I understand that there are individuals born with handicaps, unfortunates who experience debilitating injuries, and others who are left stranded in destitute circumstances. In my eyes, this is no excuse to not do that which you are at least capable of. Neither man nor woman is meant to remain idle for the entirety of their lives. Industry in the form of an occupation for sustenance and shelter, a hobby for self-realization, or nurturing for the needs of a ward, are all potential lifestyles to keep the creeping demoralization of sloth at bay.
When we have no purpose, who are we?
These and other thoughts ran rapidly through my enhanced mind as I worked away at the cave entrance. Such thoughts were broken only by the occasional pause I would make to re-evaluate the closest presence of fissures hidden beneath the surface.
. . . Certainly, there were many flaws to the world I was spending so much time away from. Violent disputes still broke out on the micro and macro scale, illegal and debilitating drugs as well as other vices still existed and were used by the addicted and downtrodden, and human piranhas fed upon those less protected and fortunate in order to satisfy their selfish desires.
Governments were not infallible and were rife with ethical corruption, just as churches and schools did not always adhere to the spirit by which they were organized and designed. However, even my newly enhanced mind was not capable of maneuvering through even a hundredth of a percent the many intricacies involved in the balance of life on earth. To resolve the many issues plaguing our Earth, it would necessitate the valiant, educated, and ethical efforts of a veritable army of protectors.
Such an army however would be waylaid by bureaucratic tape, corrupt lawyers and politicians, as well as misguided sycophants to the news organizations and teachers who promoted propaganda.
Truth is a beautiful and yet terrible thing. Beautiful for the clarity it can bring, and yet terrible for the cost it at times elicits of its bearers as well as the sidelined innocents. Despite the relative peace Earth had been experiencing this past near half century, post WWIII, the undercurrents of perversion and vice were stirring. The obscured waves were so much that even I as a meager patient care technician and unaffiliated college student could recognize them.
It is unfortunate however, that amidst the current state of affairs, my options were limited. All I could do was to put my shoulder to the grind with focused determination, and seek to protect me and mine from the impending fallout.
My life here in the virtual reality appeared vastly different to that of reality. I felt a sense of responsibility yet liberation in my actions here, knowing that it was a burden and endeavor that I willingly took upon myself. I could easily understand the alure that video and virtual reality games provide to the masses who played them. It offers them a sense of control, measurable progress, and achievement too often lacking in their personal lives. I myself was finding great satisfaction in being here, even to the point of wishing that this was my new reality.
To think that upon my first day of arrival, my earliest thought of spending a prolonged amount of time here was dread.
Pausing to look down at my bare hands, I marveled at the many changes that had come over me in the short while I had been here. Previously, I would have had to wear thick and sturdy gloves in order to delay the growth of blisters on my virgin skin. And yet here I was, wielding the previously hefty pickax with ease and chiseling out large chunks of resistant stone.
Taking a moment to wipe away the beading sweat tickling at my eyebrows, I took off the protective goggles to look around. Seeing my staff a short distance away, I decided to take a break from the monotony which was allowing my thoughts to run wild too much.
Finding a relatively stable and flat bit of ground with adequate space around me, I mentally went over my prior training. Gripping my staff in both hands, I began physically performing the routines which I recalled Monroe guiding me through. Once again, I reveled at the clarity and recollection I was able to have with my memories before the assimilation. Small surges of elementally enhanced energy transferred from my core to my arms as they wielded the staff in familiarity and confidence.
This was my routine for the remained of the day, split between breaks under the falls, practicing self-defense routines, and chipping away at the ever-growing cave beside the falls. . .
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As the light of day began waning, I wasted no time in packing everything up and departed this little piece of paradise.
Upon leaving the secluded and now guarded side path to my growing cave, I saw that the majority of the viewing platform had already been vacated with only a few stragglers lingering behind. The patrolmen appeared to be getting anxious and they had begun encouraging those stray remaining visitors to get on their way. I actually ended up not needing to use my carriage summoning token this time as I was able to hitch a free ride with a group of Travelers returning to the marketplace.
They had actually paused on their return from harvesting herbs in the wilds, in order to take in the beauty of Niagara falls. That had to mean that at least one of them met the minimum standard for strength and reliability to leave the premises of the city.
On the return trip, apparently they had seen me leaving the side path and used this as an opportunity to ply me with questions. A particularly cute cat girl with a wildly uncontrolled tail kept brushing up against me, and with too large eyes staring at me with rapt attention. Despite my growing control over my hormones, a different kind of heat began to stir and become attentive at this very physical stimulating contact.
She was like an anime enthusiasts wet dream. It was all I could do to keep my supposedly enhanced mind straight and not give information that Monroe likely did not want them privy to. I admittedly did let slip the presence of the Kraken, but I hoped and believed that such knowledge was commonplace among the city populous. The enraptured widening of the groups’ eyes, as well as the increasingly potent movements of the cat girl left me with a heavy dose of gratification. I had to quickly waylay them with questions about their personal and group quests as well as what they were expecting from their day’s harvest.
Thankfully, my mention of being Victoria’s apprentice in relation to their herb gathering ended all questions about my little path closer to the falls. Instead, they then began inundating me with requests for an in with my ‘eccentric and powerful master’ as they called her. I will admit to considering their request a lot more than I did Steven’s from the patrol. It certainly wasn’t due to the antics of the cat girl.
Soon enough and too soon we had to part ways. I had been able to get away with not making any concrete promises in relation to anything more than an introduction to my master. However, as the cat girl sauntered away, she glanced back and mouthed a “call me” sign before joining the rest of her group.
Oh, the heavens be damned with this temptation! It was additionally not right to make us all look 14 years old!
As my mind struggled with this new convoluted predicament, I stepped inside the shop and joined my teacher for dinner.
Soon enough, after an intentionally cold shower I lay down for the night and fell fast asleep.
* * * * *
The next day followed a pretty similar pattern of studying in the morning and being free for the afternoon after lunch. I actually spent some time meandering more through the marketplace on the second day. No, I was not trying to see if I could find the cat girl again. Honestly!
In any case, I did not see her again and decided to return to the falls for a similar repeat as the prior day.
Eventually I returned back to the shop, ate dinner, and went to bed for the last time before work the next day.
* * * * *
Waking up in the capsule was a doozy for my thoughts. Imagine as if your thoughts had been running at the speed of a race car which hit an expanse of 2 feet deep water. It wasn’t enough to stop it entirely, but it certainly slowed it way down. I almost feared that I was experiencing a stroke at the sudden difference. Making a smile and reaching up my hand to feel both sides of my face, I had to make sure that there was no obvious drooping on one side as such was a tell-tale sign of a stroke or Bell's palsy.
After relieving myself of that fearful possibility, my slowed thoughts had finally come up with the explanation of the altered awareness due to my changes in the VR. I had to shake my head and really give Millennial Enterprises additional props for being able to heighten the cognitive processing to the degree it reached, in addition to the 3 to 1 time ratio difference. I had faith enough in them to believe that their technology would not negatively affect the Travelers’ psyche. Were it to be any other company, I would be having some serious doubts. Although my ever present and cautious side still allowed space for the possibility that even what they did was dangerous, for now, I still acted upon the assumption that they knew what they were doing.
Getting ready for work today was a real chore due to the disconnect from my enhanced body and mind in the VR. With thoughts slowed and a body reduced back to its initial weaker state, I had to get used to the reduced tactile feedback and slower reflexes. It wasn’t nearly this bad with the initial bulk assimilation. Cognitive and sensory enhancements were apparently more of a doozy to lose than strength and flexibility once gotten used to at a higher level.
The entire day felt like a drag with the only consolation being watching some of the antics of the residents, listening to music during transit, and the peaceful time of swimming after my shift.
At work today, I got to watch an impromptu and unwanted show one of my residents put on. It was my turn that night to watch the main room as the others put their residents down for bed first. Most of them were congregated by the TV, watching what was on for the evening. One of the men who I had discovered to be a bit of a horndog was sitting next to one of my lady charges.
The lady had a strong case of dementia to the point that she was would on very rare occasion vocalize something comprehensible, but for the most part she gave off repetitive soft or loud mumbles. She could swing between being a sweet old lady and giving a hefty yet playful? headbutt.
One moment she could be lightly caressing my arm hair saying, “Good dog, . . . good dog.” During which I’d patiently and flatly say “Patricia, I’m not a dog.” She didn’t care and continued her ministrations of my arm hair beside her on the arm cushion. If I ever were to try to re-direct her, she would lower her head and ram it into my sternum, nearly knocking the air out of me. At this current moment, she was kind of shivering and shaking, not from cold I believe as she appeared to be trying to take her clothes off.
The male horndog resident on the side lines was cheering her on to which she became more animated in pulling her shirt off. With a roll of my eyes, I stopped her actions and resecured her clothes. The thanks I got was a sort of sideways headbutt from her before she settled down again. The man who was cheering her on, gave me a look of great disappointment to with I glared lightly back. He returned his attention to the TV.
Haha! The dementia unit is never without entertainment. Laughing to myself multiple times on the way home at the recalled scene, I shook my head and focused on what to do next.
It wasn’t long before I finished swimming laps in the pool, had cleaned up, and was back in the capsule to return to my bed above Victoria’s shop.