Comic Archive

Setting: meeting room.
Steve: The reason for this urgent meeting is that I have found a major security breach in our network, and it was not an oversight.
Alana: What? We were best in class during the last audit, how is this possible?
Steve: Well… I think there is only one explanation… there is a spy amongst us!

Steve looks at Zhang. Max rolls his eyes.
Max: Here we go again…
Steve: And I think we all know who I am referring to.
Zhang: This makes no sense! I don't even know how to configure a firewall…
Steve: I bet that secretly you know all the details!

Alana: Enough! I am with Zhang here. You have no proof. It is way more plausible that a genius hacker has exploited a yet unknown vulnerability, than that Zhang tampered with our security.
Steve: Hrm, maybe you're right. Must have been some real wizard then…
Max: You shouldn't take your broken sysadmin pride frustrations out on others, Steve.

Setting: corridors.
Alana: Let me get this straight, you believe your machines can project images into someone's mind?
Heidi: Yes, like VR, but then totally immersive, and without the goggles… although a helmet must still be worn for reasons of signal strength.
Max: Like in the 1983 movie ‘Brainstorm?’

Heidi: I haven't seen that one…
Max: It's about some kind of sensory perception video recorder… of course things go awry.
Heidi: Well, the recording part of the machine is very crude, but from first tests, its projection ability is pretty amazing.

Steve: Can we get a demo?
Heidi: Currently it only accommodates one person. A video game may make a good demo. Any ideas?
Adil: What about Quake?
Steve: Not sure if that is a good idea…
Adil: Nonsense, I want to experience it for real!

Caption: A while later…
Heidi: I have cooked up a demo. You will experience Quake in all sensory aspects: visual, auditory, touch, temperature, and even smell if everything goes right.
Max: Smell in Quake?

Heidi: I admit it was the most tricky aspect. A neural network will make a guess based on the virtual environment. The mapping to sensory experiences may be wrong, it might require adjustment…
Adil: Oh boy, I cannot wait. How do I control it?
Heidi: You don't need to move. The machine will sense and directly apply desired actions to your virtual avatar.

Adil puts a helmet on his head that has hardware attached to it, with a bunch of wires leading to the test setup.
Heidi: I have set up a game with v2 Frogbots as opponents. We will be able to see what happens on these screens. Are you ready?
Adil: Yes, bring it on!