“What… what did you see?” Riley asked quietly.
“Memories,” Jason said slowly. “I saw what I think were your and Frank’s memories. They were sort of fragmented, but they just seemed so… so real. I just can’t shake it. It’s probably something the game made up but…”
He hesitated before continuing. “In your case, I think I saw you as a young girl. You couldn’t have been more than five maybe. You were in some sort of ranch house out in the country with what I assume was your family. Everyone was dressed in black…” Jason trailed off, lost in his own thoughts and unable to make himself look at Riley. Now that he had started, he needed to keep going.
“I… I saw you go up to visit your grandfather. He was sick – really sick, but you didn’t seem to understand what was happening. I mean, you were just a kid, and no one would explain what was going on. He asked if you wanted to go outside.
“He showed you how to shoot a bow,” Jason murmured. “And then…” he trailed off again, unable to finish the sentence. He still remembered the look on Riley’s young face – the fear and confusion as she clutched at the unmoving old man.
Jason hesitated to look up at Riley, concerned about what he might see in her gaze. Would she feel like he had invaded her mind somehow – despite not knowing what the ritual would do? Would she tell him this had all been some sort of elaborate lie? With a deep breath, he forced himself to look at her. What he saw took him aback.
A mixture of anger and hurt clouded Riley’s eyes. She was staring at Jason, her hands clenching around her cup. “How could… how is this possible?” she demanded.
“I don’t know,” Jason said quickly raising his hands. “I didn’t even think it was real at first,” he tried to explain.
“Really? That didn’t seem fucking real to you?” Riley demanded, and then seemed to hear what she had said and shook her head. “I… I just need some space.” With that, she stood abruptly and walked away from the table, leaving her cup behind.
Jason could only stare at her as she walked away, his thoughts troubled. Of course, she would be upset. He should have known better. After everything that Alex had done to her, she probably wouldn’t take an invasion of her privacy lightly. He couldn’t believe he had been that stupid. Why hadn’t he talked to Frank instead?
However, there was no changing what he had done, or the look of betrayal and anger on Riley’s face. Even as he recalled her expression, Jason abruptly stood from the table. He needed to make this right.
As he stepped out of the bubble tea shop, he scanned the sidewalk, hoping that Riley hadn’t already taken a car home. He breathed a soft sigh of relief when he caught sight her sitting on a bench further down the sidewalk, the area cast in the shadow of a towering oak. He approached cautiously, not quite certain what he was going to say.
Riley didn’t look up as he sat down awkwardly beside her and placed their drinks next to him. “I’m sorry,” Jason said quietly. “I didn’t know that the memories were real… If I had known what would happen, I never would have agreed to let you and Frank act as sacrifices. You have to believe that.”
She still wasn’t looking at him, and a lengthy silence hung in the air, only serving to excite the worm of despair that wriggled through Jason’s stomach. “I-I know that,” Riley finally said, her gaze fixed on the ground. “I just… after everything…” She sighed in frustration as she struggled to find the words to explain her troubled thoughts. “After what happened with Alex, it’s hard to trust people. That memory in particular is… it’s just terrible. It took years of therapy before I could stop blaming myself for what happened.”
She glanced up at Jason, her eyes red-rimmed. Anger was now replaced with sorrow and a lingering hint of guilt. “It’s not something I talk about with other people.”
Jason met her gaze, refusing to shy away from the pain he saw there. “I can certainly understand why. That must have been terrible,” he replied quietly. “But I don’t think you need to feel guilty. If what I saw was right, your grandpa just didn’t want to die in that bed alone. He wanted to be outside, to feel the sun on his skin and to see the look of delight on his granddaughter’s face. I… I think maybe you helped him,” Jason ventured cautiously.
Riley just stared at him with watery eyes, struggling to figure out how to respond. “I… still feel like I betrayed him. If I had stayed in the room… or listened to my mother…”
“Everyone dies,” Jason said quietly. “You aren’t responsible for that. In fact, I think you’re one of the strongest and kindest people I have ever met.”
Riley laughed bitterly. “Strong, huh? I don’t feel strong. Besides, I’ve found that isn’t what most people are looking for – especially other guys. People want a princess; a petite damsel. Not… not this,” she said, gesturing at herself.
“Then those other people are idiots,” Jason blurted, causing Riley to glance at him in surprise. “They can’t – or won’t – see what I see. The fact that you could endure these things and still be you – the amazing, talented, and courageous woman I’ve come to know…” he came up short, suddenly realizing what he had just said.
Riley just stared at him for a moment, her eyes glassy and widened slightly in shock. Jason suddenly realized that she was sitting very close to him, her arm brushing his. She felt warm, and she smelled like rose petals. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking about that. He should be comforting her, trying to explain that he hadn’t meant to invade her privacy and that he was still her friend. Yet the thought came to him unbidden.
Riley seemed to be thinking the same thing. It was the way she bit at her lip hesitantly. The way her cheeks flushed – not from sorrow but… possibly embarrassment? It was the way she looked at him expectantly as though waiting for something. Before he knew what he was doing, Jason had begun to lean forward, quickly closing that small space between them.
“What is going on here?” Frank asked in a dry voice. “I’m a few minutes late, and you already have Riley crying. Great job, Jason.”
Jason and Riley jumped back from each other, glancing anywhere but at one another. For some reason, Jason’s face felt unnaturally hot, and he couldn’t help but notice the way that Riley swiped at her eyes and looked away from Frank.
“I-it’s not what it looks like,” Jason finally replied, seeing his burly friend watching them with a skeptical eyebrow raised.
“Uh huh. So what did you do to upset Riley this time?” Frank demanded.
“He didn’t do anything,” Riley said hesitantly. “He was just comforting me is all.”
“So, I suppose we can add counselor to your list of skills,” Frank replied with a laugh, slapping Jason on the back. “You know, we could probably get Jerry to put a therapy couch in the Keep…”
Jason spared a surreptitious glance at Riley, noticing that she was also looking at him furtively. He wasn’t exactly sure what had just happened there. Actually, that was a lie. He knew exactly what had almost happened. And he expected that it wasn’t over – but now wasn’t the time to address it with Frank standing right there.
Trying to change the subject, Jason said, “We already got our drinks. Why don’t we go inside and let you order?” he said to Frank. He then stood and turned back to Riley, offering her a hand. “Assuming you’re still up for it.”
Riley met his gaze and hesitated as though she was trying to decide what to do. Then she took his hand. “That sounds good,” she replied, managing a weak smile. Without further ado, she stepped toward the bubble tea shop.
As Riley walked away, Frank nudged Jason, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. “You know I didn’t buy that bullshit, right? You have some explaining to do later.”
Jason could only heave a resigned sigh. If only things could be simple. He liked simple.
The next hour passed quickly and the group regained their good humor. They talked about their recent battles, the machinations of the in-game gods, and their plans for the Twilight Throne. Eventually, Frank and
Riley needed to leave – each of them having homework and other obligations to attend to.
Which left Jason sitting alone at the table on the patio. He had stayed behind to pay their bill – although the idea that he now had enough to splurge on a frivolous afternoon with his friends still took some getting used to. Perhaps he should be thankful for his situation instead of wringing his hands like usual.
“I thought you would be taller,” a voice spoke up from beside Jason. He looked up to find an older woman standing near the table. She wore an immaculate pantsuit, and her graying hair was bound in a tight bun atop her head. She sat down across from Jason without invitation, not waiting for him to respond.
“My apologies for the impromptu visit,” the woman continued, watching him hawkishly. “I had to meet the infamous Jason myself.”
Although he was caught off guard that the woman not only knew his name but had also alluded to his in-game avatar, Jason recovered quickly. He eyed her with a steely gaze. “You seem to know who I am, but you haven’t bothered to introduce yourself.”
“Ahh, my apologies,” the woman replied, although her expression and tone didn’t sound too conciliatory. “My name is Gloria Bastion. I’m the acting director of the CPSC.” She didn’t offer her hand in greeting.
Jason raised an eyebrow and suppressed a sigh of frustration. This was turning out to be a rather eventful day. He also hadn’t missed the fact that the woman had managed to track him down outside of the Cerillion Entertainment building. Was he being watched? Was this somehow related to the murder of the two teenagers or was this something else altogether?
He quickly tamped down on these questions before he could get distracted. The woman was clearly trying to fluster him, and he needed to stay focused. This was one more potential enemy until she proved herself otherwise, and he couldn’t help but fall back into his in-game persona.
“Okay,” Jason began cautiously, “what exactly can I do for you?”
Gloria smiled, the expression not quite meeting her eyes. “Actually, the question you should be asking is what can I do for you. You may not be aware, but the CPSC was actively involved in the review and testing for this new video game you are so fond of – Awaken Online. We are also responsible for operating the game master program.”
Jason snorted, recalling the game master they had slain in the dungeon north of Peccavi. His tirade against Jason had promptly gone viral after the encounter. “So, you are here because of what happened with Florius?” He paused in mock hesitation for a moment. “Or was it Flowerface?”
He thought he detected a glimmer of irritation in the woman’s expression, but she hid it well. Perhaps she expected for him to be more surprised and taken aback by their encounter. Clearly, she had never faced down an army of ravenous lizardmen or dealt with the Hippie’s endless stream of nonsense.
“In part,” Gloria replied. “But my goal in meeting with you is to offer an olive branch. I am sure you are aware of certain anomalies inside of AO. Strange events in-game. World damage that isn’t corrected. Quest lines that strike a bit too close to home. Is anything that I’m saying ringing a bell?”
Jason raised an eyebrow. Where was she going with this? “You seem to be describing pretty much every video game I’ve every played. I have no issues with the game in its current state.”
“Oh really?” Gloria asked, a small smile curling her lips. “You wouldn’t say that the game’s AI director seems a bit strange? I would think someone with your level of experience with AO might have caught on to these issues already. In fact, if I were a suspicious person, I might almost believe that Cerillion Entertainment deliberately hid these issues from the CPSC.”
Oh, shit. Jason resisted the urge to swallow hard against the lump in his throat. Was this woman talking about Alfred? That certainly seemed to be where this was heading.
“Hmm, it seems you do know what I’m talking about,” Gloria observed, watching him closely. Perhaps he hadn’t been controlling his expression as well as he’d thought. “Good,” she said, standing abruptly. “Then let me just leave you with this,” Gloria continued. “A war is coming, and Cerillion Entertainment stands to lose a great deal. I suspect you may be a critical player in that conflict. You will need to pick a side, and you should choose carefully.”
With that, the older woman walked away – not bothering to wait for Jason’s response. He could only watch her back as she wove through the tables of the bubble tea shop, his thoughts boiling. Did Gloria know about Alfred? How? Was she also aware of what happened with the two teenagers? That thought caused his stomach to flip.
He didn’t have answers to any of these questions, but perhaps it didn’t matter. If a conflict really was coming, there was likely no way he could avoid becoming involved – as Gloria’s impromptu meeting seemed to prove. In fact, he suspected he might be in the middle of this war. He couldn’t help but recall his conversations with the Old Man, his fists clenching involuntarily. This game now meant a great deal to him and the people he cared about.
If it was a war that Gloria wanted, then so be it.
Epilogue
Jason sat in a waiting room, his eyes skimming around the room even as troubled thoughts circled through his mind. His gaze lingered on the words “Consumer Product Safety Commission” emblazoned across the cloudy glass doors leading into the small sitting room. He couldn’t help but fiddle uncomfortably with the tie encircling his neck. It felt like it was making it difficult to breathe, but George and Francis had insisted that he wear the damn thing.
“It will be okay,” Francis said from beside him, interpreting Jason’s gesture as a sign of nervous energy. The attorney seemed unperturbed by the CPSC meeting, sitting back in his chair and his legs crossed languidly. However, Jason didn’t find his words reassuring. He hadn’t missed the fact that he had legal representation for this meeting. Clearly George and Francis were taking this seriously.
“You don’t think that this is strange?” Jason asked, glancing at the older man. “Why would the CPSC need to speak with me?” He couldn’t help but recall his rather… tense conversation with Gloria only the day before. She had seemed to imply that her organization was investigating Alfred, but Jason hadn’t known how to broach that particular subject with George and Francis.
“You have developed a rogue AI that can take over a player’s body, but don’t worry, I think he seems nice,” seemed like the sort of thing that might start a rather lengthy and painful conversation – one he couldn’t afford right now with possible murder charges looming over his head and nowhere else to live.
“They likely want to have this meeting as a follow-up to Florius’ death in-game. Claire’s report on the game master’s unfortunate demise probably wasn’t well received by the CPSC,” the attorney replied in a tired voice. “Gloria has been hounding the company for years, so this is essentially par for the course for her.”
Francis’ eyes met Jason’s. “Just remember, brevity is the soul of wit in this case. Keep your answers clipped and reasonable. Don’t volunteer any information. If you are uncertain whether to respond or continue, just glance at me, and I’ll give you a nod.”
The attorney opened his mouth to continue but abruptly stopped, his gaze fixed on a door on the other side of the room that had just drifted open. “Oh shit,” Francis murmured.
Jason’s gaze followed the attorney’s, and a moment later, he couldn’t help but agree with Francis’ reaction. The detective investigating the death of the two teens had just stepped out of the CPSC offices. A grim smile rested on Thomas Sully’s face as he caught sight of Jason and Francis sitting in the waiting room. “Mr. Rhodes,” he acknowledged. “And Mr. Rosencrantz, a pleasure as always,” he drawled, sparing a glance at Francis.
“What is this Thomas?” Francis demanded, rising to his feet and abandoning any pretense at civility. “Is this some sort of attempt to ambush my client?”
Thomas held up his hands defensively. “I played no part in orchestrating
this meeting. In fact, Ms. Bastion’s request to meet came out of the blue.” His eyes shifted to Jason. “Although several pieces are beginning to fall together. I’m certain the police chief will be interested to discover that our suspect is none other than the infamous ‘Jason’ himself. Your reputation certainly precedes you, young man.”
Jason could feel a lump in his throat, and he swallowed hard. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. Exactly how much did Gloria know? What did this mean for the investigation? His thoughts were a maelstrom of indecision and worry, distracting him from responding to the detective’s barbed comment.
Francis stepped forward in front of Jason, his gaze cold as he surveyed Thomas. “That is more than enough,” he snapped. “I will be certain to speak with your superiors. This harassment of my client has finally gone too far.”
Thomas seemed unaffected by the threat. “By all means, do what you feel is necessary. However, I expect that my superiors will find it interesting that you deliberately withheld information regarding Jason’s identity in-game,” he replied dryly.
When he saw the look of irritation flash across Francis’ face, the detective’s grin widened slightly. “While talking with you is always a pleasure, Francis, I really must be going.” The detective stepped toward the door to the office, sparing one final glance over his shoulder at Jason. “Until we meet again, Mr. Rhodes – which I expect will be quite soon.” With that, he pulled open the door and walked out.
Jason’s thoughts were still a mad scramble. What could the detective have told Gloria? Why would she be interested in the murder investigation? Was this just a PR move or something more? Was this really related to Alfred or was the CPSC now gunning for Jason? The list of questions seemed almost endless.
However, one thing was clear. This meeting was much more than it originally appeared. Jason couldn’t help but recall his parents’ many complaints about clients that had withheld information from them – which almost always turned out badly. If the detective was involved here, then he needed to level with Francis.
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