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On the Jacket
When Tom Calavero finally came out of his halo-induced lucid dreamstate, it was evening, and he expected to hear from Red Matsui at any time. But his encounter with the weird talking shadow had unnerved him... especially the part where it called him by his real name. No one was supposed to know that, and Tom didn’t like the idea that his Mirror identity might be known outside of him and Stan Barbaretski. And whoever—whatever—that shadow had been, it wasn’t Barbaretski. It clearly hadn’t known who he was until he touched it. He still wasn’t sure exactly what he had encountered, but the mere thought that his identity might have been compromised had left him nervous and troubled.
He called up the news, to pass the time, and was immediately greeted with a long shot of Zenith, rocketing straight up into the sky, from the middle of a wasteland fully sixteen city blocks in diameter.
The voice-over was already in full swing: “Seen here is Zenith, leaving the scene after assisting Colonel Onyx, Cy Herald and Mark Two in destroying six war machines. The machines were clearly patterned after the devices featured in H.G. Wells’ novel War of the Worlds, and resembled early-1900s depictions of the war machines, as opposed to the machines designed for the Steven Spielberg movie of the same name.
“There is no word yet on whether these machines were created for some specific purpose by a Mirror member, or if these are more of the ‘unnatural disaster’ icons, like Gohira, that are part of the Mirror experience. In either case, there is sure to be a backlash on the guilty party, or on Rosetta Mirror, considering the vast amount of damage and loss of property and reflections that have been ascertained at this early date.
“It should be noted that, among the destroyed buildings is one owned by J. Gordon Renquist, a member of the board of directors of Rosetta Mirror. There has been much speculation recently concerning an escalating feud among members of the Rosetta Mirror board, which may be spilling out into the Mirror itself. Could this be proof of such a feud? We spoke to Jack Dawson, noted columnist and—”
A ping sounded, followed by a female voice: “Visitor at the door, identity unknown.” On the monitor, a picture inset showed a security cam shot of the visitor, whom Tom recognized as Red Matsui, standing close by the door.
“TV, mute,” Tom said, as he got up and crossed the living room and foyer to the door. He realized upon opening the door that Red had been looking over his shoulder before the door opened. Red brought his head back around, looked up to Tom, and said, “Hi.”
“Hi, Red. Come on in.” Red stepped inside, a bit hurriedly, and Tom waited to close the door before he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Me?” Red replied, and, instantly realizing what he must have sounded like, shook his head and shrugged. “Sorry... I’m feeling a little paranoid today. Like I’m being watched.”
“That’s what New York is for,” Tom replied lightly, repeating a well-worn joke from a popular movie, in a deliberate effort not to think of the similar experience he’d just had himself. “How about a drink?”
“Sure,” Red said, and Tom led him into the kitchen. After introducing Red to his well-stocked bar, then bringing him into the living room, Tom opaqued the windows to provide a measure of privacy. Red noted this, and it seemed to put him a bit at ease.
“Should I assume,” Tom began, “that no one at Rosetta Mirror knows you’ve come to see me?”
“No, they don’t know,” Red confirmed. “I’m not sure who I can talk to over there... at least right now... so I haven’t spoken to anyone. About this.”
“About what?” Tom prompted.
“Well...” Red took a gulp from his drink before he went on. “I mean, I realize it may sound overly... paranoid. But I think I may be... I think... I’m being framed.”
“Framed? For what?”
“You know... the Dawson reports? I think I’m being set up to be blamed for some of the property damage in the Mirror.”
“Some?”
“The building in the Diranda district,” Red explained. “The one owned by Gata Weiss. The one destroyed by Gohira.”
“Gohira?” Tom frowned in confusion. “But Gohira—okay, wait. Everyone says Gohira is an autonomous entity within the Mirror.”
“Well...” Red shrugged. “Yes, and no. Sort of.”
“Sort of? Are you telling me that Gohira is actually controlled by someone?”
“It can be controlled, “Red admitted. “Not always... it can function autonomously. But there is one person in Rosetta Mirror who can control it directly.”
Tom’s eyes widened. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes. It’s me...”
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As the Mirror Cracks: Reality and fantasy become one
Sim City. Worlds of Warcraft. Second Life. Tron. The Matrix. Examples of Virtual Worlds... places where everything exists inside a computer database and pretends to be real. People become "avatars," and move around in the virtual space the way they do in the real world... more or less. Users become voyuers to their own virtual lives.
Despite today's relatively primitive and limited technology, the idea of being able to live inside a virtual space, and living out the most unattainable fantasies, has an undeniable attraction. Users, unable to wait for a really immersive experience, log into virtual worlds they can only experience through a computer screen. Yet, someday, we may be able to experience a virtual world as if it's the real one, seeing, touching, tasting, and partaking of our unattainable fantasies, as if it's all real.
And when we can "live" in virtual worlds, what will they be like? There's no reason to expect that they won't offer all kinds of exciting possibilities that are beyond real life... otherwise, what would be the point? Opportunities to fight bad guys, to date celebrities, to act out elaborate fantasies or assume fantastic identities... all of these things would attract people to the virtual world.
This is the world of As the Mirror Cracks: Set not that far ahead of our own, when the virtual world known as the Mirror allows users to experience the virtual world through their standard or custom-made avatars, or "reflections," just as they experience the real world. The Mirror proves so popular that it becomes an indispensible part of life, providing distraction, entertainment, and even livelihood, for people around the world. And as it has grown in popularity, it has become a major financial source, strongly influencing the economy of the world.
Not surprisingly, these ideas are not so much the stuff of fantasy as they were once considered. Engineers and scientists are already developing headsets that can tap into a user's brainwaves, allowing them to directly control virtual characters. Tied into visual and aural outputs, these would give the user a much more immersive experience in a virtual world. And if sensory feedback, including sensations of touch, can be added, it may be possible to fool the mind into believing it is actually inside a virtual landscape.
And in virtual spaces like World of Warcraft and Second Life, users trade virtual objects, and even the credit for purchasing those objects, as if they represent actual currency, and initiatives are underway to create a real connection between real and virtual funds. As I write this text, a lawsuit is in the works between a man who wrote programs for "augmented" body parts and "sexual motions" that he sells as accessories for Second Life avatars, and the party whom he claims has stolen and resells his custom programs. As time passes, the objects in virtual worlds are establishing a corresponding real-world value. It's only a matter of time before virtual world objects and currency can be traded on the real-world open market. And when virtual objects and currency are as good as real, there will be a need for insurance, security, and an entire infrastructure to support it all.
If some people have already figured out how to make money in virtual worlds... is there any reason to expect that this wouldn't take off, too? Offering your services to virtual clients could be potentially lucrative, and especially if the virtual currency you earn can be spent in the real world. The possibility for holding a second job in the virtual world... or even a primary job, if it pays well enough... boggles the mind. This, too, will add to the virtual infrastructure... the real world bureaocracy imported into the virtual world.
In time, virtual worlds could easily become tied to real-world fortunes and property, becoming a sort of "alternate universe" where users can live multiple lives and choose which one they spend the majority of their time in. And people's personal finances could become as dependent on their virtual income as their real-world income, maybe moreso, to the extent that its loss could have severe personal and financial consequences.
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Zenith, the greatest hero of the Mirror virtual world |
All of these ideas are explored in As the Mirror Cracks, as the main characters attempt to thwart a plan to bring the Mirror virtual world crashing down. The main character, Tom Calavero, finds himself in a unique situation: Formerly enjoying his experiences in the Mirror as its preminent superhero and ultimate fantasy character, he soon finds that he has a duty to save the virtual world, and the real world along with it. He is aided in the real world, and in the Mirror, by an incredible cast of people and reflections whose experiences in the Mirror have had lasting effects on their lives, good and bad.
But even in a fantasy world, we find that people are still people, whatever masks they hide behind. And we discover that we cannot escape reality. The book's title alludes to the truth of the story:
As the Mirror cracks... so cracks the world.
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Interesting Mirror trivia:
The idea of the Mirror was originally inspired by, and draft-titled as, the Right Brane: Another universe, at "right angles" to our own, in which much is the same, but where almost anything is possible. This seemed the ideal description of an exciting virtual world, and guided the first rough notes of the novel.
When the appropriately-poetic monikers of the "Mirror" and its avatar "reflections" were developed later, they replaced Right Brane as the working title.
In the Mirror, people hobnob with superheroes, date dead celebrities, and duck when creatures like Godzilla turn up to trash the place. Just like real life... but better!
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