Virtual Reality

original cover art by Edmund Emshwiller

I'm reaching the end of Part 2 of The League of Yrinna. The last scene on Numenes will follow Archivist Joole and Duissane Drosset on their visit to the Museum of Cultural History in the Connatic's Library.

After her cruise on the Pelorix Rhode, Duissane is already familiar with holographic virtual reality simulators. Joole and Dr. Lamre have arranged to measure Duissane's ability to use the Bimanoid Interface by having her play inside a holographic virtual reality simulation of a hussade game.

Working with Dr. Lamre's colleagues inside the Hierion Domain is the replicoid of Danno, Glinnes' grandfather. When Duissane uses the hussade simulation, Danno's replicoid uses the Bimanoid Interface to guide her through the game play.

Virtual reality simulation on Numenes.

While linked to Danno, Duissane has some limited conscious awareness of what is going on in the Hierion Domain. Her consciousness flickers between the simulation taking place in the Library and another mysterious 'place' in the Hierion Domain where the replicoids of Arabella Clarke and Vance are watching Danno.

Duissane believes that it was Glinnes who invaded her consciousness during the simulated hussade game. When she next sees him, at Hemeni Park, she asks Glinnes how he was able to enter into her consciousness. At about the same time that Duissane had her contact with Danno's replicoid, Glinnes was in the research laboratory, allowing Dr. Lamre to measure his ability to use the Bimanoid Interface.

original cover art by Howard Brown

While undergoing the lab tests, Dr. Lamre "reset" Glinnes' memories and he lapsed into a brief period of unconsciousness, so he is uncertain if he had any kind of telepathic contact with Duissane, but he suspects not.

Tour guide 47539 arrives and informs Dr. Lamre that an interplanetary arrest warrant for Glinnes has been issued by the Whelm, charging him with theft of 30,000,000 azols on Trullion and evading arrest by leaving Trullion. Joole and Lamre quickly provide Duissane and Glinnes with false identities and send them back to Blazon spaceport, the first leg of their journey to Yrinna.

Next: The Phari; is meaningful contact possible?

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