C55

The bizarre scene in front of me made me unconsciously flick out the holographic invitation with my bracelet and read it carefully a few more times.

On the front of the invitation letter were written the words "Even as cameras, we should have the right to indulge ourselves in whatever we want!" Such arrogant words were written on the back with the exact time and place of the gathering, as well as the people who were participating in it — the live broadcasters. What was even more mysterious was that the name of the invitation was not a specific one. It only had the name of "an ordinary live broadcaster" written on it.

I was going to ignore it, think it was a prank or a new kind of scam — I didn't think the scammers of today would be targeting the field of live broadcasters! However, the intelligent Miss Moro Tomoko told me: "Maybe it really was held by a live broadcast, so we might as well take a look for now." She seemed interested in everything.

But I said tiredly, "Look at the invitation, it means to have a party for all the live broadcasters. What's the point? I thought it was boring work... "

"Is that so?" Miss Tomoko seemed to be recalling something, "But I feel that it's very new. If I hadn't become the host of the daydream theater, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to experience so many interesting things, but in reality, I'm actually thinking about them. "

"It's thought-provoking?" I wanted to laugh. I thought that she was just talking to an ice-cold machine, but then I realised that her performance in the past few live broadcasts had indeed exceeded my expectations. "But in short, this is just …"

Thus, under the encouragement of the Miss Tomoko, I came here and saw a rather comical scene: in a cramped hall, were countless black suit wearing live broadcasters. The reason why they were immediately sure that they were live broadcasters was because they were all wearing live broadcast sunglasses. It was as if they had no whites in their eyes and their black pupils were hanging below their foreheads.

Now, as I pushed the door open and entered, the dark pupils stared at me in unison. If it was just one person, it would be fine, but when dozens of people turned to face me, I think even Miss Tomoko would be terrified, right?

I didn't know who to greet, because everyone looked exactly the same. But I also thought it was strange, because nobody took off their sunglasses at the scene!

According to the invitation, this was a party for the hardworking live broadcasters. They even said that they would indulge themselves for a while, so why was it that no one was willing to reveal their real appearance? Take off the heavy, stupid camouflage that is pressing down on us and turn from an obscure camera into a real, conscious, living human being! Why didn't anyone do that? Yes, the invitation was so good that those who indulged in the virtual world never paid attention to the live broadcasters, but simply treated them as ordinary cameras — and, of course, more advanced than the cameras that could only transmit visual images, we also transmitted other sensory information and even took on the role the director intended.

I muttered something in my heart, even cursed, and tried to take off my sunglasses. However … In a flash, I understood why no one was doing this at the scene, because there were so many people wearing sunglasses looking at you, and only you were trying to be different from everyone else. This kind of pressure … Unconsciously, cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I felt that I could not bear the pressure of trying to be different from everyone else, that I could not stand the mockery radiating from behind these black pupils. Even though, for ordinary people, this is not a big deal, but for us...

Yes, this was probably the plan of the person who wrote the invitation letter. He didn't want his identity revealed, so he told us to keep on wearing sunglasses. Of course, the invitation also stated that if you wanted to attend a party, you had to wear the same uniform, and there were inspection equipment at the entrance to the hall, so you could pass only if you were still wearing the uniform your parent company required you to wear.

But... Thinking about this detail, I started to doubt myself. I suspect that it was not just one of the ordinary live broadcasters who brought us together, because how could a live broadcaster have all the data of a live broadcast company? Perhaps … It was really as Miss Tomoko had said — When she saw the terms, she reacted immediately. "I think it was Eloi Company who personally presided over it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Apparently, only they are capable of holding such a grand gathering." But now … I looked at the cramped hall and the tasteless food, and felt that Tomoko's reasoning was not believable. "You'll know when you go and take a look."

I had not thought there would be more than ten people like me who would be "taken in," but I conservatively estimated that there were more than a hundred of them already there, all looking at me with strange, concerned eyes. Being stared at by them made me extremely flustered. I really didn't know what to do, but thankfully, the people behind me were able to help me out. Very soon, everyone's attention was shifted to the newcomers.

I reluctantly greeted everyone, greeted them, picked up a glass of unknown what drink to drink in one gulp, felt really bad taste. However, the Miss Tomoko seemed to have predicted this situation and added on, "Maybe it's just to appease all of you so-called cameras, so the environment at the scene isn't too luxurious."

I am grateful to her for using the adjective "extravagance," because the situation at the scene can be summed up as bad. The entire hall was only two to three hundred meters wide, but with so many people crowded together, I could even smell the stench of their sweat … Not only were the drinks and food not delicious, there were no entertainment facilities other than humans. There were not even Access Chair s! In a modern society like this, all human entertainment is just entering the virtual world. But in this place, do we have to play games with ourselves?

People are as bored as I am, just talking to each other politely.

"Ha, how should I address you, sir?" I felt a voice coming from my left. "From the way you're dressed, you must be from a big company."

"I am …" I was about to say something, but stopped because I realized that he didn't introduce himself. "For people like us, it doesn't matter what name we choose."

"That's reasonable." He agreed with me, but he soon lost interest in me and moved on to other live broadcasters, female ones who looked good, of course.

I shook my head. But very quickly, I understood why everyone isn't willing to reveal their real names, because the field of live broadcasters is, without a doubt, a very lowly industry, and to everyone else, it's just a last resort to maintain their lives – of course, you can also become a true jobless person, and Balance Bureau will provide you with some form of relief, but it won't be pleasant to say it out loud – but the benefit of this choice is that you don't have to leave your name behind, and you don't have to reveal your true face in front of everyone. And now, under these circumstances, everyone would be unwilling to reveal their identity because of their inferiority. Thus, everyone wore sunglasses and false greetings.

What a funny play! The more I watch, the more I find it funny, but this is nothing, because this is just another wasted day for us useless people. It's already good enough for us to be able to spend the rest of the day without a hitch, it's still better than in a virtual world...

Someone on the other side was already complaining. It was a live broadcast broadcaster for the Tourist Festival. His tone was full of complaints, "Hmph! Do you not know how many times I have nearly lost my life!? "

The person beside him chimed in and purposely put on a frightened expression. "What's wrong?"

That man felt that he had attracted everyone's attention, and slowly said: "Those who slept on the Eloi Access Chair! All they had to do was plug in their nerves to my live broadcast equipment and they'd be able to experience all the adventures, but what about us? We have to use our own bodies! I just climbed over those tree houses and almost fell into the abyss! "

"Tree house?"

"Oh, those are some tourist attractions made with Moloch robot, houses built on big trees that reach the sky."

"Why did you climb the tree house?"

"That's right." That person was also puzzled. "This room is meant for people to live in, so why do you want me to crawl around outside?"

"Of course it's for fun," I blurted out. "The trees are tall, aren't they?"

"Yes," the man said, surprised at my sudden question. "A few hundred meters high."

"That's why you have to crawl around outside. It's just for you to take their place and take the risk, to experience the thrill of passing through life and death!" I couldn't help but laugh contemptuously. "Of course our company bought insurance for us, but we often had to do these dangerous things just to satisfy those stupid audiences." I spit it out quickly.

The man clapped his hands and said, "This gentleman sees very clearly! That was it. They didn't dare to take the risk themselves. All they knew was that they would be able to experience all of this through lying under the covers with a few wires attached to their heads. What about us? "I heard that you have to use your own body to do all these ridiculous and difficult things. I even heard that …" He pushed the person beside him. It was a female broadcaster.

She was a bit embarrassed and had already retreated to a place behind where she could no longer see them.

However, he bluntly said, "I also heard that there are some illegal programs … Ahem, I mean the programs that charge a fee, they engage in some more exciting experiential activities, the so-called direct attack on people's minds! "Actually, it's just a matter of having some chemicals pass from one neuron to another..." I think he has read some of the corresponding scientific works, so he can say in cryptic terms what these abominable experiences are.

"Hehe, just a bunch of junkies." As he put it, in addition to outdoor adventures and extreme sports, the live broadcast sometimes took the place of real people to experience the pleasures of opium consumption and human mating. After all, it doesn't require the addicts to experience it themselves, and it doesn't affect their bodies. However, it was not so good for the live broadcasters. Some of them needed to be sent to detoxify, while others were exhausted from mating. They were even beginning to get tired of this kind of thing. However, we have no choice but to do it for the company's Access Rate s!

At this, I felt some sympathy for them. I was even gratified that I was working on a legitimate program like the "Daydream Theatre," where I was simply a witness to anecdotes and sometimes asked a few arranged questions. My job was the easiest of all the other live broadcasters.

Thinking this way, I had a feeling of superiority. After all, "Eloi Film And Television Company" is one of the most important companies under the banner of the Eloi Enterprise. If I become a "vital" live broadcast user of a large company like this, am I not lucky enough to do it myself? Why do I keep getting tired of this job? Everyone just wanted to survive. What kind of job wasn't a job? Could it be that with my ability, I want to become a great figure in this world?

"What a daydream!" I heard him conclude, "I mean, alas, it's a pipe dream that we're going to get out of this!"

Yes, we are merely tools in the hands of the rich, and the lowest kind at that. Although I am indeed in a big company, compared to some people in a "illegal" company, I would not do anything more persecuting my body or my spirit, but perhaps their pay would be more generous? In an instant, my sense of superiority was gone.

"But what's the point of the lives of these Access Visitor s?" The female broadcaster suddenly stood back up and shouted, "Give your will to others and indulge yourself in such a messy and unrealistic program. You don't know the meaning of what you are doing or what you are doing. Such a person is actually no different from dead, right? "

I was a little taken aback by her last words, for I had never thought of the possibility that there might be no difference between living and dying. I asked, "Are you saying that they have absolutely no autonomy other than simply inheriting feelings and wills from us, and therefore no difference between living and dying?"

"Inherited from the program team," she corrected me. "They were the ones who arranged the content and schedule." She obviously had some complaints about the program team.

"Oh, yes," I nodded. "Clearly, we don't have any autonomy either. We either follow the program team's arrangements, or we follow those guys' demands … "Eh, but isn't it through will and money that they influence us?"

"You don't want to experience the real world on your own?" She didn't seem to understand me.

I explained, "But their will does manipulate our actions. After all, you have to satisfy the audience's preferences, so it's not right for you to say that the audience doesn't have autonomy, right? "

"Heh heh," she didn't accept my words. "Did they choose the program, or did they choose the program?"

I felt there was a great deal of philosophy in her words, "You mean... Actually, it was the world that guided them to make a choice? So they still … " I wanted to ask more, but the woman had already retreated behind the scenes.

I tried to catch up with her, but the others stopped me.

Another live broadcaster spoke passionately, "It's fine if you're looked down by others. Besides those two, there's no one else in this world that can control their own lives." He is clearly referring to the Mr Eloi and the Mr Moloch, this point I am noncommittal about.

And what he said next made me very much agree with him: "But... When we also want to enter the virtual world to carry out the only permitted entertainment in the real world, alas, I feel extremely disgusted and disgusted! Yes, perhaps we've done too many live broadcasts, and am not used to this form either! "

His words were filled with helplessness. However, what he said was the truth. In this world, I can barely find any entertainment other than virtual reality, but … I also often feel empty after the access, even after a meditation can not be improved, perhaps because we are the live broadcast of the relationship, so have no interest in such entertainment.

But... If we don't enter the virtual world, how can we find happiness? I couldn't think of any interesting entertainment, and my mind went blank.

That's right! Other than entrusting our own facial features to these suicidal and desperate live broadcasters, what other entertainment can we do in the real world? I am completely... None of them could figure it out! How strange that I hadn't thought of it myself before? It looks like I did gain something from participating in this gathering today. Even though the food and drinks are so hard to eat, I feel that the pain that each of them is expressing will greatly broaden my horizons. I must find the Miss Tomoko to discuss this after I return.

This time, I finally understood that this gathering was obviously arranged by the Eloi Company, and the goal was to give us, the labourers at the bottom level, the opportunity to complain. Somewhere, I have heard it said, give the suppressed people some breathing space to pour out the bitter water, so that they will not resist, for all resentment and anger are broken up in this confession, and the impulse to resist violence is gone.

What a good idea! I immediately clapped my hands. No matter who came up with this idea, it would definitely make us live more quietly, because the bitter water has been overturned by you. What else do you want? If we want to survive, we have to broadcast the program live. Furthermore, we have signed a contract with the company that is equivalent to a contract for the sale of our lives. No matter how bored we are, we have to finish the program. If you feel wronged, can't you just wait until next year to attend another complaining session? The more I thought about it, the clearer it became, and the louder the applause became.

But... To be able to see through such a meticulous scheme, it undoubtedly proved my intelligence. It was clear that I am incomparable to these lowly live broadcasters … Why do I feel more and more depressed inside? In the end … I felt too weak to continue the live broadcast.