8. The Fourth Level

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8. The Fourth Level

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The holographic projection blinked out of existence just after. Having nothing else to see there, I returned to the elevator. My next stop was the fourth level, named the Park. The moment I clicked the button, I was teleported. Equally instantaneous the whole atmosphere revolutionized. From inside the very capsule I could feel how a peaceful serenity, and soon it was as if I was in an entire different place.

Stepping outside, I looked around and I came across a wonderful green field. My first impression was that I was in some hydroponics sector, only to realize it was not. The scenery stretched out before me, an expanse of emerald green that seemed to dance and sway with the gentle caress of an invisible breeze. The grass shimmered under the golden rays, reflecting the light in a kaleidoscope of sparkling gems. Mature trees, their bark rich and textured, framed the field, their canopies providing dappled shade over patches of the land. Between them, flowers peppered the space, adding splashes of different colors: vibrant purples, radiant yellows, and deep blues. The entire landscape seemed to pulsate with life, with every element in harmonious synchronization. The air was filled with the sweet scent of a natural field, and the distant hum of insects provided a calming background symphony. The sheer beauty of the scene was breathtaking, a haven of nature's serenity amidst the technological marvels of that mysterious vessel.

Glancing upwards, I was struck by the vastness of the open sky. The deep blue spread out, its perfection punctuated by cotton-like clouds. The azure canopy stretched endlessly, meeting the distant horizon in a seamless blend, creating a boundless ceiling that dwarfed the landscape below.

“This field is just too extensive to fit inside any spacecraft,” I said immediately, not deluded by the illusion I witnessed. “Oh heavens. This is all explained now, isn’t it, Kallom-4000? There is no desert, no omniship, no mission… nothing… no more than those delusions would exist inside any other run. I am inside a virtual reality, isn’t it? Someone, for some reason, is messing with my mind… with my syraki.”

There were no screens or projectors in that place, so Kallom-4000 sounded straight into my head.

“That would be simpler if that was the case, Mr. Mike. As you know, the Complex has parsing algorithms that diligently check each single syraki at the beginning of each cycle. If someone, someway, managed the virtually impossible task to hack into the Complex to imprison you into some run, the check algorithms would have detected the error almost instantly.” There was a pause, then he continued. “Besides, remember that in the desert you actually felt pain. Since the Hedonic Revolution, syrakis are not allowed to feel pain past a certain Prif level, like that of violent death. Exceptions go only for very rare circumstances, in controlled environments, for scientific purposes.”

My eyes scudded across the landscape. I was trying to detect any mistake, any error in the fabric of reality that could get me some clue. Having experienced millions and millions of different runs, my syrakian consciousness was able to report even the smallest bugs in some virtual reality instance. Even though I donned a human brain, part of my instincts still remained. A cloud positioned slightly wrongly, a floating grain peeble, a tree swaying incongruously to the wind’s touch, a mountain too symmetrical to be real… Anything could denounce me a run, yet I found nothing, which frustrated me. Even to feel frustration felt strange, since that mental state would not belong to the spectrum of mental states normally experienced by a syraki.

“But… wouldn’t it be possible?” I insisted.

“Theoretically, it would, but extremely improbable. We do not have a single case like this since the very beginning of the Virtual Age.”

“Can you identify any pattern in the distributions of patches of trees across the landscape? If they match, it means they have some redundancy, which could denounce a run of limited memory.”

“I just checked and have found no pattern,” he answered. “The information entropy is very high.”

I shook my head and looked down, defeated.

“Okay,” I said. “See, if this fourth level is not the result of virtual reality, then what could it be?"

“When I was still connected to the Complex, I had information that some scientific algorithms tuned for physics research had been making advances on a subject called Quantum Resonance Fields (QRF). Theoretically, in a room equipped with Quantum Resonance Stabilizers (QRSs), any scenario could be developed by directly manipulation of quantum properties and configurations of matter and energy. Essentially, it would bend the fabric of perceived reality within its confines, creating an environment that would be indistinguishable from the real thing. Rather than simulating reality as virtual reality does, QRF technology would be rewriting the very rules of physics in that controlled space.”

“But what would be the purpose of this, if we already have molecular assemblers capable of building entire starships?”

“The study was more related to exploratory quantum-state manipulation and subatomic field coherence. This research aimed at pioneering methods for high-fidelity transmutations of energy-matter configurations within a confined quantum spectrum. Given our circumstances, I extrapolated and hypothesized that such technology could be the theoretical basis behind this fourth level.”

“Then this would mean that this spaceship is of cutting-edge technology,” I replied. “Therefore, how could one explain the ancient technology being used here, or why am I myself wearing a human replacer?”

“These are good questions, Mr. Mike.”

I looked around. The horizon was a vast panorama, stretching as if I had been anywhere else but within the constraints of a spacecraft. Layers of rolling hills, intricately detailed forests, and meandering streams blended seamlessly into the distance, fading into a gentle mist. The clarity of the view was astounding. No fog or smog obscured the view, only the natural curvature of the landscape, even that perfectly emulated, suggesting an expansive world beyond what my eyes could directly observe. It was as if I stood on the edge of an infinite realm, one that extended endlessly in every direction, challenging the very logic of space and containment.

“How big is this place, Kallom?”

“When you were in a desert, I did some tests myself. I tried to travel as far as possible. It seems the terrain and sky are procedurally generated, alongside everything else. I covered millions of kilometers, but yet I observed no artifacts.”

“This makes no sense,” I shook my head. “If it had been a run, this would be perfectly normal, but the environment lies inside a spacecraft detached from the Complex. Have you checked for servers that could be potentially storing such an environment?”

“Yes, there are none.”

I made a pause.

“Okay. Let’s say they are actually using these QRSs. They have to be somewhere else here, right?”

“Possibly, yes, Mr. Mike. As I said, though, this is cutting-edge technology about which I have little information. And, even if this happens to be the case, I suspect they could hide the very projectors themselves in the environment, making them impossible to be detectable without knowledge or specific devices, which both we lack.”

I parsed my eyes around in the vain hope of detecting one of those objects, but it was all in vain.

“It’s so strange…”

“In any case, Mr. Mike, we cannot be sure this place is the result of QRSs. This had been only speculation. Honestly, I find it highly improbable. It could be a multitude of technologies working in tandem, or perhaps something entirely unknown to us.”

“If not QRSs or virtual reality, what else could it be?”

“I am sorry, Mr. Mike. I am unable to provide any answer.”

Having exhausted all rational explanations, I decided to continue my exploration of the unusual environment. I followed a stone road that led deeper into the park. It seemed to be an infinite road, procedurally generated alongside the world. As I walked, the crunching of gravel beneath my feet was the only sound that broke the peaceful serenity enveloping the natural world. Birds sang in the distance, their melodies harmonizing with the gentle rustling of leaves, creating a soothing soundscape. The ambience was so calming, it was hard not to feel at peace. With each step, I felt my worries and confusion fade away, replaced by a tranquil contentment. My harmony, though, was about to come to an abrupt end.