xoxo

Given the company’s influence and access to technology Yanhao is weary to trust AFTpex fully. Though Afterlife provides a 2nd chance for some people he’s not blind that tech does fail even if it’s “the best” in the world. What if malware gets into the system? A trojan horse? Hackers?  What about a maintenance update that takes longer than expected. All things he experience during his academic career. So if it can happen at a university it can happen in a system like this. Afterlife might be paradise but rarely do they last. Also who’s to say that AFTpex isn’t monitoring certain people that are uploaded that had a criminal history or alleged secret information and blackmail them to do their bidding even after they’ve died. Yanhao himself is at a lost as to who he was uploaded when he never mentioned it to anyone but has a few ideas as to why. He doesn’t think about those thoughts because he isn’t sure how much AFTpex can read his “mind”. Could they take someone off Afterlife thus giving them death that many people expected.  Who gave consent on his behalf!? Could he contact someone from AFTpex or is it a 1 way stream of information? Yanhao will fake trust for now to fly under the radar, but be on the look out for anything out of the ordinary. The recent glitch doesn't feel right but he can't go off feeling alone. With some many others uploaded into Afterlife there has to be at least 1 other person who has the same concerns as he does. . . .

If this was to be his reality now it was best to explore it rather than stay in his house all the time. Yanhao had the morbid thought of the whole system crashing thus wiping all information out and in turn the existence he was having now. Maybe then everyone would truly pass on. Afterlife felt like a death cheat or extension of life with less limitations. With nothing from his past around he was free to choose his life. In was liberating to know he didn’t have to perform or base his decisions on what others wanted. Yanhao made a choice on his age of 27, it allowed him to dress both youthful to show of his boyish charm but also mature enough when the time called for it. He spent hours trying “on” an alot endless selection of clothes and colors buying what he absolute favorites were. It reminded him of Legos or a doll who really could be customized to fit a person’s taste. As his eyes were scanning the area he heard his name called out. Panic washed over him, how? who? He was certain no one would recognize him. The young man nonchalantly looked at the source . . . .they looked vaguely familiar someone from his past before the fame. “I’m sorry but my name is August, you have the person.” he spoke to them. 

Yanhao had some difficulties adjusting to his new reality quickly finding out sleeping and eating weren’t necessities to maintain function. In a way he understood the curse of immortality, infinite time but always being aware of it was overwhelming. He didn’t leave his house for at least a week living like he did when he was alive. He slept for hours on end to cope somewhat hoping this was all just a fever dream, but each time he opened his eyes Yanhao was in this digital landscape.  The one upside was his physical? digital? body. His late 20s was when he was the most fit and in his opinion the most attractive. He had a stock of clothes which he assumed if he wanted more he would have to buy them with the credits of the system. It was a bit funny though to get a warning for going naked. . . .none of this was real. . .or what he thought was real. Yanhao felt like he had. . .no need a schedule to maintain his sanity of the current situation. Whether it was something he actually needed to do or not it would help normalize things. Eating at least once a day was a must, so was sleeping, . . ..he liked reading, exercising, chess, music. Research was something on his list but he had to be careful how he did it. The man put explore on the list as well the more he understood about the system the better he could adapt to it. He organized the schedule fitting everything in by the week, that would help him keep track of the day and make him more productive.