12-30-2015, 06:54 PM
Matrix opened his eyes after the bright flash, then shook his head as his senses became acclimated to the Dataverse. He was standing in a grassy field, just outside of what appeared to be a small city. AndrAIa and Frisket were short distances away from him, as they had only been spread out a little on their arrival. What he noticed above all, however, was the way everything seemed so much less vivid. The colors were not as vibrant, the slightest movements seemed clunky, and everything felt slightly less real. He could no longer see the individual strands of AndrAIa's hair, nor the fur on Frisket's body. Even his own skin seemed like the detail was now gone from it.
That's when he realized that it all looked familiar, and this was what he was used to. This odd reality that was the Dataverse was, in fact, more like the world he knew. He held his hand up and inspected it more closely, wondering what exactly that meant. Was Mainframe hidden somewhere in the Dataverse? Somehow he didn't think it would be that simple.
He glanced over to AndrAIa, who was inspecting her own hands in the same amazement. She noticed the similarities to their own realm in this techno-world, which was comforting to Matrix. At least he wasn't going crazy. She lowered her hands and looked to her boyfriend, and the two made eye contact.
"Enzo..." AndrAIa rarely uttered Matrix's first name, except on the occasions that she was utterly overwhelmed by something. "This is..."
"I know," Matrix interrupted, since it was obvious their thoughts were aligned. "I couldn't place it until now, but this is more like Mainframe than the rest of the Omniverse."
"What does that mean, though?" AndrAIa asked as she watched Frisket wander around, sniffing the ground and making sure there was nothing in the immediate area. "Are we back in the Net?"
"I was wondering the same thing," Matrix said, as he looked to the settlement before them. "I think we could get a few answers in that place, over there."
AndrAIa looked over as well. There were a few tall buildings, and what appeared to be an ocean on the other side. It all looked pixelated and fake, however, like it was a cheap picture plastered against a wall. Despite how familiar it seemed, she couldn't ignore the oddities of it, and that left her even more concerned. She knew Matrix was right, though, they had to go investigate if they were to figure this out. She glanced up to the sky above them as she continued to take in her surroundings, though, and suddenly gasped.
"Matrix, look!" AndrAIa shouted, and pointed upwards.
Matrix jumped in surprise from his girlfriend's sudden exclamation. His hand instinctively wrapped around the grips of his gun, but he restrained himself from drawing and brandishing it in any particular direction. Instead, he looked up to the direction she was pointing, and his eyes widened in amazement of the sight.
High above them there seemed to see some sort of sky highway. Yellow lines traced in a full circle to shape out what appeared to be a transparent tube, with vehicles and vessels off all sorts traveling in both directions. It was difficult to make out exactly what they were because of how high in the air they were, even with the assistance of his cybernetic eye. What he could tell, however, was that no two crafts were identical.
"This isn't the Net," Matrix announced in awe as he released his weapon, and Frisket barked in agreement.
"You're right," AndrAIa agreed, somewhat deflated and defeated. For just a brief moment, she had thought that their home was in reach. "But it's something like it."
The three of them watched as a stereotypical white rocket ship lifted off from the city before them, flying straight upwards. It entered the transparent tunnel through a well defined gap in the lines. Then, it merged in with all the traffic and took off down the pipe at an incredible speed, quickly disappearing once it did.
"We're gonna need to get on that highway," Matrix realized.
"I agree," AndrAIa said, but then shifted her glance back downwards. "But let's go to the town, first, and get a feel for this place. Maybe even find a guide."
Matrix slowly nodded as they began to take their first steps towards the city. He really didn't like the idea of relying on outside help, but he had to admit that it might be needed. He shook his focus from the sky above, and instead looked to AndrAIa and Frisket, who had gotten more than a few steps ahead of him while he was distracted.
Something was unsettling about the Dataverse. It was foreign, yet familiar all at once. It just added to the mystery of the Omniverse, and he didn't like that. It only made him realize how far they were from getting back to their home.
That's when he realized that it all looked familiar, and this was what he was used to. This odd reality that was the Dataverse was, in fact, more like the world he knew. He held his hand up and inspected it more closely, wondering what exactly that meant. Was Mainframe hidden somewhere in the Dataverse? Somehow he didn't think it would be that simple.
He glanced over to AndrAIa, who was inspecting her own hands in the same amazement. She noticed the similarities to their own realm in this techno-world, which was comforting to Matrix. At least he wasn't going crazy. She lowered her hands and looked to her boyfriend, and the two made eye contact.
"Enzo..." AndrAIa rarely uttered Matrix's first name, except on the occasions that she was utterly overwhelmed by something. "This is..."
"I know," Matrix interrupted, since it was obvious their thoughts were aligned. "I couldn't place it until now, but this is more like Mainframe than the rest of the Omniverse."
"What does that mean, though?" AndrAIa asked as she watched Frisket wander around, sniffing the ground and making sure there was nothing in the immediate area. "Are we back in the Net?"
"I was wondering the same thing," Matrix said, as he looked to the settlement before them. "I think we could get a few answers in that place, over there."
AndrAIa looked over as well. There were a few tall buildings, and what appeared to be an ocean on the other side. It all looked pixelated and fake, however, like it was a cheap picture plastered against a wall. Despite how familiar it seemed, she couldn't ignore the oddities of it, and that left her even more concerned. She knew Matrix was right, though, they had to go investigate if they were to figure this out. She glanced up to the sky above them as she continued to take in her surroundings, though, and suddenly gasped.
"Matrix, look!" AndrAIa shouted, and pointed upwards.
Matrix jumped in surprise from his girlfriend's sudden exclamation. His hand instinctively wrapped around the grips of his gun, but he restrained himself from drawing and brandishing it in any particular direction. Instead, he looked up to the direction she was pointing, and his eyes widened in amazement of the sight.
High above them there seemed to see some sort of sky highway. Yellow lines traced in a full circle to shape out what appeared to be a transparent tube, with vehicles and vessels off all sorts traveling in both directions. It was difficult to make out exactly what they were because of how high in the air they were, even with the assistance of his cybernetic eye. What he could tell, however, was that no two crafts were identical.
"This isn't the Net," Matrix announced in awe as he released his weapon, and Frisket barked in agreement.
"You're right," AndrAIa agreed, somewhat deflated and defeated. For just a brief moment, she had thought that their home was in reach. "But it's something like it."
The three of them watched as a stereotypical white rocket ship lifted off from the city before them, flying straight upwards. It entered the transparent tunnel through a well defined gap in the lines. Then, it merged in with all the traffic and took off down the pipe at an incredible speed, quickly disappearing once it did.
"We're gonna need to get on that highway," Matrix realized.
"I agree," AndrAIa said, but then shifted her glance back downwards. "But let's go to the town, first, and get a feel for this place. Maybe even find a guide."
Matrix slowly nodded as they began to take their first steps towards the city. He really didn't like the idea of relying on outside help, but he had to admit that it might be needed. He shook his focus from the sky above, and instead looked to AndrAIa and Frisket, who had gotten more than a few steps ahead of him while he was distracted.
Something was unsettling about the Dataverse. It was foreign, yet familiar all at once. It just added to the mystery of the Omniverse, and he didn't like that. It only made him realize how far they were from getting back to their home.