Simon's added gear allotment on LITA's center stage did the usual, mixing of her sources of course but it also had some extra gear, most notably was the harmonic heart beat refactor- basically a pulse array that recommended speeding up or slowing down the set based on where the crowd was at. It basically registered the top 40% of the audience heart rate data, and processed it, and gave predictive insight to LITA as to where the audience could be gravitating towards in terms of "sync" with the beats. She rarely observed it, noting that she wanted as much of her own feel as the crowd as possible to drive her. But to Simon, to him, he couldn't really feel people- he wanted the data.
He wanted all the data.
"Slow it down.." he said to himself noting the data reflected in his receptor, a kind of mobile computer he carried with him at all times. The Jack did most of what old phones would do, and with everything around us assisted by AI and automation, you really didn't need computing as much. Most would use a Jack + AR/VR apparatus and just jack into whatever they wanted to get, social, online, education, logistics, sex, it was all there.
Only die hard geeks had receptors, who would use an old fashioned system like that- data geeks and engineers, a bonus for Simon.
In the midst of the beats pulsating Simon left his post, not that anyone would notice. He as invisible to the crowd. He went back to the bar and ordered a drink, he didn't really drink but he wanted something for what would come next.
"Gimme a shot..." he said to the bartender, who was a bit surprised to see him.
"What kinda shot, and you actually drink?" the bartender said while he kinda mocked Simon.
"Tonight I'm drinking for everyone, self included, gimme something those girls would do..." Simon said pointing to the girl posse that bothered him earlier.
"CrystalBomb it is..." the bartender said putting together the shot.
Simon touched his right ear again, clicking a button on his Jack and experiencing a jolt of pain. His eyes twitched, as his neck recoiled, notably showing some pain.
LITA felt it as well, she too snapped her head back for a sec, and blinking, but felt it less, perhaps her senses dulled a bit from drinking a bit to calm her nerves before hitting the center stage.
"Ok.. here ya go.. you ok?" the bartender handed Simon the shot noting his perspiration on his face, he was sweating, like he was up there or something.
"Time to feel Simon." Simon said slamming the shot in one gulp. He was a bit off, a bit sinister. He'd never done that before, but there were many firsts tonight, much to accomplish he thought to himself. He'd get more tonight than he had ever collected from a building, any warehouse, any simple structure or in the home of recent murder.
He didn't really tell people about those captures, he kept that data to himself. But by this point, he had witnessed, no- relived countless murders, reconstructing the moments, harmonically, frequency absorption, molded, and meld into his data set. Tonight he would go beyond anything he had collected before. He would collect it all tonight.
He began to push through the crowd, headed for the heart of it, prime center stage viewing material. Girls pulsated around him dancing to the groove and most ignoring his advance, pushing them aside. Guys a mix of hetro and gay men didn't even recognize his presence as he pushed by them.
Refracted murder, or pain data as he called it was only partial, and he would have to the software figure out the missing elements. It was like a tainted data set. He needed the next level. To feel the real, the now, the moment. These people were as high as he would ever get, and multiple data sources in one room, eons to feel, he would finally get it, one way or another.
They wouldn't feel anything really, but he'd feel it all.
LITA grooved to her set, she was on fire and about to put on 3, which would provide filler for a bit while she would change it up. She had confidence in Simon. He knew her sound better than anyone. Just as she began to tee up 3 on the decks she noticed Simon in the middle of the crowd- was he finally getting into it she wondered? She smiled, and jammed her fist in the air as everyone did the same, feeling that moment.
3 began to spin as Simon collapsed to the floor his hands over his eyes, then wrapping toward the back of his head, his teeth bitting down on a mouth brace he had fashioned with the cup the shot came in, some polycorbo, glass was rare these days.
LITA saw him collapse but also noted that she also noted her self, like in an out of body experience way. She could also see her self playing the record, watching 3 spin slowly as if time was stopped, she couldn't touch herself but she was there standing next to herself, floating. The crowd appeared ghostly she was some how stopped or slowed down, the resonating filler of 3 could only be heard to her, no other sound, no voices, no chatter, just 3's pulsating beat.
For Simon it was the same effect, he was aware of the separation, he had tested it once before. He was prepared for the effect, as the receiver, he would have to take precautions for the data feed in take. He anticipated the need for a mouth guard, the polycorbo shot container did the trick, tho he was doubled over, he intake as intense.
He couldn't anticipate the degree of control needed to center himself and his nerves. His receptor on his arm was pegged, maximum data flow engaged, he was harvesting it all.
3 as special slice of vinyl. It was a filler yes, but it had special harmonic harvesting threads in its composition. This combined with the modified hardware and its sync with the Jack the standard computer everyone used to jack in and communicate seamlessly- well it also worked as a means to harvest or connect in.
Simon had effectively used 3's filler to harmonize and get everyone in sync with groove, and then jacked into everyone at the same time to download the experience, that optimal, in the zone feeling, awe, wonder, greatness, groove, sex, love, you name it, he was free to ride the connection effectively tunneling in each and everyone connected to 3's filler.
LITA was the bridge.
She was the sync target everyone wanted to be with, to groove with, she was the host. He hacked her just as much as he hacked everyone on the dance floor- but he could note her presence not download her expression of thought.
At best he had hoped she be tripped out and unaware of the hack. I mean she took drugs, surely this would be just some episode.
Simon stood up, stretched his back in a kind of slow motion as his receptor optimized the flow of data allowing him to get close to the individual dancers, girls, guys, whatever, didn't matter, he was able to feel them, feel what they were feeling.
He was carnivore for it now.
One dancer, a guy stuck in the moment staring down the girl next to him. Simon turned his head as if to calibrate to pull in this mans thoughts, his lust, his wanting of the girl, Simon could sit or a moment feeling it all. He then quickly noted the girls feeling, being seen, excited, thrilled and afraid for a second.
The dancers would feel nothing not realizing they had been hijacked, emotionally harvested, nope not a clue. Simon smiled as everyone danced a little slower, a bit more luscious into the groove, he could alter them.
Another guy in front in front row was dancing and really into the guy to the left of him. Simon could feel that want, that man lusted after that another man, Simon was absorbing that lust, feeling it as if it was his own.
The Jack was boundless as well- it wired everyone in the warehouse, its why Simon picked this place, it was optimal for his harvesting. He was harvesting each persons individual emotional composition as 3 infinitely played in an endless loop.
LITA caught on to notion of what was happening but she felt as if she had a heart attack or she was dying- because none of this made any sense. Simon hacked into her too, his mentor, the one he wanted to feel the most. Would she be proud of him?
For the next 4 hours Simon would effectively freeze time for everyone in that warehouse and tunneling into the emotions of anyone he saw fit, effectively being the empathy jack he always wanted to be.
Hours later, after the party, these elite privileged people would return home, resting comfortably in this autonomous existence, unaware for harvesting. LITA in a daze will recall few specifics and Simon would change a few parameters, and gearing up for the next jack and making sure the label got the data they wanted as well.
He had to keep LITA playing.
He had hoped he would finally attain empathy all the while not quite realizing his trade, his damaged morality compass failing him, his soul, his behavior for the data, his trickery to attain, he got the data but the empathy lost.