at 'Ultimate Entertainment'. She also knew that she had spent the day at a spa.

  This was the game. She smiled. It would take some getting used to. There would be a steep learning curve. It was difficult to separate reality from fiction. The idea of the two being separate was starting to feel like a myth.

  There was a door in the wall facing the chair.

  “When you step through the door, the scenario will have started,” said Genie, floating near the door.

  “I can't step through it, it's just a wall,” said Hannah. “It's ok for you and Silk, you're projections or simulations or whatever. I'm solid.”

  “You're in a lucid dream state. Your body is comfortably asleep,” said Genie. “I know this feels real, but it's all just Ultimate Entertainment!”

  Hannah shook her head. That could not be true. She rubbed her hands
together. They felt normal. She rubbed the towelling fabric of the robe in her hands. That was normal too. She peered closely at the fabric and could see every detail. There was no pixelation.

  “You won't find any flaws!” said Genie. She sounded happily proud. “Your mind and the software are in perfect harmony. The simulation is generated to the exact level of your ability to perceive reality. Ultimate Entertainment feels just as real as the real world.”

  It was true. If this were the game, not some elaborate hoax, then it was indistinguishable from reality. It definitely felt more real than a dream, though. Hannah laughed and shook her head again. All she had to do was go through the door. She stood up. Even her body felt right. She was no heavier nor lighter. This was not virtual reality it was total immersion. She walked across the room and looked at the door. The grain in the wood was visible and the white paint reflected the glow of Genie. The handle was chrome and she could see herself reflected and distorted there. Every detail felt real. “And the massage room is through here,” she said. It was not a question. She already knew that the therapist was waiting. The implanted memories did not feel alien and implanted. Her mind accepted the knowledge. She had been at a spa. If she thought hard enough, she could picture the architecture and the food that she had enjoyed. She stopped trying to remember, it was too unsettling to remember something that had not happened. It would be better just to accept it.

  “Your masseur, David, is waiting!” said Genie. The avatar's voice was filled with cheerful excitement.

  “Ok, let's do this,” said Hannah. She had played hundreds of games in her career and reviewed dozens of examples of tech. Nothing had been like this. She felt more anxious than she had in any horror VR game. She felt more excitement than any tablet, AI assistant or drone had given her. She took hold of the door handle, feeling its cold smoothness, chrome under flesh, utterly real. As she pushed open the door, she could hear spa music rising in volume. There was a smell of incense and massage oils. She walked into the treatment room, realising that she was stepping through a solid wall. Genie was right, she must be in the lucid dream state of the game. Her real body was unconscious. This was a dream. It felt nothing like a dream. It felt real.