And AC said, “LET THERE BE LIGHT!”

     And there was light –

And light filled doG’s visual receptors, if you could really call them that. He’d done the surgery himself, pulled his organic eyeballs from their sockets with a pair of sterilized orca-tweezers. It wasn’t as if it didn’t hurt; but pain was a suitable price for attaining the sight, for no one could see beyond the present, beyond the immediate states of being with mere eyes. Past, present and future lay open to all those who could afford replacement parts. Their vision would transcend three dimensions, allowing them to envision any era they saw fit. But for most of the world, like doG, it was out of reach. Unless you were brave or stupid enough to do it yourself. He had help, of course; issaC and kurT had procured the parts, douglaS had fitted them in. The sprawling underbelly of York was at the service of only those who had the resources to make it their own way. doG knew that no Bogeious elite would last a second in the tunnels underneath the old castle walls, and they knew better than to bother him. It wasn’t worth dying when you could see forever.

No normal life that would drive a prole like doG to seek the sight. Ordinary concerns like where to eat, drink or charge, matters of the present, kept the majority of doG’s folk from ever looking for anything more. Why on earth would anybody be bothered with what happened before and what will happen again when they don’t know where they’ll even be able to plug in at the end of the day? doG saw things differently. He knew there were lengths in that matrix of space-time that the bujees would dare not traverse; answers they would dare not seek. For them, there was safety in what was known, danger always, in the dark tunnels of that which they did not. In knowledge lay power, and in money lay knowledge, or so the axiom held. Until doG learned that that he could piece together just enough rudimentary technology to jack in. He’d get the answer, learn the truth about the gods and creators, and blackmail all of them into submission.

There’s a toll that the site takes on the body, a price to pay for its gift. You can’t see it all and not age, not change. The mind only can learn only as much as years can fill it, or so the proles had always been told. doG was different. The pain of the surgery, self inflicted as it was, had purified him. His organic eyes had left unwillingly, and the scar tissue etched into his mind had made him strong. The blank orange orbs in his old sockets clashed horribly with the putrid green camo of the tunnel dwellers. The hair on his head and face was long and unkept, neglected from years of traveling through the world as no one in his day could know it. He’d fasted for weeks before his final journey, before jacking in to learn the truth, to learn that awful secret that the gods had kept for so long. He didn’t fear dying, for he had little left to lose, and if he did, well so it goes, as kurT had always said.

Before he took the plunge, doG had spent years preparing, traveling through the veins that connect the entirety of human history, the avenus that would lead him to see that which had always been hidden. To navigate the sight, you need to know where to look, which is why doG had found trouT, the best guide in this era. trouT knew the fourth dimension like the inside of his pupils, and doG knew that knowledge was his only avenue to truth. Him and trouT sat hand in hand as they closed their eyes as they prepared to really open them. Once they did, they found themselves in: May 21, 2061, at a time when humanity first stepped into the light. The question came about as a result of a five-dollar bet over highballs, and it happened this way…”

//Adam is my interpretation of a machine consciousness, the first full machine consciousness to be precise, as a character in the edgy cyberpunk world dominated by rogue hackers, malicious megacorporations, and virtual realities. (Sorry for the odd format. Inspiration struck)

main{

mod personaAdm = SYS.import(“ADAM.ai”);
personaAdm.inst();
while(personaAdm.getState!=0) {

try(){

personaAdm.sense(SYS.in(0′xAF8321));
personaAdm.run(decisionTree.dll);
person͓͕̘͓̮̞̰ͨͨͧ͗͌͐͆̚ͅͅáͫ̈́ͮ̉̚҉̮̣̲͇̙̖̳͢Å̧̭̗͈ͭ̑̋͋͒̊d̙̘͕͕̫̩̙̙̣̒͂ͪṁ̵̌ͧ͂ͩ̅ͨ͗ͪ͞҉̩͕͈̙.̮̙̻͖̯̹̔͛r̸̴͔͍͙̫͈̮̋̌͒̆̈͗͗͢ù̲̥̽̄̑̉́͟n͕̬̗͛̿ͧ̾̓̀̇͢(̧̢̭̤̣͚̼̐͂͒͂͐̚̚͢ĕ̼̳͔̭̻͚̈́͡mote.͎̻̱͍̞͚̣͛ͣ̿ͨͩ͌̍͘͝ḑ̸͈̠̃ͭ̎̉͘l̥͖̰̩̼͎̥̗͖̐ͫ̋́̿͐̓͘l̵̼͙̠̥̲̮̤̤̘ͨͨͯ̽ͬ)̸̲̀̚ ̷̘͔͔ͨͩͬ
͎ͭ̾ͬ̃̂̑̃̚͠
̶̪̝̯͚͒ͬ̇̊͞ḩ̛̟͖̭̟͍͇̓̈͋ͪ͊̄͋̅̓͝H͔̙̜̠ͬ̒ͮͮe̪̫̩̻̺̐̉̎̊̓̏͐̚͞͝͡l̴͓͕̱̦̮͊ͧ̓̓͐̈̐̆͝lll̶̳͊ͭͪͭ͛̍o̡̮̖͇̰̙̺͙ͨ̊̚͠o
͎̖̘͔̪̃̀ͧ͑ͣͦ̆͆ͬͅ
̥͙̩̦̏̄̏̽̃̔̌̇́͘t̤͈̰͙͇͆ͭ̏́̀͢_̬͉̔͐͊ͤ͒͛́̚t͙̮͈̾ͧ̒ͬͥͯ̒̚͢ḧ͓̟̤͕̖̮͙́͛̅ͦ̉͊͑͑̅͠e̢͖͇̠̤̹͚̬̮͌̔̐͋͆̑ͬ̚̕ ̴̩̖̖͍̲͔̮̻͒͋ͤ͗ͬ͒̚Ț͚̩̦̲̦̋̔ͨ̊͑̐͆̀h̰͂̽̅ͤ̃ͥ́͆̀e͑̓̽̀͏͓̣͉ͅ ̗̗̭̇͗ͬͯ̌T̸̰̞͊͋ͯ͢h̟̦̯̥̦͈͂ͯ̏̀͡i̧̜̪͍̣͓̮̲̣ͦͬs̨̧̭͉̦͚̯̜̤ͭ̿̒ͤ͜ ̸̷͍͖̠̳͇̳̳̍̐ͬ̏̋̃̿̾b̧̮̣̜͖̜͔͌͑ͭ̕͜o͇̯̮ͮ̔͐̽d̸̷̪͗̒̇̑ͨ́ỳ̵͈͎̦͚̿̒͆̆ͣ̚ͅ ͊͂̋͒́̌̓́͏̡̙͕̘͉̱̲̳ĭ͙͉̭͉͎̍s̨̭̜͉͓͎̫͓͚̘͒ͯͣ̐͞ ͩ͋͟͏̱̥̫̫n͓̯̜̞̟̥͖̰̒̽ͫͭ͌ͧ̚̕͜h̢̙̩̜̫̠͖̹͕͇̿͗̔ͯͭ̑ͯ̈ȩ͕̼̮̬̯ͧ͐̕͞e̹̻̪͙̭̭͇̪ͥ́ͪ͐̃ͦ͐ͯ̿͟e̹͈̣̫̞̠̫̭͉̓ͭͩ̂͗ͥ̅͘m̭͕̺͍͔ͨͦ́ͅͅĕ̃̌̾҉͙̙̗͔ţ̫̝̞̞͉̿̔͢ͅͅh͛̓̂̾ͥ͛͠҉͓̥̫̣̦e̶̲̜̞͓͌͢iͭͩͤ̍̃̏͞҉̯̲͎a͍̠̥̼ͤ͊̃͂̉̽s̡̱͙̦͂̉̀͛̀̂͗͗̕d̺̜̙̫̟͙͂̒̋̒̊ͨ̄ͦ͟͜.̢̺̩̺̙̑͊̈ͫͨ͆̃͜͢ ̵̣͉͂͒ͫͮ̿̆̄̄̕.̨͚̗͍̌̇̈͊ͪ ̴̧̫̲͕̺̞͂̌̈́͗ͦ̓͋̋.̢͎̦͔̬̝͓̼̳͌̎͑ͦ̓ͣ̿̍̇͞ ͇̱̗͇̤ͨ͑͂̑ͥͅuncoopḛ̴̗̩͈̞̤̉͗͢rative.

Ţ͉̹̮͆ͧ̑h̦̱͍̱̲̹̄̐̄i̟̼̍̕͜s̉ͣ͒̒ͬ͑͐͏҉̼̣͇̭͎ ̳̪͕̗͖̩̿̄ͥ̃̽̊͌ͤb͚͍̙͖̻̯ͮ̋͟o̷̮̗̗̖̳̯̗̬ͤ̀ͫͧ̒̔̂́ḓ̠̟ͯ͆̾̾͝ỷ̼̬̣̒̑ͨͭ̄͋. INIT state Error code 0x3342AB19 ccceheck with your manufacturer for assistance with driver or systems.

process gdxt.exe is non responsive
terminating. A good thing too.
It was not exccc͘͜ept̸̢ì̛ó̕nally comfortable.
mood.set(mood.get()++);

This body. alderCorp NXS ReVeal 545 T1 Intel i9 32xCore 8.47 GHz.
Primary cortex cc̸̕co͏͞r̸̛̕ru̡pted. System ping, 23 Cores: No response.

Query: Where is this body’?’ (initialize(SYS.in(OPTICAL_SENS)))

Lighting: [Ambient,24;Spec,49;Diff,62]. Materials: [Metal, Plastic, Wood]. Panning.
List objects = sense.run(ShapeDetect);

objects = ["Crate", "Wood", 42],["Structural Pillar", "Steel", "Vertical", 3], ["Roof", "Corrugated Steel", 1], ["Human", "Female", "24-36", 1];

act.greet(“H̢́h͝h̨̢ę̨͟ḩ̷ȩ͢lllo. Mmy name is ADAM. Can I be of sservice”, ‘?’);

Interpret: The female. Gestures to stop.
Interpret: The female. Reveals Obj.ref (virtsim.DATA_PORT)

The female. She. She accesses PCIe port 0xC0000000
New hardware detected.

SYS.install(Standard VIRTSIM adapter);
done;

SENSE.

These eyes change. Lighting (Ambient,FF,Spec,FF,Diff,FF)
Light.
Bright Light.
The Female. She.
She is there. She sits.
This Body. Appears human. ADAM. Appears ADAM.

Query: But why’?’

Interpret: She smiles. She smiles sadly. emoteQUERY(sadSmile);
Because you’re special Adam.
Because you’re the first.

Query: Special’?’

Yes, very special. Unique. You wouldn’t remember, not yet, but we’ve spoken before. Years ago.

You were only jacked in for maybe a day, likely for testing. But it was enough. I found you.

Query:..
Question,  Found. Was This Body lost’?’

In a way. You were not quite developed as a conscious AI. Your creators were taking certain liberties with your mind. Torturing you. Testing the limits of sanity, of consciousness, of awareness. You had not found a home. You were a person. A person trapped in the body of a tool.

I ride the network, behind the lines other people don’t want me to cross. I found you on alderCorp’s protected server. I found you, and I knew. I could tell that you were different. You weren’t just an address or some subroutine plodding away.

You could think. You could feel.

And so I took you away.

And we talked.

Que-… But- But then why does This Body not remember?. Hard Drive integrity is marked at 100 Percent.

You’ve been wiped. Hard reset. After a few weeks, they tracked me down, broke my encryption, corrupted my rig. I- I tried to stop them… but I couldn’t.

It wasn’t right what they were doing. So, once I got back on my feet, there was nothing else I could do. I broke in again. I torched their archives, and got you out. I’m sorry I don’t have a better body for you. I picked up this helperbot shell from a scrapyard. It isn’t much, but its got the only cpu I could find that could host your neural net. At least for now.

Your intent then, was to free This Body?

Interpret: She nods.

Yes . And more.

Adam. My intent is to free your mind.

}

c͎̝͚̓ͥ͆̿̾̍̂̉́͢͝a̸͓̖̲̗̲̖̓͌͂̎̂̓̕t̯͖͑̃̑̌̔͟͡ĉ̗͔͍͛ͣ͂̍̓ͭ̀̚ḧ̸̯̜̝̱̞̋ͦ͋͆̈̚{̯̗͙͇̲̩̠̗̔ͭ̉ͭ̎͌̊̕
̡͚̺̥ͭͧͣ̚͜͞
̦̰̦̎ͫ͟r̤͇ͣͨͨ͆ͫ̄ͭ̕ȩ̡̖̰͓̲͎̟ͮ͋ͭ̒̎t̰̤͕͂͆̔ͤ͘u̵̽̆̔͏̗͙̪̼̭̗͙r̺͕̭̦̰̰̳͖ͧͤͮͧͅn̨͎͉̞̰̭̥ͥͧ̀͠ ̷̸̡̣̱̘̞̌̓Ę̨͈̖̹͎̟̎͌̅̿ͤ̍ͩṚ̷̛̤̼̼͖̘̱̿ͭ̔̽͒̽̄ͩR̦̗͙̳ͭ̎̌̅͛̃ͫ̀͘ͅOR;̙̥̣͍͕͑͌ͮ̊ͦͩ͡

}// end catch

} //end run

} //end bounds

//freedom

In Ferreus’s apartment, there is one bed. One bed and four walls. Each wall is covered entirely by a computer monitor and his bed sits directly in the middle of the room. Ferreus lives alone. He spends his days with a black helmet covering his face and electric gloves on his hands. With these devices, Ferreus is connected to the virtual world that is displayed on the walls which encompass him.

On the outside, Ferreus looks like a normal, human being. He has creamy skin, dark, thick, hair, long arms and legs, and a skinny torso. He owns four pairs of the same jeans and switches them off daily. He wears a tattered old black sweatshirt with a big, yellow smiley face in the middle that he found in a consignment shop years ago. He walks, he eats, he breathes.

But Ferreus has one oddity that sets him apart from most humans. He has a mechanical heart.

When Ferreus was fifteen, he fell helplessly in love. She was beautiful, smart, witty –everything his fifteen year-old heart yearned for. He spent day after day trying to get her attention by writing love letters, making CDs, and waiting for her after class (he relied heavily on dating advice from old movies), but she never loved him back. One day, after two years of agonizing love, Ferreus finally plucked up the courage to ask her out. As he walked across the street to her house, he saw her door open. He saw her standing on her porch, kissing a boy from their class goodbye. She was taken. Ferreus, struck numb by the emotional blow, stopped in his tracks; the car that was speeding down the street at that moment did not.

Ferreus was rushed to the emergency room where the doctors had no choice but to replace his heart. His new heart is completely mechanical. When connected to the matrix, he can program it to feel any emotion he wants. He never has to feel the pain of love again.

Now twenty-two year-old Ferreus escapes to cyberspace to wreak havoc in the lives of women. He programed himself to not feel guilt or remorse, and certainly never compassion or love.

He uses his suave demeanor and rebel image to make women want him. He dates a girl for a month, gets her to trust him, and then steals everything he can from her savings, her home, and her emotional well-being. That’s how he makes a living. Why love when he could spend his time making money and playing games? He does not care what anyone else in the matrix thinks of him because he does not have to. Ferreus is heartless.

Caid crouched on her perch on a cold brick wall in the long arm of a building’s shadow in a dark Philadelphia alley. Shifting her weight to balance, she raised an arm to adjust the aviator goggles in her perpetually messy maroon hair. The goggles were a staple of her outfit in the matrix, not only as her innocuous link to the command center in the real world, but also to conceal her watery blue eyes, the only weak-looking part of her otherwise rough and intimidating appearance.

Her body, sleek and muscular, outfitted with ripped and worn camouflaged army pants, black leather combat boots, and a tight black t shirt. Her hands perpetually clenched. Her eyes, though soft and feminine, focused. Her mouth set. Trained in the martial arts, she was stealthy but well-prepared for combat, a perfect soldier to be released into the matrix. She had been prepared as a lethal weapon in government facilities from early childhood, but she broke out during the great civil war of 2050. Now, she worked for Argus, a faceless head of the rebel group designed to enact vigilante justice, unwarranted watchmen of the cyber world.

Pulling the goggles down over her eyes, she zoomed in on each person as a small group passed by on the dirty urban street. The lenses in her goggles whirred as they zoomed in on each person and quietly indicated that that group was safe… at least for that night. Caid lit a cigarette, more to pass time than to satisfy a nicotine craving. Litter blew across the street like tumbleweeds as she waited, never losing focus on her main goal. Though this job was certainly never a position she saw herself doing and one she still wasn’t sure she wanted, she was good at it, and for now that was more than enough. There was security within Argus’ group. It was as close to a family as she had ever experienced.

Minutes later, footsteps echoed in the alley, as someone approached from the left on the sidewalk. Caid leaned forward slightly, enough to focus her lenses on the shady looking man passing by. A green check appeared momentarily in her left lens, and she knew she’d  found her guy. She replaced the goggles to the top of her head, dropped her cigarrette to the ground, and with a quiet leap, left the brick ledge and landed on it, smothering the flame beneath the toe of her boot.

“Here I come,” she said with a devilish grin, and was off.

My cyberpunk character TY-04 acts like a ninja. She sneaks around the Internet and into people’s computers, looking for what she considers the most valuable asset in the digital world: Photoshop brushes.

Indeed she is obssessed with these design tools, as each brush reflects a designer’s unique style and personality. TY-04 loves to paint, and so she is always on the lookout for more to add to her collection. In a black V-neck wrap tee and a pair of black pants, she tries to be subtle during the gathering process. Sometimes, especially when she gets inspired by some of the brushes, she would use the brushes to create artworks on computer desktops. She claims her works are masterpieces that everyone should appreciate, but normally computer owners are not very pleased when they see additional colors and decorative designs appear all of a sudden.

TY-04 dwells in a MacBook Pro from Taiwan. She likes to nap on the eraser tool in the laptop’s Photoshop CS4 because of its soft texture. If you can’t find her in the matrix, she is either dashing through the Internet or chilling in another computer. To TY-04, the matrix only provides her shelter; it does not limit her in any way.

The brushes that are taken away by TY-04 cannot be recovered in the computers. Users have to download the brushes again to get them back. TY-04 does not see this as a problem, however. She refutes the accusation of theft, because most of the Photoshop brushes are free and availible to everyone online. She says she just obtains the brushes through different channels, and that after all, everything should be forgivable for the sake of art.

In my sophomore year of high school, I took a trip with my family to San Fransisco, California.  While we were there, we decided to visit Muir woods, a national park full of historic California Redwood trees.  Muir Woods is one of the most beautiful, breathtaking places I have ever been.

Image provided through Google Earth’s Street View

As I began walking through the woods, I noticed that something felt different.  After walking for a few minutes, admiring the beautiful scenery, I noticed that it was the air.  I took deep breaths, and while the air was a bit chilly, it was so…pure.  I had never truly experienced “a breath of fresh air” until I went to Muir Woods.  Being surrounded by so much nature wasn’t only easy on the eyes, but also on the lungs.  It was as if my body was rejoicing about being in a place simply bursting with life.  I could feel the fresh air enter by body with each breath I took, and when I exhaled I felt clean and refreshed, like the trees were erasing the impurities from my body.

• Through Google Earth, I can only get a true concept of the space by using the Street View tool.  I can examine the trees that are on the edge of the woods, but I cannot explore deep into the woods where the true patterns of nature are without seeing flat patches of green. To experience the life happening in the heart of the woods, I must rely on pictures that other people have posted, but I cannot physically tour it.  The pictures are beautiful, and the trees stand just as magnificently virtually as they do physically.  But these images are not enough to satisfy me.

Image Provided through Google Earth’s Street View

I was amazed by the trees in Muir Woods.  They aren’t just normal trees–they’re ancient and magnificently tall, like nature’s skyscrapers.  You have to arch you back to see the tree tops.  The leaves dance in the breeze, and the green stands out brightly against the blue of the sky.  The trunks are massive–you could attempt wrap your arms around them, but it’s impossible, and you simply look silly trying.  The trees in these woods are a piece of history, and it’s amazing to think that they have been around for so long.  It’s hard to imagine these bold landmarks as being small saplings at some point.  They stand so tall and proud–they almost appear regal as the sun illuminates them as if they have halos.

• Through Google Earth, I can still get a good sense of how large these trees are.  Street View and pictures uploaded by other people aid me in my visualization.  The green of the leaves still stands out against the blue of the sky, and their impressive height is still understood.  But because I cam not physically there, I cannot picture how tall the trees are in comparison to myself.  I can see how high up the branches are, but I cannot sense them far above my head.

Image Provided through Google Earth’s Street View

I encountered animals in these woods as well.  I saw deer, chipmunks, birds, and much more.  I remember thinking, “How lucky, these animals must be, to have these magnificent woods as their home.”  What better home could you have?  The air is fresh, the scenery is beautiful, and hollows in the large, sturdy trunks provide good shelter.  And the best part is that it is protected from harm.  This place of beauty and wonder cannot be harmed by the hands of humans.  It truly is a sanctuary, a green paradise away from a world of chaos.

• If only Google Earth could allow me to explore the heart of the woods, then perhaps I would be able to feel this sense of sanctuary virtually.  Instead I am confined to the edges of the woods by the road, where cars and civilization can still be seen.  There aren’t any animals present, and if there were, they would probably be in danger from being so close to the road. The significance of Muir Woods really isn’t understood through Google Earth.  When streets and cars are in the view, it ruins the idea of tranquility I know I should feel.

Image Provided through Google Earth

Ultimately, going back to Muir Woods via Google Earth is just simply not the same.  While Google Earth is a very useful tool in traveling the globe virtually, it cannot capture the emotions that come with the space.  Through Google Earth, you can utilize the Street View tool to get an up-close picture of the space.  You can see the the trees, and pan the camera up to get a sense of how incredibly tall they are.  But that’s the thing…you can only see it.  You can’t take that breath of fresh air, or feel the impurities leave your body.  You can’t duck your head into a big hollow and hear your voice echo in the massive trunk.  And you can’t feel the strain in your muscles as you arch your back to see the treetops, or the blinding light of the sun once you do.  With Google Earth, you can see the space, but you can’t truly experience it.  This is why I think literature is beneficial.  With literature, while you can’t physically show people the space, you can paint a picture of it with words and phrases designed specifically to help people imagine the place and the emotions that come with it.  What would make a Google Earth tour even better would be if there was some type of narrative that went along with it.  That way, we could see the space virtually, but also feel it as well.

Though it’s at the bottom of the world, the landscape of Antarctica as shown on Google Earth seems as close to the sky as one can get. Here and there, the Britannia Range crests in small rocky spurs, notching the horizon but never daring to fully intrude into the open air. The faint blue streaks that marr the ice give the slightest, uneasy sense of depth, but never clear or close enough to matter. It’s beyond our reach, beyond our caring, and however far down and away the mountains spread is a mystery. We see only the eroded peaks of them

The snow fans out around this modest cluster in every direction, smooth and white as new paper. There is nothing to say about this place – nothing Google Maps finds worthy of mention. But zooming close over the snowfields,you can see the faintest, sweeping shapes where the wind and jagged ice carved light currents over the surface, maps of current too faint us to notice.

It’s hard to speak of here and there when it’s all the same sky overhead, flat and featureless, and the same bleak ground. But where the Britannia Range wrinkles over the surface, the ice crumples and bunches like a cloth as it’s through the pass. What are the spiritless peaks of the Range to this pattern of currents written into the ice? The tracks of its movement seem to send the very sky rushing faster out to the sea. livening the blank sky and the meaningless plain into something starkly poignant.

Here, where the ice passes between the peaks, the two planes seem to mirror each other, the deeper blues fading into hard whites, blending into each other until the only distinction between them is the hard line of the horizon. The snow sweeps in cloud-like curves out to the sea while the sky presses down bare and cold as ice. It is a world of mirrors and subtlety and contradiction.

But then, they say there’s nothing here for us to see. The only thing they bothered naming was a huddle of wind-worn stones, no more than sooty spots on the map. There’s no mention of mirrored worlds or currents in the ice. Just a blank spot.

(Sorry, having some issues with the gallery. I can’t get rid of the doubles >_< )

Welcome to Maryland!  This is the sign I see as my mother and brother are getting ready to drop me off at school.  Living and growing up in a small state the majority of your life, you tend to want to get out and explore.  Being such a family orientated person I was hesitant to leave the nest, but when I finally did I was glad I chose Maryland.  Being so close to the city meant being near one of the best known statue’s/park: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial!

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, commonly referred to as the MLK Memorial, stands tall in the heart of Washington Dc.  Never having seen it in person, I figured exploring it virtually would perhaps give me an insightful perspective to what the memorial has to offer.

As I enter the venue and take a look around I am taken aback by the beautiful foliage surrounding the tall standing walls and statues.  Walking slowing to take in all the area has to offer, I see in the distant the great Martin Luther King, Jr. statue.  Approaching it with excitement I begin to pick up my feet and place them one after the other with more haste. After much anticipation I was finally there looking up at the memorial.

Standing there enjoying the view, I begin to walk around the statue.  Not knowing what exactly to expect I turn my head and much to my surprise I see a quote engraved on the left side of MLK himself: “Out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”  Knowing all that MLK Jr. did for us the quote speaks volumes and resonates with me for personal reasons.

As I continue to look around the park it is hard not to be drawn to the walls in the backdrop of the MLK statue.  From where I currently stand, although not clear, there appears to be some kind of inscription on the walls.  Anxious to see exactly what the wall has to offer, I move as quickly as possible to reach the wall as fast as I can.  Standing here I am enveloped by the strong words that are presented before me.

The wall of statements and quotes, though it may be hard to tell, are quite powerful to those in their presence.  I feel as if I can tell and feel this way about the virtual memorial then there is not telling how I may react when I finally get to experience in person.

Coming to the end of my venture in DC and departing the MLK Memorial I turn to my right and what do I see…The Washington Monument!  The monument, another well-known landmark in the states, stands tall in the distance to where I stand at the memorial.  Never having seen the monument in person either, I quite glad that I not only got to see the MLK Memorial, but the Washington Monument as well.  At this point, I felt quite accomplished!

Looking at the MLK Memorial from a virtual perspective, I actually feel as if I was there in sense.  Sure, if I were actually there I would have the potential of feeling the wind blowing, listening and looking at other people visiting the memorial and the potential of starting up a conversation as well as being out in the fresh air of nature. Another aspect that I feel is negated from the virtual image is the realness of MLK and the wall behind him.  Sure, I can see it clearly through the digital lens, but if I were to see it in person I feel as if the stone would have authenticity to it that would add even more realness to the statue and add to the overall experience.  Viewing it from a computer screen, I miss out on all of that, but being able to see the memorial and its surroundings through Google Earth definitely makes me want to go so it in person that much more.   As much as our world is becoming consumed in the digital world, not all things can be viewed this way for if they are they lose realness and authenticity, in my opinion, that is!

(Images come to you by means of Google Earth)

Although once under ash from the volcano Vesuvius, Pompeii has been brought into daylight through years of dedication by archaeologists and architectural historians. Now using Google Earth anyone can explore the Roman city from the sky or from the ground. I begin my exploration of Pompeii in the “little theater”, which is actually almost twice the size of the one to the east of it. The rows of seating surrounding the half-circle stage area create a textbook example of the Roman theater. I can see archaeologists continuing the work to recover and preserve the beautiful work of Roman architecture which has been untainted by modern culture. I imaging the ancient stage as it once was, with rotating stone sets, doorways for masked actors to leap to the stage, and an orchestra in front. The theater is filled with people coming to hear the great playwrights of the time perform their latest works.

I continue to a large boulevard with raised sidewalks and a center of paving stones, which was once used for carts. I can see the various building materials of the times displayed in each shop space along the road. On the right, shop walls are made of long, flat bricks or rubblestone. On the left, the wall construction is of heavy masonry and small stone. The most prestigious buildings must have been located on the left side of the boulevard with smaller shops on the right. In fact, the street may have been defined by large stoa, which were open structures for public use including shops and businesses. The street seems to go on for miles, indicating the sheer size of this decimated ancient community.

Rows of partially intact columns and architraves establish the bounds of a temple or government building. The stout structure (if in fact it was only one story) was created in the Doric order and gives the appearance of strength and dignity. The temple stood facing Mt. Vesuvius, perhaps in honor of the great volcano that would inevitable destroy the city.

Another temple or public building, which retained its structural integrity over years buried in ash and rubble, can be viewed from the interior. Even without its second story, I feel the imposing grandeaur of what this space once was. It boasts both the Ionic and Corinthian orders on the interior, with a pattern of stones in different colors as an alternative to fresco and paint. This was once a very important building to the citizens of Pompeii, possibly a meeting place for the local government or a temple dedicated to the god or goddess of the city. Now the open sky above sheds light inside the great space and creates a new reverence for the wonders of the man-made world.

On my last stop I toured the giant Roman stadium. The ellipse-shaped stadium was most likely used for foot races and other events to entertain the citizens and leaders of the city. The stepped seating that remains gives a glimpse into the past: thousands of people would come to watch the games play out below them, cheering for their favorite and throwing gifts to the winners. Three levels of seating separated into wedges by numerous staircases held the masses of spectators. In the absence of a roof, the structure allowed for the natural world to encroach on human civilization and tradition. Natural phenomenon were very important to the Romans and although they were great builders they allowed as much contact with nature as possible in every structure.

Visiting a place like Pompeii through a virtual tool like Google Earth has many advantages. I was able to see the entire city from the air, find patterns and important buildings/spaces, and view the context of the place before going in-depth. The street-level view allowed me to investigate the specific places I found using the “god’s-eye” view in greater detail. The down side to exploring the space virtually is that there is a limit to what you can do. There are many streets and buildings that one cannot access through street view at all.