LeafLink (ONC 2024) (Complete)

Chapter 8

We sit in the facility's conference room - a scenario that is far too meta for me to wrap my head around fully. The LeafLink version of the entire building is a shocking replica of the real thing; passing through its hallways instilled a horrible sense of deja vu, stronger than I've ever felt before. Still, there are differences. More detailed than the street 'outside,' the place still lacks texture and shadow that would otherwise be unnoticeable. But by being absent, you couldn't ignore it. This conference room in LeafLink also contains the same doorway that led to the forest and the generator within. We all avoid looking in its direction.

"LeafLink is a success," Sara is busy trying to make her point, trying to force herself into our dazed, battered minds. "But we've been at a roadblock for months now with certain... issues. Do you know why the 'diamond' I made was so inaccurate?"

Her question is met by silence.

"Because you've never seen a diamond before?" I venture. Bridget coughs, trying to smother her amusement.

But Sara, to my surprise, inclines her head towards me. "That's a closer answer than you realize, Mr. Vitalli. I'm limited by my understanding of everything that composes what we think a diamond should look like. I can bring to mind its color, the shape, even how it feels - but the basic human senses can only take me so far. I can't calculate how light bounces off a diamond, how it should correctly refract throughout its translucent surface. I don't know the specifics of its molecular composition, nor do I understand any of the other specific laws of physics necessary for it to look and feel realistic. LeafLink allows us to create anything, but only to the extent of our knowledge, and ability to visualize."

"Another problem is the lack of permanence," she adds. "Any kind of infrastructure we create doesn't last long before dissipating again. The City is the extent of anything permanent we've created so far after months of work."

I let this information soak in, and I'm almost... disappointed by what Sara has told us. This is not the future of communication, and data-sharing, and content-creation that the world has promised us. LeafLink is an impressive trick, absolutely, but the entire system seems significantly flawed. It is not the intelligent platform I was expecting; instead, this place feels like a crudely-made sandbox.

There are those among the group who seem to feel differently. The long-haired man leans forward, interest written all over his expression. "What did you figure out?" He asks.

"Just like you and I, there's a version of the generator in here, Mr. Alves. We found that direct contact with it is the only way to make anything permanent."

"That's very limiting," he answers.

She shrugs. "The bigger problem is that the person is still doing too much of the work, even with the generator. It's obvious we don't have the mental capacity to calculate the millions of threads in a coat, for example, or the way light reflects off a skyscraper."

It made sense. I knew from my film classes back in college that animated films once suffered through an era where computer technology really struggled to create realistic-looking effects. It was just too hard to replicate the details of real fur, or the particular flow of water. LeafLink's problems felt somewhat similar.

"We have to 'train' the generator to make use of all of its incredible processing power - to utilize that capability into creation. Ideally, LeafLink would become a space for anyone's needs. Let's say you're a corporation planning a conference. You should be able to approach the generator, ask for - let's say - a three-story conference hall, big enough for your entire international employee base. Or, maybe you're a low-income earner who can't afford a vacation. You could request an Art-Deco beach house on the shores of a tropical beach - and have it placed exactly where we want it. LeafLink is capable of generating all the necessary textures and physics - there's no reason this place shouldn't be indistinguishable from the real thing."