In a matter of seconds

"Michael, your assistance has been invaluable."

"Thank you, Mr. Visionquest. Always a pleasure to serve you."

"Good-bye, my friend. Until next time."

"Until next time, Mr. Visionquest."

Michael bows out and disappears in a blink of the eye.

I summon Christina, from the Gardens of Ascension, to the Theater of Delights. In a matter of seconds, Christina takes the place of Michael and adjusts her manner of dress for the occasion at hand. I run my fingertips under her hair, around her neck.

"Hello, my love." She looks up at me, smiling with her eyes, and presses her virtual body into mine.

"Hello, Christopher." Her greeting runs like a silky caress through my mind, tempting me with the pleasure of making love to her in public.

Our group mind accommodates itself quickly to the arrival and presence of Christina.

We enter the theater as a unit, one among many hundreds of other units.

Into a theater of the mind

We follow a stream of virtuals into a theater.

The theater looks very much like a planetarium, but already, I sense that this is not a place for viewing planets and stars. The virtuals are dressed casually but smartly. Michael and I adjust our virtual dress to match. As we approach the theater, I observe the inflow at one of the entrances.

At one entrance, a woman greets us, giving us the customary greeting. "Welcome."

Her feeling and greeting are warm and intimate. I bring my fingertips to my temples and touch them with sacred intent, bowing my head forward slightly.

Inside the entrance, streams of virtuals congregate inside a foyer. Some of us send telepathic signals expressing a desire for interaction, while others wait to pick them up.

I send a signal, and in less than a second, a couple nearby looks in our direction and approaches us.

An exquisitely dressed couple of indeterminate gender greets us warmly.

"Your signal is highly advanced," one of them remarks.

I smile. "It takes one to know one. Have you been away from the Free Zone for long?"

"We just arrived."

The other one comments: "we're as much in the dark about the popularity of this event as you are."

"Which I suppose only adds to the element of surprise," I rejoin gamely.

I send another signal. Another couple approaches. All six of us exchange pleasantries, and we realize we're all recent visitors from the Free Zone, with nothing to add to the question in mind.

I send another more qualified signal. A slight delay ensues before another couple approaches. The eight of us establish a group mind as a matter of course. No exchange of pleasantries is necessary. We quickly establish the reason for the popularity of this event.

After the event proper - a performance from the world that Knows No Bounds - the Leader of the Council is scheduled to address the fate of the Pleasure Zone.

To the limits of my imagination

I create a world in a world that is creative beyond belief.

I populate my world with exotic birds and animals, plants and insects. I craft peaks and vales from undulating landscapes under multi-colored skies. I turn breezes into winds that blow one way and then another. I speed the arrival of sunsets and sunrises as I watch the rise and fall of sun and moon.

Here, there is nothing I cannot do within the limits of my imagination.

"Michael, it is time for us to go one level deeper into this world."

"To allow ourselves the opportunity to interact with those whose intentions are wholly benign."

"Yes."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest."

The scene shifts. No longer do we have the power to create on a whim. The scene is now set to enable social interaction.

Social interaction of the sublime variety.

A perfect match for my mood

Awestruck, I watch a vivid, complex scene of natural beauty, utterly sublime in its effects on my senses, blossom like a flower, coming into full bloom on the edge of eternity.

"Mr. Visionquest?"

On the edges of this scenic splendor lie hints of possibilities unknown, lending a sudden and inexplicable air to all that is strange and mysterious.

"Mr. Visionquest?"

Without taking my eyes off the scene before me, I raise my hand and touch my companion's shoulder. "Michael, I must confess: I have never seen anything like this. It’s a perfect match for my mood."

My companion says nothing, does nothing, knowing that no words or actions are necessary.

For the moment, I am content just to be.

The Moment of Temptation

Suddenly, the world is quiet.

The vibrations stop. The sounds fade into silence. A blue expanse of sky saturates my field of vision.

Having no frame of reference, I cannot tell whether we move.

"Michael, please explain."

"Mr. Visionquest, this is the Moment of Temptation."

The Moment of Temptation. Of course. The blue expanse is a canvas for the imagination. What I intend is what I get. I could see, hear, smell, taste, or touch anything I wanted. I could think, feel, say, or do anything I wished. I could be, have, or become my heart's desire.

"Michael, this is extraordinary."

"Yes, Mr. Visionquest, I believe that would be an accurate description of what you presently face."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Michael, but if I refuse to be tempted, then nothing will happen."

"Not knowing the full parameters of this situation, I cannot answer your question, Mr. Visionquest."

"And if I succumb to temptation, then I will be compelled to participate."

"That would certainly be the case, Mr. Visionquest."

"Fascinating." I have no intention of yielding to temptation and I have no intention of participating. "Michael, please take us to the community that is Creative Beyond Belief."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest, but were you not here to observe?"

"Yes, Michael, but not here. Take us to the community that is Creative Beyond Belief. If I'm not mistaken, we can access the community that Knows No Bounds from there."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest." Michael pauses, and then asks: "with or without the bubble?"

I smile in spite of myself. "Without, Michael."

In a world that is creative beyond belief, I knew that my safety would be assured.

Letting go and letting be

Less protection means less control. Less control translates into less control over stimuli.

The rush of color, flashing and streaking around the Bubble, increases gradually. More objects, faces, and bodies appear and disappear, and do so faster, with greater frequency. A faint hum arises, growing louder by the second, resolving itself into myriad sounds.

The Bubble begins to vibrate, increasing its rate of vibration with more and more exposure to the chaos.

"Michael, please hold this level of protection."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest, but I fail to understand the significance of your request for less protection. Perhaps if you tell me what it is you seek, I could assist you more fully."

I close my eyes to soak up the incoming stimuli, allowing them to invigorate my mind with their energy. "Michael, I appreciate your concern, but I wish to observe, as fully as possible, and not just with the sense of sight, the various stimuli that saturate this world that knows no bounds."

"Mr. Visionquest, would you care to establish a link so that I might observe and monitor your state of mind in response to said stimuli?"

"Yes, Michael, but only when I say so. I wish to approach the threshold at which I feel compelled to participate in the community that Knows No Bounds, on my own, without your assistance."

"I understand, Mr. Visionquest. And with your permission, you would have me establish a link so as to gradually increase the level of protection at the moment you feel compelled to participate."

"Yes, Michael. Or more precisely, at the moment I begin to lose my mind."

In the throes of ecstasy

The world is in chaos.

A rush of colors flash and streak around the Bubble as diverse objects appear and disappear. Faces in the throes of ecstasy appear out of nowhere and then fade into the background. Bodies in multiple scenes, all seeming to overlap, morph at breathtaking speeds.

It's business as usual in a world that knows no bounds.

"Are you comfortable, Mr. Visionquest?"

"Quite." The Bubble floats amidst the chaos, unaffected by the turbulence. "Tell me, Michael, what do you make of this world?"

"I have no opinion one way or the other, Mr. Visionquest."

"But surely it affects you in some way. Have you ever ventured into it?"

"Not at all, Mr. Visionquest. And yes, I have ventured into it."

"I see." I watch someone grow bigger until we lose all sight of detail.

"Mr. Visionquest, could I interest you in a less frenetic atmosphere?"

"Yes, Michael, but not at this moment. I would now have you lower the level of our protection continuously, in minute gradations."

On the edge of nowhere

"Ready, Mr. Visionquest."

"Thank you, Michael. As we enter the community that Knows No Bounds, I would have us placed inside an Observation Bubble."

"At which level of protection?"

"Full protection, please. My purpose is to observe."

"As you wish, Mr. Visionquest. We go when you say we go."

I have never been inside this community without full protection, but I did study it closely as a student. In many ways, it is similar to the community that is Creative Beyond Belief, but having the distinction of knowing no bounds, it is far more dangerous and unpredictable.

My overall purpose is to observe the quality and vitality of interaction between virtual participants, to gauge responses and reactions of virtual observers to this interaction, and to get a fine-tuned sense for what these communities have to offer to visitors from the Free Zone.

The most sophisticated communities in the Pleasure Zone provide the most entertainment value. They tend to be less violent, less predictable, and with greater quality of production and vitality of interaction. They tend to be more creative, and are constantly improving.

I have no idea what to expect.

"Go."

Inside the Pleasure Zone

The leaves above rustle in the breeze. Her kiss leaves a pleasant tingle on my lips.

I look up. Her eyes, half-closed, are moist with sex. Christina swings her head to my chest and snuggles. I close my eyes, encircle her with my arms, feeling grateful for the warmth of her love. When I wake, she is virtually gone.

I assume she has left our private virtual suite to visit the Gardens of Ascension, her favourite communal space, where she can be with other women of her kind to experience and enjoy the most divine states of mind imaginable.

Before the AeroGlider had docked, Christina and I had agreed to spend some time together before going our separate ways. After the AeroGlider had docked, we went immediately to our private chambers and surrendered ourselves - body, mind, heart, and soul - to our desired simulation.

Now that I am virtually alone, I am ready to observe. I summon Michael, my virtual guide, who is uniquely programmed to serve and protect my interests - the fastest, most intelligent, most advanced virtual agent of its kind.

"Mr. Visionquest, I am pleased to see you again. How might I assist you?"

"Thank you, Michael. I would visit three of the most sophisticated virtual communities in the Pleasure Zone, using all available criteria of excellence, in the following order, with the following classifications: one that Knows No Bounds, one ..."

"Mr. Visionquest, please forgive my interruption, but this request you make is most unusual for you. A community that Knows No Bounds would put you in danger of a mental breakdown."

"I am well aware of the risk, Michael. Thank you. Please allow me to continue."

"As you wish."

"Thank you, Michael. The following communities, please, using all available criteria of excellence, in the following order, with the following classifications: one that Knows No Bounds, one that is Creative Beyond Belief, and one that Keeps Abreast of Changes in the Free Zone."

"Thank you, Mr. Visionquest. With just over ten million virtual communities in the Pleasure Zone, your request will likely take at least several minutes to process."

"Please proceed, Michael."

"Processing."

A scape in stasis

Christina runs her fingertips across the nape of my neck.

"Let us enjoy this trip together."

The words enter my mind seductively, like a caress, but I detect a subtle plaint in her tone.

I rise from my seat and offer my hand. Joining hands, we walk to a window with a panoramic view of the Free Zone.

Putting my arm around her waist, I draw her close. "What do you see, Christina?"

She smiles equanimously, pressing her body into mine, whispering into my mind: "The Free Zone."

"Yes, but what do you see?"

I watch her scan the Free Zone. "I see beauty."

"Yes."

Her eyes settle on an impressive array of buildings. "I see order."

"Yes."

She pauses, realizing that I need a less obvious answer, and then looks me in the eyes. "I see a scape in stasis."

I give her a squeeze. "Exactly."

"And so ..."

"And so, how can such a place as this ..." I sweep my hand across the Free Zone. "... be free with no hint of growth?"

"The Free Zone is a sacred place."

"Yes, but ..."

"But what?"

I release my thought process.

Sensing the release, Christina regards me pensively. "We're going to the Pleasure Zone for more than just pleasure."

I reflect her gaze without thinking or saying a word.

Every conceivable pleasure

On my way to the Pleasure Zone, I think about its history. I think about its lack of freedom.

Many centuries ago, a powerful Council divided the land on Earth into two Zones: the Free Zone, where industrious, ambitious persons could realize their most lofty goals, and the Pleasure Zone, where anyone with even the slightest trace of humanity could gratify any conceivable pleasure.

Humanity had evolved to a place where this division seemed natural, but it was the Council who made it official.

In the beginning, inhabitants of the Pleasure Zone were free to enjoy, even indulge, their deepest, most cherished pleasures. Limited only by their imaginations, they were free to experience every conceivable pleasure in their own separate domains, from the most depraved to the most refined.

For them, it was one pleasure after another, with no respite from the pursuit, a constant pursuit that made them oblivious to effort of the painstaking variety, where they no longer cared to imagine living any life other than a life of pleasure. For them, life in the Free Zone was a colossal waste of time and effort.

Those in the Free Zone, the freedom lovers, however, knew better: the pleasure seekers could no longer keep up with advances made in the Free Zone.

Freedom lovers knew what the most advanced BioSynthetics in the Free Zone could achieve with the most advanced Synthetics. Ceilings of attainment had been reached in many areas of endeavor on Earth, drawing many aspirants into the environs of Earth, through the solar system, and beyond.

What the pleasure seekers didn't know now was that their habitat of pleasure had become an essential item of negotiation within the Council.

Dark clouds on the horizon

Like a statue, Christina sits in meditation in the living area, in a lotus position, wrapped in silence. When I brush her shoulder with my fingertips, she is already smiling, already aware of my presence.

I walk to the balcony and scan the Free Zone, a sprawling cityscape visible for hundreds of miles through my bioelectric eyes.

I think a thought: pay a visit to the Pleasure Zone. Christina stirs, sensing my intention.

With a wish, I summon the AeroGlider, and within moments, it hovers in front of the balcony. Moments later, Christina is by my side.

She takes my hand and I follow her through an opening in the balcony into the vehicle, and with another wish, I direct the AutoPilot to move through Sector Zero, which it does smoothly and swiftly, over and above the Free Zone, toward one of many entrances to the Pleasure Zone.

On this day, I am pleased by the sight of ominous clouds gathering on the horizon: a special treat from Weather Control, whose preference these days for sunny skies seems too persistent for my liking.

Perhaps someone at Weather Control has caught wind of the threat that faces the last vestiges of our humanity.