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<<typeslow "saturday | 8:00am | home">>
It always takes a few minutes to return to your body in the [[morning]].Your organic brain matter is slow to begin processing external inputs.
Your synthetic neurons re-establish their link with the network, finish processing [[software updates]].<<typewriter "...update complete.">>
You've set strict [[filters]] on your apartment, but once you step ouside, the hum of the social data cloud [[settles over you]].\<<widget typewriter>>
\ <!-- Create a SPAN with an ID -->
\ <span id="typewriter"></span>
\ <!-- In SugarCube, arrays start at 0 -->
\ <<set _textArrayLength to 0>>
\ <!-- Repeat every second -->
\ <<repeat 0.1s>>
\ <!-- Test if textArrayLength is greater than length of $args[0] -->
\ <<if _textArrayLength gte $args[0].length>>
\ <<stop>>
\ <<else>>
\ <!-- Append the current position to the existing characters -->
\ <<append "#typewriter">>$args[0][_textArrayLength]<</append>>
\ <!-- Update the length -->
\ <<set _textArrayLength++>>
\ <</if>>
\ <</repeat>>
\<</widget>>a hypertext adventure[[Start|First morning]]
[[About]]
[[Help]]
[[Content Warnings]]
[[Credits]]"Synthetic Dreams" is an interactive narrative where you move through the world of the story by clicking links.
Sometimes links in the text will lead to additional information. The others will progress you through the story.
You may use the arrows in the sidebar menu to go back if you need to. You may also close the sidebar by using the < in the top right corner.
It's recommended that you play in fullscreen mode (F11 key).
The download version of this game contains sound, but if you'd rather play without it, you can turn the sound off in Settings.
If you want to know more about the people who made this game possible, feel free to check out the [[Credits]].This game was written by me, Alicia Neptune.
Sound effects from soundeffectsplus.com, used in accordance with the terms and conditions of their License Agreement.
Images from Unsplash, with some additional editing.
The images on this site are licensed for for free use (Which is pretty awesome).
The complete collection of Unsplash images used is available here.
The data cloud gifs were created using Jim Andrews' Aleph Null 3.0 & Instagiffer.
I pulled different sets of keywords from various sources.
While I created a set of various data cloud gifs, only one appears in the demo of the game, and uses social media keywords brainstormed by me. For the others, I used Wordle to generate word clouds from my twitter timeline and from the Wikipedia entry on social media.
I also pulled keywords from the article Personality, gender, and age in the language of social media: The open-vocabulary approach (Schwartz, H. Andrew, et al.) published in 2013 by the Public Library of Science.
This story also makes use of Leon Arnott's twine macros. Like so many other Twine game creators, I owe L many thanks.
! Inspirations
You can read more about some of the works that inspired this game in my artist's statement.alicia neptune<<typewriter "filter list: antisocial, adblocker, easyprivacy, malware protection, cryptocurrency mining protection">>
[[<|software updates]]You're numb to it by <<linkreplace "now." t8n>>now.
The ceaseless stream of endless <<linkreplace "message chains." t8n>>message chains.
Geotagged content that shifts with <<linkreplace "each step." t8n>>each step.
Relevant and convenient recommendations from brands and sponsors, tailored to you by a network that knows your [[every breath and blink|stairs to train]].<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>\<<widget typeslow>>
\ <!-- Create a SPAN with an ID -->
\ <span id="typeslow"></span>
\ <!-- In SugarCube, arrays start at 0 -->
\ <<set _textArrayLength to 0>>
\ <!-- Repeat every second -->
\ <<repeat 0.3s>>
\ <!-- Test if textArrayLength is greater than length of $args[0] -->
\ <<if _textArrayLength gte $args[0].length>>
\ <<stop>>
\ <<else>>
\ <!-- Append the current position to the existing characters -->
\ <<append "#typeslow">>$args[0][_textArrayLength]<</append>>
\ <!-- Update the length -->
\ <<set _textArrayLength++>>
\ <</if>>
\ <</repeat>>
\<</widget>>Mostly, it hovers at the edges of your consciousness.
The network keeps a small, ever-changing cache of information for easy access, updating regularly as you move through the day, waiting until you make a [[request|sidewalk]].The sidewalk is <<linkreplace "shimmering wet.">>shimmering wet.
<<typewriter "weather archive: 6:41-7:18am | light rain | 2mm">>
[[Ahh|sunny sidewalk]].
<</linkreplace>>Already, the sun has burned off any earlier clouds. You hurry down the steps to the [[train platform]].<<typewriter "andowne station | 9:15am | 15°C">>
It's a couple degrees cooler, but still warm. You're starting to feel choked by your [[shirt collar|movement]].Movement in your peripheral vision draws your attention to your left.
On the far end of the platform, someone pulls off their sweater, exposing their [[bare arms]].
On your right, you hear the low rumble of the [[approaching train]].You wonder if their skin is as warm as yours.
The network processes your request and scrambles to retrieve [[satisfactory data|34°C]].Double-click this passage to edit it.<<typewriter "estimated temperature: 34°C">>
[[refresh|sun kissed]]<<typewriter "sun-kissed | adjective | definition: having an attractive appearance due to time spent in sun">>
[[refresh|skin]]<<timed 2s>><<goto "STOP">><</timed>>
[[STOP]]You squeeze your eyes shut at this sudden <<linkreplace "intrusion." t8n>>intrusion.
But the images are just information lighting up <<linkreplace "neurons—" t8n>>neurons—
a kind of seeing that has nothing to do with your [[eyes|train doors close]].
<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><<typewriter "9:19am | cent@%^$ t0 &il^0R">>
The train doors close before you can reach <<linkreplace "them." t8n>>them.
The platform is <<linkreplace "empty." t8n>>empty.
The ache of a [[processing error]] presses behind your eyes.
<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>Contains:
* flashing imagesHybrid neuroanatomy lacks the lifetime of organic connections that make abstract thought possible.
Building connections takes time, and energy.
Noticing beauty of sunlight on skin [[crossed some wires]].It's hot out here.
You roll up your sleeves.
You need to [[be in your body]].<<typeslow "12:34 pm | emerald pass | 24°C">>
You walk east, away from town and up the side of the mountain until the network latency is up to a few seconds. With the city's data core behind and below you, the proximity ads and social updates trickle away to hikers' occasional [[GPS pings|sweat]].The hair at the nape of your neck is damp with <<linkreplace "sweat." t8n>>sweat.
Your feet and legs <<linkreplace "ache." t8n>>ache.
You pause under a tree for a moment [[in the shade]].
<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>Someone has carved their initials in the tree. [[Who are M + A?]]<<typeslow "...">>
<<timed 4s>>After a few seconds, the network returns only one publicly-available image, with no caption, from [[@lysandermeetshermia|love]].<</timed>><<typewriter "love | noun | a profoundly tender passionate affection">>
[[>|don't think about love]]
<<timed 4s>><<goto "don't think about love">><</timed>>Double-click this passage to edit it.the sidewalk rain
the midday sun
the glint of neon on an empty windowpane
it's eight am
then noon, then dusk
you move through crowds, but you never notice them
you're a ghost in the shell
are you a real person?
with your synthetic dreams forgotten each morning
you're sleepwalking through
this life in a network that can't understand you
and can't comprehend the terrible beauty in infinite space
a pale blue hum
a low-pitched glow
and the spectre reflected in the screen
the floating dark
time falls away
and far from your neglected bed
the network pulls you back
you're a ghost in the shell
are you a real person?
with your synthetic dreams forgotten each morning
you're sleepwalking through
this life in a network that can't undertand you
and can't comprehend the terrible beauty in infinite space
you're a ghost in the shell
but you're still a real person
and your synthetic dreams are the stories we tell
I'm sleepwalking too
my life in the network connects me to you
I'm scared of the beauty in data and stars
unrelenting and infinite
unrelenting and infinite...
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