Our World and Beyond

=== WELCOME TO COLREA. CONSTRUCTING YOUR UNIVERSE ===

I wait in darkness inside a black and empty universe. One moment later, a lone node bursts into being at the center of this space.

==== THIS IS YOU ===

A small but triumphant node, the center of the universe pulsed steadily as if to show its own life-force. One after another, new nodes began to orbit the center node. A red one, a pink one, a blue one, a yellow once, and finally a purple one.

=== THIS IS YOUR WORLD ===

Following my initial instinct, I pinched out a node to enlarge its existence. The system recognized my input, and expanded the size of the red node I had select.

=== TITLE: THE WRITER ===

=== NAME: ATPI ===

=== DATE OF INITIAL CONTACT: 2009-09-05 ===

=== OCCUPATION: SOFTWARE ENGINEER ===

=== CONTACT INFORMATION: PHONE#, EMAIL, ADDRESS…. ===

=== LENGTH OF CONTACT: 12 YEARS ===

=== DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 1 WEEK AGO (TEXT) ===

My old friend Atpi, the first real friend I ever made in high school. We were extensively inseparable for the time that we were together, sharing almost every class in both high school and college. When it came time to be adults, we began to grow apart. Growing apart was inevitable, but we still managed to stay in contact. After all, he was one of my dearest friends whom I didn’t want to let go of. Satisfied with the information presented, I pinch the nod back to its original size amongst its orbiting companions. A quick tap on the pink, blue, yellow, and purple nodes showed some basic information.

=== TITLE: THE GIVER // DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 4 DAYS AGO (GROUP MESSAGE) ===

=== TITLE: THE HACKER // DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 2 WEEKS AGO (EMAIL) ===

=== TITLE: THE ATHLETE // DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 3 HOURS AGO (IN-PERSON) ===

=== TITLE: THE NEGOTIATOR // DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 1 WEEK AGO (TEXT) ===

After becoming content with these quick taps of information, the universe began to alight even more. One node after the other was flaring into existence, as colorful and numerous as the five nodes directly orbiting my center node, but the light was weaker, and the nodes were farther away.

Focusing my eyes, almost transparent rays of line connected various nodes to one another. It was part of the network of the grander universe beyond my own. Tapping on some of the farther nodes at the edge of my vision, I received more prompts similar to the others.

=== TITLE: THE ACTRESS // DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 6 MONTHS AGO (TEXT) ===

=== TITLE: THE CHEF // DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 8 MONTHS AGO (IN-PERSON) ===

=== TITLE: THE ARCANIST // DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 12 MONTHS AGO (E-MAIL) ===

=== TITLE: THE ARCHITECT // DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 16 MONTHS AGO (CALL) ===

=== TITLE: THE ANIMAL TAMER // DATE OF LAST CONTACT: 2 YEARS AGO (IN-PERSON) ===

Taking a moment to reflect, I feeling of longing began to anchor in my heart. In pursuit of the person I was wanted to become today, I left behind a lot of the friends and experiences I made in the past. Those memories seemed like they happened just yesterday, but as the days drew longer, the years flew by faster. It frustrated me, I wanted to do so much more with the life I was given, but the sad fact was that it would probably take several lifetimes to finish all the things I wish I could master. Peering out beyond the last ring of nodes, I look on into the empty darkness.

===THIS IS THE EDGE OF YOUR WORD: THE UNKNOWN AND BEYOND===

As the transparent paths between the outer nodes and whatever’s out there suddenly become engulfed in darkness, I now get even more frustrated. Even with all the things I do now, there is still so much more that I will never get the chance to explore, fail, and master. Feeling myself getting nauseous over everything I can never be, I try to empty my thoughts calm myself, and become still. Something truths are undisputed, so there is only one thing I can do now: move forwards towards tomorrow with everything I still have.

=== NOW, WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE? ===

Pondering for a moment, I tilt my head and think of what’s been lacking in my life lately. Who is it that would be nice to connect with and learn a little bit more from in the process? Remembering an earlier node I tapped at the edge of the universe, I pinch and expand ==THE CHEF==, and click on the calling option. The once colorful universe I was floating in transformed as a giant tidal of bright light canvassed the space. In a single moment, the scenery became that of a grassy field with the wind gently pushing the green blades below my feet and the trees rustling in the distance, my “calming” world. The screen of information from the node in the previous space still remained before me as the CALL icon animated to show its attempt at reaching ==THE CHEF.==. Finally, the call succeeded.

“Hello, is this Keir?”

“Hi, Yhis, it is indeed me! How have you been, man?”

“It’s been quite a while, Keir, I didn’t think I’d be hearing from you so soon. How’s everything going on your end in the VR world, it’s been pretty stellar on mine. In fact, now that we’re talking, I’m having a soft-opening for my new restaurant, would you like to attend?”

I attend the soft-opening of my friend Yhis’ restaurant as he introduces me to friends of his I hadn’t been acquainted with yet. These are the moments I live for, the reason I enjoy being here, to find out more about the worlds I have yet to experience and meet. While I mix and mingle, a quiet universe hums silently as it waits somewhere in between here and nowhere. A node on the outer edge of the universe slowly makes it way closer to the center, and nodes of new color appear at the edge where it once was.

=== THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, YOUR WORLD CONTINUES TO EXPAND ===

=== ARE YOU CONTENT WITH THE PATH YOU ARE CHOOSING? ===

This was a weekly crossover post between Sandbox Zero and the Altspace VR Writing Group.

This Week’s Topic is Mindful Collaboration:

• How do we forge new bonds in a networking space and keep give / take equitable?
• How can we know when we are taking advantage of others or vice-versa?
• How do we know when we are being selfish?
• Conversely, when are we neglecting ourselves/ Where is the balance?
• What are your experiences with Negotiation? Is negotiating a zero-sum game?
• What do you think is the best outcome of a negotiation?
• What does it take to make negotiation a win-win?
• How have such negotiations proceeded in your experience?
• When one negotiates on behalf of another(s) how does one manage expectations and communication of the negotiation?

ASVR Writing Group’s Weekly Homework Prompt was relationships.