In the corner, loops of old smoke effects lurk and spill outwards. You hold your breath as you walk into the shimmering billows.
Peering through them you see a word float forwards in front of you and read in rainbow bubble text ‘Welcome’.
You’ve waited weeks for this meeting, and now you’re here, actually here, right in the heart of the Post Reality Service Provider that everyone says makes the best Empathy Patches ©®™ in East London. You reach out towards the word. It smells of candy floss and your fingers tingle as you get closer to it.
‘Don’t touch that!’ a disembodied voice shouts. You pull off the headset and stand still, the space around you turning back into a studio, a comfy sofa next to you. The Maskifier is typing away at an ancient keyboard, muttering as they adjust code. ‘I need to tidy up that smoke. Things aren’t quite what they seem in there. But right now I’m just going to do this. Perception Filters. You need to care less about some things and more about others mate, you really do.’
You haven’t said anything yet. What does the Maskifier know about what you really need to care about?
Another flurry of taps and ‘UPLOAD COMPLETE’ pings across the screen behind the Maskifier.
With a final flourish they turn to face you. ‘Trust me, I know what I’m talking about’ they say, in answer to the question you never asked.
Run Fast to the Future, Don’t Look Back