INTERLUDES are completely optional and exist purely for the readers who like a bit more nuance in their world-building. These interludes can be read in any order or skipped entirely!
They do, however, greatly enhance the story and relate to the preceding chapter.
INTERLUDE:
3RD-Eye technology
We shall attempt to give a brief description of how 3RD-Eye technology works, since it has become so prevalent in our society that people living elsewhere would easily misunderstand Icomo without a clarification.
The 3RD-Eye is a minuscule device appended to the corner of either the left or right eye and comes in a variety of colors. It does not come in a flesh color for reasons of privacy, as it would be possible to record somebody without their knowledge. For that same reason, the Eye blinks red when it records video or takes photographs.
The Eye is fixed into place without any form of adhesive and clings to moisture in the skin. Theoretically, it could be worn to bed or in water, but it can be difficult to locate if it falls off, so the last thing everybody does at night is ‘take their Eyes out.’
Knock on someone’s door early in the morning or late at night, and it is not uncommon to hear, “Just a moment, let me put my Eye in…” or something of the sort. It would be more accurate to say that the Eye is put ‘on,’ but it so happens that nobody says it that way.
How does 3RD-Eye technology work, you ask? We shall attempt to be as concise in our explanation as possible.
Our biological eyes are capable of seeing because of lightwaves that enter into them from the environment. The 3RD-Eye interacts with these lightwaves before they reach our eyeballs in order to produce illusions in the vision. Sensors in the Eye also read brain signals and track eye movement. Therefore we may check the time, read the weather report, or watch television, without having to touch a thing.
Soon after the invention of the 3RD-Eye, physical projection updates were added, which send imperceptible vibrations through the temple area to stimulate the brain, so that we actually feel the touch of Eye-projected objects, like projections of paper or pencils.
Of course, our hands go through them; but with practice, the people of Icomo can perform via projections whatever they wish, even the act of writing. This has saved us considerable resources, like trees, as we no longer use such objects for material.
3RD-Eye technology has utterly revolutionized our daily lives, but also how we live alongside the natural world. At the time of Jon’s legendary bike ride, 3RD-Eye technology version 4 was in development in Purkmenster, the technological center of Ii, where the company Aespect resides. The people of Icomo were eagerly awaiting it release.
