"What?" I ask.
"That's the prevailing theory," she explains. "No one has been able to confirm that the EcFi Halo injects users with nanobots. If they're in there they do a great job of avoiding blood draws. Also, they're totally safe. Everglade Corp did years of R & D before it got approval. They wouldn't release something dangerous."
"There's a clause about research and development too," I say.
Danielle nods. "Yeah, but I don't that will be a problem. They probably had to include that in there because they have their own teams for that. It's a blanket statement."
There have been loads of times when companies have released products that were later deemed dangerous. Some of those times they had even been approved by the Food & Drug Administration. People in power have always been willing to risk the lives and health of others in order to make money. What have I gotten myself in to? Is the EcFi Halo really safe?
"Everglade Corporation's CEO plays Augmented Stars using the EcFi Halo," Danielle says. "Allan Gale wouldn't use something dangerous."
That is up for debate. Allan Gale made news several years ago for secretly having a surgery to include a device that automatically releases caffeine into his blood at regular intervals. Initially it was reported to be an urban legend until he held a press conference and showed off his scar declaring he could "really mainline coffee now like never before." It didn't seem particularly safe. Most doctors interviewed about it seemed to agree that it wasn't.
"Isn't Allan Gale the guy with the coffee pot implanted in his chest?" I ask.
Danielle nod and looks a bit embarrassed. "Okay, he wouldn't work on something that's dangerous for other people."
My reservations about continuing to use the EcFi Halo continue to grow. What if it does use nanomachines? What are they doing? How are they avoiding being seen by people doing tests? Are they listening right now? Does the Everglade Corporation know what I'm thinking when I'm playing Augmented Stars? What about when I'm not?
"I might just pack up my Halo," I say. "This is getting a bit weird."
"It's safe," Danielle says. "Anyway, what do you think of the leveling up plan?"
"You mean the death pact?"
Danielle snort laughs. It's very cute. "In-game death pact in order to level up, sure. Do you want to do it?"
I'm still not one hundred percent sure about continuing to use the EcFi Halo, but Danielle is so adamant it's safe. Plus, she's the only other person I know who has one in town. The game system hasn't been out for long but it feels like I've waited forever to find someone else to play it with. Who cares if the company knows what I'm thinking while I play the game? I'm sure the game couldn't keep track of that anyway. Maybe audible conversations but thoughts and memories seem like they'd be too much information to keep track of, especially with how hyper realistic the game's rendering is. Yes, graphics, interfaces, and computing have come a long way the last one hundred years or so, but there's still nothing that can handle the processing power and flexibility of the human brain. Supposedly.
"You have my ax," I say. "I mean, I have an ax and you can have. Yes. Let's do your plan and see if we can level up. If the game winds up being unsafe I'm out."
She nods. "Great. Will I see you in game tomorrow morning or do you want to play today?"
"Wait, how are we going to log in at the same time if our schedules don't overlap much?" I ask.
Previously we kept missing one another in the game. Yeah, it's a holiday weekend right now but what about next week?
"I work from home. I can adjust my schedule so I log in in the mornings when you do," she says. "How long do you play at a time?"
"An hour."
Danielle looks like she's doing math in her head as she picks at her teeth with her tongue. "Okay. It's doable. Do you have any vehicles in-game?"
"I'm saving for a motorcycle," I say.
"Saving?"
"Login bonuses."
She frowns. "Daily?"
I nod.
"That will take four years to afford the cheapest one."
I nod again.
"Okay, how about this. I will help you get a bike after they release the monster pack if you can still stand me by that point. We can form a party and head into one of the cities or something after we level up," she offers.
"I don't know, they're expensive," I reply.
"I can afford it," Danielle replies firmly.
"I'll think about it."
Danielle nods. "Great. Now that's settled want some coffee?"
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