Chapter Text
C&A MARKETING TEAM
PROJECT: C.A.I.N.E
STATUS: PRE-RELEASE
DATE: [REDACTED]
Static crackles across as the screen comes alive.
The image takes a moment to stabilize, and the only thing keeping me from losing patience with this piece of junk is the fact I grew up with the same kind of technology.
So in a way, I am used to its obsolete nature… It really makes me grateful for how fast technology has evolved for human convenience. Quick, simple, portable, and certainly efficient.
The footage starts rolling, I set down my camera at an angle that captures both my person and the computer screen.
I'm unsure of what exactly I am hoping for. It is a miracle in itself that the monitor had turned on, and with DVD’s being so prone to damage—
A brightly lit stage appears.
The backdrop displays the blue-and-gold C&A logo.
It’s the same logo plastered across the building. Also seen on the side of the monitor and the VR set in my lap.
Though the quality is not the best I can make out rows of empty seats that stretch into darkness beyond the camera's frame.
A man in a pressed suit steps into view, smiling. The smile belongs to someone with a confident character.
"Good evening."
"My name is [REDACTED], Senior Development Coordinator at C&A Enterprise, and today I have the pleasure of introducing something that we've spent years developing."
He pauses for dramatic effect. It is amusing how capable he is at captivating an audience, (even if there is none) almost like a ringmaster. I find it hard to look away.
"We are all aware of the many ambitious approaches this industry takes.”
“Other companies promise innovation. They make the claim that they’ll revolutionize entertainment."
He laughs lightly to himself as if he couldn’t be happier to be there.
"Here at C&A we’ve decided to stop making promises."
The projector behind him flickers, as the camera pans to a silhouette that appears and quickly vanishes from sight, only to re-emerge at the center of the screen. A red dot.
Quite an… underwhelming sight considering the buildup of his speech.
"So allow me to introduce the future."
I might have spoken too soon.
"Project C.A.I.N.E."
The C&A logo dissolves.
A vast digital landscape appears, colours so vibrant they make the room feel gloomier than before. When put next to each other, reality loses its spark against the digital marvel.
There is a caricature of the moon on the left side of the screen while the sun hovers on the right, both have expressions of joy plastered across what I can only suppose must be their faces. Finally, at the center of it all there is a circus tent.
By the standards of today’s technology it is not remotely impressive, but with the footage being from the late 1990’s I can’t help but admire how advanced the visuals are for their time. However, the footage seems unfinished as certain objects flicker in and out of existence. It looked like a rendering error. It was just a couple of flickering pixels that didn’t really take the spotlight from the main show.
"Project C.A.I.N.E is the world's first fully generative virtual experience.”
"Not scripted. Not pre-programmed."
"Generative."
The word appears behind him in enormous colourful letters in bubble-like calligraphy.
GENERATIVE.
"The game does not simply react to player choices."
"It understands them. It learns in order to create from them."
Images flash rapidly across the screen.
A land made of candy.
A haunted mansion.
A tropical beach.
A snowy mountain.
Each image lasts less than a second.
The project sounds so ambitious, that C.A.I.N.E might give Barbie a run for her money when it comes to the motto: “You can be anything.”
"For decades, game designers have been limited by a simple problem: Finite content.”
“Eventually players learn the patterns, they grow bored.”
His enthusiasm grows with every sentence. He spreads his hands open as the screen behind him projects colourful renditions of landscapes and NPC designs, all bright, all different from one another yet connected by their shared aesthetics.
"Project C.A.I.N.E has no limits."
"No definitive map."
"No ending."
The screen behind him becomes a swirling kaleidoscope of colours and shapes. The visual effect is so attractive I mourn what could’ve been.
It truly is a project without precedents.
"At the center of the system is a fully autonomous generative intelligence."
The image freezes.
The red dot re-appears. In a blink and you’ll miss it moment it transforms into a figure with a top hat and a cane…
“Oh I see! Caine has a cane!” I’m definitely scraping that joke when I edit the video…
It’s just a little bit cringy. An actual ringmaster at the center of the virtual circus.
I wonder if their target audience was kids or just the general public. That could explain the whimsical approach of the A.I.
"The intelligence oversees the entire experience. It creates adventures by constructing the environments, textures, and narratives.”
I can make out the faint sound of cheers in the background, the man gives a closed eyed smile to the inexistent crowd. He lets the hype die down a bit before he continues:
The speaker pauses dramatically once more. This time whoever is behind the camera remains quiet, I can hear a few “sush’s” in the background. I myself feel the tension building up from growing expectations.
"As you play, C.A.I.N.E learns who you are. Not just your preferences. You."
“What excites you."
"What scares you."
"What makes you laugh."
The speaker doesn't appear to notice the flickering background that glitches every other frame.
"Imagine a game that knows exactly what kind of adventure you want before you do. A world tailored to your liking.”
The footage shifts once more.
For a fraction of a second, the top-hatted figure seems to be looking directly into the camera.
The frame skips again. It’s the first time the footage cuts at all. I suppose contents of the original video that must've been edited out.
"We believe Project C.A.I.N.E represents more than entertainment, this may as well be the foundation of a new relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence."
The words are delivered proudly.
Yet his smile waivers. He looks a little awkward this time. As though it dawned on him how ridiculous the statement sounds. Though for the sake of his job he continues his announcement, this time it is like he is fighting to match his initial enthusiasm.
Has he become aware of the mess happening behind him?
"Project C.A.I.N.E will enter public testing next year. Following successful trials, we expect a full commercial release shortly thereafter."
He looks directly into the camera.
"Welcome to the future of innovation"
"Thank you for joining us."
The stage lights dim, slowly the screen fades to black.
For several seconds, nothing happens. I am about to remove the DVD from the port, but a bright flash quickly stops me.
A final image appears.
It doesn’t seem to belong to the original presentation. The font is mismatched, messy even. it spells “ThE aMaZIng DigItAL CiRcUS”
“Huh… Odd…” I mutter to myself.
A single still frame, like the loading screen of a video-game. It’s reminiscent of the previously shown circus tent with the sun and moon. The top-hatted figure stands alone against the background.
It’s doing the thing again…
Looking directly at the camera.
It’s big round bulgy eyes… It freaks me out how much it seems to be aware of my presence. I have to remind myself that what I am seeing is prerecorded.
Beneath him, a line of text flickers briefly before vanishing.
USER NOT FOUND.
CREATING WORLD ANYWAY.
[END FOOTAGE]
I let the whole thing sink in.
It’s all so picturesque and… odd.
I will admit the promise of such a video game is amazing, but it’s so ambitious I can see why it never came into fruition.
It is in the middle of my mental reflection I remember that i’ve been recording all along. I turn around slightly to front-face my camera and give it an awkward smile.
“I don’t know about you guys… but that got a lil bit creepy for a moment, didn’t it?” I say as I point back to the monitor which is now behind me. I enjoy talking to the recording device like I'm talking directly to the audience (of few… very few) people who consume my content. That way it’s less awkward to film and post these things… “You may not believe this because of the content I make, but… I… I'm not much of a fan of horror.”
I stop the recording, just for the time being.
A quick internet search tells me that the DVD was never distributed. Nor was the presentation ever broadcasted.
As far as I could tell, no marketing campaign was launched, like the whole project had vanished into thin air.
But it did exist… At least, plans to make it exist. I have the evidence of it in my possession.
This is the first time my silly little (sometimes creepy) hobby has genuinely pulled me into a rabbit hole.
The more I look for answers, the less I seem to find.
The building housing C&A Systems was abandoned around 20 years ago. There’s no definitive answer as to why this is. There is though… an old Reddit post claiming the company had filed for bankruptcy at some point in the year 2000.
I plan on taking the disc back home, and looking a little more into this mystery for my channel. I may not have many followers, but I have a feeling that the suspense surrounding this company might be as appealing to others as it is to me.
Yes, it’s just a new personal project. A little amusement in my otherwise boring life.
As I remove the disc from the player I notice that written on the disc in faded black marker are three words.
"DO NOT RELEASE."
As I go to stand up I am suddenly reminded of the existence of the VR headset that had been previously resting in my lap.
“OH shit-” I pick it back up in a clumsy hurried motion. An idea strikes me at the moment I inspect the device for damage.
…
I turn the camera back on and begin recording once more.
“I was about to leave before I remembered this bad boy.” I lift the device and wave it in front of the camera. “It seems to have turned on! I wonder if it actually works.”