’So bright…’
Impossibly green grass spread before her, all the way to the expansive lake. Still waters reflected Dalmatian mountains in the distance, the king in height standing before its smaller brethren as snow hid most of the dark rock. A breeze struck the field, causing water to ripple and the vibrant blades to turn into ocean waves. This was her favorite part.
How would it feel though? Did the wind compare at all to the small gusts of the AC units? What about the smells? What did grass smell like? What would it feel like to reach those mountains and touch “snow?”
”Preparing Zoid model: Blade Liger. 20%...40%......80%....preparing load out, code: XX101. Inserting into simulation…”
Voices managed to probe through the headgear ever so slightly. Somewhere in the ether the people worked, causing her world to shimmer and distort. Though the girl’s body rose she remained acutely aware of the lack of force: elevators held more effect than the sudden appearance of her “Zoid.” A screen and console manifested, further blocking her view and turning that moment of nature into little more than a pixelated image. Fingers rolled around the joysticks of the chair she sat in, eyes watching the replicas perform the same feat within this illusionary world.
”Uploading formation…”
Words flittered in and out of focus for her, ears curious and yet eyes focused on the beautiful delusion before her. What would it be like to walk in that field of grass?
”Are you ready Alice? Alice?”
”Yes…”
Her voice sounded faraway though whether due to the muffling of the gear or her wandering mind the girl couldn’t rightly choose. The large earmuffs certainly didn’t help, their voice coming through the communication system within the helmet.
”We need you to concentrate Alice. These tests are very important.”
Were they? They never struck her as particularly important. What did defeating ghostly visages accomplish? The test conductors went so far as to pair her up with different zoids each time, though there seemed to be some sort of set rotation as some of the opponents never came up as options on the roulette. She wouldn’t mind testing out one of those ones with the gun tails or even one of the fliers. ’Then again…’ Swimming beneath the surface in a Warshark might’ve made for an interesting time as well, or even the water itself. So far due to limitations she’d only fought them in desert simulations.
A loud buzzing noise jarred the girl’s senses back as they began the test. True to the harsh landing of zoids and firing of shells the scenery lost any final traces of peacefulness. Water flew into the air with reckless abandon, clumps of grass fleeing to different spots on the battlefield as claws left marks in the dirt. A symphony of roars rang out as reptiles and mammals waged war against her, declaring their challenges and soon crying out for forgiveness. Whenever one of the enemies pounced or even a bullet struck the fantasized Blade Liger, her chair would jitter and jolt – she supposed according to the harshness of the blow. Each time her mind compared it to times past: where one zoid might prove sturdier another held the advantage of a swift recovery or better chance to avoid it as long as she reacted in time. However sometimes the sturdier ones proved a little more unwieldy in her hands, the girl often frustrated by their inability to move according to her whims.
The fantastical beast roared in victory as the leg of a foe hit the water, eyes fascinated with the undulating movements of the surface even as spray jumped for joy…or fright. They always got mad at her when she tried to replicate these moments in a sink, complaining about the inevitable mess.
”Very good Alice, you may remove the headset now.”
Men in dark uniforms would escort her back to her room while the ones in white robes would chatter amongst each other, analyzing everything in depth as they usually did after these tests or…anything really. Those people really liked talking with one another and ever minutia of detail might hold the utmost important data. The ones in dark rarely spoke to her at least, and even with one another often stuck with concise, purely business-like statements. Occasionally – on rare – moments of freedom she might catch them conversing a little more casually, but she hadn’t yet figured out why these instances existed.
Inside her room sat one of the few people the girl cared to properly interact with, the bubbly blond bouncing a little where she sat on Alice’s bed. Had it been surprise at the door suddenly opening? Alice found it hard to decipher, mind blindly grasping at other possibilities and settling for her first idea in the end.
”How did testing go?”
”Okay. The wave might’ve died a little slower today, but I didn’t trip up in this one as much as last time’s choice. Then again I suppose four legs tends to be a little easier to wield than two…”
Silence enveloped the room as the girl walked to the sink in her room and washed her hands: by the end of the tests a small residue of sweat always built up. She supposed it fair as it happened during exercises and as the tests tended to cause adrenaline rushes and increased blood pressure…but other thoughts stole her attention. Piercing yellow eyes shot into those soft, green ones and thin, black eyebrows narrowed. She didn’t miss the way the woman swallowed thickly, nervousness gripping her as the child asked, ”What is grass like?”
” ‘Grass?’ “ the blond squeaked, blinking a few times as the question properly clicked, ”Oh! Grass!” The realization brought about a small flurry of giggles, a hand delicately curling in front of her mouth in a gesture Alice couldn’t fully comprehend. It seemed instinctual. A smile spread across her guest’s face though, features softening in a way Alice always appreciated and she soon found herself sitting next to the woman in the white coat.
The woman’s face screwed up for a moment, frowning as she sought the words before things smoothed out aside for a small crease between her eyebrows, ”It’s…hmm…it’s a bit odd to describe honestly…grass is…sometimes soft…and sometimes kind of scratchy? Yes, it’s odd like that since it can change depending on how much water it receives, the type, and I’m afraid other things I don’t know. But it’s color can vary too depending on similar reasons! Sometimes it’s really short and other times it can go as high as people’s hips and ribcages! Err…at least…I think that’s still grass?” Again she frowned in thought, not entirely sure, ”Though…as long as it’s not too dry it can be really nice to lie on and stare at clouds or the stars, or can sometimes feel cool to lay on in the shade when it’s hot out. Erm-“
”What does it smell like? Sound like?” Alice interrupted, watching as she struggled to find more ways to describe it.
”Well it’s a distinct smell, especially when you freshly cut it…though…I’m afraid I don’t know how to describe it. Tart maybe? Bitter? It’s very recognizable at any rate. Mmm it rustles very nicely when wind blows through it as long as it’s long enough and I do enjoy the way it can crunch under my feet…” Alice watched as her eyes closed, legs stretching out as she likely delved into her most recent memory of touching it.
Processing this information – even the lackluster smell knowledge – curiosity took a firm grip of her. It almost choked her throat, the question croaking a little as her eyebrows knit in concerned questioning, ”When will I get to experience ‘grass?’ “
”Oh…sweetie!” Arms wrapped around the small girl, one hand cradling her pitch black lockes, ”I know…I know it’s not fun here. I know it’s no fun being cooped up in this room…but…it’ll be a little while yet before you get to see real grass. We need to be sure your body is ready for the world and can handle things it might throw at you. I want you to experience the world, but I don’t want to see you suffer for it either…but…” here she pulled away from Alice, watery eyes locking with unsure gold, ”I will do my darndest to be there when you get to see and feel and smell grass for yourself for the first time! And snow too! I promised to teach you how to make a snowball after all! It might be locked behind a few more rounds of immunizations, but I’m sure that day will come!”
Another thing to add to her list of things to “look forward to someday.” Clouds, sky, and so many other “trivial” things sat upon it, and yet unlike the other scientists this woman never made the girl feel silly about it.
Impossibly green grass spread before her, all the way to the expansive lake. Still waters reflected Dalmatian mountains in the distance, the king in height standing before its smaller brethren as snow hid most of the dark rock. A breeze struck the field, causing water to ripple and the vibrant blades to turn into ocean waves. This was her favorite part.
How would it feel though? Did the wind compare at all to the small gusts of the AC units? What about the smells? What did grass smell like? What would it feel like to reach those mountains and touch “snow?”
”Preparing Zoid model: Blade Liger. 20%...40%......80%....preparing load out, code: XX101. Inserting into simulation…”
Voices managed to probe through the headgear ever so slightly. Somewhere in the ether the people worked, causing her world to shimmer and distort. Though the girl’s body rose she remained acutely aware of the lack of force: elevators held more effect than the sudden appearance of her “Zoid.” A screen and console manifested, further blocking her view and turning that moment of nature into little more than a pixelated image. Fingers rolled around the joysticks of the chair she sat in, eyes watching the replicas perform the same feat within this illusionary world.
”Uploading formation…”
Words flittered in and out of focus for her, ears curious and yet eyes focused on the beautiful delusion before her. What would it be like to walk in that field of grass?
”Are you ready Alice? Alice?”
”Yes…”
Her voice sounded faraway though whether due to the muffling of the gear or her wandering mind the girl couldn’t rightly choose. The large earmuffs certainly didn’t help, their voice coming through the communication system within the helmet.
”We need you to concentrate Alice. These tests are very important.”
Were they? They never struck her as particularly important. What did defeating ghostly visages accomplish? The test conductors went so far as to pair her up with different zoids each time, though there seemed to be some sort of set rotation as some of the opponents never came up as options on the roulette. She wouldn’t mind testing out one of those ones with the gun tails or even one of the fliers. ’Then again…’ Swimming beneath the surface in a Warshark might’ve made for an interesting time as well, or even the water itself. So far due to limitations she’d only fought them in desert simulations.
A loud buzzing noise jarred the girl’s senses back as they began the test. True to the harsh landing of zoids and firing of shells the scenery lost any final traces of peacefulness. Water flew into the air with reckless abandon, clumps of grass fleeing to different spots on the battlefield as claws left marks in the dirt. A symphony of roars rang out as reptiles and mammals waged war against her, declaring their challenges and soon crying out for forgiveness. Whenever one of the enemies pounced or even a bullet struck the fantasized Blade Liger, her chair would jitter and jolt – she supposed according to the harshness of the blow. Each time her mind compared it to times past: where one zoid might prove sturdier another held the advantage of a swift recovery or better chance to avoid it as long as she reacted in time. However sometimes the sturdier ones proved a little more unwieldy in her hands, the girl often frustrated by their inability to move according to her whims.
The fantastical beast roared in victory as the leg of a foe hit the water, eyes fascinated with the undulating movements of the surface even as spray jumped for joy…or fright. They always got mad at her when she tried to replicate these moments in a sink, complaining about the inevitable mess.
”Very good Alice, you may remove the headset now.”
Men in dark uniforms would escort her back to her room while the ones in white robes would chatter amongst each other, analyzing everything in depth as they usually did after these tests or…anything really. Those people really liked talking with one another and ever minutia of detail might hold the utmost important data. The ones in dark rarely spoke to her at least, and even with one another often stuck with concise, purely business-like statements. Occasionally – on rare – moments of freedom she might catch them conversing a little more casually, but she hadn’t yet figured out why these instances existed.
Inside her room sat one of the few people the girl cared to properly interact with, the bubbly blond bouncing a little where she sat on Alice’s bed. Had it been surprise at the door suddenly opening? Alice found it hard to decipher, mind blindly grasping at other possibilities and settling for her first idea in the end.
”How did testing go?”
”Okay. The wave might’ve died a little slower today, but I didn’t trip up in this one as much as last time’s choice. Then again I suppose four legs tends to be a little easier to wield than two…”
Silence enveloped the room as the girl walked to the sink in her room and washed her hands: by the end of the tests a small residue of sweat always built up. She supposed it fair as it happened during exercises and as the tests tended to cause adrenaline rushes and increased blood pressure…but other thoughts stole her attention. Piercing yellow eyes shot into those soft, green ones and thin, black eyebrows narrowed. She didn’t miss the way the woman swallowed thickly, nervousness gripping her as the child asked, ”What is grass like?”
” ‘Grass?’ “ the blond squeaked, blinking a few times as the question properly clicked, ”Oh! Grass!” The realization brought about a small flurry of giggles, a hand delicately curling in front of her mouth in a gesture Alice couldn’t fully comprehend. It seemed instinctual. A smile spread across her guest’s face though, features softening in a way Alice always appreciated and she soon found herself sitting next to the woman in the white coat.
The woman’s face screwed up for a moment, frowning as she sought the words before things smoothed out aside for a small crease between her eyebrows, ”It’s…hmm…it’s a bit odd to describe honestly…grass is…sometimes soft…and sometimes kind of scratchy? Yes, it’s odd like that since it can change depending on how much water it receives, the type, and I’m afraid other things I don’t know. But it’s color can vary too depending on similar reasons! Sometimes it’s really short and other times it can go as high as people’s hips and ribcages! Err…at least…I think that’s still grass?” Again she frowned in thought, not entirely sure, ”Though…as long as it’s not too dry it can be really nice to lie on and stare at clouds or the stars, or can sometimes feel cool to lay on in the shade when it’s hot out. Erm-“
”What does it smell like? Sound like?” Alice interrupted, watching as she struggled to find more ways to describe it.
”Well it’s a distinct smell, especially when you freshly cut it…though…I’m afraid I don’t know how to describe it. Tart maybe? Bitter? It’s very recognizable at any rate. Mmm it rustles very nicely when wind blows through it as long as it’s long enough and I do enjoy the way it can crunch under my feet…” Alice watched as her eyes closed, legs stretching out as she likely delved into her most recent memory of touching it.
Processing this information – even the lackluster smell knowledge – curiosity took a firm grip of her. It almost choked her throat, the question croaking a little as her eyebrows knit in concerned questioning, ”When will I get to experience ‘grass?’ “
”Oh…sweetie!” Arms wrapped around the small girl, one hand cradling her pitch black lockes, ”I know…I know it’s not fun here. I know it’s no fun being cooped up in this room…but…it’ll be a little while yet before you get to see real grass. We need to be sure your body is ready for the world and can handle things it might throw at you. I want you to experience the world, but I don’t want to see you suffer for it either…but…” here she pulled away from Alice, watery eyes locking with unsure gold, ”I will do my darndest to be there when you get to see and feel and smell grass for yourself for the first time! And snow too! I promised to teach you how to make a snowball after all! It might be locked behind a few more rounds of immunizations, but I’m sure that day will come!”
Another thing to add to her list of things to “look forward to someday.” Clouds, sky, and so many other “trivial” things sat upon it, and yet unlike the other scientists this woman never made the girl feel silly about it.