“Does it have a bottom?” I asked, my voice hushed.
Adam got on his knees and ran his fingers across the crumbling perimeter. Tiny pebbles and chunks of virtual concrete went tumbling into the empty blackness. “Not that I can see.” We listened for the rocks to hit bottom. Adam leaned forward, his eyes searching the dark space. “Or hear.”
Now I was the one grabbing his shirt and holding on. “Be careful.”
Adam inched backward on his knees before getting up. “Something bad is happening in the App World. How could I be here all these months and not hear anything about it?”
I thought about Ree. “A government cover-up?”
“But how can you cover up . . . this?” Adam gestured toward the massive sinkhole.
“I don’t know, but let’s get to Trader’s,” I said. “If there’s any talk about Death Apps and other dark virtual disappearances, we’ll be able to find out there.”
Adam and I moved forward, slower this time, maneuvering carefully around the sinkhole so we didn’t go plummeting into oblivion. After what felt like an eternity, I could finally see Trader’s house. Most of Trader’s block had survived whatever blight had befallen the rest of Loner Town. And weirdly enough, Trader’s house looked better than usual. The blackened shingles weren’t dangling and those that were usually missing altogether had been replaced. The tree in the front of the house seemed to be thriving.
A drop of water fell from above.
Adam’s eyes shot toward the sky along with mine.
Another splashed onto my cheek. “It’s raining?”
Weather was downloaded here. It didn’t just happen.
“Let’s get inside,” Adam called over the torrent.
We ran the rest of the way, and when we reached Trader’s front steps, we were dripping wet. I jiggled the lock like he’d taught me to do and it slid open. I flipped the light switch and Trader’s living room grew bright—far brighter than I was used to.
Huh.
There were other changes of note. The old, splinter-ridden table was fixed. So were the rickety chairs. The mattress that was usually propped up along the wall was lying flat along the ground, sheets pulled tight across it. “Someone’s been here.”
Adam disappeared into the kitchen. When he came back, he was holding a plate in his hands. “From the look of it, someone’s just been here.”
The dish held the remnants of a sandwich. “The food download hasn’t even drained away yet,” I said. “Whoever it is, we must’ve just missed the person.”
His eyebrows arched. “Trader?”
I shook my head. “No. He’s been glued to the Real World, and Inara.” The walls still looked as though they might fall down any minute and the floorboards were pocked with holes, but things seemed almost neat. Like someone was caring for the place.
A thought chilled me. “Hello?” I called out.
Nothing.
“Maybe Trader has a squatter,” I said. The house had all but been abandoned for months, so it wouldn’t be out of the question that someone would take up residence. As much as I didn’t begrudge anyone who needed a place to stay, I didn’t love the idea that there might be someone else lurking, listening to Adam and me. “Whatever is going on, I don’t like this.”
“Me neither. Let’s get whatever we need and leave.”
“It’s not that simple,” I said, and went over to one of the holes in the wall and began digging around inside it. This was where Trader hid things like his stash of capital and, most important to our interests, his Store of illegal Apps. I could feel the Apps tickling my fingers and I was about to call them up when I noticed something else that sent such a chill running through my code that my virtual skin turned blue. I retracted my hand from the hole.
A single glass jar. It was filled with virtual sea glass.
Adam bent down and picked it up. “This is pretty. At least whoever has been here has nice taste.”
“It is pretty,” I agreed in a whisper.
The thing was, the jar in Adam’s hand was a virtual copy, identical in every single way, to the one Kit had given me as a gift last winter.
18
Lacy
tiny risks
I HATED HER.
Skylar twitched in her shiny glass box. She could be anyone right now. Just another girl, not special or important. With one little push of my finger I could send her into oblivion.
Well. No. I could, but I wouldn’t.
I’d never really hated Skylar. Hate was a strong emotion, reserved for people who’d earned such an outpouring of energy. Skylar wasn’t worthy. Maybe not until recently. She’d always been more of a gnat around my lovely face that refused to be swatted away. Speaking of my lovely face . . . I dropped slightly and used the glass as a mirror. I looked fine today. Just fine. Never gorgeous. Never spectacular like I was in the App World, glorious in everything I put on my perfect body, sumptuous from every angle. In the App World I’d been famous and rich and a queen among the Under Eighteens, and in the Real World I was barely . . . anyone at all.
Was it possible that was why . . . ?
No.
Well. Maybe.
Maybe being a nobody for a spell was why I’d almost grown to like the little gnat stretched out doing Apps-knows-what back home where I belonged.
But wait.
I dug around in my brain a bit. It was true, despite all evidence to the contrary and what my Haters had always wondered: Lacy Mills did have a conscience.
Does. Does have a conscience.
I did. I do.
Our last conversation about Rain won Skylar a lot of points. I was surprised she was capable of it. I surprised myself, too, by being capable of it. Zeera kept telling me to give her a chance, but—
“Hmm,” Skylar groaned.
I jumped away from the box. Then I crept back and peered over the top. From the moment Skylar shifted, she couldn’t stay still. She seemed somehow . . . like she was in both places at once. Here and there. Or at least, hanging on to here while she was still over there.
I sighed.
Skylar just had to be unique in all things.
“Can you hear me?” I whispered, feeling a bit crazy talking to a lifeless body. Mostly lifeless. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promised and I meant it.”
“Lacy, I thought I’d find you here. Who are you talking to?”
I turned, startled.
Rain. Of course, Rain. He was probably looking for Skylar, because he was always looking for Skylar. And she was always avoiding him. Or playing hard to get? I could never decide. He stared at me from way down the aisle, which was a good thing, since I made a promise to this Real World princess and I intended to keep it, despite our unhappy past.
“Nobody! You must be hearing things!” I raced over to him before he could get close enough to see that it was Skylar. Rain, the sole reason I’d stayed in this world. I smiled my most dazzling smile at him, as dazzling as I could make it in this clunky body. It was time I took advantage of the deal I made. I was still Lacy Mills, after all. I hadn’t changed completely. And I definitely wasn’t going to allow this moment without Skylar around to pass me by. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Really.” He sounded unconvinced. “You’ve been angry at me for months. What are you doing down here anyway?”
I put on my best innocent face, lips pouted, eyelashes fluttering. If I was alone I’d pinch my cheeks to redden them up and give a nice flush to my skin. It was shocking, the things a girl had to do to brighten her real self, when what would make the most sense would be to download the right App to do it. “Just doing some thinking. Besides, I like it in this place. It’s so quiet.”
Rain looked at me. “Since when do you like the quiet?”
“I do,” I protested. “And I know I’ve been a little standoffish.”
His eyebrows arched. “Standoffish?”
I cocked my head. “Annoyed?”
“Try enraged.”
I blinked. Maybe now wasn’t the time to broach the subject of whether Rain still had feelings for me. Then again, who knew how long Skylar would stay plugged in and I’d have him to myself? “It’s true. I have been upset with you, but . . .” I suddenly couldn’t speak. All the haughtiness went out of me, replaced by sheer need, want, hope that I could fix things with Rain. Whatever that meant. I swallowed.
Even if it meant we would just be friends.
Rain touched my cheek with the back of his hand. “Are you okay? You’re so pale.”
“Hmmm,” I barely managed, because every cell in my real body was turned toward the place where Rain’s skin touched mine. He took his hand away and I blurted, “Are we still at least friends?” Now my cheeks flushed all on their very own.
The surprise on his face was illuminated by the glow of the plugs. “Yes. We are. We’ll always be friends, Lacy.”
I stopped myself just in time before asking, “Just friends?” My heart plummeted to the jagged rocks below the cavern to the ocean floor. Why did I have to go and provoke Rain to declare our undying friendship? This wasn’t going where I wanted it to. “You were looking for me. Any particular reason? Can I help with something?”
Rain leaned against the glass wall of the plugs and nodded. His expression grew serious. “Yes. Listen.” His tone had turned serious. “I need to tell you something important.”
That you love me?
These four words sang out inside me like the gorgeous pop star I was back in the days when I’d download the American Idol App, when I was a young twelve and all tween-like. But as I watched Rain now it didn’t seem like he was about to profess his undying love.
Sadly, I was right.
“It’s about Skylar,” he said.
My chest tightened. Pain. I felt pain inside it.
Of course Rain wanted to talk about Skylar. When didn’t he?
“We got into a fight,” he began.
“Oh?” The pain lessened, though only a bit.
“She’s determined to plug in, and I can’t let her. But she’s stubborn—”
“—I know, isn’t she?”
“—and I’m afraid she’s the kind of person who’s going to do it regardless of the risks. But she absolutely cannot.”
“She’ll survive,” I said, despite the chill that ran up my spine. “She always does.”
Now Rain blinked at me. He was hesitating. I knew him well enough to tell when he was debating if he should trust me with whatever secret information was in his possession. He took a deep breath, seeming to decide that yes, I was trustworthy, which sent a tiny streak of glee through my veins. “There’s something wrong in the App World, Lacy. People have been dying on the plugs. Children. The elderly. Sixteens. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. Not that we’ve figured out yet. But I’m worried it might have to do with the Shifting App. And so is Skylar.”
“That’s horrible.” I resisted the urge to glance back at her right now. Then I resisted the urge to roll my eyes in utter and total exasperation. That girl. She always had to meddle when things got dangerous. She must have a death wish. “But what does this all have to do with me?”
“Well, I thought maybe Skylar might go to Zeera for help, and now that you’re friends with Zeera, I’m hoping you can make sure that she won’t help Skylar.”
I rolled my eyes and groaned. Skylar was smart, I had to admit it. Rain would never guess she’d come to me of all people. And if only Rain had spoken to me sooner, I’d have known not to listen to stupid Skylar! It wasn’t like I could force her back to the Real World, because what if shifting really did cause a problem? A teensy little death problem? And I somehow made the situation worse?
“So I can’t rely on you then?” Rain asked, his words clipped with frustration.
My hands balled into fists. “No! I mean, yes. Yes, you can rely on me. I’ll make sure Zeera doesn’t help her,” I said, which wasn’t a lie. I just didn’t tell him that I’d helped her.
“Good,” he said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said.
We stood there awkwardly.
What I should do was go check on Skylar. Truthfully, now I was a little worried. Well. Only a little bit of that worry was actually for Skylar, and the bulk of it had to do with what Rain would think of me if Skylar went and died on my watch. Before I could decide to send Rain on his way so I could go check on his precious girlfriend—even thinking the word in relation to someone other than me made me gag inside—Rain decided this for me.
“I guess I’ll see you later,” he said.
“Okay.” I was unable to mask my disappointment. “Bye, I guess.”
He gave me a quick nod. “Bye.” Then he turned and walked away.
And I watched him go.
Every step that took him farther hurt my heart.
I was wasting my chance.
Um, why was I wasting my chance?
“Wait!” I shouted and ran after him. “Can we, um, talk?”
He halted. “About what?”
I could tell from his tone he knew that I meant to talk about us. “At least face me,” I said. “Can’t you give me that much respect?”
When Rain turned around, shame was written onto his face. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be rude. I’m just off to . . .”
“Look for Skylar?” My eyes sought the floor. “Wait for her? Propose marriage to her?”
Rain grimaced. Even still, he was gorgeous. “Actually . . .”
I dug my toes into the hard cavern floor and waited for him to tell me the inevitable.
“. . . no.”
I raised my gaze. His eyes had softened. He was looking at me in a way he hadn’t in months. I soaked it up like sunlight. “Well. I’m glad.”
He studied me back. “Okay.”
I twirled a lock of my hair, a habit from the App World that transferred to the real one. The familiar green sparkle of my nails gave me the courage I needed. It was now or never. “There are some things I need to say to you,” I said. “And some questions I have.”
The softness in his eyes faded. “Lacy.”
My name from his mouth sounded like a warning. “Rain.” My finger was still twirling, my courage growing rather than receding. “I’m just asking for a conversation. Don’t you at least owe me that much?” As I spoke the question, I knew I was right. Rain did owe me at least that much. And then some.
For a moment he went still.
Then he nodded. “You’re right. I do.” He looked around the cavern, dark except for the eerie glow of the plugs, as though searching for someone. Or wondering if someone else was listening. After a minute, he asked, “Where do you want to go?”
19
Skylar
city death
I COULDN’T TEAR my eyes from that jar of glass.
I shook my head.
“Sorry,” I said to Adam. “I don’t know what got into me. I need to focus.” I stuck my hand back inside the hole in the wall and out came Trader’s Black Market App Store. I’d known about such Stores for ages, everyone in the City knew about them. Trader warned me once what to expect if I ever called up his, but it was one thing to hear rumors and descriptions and something else to be at the center of one. “Have you ever—” I began, but my voice dropped off as I took in the icons now hovering and darting about in Trader’s living room.
“—seen one of these?” Adam supplied. “No.” He swallowed. “And I can’t say that I ever want to see another one after today.”
The two of us alternated between staring and shielding our eyes.
Some of the icons were violent. Horribly so. They depicted images that I wished I’d never seen but would be burned in my memory forever. Some of the icons screamed and cried. The people they depicted were subjected to various forms of torture, the images repeating vile acts as the icons replayed the horrors they promised. There were Apps for every kind of vicious thing you could imagine and a million things you would never ima
gine unless you were deranged. They filled every corner of the room and flitted into the adjoining kitchen until it was impossible to turn away and not see another one.
Trader told me once that before the App World came into existence, when the virtual was still something you accessed only through those little devices and tablets, back when people still referred to it as the internet, there was something called the dark web. The dark web was the evil underside of the normal, public virtual sphere. Criminals operated it and used it to trade everything from weapons to slaves and so many other terrible things. You had to know how to access the dark web in order to use it, and lots of people didn’t even know of its existence. The Black Market App Store was modeled after it, apparently.
Not exactly the kind of thing you learn in Real World History Class.
“I don’t see a Death App icon,” Adam whispered, sounding choked.
I nodded. “I suppose that is one good thing.”
There were nonviolent icons too. If you were seeking classified information, conspiracy theories, government cover-ups, you also went to the Black Market App Store. There were Black Market Apps that specialized in underground chatter and traded in illegal information. This was how Trader had become aware that the borders were going to close between worlds before it was announced to the rest of us; how he’d known to get working on an App that would allow people to illegally cross from here into the Real World, and to have it ready once Jonathan Holt made his emergency broadcast announcement that Service was canceled.
I searched the storm of horrors populating Trader’s living room for the icon he told me was the best of them. The scenes only seemed to get worse and I didn’t know how much longer I could take witnessing such horrible images. “We need to find an icon with a man’s blond head and an hourglass next to it. There’s a globe inside the top half of it, dripping toward the bottom half.” When I turned to Adam, his hands covered his eyes. He was usually so brave. “Adam, I know this is awful, but I need your help!”
He groaned and removed his hands from his face. “I really don’t want to see any more of this. It’s almost worse than having to watch that man download the Death App.”
The Mind Virus Page 13