Chapter 101: Chapter 79: When Snow Covers the Ridge
"You have to learn to have fun with technology."
Angelica changed into a different Deep Diving Suit.
She raised the dustproof clip in her hand, inside was a collectible-level Chip.
The device connected to the headband.
Angelica continuously modified the parameters and tossed John a matching Plato Deep Diving Suit,
"Put it on."
"Do I have to change clothes just to watch something?"
"You think this is a cheap cinema? I’ll show you something impressive. Neural sensing only tricks your brain, but this thing can make your skin work too, touch amplification... Uh, it’s like being right there, of course, it also prevents your body from overheating."
John hadn’t used the Super Sensing Chip much.
But he had seen it more than once on Sakura Cross Street.
Those wearing players half-naked, convulsing and letting out all sorts of lewd laughs.
John and Angelica each wore a headband, equivalent to a portable playback device, and the machine hanging from the ceiling was a large rendering device.
"Can two people watch it together?"
"Neural synchronization rendering, recorded with two people together too, it’s a new technology that’ll completely revolutionize the Super Sensing Chip market, this copy we have is a private version from the original creator, absolutely top-notch."
"As long as it doesn’t fry my brain."
"You’ll like it."
"Don’t tell me it’s a road movie; I’m sick of driving."
"Shh~"
The device on the ceiling flashed.
[Data link detected]
[Prosthetic body access permission/default]
[Neural sensing syncing, retry, server overclocking attempt, no additional load device...]
A text flashed before John’s eyes.
He was still worried about Black Light going haywire, then everything went black, followed by a bone-chilling cold, smelling the scent of real wood and wild grass.
Crack.
Sparks danced twice.
A kerosene lamp lit up.
Angelica appeared in the tent with him simultaneously.
"F*ck, this face!"
John was a bit puzzled. "The Super Sensing Chip records the repetitive memories of the recorder, did you record this yourself?"
Angelica smiled and shook her head.
"How could it be? Just imported the biographical data of the participant for replacement."
This Chip had an extremely high level of technical content.
It not only recorded the behavior of the recorder but even allowed the audience to play freely.
It’s equivalent to real-time rendering.
[Device: Fallen Net Ap version player (hacked)]
Text flashed before John’s eyes.
His head suddenly felt a bit dizzy.
But Angelica exclaimed in wonder.
"We’re quite lucky today, the system is exceptionally stable, our journey will be perfect."
She took John’s hand and lifted the tent flap.
The sunlight was very dazzling.
This was the recorder’s experiences; John’s prosthetic eye didn’t function, prompting him to reflexively raise his hand to shield, seeing a pair of leather gloves.
After a brief adjustment, he clearly saw the surrounding scenery.
A vast mountainous wilderness in haze.
The dawn mist fluffy, light falling between snow-capped slopes and primeval forests.
The camp was settled beside a moss-covered boulder.
A campfire lay in the dirt, now just a few crackling charred pieces remaining.
"Phew~"
John exhaled vapor, walking to the edge of the cliff.
The mountain wind was chillingly cold, bringing moisture and the scent of grass, inhalation brought a sharp pain from nostrils to the back of his head.
Horses gave a snort.
Angelica invited John to mount the saddle.
"Have you ever tried this kind of vehicle? Relax, let your muscles be controlled by your subconscious."
John complied.
He clenched onto the mount like a pro.
The sound of hoofbeats echoed on the forest path.
The mist visible from the elevated camp was now divided into slanted planes by the tree canopy, indistinguishable whether it was dust or mist swirling and changing.
"Where is this?"
"Old American West, long ago, or rather it never actually existed on Earth, this chip is stitched together from data collected by trekking around different places, it’s like a synthetic VR game, the storyline was recorded by actors dressed in Deep Diving Suits."
Angelica’s prosthetic eye glimmered.
She controlled the terminal and could set parameters.
A country folk tune played from stringed instruments, harmonica mellow, intermixed with intermittent whistling.
John and Angelica rode side by side.
"No wonder the cyber cultists in Eden City have a market; it turns out that watching can truly bring calm."
They crossed the stream flowing after thawing, dead trees shedding icy stalactites, heading upwards along the wide bank, the wind and snow suddenly turned fierce...
John and Angelica waded through the snow.
He felt the bitter cold — in the howling gale, he could only hear his own breathing, yet he felt as if he truly possessed freedom.
Mountains cloaked in white and black.
Two horses.
John felt like an intruder, disturbing the vast, serene natural world.
The journey’s end was a wooden cabin.
Thick fur laid across the floor, the fireplace crackling, the obliterating snowstorm outside transformed into white noise.
"Feeling better?"
Angelica brought him a bowl of thick soup. "It was after watching this film that I started searching for fresh meat."
"Is that so?"
John relaxed his nerves.
His body began following the recorded sequence, lifting the bowl to enjoy.
Scalding, rich, warm.
"The world’s happiness was originally fair, only stolen bit by bit by corporations and tagged with a price."
Angelica laughed. "Maybe someday, I’ll sell all my assets and go hiking."
"In the past, if I heard something like that, I’d probably secretly curse you as an idiot, but now... it makes some sense, though if it were me, I likely wouldn’t have the resolve to go through with it."
John comfortably sprawled in the fur.
An inner and outer relaxation washed over him completely.