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Lunaris Interface Prototype System

Lunaris Interface Prototype System

SternKunst

Sci-fi

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Synopsis

Alex was your every day kind of person. A decent Job, Decent life, nothing too notable, just like everyone else. In essence, completely boring. Nothing really substantial, or so it would seem at first glance, Even to Alex himself, He never really traveled outside of work, never really engaged with much outside of work, home, sleep and some minor hobbies, some typical hobbies, some not so typical.

One day after chatting up with someone on a dating app, they decide to meet, and everything changed. Whether it be for the better or for the worse, that, well that has yet to be decided.

Top Reviews

Ceehillm

Ceehillm

Status: c4 1yr
Superb voice and writing style. Right off the bat I am entangled in the story as it sweeps me from one scene and into the next. The main protagonist is wonderfully well-thought out and developed in a realistic way. I enjoyed his inner monologues the most. :)

I am not very familiar with sci-fi writing but this book has definitely got me interested in what is to come. I am looking forward to delving more into this creatively original story the author has crafted.
SternKunst

SternKunst

Status: c1 1yr
Hello all, I hope you enjoy this story, I wanted to write it because i thought it would be fun, and I always had a bit of a fascination with shapeshifters after playing them in some tabletop games. So I thought I’d try my hand at writing one such story. And mix in a little bit of shape shifting to other genders, and let hillariousness ensue. Now I don’t intend to force such things, as that just cheapens the comedic value of that. But do expect some humorous shenanigans to possibly come up
FunniestGuy

FunniestGuy

1yr
MY BESTO FRIENDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Chapter 1: Prologue

I look out the porthole to the empty blackness, In the vast distance many specks of lights, each their own star, and most of them, as we've come to know having their own planetary systems. However most not with what we would label as habitable. The journey from a simpler time, I wonder what the future generations will think of me.

Some brilliant inventor and mind, that shaped our world to be what it is now? Achieving things long since thought impossible? Perhaps. I was the benefactor of an unintended gift, one that not only changed the course of my life, but that of our whole civilization. We weren't supposedly supposed to make it to this stage for several hundred more years. At least that's what the others said, Things I had to hide, for the wellbeing of our world.

Of course, I still hide, I hide in the open. My achievements while my own, dealt by my own hand, are not mine. Sure I took credit for them, as they were mine, but history will never know that it was me. Or at least it was me, but it wasn't. Heh... A strange concept identity. So mailable, yet so intrinsic, I am free to be myself, but I am also not free to be myself, As the duty is a heavy burden. I have done what I can, now they must carry on while I watch ever from the shadows.

A beeping at the door catches my attention, as I turn to answer it, the mirror catches my eye and I pause looking into the mirror, Staring back... What... What is that? It's a face? wait... Is it a face?

I approach the mirror to get a better look, but the closer I get its only more blurry, The rest of the room Is clearly visible... Wait... Is it visible? Wh... Where am I?

*Clank* *Clank* *Clank*

You know how when your in on of those dreams right before you wake up? Like the type of dream you know is really good, and you know its a dream, but then your alarm wakes you up seemingly in the middle of it, and you try to ignore it? Yea, that kind of dream.

The kind that starts right as your waking up, but feels like its gone on all night, but you cant remember it at all once your blasted alarm goes off.

God how I hate that, It was such a good dream too... Or... At least that's what it felt like, I'd write it down if I could even remember it. Ugh... why the hell did my alarm have to go off right then, why do I even have to get up? What time is it...

*Clank* *Clank* *Clank*

The blaring sound of a Clackson alarm, My arm reflexively swings over in the direction of the sound, as I'm startled awake. I nearly bolt out of bed, only to flop back down as my hand was lucky enough to slap down on my phone to shut off the alarm. I cover my face with my arm and groan, then slowly wipe my face with both of my hands, rubbing off the eye crusts that formed while sleeping. My mouth feels cottony... Damn sinuses...

I can never seem to sleep without my mouth opening up to breath, now my throat feels sore, Gotta take a leak to... Fuck... I just feel like its too damned early to get out of bed, The room is cold, its too early, the bed is warm, its too early, the pillows...Its to damned early... Fuck... why is it morning already... what time did I set my alarm to? why did i even set my alarm? its Sunday, its not like I have anywhere to be today.

The pressure on my bladder is enough to make me too uncomfortable to stay lying in bed, so i grudgingly drag myself out and shuffle walk to the bathroom, Phone in hand, eyes still to bleary to really make anything out, Except for the giant numbers on the phone screen indicating the time 00:45am.... Why the fuck would I set my alarm for such a god awful....early...time...FUCK!!!

Just like that I'm no longer tired, I'm wide awake, I dash to the bathroom striping and throw the shower on. I go through the morning rituals, only hit the three hot spots in the shower, and I'm back out after no more than a minute or so, Then rush to get dressed, Its not Sunday as I had just thought it was, but was in fact Monday morning, and the god awful hour for the alarm set to was because I have to catch a flight out at 4am.

I never did like getting to the airport last minute, I always liked to give me at least 2 hours of buffer, Less stress, less wondering if I'm gonna make it, because I'm already there. by 00:45 I've showered, dressed, done all the morning things except for getting caffeine or food. Ill just have to get something on the way. I check the front door, thankfully yesterday I finished packing, so the two duffle bags for checked bags are packed and waiting to be loaded up, my laptop bag and carry-on bag are also sitting there. I make the final checks to make sure I'm not missing anything... Got my belt on, pants on, boots, Phone, Wallet, Keys. Bags packed, check. Ok good I'm to go.

I open up the rideshare app, because why the hell am I going to pay the insane rates at the airport for parking my vehicle there for a week. The app indicates the driver will arrive in about five minutes, so I start lugging all the luggage to the front sidewalk. and realize I don't have my earbuds, so I grab them out of my car.

About this time the driver has arrived, and we get my bags loaded in and I hop into the back seat, I ask if the driver can stop at the convenience store so I can grab a coffee energy drink. Its the only thing that will really keep me awake long enough with it being this early. Thankfully he didn't mind as the gas station was right at the end of the street for the neighborhood. I ran in grabbed my drink and ran out, then we were off to the airport.

The city was one of the largest cities in the country, And I live out in the suburbs of it, Its quite safe for the most part, no more crime than you would typically expect in such areas. But it also means that I'm not really that close to the airport either, even with it being this early, driving on the highways, it takes about 45 minutes to get to the airport.

If it were later, you can expect that rush-hour traffic would easily double, sometimes even triple that time, and construction? well when is there never not construction somewhere slowing the main highways in the city down? You always have to take account for unexpected delays in travel, That's been my motto instilled in me from my parents. Its never steered me wrong, so what if I end up an hour early? At least I'm never late...most of the time that is.

We get to the airport without a hitch, its still bumfrick early, and unless you work the nightshift, no one sane is awake this early. Yes, if you like waking up this early your crazy, Better to be still asleep at this hour...Hell, id rather still be asleep than having to wake up this early to catch a flight for work anyways. I check my bags in with the attendants, and make sure that my flight hasn't changed. Its still leaving at the same time from the same gate. I make the trog through security...ah airport 'security' How anyone believes those wannabes can or do stop anything is beyond me.

If it really were security, they wouldn't have all these exceptions. No pre-check, pilots and other airport workers would be subject to checks as well, no exceptions. But of course its really nothing but security theater. I make it through the security checkpoint with no problems, put my shoes and belt back on repack my laptop, and head to my gate. I would buy some snacks but, I don't want to really pay the outrageous airport prices for snacks.

I take a seat at the gate and just pull out my phone and start reading or playing some games on it while waiting for our boarding and departure time. It comes then we board, and take off, no problems. a few hours later and we will be at the destination. It gives me some time to get to the event hotel and set up, that'll take a few hours itself but nothing too terrible, just sorting the product and organizing it and laying it out on the tables for the product display, your typical vendor stuff really.

After a couple hours cooped up in the aircraft cabin, my legs stiff, and arse sore from the seats, I swear this airliner has worse seats than charter busses, and they definitely don't fit someone over six foot in height. Felt like my knees were going to cave in my chest if the flight lasted any longer. But the company wont spend extra money, and always gets the cheapest fare. And I'm too cheap to use my own money to upgrade my seat.

I catch another ride from the airport...God why do they make you walk so far to the rideshares? These bags aren't light, and your gonna make me walk what feels like half a mile from the baggage claim to the designated rideshare location? My arms feel like they are going to fall off with lugging these duffels around... We get to the event hotel, its now nearly noon, I'm getting a bit hungry at this time but I figure I'll set up then go grab something to eat, and make my way to my hotel and check in.

At lunch I'm browsing my phone with one of those dating apps, why? I don't really know, boredom really. Its not like I expect anything to come from it. Sure maybe some time ago when i first started using them I thought maybe i could meet someone. I even went through the effort of actually reading the profiles, typing up custom messages for the ladies... Yea... i learned real quick how much of a time waste that was, So it devolved eventually to the typical 'hey there' type of fast message that i would just blast out to any ladies that were even decently within my strike zone.

What was that? well Your typical guy's view I guess, At least have a decent looking face, doesn't have to be supermodel quality, but certainly not a butter face. You tend to figure out real quick the type of overall appearance that the girls would have on those apps.

If they are only showing their face, they are typically hiding their obesity, so that's a mark against them, I don't mind a little extra, but what a lot of women say is 'a little extra' is more like a lot extra. That's a big nope for me, Ideally they are going to be perfectly proportioned, but I'm not gonna expect that I will actually meet someone like that from a dating app, Those chicks know they are even slightly above average, and aren't desperate enough to get onto a dating app, they will you know, actually go out and meet up with people. No app needed.

So as I'm munching on lunch, and swiping/sending random messages sporadically to any profile that slightly catches my interest, Shockingly, I get a reply. Now I look at the reply and its a 'hey' back, Great... I have to do all the conversational work as well? well what else would I expect from the apps? I check back through the profile to look at her photos again, and Sure enough, as expected, its actually a really attractive looking person in the photo's. This is the second red flag, Attractive photos? probably a bot. Replaying at all to a message? probably a bot. But I'm bored and have nothing to do so ill just reply to see what happens.

- 'Hey there'

- 'Hi'

- 'How's it going? nice day?'

- 'yea'

... Well, color me shocked... not, I mean what did i expect? but they are replying pretty quickly, and its so far not setting off any other flags yet. No bad grammar, no random long message that doesn't even respond to a question that was asked. But its still early... Ok bot, lets see how good of a bot you are.

- 'So, what brings a pretty thing like you here?'

- 'I'm bored, wanted to waste time.'

Well, now I am pleasantly surprised, this is actually seeming like a real person. At least, it seems like its a real person behind the keyboard replying. Probably not the person in the photos, but lets check those. I take the pictures, Its your typical social media poster type image, of a rather attractive looking young woman in a red bikini sitting next to one of those infinity pools overlooking a mountain range.

She had a slim and fit figure, with just the outline of abs, those Big sunglasses, which I usually don't like, but they don't affect her too much, they do compliment her face at least, And obviously dyed hair, a rose blond, but she's clearly a Burnette based on the eyebrows. Either way, I would rate her a solid 9.9/10. So she has to be fake. No way in hell would this chick actually be on this site. I copy the images and do a reverse image search on them, and to little surprise, i don't find anything.

Now, not finding anything doesn't automatically mean they pass the test of being real. But it doesn't mean they automatically fail it either. I just have to do a little more sussing this out. And I have some time anyway right now and nothing better to do.

- 'I have to say I'm kinda surprised to see someone like you using an app, and even more so replying. what gives?'

- 'Like I said, I'm bored right now, I just made the account like a few hours ago so i would have something to do while at work and not much else is happening.'

Ill give them this, they are really pushing the catfishing, At least its no bot. But you cant convince me that the person I'm chatting with is actually the person in the photos. That just not ever going to be the case.

- 'well I can appreciate that, Listen, I cant use this app while I'm at work. and I'm going to be busy for the next couple of days, do you mind exchanging numbers or something? If your really bored we can chat through texts rather than through this app'

First rule of online dating apps, Your not going to get a reply, and your probably only going to get a reply after every 1000+ messages sent out.

Second rule, The girls will never be first to contact you, if they do, they are fake. Third rule, attractive people, and I mean well above average attractive, like this girl, don't exist on dating apps, if they contact you, they are almost certainly a scam. fourth rule, If you exchange messages at all, after no more than about 10 messages back and forth, you should already be moving onto other forms of communication. and final rule, You should schedule a meetup within the first week to week and a half after the first conversation.

Anything longer than that, and nothing will ever come out of such things. So I ask for her number because of this, Either i get it, and we can continue chatting, or I don't, and I don't worry about it. Oh, and expect to get ghosted, Rejection is common, and ghosting while supper annoying, happens. You just have to figure out how to deal with it yourself. Though people with low self confidence usually take ghosting a bad way. I can admit, I was like that at first, and it took experience for me to realize I didn't quite handle them as well as I should, I took it too personally. Now I find it ridiculous to take it personally when someone you really don't know just stops replying.

- 'Yea, sure, I'm probably not going to be on this thing much anyway, my notifications are getting blown up already. you can text me whenever its XXX-XXXX'

- 'Sure, ill send you a text now and save the number'

So I went ahead and sent a basic text to the number. Figuring that was going to be it. and finished lunch, went to check into my hotel, and rest up for work and the event the next day.