58 Chapter 58 (1/2)
Chapter 58
”What exactly is going on?” James sat back, drink in hand, watching the developer before him. The man's eyes were filled with amusement, and James had a sickening feeling that Xander considered life itself, and the lives of everyone around him, as merely part of a larger game. Was he one of the ones who believed reality was merely a simulation?
”We live in an exciting time James.” Xander waved a hand to fill up his drink, before taking a long sip. ”Technology is the most advanced it has ever been, and mankind is constantly moving forward.”
James sat quietly and took a drink, waiting for Xander to continue. He was sure the developer was the type that enjoyed long, monolog-
”-However, technology can only do so much, and mankind has discovered a few truths that they cannot fight against. First, you cannot cure mortality. Second, there is no magic in the world.”
Xander took another sip, letting the words hang in the air. One would think what Xander had just told James was common sense, but James knew many people still clung to religious beliefs, even when science disproved such things at every turn. People would do whatever they could to lessen the harshness of reality. Hell, that was part of why immersion technology was as popular as it was.
”Now, what if I told you both of those truths, those laws, could be broken?” Xander said the words slowly, his eyes watching James expectantly.
”That's not-”
”Possible? You are correct, in a sense. The human body is finite, from the moment of conception, our time is limited. But what if there were a way to advance further, a way to free ourselves from the shackles of our flesh?”
”Then, we could live forever?”
”Exactly.” The developer had a large grin on his face as he took a drink. Where was he going with this? What did James's parents have to do with all of this? What did Rue have to do with all of this?
”Now, obviously mankind has been seeking for a way to free itself from the cruel fate of time since our evolution. However, now, we are the brink of a breakthrough.”
”What does this have to do with DCO?” James really wasn't sure what Xander was rambling on about. These were not matters a 17 year old really cared about. James really just wanted his life to go back to being simple, where all he had to worry about was whether Dwight was going to beat him up when he showed up at school, and how he would repay the bully in DCO. Simple things.