Page 60 of Dark Awakening: New World

The conversation lulled as they all focused on the meal, the only sound the gentle clinking of cutlery against fine china, and Brandon took the opportunity to admire the fine art adorning the walls. It was all original, he had no doubt, and the eclectic mix of styles worked for the space, as it was decorated in an odd combination of traditional and contemporary. The interior design wasn't Ingrid's work, that was for sure, and he wondered who Kalugal could have hired to do it.

Perhaps one of the younger immortals had recently graduated from a design school.

As Brandon finished his main course, Kalugal put down his fork and knife and leaned back in his chair. "I've been considering incorporating more immersive elements into InstaTock. What are your thoughts on virtual reality experiences?"

"I think it's the future of entertainment. The potential for storytelling in a fully immersive environment is incredible. And with your resources and existing platform, you could really push the boundaries of what's possible. People will shift from being consumers of stories to being participants and co-creators."

Kian nodded. "We already have the technology courtesy of acquiring Perfect Match, but it requires being hooked up to a very expensive machine and having medical supervision. It's not suitable for home use."

"True." Kalugal reached for the second bottle of wine he'd opened. "But at the rate artificial intelligence applications are advancing, the technology might catch up in only a few years. The other part of the equation would probably be a brain implant that would allow people to hook into the game without the need for a multimillion-dollar machine and techs to supervise them. The chip will replace both." He poured into their glasses.

Brandon chuckled. "That would be game over for humanity and the start of the zombie apocalypse. Imagine what governments could do if they could hack straight into the brains of their citizens. It would be The Matrix."

"The masses will live inside an illusion," Kian murmured. "Or die. What would the elites want to do with them? Especially if all the manufacturing could be done by robots, including building the robots themselves?"

Brandon considered that for a long moment. "Entertainment. They will enjoy watching them in the simulated reality they live in. Like The Hunger Games."

"It didn't happen on Anumati," Kian said. "I'm sure they have the technology. I guess the Eternal King didn't want to turn his people into zombies who lived inside a simulation. He must have prohibited the installation of chips inside people's brains."

Kalugal nodded. "That's interesting. He does things the old-fashioned way, with charisma, propaganda, and a healthy dose of compulsion. The guy is super smart, so he must have realized all the possible downsides of too much control. Or maybe he just likes the challenge of controlling his civilization with the power of his personality and his talents. It's no fun doing something if it runs on autopilot and requires no effort."

"That's precisely why he disallowed it," Jacki said. "Anyone can control a population of chip-powered zombies, but only the Eternal King, or someone as capable as he is, can control several trillions of free-thinking gods, not only on Anumati but in all of its colonies as well."

Kalugal nodded. "That's one hell of a power rush. It gives me the shivers."

38

KIAN

Jacki made a lot of sense.

The Eternal King's main objective was to hold on to his throne, and he didn't need an implant in his citizens' heads to ensure that. Why would he have made it easy for any mediocre bureaucrat to take over?

The king would have been murdered in a blink of an eye. The reason he was still in power after ruling for hundreds of thousands of years was that his people were mostly content, and no one thought that there was a viable replacement for the king. The only one who had ever come close had been his heir, Kian's grandfather. That was why the king had gone to such lengths to get rid of him while making it look as if he had no choice and was doing the right thing.

Manipulative, smart bastard.

As Atzil brought out dessert—a beautifully presented array of fresh fruits and pastries–Kalugal raised his glass in a toast.

"To new beginnings," he said. "And to the power of collaboration."

"We haven't even discussed InstaTock yet." Brandon leaned over and clinked his glass with Kalugal's. "But I'll drink to that."

Once everyone was done with the toast, Kalugal set his glass down and looked at Brandon. "Tell me what you want to do on my platform."

"You know what my job is, right?"

Kalugal nodded. "You are in charge of spreading the clan's gospel through movies, literature, television, etc."

Brandon's brow furrowed. "We don't preach, and we don't claim that our worldview is of divine origins."

Kalugal arched a brow. "I beg to differ. Where did the religions of old get their ideas from? And what shaped the monotheistic religions?"

Brandon leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not all monotheistic religions share the same principles and ideology. Surely you agree with me on that."

"Yeah." Kalugal sighed. "I do."

"Anyway," Brandon continued. "Ahn's idea of a free, self-governing society, with equal rights and dignity for all, was originally taught to the humans as a religion because it was easier and faster to do it that way. These days, influence is happening on social media, and that's what I want to do with InstaTock. I will provide the content, but I need your algorithm to push it to become viral."