Nothing like reminiscing about the future; especially in front of an old Wurlitzer jukebox, where memories spin before the mind’s eye like cotton candy. Drifting back over the light years, I find myself in the sandbox at Help Island Public reliving a battle I once witnessed there, when I was a young gypsy and this was my home landing zone. A dazzling cyber-warrior performs a ritual war dance before engaging the enemy, in this case a giant metallic spider. The spider won, as I recall; but the light and magic was all over this guy. I was rootin’ for him all the way.

In the next panel, Dizzy Banjo is about to have his pocket picked by that merry prankster, Harper Beresford, high atop the launch tower at Dizzy’s build, IO, at Burning Life 2008. Just below them is Camille Topaz, in her first appearance with Cherrybomb the new virtual rock band which debuted in SL this year, along with Botgirl Questi and yours truly. Below left is Urban Spectre, the magical build by DB Bailey, also from the 2008 Burning Life Festival.

Segue to the right, a shot of Patch Thibaud’s latest project, the magnificent Ciudad De Mexico, where Celine Fairport and I stand in awe upon arrival at the central plaza. Lower left, Zil Jewell and the Chromester at Burning Life, and finally, a shot which captures the endless magic of the metaverse: a completely unexpected light show in an underground parking lot somewhere in the heart of this wonderland; never expected to see the aurora borealis in a concrete bunker. Ya gotta love it. The future is the only game in town.