Chapter 577 New Technology
Ashley led him to a room at the back of the Dagger Dispute Society, where they used to conduct the tests. Inside the room was a futuristic piece of equipment with wires, sensors and a holographic screen that displayed a virtual environment. However, the main difference with this technology was that it no longer had a sensor booth, but rather a platform.
"This is amazing!" exclaimed Klaus, amazed by the technology. "But what exactly is it?"
Ashley excitedly explained, "It's a new augmented reality system we're testing. You know, in the past it was thought that we could only live in augmented reality if we wore special lenses or glasses for it, but the market changed after they managed to functionalize holograms."
"That means that while it's now practically impossible to use physical holograms commercially because of the booths, this could change everything, because instead of those big glass boxes, now stores will only need these 'workstations'." Klaus analyzed, approaching the equipment that was on a workbench.
Inevitably, Ashley was a little surprised, because it was unusual for Klaus to be so interested in this kind of thing.
"Don't you find this kind of thing interesting?" she asked.
"Interesting? I don't know if that's the word I would use, it's more like fascinating. You know, I worked as a department store clerk for a couple of weeks, to cover a guy's vacation, so I can imagine several uses for it." said Klaus, still impressed. "So, how does it work?"
Ashley was pleased with Klaus' interest and helped him adjust the sensors to monitor his vital signs for safety. She then activated the system and a holographic interface appeared before him, identical to the interface on his cell phone.
"You just need to select the 'Enter Dagger Dispute' option. The main program won't let you search the internet or do other things yet, but the Dagger Fight function should be fine." Ashley explained.
Klaus followed the instructions and soon the table of the classic Dagger Fight game appeared before his eyes. The board had thirty-six squares, thirty-six spaces that counted as one point when filled. That game was about speed, reasoning and strategy at a high level, but in a game against bot as they were going to test first it was only a game of speed and reasoning, because even Klaus had no way to compete against the strategy processing speed of the game's AI.
Anyway, looking at that table right now wasn't much different from when he was inside the cabin, but it sure was easier to breathe and move around, which were already two huge plus points.
"This is amazing." said Klaus, as he moved his arms to interact with the holographic interface. "I feel so much more immersed now, I have complete freedom of movement."
Ashley smiled pleased with Klaus' reaction. "Yes, exactly! That's the beauty of augmented reality. It allows us to merge the virtual world with the real world in a much more natural way. And with this platform, we can get a wider range of players."
Klaus nodded, amazed at the possibilities this technology could bring to gaming. He was used to playing inside a cabin and Rise Online had a magnificent world, but now he saw that the gaming world was evolving rapidly in other fields as well.
"This opens up so many opportunities for various and for gamers." said Klaus, thoughtfully. "I believe this technology will revolutionize the way we live."
Pleased with Klaus' reaction, Ashley smiled. "I'm glad you like it! This technology has the potential to make the experience of playing Daggerfight even more exciting... Do you want to test it in practice?"
"May I?"
"Although you are not from the Dagger Fight Society, I believe you are much more than capable. Go ahead!"
So Klaus clicked start the game and a large hand appeared on the other side of the Dagger Contest table.
'It's been a while since I played this off my phone, but it should be fine. I just need to focus on reaching the points and filling the spaces before the AI...' thought Klaus.
Suddenly, a dot appeared in the top left corner of the board. Klaus moved his right hand as fast as he could and just as he was about to reach the first dot, he heard a Ping first. The AI got the first dot, however, Klaus didn't have time to get discouraged, because another dot appeared just below the first one and Klaus moved fluidly, setting his first pace. The pace was slowly picking up, because the AI was on maximum difficulty, so Klaus needed to be alert.
The dots appeared and disappeared quickly, and Klaus moved with impressive speed. His reflexes seemed even faster than when Ashley had seen him play last time. Despite this, every gesture was precise.
Sweat began to form on Klaus' forehead, but he was very competitive and determined to win. His eyes quickly scanned the board, assessing the possibilities and planning his next moves. The table needed to be complete to declare victory, so whoever completed it first won
Admiring Klaus' skill, Ashley was fascinated by her girlfriend's moves. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.
Klaus seemed to be in the zone, perfectly in tune with the game. His reflexes were lightning fast, and his movements were fluid and precise. The AI was doing its best to outpace him, but Klaus was ahead, not just one step ahead of her, but a full twenty points.
It wasn't long before finally the congratulations screen came up for him and the one-person audience had to applaud him, congratulating his victory.
"You were amazing, Klaus! Just fantastic!"
Klaus smiled, feeling ecstatic about the experience. "Aha...! It was no big deal." He said, a little embarrassed. "This technology is really revolutionary, I felt lighter than ever playing this game."
"Yeah, too bad the project has a risk of not being continued." Ashley revealed.
"What? But that's impossible. This technology is evidently competent."
"Yes, but the developers of this technology don't want to sell it to stores or the government, they want to evolve it and use it so that they are autonomous and able to interact with humans. They are stubborn and only provided it to us because we are from NIST and can test it better than ordinary consumers."
"But that's dumb of them, they can... Wait a minute, maybe it's not dumb. Do they need investors?" asked Klaus with a hand on his chin.
"Of course they do. Nobody thinks what they want to do is possible and they refuse to sell the technology they have now. They're almost bankrupt."
"So, do you think you can get a meeting with them for me after the tournament? I think I know a guy who might be interested in funding them."
"Yes, of course I do, but..." Before she could answer, Klaus hugged her tightly.
"I knew it! You're the best in the world!" He exclaimed, making her turn as red as a strawberry.