by Peter Glenn
Taio gave the guard a bright smile. “Taio Xiang. No company affiliation. I’ve come to bring lunch to my son Bao Xiang. He works here.”
It was our agreed-upon cover story. The Delta Fox campus in Seattle had turned away family, but this one was already in a forest almost no one could visit. So maybe they’d go easier on family members.
Besides, nothing else would have held up to scrutiny.
The guard frowned at us and lowered his gaze. “Sorry, Mr. Xiang, but we don’t allow family to come to visit. Even if your son did forget to bring his lunch to work.”
“Please,” Taio said. He picked up a large, brown bag on the passenger seat next to him and hefted it. “I brought extra. I’d be happy to give you some if you could just let us go in to see him. Just for a minute, I swear.”
The guard eyed the bag greedily for a moment. I could see his mouth start to water. I wondered how long it had been since he’d had lunch. Then I thought about how long it had been since I’d eaten something of substance.
Too long, I tell you. We’d have to stop for a real meal soon.
“Sorry, Mr. Xiang,” the guard said at last. He tapped on his clipboard with the tip of his pen. “But if you’re not on the list, then you can’t come in. Rules are rules and all that.”
“I understand,” Taio said, nodding. “Maybe you could just check with someone anyway? Just ask. It’s a harmless question. And I won’t mind if you chaperone us the entire time as well. I promise you we just want to bring my son his lunch, then we’ll be out of your hair.”
The guard’s expression softened just a little. “I don’t know, Mr. Xiang. It’s against the rules, but…”
Was he actually feeling bad for my brother? But how? Had Taio used a little magic to soften his emotions? I supposed it was possible, but where had he gotten the gift? None of us had any real overt magic. Just long lives, speedy healing, and then I had my stupid innate luck. No real magic, though.
“Please,” my brother said again. “Just for a moment.” There was a strange inflection in his tone. Maybe he did have a little magic. It would explain how he got his way so much.
The guard bit his lip. “Well, I suppose it won’t hurt just to ring base and ask. Hang here a sec, mate.”
With that, the guard went back to his post and picked up some sort of walkie-talkie-like device and started speaking into it. I couldn’t make out the conversation, but I assumed he was asking someone for special permission.
“How did you manage that feat?” I asked my brother.
Taio shrugged. “Sometimes it pays to be nice to people, Li. You should try it sometime.”
Humph. Nice my ass. I could scarcely believe it. My brother was a magician. Had to be. Not a powerful one by any stretch, but how else would he have convinced the security guard like that? Is that how he’d always made me feel like the beatings were my fault? I began to wonder about that, too.
A few moments later, the security guard came back out to the car. “Mr. Xiang?”
“Yes?”
“Looks like someone high up likes you,” the guard said. “You’re clear to enter the main complex. When you get in, ask for a Mr. Harris. He’ll take you to see your kid.”
Taio regarded the security guard for just a moment. “Thank you, Mr.…”
“Smith,” the guard replied. “Hank Smith.”
Taio nodded. “Thank you, Hank. It means the world to me.”
“Yeah, well just don’t do anything dangerous in there. Don’t want this coming back to bite me none.”
Taio let out a hearty laugh. “I wouldn’t dream of it, my good man.”
With that, Hank waved us onward and we drove forward. The gate opened somewhat automatically as we approached it, and we made our way into the complex, parking near what I assumed was the main entrance. It was a pair of large, glass doors that had the Delta Fox logo plastered on them.
“Shall we?” LaLuna asked as Taio turned off the engine.
I shrugged. “It’s what we came here for, after all. Might as well.”
“Yes, let us depart,” Taio agreed.
Well, at least we could agree on something every now and then.
All of us piled out of the car, and together, we made our way up to the double doors. These also opened right as we approached them, moving soundlessly into grooves in the wall that I hadn’t seen earlier.
The lobby was something out of another world. There was vegetation everywhere. It almost felt like someone had built the building on top of the forest floor but forgotten to clear it out first. It took a minute before I could even manage to find the front desk amid all the intense greens, reds, and oranges of the various plants in the room.
The front desk itself was made out of what appeared to be one rather large piece of mahogany wood, with a small indent where the receptionist sat that looked like it had been carved into place.
I smiled at the receptionist. She was a pretty blonde, maybe in her early twenties, wearing an otherwise unassuming black pantsuit. A single diamond earring in her left ear was the only piece of jewelry I could see.
“Sylvia?” I said. That was the name on her nametag.
A nod. “Yes? And who might you be?”
Her voice was slightly melodic, but in a different way from LaLuna’s. Still, I wondered if she were really fae. The place was inside a fae forest and all.
I gave her my best smile. “Damian Xiang.” I pointed toward my brother. “This is Taio Xiang, and next to him is LaLuna. We’re here to see a Mr. Harris?”
A flash of surprise passed over Sylvia’s face. “Mr. Harris?”
I nodded. “That’s what the gate guard said.”
“Oh,” Sylvia replied. “You must be those guys, then.”
I shot her a confused look. “Those guys?”
“Never mind.” She shook her head slightly. “I’ll get him for you right away.”
Sylvia picked up her phone and dialed a number into it while I stood there dumbfounded, looking in between her and my brother, wondering what on earth was going on that made the receptionist refer to us as “those guys”. I mean, granted the place probably didn’t get a lot of visitors, but there was a strange reverence in the way she had spoken.
“Yes, Mr. Harris?” Sylvia said when her line picked up. “Yes, of course. I’ll send them right on up.”
The receptionist turned and looked at us after hanging up her phone. “Looks like he’s free right now. Head down the hallway to the elevators and take one up to the eighth floor. Mr. Harris’ office should be the third one on the right.”
“Thank you, Sylvia,” Taio said with a slight bow. “We shall take our leave of you.”
Ugh, he was always so formal with people. I really hated that about him.
Anyway, we went over to the elevator room and got into one with no fuss. I punched the eight button, and the machinery whirred to life. The elevator was one of those glass ones that let you see everything as you rose into the air, and it was built into the side of the building, so we got a very nice view of the surrounding forest as we ascended into the sky.
“It’s so beautiful,” LaLuna remarked.
“Indeed,” I said, grinning at her. “It’s even prettier from up high than it was on the ground.”
“Reminds me of the forests back home,” she added.
Suddenly, the woods seemed far less inviting. I remembered one particular forest in the fae realm that had tried to eat me. Not a repeatable experience, let me tell you. My expression slowly soured, and I stopped looking out at the forest. It had lost its appeal.
A second later, we were on the eighth floor. I found Mr. Harris’ office fairly quickly. It was exactly where Sylvia had said it would be, but something about it didn’t sit quite right. The office was spectacular, with an amazing view. What could a higher up like that possibly want with a couple relatives dropping off lunch?
“Mr. Xiang?” A voice called out from behind us.
“Yes?” my brother and I said in unison a
s we turned around.
A well-dressed man stood there, hand out in greeting. He had light blue skin and blond hair that was whiter than the receptionist’s. His eyes were a cream color, almost white but not quite, and he was dressed in a finely pressed gray suit and white shirt with a red tie that served as a nice contrast for his skin tone.
“My name is Luke Harris,” the man said. “VP of Delta Fox Australia. Good to meet you.”
VP? As in Vice President? I stood there with my jaw partially open as Taio accepted the man’s hand in greeting. Now I knew something was up. There was no reason they would send a VP out just to chaperone a few people for a bit.
“Taio Xiang,” my brother said in greeting. “I understand you’re going to take us to go see my son Bao?”
Luke smiled at us warmly. “Yes, in just a moment. Would you like a tour first?”
“That would be lovely,” my brother answered.
Luke clapped his hands together. “Excellent. Of course, I can only show you the areas that aren’t classified, but I’ll be happy to show you around.”
Wait, so he’s giving us a personal tour? I felt even more suspicious. This had to be some sort of trap or something. But my brother seemed to be eating it all up like candy, so I let it go. Plus, if there was any chance of actually seeing Bao, we had to take it.
“Come this way, please,” Luke said, beckoning us onward.
We followed him as he took us along the hallway. He pointed out several offices of other higher ups as we went, remarking on their roles and importance, but I didn’t really pay any attention. When we reached the back of the hallway, we found ourselves at another elevator.
“This will take us down to the game area,” Luke said.
“Game area?” My eyes lit up. “As in video games?”
Luke let out a small chuckle. “That is what we do here, Mr. Xiang.”
Well, trap or no trap, I wasn’t about to turn that down. “Please, lead on.”
“Certainly.”
We piled into the new elevator, and Luke pressed a couple of buttons on the interior console. Once more, the machine whirred to life and we descended quickly, going down much further than we’d gone up in the first one. This elevator was the standard metal, so we didn’t see any of the forest whizz past, but I didn’t mind. I was still shuddering from the thought of all the fae out there, not to mention the one leading us around.
A moment later, the elevator doors opened, and Luke motioned for us to get out.
I stepped off of the elevator first and could hardly believe my eyes. I was like a kid on Christmas morning. Right across from us was a wall that contained every single Delta Fox console ever built, sitting inside a large glass case. Everything was there, from the original Fox 2200 to the brand new Delta 180 compact model. Even the rare Delta 800 handheld VR console from the 90s was there in all its pristine glory. That thing was a piece of junk, but only a handful had survived to this day, so it was worth a fortune.
“It’s so… beautiful,” I said, a small tear in my eye. I almost dropped to my knees and offered a prayer of thanks, but I held it together for LaLuna’s sake.
For her part, she side-eyed me and shook her head. LaLuna was not much of a gamer.
“Would you like to see the newest prototype?” Luke asked.
“Yes, please,” I replied, barely able to tear my eyes away from the wall of consoles. It was forty years of gaming history all in one place. It was like a dream come true, and I didn’t want it to end.
But a prototype? Something new? Sign me up!
The hallway in front of us opened up on both ends. Luke led us down the left pathway. We passed by several desks and tables where people were hard at work on their computers doing something or other. I imagined Bao was likely at a desk just like it, if he was even still alive.
He had to be alive. That thought was like a punch to the gut, and I resolved to remember the reason we were here. We needed to find him still. But I could have a little fun first, right? Luke had promised to take us to him, after all, when we were done.
Soon enough, we reached a room at the end of the hallway that had a large, glass door at the front. I could see people working on some sort of VR headset that sat on an ornate table in the center of the space. The workers were wearing what looked like hazmat suits and were holding small cables in their hands that were connected to the headset.
Every now and then, there would be a buzz or a spark from one of the cables and the people in the room would freak out. The rest of the time, the room looked relatively serene.
“Is that?” I asked over my shoulder, unable to tear my eyes away.
“The one and only,” Luke replied. “The VR Omega Delta IV. The next wave of virtual reality gaming being worked on as we speak.”
“Wow…” My words trailed off as my mind raced, wondering how much better that sucker must be than the one I was using. And mine was pretty darn good.
“This model was made with a fusion of technology and fae magic to make the experiences even more real than anything you’ve ever experienced. It’s like you’ve physically transported into the game world itself.” Luke shrugged. “Or at least that’s what they tell me, anyway. I’ve never been much of a gamer myself.”
I spun around and balked. “Not a gamer? But you’re–”
“VP of Delta Fox.” Luke let out a slight chuckle. “I know, I know. It’s crazy, but not all of us joined this company because of our deep love for video games. Some of us just want to work with cutting edge technology. Plus the bonuses don’t hurt.”
That brought a hint of a smile to my lips. “Heh. I bet.”
“This is all wonderful,” Taio said, interrupting our little moment, “but you said you could take us to see Bao Xiang?”
Oh yeah. Bao. I’d almost forgotten again.
Luke put one of his hands on his suit jacket and looked slightly away. “I did say that, didn’t I?”
Taio nodded. “Yes, you did. We would like to go see him now.”
“Ahem.” Luke’s eyes trailed down to his shoes, then back up at us. “I must apologize, Mr. Xiang, but that was a particularly poor choice of words. I’m afraid that I cannot show you to Bao’s workplace at this exact moment.”
“But you said–”
“I know what I said.” Luke put his hand out in front of him to disarm Taio. “But I must apologize. I misspoke, that’s all.”
Taio’s cheeks flushed, and for a half a second, I thought he was actually going to explode all over the poor VP. But he smoothed himself down and managed a curt nod. “I see, Mr. Harris. Well, when can we see him, then? Tonight, perhaps?”
I had to admire my brother’s tenacity. Even if admiring something about him made me want to gag.
Luke grimaced. “That’s a complicated question, Mr. Xiang.” He sucked in a deep breath. “You see, he’s working on what we call a ‘black’ project. That means that the project is beyond classified. Usually when people work on that type of project, they cannot be contacted by anyone outside of the project until the project goes live, or their non-disclosure agreement is terminated. It’s a harsh rule, but I’m sure you understand that competition is extremely fierce in this business and we must protect our intellectual property.”
“I… see,” my brother said with another nod.
From his expression, I could tell he didn’t understand at all. I did a little bit—the gaming world was indeed pretty cutthroat—but it still seemed like a bit much.
“Say,” I offered, “maybe we could just walk past his desk and wave to him? It would do my brother a lot of good to see his son’s face. Even for just a moment. We don’t have to actually talk to him or anything.”
Luke put his hands behind his back and rocked slowly on his heels. “An excellent suggestion. But I’m afraid the office he’s in isn’t one where you can just drop in and look, even for a half second. It’s too classified.”
He raised one hand with the pointer finger upward. “But I can assure you,
he’s alive and well, and under no threat whatsoever. You can rest assured he’s just fine.”
“Indeed,” I said through clenched teeth, brandishing a wry grin.
Well, there was one thing I was sure of. I’d never heard anyone lie so clearly as I had in that moment.
“Yes, well this has been great, but I have to run to a meeting,” Luke said. A small bead of sweat formed on his brow, and he wiped it off quickly. “Can I show you three out?” It was less a question and more a statement.
My brother nodded, and wordlessly, we all went back down the hallway, piled into the elevator and went up to the ground floor. When we finally reached the reception area, Luke held out his hand again. This time, I shook it. His grip was a little greasy and cold, like I was gripping a wet fish. It was an altogether bizarre ending to an equally bizarre visit.
“Thank you for stopping by,” Luke said. “I hope you enjoy your trip back stateside.”
I nodded my thanks, and we made our way back out to the car.
Once we were in the car with the doors closed, Taio finally broke his silence. “He’s totally being held captive, isn’t he?”
“You mean Bao?” I asked.
Taio nodded.
“Oh yeah. That whole visit had ‘con’ written all over it. Why else would they have a VP show us around the place?”
“Exactly.”
“So what do you want to do about it?” LaLuna asked. “We can’t very well go back home empty-handed, can we?”
A grim smile crossed my lips. “Oh, I’ve no intention of leaving it at that.”
Taio frowned. “But I don’t think they’ll let us visit again. Not now.”
I patted him lightly on the shoulder. He was so going to hate me when all of this was over. “Don’t worry, my dear brother. I know just the thing.”
11
It was several hours later on the same day. Night had fallen, and it was fairly dark out. The moon was barely visible, at least from this vantage point, and all the alcohol in my system had been processed or evaporated, so I was thinking incredibly clearly in that exact moment.