Class Act – Daniel 59

 

[For a quick guide go here: Quick guide.]

[Old back story is here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and read more recent Daniel episodes especially this one.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

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“Can you tell me again, what is Purple Reality?”

Daniel bit his lip. Surely this wasn’t really an actual attempt to just wind him up? Hadn’t he been over this already? Hadn’t he tried to explain it several times now in different ways with different emphasis on different ideas and… and yet still the concept didn’t seem to be sticking. It wasn’t a real reality, and it wasn’t entirely made-up either. It didn’t really exist but it did if you had the technology to access it. You could make it whatever you wanted it to be but in the case of their app they’d made it into a town with buildings and shops and places to meet people. Really it was easy. 

And it wasn’t purple reality, it was virtual reality. Honestly, he’d said that so many times, was this link just not good enough? Maybe he needed to write it out on a piece of card and hold it up to the screen?

There again, he should give himself a break. This was a class of six year olds and if he didn’t tread carefully he’d probably blow their minds and completely end their idea of what was real and what really was not.

“Daisy’s Daddy?” asked another. “You said you sell things. What things do you sell?”

“Er, well,” said Daniel carefully. “Opportunities, I guess. I sell companies the chance to be in front of people who want to buy what they’re selling.”

“They’re called advertisements,” said Mrs Chistlehurst from her corner of the screen in what Daniel assumed she thought was a helpful way. “Pictures and words that help people decide what they want to buy.”

“Yes,” said Daniel, “Although obviously it’s a bit more complex than that…”

“I’m sure it is,” cut across Mrs Chistlehurst, “But we don’t really have time to go into that right now.”

Daniel thought it was going well, although he was also prepared to believe he was the only person who thought that right now. He realise he could be going through a clear case of Gordon finally getting his own back. One fantastic stick-up via a compliment in the playground when Gordon told Mrs Chistlehurst, and indeed Chrissy, that Daniel was an amazing marketeer, full of ideas, working at the cutting edge of technology and wouldn’t it be great to get him in front of the class to talk to the kids? Already, said Gordon, Alexis was enthralled by him - Daniel knew Gordon was going way too far by now - but the seed, well, something more than a seed, of an idea was planted and within minutes Mrs Chistlehurst and Chrissy had created a scenario in which Daniel would talk to the kids about his work, technology and the brave new world of VR.

Which would be great for everyone. In theory.

Except it still had to be done over a video call at this point and despite being able to explain the concept, actuality and value of Together…Apart to all kinds of businesses who might want to advertise with them, Daniel couldn’t string together three sentences about it that made sense to a bunch of six year olds.

“Look,” he said. “It’s like when you read a book, but really the book is all around you. You know when you read something and you think it’s real? That’s sort of what it’s like.”

“Books coming to life?” asked one child.

“Yes,” said Daniel. “Sort of.”

“I don’t want books to come to life,” said a child. “We read a book about monkeys and they went everywhere and I got scared.”

“Have you read that story about the lady’s hat that gets really big and she can’t see out?” commented another one. “I’d hate that to be real.”

“I think it would be great,” said a boy. ‘You’re just all scaredy cats.”

Mrs Chistlehurst tried to intervene. “I think the point is that Daniel helps other companies sell things.”

“But why do you need to do that?” piped up a particularly bright spark. “If someone wants to buy something they just do it, don’t they? I don’t see why you need to ask someone to buy something. It’s just good and you do it.”

“Like Match Attack cards,” commented a boy. “I like those and I’ve got loads.”

Daniel finally signed off, unsure that he’d really been of any help to anyone this morning. He guessed he’d been entertaining at least and Mrs Chistlehurst would have something to discuss in the classroom. He hoped Daisy would forgive him if her classmates now thought he was silly. And he tried to settle to work, but after everything that had happened he had difficulty seeing the point.