Random Story :
Antique
Author : Curtis C. Chen I brushed away more leaves. …
In Mode
Author: David C. Nutt
I remember the rush when I first flipped on the new “accelerated” mode in my smart phone implant. What used to take hours, days, months, of my time staying in touch with news, popular culture trends, celebrity gossip, or the latest meme was now uploaded into my awareness in about three seconds. Then, in “convo” mode where my contacts and I shared all we had to share about the latest, what used to take about a week of back and forth took only two minutes, tops. No side effects, no headaches, just 12 times the information imbedded in our brains in an eye-blink.
Well, there was one itty bitty problem, just a time lapse thing. I would come out of accelerated mode and I was really disoriented about the time. Honestly, it took more time to get feeling normal than I care to admit, but I think I can get used to it. So that’s the downside.
OK, there’s also a sensory thing. In mode, it’s this nice, neutral zone- not hot or cold. No sunshine or shadow just there. Once out of mode, for a good ten minutes a light breeze felt like a hurricane. Warm and comfortable sunshine felt like a week in the Mojave. And the ambient light…cloud shadows felt like midnight followed by a Klieg light in your face when the cloud passed. Other than that, not a problem.
Almost forgot, there’s the rollercoaster emotions or rather, emotion. As soon as I come off mode, and the time disorientation hits, and my senses are a bit janky, then it’s anxiety time. My heart starts racing, I feel I am being stalked by, I don’t know…a serial killer, a crazy person, or an evil clown. I know, how four-year-old right? But it’s only for a few minutes and if just find a quiet corner I’m back to normal in about five minutes or so, eight to ten tops. Other than that, the mode is the best thing that ever happened.
Well, maybe not the best thing. Last week I lost about a half day of work recovering from my accelerated mode sessions. My last quarterly review shows a dramatic drop in my productivity, and my boss had to put me on a performance plan. Off accelerated mode, I can handle a normal work day and getting back in mode at the end of the day is easy. As long as I take public transit or ride share it. Made the mistake of driving in accelerated mode and wound up in a ditch, a totaled car, a $900.00 ticket and a license suspension. Thank the Stars I’m a quick four-minute walk to the subway. Unless, I walk while I’m in mode. Did that a couple of times and once I stepped into an open storm grate (how cartoony is that, lol!) Then there was the time I got mugged. Came off mode super more disoriented than normal lying flat on the ground missing my wallet, my messenger bag, and my leather jacket. What’s the world coming to these days?
However, despite its downsides I think all-in-all, accelerated mode is the best thing that has ever happened. I’m more connected to my contacts than ever before, I have a full grasp on what’s going on in the wider world beyond my own little corner, and I don’t have to move a muscle or reach out to anyone. I’m totally immersed in a new and exciting digital landscape with a full grasp on what’s going on in the broader world! All it takes is a few minutes of my time.