Synched

by DeAnna Browne

  In excitement, Ari hurried forward and wrapped her in a hug.

  “Ugg,” Tessa tensed. “I guess we’re doing hugs now.”

  Pulling back, Ari tried to stir some of the same worry she had last week when she first learned her family was missing. Ari didn’t know what Niomi knew but thought it best to keep up pretenses. “We lost Marco and my mom. Have you heard anything from them at all?”

  Tessa paused for a moment before she realized the situation Ari was in, then relaxed into her chair. “Not recently, but he checked in last week. They had to go underground a little bit more to get off people’s radar.”

  Releasing a big sigh, she leaned on the table. “Thank God. Are they getting the money I sent you?”

  “Yeah. They’re doing okay and wanted me to send their love.” She sipped the small cup in front of her.

  “Thank you.” Ari knew Niomi was watching this interaction, so she had to be very careful what she said. She needed to ask about Kari, but how? “Can I ask one more favor?”

  Tessa cocked a brow. “Like a stray cat, I’m unable to tell you no, so go ahead.”

  “Great. I’m a cat now.” Unsure how to go about doing it, Ari raised her hand for a drink. How could she hide from Niomi in here?

  Tessa must have sensed her hesitation. “Remember when Professor Coleman used to go on and on about how talented you were?”

  Not remembering any time Coleman complemented her, she was hesitant to reply. “What?”

  “Yeah. I never saw it myself. Maybe that’s because you sucked at my game, especially when you never changed weapons. I thought you were really dense.”

  Was Tessa telling her to use her power? Maybe how she pulled back when making out with Antoine, she could layer what Niomi saw in the VR. People go layers deep in the VR. Just because she hadn’t done that yet, didn’t mean she couldn’t. The thing was, writing a whole other conversation while talking to Tessa would be tricky, maybe impossible.

  While Tessa continued rambling on about school, and friends. Ari focused her vision to the code. A rush went through her as the world around changed to letters and numbers spinning in a perfect orchestra. She kept the world Niomi sent her to and created a simple scripted play between the two girls that involved drinking a lot of coffee to keep her trainer occupied.

  Then she created a second layer with no visuals, just a black screen. Niomi would only be able to see this if she pored through the code, which would take a normal person hours. Ari’s fingers tingled as she finished the work and pulled Tessa inside her blank world.

  “It took you long enough to catch on,” Tessa said when the surroundings changed.

  “We don’t have much time,” Ari said.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Can you have your lawyer see if there is any way to get out of my contract? Leave a message in your game for me if so. My friend will get it.”

  “Why do you want out?”

  “I don’t know if I do yet. It’s just inside VLEX…” Ari fisted her hand unable to put in words her concerns. She didn’t know what really happened to Kari and President Higgins. “I’d rather work for you.”

  “I’d love to have you, but if anyone caught wind of you, then it would be over. I don’t trust my dad with what he’d use you for. It’s harder to hide than you think and I’m not sure you’d be safe here.”

  “Just look into it for me okay? Also, can you check out a Kari Trenton for me? She works for the Icelandic States in VLEX.”

  Tessa’s face tightened in worry, her lip ring pulling to the side. “I will. We better go back before anyone catches on.”

  They went back to the coffee shop and said their goodbyes. Ari left not knowing whether she felt better or worse.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Monday, Ari returned to the VLEX as Kari, business as usual. Except for the pit in Ari’s stomach as she thought about the real Kari. She hated the glimpses of the pretty woman’s reflection she accidentally picked up now and again.

  When Hailey emailed her asking about lunch, a spark of interest surfaced. Ricco’s at noon. There was nothing unusual about making a friend with other workers in the VLEX. If anything, it was encouraged. Networking and lobbying were the only reason for lunch or drinks inside the VLEX.

  When it hit noon, Ari headed down to the town center. She followed the path, the small red door to Ricco’s snuggled in the crowded market. The small entrance gave away nothing. When she opened the door, the flavors of her hometown, peppers and lime, greeted her.

  Hailey waved from the bar and stood to welcome her. “Glad you could make it.”

  Ari nodded, waves of nervous energy rolling around in her stomach.

  “I have a table in the back.” Hailey led the way down a colorful corridor.

  Music wafted down the halls, an old Spanish number. Something Ari’s grandmother would listen to with tears in her eyes. Soon they found the source. In the corner a bronze and black machine twirled around playing music. A couple danced in the middle of the floor. The woman wore a bright red dress, cut high in the hip. One hand on her skirt, she whipped it around as the gentleman twirled her.

  Ari looked at Hailey and mouthed the words, “What is this?”

  Hailey didn’t answer but turned back to the couple. They moved with a grace only a skilled dancer could accomplish. When the final chord struck, the man tilted the woman back leaning close to her neck. As he placed a light kiss on her collarbone, she vanished.

  Hailey clapped, applauding the man. Straightening up, he ran a hand through his hair, short and dark with a hint of silver. It may be to show his age, but no one ever knew in here. His red tie stood out against his black suit, a perfect match to the woman’s dress.

  “This must be Kari.” He took Ari’s hand and kissed the knuckles. “Pleasure to meet you. You may call me Emil.”

  She had to reminder herself to stay in character but noticed how he phrased that with a curl of his lips—pleasure.

  “Hailey tells me you have some gifts.”

  Ari spared Hailey a quick look. “I guess that’s a matter of opinion.”

  A light laughter filled the air, almost as musical as the dance. The musical perfection of his laugh couldn’t have been natural, but only something a warper could do. “Glad you have a sense of humor.”

  Nerves on edge, Ari got straight to the point. “How many people like you are in here?”

  His smile remained in place. “You mean warpers like you?”

  Biting her lower lip, she nodded. She wasn’t ready to admit to anyone her abilities, but this man had abilities of his own. “That’s not an answer.” Ari didn’t want to play games anymore. Could no one be straight? She turned to leave, and a wall appeared in front of her where the hall used to be. Turning around, she realized there was no longer an exit in the room. Yes, she could have moved it, but she didn’t want to use her powers unless necessary. As she turned, she narrowed her gaze.

  He held a hand open. “Dance with me?”

  “Really?” A laugh escaped her. “I don’t know how to dance.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  Before she could reply, he took her hand and spun her into his arms. The smell of spicy cinnamon, presumably his cologne, wafted around her. He kept his hand on her lower back while lifting hers up in a formal position. Soon they spun around the room with an agility and grace Ari didn’t possess.

  Uncomfortable, she pulled back, resisting, but nothing happened. Her body continued to dance close to his. Her hips twisted as her feet danced steps foreign to her. The Spanish number played out of the music player nearby.

  Unnerved, she tried harder to stop dancing. Ari slammed her foot hard into the ground, but nothing happened. She focused on the code, the characters and digits flowing along everything in this world. Her power of manipulation, which normally came as easily as walking, didn’t work. She could see the code but couldn’t change it. Her body continued dancing against its will.

  He leaned towards her,
his breath warm on her neck “Don’t fight it. You’ll only hurt yourself.”

  Panic clamped down on her chest. Her breaths came in jagged gasps. Helpless in his arms, his touch became repulsive.

  “You’re more special than anyone wants to tell you. You are more than the tool people want you to be.”

  Closing her eyes, she tried to pull out of the program. Normally, she only had to will herself back into reality, simple and easy. Instead, she remained in the program with Emil’s hands still on her.

  Focusing, she changed the world around her. Brightly colored letters and numbers spun around her, but she was powerless to change anything. This was her current reality. She swallowed back the tears and fear that threatened to overwhelm her.

  The music continued playing and when she opened her eyes, Emil smiled back at her. “You’re the future.”

  Slowly the music ended, and she spun out of his hands. A wave of dizziness threatened to overtake her. Holding onto a nearby wall, she struggled to slow her breath. “What the hell was that?”

  “What I’m capable of, and what you will be capable of one day. Your company claims to save you, protect you from those who would poach us like wild animals. Yet all they want is this power for themselves.” He reached out his hand, and Hailey stepped next to him, grasping it. “They probably even claim to keep you safe and healthy, but they don’t even know how.”

  “What are you talking about?” The hundreds of questions Ari had fled as she tried to decipher what he was really saying. A headache began to grow behind her eyes, her mind fuzzy. Trying to manipulate the code hurt her more than she realized.

  “Why don’t you dig a little deeper into this VisionTech of yours? Instead of being their puppet, consider holding the reins for a while.”

  With a snap of his fingers, Ari stood outside the restaurant. She spun around looking for any sign of them, but only saw strangers continue down the busy walkway. Nauseated, she leaned against a nearby wall and slowly sunk to the ground. Code blinked in and out of her vision as a sharp pain grew behind her eyes. Trying to escape Emil exhausted her energy, but she didn’t figure it would be this bad.

  Sitting down, head between her bent knees, she tried to catch her breath. She squeezed her eyes shut, and a rainbow of colored code ran against the back of her eyelids. She fought the migraine that threatened to keep her down.

  “Are you okay, Miss?” A middle-aged man stood above her in a dark suit. His face was a blur of flesh and code that hurt to look at.

  “Just not feeling well.” She turned away and prayed he’d leave her be. People weren’t sick inside the VR or if so, it would be hidden back in the real world. If somebody was too ill, then the VR monitors would pull them out.

  The man remained nearby, obviously not believing her.

  She lifted her chin and forced her face to not show the pain she felt. “Seriously. I just got some bad news from my boyfriend. I’ll be okay.”

  He finally turned to leave, mumbling something about drama.

  After several minutes, she used the wall to stand. The world around her spun several times, but slowly straightened out. Unsure of how she would finish her work, she stumbled into a nearby bar and asked for a drink. With a swipe of her hand, Kari paid for it with her employee credits. The taste repelled her, but she finished it. With a gasp, she set the bottle down. Characters danced around the glass, and she realized fake alcohol may not fix this type of headache.

  If she pulled out of the VR, it would be obvious something happened. Niomi would demand answers. Was Ari ready to tell her?

  No, not yet. Not until she had all the answers about VisionTech. With a hand lifted to block out the fake sun, she shuffled back to work. Gratefully, President Higgins had a meeting that kept him busy most of the afternoon. Ari laid her head on the desk, closed her eyes, and prayed for the pain to stop.

  Chapter Sixteen

  With trembling fingers, Ari typed out her report. Her headache turned to a full-blown migraine. Black spots filled her vision, and she worried how long she would be able to stand.

  Niomi grabbed her hand and pulled her into a chair. “What’s going on?” She slapped on a medi-cuff. A bright light pierced Ari’s vision, and she flinched back in pain.

  “It’s just a bad headache. Let me lay down and I’ll be fine.” Ari closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

  “I’ll take some blood and then get you to your room.”

  Ari didn’t have the energy to protest, but thought taking blood, when she hadn’t eaten real food all day, wasn’t the smartest idea. By the time Niomi finished her workups, Ari could barely stand by herself. Her trainer escorted her to her room. Ari crawled into bed, hiding from the light that stabbed sharp daggers in her eyes. Jewels spoke in the distance. Absently, she felt someone take off her shoes and inject something into her arm. The pain that should have registered from the injection was little more than a prick. Finally, the lights dimmed, darkness surrounding her.

  “Contact me or your AI if you need anything. Jewels or I will be close by,” Niomi said then, with a swish of the door, left.

  Minutes or maybe hours passed, and Ari drifted in and out of consciousness. Eventually, the pain lifted, leaving her in a fog of drugs. When she could finally sit up, all the light fixtures in the room were glowing softly. Glancing at her HUB, it was nine at night. Her dry mouth tasted like vomit, though she didn’t remember throwing up. Stumbling out of bed, she brushed her teeth and downed a full glass of water.

  Refilling it, she took a seat. Her muscles ached like she had ran a marathon. There was an exhaustion she didn’t think any sleep would cure. Ordering some soup, she checked her HUB and found it was flashing with new messages. Vinh sent a short note, checking up on her and wanting her to call him.

  She flipped on her electronic assistant. “Hey, you annoying piece of crap, your new name is Emil. Call Vinh.” Maybe she shouldn’t so blatantly use his name, though she doubted it was his real name, anyway. Somehow ordering people around gave her some evil satisfaction. Her pain was because of him.

  Vinh picked up right away. “How are you doing?”

  “Better than I was. What’s up?”

  “I’m bringing over your suit tonight. Will you be up for a bit, or should I leave it for you?”

  “I’ll be up. I need to move and clear my head. I’ll be in the kitchen, eating.”

  Realizing her old smart suit was stiff due to sweat, she peeled out of it and jumped in the shower. The warm water massaged her stiff muscles. Wrapping her hair up into a bun, she put on PJs and headed to the kitchen.

  By the time Vinh showed up, she had already finished off her soup and was halfway through the carton of ice cream. Vinh set the suit on the back of the chair. “Is there enough for me?”

  “If you hurry.”

  He grabbed a spoon and dug out his own bite of chocolate ice cream. “You gave Niomi a real scare today.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. She screamed at me for letting you forget your suit in the common lockers. Not that the suit would have helped you, but it would have helped Niomi watch your vitals.”

  She took another bite, savoring the cold chocolate in her mouth. “I should have gone back for it. Thanks for getting it for me.”

  “What happened in there?”

  He asked the question casually, but it felt off. She watched him until he noticed. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

  The medicine must still be in her system. Things felt off; Vinh felt off. She shook off the feeling and tried to answer. “Sorry, I’m still a little foggy from the meds. I just started getting a bad headache and instead of coming back, I pushed through it. It just made things worse.”

  “You better take care of yourself, and I’m doing my part by eating some of this ice cream for you.”

  Ari laughed, but then quieted down and thought about his comment of taking care of herself. What wasn’t he telling her?

  The rest of the evening passed with them talk
ing, opening another tub of ice cream, and watching crappy old movies. Vinh loved adding horrible accents to the villains. She wondered why she even thought something was wrong with him.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Niomi wanted to keep Ari out of VLEX longer, but Kari needed to go back to work. Anxious for her own answers, Ari pushed to go back in as well. Her fortitude faltered slightly when her alarm went off at 2:30 in the morning, but after some caffeine she was ready for work.

  “If the headache returns, come back in. Even a slight headache can improve with some rest at your lunch break.” This time, Niomi put Ari on the patch before she was plugged in.

  “I will.” Ari planned to lie low today. No Latin dancing for sure.

  “Be careful,” Niomi said as she slid the cable in Ari’s neck.

  Ari leaned back and closed her eyes.

  She arrived at Kari’s usual desk, not a thing out of place. Her usual in-box was piled with messages, but one stood out to her. It came from Worldwide News Source, a VLEX newspaper that usually held headlines from all over the world, along with design changes and other pertinent information for those inside the VLEX. This message caught her eye with the mention of President Tao, the man she impersonated last week.

  Opening the news, she learned President Tao had a heart attack. His picture, stoic and strong emerged in 3D from the screen. Being eighty-three, the attack wasn’t a total surprise given his family history, but his last doctor appointment reported the Representative was in good health.

  Watching his picture, a heavy feeling settled in her gut. Was there even such a thing as coincidence when dealing with a business as successful and precise as VisionTech? And the fact that Ari currently worked in the office of President Higgins, who co-founded that she just voted, must not be a surprise either.

  She didn’t have time to panic. Not yet. Not without the facts. Checking President Higgin’s schedule, she realized she had an hour before he made it in. Hopefully that would be enough.