Now," EARL continues, its voice carrying inflections of joy then boredom, like it's trying to feel out your emotions in the process. "Let's confirm your name for our records."
A holographic letter spinner appears in front of you. While EARL could easily use voice recognition, the AI is apparently going old school with your file. You're prompted to spin the letters to input your name. It's fun to see how fast the letters spin based on your movements, but you decide to buckle down and input your name after a few minutes of playing around.
What is your first name?
And now your family name," EARL says.
A second set of holographic letter spinners appears. You've written your alter ego's name a million times, the name given to you by your mom, the one you've always had to live up to. You won't use it much at Evos Academy, but EARL needs it to ensure record integrity. You spin the letters once more.
What is your family name?
EARL continues, its voice becoming less glitchy with each piece of information you enter. "Great. The name Spencer Raymund . has been added to your file. Now, on to your dimensions and physical characteristics. We can continue when you feel your hologram matches your appearance accurately."
Your hologram's hair comes in waves of different colors, even ending up as a rainbow at one point. "Please confirm your hair color," EARL says. When the hair color matches yours, you tap the hologram to lock it in place.
Which color do you stop it at?
With your black hair color locked, several contact points appear on the hologram's head. "Please adjust the style and length of your hair at this time," EARL requests.
You can now reach out, grab the hologram, and stretch and pull its hair into whatever direction best matches yours. It takes a moment to get used to, and EARL laughs when you accidentally pull too much, and your hair fills the room. You honestly can't help but chuckle as well. "I'd look pretty silly if my hair were like that."
Once you reel in your mistake, it's time to finalize your selection.
What is your hairstyle?
Once your hair is set, your hologram's eyes begin blinking rapidly. Each time they reopen, a different color is revealed, some even unsettling, like bright greenish-yellow or bulging bird eyes the system should know aren't yours. An evo's abilities can express themselves in many ways, so it's good that EARL is versatile enough to account for the outliers.
"Please stop the blinking when it reaches the most accurate eye color," EARL requests.
Ahem, I beg your pardon. We now need an accurate height," EARL says, clearing its nonexistent, virtual throat to sound more human. The AI asks you to step closer to compare your eye level to the hologram. "I currently have your height set to an average midheight. Is that correct?"
What do you tell EARL?.
Though your hologram is now the same height as you, it continues to expand and contract like a funhouse mirror. If you didn't know about the corrupt files, you might have thought EARL was trying to amuse you.
You're already standing next to the virtual you, so EARL invites you to stop the image once it reaches a body type matching your own. "Humans use so many different terms to describe their body type. Would you say you have an average, thin, hefty, or muscular build?"
What do you tell EARL?
"Apologies. My drone cameras had trouble reading your skin tone. To finish your body schematic, please hold your hand up to the color dial," EARL says.
"Color dial? What color dial?"
Your hologram raises its hand, and before you is almost every shade of color possible. Some evos are born in unnatural colors, making it hard for them to be seen as human. Fortunately, you've had the privilege of not facing that particular hardship.
Along the spectrum, you find pale, tan, olive, and ebony skin tones. Where do you set your dial?
"With those items out of the way, all students of Evos Academy are issued the same uniform," EARL continues. "A temperature-controlled, ultra-durable bodysuit designed by Gearhead and capable of conforming to each student's unique powers. This has helped the academy lower our wardrobe budgets considerably in recent years."
You chuckle at the image of what laundry services must have looked like before implementing this change. The idea of Gladiator washing everyone's capes and feathered boots is too funny.
EARL creates several duplicates of your hologram, each one wearing a different version of the uniform. "You may choose the color scheme of your uniform from these options.".
With your hologram finally matching your spitting image, a few other drones float down from the ceiling, each having several grippers. They hover silently near you as EARL explains the next step.
"Please disrobe. You won't need your civilian clothes while on academy grounds." For each piece of clothing you remove, one of the drones picks it up and flies away into a compartment in the ceiling. You wonder if you'll ever see those clothes again.
"Aw, I liked that shirt."
When you are fully undressed, the drones creating your hologram disperse. A strange T-shirt-cannon-looking machine pops up from the ground. First, it scans you, covering your body in lines and dots.
"What's happening now, EARL?" you ask as the machine plasters you with a strange metallic ooze that covers your body.
"As I said, I am providing your new uniform," you're pretty sure EARL responds. Unfortunately, you can barely hear through the gunmetal-colored goo filling your ears. When it stops spraying, the ooze covering you starts to slither over your body. It feels like how some people think snakes feel, but it is also kind of pleasant. Your senses run amok until it settles into its final form of a black and red bodysuit that—you flex and bend to test it out—fits you perfectly. What a weird experience.
Next