The pretty rep shakes her head. “Yes, some people find it a bit unnerving at first, but, trust me, you’ll hardly notice it after the second or third time. Would you like me to do it for you?”
I imagine her lifting the bug-like Vertix onto my neck, programming it to strangle me. “No, thanks, that’s okay.”
The rep nods and steps back, walking over to the mother and toddler. The little girl starts to cry as the leg-like sensors touch her neck and she tries to escape her mother’s lap. The rep is faster though and she grabs the little girl and holds her in place as another rep places the blue Vertix onto the girl’s neck. I watch as the girl flinches and cries out in pain, but then her light brown eyes grow cloudy and her rigid little body falls limp against her mother.
All around me, I suddenly hear sharp gasps as the Vertix attaches. I knew the Vertix was an invasive device, but this is sick.
Beside me, Sarah’s hands grip the table and she inhales a choked breath. I see the light pink Vertix glued to her neck, the once jittering sensors now submerged deep in her flesh. Thin rivulets of blood race down her skin, snaking along her vertebrae and disappearing down her back.
A cold shiver courses through my body, making my hair stand on end. What is happening?
“Do you need assistance?” Brad asks, suddenly directly in front of me.
“I…I’m not sure I want to do this,” I admit, pushing back in my chair.
“It’s going to be fine,” Brad reassures. “Trust me. Put it on your neck.”
I look around at everyone seated. All of them are staring at me blankly, colorful H2s all implanted successfully on their necks. It's like they’ve been brainwashed. My heart rate speeds up as fear grips my stomach. “I want to leave,” I whisper, pushing back further in my chair, but the feet are stopped and when I turn around, another rep is staring down at me.
“It’s an incredible experience,” Brad says, his expression brightening. “And you’ve already paid for it. Just try it. If you still don’t like it, we will give you a twenty-five percent refund.”
I can feel the rep behind me grip the back of my chair and I realize he’s sliding me forward, back to the table. The copper device still whirs in my hands, the green light seeming to grow brighter and brighter. A cool breeze grazes my neck and I stiffen as the rep pulls my hair away from my neck, depositing the heavy bulk onto my chest.
“Have fun,” he whispers in my ear before stepping back.
Brad is still staring at me, waiting for me to follow his instructions. With shaking hands, I lift the copper Vertix to the back of my neck, wincing as the searching sensors brush my fingers. It’s going to be fine, you’re going to be fine. I breathe through gritted teeth. Just do it for a minute, then they’ll let you go.
The device slips from my sweating fingers and lands with a solid thud onto the back of my neck. Involuntarily, my hands grip the smooth edge of the table and I close my eyes, anticipating the sharp pain I witnessed everyone else endure to make the connection. The bug-like legs dance atop my skin, settling into place. Then, without a sound, the sensors still and then plunge into the soft skin on either side of my spinal cord.
My eyes flash open and my fingers stiffen into claws as a burst of pain washes over me. I can feel the sensors inside my body reaching for some unknown destination. A moment later, all four seize upon my brain stem and the H2 deepens its hold. My vision blurs and an eerie blue light spins and swirls as the Vertix infiltrates my brain.
The connection has begun.
The initial pain to connect has started to subside and both my mind and body feel weightless as I drift through a sea of exploding yellows and vivid blues. I’m gliding, flying, soaring, racing forward, propelled faster and faster by an invisible force. My hair blows back and the cool air teases my scalp. It feels like a roller coaster. One second I’m coasting and then the next I’m shooting up and up with no end in sight. The feeling is amazing, unlike anything I’ve felt before.
I inhale deeply. The strange coaster drops me and a choked scream sticks in my throat as my stomach leaps out of my body. I am about to slam into the ground when the wind catches me and the dancing colors are bleached to a gentle ivory. I look around. I’m surrounded by the soft color as far as I can see.
Welcome, user, to the Vertix H2, a smooth, velvety voice whispers in my mind. Please state your name.
“Maggie Stone,” I say aloud. Immediately the colors return, soft pastels mixing with brighter, bolder prime colors in a battle Jackson Pollock would envy.
Welcome, Maggie, the same voice greets. The Vertix H2 is unlike any device you’ve ever used before. With stunning visual effects and the intelligence to learn, the Vertix H2 can take you anywhere, show you anything. The only limit is your imagination.
“How?” I whisper.
The Vertix H2 works by infiltrating the brain stem and injecting transmitters into the occipital lobe, the voice replies. This is only possible through the connection. The longer a user wears the Vertix H2, the stronger the connection and the more familiar the program will be regarding your preferences. This device learns as it goes. You will never be bored. You will never be alone.
“What do I do now?” I ask, getting lost in the ribbon of movement weaving itself across an ever-changing gradient of color.
Simply state a destination, site, app, tool, or program and I shall bring you there, the voice says hypnotically.
“Wall Art,” I whisper, thinking about one of my favorite apps.
The swirling rainbow of colors freeze and now I’m standing in an art gallery. Countless picture frames of every shape and size stretch before me, even ones large enough to walk into. I focus on one, eager to see what will happen next.
The frame is made from beautiful polished ebony, the four corners clean and straight. It’s about the size of a movie poster and depicted within the confines of the frame is a photo of my friend, Dorianna, from college. She and I danced ballet together and this frame holds a still shot of her leaping into the air, her long auburn hair flying behind her like a dark sail.
The photograph is moving, rippling as if it was submerged underwater. I reach out and run my hand through the invisible layer separating myself from the photo and my hand disappears up to my wrist.
“What in the world?” I gasp, withdrawing my hand from the photograph. Curious, I stick my hand into the frame again, feeling cool air on the other side. “This is crazy.”
“Okay. Here goes!” I move into the photograph, pulling myself up over the barrier that is the frame. At last my face breaks through the clear portal and my jaw drops.
I’m standing on the edge of the stage in a theater. “This is impossible,” I whisper as a trio of dancers twirl by. Dorianna is one of them, dressed in a gold-sequined top and tiny black shorts, her wild mane flying behind her. Above me, speakers blare an old song by Sia.
One of the other girls leaps toward me and I duck out of the way, but it doesn’t matter. The girl passes right through me, as if I were nothing more than a shadow. Dorianna rolls her shoulders back and almost touches the ground with the top of her head. As the music builds, she rolls onto her side, kicking her leg into the air, and throws herself into a graceful leap as Sia hits her high note.
Here the video freezes, returning the living, breathing Dorianna back to her former two-dimensional self. I’m standing outside the picture frame again, staring at the still photograph as if nothing happened.
“This is amazing!” I squeal. This is spectacular! I can relive photos!
I explore three more captured memories. I watch with my friend Nicole while her son blows out his birthday candles, chase bubbles with a four-year old Sarah in a throwback memory, and even step back into a photo of my own, kissing my old cat, Kit Kat, one last time. As I enter each new memory, a wave of happiness picks me up and carries me farther and farther. I can’t remember the last time I felt so much love, so much joy. As I lie beside Kit Kat and stroke her chestnut tiger stripes, I can’t remember why I
was so against the Vertix. It’s incredible. I never want to go back to the real world.
A bright blue light suddenly pulls my attention away from my cat and the memory ends. In the corner of my gallery is a flashing blue light, getting brighter by the second. I try to move toward it, but it doesn’t seem to be reachable. Then I realize I can see the ten-year-old boy from before sitting across from me.
What’s happening? I squeeze my eyes shut. The boy disappears into a shadow, but I can still see the photo gallery stretched out before me. I focus on the boy with difficulty. All I want to do is dive back into the posted memories. A dark shape appears behind the boy and I recognize the rep with the ponytail. She pauses her stride and touches his neck and I watch him slump forward, shaking his head. He’s waking up.
The rep continues, pausing behind an older man next to the boy to touch his neck. The man blinks several times, then reaches up and withdraws a dull orange H2 from his neck.
Oh no, they’re disconnecting everyone from their Vertix!
I turn to the left and see Sarah’s profile, her light pink Vertix still secured in her skin. Maybe I have some more time. Maybe those people requested to be disconnected.
Desperate to chase away my fear, I leap into another poster-sized frame, eager to recapture that light happiness once more. I land in a beautiful chapel. My friend Megan and her fiancé are staring at one another at the front of the church. She looks like Cinderella in her gorgeous white ball gown. The minister finishes his piece and Megan leans in to kiss her fiancé for the first time as his wife.
“I think she’s the last one,” a deep voice says, pulling me out of the memory. I turn away from the newly married couple and see a dark silhouette to my left.
“Good, shut her down. We’re at twenty-seven minutes. We need to get a new group in here,” another voice says.
A second later, I feel pressure on my neck as one of the Yeti reps shuts down my Vertix, ending my connection. The memory of my friend dissolves, melting away like a Popsicle in the sun. Now all I can see is the large room Brad led us to and the bright blue light I saw standing in the gallery. They must have turned it up, using the light like a signal or beacon.
“Welcome, everyone,” Brad says, his voice too loud. “Welcome to the future.” A few people clap, but most are too busy rubbing their eyes or massaging their necks.
Blinking against the strange shift in realities, I reach up and pull the Vertix off my neck. The clinging sensors release their hold, easily sliding out from beneath my muscles. A fresh bubble of blood bursts, running down my neck until my crimson shirt absorbs it. At least the blood blends. Without the Vertix, my neck feels naked and I miss the weight. The tips of my fingers brush the back of my neck and I wince. “Ow, what is that?”
Andy leans over and inspects my neck. “It’s only a little blister. See, I got one too.” He twists his neck to show me a shiny red circle decorating the base of his neck.
“That was incredible!” Sarah claps. “So much better than the first generation. I was completely immersed, but I could still see and hear everything around me! Totally worth the wait! What did you see, Andy?”
“Truthfully, I didn’t really know where to start.” Andy laughs. “I wanted to check out the picture definition so I went to Rennit and started a movie. It was so sick! I put on that new action movie. Sar, I was like, in the movie! I could smell the fuel and feel the space rocks between my fingers. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!”
“Right! I told you this was going to be worth it!” Sarah cries, her slate gray eyes shining. She looks down at the light pink Vertix in her palms as if she’s holding a newborn baby. “I traveled to the Caribbean and laid on the beach. I half-expected to have a sunburn. What about you, Mags?”
I open my mouth to reply but Brad’s voice cuts me off. “I hope everyone is satisfied with the Vertix H2. The installation process is now complete. You can all turn in your iJewels for additional credit once you exit the room.”
Everyone around me stands up, leaving their chairs haphazardly askew around the table. The little girl reaches for her mother, but when she leans down to pick her up, the toddler pushes her away, reaching instead for her purse where the blue Vertix is sticking out.
“Come on, Mags. I want to get another drink,” Sarah calls, already several feet away from the table.
Cradling the Vertix to my chest, I push my chair back in and follow them out. “What does he mean a credit?” I ask once I catch up. “Doesn’t the Vertix function the same way as the iJewel? Will they add credit to my monthly bill?”
“Do you need assistance?” a rep asks. I recognize the guy who stood behind me earlier.
“Um, I guess so. What was Brad talking about? How much can I get off my next bill if I turn in my iJewel?” I ask, unhooking my rose gold watch.
The rep, Grayson his name tag reads, shakes his head. “With the H2, you don’t get a monthly bill,” he explains.
“Really? That’s cool! I thought the price was a bit steep but if that’s all I have to pay I—”
“No, no,” Grayson says, shaking his head harder. “Rather than measuring usage by data and charging you overage fees, the Vertix has a sophisticated program that anticipates future usage based on your current habits and charges your account in advance. The Vertix is constantly evolving, tracking your data consumption so if you suddenly stop connecting, the Vertix will adapt and credit your account the difference. It eliminates the need to physically come to the store and gives you peace of mind that the so-called bill is already taken care of.”
“Didn’t you hear all of this during the installation, Mags?” Andy asks.
I shake my head. “No, when did they go over it?”
“If you utilized the toolbar at the top of the screen, there was an informational tutorial,” Grayson says.
“But what if I don’t link my account to the Vertix?” I ask.
The rep shrugs. “It’s already been taken care of. When you paid using Enyo, all the information stored on the iJewel hard drive mapped over to the Vertix. Now you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Okay.” I laugh. I kind of want to outwit him. “But what if I don’t have any money in my account?”
“If the Vertix scans the account and finds that funds are below the minimum threshold, it will shut down. Then you’ll need to deposit more money into your account and the H2 will resume connection when you can afford the luxury.”
My cheeks redden and I look away. “I have money, I was just asking,” I mumble.
“Of course,” Grayson says with a nod. “This technology allows us to remain on top of billing. It’s a nice improvement from the previous method. Too many accounts became delinquent and Yeti was unable to collect.”
“So how much does the Vertix charge if you use it every day?” I pose.
“It depends on the user,” he answers. “If you use it a few times a day and are consistent, the Vertix will identify the pattern and charge accordingly. What are the last four digits of your social security number and your last name?” He withdraws his Torch from his back pocket, typing something into the white search box.
“Stone, eight-eight-seven-zero,” I rattle off.
Grayson is silent for a moment and then nods. “Okay, Stone, Margaret. So, if the Vertix was to scan the current data from your iJewel usage, it would charge you $180 a week. And it will scan every Monday around seven a.m. Does that help?” he asks, running his fingers through the front of his hair, fluffing the reddish tips upward.
“Yeah, that’s much better than I expected,” I admit, exhaling in relief.
“Excellent. So did you guys want to turn in your iJewels for credit toward the first scanning cycle?” Grayson asks.
“Andy, I want to get back out there,” Sarah whines, motioning to where the celebration rave continues.
“We’re good,” Andy says, gesturing to Sarah. “Are you coming, Mags?”
I run my thumb over the quiet iJewel screen and my eyes r
oam appreciatively over the beautiful rose gold wristband. I’ve already spent so much money upgrading to the Vertix. It would be silly not to save some where I can. But the thought of parting with my iJewel makes me sad. I’ve only had it for a few months.
I can feel Sarah glaring at me, silently shouting for me to hurry up. “If I don’t turn it in now, can I still turn it in later for the credit?” I ask, clipping it back onto my wrist.
“Sure,” the rep replies. “That deal is always available. Do you guys need anything else?”
Andy seizes the opportunity to take control of the conversation and steps in front of me, subtly hinting that I shouldn’t ask any more questions. “Nope, we’re all set. Thank you so much for your time,” he says with a firm nod. “Let’s go, girls.” He nudges me with his elbow and picks Sarah up, hoisting her over his shoulder and tickling her sides.
I smile weakly and follow them back out into the hectic circus, my copper Vertix clutched tight. I hope they don’t plan on staying very long. I watch as my brother nuzzles my roommate’s neck and whispers in her ear, and wonder if they wish they were alone as much as I wish they were. I’m like a monster wheel pretending to fit on a tandem bike.
“So, what’s the plan now? Are you guys going to head home?” I glance down at my iJewel. “Time,” I command. Ten past one. It’s not late. Before I buckled down, Sarah and I would stay out until dawn some nights, but for some reason, being surrounded by the heart-racing activities and thousands of people no longer appeals to me, not when I can see whatever and whoever I want with the Vertix.
“Nah, I promised Sar one more drink and I still wanted to try out some of the stations,” Andy answers, wrinkling his nose in Sarah’s direction as he wraps his arm around her.
“Yeah, Mags!” Sarah grins. “Didn’t you want to try out that picture frame place?”
I shake my head, confident that station depicted the new Wall Art app the Vertix offers. I already tried it. Why stand in line when I can try it again from the comfort of my apartment? “No, I’m pretty tired. I’ve got an early meeting tomorrow so I should get some sleep.” I fake a small yawn.
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