Sci-fi Novel - The Dream Artist - Part 19

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18

Part 19

“I think Selim Özben has never lived at all. It's as if someone has created such a brand, a legend and is trying to convince us that he once lived.” I said.

“What about his works?” said Peri.

“I have a feeling that at the end of this investigation we will have an interesting result," I replied.

We called a taxi to take us to the hotel where we'll stay. As soon as I got into my room at the hotel, I took off my clothes, filled the tub and went inside. I wanted to be spiritually and physically vigorous in the opera session with Qian Chen in the evening, to leave the tiredness stuck on me in the bath foam. The hot water was good for my body, and it took the tension in my muscles. I closed my eyes with the relaxation of the hot water and tried to expel thoughts in my mind. I have been a little too relaxed, so I fell asleep. I woke up cold and because the water in the bathtub had cooled in the meantime. I got up and wore my clothes in a hurry.

We met with Qian Chen under traditional Chinese masks which looked at us with their colorful horrors. Qian Chen was much more elegant and beautiful than she was for lunch. If she had not been married, I would have lived happily in the shade of her beautiful body until death.

One of the world's most significant public exhibition sites, the Shanghai Opera House was built on the sea using large stakes. The stage seemed to be steeper than the stadiums, and the spectators' seats surrounded the sea. After settling in our places using marching bands and fast lifts to watch the musical show to be staged, Peri asked Qian Chen why the sea was used directly as a stage.

”To take advantage of the environment where the water is located, " said Qian Chen.

After the show started, I understood better when I saw the deepness the water added to the stage. When a platform where actors would stand their feet was needed, big rafts were put on the stage under the stands, and the stage was partly the land, partly the sea. As well as big rafts on the sea, flying platforms with propellers in four corners added a new dimension to the show. I thought the orchestra was on the floating platform under the bleachers. The rings, drum, and gong sound brought dramatic air to the show. I had difficulty following them all because something was taking place on each side of the scene; giant torches burning on flying platforms, colorful tails of dragons shining under spotlight, water pouring through flying platforms creating a waterfall image, giant holograms that appear and disappear with scary masks on their faces, dancers in tulle-colored clothes that perform traditional dance under flying magnifying glass platforms on their tops.…

After watching the show for a while, I realized that layers created by flying platforms, lasers and holograms were representing the floors of heaven and hell. Those who designed the show aimed directly to appeal to people's emotions and to evoke their imagination rather than to describe a particular plot of events. After watching the first ten minutes of the show, it gave me as much pleasure to check how the occasional stage lights were reflected in Qian Chen's face and eyes as they were in the show itself. As time progressed, I saw that the show was not only intended to convey the visions of heaven and hell from the childhood of humanity. The orchestra I couldn't see under the bleachers should have changed. I saw a steam locomotive hologram passing through the stage with classical Western music tunes. On flying platforms came the small factory buildings smoking smoke from their chimneys. On the platform above the sea, dancers dressed in regular clothes danced mechanically in steam. When the music had become dramatic, the bulbs were lit everywhere, from the surface to the top flying platforms. I took a look at Peri without turning to her. She didn't seem excited; she almost looked like she was going to fall asleep. Qian Chen, on the other hand, was busy watching the show in an understanding and pleasing expression under the light of bulbs on the stage. As time went on, the pace of the show began to increase. The multi-story stage concept was already a factor that made it difficult to follow in itself, and now there was a separate event in every corner of the scene. All the items that have been used since the beginning of the show were reappearing as if they wanted to say goodbye, digital images, sounds, dancers, fire, classical audiovisual elements such as piano. After a phase, it got so accelerated, and it became so complicated that I didn't look at the stage so I wouldn't tire myself anymore. The confusion that occurred as a result of the increasingly complex relationships between objects was already beyond the boundary that the human brain could perceive. Before long, the show ended up creating a distinct internal shortage in all the spectators.

"It was the strangest show I've ever seen in my life, thank you for giving us this experience," I said, returning to Qian Chen.

"I thought you might like it," said Qian Chen.

The last time I looked at Qian Chen's face because I knew we were leaving soon.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/tr/konser-konfeti-kutlama-olay-kul%C3%BCp-2527495/