Chapter 124: Taste of Luxury
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"And this is the entertainment area!" Sheila stood in front of the entrance to another massive room. The area was dimly lit, only giving off enough light to show off the silhouettes of various pieces of furniture. She took one step inside and a quick clap of her hands cut the lights on, giving her guests full view of the room's contents. A giant projection that encompassed close to the entirety of the back wall came on, displaying a live Cyber Rivals match. Gurk walked forward, not breaking his stare from the Broadcast on the screen as he walked past the long sofas and tables that furnished the room. 

"Just what Gurk needs. A Broadcast of Cyber Rivals that takes up almost an entire room. Good luck prying him away from that screen to do your science project," Itzel said. All three turned to the crocodile. He stood still with his neck angled up at the projection, almost entranced by the pair of robots duking it out on screen. 

"You two can help yourselves to enjoy whatever is here," Sheila said. She moved her hand in a presenting fashion, showing off the various devices that lined the other walls. "We have all of the latest virtual games. Feel free to take your pick whatever and play all you want."

"Really?" Gurk said as he turned his neck enough to look at Sheila. 

"Of course! Neither my father nor I are much of gamers, so they go unplayed for the most part. Please, go ahead and give one of them a try!" 

"Nice." Gurk moved from his spot in front of the projector and hobbled over towards one of the upright machines. The crocodile's height was only a sliver taller than that of the gaming device he stood in front of. He pressed a button on the side of the arcade cabinet-like object and a small glowing screen lit up in front of him. He held onto the controls as best as he could despite the size of hands and began to play. 

"If you're not into virtual games, we have other ways to pass the time," Sheila said. "We have subscriptions to all of the major, government funded Broadcast channels as well as most of the major Broadcasting personalities!"

"Got any textbooks?" 

"A... what?"

"I guess I'm a bit old-fashioned," Janus said with a nervous chuckle while scratching the back of his head. "Can I see what you use for studying material? I'd love to get a glimpse into what universities teach here."

"Oh. Why didn't you just say that?" Sheila pressed her finger against her temple. "Hmm... my studying documents are tied to my UIC. I don't know how I'd be able to give you access to them off the top of my head."

"Ah, don't stress it. I think I'll just watch something on the projector. Are there any science or learning channels available?"

"We've got access to the major ones! Here, let me show you!" Sheila activated her Implant and shifted through screens. As she did so, the image on the projector changed with her motions. "Let's see... here's one that I enjoy. OTBC: The Official Tersaia Biology Channel." The projector stopped on an image of a large shark-like creature swimming through water accompanied by a soft and soothing female voice. 

"This is the Gyna-Shark in its natural habitat..." the narrator began. 

"That should do just fine," Janus said. 

"Here, have a seat!" Sheila took hold of one of the seats in the room and scooted it across the floor and positioned in front of the projector. "These are some of the most luxurious seats that Tokens can buy!" The chair balanced on a wine-glass like base. On top of the stem was a round and oval shaped seat covered in a soft black cushion. On the silver exterior were a series of glowing buttons and panels. "This chair has revolutionized the sitting experience."

"Color me intrigued," Itzel said sarcastically. “Never considered that sitting was something that needed to be innovated.”

"You think I'm joking! But I guarantee that have never been in a more comfortable seat in all of Tersaia!" Once she positioned the first chair, she pushed a second one right next to it. She patted the cushion with an open hand. "Here! Give it a try and tell me what you think!"

Both Janus and Itzel accepted Sheila's request and sat in one of the chairs. They sank into the cushions, their backs pressing against the soft fabric. "Not bad," Itzel admitted, her heading bobbing up down in short yet swift motions. "Definitely comfortable, but I'm not sure if it's something to brag about."

"That's because you haven't tried the enhanced features yet!" Sheila leaned down and pressed one of the keys on the side of the seat. A floating menu appeared in front of Itzel's face. "It's fully customizable. You can set temperature, fabric density, seat height, rumble. It's even linked to the projector! That way you can direct the audio feed and vibrations so it's in tune with what's on the screen."

Itzel looked through the settings, a smiling growing on her face as she felt the chair alter with each twist of the digital dial. "Fine. I'll admit I'm impressed! Never thought I'd say that about a chair."

"How about you, Janus?" Sheila asked. 

The physicist sighed. He extended one hand, giving the hostess a thumbs up. "Couldn't be happier!"

"Excellent!" Sheila said giddily as she clapped her hands together. "While you two are enjoying your show, I think I'll take Gurk to my study room so we can get started on my research."

"Good luck prying big guy from that game. Once he starts playing, it's tough to get him off."

"It'll only be for a bit."

"Try telling him that."

"Oh Gurk!" Sheila called out as she walked towards the crocodile. He remained unfazed. The sound of lasers blasting and of buttons being pressing continued. She made her way to his side, placing a hand on his arm. "Think you'd be willing to put a pause on the game so we can get a head start on my research project?" she asked softly while giving him the biggest eyes she could muster. 

"Can't pause," he replied with his eyes still glued to the screen. The sound of an explosion emanated from the game. "Multiplayer."

Sheila's face soured. She turned to the game and watched Gurk's astronaut character blast an alien creature into bloody red bits. "Fine. After this game, then?"

"One more."

Sheila rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

"Almost done," Gurk said as he shot another enemy to smithereens. The word "VICTORY" showed up on screen in bright red letters. The crocodile smiled as he pressed another button on the game machine. 

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