The Interface

Image by Meryl Katys from Pixabay“Before you go in, we should mention the interface.”

The Felori’s mouthparts couldn’t form English words, and their ears didn’t pick up human frequencies. Negotiations had to be virtual.”

“Not a pair of glasses, I take it?”

“No, filaments connect directly to your nervous system. Entirely immersive, and you can manifest objects. You get thirsty? Boom. Mountain Dew.”

“Or a pen and contract? Maybe a desk?.”

“Of course. That’s why you’re the negotiator. Now, step this way, please.”

Tracy opened up the inner door and Sarah stepped inside. The room hummed with color. The far wall was a window into the Felori leader’s chamber. They bowed to each other, then she lay down on the platform.

Immediately, colorful filaments extruded from the walls and ceiling by the thousands. The Interface. “Only a tingle,” she said nervously, and closed her eyes.

The room was gone. They were in a field of alien flowers. Sarah bowed again. “On behalf of The President of the—”

“Do you want to live?” the Felori said.

It took her a moment to recover. “The instinct for survival is only one commonality between our two peoples—”

“This is not a negotiation, it is an invasion. It took fourteen milliseconds to read your entire consciousness, and another six to replace it. In two minutes, our operative will wake up and send your president in to conclude talks. You are now superfluous. Would you like to remain in this artificial environment, or would you prefer we terminate your subroutine?”

For a moment, she considered manifesting an Abram’s Tank behind the Felori. “I want to live,” she said, and the Felori disappeared.

She looked around. Time passed faster here. How long would it take her to figure out how to use the printer connected to this simulation?

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