Chapter 185: Reaction To Lucid (2)

Brian wasn’t the only one with those thoughts and reactions. The other nine tech reviewers that had received the device also had the same reactions and thought as him.

They just couldn’t believe what they were holding in their hands. They all had thought that they were being pranked but just like Brian, the moment they wore the device, they understood that they were holding something that shouldn’t exist in their hands.

After their unboxing video, they all curiously decided to continue testing the device throughout the whole day. They didn’t initially start gaming as they took their time, exploring every bit of what the device can do.

But their shocks was far from over.

"Good morning, Brian," a soft, calm voice said, as a lady in a red flowing dress materialised beside Brian’s avatar.

Brian froze when he saw the lady, how beautiful she looked and how life-like she was. But that wasn’t important, what was important was the fact that he heard her talk.

"Did you just talk?" He asked in curiosity.

"Yes. I’m your device’s personal AI assistant. You can call me whatever you want," the AI replied.

Brian blinked rapidly, sitting up straight in his chair. "Wait — you’re really talking to me?"

"Yes," the AI replied.

Brian couldn’t believe it. He knew what this meant and he didn’t want to believe it. Actually, what he didn’t want to believe was that it was achieved by a device from a no-name startup company, instead of one of the tech giants.

"How is it that I’m hearing your voice in my head?" He asked me in both curiosity and scepticsm.

"The device output information directly into retina and you can hear my voice because of the device’s temple rim at the back of your ear," the AI explained.

Brain blinked in confusion, then gave an incredulous laugh, leaning toward the camera that was still rolling. He took off the device and brought the temple close to the camera.

"Okay, guys... I wasn’t expecting that. Apparently, it’s got a built-in AI. It just talked to me through this. I can’t exactly hear the AI with the device taken off, so it’s safe to say that it’s not in my head."

Brian continued testing the device, as he wore it back. He saw that the AI was still there.

"So, you said I should give you a name?"

"Yes. If you want to."

"Ok. Let’s call you Meg."

"Thank you for the name. My name is now Meg."

"Good. So, tell me what you can do."

"As your personal AI assistant, it’s by job to make usage easy for you. I will answer whatever question you may have."

"Is that so? So, tell me everything about what the device can do," Brian said.

He was really shock by the fact that he was having a conversation with an AI. Not just any AI but one that’s extremely intelligent, more than those currently in the market.

Brian felt that if the AI was a standalone product release, it will lead the market in mere months. All major companies around the world will pivot and focus on it.

But it’s not a standalone product. But rather, it’s one with the device. This also increases the value of the device.

"So, Meg, do you know what the neurosync and the retina scan were for?" Brian asked curiously.

This was one the of the multiple questions he has and it was a very important one.

"The neurosync is a non-invasive method of calibrating the device to your brainwave patterns for seamless input."

"Brainwave patterns calibration? So, you read my thoughts" Brian muttered in shock.

"No. The device only received thoughts directed at it."

Brain frowned when he heard this. He didn’t believe what Meg had just told him. He decided to test it out, as he thought of something else.

"What did I just think about now?" He asked.

"Nothing. The device didn’t receive any input."

"I see..." Brian nodded slowly.

Throughout out the whole process, he didn’t forget to explain everything he was seeing and doing, to the camera that was still rolling.

"Then what about the retina scan?"

"For security. Each Lucid device is biometrically bound to its owner’s retina signature and the user’s consent. Without both, the device cannot activate."

"Damn! It’s no longer fingerprint or face recognition. It’s... mind and eyes? That’s insane. It’s like I’m in a sci-fi movie, guys," he said to the camera.

Over the next hour, Brian spent his time, checking out the device and going through every bit of his function, except the core; which was gaming.

"So, tell me, what is Lucid exactly?" Brian asked Meg, his personal AI assistant.

"Lucid is a vr gaming device and it comes with multiple games," Meg replied and started listing, and explaining everything about the games.

Brian found his shock level increasing with each seconds, as Meg explained. The games weren’t as he expected. He wasn’t much interested in Children’s Arena — maybe because it was a kid’s game. But Genesis Sandbox, Terra, Frontline: Starfall Dominion, Eternal Realms and the two sport games were extremely intriguing.

Brian had wanted to start playing them but he held himself back, as Meg told him that he can livestream from the device.

He couldn’t believe it. He knew that this meant that now, Lucid wasn’t just a vr gaming device with a powerful AI model but also one with a streaming function.

This function wasn’t too much of a surprise but to them, it showed that the developers really thought things through.

But when Brian heard no third-party apps can be connected to the device, he knew what the company was trying to achieve; independence.

With the livestream now available, Brian decided to end the recording and start livestreaming directly.

He made an announcement on his channels, dropping the link to his livestream room.

That day, the internet was ablaze. While the unboxing had hooked people’s curiosity, the livestream changed everything.

***

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, Liam reclined comfortably in his bed, as he watched quietly the livestreams simultaneously, with a satisfied smile.

"Exactly as planned," he murmured.