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Augmented Reality Chapter 1 Sweat was hitting the floor at a steady pace now as Tisha punched and kicked at her opponent over the last hour. She used her padded glove to wipe her messy hair from her face before anticipating the next move from virtual foe. The AI level was set to 7 out of 10 and Tisha had been working at her skill level over the last year. She had become quite advanced. "Holo, Pause" The command she uttered instantly froze everything surrounding her, leaving her sparring partner frozen in mid kick. Tisha was glad she stopped the program before having felt that incoming blow. Although everything she was looking at was a simulation, it certainly didn't feel like it. She had taken several good hits and kicks leaving her sore and worn out. "Holo, Save Kickboxing 1 and close." The session was saved and what had been a boxing ring inside of an old warehouse now faded into a large plain white room. It always took her a brain a minute to adjust to the environment change when using the holo. The saved session would allow her to watch a replay of the events from an external view. The program was even designed to analyze her workouts and even help improve her technique. She stepped through the door of the holo and back into her home. She walked down the hallway and into her living room where the sun shown through hitting her face and spreading warmth around the spacious upscale home. She wondered how many people couldn't appreciate the real world like she did. For some it was just easier to spend their whole lives in the holo. Tisha was by no means anti-holo like many of the groups that had popped up over the years, complaining how the technology would 'ruin civilization as we know it', but she did have a healthy respect for it and didn't get sucked into the variety of fads and trends that many people fell victim to. For her it was like anything else, a tool that had its pros and cons and didn't think too much about the politics or ethics that dominated the news and culture. Using her teeth, she pulled at the velcro strap on her left glove allowing access to her fingers so she could start removing the rest of the pads and get cleaned up. She of course had the option of using artificially generated, or AG pads, but Tisha preferred real gloves and pads. In fact she preferrel anything real over AG when possible. She spit our her mouthgard and removed the sweaty helmet. Grabbing a bottle of water from the kitchen and downing it, one of the displays indicated an incoming message from her friend Beth. Now here was someone spent way to much time in her holo and was always trying to convince Tisha of the latest and greatest. 'Hey you! Call me when you get a bit! Lova ya. -Beth' Tisha set a reminder to call her back in an hour but first she needed a shower. She peeled off her sports bra and shorts and threw the damp garments into the recycler for cleaning. She grabbed a fresh towel and turned on the shower. As she hung her towel she glanced at herself in the mirror, admiring the work she had done to herself over the last year. She was 26 now and had never felt or looked better. Even though she was rather petite, she had become strong and defined and smiled as she noticed her abs. One of her goals she didn't thing she would ever achieve. As the warm water flowed down her body she thought about her day and what she might do. Go for a walk, or shopping... Maybe see her friend Beth if she wasn't in holo. She hated these catch phrases that has become part of the venacular over the last several years. "In holo", "Group Holo", "Holo Coin" She rolled her eyes every time she heard one of these stupid phrases uttered by someone, yet here she was saying it herself as it had become so pervasive in society. Tisha was way too headstrong and independent to be taken in by the social push of the latest tech treds. Her independence was important to her, she had her own mind and she allowed absolutely nothing or anyone to control her. Her strong personality and attitude did present problems for her though. Her relationships often suffered because of it. She wanted to be in charge of her own life and nothing wasn't going to change or sacrifice that. Not a friend, not romance, and certainly not the latest and greatest technology. She was confident in this and if that meant waiting to find the right person, then so be it. When Beth answered Tisha's phone call she sounded very bright and eager. "Hey! How have you been?" The 2 girls exchanged pleasentries and caught up. Tisha had been waiting for it and then Beth finally brought it up. "Hey, now I know you aren't keen on the latest holos but there really is some cool stuff out recently. Maybe it will help you loosen up!?" "I don't need to loosen up Beth, and what is it this time? Another fake vacation or trip to space, or 1000s of people doing a scavenger hunt together? You know I keep my holo off the grid anyway. I don't trust other people or their programs." "No no, calm down. Nothing stupid like that. Besides, everyone escapes a little right? Even you must partake in umm stress relief if you know what I mean. Tisha took offense at the implication. "Nope, if I want sex I get it the old fashion way, thank you. Not interested in that Beth, so if you are peddling the latest pleasure program I'm not interested." "I'm not. I promise. Look, you are missing out is all. I'm not saying you have to live your life in there or do anything you don't want to. I just thought I'd send you this link and you can peruse." "I don't kn..." Beth cut her off... "Don't decide now. In the meantime, I wanted to know if you wanted to get lunch today. It is so nice out." Tisha jumped at the chance to do something in the real world with a real person. "I was just thinking that. How about I pick you up around noon and we'll go out? Maybe even go shopping or something okay?" The girls agreed and hung up. Tisha was only focused on getting out of the house. She got put on a pair of short jean shorts, a blouse and her tennis shoes and headed out. They had not seen each other for about 9 months, and both girls complimented the other on how they looked. Tisha moreso. The last time she had seen Beth it seemed like she was letting herself go and it concerned her. But now she looked great. She had lost weight, her complexion was improved and she seemed overall healthier. "Beth, not to be rude but last time I saw you, you looked a bit rought and I was worried about you." "I know I know... I was getting a bit lost in holo. You are right about some of that stuff. It is all about moderation for me from now on. That's why I wanted to see you. To let you know I listened to you." "Well I'm so glad to hear it and see you doing well. You really look great. I'm so happy for you." "Thanks, although no one can look like you. You are just too dedicated. I don't have the time or willpower." Tisha thanked her for the compliment and thought about Beth's new attidude. She really had improved. "Well if you are Miss moderation now... I guess send me your link to whatever and I'll take a look. No promises though." "Really!? I haven't even explored it all yet so be careful... as if I need to tell you that. In fact, the holos I found there are responsible for my improvements." "Oh? How is that?", Tisha said in incredulous tone. "They are just really great programs. Self help, excersice, relaxion, educational stuff. Like they really force you to get on board and see it through ya know." "Umm not really, but I guess I'll take a look. I feel like I've seen it all though. I mean there just aren't any original ideas out there. I stick to my kickboxing holo." "Oh Tisha, you need to open your mind. Trust me!", Beth pulled out her phone and tapped a few placed on the screen, resulting in a vibration on Tisha's side indicating the link had shared. The subject was changed and the girls spend the rest of the afternoon together. Tisha dropped Beth back off at her house, gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Hey let's not let 9 months go by again ok?" "That's a deal. Bye you." Tisha watched her friend bounce into her apartment before returning home in good spirits and relieved that her friend was doing so well. She plopped down on her couch to relax and reached for the tablet to check messages and news. The link from Beth was already pinned on the notification panel. "Ok ok.. let's see what she has found. Who knows, If she can change, maybe I can too." 'Click'

Hi there! I'm Mia it's nice to finally stop lurking here and actually start posting~ I hope you all enjoy this story! The winds were whipping roughly as they found their site, the small team of archeologists grinned to each other; they had found their quarry. They were looking towards the tomb of Mamafohyu. The swirling sands and harsh heat surrounding them, the leader of the group smiled. “It’s time to set up camp, gentlemen, we’ve found it.” After a long few hours, they had set up a camp at the base of the large pyramid. The thing towering above them gave some shade as they set their tents up. The leader, Jackson, poured over his maps and tomes he had set up on the small table. “This is it… We just need to find a way inside and we will be able to see for ourselves what hides in this tomb!” His guide spoke up from behind him, holding an odd artifact in his hand; the shiny golden cube had all sorts of different shapes on its sides, on one was a compass, the very same that led them here. “It is indeed exciting. We may even finally find the missing pieces for this artifact. Who knows what secrets it may yet hold for us, but I must urge caution. We must all be prepared to enter this place… possibly tomorrow or in the next few days after some research.” Shooting a glare at the man as he went back to his maps, Jackson waved him off though he did reach back to grab the artifact right out of his friend's hand. He gave a curt reply and wove him off to keep setting up camp; Jackson had a lot of work to do. As the sun started setting, Jackson looked to the rest of his group a few hours later as they were winding down for the night, with their various night caps and sleeping tents set up. The fire extinguished after their meal of bread and soup, and soft snores came from them all. “You can wait until tomorrow my friend, But I… I waited years and years for this… So, no, I will see you there when you decide to get over your fear.” Reaching down into his bag to grab a flashlight and a small flask of water, he held the artifact tightly, shining the light onto the golden cube. Heading directly towards where the needle pointed on the compass on top, he came to a very large sealed door. The smooth slabs of stone seemed imposing on their own as he dusted off the indentations on the side, reading aloud as he uncovered them. “With the invite in hand and the stars aligned, this place will be yours if the pairing is true.” Shaking his head, he wiped more and more of the dusty stone away until he hit something he hadn’t noticed before, a large portion of the stone sticking out in the shape of a large star. His eyes widened as he looked to the cube in his hands and sure enough, one of the sides depicted a large star hole. He wondered if… KACHUNK The star shape fit perfectly in the cube, as the artifact started spinning the whole wall seemed to spring to life, slowly rising as the sandy dust fell around. Taking a few steps inside into the dusty tomb, he looked back as the door slid closed behind him. No going back he supposed. As he walked through the dusty corridors, he progressed deeper and deeper until he came into a large chamber. Carved along the walls were many many different scratches and on the far side was a gigantic statue of a woman. The golden plated woman stood tall, her body covered in jewels and gold baubles, the smooth golden goddess stood high over the room, easily dwarfing him. As he walked up towards it, the golden words etched into the tablet lit up. "Hello little traveler, welcome to my domain. I'd love to play a game with you, if you answer my riddle you’ll earn your prize." As he watched the letters light up seemingly lit by molten gold as it moved down a line, he saw a riddle form on a far wall in much the same style of writing. "If you were carefree and lived your life as a babe, though bigger, you would be as complete as me. Then you shall start it all again. It would come to be like this." Underneath the words were quite a few symbols, a bunch of them seemingly out of place, nonsensical and abstract, besides one. Looking at his device, Jackson reached up, slipping the side around the only piece that would fit. The circle formation slid into place as it pulled from the wall slipping into the cube… 'coming full circle' he laughed a bit as the letter suddenly turned a bright green. The room started to shake and shift, it seemed to form and shift as the walls melted away, making the room even bigger, with a large pot filled with what looked like water boiling away as the fire beneath it started. Other large stone slabs along the walls seemed to light up as well. As all this happened a deep purple light drew his attention towards the opposite wall. Another riddle, he noted, seeming to have more shapes jetting in and out of the walls, the lot of triangles spinning and moving as they shifted. "You must find the one that fits, the one that led you here will get you through to your next puzzle." The ‘riddle’ was hardly a challenge he thought and after slotting the appropriate shape into the side of his cube, as it fit snugly into the hole he realized another wall had lit up, a deep red coloration to these letters. "A heart full of love, a lifetime of care, will all soon be yours if you pick the right square." Blinking a bit as he grabbed the square, Jackson shook his head a bit. While standing there watching for anything else to change, he had heard a few things moving and shuffling in the walls. Walking back to the center of the room, he stared at the visage before him, placing the block down on the ground before the pedestal. The whole thing seemed to shine as he set it down, each side glowing the same color as the riddles written when he picked it up. "There we are now, I've completed your puzzles, where is my prize?” As he spoke, the room started quaking once again as the previous puzzle walls shifted and shook. He watched the room shift around him, noting that the path he came in from was now sealing shut with a wall. Thinking quickly and dropping his flashlight, Jackson ran towards it though unfortunately for him, just before he made it to the wall, it slid closed with a loud echoing thud. His flashlight that was dropped on the floor, seemingly on its own, clicked off. His breathing quickened as he fell to his knees, crawling on the ground trying to get back to where he remembered his light being. Feeling over the smooth dusty stones, he tried in vain to find the heavy flashlight. As his hand went to grasp it, he gasped as he felt something on his neck, a firm hand grasped him from behind, he yelped out in fear as he felt his body leave the floor being picked up and held against something soft. Snap With a click sound, many torches and sconces around the room lit up, it being even bigger than before as he noted the statue that stood prominently in the room was gone. Now that light flooded the room however, the flickering orange glow illuminated the creature holding him. The large golden woman from before! He felt her warm body as he was held cradled in her arms, the soft golden fur covered her lion like body, her large headdress loomed over him as she spoke. “My my.. I didn’t think I’d find you playing in the dark. You brought your toy back here nice and safe didn’t you?” He stammered and sputtered, all of his fear and shock getting caught in his throat as he was being carried. Looking back to the cube he had found, it appeared to be much less ancient than when he found it. The shiny gold block sat on the floor, the brightly colored shapes sticking out of it gently. “Making my baby’s block the key to freeing me from my prison was a risky move.. but you eventually figured it out, my little one. You did so well too… but what have you gotten up to over these past years, you look so much bigger… no worries though, Mommy is back and we will get you properly ready.” As she started walking, Jackson struggled, his mind coming back to him as he whimpered a bit. Of all the things he thought he might find in this place, this was certainly not it! After walking into a new room, he gasped a bit, a seemingly gigantic nursery stood, soft silks and a large cradle sat in the center of the room. The gigantic Sphynx was headed for another object however, as he found himself laid down on a large padded table covered in thick plushy silks. He felt himself sink into the material as he was laid down, his body still somewhat frozen as he watched the gigantic woman use her large claw-like nails to almost surgically remove his clothing, leaving him naked in the nearly freezing room. Taking her time as she changed him, she reached down under the large table grabbing thick piles of cloth. As he felt her soft furred hand grip his ankles and felt the cold air on his exposed bottom, he grimaced watching as the thick cloth was pulled between his legs and pinned together with large solid golden pins, the appearance of blocks of gold set upon the flooding white cloth around his waist. A similar headdress to her own was placed upon his head and as she settled on a large throne where her statue once stood, Jackson found himself lifted to her engorged breast, milk leaking out. As he opened his mouth as if to scream, his lips covered the exposed teat, finding himself either by magic or his own shocked psyche, drinking from the creature's breasts. She spoke softly. “My sweet sweet baby prince, you solved my riddles and gave me back my eternal life… your prize is more than any gold could ever bring you… a life of contentment and care… with me here safe in this place for all eternity…” As much as they tried… Jackson’s team couldn’t open the door to the pyramid. They had no key, much less his affinity for translating hieroglyphics. They tried and prodded and poked at the door for a few days but after a week and a half they decided it was useless and packed up. As he stared back at the pyramid in the distance while riding the horses they rode in on, the guide simply smirked a small bit. He hoped that his friend got what he wanted in the end and that he was happy with his treasures down in those depths. The sands would claim that hidden place but the wails of the large infant desperate for escape from his predicament, some say, could be heard over the shifting sands for all eternity.