The skyclock timer was still going. There were 60 minutes left before it ran out.
The traffic in thr sky slowed down and people were settling down for the day all into their homes. The New Arcadian society all operated with precision and a specific flow. Everyone did the same thing at the same time. You could say they were all on one perfectly scheduled daily routine checklist.
There wasn't a child in sight playing or couples romancing in alleyways, teens smoking on corners. That was most likely seen in the Undergrid.
Terrchel: Right so, where do you presume we start looking to find what we are here for? I mean, this place is huuuuge.
He span in circles admiring the center of Arcadia where the stores and facilities stood before him. The atmosphere here was more lively than outside Cybro's.
Leghorn: "I'll tell you what this place is; it's a circus! Look at the bright colors everywhere, and these advertisements are absolutely annoying. THEY TALK TO YOU.
He stood before a 3D holographic advertisement that was attempting to have a sales pitch with him, but he was not having it.
Leghorn: I had a comprehensive understanding of all this in The Light Realm, but witnessing it firsthand is insane. Especially after the last time I was here. The growth has been rapid. It just shows the danger of that celestial energy. In the wrong hands all this power will bring destruction
Terrchel: You sound paranoid. It's just a AD doing it's job. Let's living in the moment ans explore.
Whilst crossing the street they received weird stares from the Arcadians passing by on their Rover Boots. Here your boots presumed a status and no boots at all definitely meant you didn't belong.
Terrchel: They all looking at us, is our fashion sense that bad
Leghorn: it's because we walking at what I'd presume a normal speed while they gliding pass.
Terrchel: I guess I could get myself a pair of those boots and remove the turbo charger; that way I'd be able to get by at full speed without anybody noticing it's an ability and I won't look out of place, but your chicken feet won't be able to keep up in those.
He pointed at Leghorn's feet, wearing all white celestial boots that had soft clouds inside and a heavenly aura but it wasn't very useful here in Arcadia.
Terrchel: Do you suppose they are staring at us because we are weirdos without tech gear, or because you, well... YOU?
Leghorn: It's 2050; nobody cares about Man that with 'chicken' features. They probably all think I'm some high-tech artificial intelligence creation or it's just my aesthetic. I mean, they have these holographic ads that talk and do sales pitches and robots all around doing various things. There's even humans with artificial intelligence upgrades. It's like we're living in a movie or something
Terrchel: Artificial Intelligence? But the longer I'm in Arcadia, the more unintelligent I feel.
Leghorn: Hahahah The mistake was made in the assumption that you ever were intelligent. Do you know the size of a fly's brain? Anyway, come over here. Let's see what this advertisement has to say so we can figure out a plan.
Terrchel: For your information a study has shown that flies appear to think before they act and, humans take longer to make trickier decisions. Scientists admitted to being surprised by the discovery, which indicates that even insects show signs of intelligence.
Leghorn: Okaaay and I assume that you collected that data from Arnold's scientist memory box brain.
Terrchel: Yeah, it has it's perks I guess. These holographic advertisements are really impressive....
Leghorn: I can sense you're about to spit out more scientific facts. Please refrain. If I wanted a walking encyclopedia I would have activated my swatch assistant.
Terrchel: Yea yeah [rolls eyes] I spot a shopping center a few blocks down this way. Got any more celestial cash or magic beans? Because I'm starving and thirsty!
Leghorn: I possess some Arcadian Dollars. I anticipated that you would not secure a job to support our upcoming adventure. I tend to plan ahead, however you cannot possibly be hungry AGAIN.
Terrchel: come to think about it! Why have we walked all this way or slept outside on a bench if you're clearly loaded? Well, where do you keep it? Are you going to summon it from the heavens? Should I expect a loot drop any second?
Leghorn: This isn't a video game, Terrchel. If you are genuinely interested, cash has become outdated like a dinosaur since you were dead. Did you not notice how I used cryptocurrency in Cybro's when we sat down? all conveniently stored on my Swatch. A simple scan is all that's required. When you get your gear I'll transfer you some.
Terrchel: Yeah I didn't know that was what you were doing but I did notice others paying by the scan of their arm?
Leghorn: Trust me, you don't want to go that route especially with your information they'd find. Usually it's untraceable but the huge quantity of celestial energy in Arcadia has made just about anything possible.
They entered a store and was in awe of the illumination and the features surrounding them. Sleek, high-tech design with AI-powered virtual assistants, holographic displays, and augmented reality experiences.
The store offers personalized product recommendations, styling advice, and immersive try-on experiences.
Garments are made from cutting-edge materials with integrated technology, such as wearable devices and smart fabrics. AI-powered mirrors in fitting rooms analyze customers' body shapes and provide tailored suggestions.
The store's seamless payment system uses biometric authentication or contactless payments, streamlining the checkout process.
Terrchel excitedly explored the store while Leghorn unbotheredly walked over to him through the browsing aisles.
Leghorn: Annnd just because I'm here doesn't mean you get a free pass at missing vital human experiences and making freewill decisions that needs to take place for your growth, especially if you want to start unlocking those levels on your abilities. As it stands you're not even on level one yet. What does the store smell like?
Terrchel: The store's scent might be a unique blend of citrus, lavender, and cedarwood, evoking a sense of freshness, sophistication, and luxury that complements its futuristic and high-end atmosphere.
Leghorn: good now combine it with your memories
Terrchel: The store's scent blend leverages the psychological effects of citrus, lavender, and cedarwood to create an inviting atmosphere, reduce stress, and promote a sense of luxury, ultimately enhancing the shopping experience.
Leghorn: and combined with the fuel of celestial energy those charts which would be? Keep in mind that normal levels for safe and pleasant scent concentrations in a store setting are typically between 0.1-2.0% for citrus, lavender, and cedarwood. So try again go deeper use your scent ability to get the celestial energy level influence
Terrchel: Dangerous levels of citrus, lavender, and cedarwood scents can occur at high concentrations above 5-10%, potentially causing skin irritation, allergic reactions, respiratory issues, or other adverse effects.
He closed his eyes and focused on a deep breath. Whilst Leghorn paced down the store waiting patiently.
Terrchel: I detect we are at 4% but it's increasing gradually as if the energy interference is unstable
Leghorn stopped pacing and turned to look at him with a serious look on his face he took him by the shoulders stared in his eyes sternly
Leghorn: On this journey ahead most times I will already be informed or have the answers to your questions, but this journey isn't about me giving you a golden spoon and making everything convenient. I will assist as far as allowed, but none further. Soon you'll understand the greater picture at work.
Terrchel nodded at Leghorn showing understanding to what he is saying and also processing all the information he just gave him about how to connect his abilities + memories + celestial source. He didn't feel the need to respond.
Instead he led him towards the advertisement section for the rover boots. There were only two options on the AD pink or black but customized was welcome. Terrchel thought back to the customized pizza he had and shivered in disgust and choose the black pair instead suggesting a pink pair for Leghorn which he declined and actually went with the custom option.
They walked in silence throughout the rest of the store gathering gadgets and clothing. Terrchel could only ponder on the seriousness of what was just said.
It wasn't what Leghorn said but mostly how he said it that him me feeling like things are going to get out of hand and he might be on his own, " It's like he knows something and is trying to warn me before it happens but he doesn't want to scare me by saying it outright" he pondered.
Leaving the store another holographic advertisement caught their attention, directing them to the nearet store for the latest tech wear. However, what really caught them off guard was it's claim that this wearable technology not only came equipped with artificial intelligence but some people opt for personalized companionship based on their needs and wants and that was only the beginning.
Leghorn: It's crazy how far technology has advanced it's like there's basically nothing that can't be done. I miss the old times.
Leghorn fondly only for a second thought about his days in Arcadia as a human fresh out of school.
Entering the new store, The AI virtual assistant assumed Leghorn was assigned Terrchel because he had suffered some kind of memory loss and trauma due to analyzing them when they walking through the doors.
The assistant then asked permission to scan them, supposedly to recommend an upgraded AI pet based off Terrchel's overall needs.
According to the assistant, Leghorn was outdated and no longer useful. It was clear that the hologram was trying to make a sale and earn a high rating but what they couldn't understand was how the hologram had made this observations in the first place, and why it felt the need to comment on something unrelated to its initial sales pitch.
Terrchel kindly declined it's offer and refused to being scanned, knowing that would lead to unnecessary discoveries the Arcadia patrol doesn't need to know about. They walked away from the AI assistant.
Terrchel: According to my memory or should I say Arnold's memory, if I should rewind to when expert systems and rule-based AI emerged, mimicking human decision-making. It seems the real magic happened in the 21st century. Image recognition accuracy surpassing human capabilities, AI-generated art selling, AI-assisted protein folding predictions, accelerating medical research but this what I'm seeing right now surpasses what he thought he knew.
Leghorn: Arnold knew The future of AI is bright, but also raised important questions about ethics, bias, and responsibility. As he continued to push the boundaries of what's possible His mistake was not giving me the celestial orb transfiguration. He was deceived by his best friends vision".
Terrchel I had more questions about this topic, artificial intelligence operations in general, but he decided it was best not to annoy Leghorn with it, especially since he was counting on him to buy food again.
After paying the shopping bill, a holographic card bar suddenly appeared at the exit. It was similar to those seen in Cybro's. Leghorn gave the store a 3 star rating and left unbothered that it has steady 5 star rating going.
Leghorn: The card resemble a rating system. Now that you have tec gear you have one too. Just like the one om my swatch, functioning as a 3D status display. You can customize it the main feature is your stars must be visable but some people show the number of likes and dislikes received, along with other reviews and information that I would never take the time to read.
Leghorn sadly wondered in his mind; is this what the world had come to, people are defining their worth off ratings and reviews instead of human morality. I can definitely anticipate problems for The City of New Arcadia and I think I understand a bit now why so many people opted to make a home in the Undergrid and why I was sent back here now with Terrchel.
As Terrchel explored this new world, he noticed that the rating system was omnipresent. Everyone used it, from humans interacting with each other to customers reviewing stores. From a distance, he watched people pull up their personal status bars after conversations, leaving tips and ratings. It was surreal, like walking social media.