Xun thumbed through the first few pages of the dossier on his desk, looking it over with an uncharacteristic level of enthusiasm. His virtual workspace was decorated much more elaborately now, with several large modernist art pieces adorning the walls. In front of him were six screens displaying the faces of Dòngnéng project managers. “Well,”…
2.1.1
The crowded auditorium was quiet; focused, fixated on the words that Vincent Parrish had composed for the occasion. Slightly left of center stage, the speaker’s presence was elevated by the soft spotlight that fell upon him. He purposefully allowed the silence to extend a few seconds past the people’s expectation. Then, he continued his speech.…
2.1.0
Walking down a bustling city sidewalk, Max caught herself inadvertently humming the melody of a repetitious pop song that had recently hit the top of the charts. If she hadn’t been so focused, she might have wondered if the record companies had finally found a way to broadcast directly into people’s minds. She passed a…
2.0.3
“Jiang? Mr. Jiang Xun? Can you hear-” “Yes Mei,” Xun replied, “I’m here. What is it?” “Ms. Chen has requested an update on your review of the quarterly earnings report…” “…I’m sorry Mei, Ms. Chen must have misspoke.” “No sir, she explicitly said your name. I apologize for any inconvenience this brings you.” “Maybe Táng…
2.0.2
“What do you think is better,” Fey asked, stretched out comfortably across the large bed, “virtual sex or the real thing?” Vince rotated his body slightly to the right. “This feels like a trick question.” “No, seriously.” “Well,” he said turning his body back, “a month ago I would have said you can’t beat the…
2.0.1
“There she is – have a seat champ!” Ji-hye motioned to an open chair next to her at the cafe table. Jean took a sip of a posh-looking beverage, his attention fixed elsewhere. “Heh,” muttered Max as she sat with her friends. “Thanks.” “So did you get your test scores back?” “Yeah,” said Max, letting…
2.0.0
“Over the last twenty-four hours, industry experts have been quick to label this as some kind of publicity stunt. What are your thoughts Shay?” “All signs seem to point to that Ayize. In the past Parallel has established a reputation for some unconventional, even controversial reveals of their software and hardware updates. Though this is…
Part 2 Teaser
“What is it you want Xun?” He paused. Then, for a moment, tightened his grip on the old phone receiver. “I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin. I want to know what passion is.” His typically colorless voice took on a hint of…
1.2.3
In a place that much resembled Times Square, though nearly ten times as busy, thousands of heads looked upward at the spectrum of screens lining the buildings overhead. The news reports, advertisements, and televised entertainment all unexpectedly flickered in and out in unison, and were replaced with a countdown clock that began ticking down from…
1.2.2
“Hey Stefano, it’s Vince. I hate to send a message like this rather than talk with you directly, but your secretary said you’re in meetings all day. I’ve had some time to think over your offer and, well – I appreciate you keeping me in the loop, but… I don’t think its a good fit…