It was nice not to be judged for being a "normal" human - no augmentations. After all, Arthur had been praised for his creations in VR. He would have as much time as he needed to study any subject, but he had the option to do it faster with implants. It was an intriguing possibility but it might change his mind in unpredictable ways. What is memory and what is identity? Our brains change every day - we are arguably the same person though. How much change can happen without losing that? Through redundancy, the brain could lose half of its mass and still retain the majority of the information and identity. He recalled reading about one man who had lost more than half of his brain mass (though over a number of years) and no one was aware because he acted normally; neuro-plasticity could handle a gradual change even on that scale. He was sure the implants were not that drastic of a change, but they would surely change how he processed information and perhaps how he recalled information. It was impossible to know for sure how it would 'feel' differently until he actually did it. There was no need to rush into it however. He was still exploring this new world.

His thoughts trailed off and then Rachel interrupted; "There are several offices in the city like the one we just saw. It is very difficult for most people to stick with a voluntary job in base reality as it requires the utmost discipline. Many that have initially tried it found the temptation of leisure and the flexibility of VR to be overwhelming. For others, it gives them a structure that they are familiar with, or else feel that they need. Many more have virtual 'jobs' as it were in VR - it gives people a sense of purpose. Everyone does what they feel they are best suited for and it's all at their own discretion. Such is the freedom that is enjoyed today."

"Sometimes, too many options can be difficult. Look at me: I have this incredible freedom to explore and do just about anything. I suppose there is no particular rush to do anything in particular, since I also have the time to do it in. But I am still overwhelmed and confused about what exactly I should be doing. Leisure and work have always cycled into each other for me. It is all well and good to have fun, but I need to start setting some goals. I want to feel productive and purposeful; the more I see the more difficult it is to imagine myself as making any difference - how can I possibly compete with the digital population even if I get augmentations? What kinds of things still need to be done as real work?"

"You are being too hard on yourself Arthur. For one thing, you have this great history that you actually lived through. It gives you a unique perspective on that era, something that no historians in the digital population have. You could do anything related to that and be an 'expert' on it, or at least a primary source that a lot of people would want to talk to. You also have a rare vision outside of VR and the digital world, a desire to shape the future of the physical one that few possess. That's possibly why the System Core showed an interest in you, although I am not really sure."

Arthur contemplated that. "Ah yes... the Core..."

Rachael gave a startled look. "No way, we're NOT going there. AI such as myself are not allowed access anyway - physical or virtual. There is no telling how the System Core could respond to such an intrusion. There is an exclusion zone around it and we can't even get near it much less see it since most of it is underground. I don't know why you insist on pushing the boundaries."

"Did not the Core's Moderator tell me that I was 'given unrestricted access to any physical location'? It mentioned no excluded or forbidden area. It surely knows that we are not a hostile intrusion but merely curious. I think it is perfectly normal to want to know what the 'machine god' looks like. I love a good mystery."

"So do I, but only when it doesn't get us into big trouble."

"We can simply ask it for permission to enter. I don't see a problem with that."

Rachael groaned and face-palmed.