His room felt strangely alien. It had only been a short time. Perhaps a few hours at most. Odd how the VR simulation had been as real as reality itself. And yet, from a philosophical sense, not odd at all. In fact, simple.
In the end, every perception was merely information fed to the brain along nerve bundles. Sight, touch, smell, and taste, all signals processed by the brain. So what truly was real? And could you tell the difference? If your brain were hooked up to VR inducers and you weren't told, how could you prove it wasn't real?
Relativity asked the same question. If there was no way, from inside an enclosed space, of detecting whether what you perceived as gravity was merely due to acceleration or was from a planetary body, scientifically and mathematically, they were the same.
He grumbled in irritation. Philosophy never truly gave answers. Only a new set of questions to get lost in. At the end of the day someone had to make decisions based on what they perceived as real.
And Armande had done that.
The war had only begun. He needed to find Valeriya, to tell her what had happened.
As he entered the common area, Matvei stalked by, though not sparing a glare at him. At that moment Armande made a decision. He had outlived his usefulness. Before they left, he would be dealt with. They could not leave a snake in the nest while they were gone.
There, in the clearing midst, he saw his love, her hands held by a taller woman with hair of gold. He froze, stopping his walk. She didn't need to turn her head. He knew it was Rowan's back he saw.
He looked back at the rapidly retreating Khylsty throng, their demeanor a mix of fear, unsurety, or anger, his heart began to pound in worry. What had happened? He strode closer, ready to face this threat.
"Valeriya. What has happened, my love?" His tone did not hide his worry or his resolve.
In the end, every perception was merely information fed to the brain along nerve bundles. Sight, touch, smell, and taste, all signals processed by the brain. So what truly was real? And could you tell the difference? If your brain were hooked up to VR inducers and you weren't told, how could you prove it wasn't real?
Relativity asked the same question. If there was no way, from inside an enclosed space, of detecting whether what you perceived as gravity was merely due to acceleration or was from a planetary body, scientifically and mathematically, they were the same.
He grumbled in irritation. Philosophy never truly gave answers. Only a new set of questions to get lost in. At the end of the day someone had to make decisions based on what they perceived as real.
And Armande had done that.
The war had only begun. He needed to find Valeriya, to tell her what had happened.
As he entered the common area, Matvei stalked by, though not sparing a glare at him. At that moment Armande made a decision. He had outlived his usefulness. Before they left, he would be dealt with. They could not leave a snake in the nest while they were gone.
There, in the clearing midst, he saw his love, her hands held by a taller woman with hair of gold. He froze, stopping his walk. She didn't need to turn her head. He knew it was Rowan's back he saw.
He looked back at the rapidly retreating Khylsty throng, their demeanor a mix of fear, unsurety, or anger, his heart began to pound in worry. What had happened? He strode closer, ready to face this threat.
"Valeriya. What has happened, my love?" His tone did not hide his worry or his resolve.