Chapter Two: Only Cyberspace is Real
As life ended for Pop, at Virtual High School life was just beginning for the Ga Ga Kids. These smiling beings were looking forward to their summer holidays and their future with the GlobalSoft company.
Their white clothes shimmered under the lights of the centre, almost in sympathy with the gleaming buildings. Their whitened teeth shone, completing the ensemble. And an ensemble it was, dressed so similar as they were. Each outfit was topped off by a square logo of orange and yellow within which were the words 'Ga Ga'. Their identity was clear.
As they sang their school anthem, they joined together in a fury of choreographed actions. The dance was well scripted and organised, each kid knew their place. They sang about their lives, I world in which the internet was queen.
www/ sat alone in her room, starring at the flat screen on her wall. It was her only friend during the long hours of her teenage nights. There she would wallow in self-pity or distract her mind.
When not watching TV, she would use the same screen to fulfil her other needs. This screen was her life, as she downloaded clothes and food from the internet.
Sometimes her friends would buzz her and together they would enter cyberspace. This world often seemed more real than 'real life'. People got married online nowadays, had virtual kids and brought up virtual families. It was great fun, laughter permeated the virtual corridors. Sometimes it made them cry, but this didn't seem to matter because most of the time it made them feel like they could fly.
It was a Global show, led by GlobalSoft. GlobalSoft was the coolest thing around, the world leaders in practically everything. Sammi didn't really realise it but their voice was a blueprint for kids' lives, both on and offline. Without them, and their complete control, the world would be lost, unsure what to do with their time.
Cyberspace was cluttered with ads these days. They had broken, almost imperceptibly, into music and videos. All the kids heard was marketing blah blah, even if they didn't always realise it. There was always something new (or so they thought).
The truth was that things were simply repackaged and re-released. The shows became more and more extreme, finding the predictable new stars and demonstrating their most fantastic lives. They ran across the screen for hours and hours, so predictable that those watching hardly needed to use their eyes and ears. They just logged on and their dreams appeared.
Despite spending most of their time at home in their bedrooms, the kids of Planet Mall were never alone. They had their online friends with whom they could discuss their interests. These friends remembered their birthdays and supported them when things got them down.
It wasn't just friends that they got online, they found love as well. Boyfriends and girlfriends surfed cyberspace, looking for potential matches. Sometimes they began as friends, but often it just skipped to the best bit. Life was too short after all.
If cyberspace ever disappeared then the kids wouldn't know what to do with themselves. They'd miss the control that it brought. They needed their graphics, needed their visuals. That was all part of the power, the Globalshow!
As the kids of Virtual High School finished their song, they knew that term was truly over now. The teacher's words simply confirmed it: "Hey kids, schools out! It's summer time. Get out there and have some fun!"
They didn't need telling twice. As one they replied "that is so cool! Alright!"