Chapter 13: Let's get to business!
Alexa came home early today. Her conversation with Mark opened windows to several possibilities, she had a lot to do and was very anxious about it. All the way home, she thought about the things he said.
"She wants to be famous, but we don't want her to be physically exposed or for the people to know where she is. There's a place where she can do this: on the internet."
"You're right! I hadn't thought of that!"
If Caelia were an internet personality, she wouldn't have to worry about commotions like the ones that happened in Asteria. She wouldn't even need to leave the house, which would make it easy for Alexa to keep track of her.
"Don't cheer up so fast. Don't forget, the internet is a cruel place, especially for someone who has no idea what it is."
"Yeah... I think so."
"You'll have to guide her. You think you can do it?"
"Leave it to me!"
Alexa was excited before, but only now she realizes the responsibility she have in teaching a goddess who never had contact with technology about the complex universe that is the internet. At the very least, she hoped Caelia hadn't run away from home again. Upon entering her house, she wastes no time in changing clothes and goes straight to her bedroom.
"Caelia, I need to talk with... what are you doing?"
Caelia was on Alexa's bed, leaning over a stack of books. She was staring steadily at one in particular, but she was barely able to hold it, as her hands were shaking nervously. Her breath was heavy and her face was flushed, she was visibly apprehensive and Alexa couldn't understand why.
"Nasty... this is too nasty! But for some reason, I can't avert my eyes off this thing! What is this, some kind of wizardry?! Help me, Alexa!"
Alexa manages to take a look at the content of the book she was reading and realizes the reason for her nervousness. It was a BL novel, the type of reading that attracted a female audience interested in homosexual relationships of the opposite gender. Alexa had bought this out of curiosity, but she never brought another similar book home, not that she didn't like it, she just wasn't interested enough. It wasn't even a heavy one, but it was enough to make Caelia speechless.
"Why are you acting like this? It's just a..."
"No! This is not just a book! This is... a relic!"
"What are you talking about?"
Caelia grips the book stronger, she looked like she was about to pass out at any moment.
"As a goddess, I thought that nothing else could surprise me, but it seems that again I was wrong. Right now, I feel powerless, and it's all because of this! The human technology is really frightening!"
"Okay, I've heard enough."
Alexa rapidly takes the BL novel out of Caelia's hands and she reacts as if something precious has escaped her possession. Desperate, but also paralyzed due to the recent shock, she tries to stop Alexa who was organizing the books back on the shelf without paying attention.
"Wait, Alexa! I haven't collected enough information yet!"
"Shut up! You've been in it all day! Try to control yourself!"
"But I wanted..."
Alexa lets out a sigh of concern, but also of relief. It was nice to know that this time she had obeyed her request and stayed at home until she arrived, although the book helped her with that. It made things easier, now she was ready to take the next step.
"Listen, I know you were having fun, but I'm about to show you something even more frightening."
"More frightening than that?!"
"Yes. I'll teach you how to use... the computer!"
Alexa looks at her desktop computer which wasn't of the latest generation but also not to be thrown away. She was into games, but not enough to invest a lot of money in her computer's performance.
"You mean, that thing? It was on my side all the time, I didn't know there was anything special about it."
"Don't worry, you'll be impressed by it soon."
She presses a button on the CPU that makes the monitor screen glow. In a few seconds, it loads all its initial applications and it was ready to be used.
"Okay, this is a computer. It's a machine that serves to perform various tasks. Nowadays, it's impossible to live without one, and practically everyone has at least one of these at home, but the way they use it is what sets them apart. Some use it to work, others to study, others to play... in other words, much of people's identity is related to how they use this machine. That is why you will learn it."
"I see..."
Caelia still didn't quite understand what Alexa was trying to do, but knew that she was trying to help her. Even so, she was unable to put aside her skepticism, after all, for her this thing was just a bunch of boxes and wires that didn't make any sense.
"First, let's start with the basics."
Alexa shows Caelia how to use the mouse and keyboard and how to interact with the computer programs through them. It was unexpectedly easy.
"How are you so skilled at it? When I was a kid, it took me quite a while to learn how to move the mouse arrow where I wanted to."
"Goddesses have perfect precision, balance and motor coordination. All of my physical attributes and brain capabilities are enhanced for maximum performance."
"Wow, is there anything you can't do?"
Alexa gets excited. It seems that things would work out more than she expected.
"Okay, now let's talk about the internet. You know, the computer itself is a wonderful thing, but it gets even better when you add the internet. With it, you can connect in real time with all parts of the world and communicate with whomever you want, no matter the distance."
"So it's like high level telepathy?"
"Kinda... but this is a very rare skill. I bet you can do that too, huh?"
Caelia nods in agreement. Alexa wasn't even surprised anymore at this point.
"Well, this is not just limited to communication."
Alexa types a bunch of words on an internet search site and in seconds the screen reveals several images of Caelia, as well as news regarding things that have happened in the past few days.
'Hey, that's me!"
"Yep. You're famous, you know. Thanks to the power of the internet, everyone is talking and sharing information about you right now. By the way, this is a search engine. You can type whatever you want and it will show you all the information you want. Even BL novels, but please, don't do it."
Thanks to Alexa's demonstration, Caelia was gradually gaining interest. It was still a little complicated for her, but it was curious enough for her to want to understand.
"Now, let's talk about social media. You know, there are places that people come together to talk about their interests and share things that they have in common. This is all possible thanks to sites like facehook, twibber and reddish. Everyone has an account on at least one of these sites, including me."
Alexa opens on her twibber profile page, showing her photo, her personal data and her latest posts. She wasn't very active and didn't have many followers, but it was enough to set an example.
"Anyone who is interested in me can follow this profile to be notified when I take action. Unfortunately, there aren't many... but this isn't the point. The thing is: if you want to be recognized by your actions and know the repercussions you're causing, you will have to create an account on a website like this."
Alexa drags the mouse to the search engine of the site and starts typing again.
"Now here's the problem."
As soon as she finishes typing Caelia's name on the search bar, several profiles appear with her name and image.
"Hey, these aren't me!"
"Exactly. It happens when you're famous. Let me tell you something: the internet is a blessing, but also a curse. Some people are blinded by freedom and end up doing bad things, like creating fake profiles and spreading fake news. Not all of them are really bad, some just want to have fun, some just want to draw attention, the fact is that if you go online, you'll need to know the best way to act in these situations."
"And how would I do that?"
"You probably won't. But don't worry, I'm here to help you."
Caelia continued to watch Alexa explaining her about the benefits and harms of the internet with attention. It was amazing how she could ease her worries in a matter of seconds, she really felt a confidence coming from Alexa.
"Alexa, why are you doing this for me?"
Alexa pauses. Caelia's sudden question makes her lose her concentration and feel embarrassed.
"Well, you know... I don't know... maybe because it's fun... ehehe!"
"Fun?"
"Yeah! I mean, that's what friends do."
Alexa gives her an awkard smile. Caelia doesn't know how to feel yet. When did they become friends? There was no such thing as a contract or request of some sort. What friends even are in the first place? The only close relationship she had before was with her sisters, and yet it wasn't a very friendly one. It was much more corporate, as if they were just together to fulfill their role as goddesses.
"A-Anyway, let's proceed."
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