Jessica's Challenge (Puatera Online Book 5)

by Dawn Chapman

  Jessica’s Challenge

  Puatera Online book 5

  Dawn Chapman

  Jess Mountifield

  Jessica’s Challenge

  Copyright © 2018 by Dawn Chapman

  Published by Dawn Chapman

  A+ Game Engine adapted with Christopher Mayer and

  © 2017 by WoodBine Street Games

  Puatera Online © 2017 by Dawn Chapman

  Cover design by Sarah Anderson

  Ebook Edition

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written consent from the author, except in the instance of quotes for reviews. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the internet without the permission of the author and is a violation of the International copyright law, which subjects the violator to severe fines and imprisonment.

  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents, and place are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real except where noted, and authorised. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events are entirely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or names featured are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.

  The author and editor have taken great effort in presenting a manuscript free of errors. However, editing errors are ultimately the responsibility of the author.

  This book is written in United Kingdom English and includes relative diction.

  Created with Vellum

  Inspired by the covers

  created by

  Sarah Anderson

  and set in the game world of

  Puatera Online

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Coming Soon

  About Jess

  About Dawn

  Gamelit Links

  Chapter 1

  Jessica - Cibang Cove

  Final exam, final day. This hell hole was done. I was done. I didn’t want to think about school, or learning again, at least for a while. I’d have all summer to think about what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go.

  Of course, the few friends I had, had already made their choices. They were going off to college, then to university. They had their lives mapped out. Me, no. I didn’t have a clue.

  What I did know was that I didn’t want to be in school any longer. I needed to get out there, to experience real life.

  What that meant, I didn’t know. But to me, being here was not what I wanted. The world was so big. There was so much to see... I wanted it all.

  I stood waiting in the gentle heat of the summer. The buses here weren’t like clockwork. One, then wait, and then three turned up. I always got home just before dinner. Or just before the twins came in. That was my time to speak with Mum, to listen to her day, see how she’d been doing at work. I liked that moment of the day. Then when Dahlia and Lila came home, it was like all hell broke loose. And yes, the names are meant to confuse. Dahlia and Lila. But, that was my family.

  I checked my phone. No sign of the bus. Looked like I might have to walk. Wouldn’t have been the first time, but on my last day… I sighed.

  After flinging my bag over my shoulder, and while checking through the internet on my phone, I started the walk. It usually took me about thirty minutes if I walked fast, maybe forty-five on a slow day.

  At least it wasn’t raining.

  Our street wasn’t busy, the house tucked into a corner where there wasn’t much in the way of neighbours. But it did back onto the facility where Mum actually worked. Just the way she liked it; a few steps and she was there, her favourite place in the world bar being with us. She worked so many hours that, for her, this was perfect. Her car sat up the drive, never really used except for weekend trips out, and even they were rare. Deliveries of food were dropped off and put away by someone through the week, and all the cleaning and cooking was also done for us. Although Mum would be home just before us, there was always something she just had to turn on, or turn over, to eat. I wondered how much she could cook herself. Maybe one day I’d get to find out.

  I arrived home the same time as the twins. Both thirteen, and inseparable. Same clothes, same hair, and exactly the same mannerisms. I loved them and could just about tell them apart. If they reversed roles, which they sometimes did just to throw us, I’d be super miffed if I didn’t catch it.

  Lila turned the corner first, swinging her bag in large lazy circles. She talked on her phone while Dahlia walked alongside. I met their gazes and Lila waved frantically at me. Even from this distance it looked like they’d had a good day at school.

  I could also smell dinner—freshly cooked spaghetti and sauce. My fav. Mum must have asked for this, just for me.

  Lila was the one to run for the door, opening it before me, and when I stepped through I saw it all.

  Banners, ribbons, and everything.

  Mum came at me with a huge smile.

  “Congratulations,” she said. I’d no idea why the celebration. Leaving school wasn’t a big deal. But then she held out the envelope and urged me to look at it.

  “What is this?” I asked, dropping my bag by the door and stepping towards her. She handed it over and I noted the insignia on the front.

  It was a crested bird, the only one I knew off. My hands started shaking as I fumbled with the back of it. In the end, I had to tear it open, before pulling out the papers to read.

  Dear Jessica

  It is with great pleasure that we are offering you a placement in our travel and support network. You will work alongside the most talented youngsters in our generation, in Africa and then Dubai.

  I looked at her. I’d not applied for their program.

  My mum pulled me into a hug as my sisters clapped their hands and erupted into some kind of congratulatory frenzy.

  “I know how much you want to travel. I wanted you to have that experience before you decide what you want to do with your life. There’s no better way than getting out there and doing things for yourself. Seeing other cultures, learning what they have to offer.”

  I felt myself tearing up as I re-read the letter. I’d get everything I wanted. To help others, to learn, to do things in countries that weren’t quite as fortunate as ours.

  The Philippines was a wonderful place to grow up. The schools here were tailored for the tech labs children and the locals. But it wasn’t like a real school, in a suburban area. Everyone knew you, knew your mum and what happened night after night.

  So it was a family affair for tonight. That might not be a bad thing, but I really just wanted to explore where I was going to be heading for the summer, especially now I’d got a place.

  But Mum had laid on a massive dinner, with drinks and dessert. By the time I’d eaten and listened to all their excitement, I didn’t want to do anything.

  A little while after dinner I snuck out into the kitchen to find both Dahlia and Lila plotting and giggling.

  “What are you two up to?”

  “Nothing,” Lila said, glancing up at me. “We’re g
oing for a walk, to get some air.”

  I didn’t believe either of them. They were up to no good, as usual.

  “I’ll come with you. I could do with some air.”

  They didn’t bat an eyelid at me tagging along. Instead, Dahlia linked arms with me and tugged me out the back door.

  It wasn’t till we were well away from the house that Lila pulled me in the opposite direction.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, knowing they’d finally tell me.

  Lila pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to me. “We’re going to see what Mum’s been working on. The new game system.”

  I froze. That meant they wanted to head to the lab. This was her key card. I wanted to totally freak out. What if we got strung up, or caught, or worse?

  Dahlia pulled my hand into hers. “There are rumours going around that this is the best version, fully immersed. They’ve been alpha testing for weeks. We just want to go and look, check out the way everything works. We won’t touch anything.”

  I laughed. Since when do you guys never touch, I thought. But the excitement of going into the lab, seeing everything, was too tempting.

  “Okay, I said. I’m in. Just let’s be extra careful, yes?”

  They both nodded before pulling me along towards the back end of the labs.

  There wasn’t much in the way of lighting, but I did know that it had super sensitive indoor systems. The area we all lived in was extra secure. There was no one around that didn’t work for the company in some way or form, so, for the most part, they weren’t worried about break-ins, anyone stealing, or doing stuff they shouldn’t.

  Lila approached the door first, and used the card for access. Next to it was a palm scanner, and for a moment I’d no idea how they might get through that, but it wasn’t needed. The door just clicked and in they went, giggling like the teens they were.

  Getting to Mum’s lab wouldn’t be hard; she occupied the whole of the bottom floor. So it was one lift, and down all the way.

  However, we had to sneak past the guard on duty. He was actually walking the floors. We hid in an open doorway and waited for him to walk on past. Not as easy as it ought to have been with the twins so insanely excitable.

  I tried to keep myself as quiet as possible but their giggling was infuriating. I ended up clamping both hands over their mouths instead.

  Lila was the one who bit me, though. Seeing the fun and life reflected in her eyes, I started laughing then even harder, somehow managing to do so silently.

  Once he’d gone past, Lila pushed the door open with a squeak and then she was out and running for our mum’s lab. The click of the door opening was loud, but we all slipped inside.

  When the lights flickered on, stretching ahead was a very long corridor. At the far end, we knew we’d find her room, a spacious and secure laboratory, systems and her main monitoring stations.

  Down each side of the corridor were several smaller rooms. I knew these were going to be part of the beta launch, but my sisters didn’t. They’d not been here in a while, and I’d had a tour with Mum not too long ago.

  I pointed them down the other end, and we walked carefully over to the lab. This was where my heart started beating faster. I wanted to go in, to see more of what she was doing. But I was scared, too.

  When we opened the door, it was obvious that this was a huge operation. My mum’s main office stood proud at the top of a large spiralling web of computer stations and monitors. From here you could see a full 360 degrees down on top of them as each section of the spiral wound its way down to several exits and safety points. The computer system was running full pelt. Thousands of lights blinked in and out, everywhere. Fully manned, I could imagine this would be one busy central hub.

  I remembered all the space movies I’d ever watched where the computer system spanned hundreds of circular segments. This went down a fair way, but it wasn’t hundreds, maybe only ten sections or so. The room had huge filtration and cooling systems spread throughout the ceiling and in vents coming up from the floor. The need for all of this to be constantly running would create a lot of heat that meant anything in here could overheat quickly, by the looks of it. This room had to be cooled twenty-four seven.

  Lila moved down the spiral, checking out computers and video feeds. Following her, I noticed one screen where a field full of amazing creatures—Lila’s fav animals, dragons—roamed. The deer were meant to be a food source, no doubt, nothing more.

  “Please can we try it?” she asked, her big brown eyes seeking mine out as she begged. I looked back up to Mum’s watching station. Everything was running. Green lights meant it was good, right?

  “We can’t,” I replied, but the screen before me looked so inviting. Rich green grass, the animals there seemingly so content.

  Dalilah moved down the spiral to a different coloured door. Everything else in here was metal, flimsy looking. This door, however, was solid, and needed Mum’s card again. “Let’s just go and see. It can’t be that hard to get in, can it?”

  I didn’t know. I’d not seen the room once, and I’d not seen Mum do the procedure to join the game on anyone yet. I shook my head.

  “Let’s just go see.”

  Lila was there, opening the door, her gasps of approval evident. I couldn’t resist. Sticking my head through the doorway, I remembered Mum’s description of it. Mum had explained that the players had to stand on a designated spot, that they’d be attached to the game with a neural link at the back of the neck, and then several IV lines at key points throughout the body. All I could see now were the black walls, and soft spongy flooring. It looked automated. Seemingly cut out into the floor were several standing zones. They were obvious, marked out, and it looked like you just stood on them. Lila edged forwards before I could react.

  “Come on,” she egged us all on. “Let’s have one adventure together before you go out into the world.”

  That reasoning, I couldn’t fault.

  “Okay, I said. You twisted my arm. I need to check how this all works, though, before we step in.”

  But I was too late. Lila and Dahlia ran inside the room, and stood on two of the spacings.

  A voice spoke loud and clear, “Calculating body mass.”

  There was no backing out now, so I joined them and stepped onto the nearest pad. Before long, the room darkened, and I felt myself starting to float. I wanted to try and stop it, but everything else my mum had told me about how the VR and gaming system worked vanished from my mind.

  I felt a sharp stab at the back of my neck. I let out a quick cry. Some kind of sedative? The world started to fade around me. I tried to focus on my sisters, but couldn’t see them.

  What have we done?

  The world dipped and changed. This was nothing like I’d expected. No character creation lists, no choices to make. Something had gone really wrong. I felt it.

  I felt the air being sucked out from my lungs. I felt like I was falling, but I knew I wasn’t. Then it was over. Darkness everywhere. Or was it just night time?

  Chapter 2

  I could hear voices, but I couldn’t make out what they were trying to say. Were they talking to me, or someone else? It seemed like there was another person there.

  “Wasn’t ‘em, that’s for sure.”

  I tried to focus on what they were saying.

  “Stupid gal came out of nowhere.”

  Then I felt pain.

  “Oww, my leg.”

  I opened my eyes to see I was lying on some kind of bed, but my clothes were ripped to shreds, my leg battered and bloodied. Stood before me were two women, a grey-haired older lady and a red-headed younger one. They were dressed in pale-colour dirty clothes, like something out of an old film. Knitted? I had no idea, but they looked rough and ready. I also noted daggers at their sides.

  “Sorry, miss,” the one with long spindly grey hair said to me. “They’ve patched you up as best they could, but you just came out of nowhere.”

  I didn’t unders
tand. I tried to move, but the younger lady placed a hand on my shoulder, easing me back.

  “Desiree’s gone for some pain relief. She’ll be back in a little while.”

  “Who is Desiree?” I felt sick with the pain, bile rising up my throat.

  “She’s the best healer in town,” the red head smiled. “She’ll help sort you out.”

  “My sisters,” I croaked out. “Have you seen them?”

  The redhead shook her head, curls bouncing around her face. She might have been pretty if she took a bath. “No, miss. There was only you.”

  I wondered where they could be. They couldn’t have gone that far. We were in the same room, the same download, surely?

  But I had a sudden sinking feeling. Where was the tutorial? I should have gone there first, chosen my character, my species… I should be able to access an interface. Maybe trying that would help? I tried to focus, to think ‘interface’, then I spoke it. “Interface.”

  Nothing happened.

  “Log out!” I said.

  Still nothing.

  The two women looked at me like I was crazy.

  Was I? My heart pounded loudly in my chest, and I was sweating. I could feel it running down my back. I had to get out of here. I had to find my sisters!

  I tried to get off the bed again, and the two women sitting with me decided to go off and fetch Desiree, whoever she may be.

  They returned a while later with a tall woman dressed in cream slacks and a detailed orange ribbon shirt. Her facial features were what got me the most; her pointed ears and slanted eyes made me think she must be an elf. But she oozed calm and confidence. When she smiled at me, my breathing and heart rate slowed—some kind of magic?