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Back The Last Christian
Chapters (58)
  1. Cover
  2. Other Books by This Author
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Prologue
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. Author’s Note

“Yes.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Abby. I should have explained this better. My students are scattered all over the world. We meet twice a week in this virtual reality classroom. Physically, they are still in their countries, but neurally they are here.”

“But…I can’t feel the chair I’m sitting on in your office. Is that normal?”

“Yes. Your helmet blocks reception of sensory input from that world and opens you to input from this world.”

VR was such a part of daily life I couldn’t imagine what it was like to experience it for the first time. I felt terrible that I hadn’t adequately prepared her for this experience, but she seemed to be getting her bearings.

“Here.” I pointed to a front-row seat near the wall to my right, which she took. “For all practical purposes, this world is just like the real one. When you’re ready to go back to the real world, just press this red button on the left side of your helmet. It will take you back.”

I half expected her to press the button right then, but she didn’t. She just felt it and nodded at me. “What if I need to go to the bathroom?”

“Then you’ll have to go back to the physical world. Technology can only do so much,” I said, smiling. “Take the headset off when you get there. The bathroom is back down the hall on your left. To return, put the helmet back on and press the green button on the opposite side. It’s already programmed to bring you back here.”

She nodded again.

“I’m going to lecture for the first half of the class period, then we’ll have the Q and A. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”

As I said it, it struck me—how could she possibly enjoy herself? I had been so focused on getting her here that I had failed to consider how she might react to my lecture. It would contradict everything she held most dear. She had trusted me, graciously accepting my invitation to come, and now I was about to attack her entire worldview. Suddenly I felt I was taking advantage of this remarkable woman.

18

I walked behind the podium and smiled gamely at Abby. I had a job to do. Whatever damage I inflicted I’d try to rectify later. In the meantime …

“Good morning. We have a special guest with us—Abigail Caldwell. Abby, raise your hand, why don’t you?”

Abby raised her hand and looked around at the students, who looked at her with blank faces. An endearing start.