Claustrophobic Space (Virtual Reality 2)

August 2031, Liang Nation, Rocket City

Clinical statistical data shows that women engaged in mentally demanding work are more prone to postpartum depression.

Daphne's symptoms were not severe. The doctor's advice was moderate exercise, dietary adjustments, and distraction, such as watching movies, traveling, or playing games.

Little Vito was diagnosed with epilepsy. There was a very small area in his brain where neurons were abnormally dense, causing intermittent, uncontrolled electrical discharges.

The doctor recommended a minimally invasive removal surgery before the child's skull fully closed, which should lead to a complete recovery.

Even though the surgical risks were low, Daphne, as a mother, was extremely worried, which worsened her depression.

Michael understood Daphne's feelings and tried his best to help her adjust her emotions. The best method, of course, was to distract her.

Little Vito was sound asleep in his crib. Michael opened his computer and played a video for Daphne, saying:

"My dear, our transport ship has delivered the first batch of supplies for the 'Capsule' project to Mars. The fully enclosed Mars work-life cabin will soon be completed."

Daphne noticed high-speed electric self-driving pickup trucks moving on the Martian surface and humanoid robots inside the cabin in the video. She curiously asked:

"Are you showing me a computer simulation or live footage?"

"It's a computer simulation, but the electric pickup trucks and humanoid robots have indeed been transported to Mars. The scenes in the video will become reality in a very short time," Michael said.

"Humanoid robots can't completely replace humans for now. Have you started recruiting the Mars volunteers you planned for? I envy those volunteers; I even have an urge to take little Vito and live in the Mars Capsule," Daphne said as if talking to herself.

Michael hugged Daphne, trying to convey his love and sense of security through physical contact to alleviate her anxiety. He smiled and said, "The selection process for volunteers is very strict. They need strong psychological resilience. It's very painful to fight loneliness for extended periods in a small, claustrophobic space."

Daphne thought for a moment, seeming to empathize with the claustrophobic space on that distant planet. She asked, "Then have you taken necessary measures to enrich the volunteers' daily lives as much as possible to help them overcome boredom and loneliness?"

Michael closed the video on the computer and opened a PPT, introducing Daphne to the interesting aspects of the Mars volunteer recruitment process.

To prevent volunteers from developing severe claustrophobia in the enclosed Martian environment, Michael's company engineers made the architectural space of the "Capsule" Mars cabin as humane as possible, diversifying food and even flowers.

However, humans are emotional beings after all. Good living conditions and food cannot completely solve psychological problems. The best way to combat claustrophobia and loneliness is freedom of mind and body.

Playing games is clearly a good way to gain pleasure and pass the time. What kind of games should be designed? The engineers left the decision to the volunteers. Thus, the "My Universe" game design proposal became a mandatory question for aspiring volunteers.

This approach had two benefits: first, the virtual universe created by the volunteers themselves would naturally be the most suitable for them; second, it would also allow them to assess the volunteers' mental health by examining the preferences revealed in their uniquely designed universes.

For example, one applicant designed their universe as a jungle infested with monsters, where they played an omnipotent god, using guns, cannons, and even atomic bombs to eliminate monsters batch by batch, clearing levels one by one.

It was evident that their assessment result showed excessive violent tendencies, with poor patience and cooperation skills.

Another applicant designed a building game. On a barren, infertile land, they dug canals, built walls and houses, acquired wealth through trading, gambling, or even deception, constructed magnificent castles like palaces, and chose exquisite clothing and expensive ornaments to adorn themselves.

The evaluation team believed that such games were not uncommon on Earth, and most people could not derive lasting satisfaction from them.

Indeed, a few players who became addicted found endless enjoyment under the strong stimulation of audiovisual senses. However, once these players had the opportunity to realize their dreams in real life, they would quit their internet addiction without hesitation.

"Have you found better virtual universe proposals and creators then?" Daphne asked Michael.

"I wouldn't say the current proposal is the best, but at least it utilizes all sorts of tools available in the context of rapid technological development," Michael said. "Some applicants are still not bold enough. Our virtual reality technology has already made tremendous progress."

"You mean, if I were a universe creator, I could imagine my abilities, your technology, as omnipotent, right?" Daphne asked.

"Yes, the design we are currently choosing was inspired by an applicant. Her name is Li Xiaoxuan; you should have heard of her," Michael said, looking at Daphne as if trying to jog her memory.

"Li Xiaoxuan? The little Chinese girl VESSEL mentioned who wrote you letters when we first met?" Daphne recalled, saying with a hint of surprise.

Li Xiaoxuan's virtual universe proposal was to transform the claustrophobic Martian cabin into a virtual reality world. Volunteers inside could change the virtual reality-enhanced, realistic scenes according to their every wish.

The most important concept in her proposal was that only when the creator of the metaverse becomes an equal participant can they obtain sustainable satisfaction and pleasure from the uncertain, indistinguishable sensory experiences.

The joy and continuous novelty gained from raising pets are far less than "raising yourself"! True novelty is likely found in the mundane!

Initially, human imagination and curiosity would drive creators to manufacture differences.

For example, the moon could be square, the universe could have missing corners, and people could transform into dinosaurs or even beetles. But after these experiences were repeated over and over, creators would find that the indistinguishable nature of virtual and real is the most interesting.

The pinnacle of human science is the unification of all phenomena; the pinnacle of human technology is self-replication.

According to Li Xiaoxuan's proposal, Michael's team designed a public space in the Martian cabin resembling a photo studio, equipped with 3D printing equipment capable of creating objects whose textures are indistinguishable from real ones.

The wearable devices would be made lighter, providing volunteers with realistic visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile experiences. With the help of 3D printing technology, volunteers could hold ski poles, step on skis, and speed down snowy slopes, or hold steering wheels, step on accelerators, and race against each other.

In addition to individual activities, volunteers could invite old friends, make new ones, organize parties, and attend dances. In short, whatever exists in real life, the virtual world could imitate, providing participants with indistinguishable sensory experiences.

For those in long-term confinement, they crave excitement and novelty, but they crave life itself even more.

Besides participation, a sense of accomplishment is most healing for lonely individuals. Therefore, the virtual reality on Mars is not isolated; it can connect with real life on Earth. How cool would it be to live stream from Mars! Earth's social media would surely be buzzing.

However, if the live stream content is always about that small, confined room, and volunteers drone on about their food and belongings, it would only be a fleeting trend.

Imagine, volunteers on Mars inviting their friends and family from Earth or even strangers to join their virtual universe exploration trips. What a desirable scenario that would be.

The sea, the beach, a bonfire, one, two, or even as many moons as desired, casting colorful neon lights. The hosts and guests would have wings, flying freely like angels.

"Didn't you say the creator would choose their protagonist to be of their own kind? Why do they have wings now?" Daphne asked Michael, showing a rare smile.

Michael also smiled. "Angels with wings might truly exist, or they might be creations of our ancestors' imaginations. Regardless, they are still humanoid. A creator participating in reality wouldn't want to have dinosaur claws in their hands."

Daphne mused, "The creator's most arduous task and greatest achievement is to virtualize their reality and replicate themselves to participate in it."

Daphne then thought that if gods were imagined by humans, then the ancestors who "conceived" deities would not have needed virtual reality technology.

How did the ancestors "imagine" gods?

Why do the main deities, created by different ethnic groups and religious beliefs, share a common humanoid form?

Is it possible that the Creator is human?

Humans are the true form of the Creator!

Michael's heart surged with emotion. He tightly embraced Daphne and pleaded, "My dearest, support me, help me restart and deeply develop Mars. Perhaps we can truly find traces of the Creator there."

&

Chapter-Pressing Collection of Poems:

Among them, the colors are indeed different. Qing, Chen Tingjing

Driven into the furnace of heaven and earth's creation. Yuan, Wang Jichang

Who says the Spring and Autumn Annals have no fixed method? Song, Wang Zhi

Let them be like me and not myself. Song, Zhou Bida