I had heard tales of it. Legends, really. Stories long told of karaoke being held at CoreCons passed. I admit, I longed to see those days again. But what could I do? I’m nobody special. I’m just a girl with a laptop and a speaker system and a monitor and a few microphones…
And then I heard it. A voice, calling to me through the ages. Impossibly crossing time and distance to issue a simple request:
At first I was completely shocked. What force, what mystical power could connect us in this way? Where do I even start? I consulted ancient texts, charts, maps, and oracles, The Voice guiding me the whole way. I discovered mention of a microchip containing vast knowledge of karaoke tunes sung long ago. According to legends, this microchip was the key to bringing karaoke back to CoreCon, and only The One chosen by prophesy can locate and claim it.
I had accepted my destiny by this point. I set out on my quest, following rumor and knowledge alike, until I reached a city forgotten and torn apart by a dystopian fate. I crept carefully through the streets, darting from one derelict building to another, careful not to alert the robot sentries that patrolled the city, still obeying their programming after all this time. The Voice continued to guide me, leading me to a tall building, flying sentries’ search lights gliding over broken windows and crumbling walls. I won’t go into detail about the many trials I endured in scaling this structure. (I need to leave something for my best-selling memoirs, yet to be published.) But believe me when I tell you that it wasn’t easy. There were traps, puzzles, near-death escapes, gun battles, a nest of vampires, a vegan Yeti, a doomed romance, a sentient robot, and tragic sacrifices amid a backdrop of explosions. (Check your local book stores, spring of 2022. Movie rights have already been picked up.) After all of those harrowing experiences, I finally made it to the central control room at the very top.
And there it was, plugged into the center of the console. It was here the whole time, safe from the scavengers of the fallen society. But as I looked more closely, I realized that the microchip wasn’t the same as I had read about before. It had grown. Sitting here for years, it was connecting to a massive online database of songs, constantly learning and updating with new hits, as well as old favorites and crowd-pleasers. The possibilities seemed endless. Awestruck, I reached out to claim this knowledge for myself.
But when I touched the microchip, the room exploded with a bright blue light, blinding me with its brilliance. When my vision finally cleared, I looked at the chip in my hand, and I discovered it was offering me even more. More than just an up-to-date database of fan contributions and official releases. It had movies as well! Musicals! Disney films! ”
the voice said.
Show it? Show it what? I realized it wasn’t asking me to show it something; rather, it was begging to be seen. The thought struck me as possibilities filled my mind. Why does it have to be just karaoke? Why not sing along to some of my favorite movies?
I clutched the microchip to my chest, aware of the precious and sacred task ahead of me. “I will,” I whispered, a tear falling down my cheek.
