Veil

by Aaron Overfield

  “So, Ken, is it fair to say it’s your assertion that, as Veil continues to spread and shape the New Veil World, more and more people will have less and less places to hide? Through Veil, truth and trust will inevitably dominate the world culture?”

  “Yes, I think that’s a pretty fair summation.”

  “Let’s go back, then. Earlier in our interview you said the biggest lesson Veil taught us might also be its undoing. What did you mean by that? If truth and trust reign supreme in our New Veil World, how could that lead to our undoing? If we reach a World Veilocracy, what could bring us down?”

  “Let me preface this by saying that these are my own personal beliefs, I’m not speaking for the Tsay Trustees or representing all of us. What I have to say about this is exactly what I’ve said since the beginning. I think Veil is wrong and that’s why I don’t use it.”

  “Wait … wait a minute. Are you saying Dr. Ken Wise, one of the creators of Veil, is a Veilgrant? You think Veil is wrong?”

  “I wouldn’t align myself with Veilgrants, but yes, I do think Veil is wrong, and I’ve never hidden that fact. I’ve said it to Suren herself. I’ll admit I’ve witnessed what it can do, and it can be a powerful, beautiful thing, but I also know what the future can and likely will hold if certain developments take place. If certain developments in Veil technology take place.”

  “What would those developments be, and what are you predicting they would mean for the future of Veil?”

  “Not simply for the future of Veil but for the future of humanity. Those apocalyptic developments would be if the storage and streaming of a human’s neuroelectrical patterns were ever integrated into Veil and the Veil Network…”

  “In the beginning, when it was only you and Ken, he told you he thought Veil was wrong. When you asked him to create The Jin Experience, he told you why he thought it was wrong and made a prediction. He predicted, essentially, the Veil Apocalypse.”

  Suren nodded in acknowledgement. She was too tired and weak to talk. She didn’t want to waste the energy.

  “Well, despite what he initially claimed, he also knew that storing and streaming neuroelectrical patterns wasn’t enough. Those things, in and of themselves, weren’t enough to bring about the dark side of Veil. That would be the beginning, and it would only be how the apocalypse was delivered. He told me the about-face of Veil could come years or decades after the implementation of storage and streaming. He said there was one thing that would indicate Veil had become or was about to become the decay of humanity. It would signify the nail had been hammered into the Veil coffin.”

  Suren was raptly staring at Hunter and lifted her eyebrows in impatience when he paused. Not only did she wait over twenty years to hear about some kind of plan to avoid the Veil Apocalypse, she was also hearing about the evolution of Ken’s prediction for the first time. Ken’s logic never failed them, and she found herself equally fascinated and tortured by anticipation.

  “Ken said it would be the removal of Veil security protocols. To Ken, those protocols symbolized choice, options, individuality, free will. He was adamant that if the security measures of Veil and the vNet were removed, it would clearly indicate Veil reached the tipping point. He said the need for the VSN was to instill personal safety and later became a way to track access for reasons of commerce. The VSN protected people and sustained the Veil Industry.

  “He predicted if storage and streaming were implemented but people no longer needed protection, if they no longer needed their VSN, it meant Veil was no longer being used between individuals, but rather to access centralized neuroelectrical patterns that were being stored and streamed to everyone. To Ken that would mean reality itself would’ve stopped being about individual experience and would’ve been replaced by an increasingly small handful of experiences. That handful of experiences would gradually be whittled down into one singular experience. The way he described it was an Orwellian society, with Veil acting as benevolent dictator. He said the apocalypse itself would be if all individuality and personal security were Veilinquished. Like he predicted early on, reality would be reduced to that solitary set of coalesced lifetime experiences, organized, amplified, and delivered in a way in which they unfolded perfectly. It would be the life everyone spends their entire lifetime Veiling.”

  Suren coughed and started to speak.

  “So the trigger is—” she tried to clarify.

  Hunter didn’t want Suren to have to waste the energy, so he finished for her.

  “—if the security is removed from the network; if storage and streaming are implemented and the VSN is no longer used. If both storage and streaming are incorporated into the vNet, once a single Veil occurs across the network without an exchange of Veil Security Numbers, the servers will detect it and Ken’s Clause will be enacted. Like I said, it’s stored in The Jin Experience brain at the Temple. Nobody else knows it, but Ken restructured the network to where the brain can’t be removed or the network will shut down completely.”

  Suren smiled and looked up at the ceiling.

  “Like I said before, I don’t know how long the spread of Ken’s Clause will take to complete, and I don’t know how long it will take before it begins to work once it’s triggered. He slowed down Jin’s process. It occurred instantly in your brain, but he wanted it to have time to spread to nearly the entire population before it started working. That way, it would be too late to stop it or prevent it. He was pretty confident by then society would’ve taken a huge technological leap backwards and there wouldn’t be many, if any, scientists around to stop it from happening anyway.”

  “Things…” Suren started but had to clear her throat again, “will really get that bad?”

  “According to Ken, yes. People will perform the basic functions to keep society afloat, but other than that their lives will literally be spent Veiling—in realtime—that one set of centralized, streaming experiences. He said by that time those experiences will be so amazing and so beyond any of their own abilities that they won’t be able to stop themselves. It would feel to them like touching some kind of god. Stopping Veil itself from working inside the brain will be the only way to stop it—to cure it.”

  “What happens if the brain malfunctions? … What if something accidentally thwarts Ken’s Clause? … Is there a backup plan?”

  Each of Suren’s questions was accentuated by deep gasps that saddened Hunter. That was really it; Suren truly was reaching her last moments. He almost regretted giving her what she wanted, which surprised himself. What surprised him was why he regretted it. He didn’t regret it because he wanted her to die never having known what she so desperately wanted to know. He regretted it because he wondered if Suren would’ve kept holding onto life as long as Hunter kept holding off the answer. Could he have kept her around longer if he didn’t give her what she wanted?

  But, just so the bitch won’t haunt me.

  “No. There isn’t another plan. That was a point of contention between us. I brought it up all the time. All Ken would say is that he hoped that didn’t happen, and he hoped that if it did, then by that time they wouldn’t be advanced enough to get the vNet running again. He claimed the worst-case scenario would be that they will have Veil but wouldn’t be able to utilize the network, and that would lessen the damage. I wasn’t satisfied with that compromise but … well, you know Ken.

  Suren nodded at Hunter. Yes, she knew Ken. Her, Ken, and Hunter: each different, but she knew each were all the same in so many ways. Stubbornness was high on that list. Hunter didn’t have to say any more, although she found it refreshing to hear that Hunter fought against the Veil Apocalypse like that. Without meaning to, he tipped his hand a bit. She almost mentioned it but refrained. The Old Widow Tsay might’ve called him on it—but not Suren. That wasn’t Suren.

  She tilted her head and gestured at the papers that were still in Hunter’s hand. Hunter frowned. He kept his gaze locked into Suren’s for a considerably long time. It was a surprisingly long amount of time if on
e considered it was Suren and Hunter. When he did break their gaze, still frowning, Hunter took a pen from the nightstand, placed the document on Suren’s stomach, and laid the pen on top.

  “…and I predict the presence of that storage and streaming would usher in a gradual reduction of individualism in society. The reduction would be based on human ability and would continue until we were left with a handful of centralized experiences. They would be a set of experiences that everyone spends their entire lives Veiling. It would mean Veil itself—a single Veil streamed to everyone through the vNet—would become our shared reality.”

  “Ok, that went over my head, so I’m going to assume it went over the heads of a lot of our viewers and Veilers out there. I’m going to have to ask you to explain what you mean, Ken.”

  “I’ll try. Going back to what I said about abilities, and how I see that as the greatest lesson Veil has taught us: everyone has a particular ability. Well, the human psyche inevitably works categorically and hierarchically. That is, we separate and define everything, and then we rate it all in terms of what is the best and what is the worst, what is preferred and what is not. We can’t help it. It’s in our nature. It’s reflected in everything in society. Humans operate through hierarchies. They’re inescapable, unavoidable. To argue against hierarchies is to contradictorily employ a hierarchy. That is somebody suggesting that a reality without hierarchy is better than or preferable to a reality with hierarchy. I will be very clear: humans cannot help but to categorize reality and situate its elements hierarchically. That being said, we will eventually start focusing on those human abilities and, once all the various human abilities present themselves and the dust settles, those who master each ability will begin to rise to the top. We already see it happening in the form of Velebrities.”

  “And I think we’re all familiar with Velebrities. I think we can all relate to that. Interesting you bring it up, because it seems so naturally pervasive that I doubt most people question it.”

  “Well, like I said, it’s human nature. It’s not unlike PreVeil when we had celebrities of movies, music, sports, politics and good old journalism. There has always been and will always be a set of people who become known, famous, valued more, what have you, for something in particular. PreVeil, it might not have been because of a person’s ability or aptitude. There was simply something about some celebrities that gripped people. PostVeil, people have become filtered by ability and those who are seen as better at something are shadowed by more people and shadowed more often. That trend will only continue as the pool of Velebrities shrinks. Take the current trend, throw in storage and streaming of neuroelectrical patterns, and you have certain people and experiences—entire lives—that become Veiled repeatedly and in perpetuity. Over time, and we’re talking decades or possibly a century here, these Velebrities will shrink down until there are only a few. By that time, people will have grown up with Veil, and their sense of reality will have been defined by the experiences they receive from Velebrities. I hope I’m making sense, Christiane.”

  “For the most part, you are making sense to me. It reminds me of something I recently read about VeilTracker trends. There was an entry on a cloudsite the other day, Ken. You brought up music earlier on in our interview, and I mentioned I recently read about the trend you mentioned. You suggested someone might actually hear music better than someone else. I came across a young lady who commented on how she didn’t only Veil her favorite musician, but she also Veiled a young gentleman who she felt heard her favorite musician’s music better than she did. She actually liked experiencing her favorite music through someone, through someone else’s ears and mind. She chose this particular young man because she thought the music sounded better through him. She felt he was somehow able to experience it better than her. That’s exactly how she described it. Apparently, he’s known for that and many people Veil him because of it. I must admit Ken, I was stunned. However, I’ve been noticing a string of comments and statements similar to that young girl’s.”

  “Exactly! I couldn’t have used a better example if I tried. People will more and more Veilinquish their own selves to experience life through individuals who they believe are better than them in some way. I realize ‘better’ sounds like such a harsh word and will grate on the ears of your viewers and Veilers, but I use that word intentionally and honestly. I believe that it’s happening, and it will continue to happen. It’s happening because for the reason I’ve proposed: people become exposed to something about someone, and they somehow feel like—Ohhhh wow, that’s soooo much better. Now, follow me for a minute and take that phenomenon, apply it across the board, and fast-forward a hundred years. Try to imagine what the New Veil World looks like if that keeps occurring and, more often than not, every single person is plugged into Veil.”

  “Essentially what you’re saying Ken, if I may put it into layman’s terms, is that we hold in our hands technology that one day could lead to something like we saw in the Matrix movies. Except, unlike the characters in that story, we will be voluntarily plugging ourselves into that world because we’ll think it’s better than the real world. Is that what you’re saying, Ken?”

  “In a way. However, we won’t merely think it’s better than the real world; it will be better than the real world. It will be ultimately seductive, and we would’ve grown up on it, so it will be all we know. Our globally shared reality. Plus, unlike the Matrix, which is a good example and one I use myself, we’re not talking about a programmed artificial reality. We’re talking about the lives and actual experiences of real people: cherished idols, demi-gods, Velebrities. Stored for eternity and accessible to whoever wants them. Entire lives available to be consumed and lived out minute-by-minute and second-by-second in realtime.

  “If you think getting people off the couch and away from television was bad ten years ago, wait until Veil takes a turn for the worse and see how many people are willing to unplug. What if people back then could’ve actually lived as Brad Pitt or Beyoncé? Or LeBron James or Justin Bieber or Rihanna? Or even the Pope or the Dalai Lama? What if they could’ve experienced life itself as their favorite celebrity, be they musicians, movie or TV stars, athletes, spiritual leaders, fitness experts … even porn stars, Christiane.

  “You and I both know how many people would’ve chosen to do what we’re talking about without questioning it. Compared to the decay of television and pop culture of yesterday, the impending Veil Apocalypse would be insidiously and infinitely more seductive and destructive.”

  “Whoa. Well, Ken, you certainly have painted a dire picture and have given us something to think about. I can honestly say I had yet to take my mind far enough to consider such possibilities. I will have to give your prophecy some serious consideration. I will say it’s surprising logic coming from one of the Tsay Trustees.”

  “Christiane, I would be neglect if I was less than honest. That being said, I do think Veil can be a powerful and beautiful thing. I’ve witnessed it myself. This was not meant to be a Veil-bashing session but rather more like a red flag or a danger sign. A Veil Omen, if you will. I think what we are seeing in the New Veil World is an inevitable evolution in humanity, and I hope, if and when we do come out the other side of Veil, we will all find ourselves in a world where we are all equal and we are all one, but we are all wonderfully and individually ourselves.”

  “Thank you for this rare and insightful conversation, Dr. Wise. Although I suspect the opposite is true, I do hope it signifies that we will be hearing more from the revered Tsay Trustees.”

  “I can’t really say either way, but thank you, Christiane. It was a great opportunity and a wonderful discussion.”

  Hunter had to help Suren hold the pen steady enough for her to sign the repeal of The Jin Experience bill, and even then her signature ended up nothing like the usual mark of the Great Widow Tsay. However, Hunter knew that ghastly Suren’s chicken scratch would have to suffice. If the Department of Surveil wanted a better signature, they’d have to co
me use her cold, dead hand to sign the damn thing themselves. He took the document and pen from Suren, placed them back in the drawer, and slid it closed.

  He stared at the crystal knob on the mirrored nightstand, because he couldn’t bear to look at Suren’s face. The longer Hunter looked at her, the more her grim appearance replaced the image of Suren that he held in his mind. Although he wasn’t looking at it, he didn’t take his eyes off the knob and exhaled loudly before he said his peace.

  “I’m sure there are things you want to talk about, things you would say if you had more energy or time. But, I’d rather skip all that shit. Everything that could be said between us has been said, and everything that can be known is already known. If anything, Jin and Ken deserve to be alive more than you and I do, and we’d both trade places with them if we could. If I’m emotional right now, it’s because I’m happy you signed that damn thing, and that you think letting go of streaming doesn’t matter. Now I don’t have to feel guilty about giving it up to get Ken back. Because it was worth it. It was worth every goddamn second. So, if I’m emotional, it has nothing to do with you. I don’t even like you.”

  Suren nodded. Although Hunter’s eyes were still fixed on the drawer, Suren was studying his face as intently as she could through her strained, blurry vision.

  Hunter stood up and fought back a wobble as he reached for his walker. He uttered what he knew would be his last words to the Great Suren Tsay.

  Hunter wasn’t aware of it but when he spoke the words, he was crying. Suren saw the tears and diverted her eyes. She knew he wouldn’t want her to see that.