N.E.A.R. Space

“What’s this notebook doing here?” A security badge from National Labs detailed with a woman’s face and name “Ida Baker” Particle Accelerator Technician lied face up on next to the notebook. She picked up the notebook from the counter. The notebook felt heavier than anticipated. The front cover was black with the word N.E.A.R. embossed on it.

“Did I place it there this morning?” said Ida with confused expression. Opening the notebook Ida began looking for its organizational index. She stumbled upon a picture of a familiar hallway drawn with incredible detail. Ida held up the book and moved it around her apartment to try to match the perspective of the drawing. Suddenly, the book locks into place in the middle of her wild flailing. With all her might she could not move the book. The book just remained hovering in front of Ida. Ida began to wave her hands along the sides, bottom and top of the book searching for something that wasn’t there. Walking around the floating book contemplating what she is witnessing with a puzzled look on her face. Looking closer she sees her closet door in the drawing. However, there was strange industrial circuit breaker switch on the left side of the door. Ida looked up from the notebook, glancing around the room double-checking the area in the real world. Yet again the switch didn’t exist in Ida’s apartment. Looking back at the notebook, the space inside began to stretch inward, until it hit the wall in the background. Looking around her surroundings, she grabbed a fork off the counter. Slowly she penetrated the notebook with the fork and the book began to glow a bright blue. It seemed to go into the space with no resistance. Ida holds the fork in one hand and then checks the back cover with her other hand, the fork did not penetrate through the other side. However the book retains its luminescent blue glow. Retracting the fork, the book loses its glow. She cautiously pushes her finger into the notebook’s page. Her finger is met with no resistance and the book begins to glow again. With that as encouragement Ida says, “Fudge it” And pushes further until her whole hand is inside. Reaching into the notebook space, Ida grabs the circuit breaker switch and flips it.

The notebook’s glow diminishes, as Ida’s closet door eerily swings open. Revealing a much larger room beyond the closet’s dimensions. Ida grabbed her smart phone and approached the door at a cautious angle. Using her cell phone camera to peer inside the room with minimal exposure. Capturing a few pictures, the images depicted a room with a concrete floor, grayish metallic panel for walls, an all-white fluorescent ceiling and a door at the other end of the corridor.

“Am I dreaming this?” Ida said with excitement in her voice. Ida walked back to the notebook and attempted close it. The notebook’s hovering function relinquished to Ida’s touch. Ida walked over to her computer and woke her computer from hibernation. She began downloading the images, to verify the validity of what she witnessed. Seeing them on the computer’s monitor, she yelled, “Okay! Proof.” Ida stood up from her desk, turning towards the closet door “Let’s see how far this rabbit hole goes?” Ida grabbed her messenger bag from the desk chair and packed it liked it was a survival kit. She thought for a second, then said “water, protein bars, medication and smart phone…check!” Once she was fully packed, she approached the closet door and grabbing the N.E.A.R. Notebook along the way.

Ida cautiously steps in to the room revealing its vast emptiness. She took her sweater off and tied around her waist. The temperature in the room was perfect and it looked you could theoretically eat off the floor due to its shine. The closet door suddenly closed, she attempted to catch the closing door. Only to collide with a wall panel, where the door was moments before. The N.E.A.R. Notebook began vibrating in her hand. Ida reactively tossed the book. However, gravity did not bring it back down. It stayed hovering till she grabbed it again.

“Welcome Beta Tester! Thank for being a part of this wonderful opportunity!” an intangible voice announces. Ida scanned the room for where the sound was coming from.

“Ah, beta tester you will not find a speaker on this prototype that was remove seven generations ago.” the voice explained.

“Okay then, continue.” Ida acknowledged the voice. The voice continued speaking to Ida,

“I am N.E.A.R.” Ida was confused. She replied “Name or position relative to me?”

“Both. NEAR stands for Non-Euclidean Augmented Reality. I am here to assist with testing throughout this feature. I will be turned off once you are familiarized with me.” The N.E.A.R. Notebook began flipping to the first page. Passing over the picture of her closet. “These areas are called Perspectives and with these I am able to manipulate local reality to a certain extent.” The page starts to dematerialize. “We are unsure why dematerialization occurs after a perspective is used. If you come up with any suggestions in route, please leave it in the suggestion box at the end.” The NEAR notebook began to flip pages until it came to a set of blue pages “Should you require water or food during testing, use the blue and green pages. The brown is for any bathroom activity during testing. Simply remove it from the book and place on desired surface. You seem to have a kit of your own. I don’t think you will need it, but better be safe than sorry. Finally, you can be hurt doing these activities, so be careful. Proceed through the door when ready. Any questions?”

Ida began tensing up as she asked, “How many puzzles will I have to complete?”

“At least one for now, this is preliminary testing for this model and orientation for you as the tester. Anything else?”

“No” Ida began to psych herself up.

“Very well tester, good luck.” N.E.A.R. retired to standby mode. Ida proceeded to the door to pass through to the next room.

As she opened the test chamber door it too was metallic grey, with concrete floors and fluorescent lighting throughout. The differences however were significant. The north door out was in line with the south door she entered from. There was a opening between them separating the two concrete slabs. Ida drew the diagram in a small sketchbook. The south slab has huge concrete blocks on the left side. The blocks were roughly three to four feet tall and together formed a stairway to an elevated platform. Three blocks made a stairway to the south wall, there was a landing, which pivoted the direction of the stairway. There are another three blocks that lead up to the elevated platform direct above Ida.

“Let’s check the pit first,” said Ida as she proceeded to move closer to the edge. Looking down into it, she could see that it wasn’t a straight drop. It was sloped roughly thirty to sixty degrees and looks to lead to nothing but darkness. Notating her observation she turns to the blocks says with a sigh “Time to climb.”

Ida’s breathing was heavy as she flopped herself up onto the elevated platform and rolled over attempting to catch her breath, she let out a loud “Wooo, I am out of…shape! Ida got into a kneeling position; she placed her hands on the concrete. As she balances on her hands and knees. Slowly she rose to a standing position. “Okay, standing is good. Everything else is working,” testing out her muscles. “Nothing special about this platform or the wall except the height. Time for the N.E.A.R.” Opening the notebook a perspective was revealed. “Now just need the alignment,” said Ida as she was positioning the notebook. The black notebook began to glow a soft blue as the N.E.A.R. space opens inward.

Ida sits on the concrete platform placing her sketchbook and messenger bag down. Ida observing her surroundings states, “nothing obviously changed beside the hovering notebook. Let’s see what N.E.A.R. sees.” The notebook opens up to a new page to depict a new pen drawn perspective in the N.E.A.R. space that shows a clear sightline to the bottom of the pit, but reveals a new door and light source emitting back at her. It’s like looking down a dark hallway with the floor sloping downward and the ceiling paralleling the floor. Sitting back down she noted her observations and sketched the perspective. Puzzled, Ida leans back on to her hands and looks up at the evenly lit ceiling. Squinting her eyes and rubbing her fingers against a ridge in the concrete platform. Ida experiences a stillness, as her mind tries to assemble a fleeting thought. Rubbing her fingers against the ridge in the concrete. “Where did I see a seam or ridge?” said Ida.

Picking up her smart phone she snapped a picture of the north side of the pit. Sharpening and contrasting the image with filters “There you are!” Ida said acknowledging the scene. Checking the perspective and the shading it showed just enough white space to show there are two objects present. ”Ah-ha!” yelled Ida. Without much thought, she plunges her hand into the N.E.A.R. space. Reaching at her arm’s full extension with her right shoulder at the boundary of the notebook’s page. Placing her hand on the lip of the corridor at the bottom. A click was heard throughout the room. Ida began pulling the corridor in the N.E.A.R. space towards her and the notebook’s boundary. The sound of concrete grinding on concrete filled the room as a corridor slowly began erecting towards Ida’s platform. Ida pulled until she couldn’t pull anymore. A thunderous snap filled the room once the corridor stopped moving and causing the corridor to connect to the platform that Ida stood on. As she scoped out the corridor, it was very underwhelming. The notebook began to dim as it was going into hibernation mode when it was returned to Ida possession. Lastly, she picked up her belongings, tossed it in to her bag and proceeded down the newly formed corridor.

Cautiously coming out of the corridor. Ida peaked around the corners of doorway, noticing the room was exactly the same as the last two rooms. The only thing different was a white pedestal with a small box beside it. Remaining cautious Ida began moving towards the pedestal. The top of pedestal autonomously shifted to a comfortable reading angle. “A lectern?” said Ida. There was an indentation on the lectern about the size of the N.E.A.R. notebook. “I guess you go here?” said Ida slotting the N.E.A.R. notebook in place triggering a holographic screen to appear. “Congratulations, Beta Tester on your first successful test. We humbly thank you for your time. Please give us your direct deposit information for your compensation,” announced the intangible voice. Ida inputted her account information. “One moment, processing payment……done! Please note that these funds are tax-exempt. Thank you for your time and don’t forget any personal belongings, before you leave,” announced the intangible voice. Ida turned away from the display to take a sip of water from her canteen and took out her phone to see how much money she just earned. Once the account information popped up. She dramatically spat out her water, “Twenty grand!?” yelled Ida. She turned to ask the interface about the compensation, but she was already back in her apartment.

“What just happen?” said Ida confused once again.

Three days later she checked her account again the money was all still there...