Gregory was a really smart guy. He’d mastered programming languages like JavaScript and C++, and was looking for something new. On the chatrooms he frequented he’d heard rumours, mumbling of a programming language that somehow affected reality itself. That got him intrigued.
It wasn’t findable online, but after several days of searching and begging, he finally managed to get sent the download for a compiler system. The opening screen proudly announces it as CHRONIVAC EXLANG 2.1, and gives way to the familiar compiler format you’re used to seeing.
In another window, he popped open the instructory pdf that came with it. A long, long list of variables appeared, but thankfully the person he’d downloaded it from had added a helpful sampling of the most basic of commands to the top of it:
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#include target "name" - Imports the data of an object from reality
#include libraryobject "name" - Imports the data of an object from the library
Beginsequence "name" {} - Marks the beginning and end of a sequence
Beginsequence "name" when (condition) - Begins the sequence when a condition is right
Loopsequence (numberoftimes) {} - Placed within Beginsequence to loop a part
Loopsequenceuntil (condition) {} - Placed within Beginsequence to loop a part
| altervariable "name" "variable" (variable) - Changes a variable of the object
| replace "object1" "object2" - Changes an object into another object
/cvccommand download "name" - Downloads a copy of an object with all current variables
/cvccommand id "name" "variable" - Shows the current state of that variable
/cvccommand run "sequencename" - Begins a sequence
/cvccommand end "sequencename" - Ends a currently running sequence
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Strange, yet surprisingly intuitive as far as programming languages go. From what he knew about other languages, he needed to import something to act as the target of this - whatever this actually was. He eyed a paperweight next to his keyboard. That should be a good enough object, though he supposed he could also use a… person as an object. Eager to see results, he began typing out a script:
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#include target "paperweight"
#include libraryobject "flower"
Beginsequence "test1" {
| replace "paperweight" "flower"
}
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It’s simple, perfect for seeing if this language even worked like it was supposed to. He clicked on the command interface, typed /cvccommand run "test1", and hit enter.
It happened so fast it barely registered to him at first. One moment there was a paperweight there, the next there was a flower where it once was. Gregory, shocked out of his mind, soon found himself grinning. With confirmation now in hand, his mind started overflowing with thoughts about all the things to do next. First of all…