Following his mother's departure, in the silence of the house, Petter transformed into a practical chef in the kitchen. He spread cream cheese on slices of fresh bread from the refrigerator, then prepared two-layered, appetizing sandwiches with thinly sliced smoked turkey, lettuce, and tomato slices. He placed a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice next to each. "Maya! Food's ready, peanut!" he called out.
Maya came running down the stairs. As the two of them sat at the kitchen table, there was a silence between them, filled with an excitement only they could understand. It was finally Maya who broke the silence, speaking with her mouth full of sandwich. "Bro... Is it coming tomorrow?"
Petter nodded with a smile. "Yes, my little fish. Tomorrow."
Maya's eyes lit up, like a child about to receive the most wonderful gift imaginable. "So... so what will we do first? Will we see a dragon? Or will we be able to fly? Can we build a castle in the clouds?" Her questions gushed forth one after another, from the spring of an innocent imagination.
Petter took a bite of his sandwich. "We can do all of it," he said, fueling his sister's dreams. "We might not see a dragon right away, but we can design our own dragon. We might not fly immediately, but we can build a flying machine. That world will be shaped by our imagination, understand? We will set the limits."
Maya loved this idea. "So... I can make a pink river?"
"You can even make mountains out of candy if you want," Petter said. This simple dinner had turned into a headquarters meeting where their first adventures were being planned. On the eve of another reality, the two siblings whispered their dreams to each other.
After dinner, Petter put his sister to bed, planted a kiss on her forehead, and retreated to his room. His excitement was so intense that sleep was impossible. He sat at his computer and dove into the depths of the internet. News sites, social media platforms—they were all in an uproar over OPG's latest move.
TechPulse News: "OPG's Price Strategy, Indecipherable as Genius or Madness, Has Upended the Markets!"
The hashtag #FounderOrFool was trending on ChronoFeed. People were divided.
@CyberDreamer: "I DOUBT THE SANITY OF THOSE WHO PAID 140K! JUST HAVE A LITTLE PATIENCE!"
@VirtualPioneer: "THERE IS A PRICE TO MAKING HISTORY. SOME PAY IT, OTHERS WATCH FROM THE SIDELINES. #FounderAndProud"
Petter smiled as he read these comments. He felt neither like a founder nor a fool. He just felt like a big brother who wanted the best for his sister. On technical forums, there were heated debates over alleged leaked patent drawings of the Omni-Chamber, the working principles of the haptic sensors, and the neural interface potential. Every line he read fueled his excitement even more. This wasn't just a screen. This was a machine that would talk to the brain itself.
Later in the night, as Petter's eyes began to burn with fatigue, his bedroom door creaked open slightly. When Petter turned in his chair, he saw the dazzling beauty he had seen that morning: his mother. Although Sarah carried the day's fatigue, she still looked like a queen in her elegant outfit.
"Sweetie... You're not asleep," Sarah whispered. "Did you two eat?"
At that moment, Petter felt all his pent-up excitement explode. He shot up from his chair, was by his mother's side in two steps, and threw his arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. This sudden, enthusiastic movement caused Sarah, standing tiredly in her high-heeled shoes, to lose her balance for a moment. She took a step back, leaned her back against the doorframe, and returned the hug to her excited son in surprise.
"Petter! Calm down, sweetie! What's all this excitement?"
"No! I can't calm down!" Petter said, his face buried in his mother's neck. His voice came out muffled. "And yes, we ate. Maya's asleep."
Sarah stroked her son's back. "Okay, so what happened? Tell me."
Petter suddenly pulled back, but he didn't let his mother go. He pulled her into his room by the sleeves of her silk blouse. "Come! Come, I'll tell you!"
"Stop! Calm down! Petter!"
But Petter wasn't really listening. He brought his mother to the middle of his room and, paying no attention to her delicate heels, quickly sat her down in his own computer chair. Sarah fell into the chair with a start. Petter immediately went to her side, putting one knee on the floor to be at her level. His eyes were shining with a fire she had never seen before.
"Mom," he began, his voice breathless. "After the broadcast... I was talking to Liam. Then my phone rang. An unknown number."
A look of concern appeared on Sarah's face. "Who was it?"
"It was OPG, Mom. They called from Octanos Prime Generations."
Sarah's brows furrowed. "What for? Is there a problem with the order?"
Petter smiled with the air of a triumphant commander. "No! No problem! Just the opposite! They called about the installation! Do you understand? INSTALLATION! They're coming tomorrow! Tomorrow at two, they'll be at our house to install two Omni-Chambers!"
The expression on Sarah's face slowly changed. First, she didn't understand, then she understood but didn't believe it, and then she believed it but was shocked. "What? Tomorrow? That's... that's impossible, Petter. They just announced everything today. Logistically, something like that isn't possible."
"I know! I thought the same thing! But it's true! The woman was so calm, it was like she was calling about a pizza order. 'Your appointment has been scheduled for tomorrow at 14:00, Mr. Aksu,' she said. As if it was something they do every day!"
Petter stood up and began pacing his room. "This company isn't like anything we know, Mom. This isn't a normal tech company. This is another level. It's like they've been preparing for this moment for years. Like their warehouses are all over the world, ready to move at any second. This... this is terrifying but also just as exciting."
Sarah sat in the chair, at a loss for words in the face of her son's energy. "So... so where will they install them? Are we ready for this?"
Petter came to his mother's side, knelt again, and placed his hands on her knees. "We're ready, Mom. I'll prepare my room. We'll make space in Maya's room too. Don't worry, I'll handle everything. This is a chance. A chance that will never come our way again in our lives."
As the conversation was about to end, the intense wave of excitement in the room slowly subsided. It was replaced by that familiar, mischievous atmosphere, just like in the park yesterday. Petter, still on his knees, looked at his mother's face. The serious businesswoman was gone, replaced by his tired but loving mother.
"Also," Petter said, lowering his voice, "you have to tell me how you impressed all those boring men with this outfit all day. Did you kick them under the table?"
Sarah smiled at this sudden change of subject. "Petter, know your place," she said, her voice holding a mock authority. But her eyes were sparkling. "Besides, I don't need to kick anyone under the table. A single look is enough."
Petter chuckled and suddenly reached out to massage his mother's shoulders. "Sure, sure... Your shoulders are so tense. It's clear that 'single look' really wore you out."
"Get your hands off," Sarah said, but not very seriously. Petter's fingers had found the tense muscles in her shoulders through the silk fabric of her blouse. "And you're going to ruin my outfit."
Petter stopped massaging but this time, he grabbed his mother's shoulders and started rocking her gently back and forth in the chair. "Is our queen tired? Shall we prepare her sedan chair?"
"If you keep rocking me, you'll find one of these high heels on your head," Sarah said with a nonchalant air. But she couldn't hide her smile.
In response to his mother's threat, Petter snuggled closer to her, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "Threats... so attractive." He tried to plant a kiss on her cheek, but Sarah turned her head. Petter didn't give up, this time trying to mess up his mother's perfectly coiffed bun.
"Don't you dare!" Sarah said, her voice more serious this time. She raised her hand and caught Petter's hand in mid-air. "Don't touch my hair."
In response to his mother's move, Petter took her hand and started playing with her fingers. He looked at his mother's manicured, polished nails. "Alright, alright... Truce." But then he suddenly tapped his mother's knee lightly. "For now."
Sarah laughed heartily at her son's childish antics. All the stress of the day seemed to melt off her shoulders. She also took Petter's hand and squeezed it. "You're never going to grow up, are you?"
"Never," said Petter. "Growing up is boring."
They stayed like that for a while. Then Sarah slowly stood up. "I'd better get to bed. Tomorrow... is going to be a long day." As she walked to her room, Petter called out after her. "Hey, Queen!"
Sarah stopped at the door and turned around. "What is it now?"
Petter winked at her. "That red lipstick really suits you."
Sarah smiled and went to her room. Petter turned off his computer and got into bed, thinking about everything that had happened. Tomorrow wasn't just going to be a long day. Tomorrow was going to be the first day of a new life.
When morning came, the breakfast table was filled with a different energy than usual. In the air, there was not just the smell of coffee and toast, but a tangible sense of anticipation. Maya couldn't sit still, constantly asking, "Are they here yet? Are they here yet?" Sarah, having shaken off last night's fatigue, was wearing a comfortable, cream-colored tracksuit. Her face held a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. Petter, on the other hand, looked as if he hadn't slept all night, but he wasn't tired; on the contrary, he was overly energetic.
"Have you checked ChronoFeed?" Petter said, putting his phone on the table. "It's been total madness since last night. The #FounderOrFool hashtag is number one in global trends. People are split between those saying we should have deferred our decision and those calling us 'pioneers of history.' Some economists have written that OPG's move will completely reshape the global consumer electronics market. There are even psychologists analyzing Marcus Thorne's presentation. They've published articles on how his body language influenced people."
Sarah took a sip of her coffee. "For such a big event to happen in such a short time... That's what worries me, Petter. Everything is too fast. It feels out of control."
"But Mom, isn't that how revolutions happen?" Petter countered. "Something that's slow and controlled isn't called a revolution, it's called an evolution. This is a revolution. And we are right in the center of it. Think about the potential this has for Maya's education. Imagine her walking the streets of Ancient Rome in history class. Or traveling inside a human cell in biology."
Maya loved this idea. "Can I see dinosaurs too, bro?"
"Of course you can," said Petter. "You could even tame a T-Rex."
Sarah smiled, but her worries were still visible on her face. "But what about the real world? What if people stop going outside? What if things like neighborhood and friendship turn into meaningless interactions between digital avatars? I'm a businesswoman, Petter. I'm part of a system where people come to offices, work together, and exchange ideas. What if this system completely collapses?"
This was a question Petter had also considered before. "I know, Mom. Those risks exist. But it's like the first person who discovered fire, worrying, 'what if this fire burns everything?' Yes, it can burn. But it can also keep us warm, cook our food. What's important is how we use it. That's why it's so important for us to be inside this technology. To be among those who shape it, who set its rules. Instead of standing on the sidelines and criticizing, we must be inside, guiding it in the right direction. Besides, we'll set rules for usage time. Especially for Maya. No more than two hours a day, right, peanut?"
Maya pouted. "But bro..."
"No buts," Sarah said, taking a firm stance on this. "These rules will definitely be in place."
Breakfast passed with these kinds of future-talks and practical planning. They decided that Petter's room was the most suitable place for the installation. After breakfast, Petter immediately started moving some furniture in his room to the side, clearing a large space in the middle. Time wouldn't pass. The anticipation had made the air in the house heavy.
Finally, they decided to go out into the garden for some fresh air. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning. While Sarah tended to her flowers, Petter and Maya played with a ball on the lawn. In that moment, everything was so normal that it was hard to imagine their lives would completely change in just a few hours.
Around one o'clock, Petter's phone rang. It was the same man with the flawless voice from yesterday.
"Good day, Mr. Aksu. Our installation team is ten minutes away from your address. Is everything suitable for our arrival?"
Petter stood in the middle of the garden, turning his eyes to his mother. He nodded. "Yes," he said into the phone. "Everything is suitable. We're waiting."
The moment had arrived. The future was ten minutes away.
Ten minutes after Petter's phone call, a silent beast appeared at the corner of the street. It was unlike any known vehicle. It wasn't a standard truck or van. It was matte black, with rounded corners, its wheels almost hidden inside the body, low and wide. There was no engine sound; instead, it emitted a low-frequency hum, audible only when you got very close. On its side, slightly shinier than the vehicle's matte surface, was a massive, shimmering OPG logo. When the vehicle stopped in front of the house, it lowered itself a few more centimeters to the ground with a hydraulic hiss.
The side doors of the vehicle opened silently upwards, like the doors of a spaceship. A six-person, fully-equipped team disembarked. They weren't wearing standard work overalls. They wore dark gray, form-fitting, one-piece synthetic uniforms with strategically placed pockets and magnetic tool holders. The shimmering OPG logo was embroidered on their necks and arms. Their faces held a professional seriousness; their movements were coordinated and without waste. They looked less like an installation team and more like a special operations team.
The team leader, holding a tablet-like device, walked towards the door. Petter, his mother, and Maya were waiting for them at the entrance. The man looked at Petter. "Mr. Petter Aksu?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Please look at my device for identity verification." The man held the tablet out to Petter. A thin blue light emitted from the tablet's camera and scanned Petter's eyes. A second later, a calm female voice was heard from the tablet: "IDENTITY VERIFIED." After the query, the man said, "We request your permission for a house inspection, Mr. Aksu. We need to verify system compatibility and security protocols."
"Of course, come in," Petter said, stepping aside. The six-person team dispersed silently into the house. Their movements were so quiet and efficient that it felt like ghosts were moving through the house. Two of them measured the walls, electrical outlets, and signal strength with scanners in their hands, while another two checked the structural integrity of the house. Their leader, meanwhile, was processing the data from his team in real-time, pulling up a 3D plan of the house on his tablet. Petter, Sarah, and Maya stood in the hallway, silently watching this futuristic and somewhat unnerving scene.
Ten minutes later, the team reassembled in the living room. Their leader turned to them with a regretful but clear expression. "Mr. Aksu, Mrs. Aksu... We have a problem."
Petter's heart sank. "What problem?"
The man turned the tablet towards them. On the screen, the house plan was visible with rooms marked with red "X"s. "Unfortunately, no room in your house is compatible for the full installation of the Omni-Chamber."
Sarah was surprised. "What do you mean? Petter cleared space in his room. Isn't the area sufficient?"
The man explained patiently. "The problem isn't just the space, ma'am. This system is not a device that you just plug into a wall socket like a simple game console. This is a high-performance technology with its own ecosystem." The man opened a diagram on his tablet. "The Omni-Chamber requires its own energy panel. This panel can draw a high amperage of electricity instantaneously, and the house's standard electrical wiring cannot withstand it. Furthermore, the system has its own satellite connection device for an uninterrupted and secure data flow. This device must be mounted in a location with a clear view of the sky. This is not possible in the rooms inside your house. In short, we will need a more open and sheltered area to ensure the full potential and safety of the system."
"So, what does it... what does the full installation look like?" Petter asked, disappointed.
With a touch on his tablet, the man showed them a 3D model of the Omni-Chamber's full installation. What they saw was much more than a simple room. They already recognized the transparent, glass chamber. But now, on top of the chamber, two black panels, resembling solar panels but looking more complex, extended gracefully upwards. In the middle of these two panels was a device that created a faintly vibrating, almost invisible airflow.
The man began to explain. "These two panels are hybrid energy panels. They both regulate the electricity from the grid and provide short-term power in case of emergencies. The device in the middle is our quantum-encrypted satellite connection module. This is the most secure method against external hacking attempts."
Then, the man pointed to the base of the structure with his finger. The floor was thicker than normal. "This is the brain of the system. Inside, there are local server disks capable of processing petabytes of data in real-time, cooling systems, multi-core processor modules, and Eden's own self-learning advanced artificial intelligence processor."
He pointed to the side. "These small modules are the scent, atmosphere, and raw material sensors. They ensure the experience inside is completely realistic. You can feel the humidity of a forest, the scent of a flower." The man paused. "Also, inside... there is a raw material, filament-like, of a nature I cannot fully disclose, that instantly turns what you see into something tangible. This technology is our 'secret sauce.' A company secret. But we also need a special area for the storage and processing of this raw material. In short, a compatible space is required."
These explanations had captured even Sarah's interest. This was much more than a toy. This was a science fiction laboratory in its own right. Petter looked at his mother. In his eyes was a plea, searching for a solution.
Sarah thought for a moment. Then, she pointed to the large glass door at the back of the living room. "Our backyard is quite large. Is it possible for you to build it in this part?"
The team leader walked towards the garden, raised his tablet, and performed a quick scan. A few seconds later, a smile appeared on his face. "Yes. It's possible. We will need to make a few updates and build a structure sheltered against extra external factors like rain and snow. We can install the two chambers side-by-side inside this structure. For this, you will need to pay an additional service fee of $2,000, separate from the chamber."
Sarah didn't hesitate for a second. "I approve," she said, making the payment instantly from her phone.
With this approval, the team moved with incredible speed. The men returned to their matte black vehicle. When the back of the vehicle opened, strange, portable materials they hadn't seen before emerged. These were modular panels, as strong as steel yet light, stainless, water-repellent. Each piece locked perfectly into the next. Within an hour, a structure with a modern, minimalist design, with a roof and open sides, had risen in the middle of the garden. This structure looked less like it was built there and more like it had been lowered from the sky.
After the structure was completed, the real show began. The parts of the Omni-Chambers began to be unloaded from the vehicle with special hydraulic arms. Petter, Sarah, and Maya watched this scene, holding their breath. First, the heavy and massive base units, about two meters by two meters for each chamber, were unloaded. These were the brains of the system. Complex circuits and input ports were visible on them. Then came the famous, cornerless, seemingly single-piece glass panels. The panels were in special transport frames and sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight. Following that, smaller, but just as complex-looking parts were unloaded: AI modules with crystal-like structures glowing with a soft blue light inside; filament units that looked like cartridges full of thin, silvery threads; and dozens of sensors and cables of different sizes.
The installation was like a ballet. The six-person team worked in perfect harmony, without a single word. First, they placed the base units on the floor of the newly built structure. Then, they connected a special power cable they had run from the house's main electrical panel to these units. Then it was time for the glass panels. Four men carefully lifted a panel and brought it over the base unit. As the panel approached its place, a magnetic hiss was heard, and it locked into place with a glowing blue line of light. When all four panels were placed this way, the main skeleton of the chambers was revealed.
The internal installation was even more fascinating. A technician placed the AI module into the socket in the center of the base. When the module settled into place, a low, melodic hum rose from within the chamber. Others installed the filament cartridges, scent synthesizers, and other sensors into invisible slots inside the walls. Each part made a soft "click" sound as it settled into place.
Finally, the transparent roof panels and, on top of them, those two iconic energy/satellite modules were mounted. When the installation was finished, one of the technicians raised his tablet and entered a command. The two transparent chambers in the garden suddenly came to life. A soft, white light emanated from within them. For a moment, blue data lines and system diagrams appeared and disappeared on the surface of the glass panels. A low, powerful hum further increased the anticipation in the air.
The time was 6:20 PM. The sun had begun to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. At the end of six hours of uninterrupted work, everything was finished. In their garden stood two glowing structures that looked like they had come from another world.
The team leader, after gathering his tools, came over to them. His face held the satisfied expression of a professional who had done his job well. "Installation is complete, Mr. Aksu."
"Incredible," Petter whispered. "That... that was amazing."
The man smiled. "If you are ready for the first activation, I can give you the basic information." He asked for Petter's phone. He opened the OPG Connect app. The app's interface had now changed. On the main screen, two new tabs had appeared, labeled "Chamber-1 (Petter)" and "Chamber-2 (Maya)." The man showed Petter how to use it. "This button puts the Chamber into standby mode and turns it on. From here, you can monitor energy consumption, internal temperature, and system status in real-time. Security protocols are always active. In case of any anomaly, the system will automatically shut down and send us an alert."
The man continued. "When you step inside, the door will close silently behind you. Don't panic. The system will guide you vocally through the initial calibration process. This process takes about five minutes. Just follow the instructions from inside. After that... the rest is up to you."
The man extended his hand. "Do you have any other questions?"
Petter, dumbstruck, shook his head.
"Very well," said the man. "In that case... Welcome to Eden."
Following these words, the team leader and the others packed up as silently and efficiently as they had arrived. They loaded all their tools and empty boxes into the matte black vehicle. The doors opened upwards, they got in, and the doors closed again. The vehicle came to life with that low hum, rose with a hydraulic hiss, and drove away silently into the twilight of the evening.
Petter, Sarah, and Maya were left alone in the middle of the garden with the two glowing structures. The soft light coming from inside the chambers illuminated their faces. The low hum was like the heartbeat of a new world, a new reality. They looked at each other. They didn't know what to say, what to do. They just knew that their lives would never be the same again.
As they walked from the futuristic structures in the garden back into the house, a new thought had begun to sprout in Sarah's mind. She had seen the pure excitement in her son's and granddaughter's eyes, had seen that this technological marvel was not just a game, but also an art, a science, and perhaps a new way of life. I should order one for myself, too, she thought. This wasn't a fleeting whim. This was a desire to be a part of the future, to see this new world her children would explore with them, with her own eyes. And she probably would.
When they got to the living room, they dropped onto the sofas, drained and thrilled from the day. Maya sat on one side of her brother, and Sarah on the other. Since Maya didn't have her own phone yet, all the controls for her Omni-Chamber were also assigned to the "OPG Connect" app on Petter's phone. This gave Petter both power and responsibility.
Petter unlocked his phone and launched the app. The screen illuminated all three of their faces in the dim living room. The main panel was elegant and simple. Two large boxes labeled "Chamber-1 (Petter)" and "Chamber-2 (Maya)" showed "Online - Idle" status and 100% power levels. Petter began to dive deeper into the app, swiping his finger across the screen.
"Whoa," he murmured. "This is so much more than I expected."
The app was divided into tabs. The first one he clicked was the "Equipment" tab. This wasn't just an inventory list. It was like a control room for the Chamber's hardware settings. Under "Lighting Schemas," there were dozens of presets like "Cyberpunk Night (Neon Purple/Blue)," "Forest Morning (Warm Yellow/Green)," "Deep Space (Cool White/Black)." In "Sound Profiles," there were options like "Cinematic Orchestra," "Ambient Nature Sounds," "Electronic Rhythms." They could even adjust the "Haptic Feedback Intensity" from 1% to 100%.
Sarah leaned towards the screen. "So you set the mood of the room before you even go in?"
"Exactly," said Petter. "It's not just choosing a world. It's choosing how you experience that world."
Then, he clicked on the "Concepts" tab, where the real treasure was. The screen turned into a gallery of breathtakingly beautiful visuals. Hundreds, maybe thousands of different worlds were at their fingertips. They were divided into main categories like Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Historical, Abstract, Relaxation. When he entered the Fantasy category, Maya jumped in her seat with excitement. Names like "Aethel's Elven Forest," "Echo of the Crystal Caves," "Lumina's Sky Gardens" were listed, each with its own mesmerizing visual. The Sci-Fi tab had the neon-lit, rainy streets of "Neo-Kyoto 2099"; the domed cities of "Mars Colony Alpha" on the red deserts. The Historical tab ranged from the Forum of Ancient Rome to a Viking village.
Petter clicked on a tab called "Design Chains." This was even more complex. "This is like a modular creation tool," he said, as if talking to himself. "Look, it says 'Apparel Design Chain.' You can select a basic armor frame and then design your own custom armor by adding different materials, pauldrons, helmets. With the 'Architectural Design Chain,' you can... your own buildings..."
"So I can build my own castle?" Maya asked, her eyes wide.
"You sure can," Petter said. "You can even build a castle where every tower is a different color if you want."
As he continued to browse the app, a grayed-out, locked tab caught his eye: "Chamber Expansion." "What's this?" he wondered. In the future, they would perhaps offer the ability to expand the physical chamber's space by adding new modules. OPG's plans seemed to be just a beginning.
In the "Account" tab, he saw that a maximum of five Omni-Chambers could be registered to one account. This meant that wealthy families or companies could create their own small virtual universes. The system's functions were also incredible: Playground, Living Space, Simulation Area, Test Area... This wasn't just a game console. This was a personal dimensional gate that could serve any purpose.
Building plans, vehicles, structures, weapons, spells... Everything imaginable was available as a module within the app. Petter felt like he was only skimming the surface of this bottomless ocean. Sarah and Maya had gathered around Petter, resting their heads on his shoulders, gazing at this digital wonderland.
"This... this is incredible, Petter," Sarah said, her voice filled with awe. "This isn't just a game. It's an educational tool, a design platform, a therapy room... The possibilities are endless."
Petter nodded. "I'm thinking the same thing, Mom." Then, he turned to the excited little body next to him. "So, my little fish... Among all these worlds, where do you want to go first?"
Maya thought for a moment. She closed her eyes, as if visualizing her dream world in her mind. "I..." she began, "I want to go to a place with floating islands. But the islands aren't made of earth, they're made of crystal. And waterfalls flow between them, but the waterfalls don't flow down, they flow up, towards the sky! And there are glowing butterflies flying around that make music notes when I touch them!"
It was such a specific and creative dream that Petter and Sarah looked at each other for a moment and smiled. This was a reflection of Maya's pure and limitless imagination.
Then Maya turned to her mother. Her eyes held the unshakable trust a child has for their mother. "Mom," she said. "You pick a concept for me, come on. Find a place like I described. Please?"
Sarah was touched by this sweet responsibility. Being between her son and daughter, at the very heart of this new technology, gave her a strange happiness. She took the phone from Petter. Her fingers browsed between the "Fantasy" and "Abstract" categories. Finally, she stopped on one. The visual showed crystal islands, suspended in a pink and purple sky, with rivers of light flowing from them. "I think this is the place you're looking for, peanut," she said. The concept's name was "Lumina's Sky Gardens." "The description says, 'A realm woven from dreams, where gravity is a suggestion and music is a color.' I think you can find the glowing butterflies there too."
Maya hugged her mother's neck in joy. "Yes! Yes! That's the one!"
"Great choice," said Petter. "What about me? I think I'll try 'The Whispering Giant Forest.' Let's see just how good this realism they've been hyping up is."
Petter took the phone back. First, he went into Maya's panel, selected the "Lumina's Sky Gardens" concept, and pressed the "Generate Environment" button. Then he switched to his own panel and did the same for "The Whispering Giant Forest."
The two chambers in the garden suddenly began to hum more intensely. The white light inside them began to ripple with the main colors of their chosen concepts—namely, pink, purple, and deep green.
"Are you ready?" Petter said.
Maya was bouncing in her seat. Sarah took her hand. "We're ready."
They quickly went out to the garden. Maya, under Sarah's supervision, ran to her own chamber. Petter, alone, headed for the other. The chamber's transparent door slid open with a silent hiss as he approached. The inside was empty and neutral, illuminated by a white light.
Petter took a step inside. The door slid shut behind him with the same silence. In that moment, he felt as if his connection to the outside world had been completely severed. A calm, genderless voice rose from within the chamber: "Please stand in the marked area on the floor."
Petter walked onto a glowing blue circle in the center of the floor. The moment he stood still, something incredible happened. The door he had just entered through ceased to be a door. The faint seam where the door met the wall melted away before his eyes, and the door became a flawless, smooth pane of glass, just like the rest of the chamber. He was now inside a completely sealed glass box.
And then, the world dissolved.
This wasn't a simple screen change. This was a total demolition and reconstruction of reality. The familiar sight of their garden suddenly shattered as if into a thousand shards of glass. Colors, shapes, sounds... they all flowed into one another. It was as if an entire universe was dying at light speed and a new one was being born in its place. Meaningless but mesmerizing explosions of color and light passed before his eyes, as if he were inside a kaleidoscope. The roar of a storm, the hymn of a choir, and the digital scream of a computer filled his ears all at once. For a moment, he felt as if he had no body. He was just a pure consciousness, floating in the chaos of this creation moment.
This chaos, after an instant he couldn't measure, subsided as suddenly as it had begun. The colors and sounds slowly settled into place. And when Petter opened his eyes, he was no longer in a glass box.
A forest of massive, ancient trees stretched out around him. The trunks of the trees were so thick that it would take ten people to encircle one. Their trunks were covered in emerald green, velvety moss. The tops of the trees were not visible due to the dense mist above. Occasionally, beams of sunlight filtering through the mist created divine pillars of light on the forest floor. On the ground, strange mushrooms and plants he had never seen before grew, emitting a faint blue and purple light from within.
Then he heard the sounds. The gentle rustle of leaves, the melancholic call of an unknown bird in the distance, and strangest of all, a deep, low, and constant whisper... as if it were coming from the giant trees themselves. It wasn't a frightening whisper. It was as if the forest itself was singing to him in an ancient language, welcoming him.
The airflow sensors and scent generators completed the illusion. He felt a cool, damp breeze on his face. The scent of damp earth, decaying leaves, and resin filled his nostrils. The air was so realistic that Petter thought for a moment he might have actually been transported to another world. This wasn't like looking at a screen. He was there. He was in that forest.
Instinctively, a question popped into his mind: Can I walk?
With hesitation, he put his right foot forward. And yes, he was walking. The ground beneath his feet was like a normal forest floor. But there was something strange. When he walked, the floor beneath him seamlessly slid in whatever direction he stepped, physically moving the landscape in front of him to match. This was the world's most advanced, omnidirectional treadmill. As he walked, the forest moved around him, the perspective changing flawlessly, but he himself always remained in the center of that ten-square-meter area. The illusion was so perfect that his brain didn't question it for a second.
He walked towards the nearest giant tree. With every step, the tree grew larger, the texture of the moss on it, the cracks in its bark, becoming more distinct. Finally, he stood right in front of it. It was so real, he couldn't comprehend it. His logic told him this was just an image made of photons, of pixels. But his eyes, his senses, his entire being screamed at him that this was real.
He slowly raised his trembling hand. His palm approached the bark of the tree. One last centimeter... Half a centimeter...
And then, he touched it.
Petter's entire body jolted as if he'd been electrocuted.
Because he had felt it. His fingertips hadn't just touched a cold glass surface; they had touched a real texture. The damp, spongy softness of the moss... The hard, rough, and uneven surface of the bark underneath... How was this possible? Was this the work of that "filament" technology they mentioned?
In shock, he pressed his hand harder. The tree was solid. He tried to scratch the bark with his nails, and tiny, virtual pieces of bark collected between his fingers. He ran his hand over the moss. That cool, wet feeling... It was incredible. He clenched his fist and lightly punched the tree trunk. A solid, dull sound emerged, and he felt a slight jolt in his hand.
This wasn't virtual reality. This was tangible light. This was a dream turned into matter. This was synthesized reality. And Petter, on the first day of this new reality, had taken his first step, made his first touch. His world would never be the same again.
As Petter emerged from the shock of the massive tree's tangible bark, he felt like an explorer. He began to explore the whispering forest around him. He touched one of the glowing mushrooms on the ground; its surface was smooth and cool, and when he pressed lightly, it compressed like a sponge. He walked towards the melancholic bird song in the distance, marveling at how the floor beneath him perfectly slid to maintain the illusion with every step. After a while, he wondered how to wake up from this dream. He needed to go back and check on his mother and sister.
He felt the weight of his phone in his pocket. Inside this virtual world, that small, solid, and real object was like an anchor. He took out his phone and opened the "OPG Connect" app. On the main panel, his own chamber's status showed "Active - In Use." He looked for a help menu and found the "End Session" heading. The explanation was simple: "To end the experience, please give the clear voice command 'End project'."
Petter took a deep breath. He looked one last time at the incredibly realistic forest around him. "End project," he said. His voice was heard clearly over the ambient sounds of the forest.
The calm, genderless voice from inside the chamber spoke again: "Voice command detected. Should a recording of this session's experience be saved, or just terminated?"
This was an unexpected question. So he could record these moments and relive them. "Just terminate," Petter said.
With his command, the magnificent forest began to dissolve like a watercolor painting doused in water. Colors blurred into one another, the outlines of the trees softened, and after a brief chaos of light and color, just like in the creation moment, he found himself back in the neutral, white-lit glass box. The seam of the door appeared, and it slid open with a silent hiss.
When he stepped outside, he was met by the garden, painted red by the last light of the setting sun. His mother was pacing anxiously in front of Maya's chamber, which was still glowing in shades of pink and purple.
She ran to him as soon as she saw him. "Petter! Are you okay? You were in there for so long!"
Petter looked at his mother. His eyes were shining with the wonder of what he had just seen. "Mom..." he whispered. "That... that wasn't a screen." He guided his mother to the bench in front of Maya's chamber, and they sat down. "She hasn't come out yet?"
Sarah shook her head anxiously. "No. I call out, but she doesn't hear me. I can hear music and laughter from inside. Leaving her in there alone... I don't know, did I do the right thing?" The deep anxiety in his mother's voice touched Petter's heart.
Petter took his mother's hand. "Don't worry, she's safe. The system is incredible. Mom, I can't explain it to you. Words aren't enough. I was there. I was really there. I was in a forest. I felt the wind on my face, the moisture in the air, the smell of the earth. This isn't like watching a movie. This is like living in that movie."
Sarah looked at her son's excitedly shining eyes. "But isn't that dangerous? I mean... for our brains? Coming back to the real world after an experience that realistic... doesn't it feel strange?" This was the question of a mother, a businesswoman. Practical, logical, and full of love.
"A little," Petter said honestly. "Yes, I feel a bit dizzy. Like I've just returned from a long journey. But do you know what the most incredible moment was? I touched a tree."
"What do you mean, you touched it?"
"I touched it, Mom. I reached out my hand and I touched it. I felt the bark of the tree, the moss on it. It was hard, rough. It was
cold and damp. It wasn't just an image, it was matter. That filament technology they talked about... This changes everything. This isn't just seeing and hearing. This is feeling. Touching." Petter was looking at his own hand, as if that feeling were still on his fingertips. "If a simulation becomes indistinguishable from the real world, what does 'real' even mean? Maybe reality is just a data stream that our brain interprets. And OPG is offering us a new data stream."
Sarah paused for a moment at this philosophical depth. "That thought both fascinates and terrifies me, Petter. Maya is still so young. The line between real and imaginary is already so thin for her. What if she loses that line completely? What if she starts to love those crystal gardens more than this garden?"
Petter understood his mother's concern. "That's why we're here, Mom. To guide her. To teach her the balance between these two worlds. This isn't something we should ban. This is something we need to understand and manage."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of cheerful music coming from Maya's chamber, gradually getting louder. Sarah stood up again, worried. "She needs to come out now. She's been in there too long."
Petter took out his phone. "Don't worry, I'll handle it." He went into the control panel for Maya's chamber. He pressed the "End Session" button. But a warning popped up on the screen: "Security Protocol: External intervention not permitted without user consent. Command to end session must be given from within."
This was a logical security measure. "Damn it," Petter muttered. "I can't force her out." But then he saw another option at the bottom of the screen: "Send Parental Directive." He clicked it. A question appeared on the screen: "What message would you like to send to Maya?" Petter typed, "Sweetie, it's time to come out now. Dinner is getting cold. We miss you so much," and sent it.
A few minutes later, the music from Maya's chamber stopped. After a moment of silence, the chamber door slid open, and Maya stepped out, her face wearing an expression of pure awe and happiness they had never seen before. Her eyes were shining, as if she had just seen a thousand stars.
Their next test would be to see if the two of them could meet in the same virtual environment. But it was getting quite late, and Maya's bedtime was approaching.
They quickly went inside. As Maya put on her pajamas and brushed her teeth, she began to describe the extraordinary experience she'd had. Her account was made up of the excited, fragmented, and utterly magical words of a child.
"Mom! Bro! It was... it was amazing!" she began, breathless. "The ground was bouncy! It was like it was made of crystal, and every time I took a step, I launched into the air like I was on a trampoline! And the islands... the islands were floating in the sky! To jump from one to the other, I just had to think it! I thought it, and poof! I was on the other island!"
She sat on her mother's bed, acting out what she had seen with her hands and arms. "And the waterfalls! They really did flow upwards! The water was like it was pouring into a sea in the sky! When drops fell on me, I didn't get wet, instead, tiny, glowing stars appeared on me! And the butterflies... oh, the butterflies! They were the best part! They were colorful, glowing butterflies. When I touched one, a melody suddenly started playing all around me! Every butterfly was a different note! I made my own song by touching them!"
Maya paused for a moment, as if remembering the most important part. "And I met Lumo!"
"Lumo?" Sarah asked, smiling.
"Yes! He was a small, round creature made of light. He didn't have eyes, but he could see me. He didn't talk, but I could understand him. He showed me around the Sky Gardens. He showed me the secret caves, the places where flowers sang songs inside. He became my friend."
Maya's enthusiastic story deeply affected both Petter and Sarah. This wasn't just playing a game. This was making a new friend, composing a new song, exploring a new world. This was an incredible experience that pushed the limits of a child's imagination.
Maya fell asleep in her mother's arms, dreaming of those crystal gardens. Sarah gently laid her in her bed, covered her, and left the room.
Petter was waiting for her in the living room. The house was quiet. Only the low hum of the refrigerator could be heard. Sarah came and sat in the armchair opposite her son. For a while, they sat in silence, trying to digest the incredible events of the day.
Finally, Sarah spoke. "This... this is something much bigger than I expected, Petter. That expression on Maya's face... It wasn't just the expression of a child who had fun. It was the expression of someone who had witnessed a miracle."
Petter nodded. "I felt the same way. This technology could change the course of humanity. Education, art, communication... Everything. But at the same time... it's dangerous. Maya mentioned an imaginary friend named 'Lumo.' What if those imaginary friends replace real friends? What if children don't want to leave those perfect, flawless worlds? This is a huge responsibility."
"I'm thinking the same thing," said Sarah. "As a businesswoman, I see the market potential of this technology, how it will transform industries. But as a mother... I only see the dangers. Addiction, detachment from reality, social isolation... That's why I've made a decision. I'm going to order one too."
Petter was surprised. "Seriously?"
"Yes. If I want to understand this new world my children will be living in and protect them, I have to enter that world myself. I have to learn its rules, its dynamics, its dangers firsthand. This isn't something I can just watch from the sidelines."
This was proof of what a strong and forward-thinking woman Sarah was. Petter was filled with admiration for his mother. Their conversation continued, focusing on plans for the future. They would set strict time limits. The Omni-Chamber would be a reward, not a right. School, homework, chores... The responsibilities of the real world would always come first. And most importantly, they would never neglect the "real" time they spent together as a family.
Towards the end of the conversation, Petter got up from the sofa and sat next to his mother. "Thank you for everything, Mom," he said, his voice full of sincere gratitude. "For trusting me. For giving us this incredible opportunity." He leaned in and planted a big, wet kiss on his mother's cheek.
Sarah smiled, took her son's face in her hands, and kissed him all over—his forehead, his cheeks, the tip of his nose. Just then, Petter suddenly shouted, "Gotcha!" and his hands dived into his mother's wavy hair, which had fallen past her shoulders, messing it up in an instant.
"Petter! Don't!" Sarah shrieked, laughing and trying to push her son's hands away. "I spent all day trying to keep it neat for that meeting!"
"But you're not in the meeting anymore, my queen," Petter said, continuing to play with his mother's hair. "You're in my kingdom now, and in this kingdom, hair is meant to be messy!"
Sarah struggled to escape her son's mischievous attack. Finally, she managed to break free from Petter's grasp and jumped to her feet. "You're finished, young man!" she said, wagging her finger at him. Petter also jumped up, and a comical chase began around the sofas in the living room. Petter danced around his mother, trying to tag her, while Sarah was both laughing and running away from him. Finally, Sarah cornered Petter and started tickling him.
"Surrender! I said, surrender!"
"Never! Revolutionaries never surrender!" Petter shouted, dissolving into laughter.
This childish game had taken away all the intensity of the day, all its philosophical depth, and all its worries. All that remained was the pure, joyful laughter of a mother and son who loved each other very much.
When they were finally tired, they collapsed onto the sofa, breathless. Sarah rested her head on her son's shoulder. "I love you, my mischievous boy."
"I love you too, my beautiful queen."
That night, when they both went to their beds, their minds were both exhausted and incredibly alive. As they fell asleep, their dreams were filled with crystal gardens and whispering forests. A new age had begun, and they were at the very heart of it.