by Mars Dorian
Shaina, Mr. Ustinov, and my mother were standing around like a death squad ready to fire a bullet through my brain.
Shaina grinned, probably high on pot and something else. She must have enjoyed passing the role of the black sheep back onto me. Mom stood silently eating a yogurt and Mr. Ustinov leaned against the wall like someone waiting for fireworks to go off. I was officially in the danger zone and prepared for the crossfire. My mental armor upgraded.
“I guess this is the moment where I ask—what happened to my VR set and computer?”
Mom spearheaded the charge. “Are you really wondering though?”
I knew it.
I freaking knew it.
“You can’t just take away my stuff like I’m some kind of naughty five-year-old. I bought the computer and the VR set from my own money.”
Good counter attack, I thought, but Mom straight up ignored it and allowed my ‘friend’ from the government to take over the conversation. “You’ve been lying to me and Mr. Ustinov.”
“How so?”
“You said you had deleted your old account but you didn’t, Dashiell. I’ve found your new online stream channel. A level thirteen war technician currently residing in the secret Cloudkiss mountain village.”
Mr. Ustinov looked to Mom like a partner-in-crime explaining his foul heist. “That’s a safe haven within the game world.”
Damn stalker must have combed through the stream channels until he found mine. I had changed the account name but couldn’t quit streaming—gathering viewers helped me in my search for sponsors. I should have known that Mr. Ustinov was going to spy on me online.
“I did delete the old files. I just found a way to back them up and reactivate them.”
Mr. Ustinov rolled his eyes. “The company of the game saves your progress on their servers, Dash. It is impossible to manually delete your player’s data unless you address the administrative AI and request a permanent deletion.”
“Then why did you ask me to delete my local files?”
“To see if you were being honest with me.”
Shaina grinned from pierced ear to ear, and mouthed ‘busted’ at me. She enjoyed this debacle like a flick—a personal disaster flick with cheesy dialogue. Mom spoke again, and she sounded tired. “You promised me to work with Mr. Ustinov for at least a week. You promised to play by the rules.”
“I tried to, I really did. But I hate it when some stranger trespasses my room and thinks he can dictate my lifestyle.”
I put as much poison into my stare as I could, but Mr. Ustinov shrugged it off. “I tried to help you, Dashiell. We were working together, weren’t we?”
He produced a sheet of paper from his pockets. “Remember the imperfections you listed about the game? You admitted them to yourself.”
“That was a Communist torture method from the Korean War. You manipulated me.”
I sounded like a goddamn conspiracy theorist. Mom squinted her eyes, probably wondering what the heck I was talking about. Seriously, I was one step away from claiming the government poisoned the tap water to make frogs gay.
“It’s on the internet, Mom. The Communists indoctrinated imprisoned American GIs to make them buy into their ideology. It’s like mental water boarding.”
My explanation amounted to nothing. Mom looked at me like I lost my last two working brain cells. If only she believed me instead of Mr. Ustinov over there, grinning his pretentious face off.
“See? You’re spending far too much time in your online worlds. You can’t even talk and think like a normal human being anymore. It was a good thing we took the computer away from you.”
Now she admitted it, and I felt furious. Frustration and anger boiled up within me. “I want my tech back.”
Mr. Ustinov twitched. He leaned away from the wall and cracked his fingers. “Unfortunately, our peer-to-peer consulting method isn’t effective enough, so we have to move to the next level, as you say.”
The freak talking about leveling up bothered me. It could only mean bad news. Mom added her thoughts. “Mr. Ustinov has proposed a special camp near Denver where you learn how to deal with online addiction alongside other peers. A nice facility where you get treated twenty-four seven by highly-trained personnel. It’s supposed to be like summer camp.”
I hated summer camp. And I hated this suggestion.
“Plus, the recovery rate is really good. Isn’t it, Mr. Ustinov?”
“Over eighty-six percent,” the guy said. “It’s by far the most effective method of curing you.”
“What?”
The shock kept on piling up. It started to feel like I was trapped in a sinister matrix where every person I knew had been corrupted by agents. “You can’t sign me up for that shit without my consent.”
“One week of anti-online addiction camp, and you get your VR set and computer back.” Mr. Ustinov said, playing surrogate father all of a sudden. “You will engage in physical education and social communication. You will eat healthy food and attend some lectures. It’s fun and quick, really.”
No, no, no. I was just learning how to thrive in the game and made progress on every front. I had just leveled up and finished my first solo boss battle with soaring views. “Spare me your propaganda. I’m not going to any camp.”
Anger fired up the atmosphere. I swear there was a vexing presence glimmering all around us. I just waited for the crystals to pierce through Mr. Ustinov’s skin and mutate him into a real-life Creepo. Too bad I didn’t have my gunblade with me. And if the glowing eye stares weren’t enough, Shaina added her infinite wisdom. “You’re an online junkie, bro. It’s time to get off the damn computer.”
Mr. Ustinov shushed her.
“Junkie? Me? That’s rich, coming from a prostitute sleeping with half the trailer park’s population.”
“Dashiell,” Mom said.
I was done with being polite. “I’m tired of this.”
I averted my eyes from the vicious three, stomped into my room, and snapped an old sports bag from the closet. I jammed some clothes, a few books, and my toothbrush into the bag, and got dressed in the blink of an eye. Back in the kitchen, I made my final declaration. “Mom, you said you were going to kick me out if I didn’t abide by your house rules. Well, I’m giving you a head start.”
Shaina chuckled to my left. “Where are you going?”
“Away from this toxic place; I’m done with being treated like a degenerate child with no choice. Goodbye.”
I maneuvered around the living room and aimed for the porch door when a strong grip latched on to my arm. Mr. Ustinov squeezed hard. “The camp is being subsidized by the government. You don’t have to pay for anything.”
“I don’t care about payment. I’m not gonna go to some gamer gulag.”
Mr. Ustinov’s voice stayed level. “We have made so much progress, Dashiell. Believe me, the best of the world lies in front of you. Think of your mother and sister; they need you.”
I looked from Shaina to mother. “I think they do just fine without me.”
Pause. “And stop trying to guilt-trip me; it’s pathetic.”
I yanked my hand away and marched outside. Mom hurried to the front porch and yelled my name, but I ignored. She wanted to pull me back to my teenage years, trying to mold my life after her vision, but it was not going to work. With the bag swung around my back, I paced up Capistrano Avenue and motioned the wristband near my lips. Only one person came to mind that could help me now.
Thankfully, she picked up.
“Konnichi-wa, Dash. What’s up?”
I should have started with a standard greeting, some small talk to warm up the conversation, but I neared desperation.
“Sparrow, I’m homeless.”
53
Sparrow’s voice remained calm.
“Did your mother kick you out?”
“I’m afraid I kicked myself out. I woke up an hour ago and noticed my computer and VR set missing. Turns out Mr. Ustinov and my mother colluded and took
my tech away.”
“But why would they do that?”
“They found out I hadn’t really deleted my old account and was sharing my account with you.”
I hated to drag her into my personal struggles, but she was the only person I could trust now.
I paused to collect my thoughts. The adrenaline still roared in my veins. “The atmosphere was thick enough for a splicer to cut through.”
“So what are you doing now?”
I swallowed. Sparrow had been helpful to me ever since I hit her up for sponsorship advice. She had spent a lot of free time helping me out, which is why I dreaded the next sentences. “I’m just about to enter a big mission for the Blue Flame which will dramatically improve my rank. But with no VR set and home, I’m stuck.”
A silence resounded over the connection. I was ready to cut the call and move on when Sparrow mouthed the words my heart longed to hear.
“You could stay at my place, but I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”
Couldn’t believe it. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve got a spacious house and a free room you’ll have to clean up. I even got an older VR suit which you could use, but I have to warn you—you won’t find the room comfortable.”
“I come from a trailer park in Pueblo West… I think I have seen worse.”
She giggled. “If you say so.”
Elation softened my voice. The weight of the world lifted.
Sparrow asked, “Do you have enough money to travel to Boulder?”
“I have a few hundred bucks left.”
“I can’t pick you up in Boulder, but I’ll be home waiting for you.”
She gave me her address. My heart soared but my mind hesitated. “Listen, you’ve been nothing but kind to me. I don’t want to guilt you into letting me stay at your place for a couple of days.”
“Mmmm. When you see my place, you will move out by yourself. It’s your risk, your journey. I’ll shall see you in a few hours.”
Sparrow always talked in a funny way, but no odd phrasing could harm her generosity.
With my wristband, I booked a pricey hundred dollar Hyperloop ride from Pueblo West, which took me another hour to get there. I could have taken a far cheaper bus, but I wanted to set up my temporary ‘hotel’ as quickly as I possible so I could take a rest from my stress, and figure out my next steps. At the station in Pueblo West, I watched the magnificent tube transportation. A semi-transparent pipe snaking through Colorado and all major states. My capsule arrived in a few minutes, opened its thin door skyward, and welcomed me in. The second I sat inside, the boarding AI greeted me with an upbeat cheer. “Welcome to HyperloopX, getting you from A from to B in the most comfortable way possible.”
The place was more narrow than my trailer bathroom, but I had booked the economy class and only needed to arrive in one piece, no matter how squeezed. “You have booked: Pueblo West Central Station to Boulder, Main Hub. The duration of the ride will take twenty-two minutes.”
And with that, the capsule closed its door and propelled into motion. A front wall display showcased the map of Colorado, depicting me as a green arrow set on a red track toward the final destination. It almost looked like a futuristic version of the Fourlando’s world map, which brought a smile to my face. The real world was busy gamifying itself.
The speed of the capsule rocketed from one hundred miles per hour to two hundred, and then to three hundred fifty. Despite the boost, I couldn’t even feel a vibration. I felt like I was standing still, except for the prairie of Southern Colorado blurring by my transparent walls. The capsule roared through the pipe and reached more than four hundred miles per hour. I stretched my limbs, lay low, and calmed down.
I hated to leave my mother like that, all exhausted and frustrated, but I couldn’t stand this scary Ustinov guy anymore. The way he forced himself into my life, trying to take over my freedom, just freaked me out. I needed my full attention and strength for the bigger quests, which meant I had to cut down on the drama in my offline life. But as soon as I figured out my new situation at Sparrow’s place, I’d call my mom. It was the least I could do.
“We’ll be nearing Boulder Main Hub in four and a half minutes,” the on-board AI said.
Wow, talking about speed. That Hyperloop was the closest thing to teleportation, and I loved it. The capsule halted in the hub and let me out.
“Your ride has been saved, Mr. Boltzmann. Three more mid-ranged travels and you get a bonus for the next.”
“What kind of bonus? Like a medium rare item? Or twenty thousand experience points?”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand. Could you repeat the question, sir?”
Messing with real life AIs was almost as much fun as joking with NPCs in the game. “No worries.”
The capsule’s door closed.
On the elevated platform, I spotted the Boulder Mountains. The sight reminded me of the Blue Flame hideout, except here I could feel the breezy air and warm temperature.
I checked the Boulder map on my wristband and located Sparrow’s house. By foot, it would take me almost an hour to get there, but I didn’t want to spend more money on transportation so I walked. Fifty-five minutes later, I stood in front of a Victorian-style house. I checked the map and address again. Yeah, it had to be correct.
Here we go.
I knocked on the door and heard the tapping of feet inside. A woman with shoulder-long hair opened up. She wore a lounging set featuring the main characters from Cowboy Bebop, a popular Japanese anime from the last century. She looked half Asian with her almond-shaped eyes and the milky skin. A faint smile sliced into her moon face.
“Welcome home, war technician.”
54
Sparrow, my guarding angel.
My light of solace in the realm of darkness.
“Don’t you want to come inside?” she said.
Her voice sounded even sweeter in real life.
I nodded and stepped in. The scent of overcooked ramen noodles flowed into my nostrils. It smelled like Sparrow hadn’t opened windows for years, but who was I to complain after everything she’d done for me? She ushered me through the foyer, straight into the living room where I could put down my bag. I almost stumbled over a pile of printed Jump! magazines that littered the ground. When my eyes lifted up, chaos greeted me. Hundreds, if not thousands, of magazines and old-fashioned game cartridges covered the floor. A table peeked out the middle of the pile, covered in dirty dishes and empty ramen noodle cups. The living room looked like a Manga landfill.
“Are you opening a new Anime convention?”
“I like to collect things,” Sparrow said.
Seriously, this room would have gained a Guinness World Record entry for the most cramped room in history. But I was the needy guest so I shut my mouth.
“Are you hungry?” Sparrow asked.
I glanced toward the adjacent kitchen. The spacious counter suffered under the weight of stacked dishes and plates trying to scratch the ceiling. The sink was drowned in stained bowls and more plastic cups, all engulfed by an organic, earthy brown crust that was on the verge of mutating into a sentient life form.
“I think I pass for now.”
Sparrow tiptoed toward the sink, pulled out a glass from the top shelf and filled it with tap water. She handed the glass over to me like a ritual sacrifice.
“Boulder’s famous for its fresh tap water.”
A nice gesture, but seeing the landfill in her kitchen, my body twitched. Sparrow noticed it.
“You know, it’s not corrupted by the Reepo.”
“You never know.”
I gulped down the tap water and pretended to ignore the army of germs that were probably invading my throat right now. Heck, if she survived this mess, I would too, at least for a couple of days.
“Let me show you the room,” Sparrow said.
We both navigated around the piles of magazines and merchandise and entered some kind of storage room filled with packages, old el
ectronic stuff, and layers of dust. Somewhere in the mess, I spotted a table. Sparrow nudged her temple with her overlong sleeve. “As I’ve said before, it’s going to be a lot of work. But if you’re up for the challenging quest, feel free to set up your temporary camp.”
“How long can I stay with you?”
She licked her lips and hesitated too long for my taste. “As you can tell, I’m a private person. Space is important to me.”
I could already tell I wouldn’t like her answer.
“I can give you a couple of days.”
I had hoped for weeks, or maybe months, but I couldn’t get greedy. She basically invited a semi-stranger into her house, which I appreciated. “Thank you, Sparrow.”
She looked so pale, her milky skin trying to out-white bleached powder. Her eyes seemed to reach into my soul, but her reaction befuddled me. What was she thinking right now?
“Let’s not waste our precious time then,” Sparrow said as she crawled into the pile of packages and pulled out an VR full-body set. “It’s about a year old, but it still functions… I think.”
I looked at the VR set and expected a relic from the early days of gaming, but the version showed me a 5.4 label. A whole generation newer than my old set back at the trailer. “It’s only a year old?”
“Told you, I’m a collector.”
I would have never noticed.
Sparrow said, “I always grab the latest version. It also helps to have a backup in case the main gear breaks down. Nothing is more disturbing than having your session being timed-out by technical failure.”
I almost feared the next question, but Sparrow’s curiosity and warm looks encouraged me. She seemed both shy and curious. “So it’s okay if I stay here for a while and play VR?”
“It’s what I offered to you, haven’t I? If things don’t work out, we’ll find another solution. We Fourlandions have to work together.”
I wanted to say ‘thank you’ again when a whistle hissed through the air.
“Hold on, my afternoon snack is ready.”
She danced into the kitchen, snatched up a ramen soup cup, and stirred the noodles. “I need to power up for my next session.”