Karen sat at her bar in the small pool of light cast by a desk lamp.Karen sat at her bar in the small pool of light cast by a desk lamp. She keyed the remote and was immediately jolted by the intense volume in her headphones. She quickly adjusted to the digital rock'n'roll. She extracted one of the two sugar cubes from the small ziploc and dropped it into the clear water which about half filled the blue crystal glass. Karen watched the thin tendrils and bubbles climbing upward from the dissolving cube. When only a vestige of the cube remained, Karen stirred the water. The painted Emperor penguin atop the glass stir stick turned and spun. Clasped lightly in Karen's regal fingers, it completed the ceremonial preparation. Karen raised the glass and drank the water in several unhurried swallows. With a phrase, she invoked her hypnotically- installed interface metaphor and prepared to enter the always open playground of her mind. Karen closed her eyes. As always, the first effect to hit was the intense joy. Beyond euphoria, she was lit by the electric pleasure of cognition. The acceleration of her awareness took Karen's breath away. She was filled with a sense of vibrant energy; restless, resisting confinement, awaiting purpose. Karen waited, still and receptive, enjoying her most powerful and balanced hit of L+ yet. Her face was transformed by a wide grin. |