n

n

n

"Ten minute break. I'll be right back, sorry.

"

nEli looked up from where he was composing his project report, to watch Bel's avatar close its eyes and slump against the chair.

nThe latest simulation run seemed the best of them so far. They both decided it was as much as they could do at the moment.

nThey'd slowed down the walking speed, so the tour encouraged silent contemplation between points of interest, when the guides started talking again.

nBut paperwork, weeping skies.

nHe had to note down the data, explain why this and that were changed, added, modified. Ugh, rationale. Every bit of data needed a reason to exist..

nBel had been re-running the simulation when she suddenly stood and announced a ten minute break.

nHe stood and stretched.

nA break would be good.

nWhen Bel returned, he was re-running the simulation in slow motion, pouring out his thoughts onto his project draft.

nBel watched the simulation, frowning a little.

"It's chaotic, isn't it?

"

n

"People are chaotic. It'd be messier than this during the actual tour.

" Eli saved a few tweaks.

"You can only direct people so much. And many of the realworld tourism rules won't apply to a VR tour.

"

nRealworld tourism had a ton of restrictions, mostly to preserve the locations and items.

nIn the decades before VR, it became more fulfilling to visit tourist areas in 360-degree augmented reality video than actually travel in person to the sites.

n

"This is enough for this project's preliminary design, actually.

" Eli saved their work.

"Ready for the next one?

"

n

"How many tour locations do you have?

"

n

"Just the two. The coordinators are still in probation.

" Eli vanished the chairs with a wave of his hand.

"We get access to the locations database later. Next month, maybe.

"

nThen he'd have a queue of tours and entertainments to coordinate.

nEli returned them to the virtual workspace.

nHe glanced at the clock. They'd been working for a few hours.

n

"Ah, it's been that long? Lunch?

"

n

"Can we see the other location first?

"

n

"Sure.

"

nEli gestured through his options, closing the monastery project and replacing it with a file labeled 'volcnwste100034523.siml'.

nThey appeared on a spur of rock, a wasteland before them. Seething volcanoes, shadow canyons, broken buttes and mesas against a smoky horizon, the environment lit with the eerie red glow of lava rivers.

nIt appeared to be uninhabited. Not even ruins.

nBel looked at him.

n

"I guess some people like the post-apocalyptic aesthetic?

" Eli accessed the task list.

n'Build a tour' was the only item there.

nHah.

nThe coordinators were being tested.

nBel glanced at the holographic list.

nAt the instructions, her eyes lit up. She opened the modeler, already focused.

nEli accessed the game database on the Magmigant race, the people he knew lived in and near volcanoes.

nSince it was a company database, the data was more complex than the information in the official marketing releases.

nHis research was interrupted by a soft cackle from Bel.

nHe was not mistaken. It was definitely a cackle.

nA twist of her hand and a massive shape appeared in the air above them.

nNo…it only looked like it was above. The size was deceptive.

nIt fell…no, it descended from a height that Eli was sure was deliberate, massive size creating eddies of wind, immense weight crushing everything under it as its mass touched earth and sent up a great flare of lava and smoke and debris.

nWhen the explosion cloud settled, a massive stepped pyramid rose on the far horizon, brobdingnagian even against the great mountains there.

nIt was large enough that, even with the expanse of wasteland between them and the pyramid, Eli could tell it was made of black metal, the surface carved in hieroglyphs and grand statues, gleaming purplish against the red glow of lava.

nAt various points, the hieroglyphs glowed a pale sickly green color.

nEli stared at it, then expressionlessly turned to Bel, whose eyes were shining.

n

"Excellent pyramid!

"

n

"What.

"

n

"My ancient architecture teacher says that to people who design the best models using ancient building techniques. Even though we never modeled a pyramid. I always wanted to build one because of him!

"

n

"Far be it from me to criticize your childhood dreams,

" Eli glanced at the monstrosity again,

"but does it have to look like it's powered by the souls of the damned?

"

nBel wordlessly waved an arm around the hellscape currently surrounding them, still grinning, her eyes set on the new addition to the lava-riddled badlands surrounding them.

n

"Point.

" Obviously, she was inspired.

"But, more practically…

"

nEli highlighted a line on the project page, bringing it to the fore.

nData Allocation: 323 Z

/200 Z (Warning! Overextended data allocation.)

nThe hell did she put in that thing in just five minutes?

nThat was enough data to sink the Earth's moon into.

nShe glanced at the warning. Despite her glee having been able to create that overgrown paperweight, she only looked slightly disappointed.

nShe giggled giddily one last time, then returned to the modeler. The pyramidal horror disappeared. A wave of a hand, and the landscape returned to its…pristine state.

n

"Check magmigant architecture in the database first.

"

n

"Mh.

"

nEli took out a platform from the modeler and added some pre-programmed parameters. It floated.

nHe needed to check the geography, but he already had a few ideas.

nHe stepped onto the platform.

"Bel.

"

n

"Uh? Oh, yeah, I'm coming.

"

nThe modified platform lifted them into the air, moving across the wasteland.

nMagmigants had lava gardens. And earthdrake racing was a thing. He tapped the handrail of the platform. Were there flying monsters that would thrive in an environment like this?

n

"How about this, then?

"

nAnother structure grew nearby.

nIt looked like fern fronds curled around each other, as if protecting a bud, tips pointing to the sky, reaching. She had cut out most of the mass, leaving a semi-hollow interior.

nIt still looked like a place where dark lords laired.

n

"I figure fifty of these before the data runs out.

"

nThat was one way to build a lava garden, Eli supposed.

n

"Have you seen the images of a magmigant forge?

"

nBel blinked at him.

"You want me to bury them?

"

n

"Or build them over the lava rivers. I think we might be somewhere in the Shattered Continent, in that case we can argue a divergent culture. But not fifty – we need most of the data to build the tour, not the buildings.

" Eli contemplated the structure.

"We could have a garden theme. Relaxing, don't you think?

"

n

"Is it?

"

n

"Yeah. Something like, 'Have a tea, watch the world burn.'

"

nBel's face contorted in disbelief.

"Get out.

"

nEli laughed.

n