by Olivia Devon
Katie’s smile was lazy and her eyelids fluttered. She looked up at him tentatively through thick lashes. Those dark eyes were full of a thousand unsaid things. She was beautiful.
“Hi,” said Aaron softly.
“Hi,” Katie whispered back. “Aaron?”
“Yes?”
“I really like you.”
“I really like you, too, Katie.” Aaron laughed, then groaned and covered his face with his hands. “Honestly, tonight has been amazing. But it’s also shown me that all our tech fucking sucks.”
“What?” Her mouth gaped. “You cannot be serious.”
“Totally serious,” he said. “Because all I want to do right now is kiss you, and that’s the one thing we can’t do.”
“Then hold me,” she said. “I can feel that.”
“Yes.” He tucked her into him, drawing her arm across his chest and kissing her palm. “For tonight that will have to do, but soon, I hope you’ll let me take you on date.”
“We ate pizza, watched a movie and virtually dry humped,” Katie mumbled sleepily into his chest. “This was a date.”
“Okay second date then? Can I get an affirmative on that?”
Katie lifted her arm, gave a wobbly thumbs up, and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Ten
Something was buzzing in his ear. Aaron swatted it away, but it came back, diving at his nose repeatedly.
“What the fuck?” He sat up, opening his eyes to look for the assailant. Disoriented, he lost his balance and fell off the marble counter of his kitchen island onto the hardwood below.
Well that’s a first, he thought. He’d fallen asleep in HyperLyfe. Fallen asleep in virtual reality with a virtual beauty lying in his virtual arms.
Shit, Katie!
The visor was still on his face, and Aaron turned back to the bed to look for her. She was gone, but there was a slip of paper on one of the pillows. He picked it up.
Aaron,
Thanks for an amazing evening. Sorry I had to go. Pink baby dragons wake up early apparently, and are very demanding about their breakfast. :)
Looking forward to that second date,
Katie
“Well, well, well,” said a voice in his ear. “Looks like you got lucky last night.”
The hell? Aaron dodged away from the sound and scanned the room. There was large purple bug hovering in mid-air. It was definitely another avatar, which should have been impossible. Last night, when he’d brought Katie to his castle, he’d locked the area down, so that no friends could pop by for a visit and interrupt them. There was only one friend of his who could’ve managed to hack through his security. Aiko. Since the bug avatar was purple, and wearing a baseball cap that said #bitchesgetshitdone, he was pretty sure his guess was correct.
“Aik?” he said, swatting her with the piece of paper. “Why are you spying on me?”
“Not spying, just waking your late ass up.” Aiko’s avatar folded its tiny arms across it’s bug chest and glared at him. “You were supposed to buy me breakfast this morning, but when you didn’t show, I kind of hoped it was because you were up late getting frisky with my girl.” She grinned. “Glad to see I was right.”
“I’m sorry I missed breakfast,” said Aaron. “But we’ll have to continue this awkward and intrusive conversation at the office.” Aaron rolled up the paper and swatted at Aiko again. This time she dodged, flew up out of his reach and flipped him the bird. “Better yet,” said Aaron. “Let’s skip it altogether.” He returned Aiko’s gesture, and said the words to log out of HyperLyfe. “Command: Exit.”
When he got out of the shower, somebody was knocking on his door. Actually it was more like pounding, shouting, and whining.
Aaron wrapped a towel around his hips and opened the door, frowning when he saw Aiko. “Seriously?” he said.
“Don’t get a tone,” she responded, sweeping past him into the kitchen. “I brought donuts, and I won’t share if you aren’t nice.”
Aaron stalked down the hallway to his bedroom to get dressed. “Has anyone ever had a talk with you about boundaries?” He called over his shoulder.
“Yes!” Aiko shouted down the hall. “And I totally respect boundaries dude. That’s why I didn’t jimmy the lock and let myself in!”
When he returned to the kitchen she handed him a cruller and a cup of coffee. Aaron took the lid off the coffee cup and inhaled the scent of perfectly roasted gourmet beans. The shower had done little to soothe his sore muscles, maybe the caffeine would breathe some life into him.
“Want to tell me why there were four copies of your avatar in HyperLyfe last night?” Aiko asked sweetly.
Okay, now he was awake.
“How did you know that?” he asked.
Aiko shrugged. “I sit up and watch the code scroll when I can’t sleep, and when an administrative password pops up I take notice. Shortly after that, the website showed three additional Aaron Eldridge avatars in world.”
“The website showed that?” Aaron asked.
“Yeah the PR team set up this like “Where’s Waldo” map for your month in VR.”
“No, I know, but I shouldn’t have shown up at all. Katie and I went exploring and I had our names changed. ”
“Does your name automatically change back when you teleport to your castle?”
“No it, shouldn’t have.” Aaron shook his head, chewing thoughtfully. “Wait. Yes it did, because I had security on so the system had to double check anybody trying to enter. When it did, it must have reset our user names, otherwise we wouldn’t have been allowed access.”
“And when you two were at the castle, that’s when you wrote that nifty little piece of code that made three copies of your avatar.”
“Yeah.” Aaron met her questioning gaze and shrugged. “I don’t owe you any sordid details Aik,” he said. “Suffice it to say I was showing off for a pretty girl. Okay?”
“Okay…but it’s a problem.”
“Why?”
“Because somebody was paying attention. The minute four copies of the Aaron Eldridge avatar showed up on the map, some stupid little gaming blog started screaming foul.”
“Why do they care?” Aaron said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Because people are assholes, and you’re really famous and rich, and people like being extra assholey to famous rich people. Here, have a look.” Aiko took her phone out of her pocket, swiped the screen and scooted it across the countertop for Aaron to see.
Aaron Eldridge Resorts to Fraud to Avoid Playing His Own Awful Game.
Aaron read the headline out loud and shook his head. “Fraud? Is this shit for real?” He handed Aiko back the phone. “And it’s not a game,” he muttered. “It’s an immersive three dimensional virtual–”
“Yeah, yeah.” Aiko waved a hand, shutting him up. “Sadly for you,” she said. “This is a slow news week, so a few other blogs have already picked this up and are running wild with irresponsible speculation. They’re spinning it like you’ve got extra people in HL pretending to be you so that you don’t have to actually spend twenty-four-seven in world.”
“Well of course I’m not in twenty-four-seven. We never promised I would. I literally cannot be in there all the time. I need to shower, eat, and take a shit. We gave the press an itinerary. I’ll be spending most of each day in world. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Not really.” Aiko shrugged. “They don’t think it’s really you, and they’re pretty excited about a narrative that says your game sucks, you know it, and you don’t want to spend time in it.”
“Not a game,” he muttered again.
“I know, honey.” Aiko patted Aaron’s arm sympathetically and stuffed a huge piece of donut in her mouth. “I know.”
“Jesus.” Aaron leaned against the island and picked up a napkin, wiping his mouth. “Well, I guess, thank you for being on top of this,” he said with a sigh. “Any ideas how to fix it?”
Aiko nodded. “Yep. You’re g
onna have to spend as much time in world as possible, and we’re going to have figure out a way to show it’s really you.”
“Proof of life, huh?”
“Yep.”
I’ve got a business to run.”
“Let’s get real,” Aiko said, rolling her eyes. “You’ve got great people. E.I. runs itself. Right now, whether you like it or not, your month in VR is the best marketing we could’ve hoped for. Everybody’s talking about it. So you’ll just have to be content being a pretty little figurehead for HyperLyfe until that month’s over.”
“I suspect you’re right.” Aaron frowned.
“So, changing the subject…” said Aiko.
Aaron shot her a look. He knew what she was after. Like a dog with a bone.
“How’d the date go?”
“I’d say very well, although remind me not to fall asleep on this countertop again.” Aaron knocked the surface with his knuckles. “My back is killing me.”
Aiko’s jaw dropped. “I’m going to need every detail.”
Aaron put the lid back on his coffee, grabbed another donut, and headed for the door. “Not from me you’re not. C’mon. Let’s get to the office. I’ll log into HL from there and we can set up another live feed, video of my actual body in the fucking rig, while I’m in world. Hopefully that will calm down some of the conspiracy theorists.”
“Great idea,” said Aiko, following him out the door. “And I think Malcolm and I are gonna do some digging around. The vitriol around this is so intense, it’s got my spidey-senses tingling.”
They stepped into the elevator and Aaron hit the button for the garage.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I dunno yet. But this feels personal, like somebody with a grudge.” Aiko shook her head and narrowed her eyes, her lips set in a grim smile. “Whoever it is. I’ll find ‘em.”
Aaron grinned at her. “Glad you’re on my side. You’re kind of scary.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Aik?” Katie tucked her phone between her cheek and shoulder and moved Rupert off the bed. “Hey do you know how to clean the S-suits? I wore mine all day yesterday and got a little sweaty and–”
“Save it hotstuff,” said Aiko. “I’m not interested in your lies, I already know you and Aaron were fornicating last night.”
“What? He told you?”
“Nope, not a word. But the man’s got no poker face whatsoever. I guessed. Thanks for confirming.”
“Goddammit.”
“Four avatars?” said Aiko. “What was that like?”
“He told you that?” Katie’s jaw dropped, and she nearly dropped the phone.
“Again, no, I saw his program in the code. Never-mind, long story. Anyway, the suits are washable, believe it or not. A miraculous feat of modern ingenuity. Wash it in cold water with mild detergent, hang to dry, and it’ll be good to go.”
“Thanks.”
Aiko was quiet on the other end of the line. Then she sighed.
“Are you gonna make me beg?” she asked.
“What?”
“I want to know how your S-suit got dirty. Come on! Gory details! I practically set you two up. I deserve at least that much in thanks. Did you have a gang bang with Aaron and his extra avatars or what?”
Katie tried to suppress her laughter, but it was impossible, so she ended up wheezing and sputtering into the phone instead. Rupert threw his ears back and hissed at the sound, but when she stuck her tongue out at him he turned tail and walked away.
“I don’t think I’d call it a gang bang.” Katie opened the accordion door that hid her stacked washer and dryer, threw the S-suit in the washer and added some detergent.
“Then what would you–”
“Hey, you said hang the suit to dry. How long do you think that takes?”
“Takes a good 8 hours at least. Didn’t they send a spare?”
“No, no spare. I’ll just–”
“We’ve got suits at the office,” said Aiko. “I’ll text you the address. Meet me for lunch, and I’ll hook you up with a spare. But you’ll have to hook me up with the details.”
Katie had spent twenty minutes picking out a lunch-downtown-with-Aiko-and-I-might-bump-into-Aaron-so-I-better-look-amazing outfit. She spent several of those minutes wishing her HyperLyfe closet existed in real life. Finally she settled on a pair of deep blue skinny jeans, a super soft red cashmere sweater, and a pair of high-heeled black leather boots. She grabbed the red clutch Tessa had given her too, since it went so well with her sweater. She was starting to think of red as her Flirt with Aaron theme color.
By the time she hailed a cab, and made it through security at Eldridge Innovations downtown office building, she was running late.
The elevator doors opened on the 38th floor and Aiko was waiting to greet her.
“Sorry again,” said Katie. “I couldn’t decide what to wear, and traffic was shitty.”
“No big. I want to eat here anyway. Aaron caters lunch three times a week. Why go out when we can eat for free? Come on, let’s get to the lounge before all the salmon sashimi is gone.”
E.I.’s staff lounge was an enormous space of glass and chrome with brightly colored molded plastic furniture. At one end was a kitchen that looked like it was well stocked and fully functional, since several employees appeared to be cooking their lunches. A group of tables on the far side of the room held an impressive spectrum of sushi, and was staffed by five chefs in white coats. Katie recognized the logo embroidered on their chests.
“Uni?” she whispered at Aiko. “They’ve got a waiting list for reservations that’s like, five years or something.”
“I know!” said Aiko. “Aaron got them to cater. C’mon, let’s claim a table, and then I advise you to stand back, because I’m going to shamelessly devour my body weight in raw fish.”
“I’ll race ya,” said Katie with a grin. “All your salmon are belong to me!”
Katie threw her purse and coat on the nearest table and chased Aiko to the sushi line. She was piling her plate high with eel, maguro, and ebi roll when the wall across from her lit up with an image of Aaron’s face, five feet high and smiling.
“What the fuck?” she hissed at Aiko.
“Flat screen,” Aiko mumbled around a mouthful of fish. “Really big TV wall screen.”
“Yeah I gathered as much but–”
“Anytime he’s live on TV they play it here in the break room.” Aiko shrugged as she led the way back to their table to sit down. “He’s been doing a bunch of interviews today, trying to diffuse last night’s drama.” The screen divided into three shots and Aiko pointed at the wall, explaining. “That’s a shot of his avatar in HL. That, one, upper right, that’s a shot of what he’s seeing. And that one.” Aiko pointed to the lower right. “That’s as shot of him in the demo bay right now, in his S-suit and rig because as of last night, we have to prove it’s really him operating his avatar and not some lackey employee of E.I.”
Katie grimaced and took a bite of her sushi roll. “Sorry.”
“No problem, because you’re going to pay me back in smut stories.” Aiko grinned and Katie rolled her eyes.
“Oh, come on. Some things are private–”
Someone turned the volume up on the TV wall, and Aaron’s voice grew louder.
“Last night?” he said, and his avatar smiled at a gray-haired male avatar with glasses holding a microphone that said CNN.
“Is that Wolf Blitz–” Katie began, but someone behind her shushed loudly.
“–last night was just an experiment,” Aaron continued. “Just something fun I was trying out with a friend. It wasn’t a conspiracy to trick the public into thinking that we weren’t going to stick to our promise.”
“About that,” said the reporter. “Many critics have suggested this is all a stunt, and that, in fact, you’ve already broken faith with your initial promise.”
“I don’t think so.” Aaron’s avatar shook it’s head. “The spi
rit of that promise,” Aaron said. “Was to show how safe and beneficial virtual reality and augmented reality can be. The exchange I had with Ms. Lewis was about her assertion that VR is inherently dangerous and unhealthy. My goal is to show that is untrue. Part of doing that is leading by example. So while I’m spending most of this month in the HyperLyfe simulation, I will be taking personal time, as needed.”
“And is that what last night was about?” said the reporter. “Some personal time?”
“It was,” Aaron’s avatar smirked and nodded. “The extra avatars, the three additional Aaron Eldridge’s that showed up in world, it was just a bit of an experiment, some silliness on my part to amuse a friend.”
“And that friend is who you were with last night? Anyone you want to mention?”
Aaron’s avatar laughed. “Oh, now you’re prying Wolf. Let’s not go there. Let’s just say, well, someone special–”
“You don’t have to be coy,” said a voice off screen. “I don’t mind darling.”
“Fucking bitch.” Aiko’s head snapped up from her sushi plate, a few grains of rice stuck to her lower lip as she snarled at the screen.
Aaron’s avatar’s face was still and emotionless. His head moved to the right and the visor view on the wall screen of the lounge filled with the smiling white teeth of a tall, blonde, female avatar that was the spitting image of supermodel Carly Carpenter.
Carly walked forward, kissed Aaron’s cheek, and slipped one arm through his.
“Hey babe,” she said. “Last night was amazeballs.”
Chapter Eleven
Katie’s stomach lurched.
Holy shit.
She’d known about Carly, of course, her relationship with Aaron had been in all the tabloids and gossip blogs. But she’d also thought they’d broken up.
And she sure as shit knew Carly hadn’t spent last night with Aaron because it was Katie who’d ridden him to orgasm and then spent the night in his arms.