CodeY

by Lamar Rutherford

  CODEY

  Lamar Rutherford

  Copyright © 2019 Lamar Rutherford

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  ISBN-13: 9781234567890

  ISBN-10: 1477123456

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309

  To my loving family and friends for all their support and encouragement, but mostly my mom, Rheta Rutherford, who has always been encouraging, no matter how crazy my next endeavor.

  Love Story 2022

  Chapter 1

  The pounding of her feet on the treadmill was almost mesmerizing. Keece focused her attention on making the sound of each footstep exactly the same, in perfect rhythm. She could adjust it ever-so-slightly by the way she rolled her toes and each part of her foot on the tread.

  “How are you doing Keece?”

  The familiar voice startled her. She almost faltered, coming out of her semi-trance. Her cardiologist, Doctor Coleman Janson, was young and handsome, his smile warm and bright against his dark skin, his demeanor comforting, naturally inspiring trust. Beneath his lab coat, she suspected he was in great shape, strong and compact; more inspiration for her to perform well on her heart fitness test.

  Keece, a little breathy, replied, “I’m okay. Starting to feel a little winded.”

  Cole watched her, musing to himself that she hardly looked winded, and her performance was already in the 95th percentile, the equivalent of an Olympic athlete. He had not seen results this strong in a long time, but he kept his face expressionless. He knew better than to influence a patient’s results, and he could tell simply by watching her that she had a competitive nature that would kick in if she could assess how she was doing. But, none-the-less, he was impressed.

  As he left, he told her, “Okay. See how long you can keep going. We’ll gradually increase the intensity, and then stop when your heart rate gets to 160.”

  She slid back into her semi-trance, trying to make every step perfectly even, her short blonde ponytail swishing rhythmically across her strong shoulders. She had always been in shape, but not overly fit like the gym-rat bodybuilder types. She had come in for the test because her mom had a heart irregularity. Mom was still healthy in her early seventies, but they monitored her carefully. Keece’s general physician had suggested the test as a precaution.

  Several minutes later, Cole returned. “Okay Keece, start to ease up. We’ll start to slow it down.”

  As the pace eased up, she stepped off gingerly, holding the rails so as not to slip back as the track continued turning. She’d witnessed that kind of dismount and it never ended well. She turned to the doctor and asked, “How did I do?”

  Cole smiled warmly, “Very good. Okay, if we run a few more tests?”

  “Sure, fine,” she agreed, ignoring the faint tingle of apprehension at the back of her neck, more tests sounded like they may not be sure she did “very well.”

  She was so outstanding on the heart test that Cole was interested to see if she was also as strong in other areas. He tested her coordination, reflexes, ability to jump, everything he could without raising too much suspicion. He could see by her slightly perplexed look that she wondered what the tests had to do with her heart, but at the same time, she seemed to enjoy the challenges.

  Cole, mused, it always surprised him what people would do simply because their doctor asked them to. He could see how a bad physician could easily take advantage of a patient. Maybe he was a bit guilty of that himself in this case, but he needed the data on her other abilities to determine if she might be the right match. He knew his friend Radi would want a full report. He briskly moved through several more tests, including collecting a DNA sample, hoping to get through them before she started asking questions.

  After testing as much as he could without making things awkward, Cole stated, “So, you’re in really good shape.”

  She replied, a little surprised, “Thanks. That’s good to hear. I gather that means my heart is okay?”

  Cole smiled, realizing he had forgotten to mention that. “Yes, your heart’s in excellent condition.”

  Keece, relieved, replied, “Well, staying in shape is sort of a job requirement. I have a business that creates and sells virtual reality games for fitness.”

  Cole laughed. “Ah, I get it. Makes sense that that’s a requirement. If only all my clients had that kind of motivation.”

  After a pause, he continued measuredly, “So is that your workout, doing your games?”

  “Actually, I mostly do yoga or a Pilates type workout on my own, and then I play polo,” her eyes brightened as she mentioned polo, clearly showing her enthusiasm for the sport.

  Cole surprised, replied, “Polo? Real polo? As in on a horse?”

  She laughed. “Yah, the real thing. I started playing a few years ago and now I’m completely hooked. It’s funny how people have become so much more aware of it thanks to the Patron Polo VR game,” she said, imitating the distinctive game announcer voice as she said the name. “When I talked about polo before, people would always ask if it was water polo.”

  Cole replied enthusiastically, “Oh man, I play Patron Polo all the time with my friends. We love that game! But I can’t imagine what it’s like to play the real game. That is so cool!”

  “I love it. The strategy, the team, the horse…and it keeps you in great shape. The only drawback is that it’s not good for the wallet,” Keece replied with a guilty grin.

  Cole smiled at her self-indulgence. “Sometimes, you just gotta do what you love.”

  After a slight pause, he continued with curiosity, “Do you have kids?”

  Keece a little surprised by the abrupt subject change and personal questions, “No, I never got married. I almost did once. I guess that’s not a pre-requisite for having kids these days, but I never really wanted to do it alone, without a partner.”

  “So, no boyfriend?” Cole sounded surprised but tried to ask casually, trying to confirm her status without seeming too interested.

  Keece, wondering slightly if he was hitting on her, replied, “I do kind of have a boyfriend.” The doctor did not really seem like he was interested, but why would he ask about her personal life?

  Cole pressed her, “Kind of?” Giving her a teasing, questioning look.

  Keece looked slightly uncomfortable but smiled a little guiltily as she answered, “I shouldn’t say ‘kind of,’ we’ve been dating for a year now, but he’s much younger, too young for me to take too seriously.”

  Cole gave her a questioning look. “Too young. Is that possible? I thought you ladies liked a young stud.”

  “He’s in his late 20s. Really young!” she said emphatically and with a big engaging grin. “Fortunately, he looks and acts older, but I know one day he wants to have a family, and by then, I’ll probably be 60,” she said with a giggle.

  Cole marveled to himself, wow she has such a beautiful smile, this guy probably thinks he’s a very lucky guy. Cole was pretty sure there were a lot of younger guys who would be interested in dating a woman like Keece.

  Cole responded supportively, “Good for you!” To himself, he thought not so good for our experiment, but it sounds like a hurdle that might be surmountable.

  He then asked, “Do you want a family?”

  Keece shook her head, “It’s not that I don’t, or I should say, didn’t want a family, but I’m probably too old now. And I don’t think he’s planning on kids anyti
me soon.”

  Cole trying not to show he was relieved to hear she would be open to having a family asked another question, “How’d you two meet?”

  Keece looking a bit sheepish, knowing her answer sounded cliché. “He’s my polo instructor. He’s a pro from Argentina. He taught me for over a year before I realized he was interested. Even then, I had to be convinced, but we have a lot of fun together. He’s a good guy.”

  Cole, despite his own ideas, replied encouragingly, “Well, I think you go with it. Life is short. If you’re havin’ fun, enjoy the ride.” Then to himself he added, at least until we find you a better option.

  They both smirked a little at the riding reference. Then Cole wrapped up their appointment, telling her they would have her official results in a few days, but that she seemed to be in great health, nothing to worry about.

  She thanked him and then added, “You should try real polo sometime. Or at least come and watch a real match. They have them every Sunday in Del Mar over the summer.”

  Cole paused and then smiled warmly, replying as he left the room, “Thanks. I might just do that.”

  Chapter 2

  “What’s up man? How’s your ortho research going? Still top secret, trying to pretend you’re 007, or is Get Smart more appropriate?” Radi said, teasing his best friend Pele Rosen over the phone.

  Radi Kapur, a genetics doctor, roomed with both Cole and Pele when they were in medical school together. They were all several years into their own medical practices now, but they remained close friends.

  Pele, now an Orthopedic surgeon, normally practiced at Scripps Hospital, but was recently asked to do a special assignment for the military, so he spent part of his time working on a classified project for the US Special Forces.

  “Oh yah, you know. Way above your clearance level. Sooo many secrets. None, of course, I can share with the likes of you.” Pele said with a snicker.

  Radi exaggerating for effect, “Wait until we get you liquored up. We’ll see how long it takes you to spill the beans. And you know, I’ll hold them over you for a year. I can’t wait to see what kind of favors you’ll come up with to make sure we keep those secrets!”

  Pele chuckled, “Oh, these are deep, dark secrets. You know I’d have to kill you if I revealed them.”

  “Oh man, we know you’ve tried that before,” Radi said with a chagrined laugh, referring to an old memory when Pele almost ran over him by accident with a jet ski in Cabo.

  They were both skipping out to sea on their jet skis rentals, decorating the deep turquoise blue with spiraling patterns of their white wakes, as if adorning a cake with garlands of frosting. The Cabo arch silhouetted in the backdrop, the sun sparkling on the surface like spilled sugar crystals, as each of them tried to daringly outmaneuver the other. Suddently Radi hit an unexpected wave and launched himself over the front of his jet ski, landing precariously directly in front of Pele. Pele turned sharply, his quick reflexes saving them both from harm. Each still landed in the drink, shocked and shaken, their jet skis circling slowly around them like hungry sharks, but both were relieved to be alive and safe. Cautiously, they recaptured their jet skis and made their way back at a much more sedate pace.

  Later, out on the town, the story got better and better with each round. Both the unexpected rogue wave and Pele’s quick reflexes were more epic with every telling. Despite the entertainment value from the embellished tale, neither would ever forget what a close call it really was. Radi never outwardly thanked Pele, but he was keenly aware and slightly envious of Pele’s heroic move that effectively saved his life.

  Pele responded good-naturedly with a tinge of sarcasm, “Yah, you might not be so lucky the next time.”

  Radi replied emphatically, “Yes, well, I think I’ll avoid giving you that kind of opportunity.”

  “Excellent. I think that’s the best idea you’ve had all night.” Pele laughed, neither really wanting to repeat that close call.

  Radi switched topics. “Hey man, remember Codey?”

  There was a long pause before Pele slowly replied, “Yeees.” Thinking to himself, oh Jesus. Didn’t we give up on that ridiculous experiment years ago?

  “Well, it could just be your lucky day. I think we found your match,” said Radi cautiously and a little overly enthusiastically, not sure what kind of response he might get.

  Pele, with a slight snort, clearly unconvinced, responded, “Oh great…I can’t wait to hear all about her.” Clearly rolling his eyes, “what kind of shenanigans have you been up to? And who’s “we”? The illustrious Dr. Janson, I presume.”

  Radi continued clearly unfazed by Pele’s attitude. He had always been much more serious about the experiment than the other two.

  “What are you doing this Saturday? How about we talk over a round of VR?” The three of them frequently played virtual reality games in medical school to blow off steam. The events were less frequent after they graduated, but they still all enjoyed the occasional get together to share a pint and a game or two.

  “Oh absolutely! Happy to trounce you in Patron Polo again.” Pele agreed enthusiastically, referring to their favorite game.

  Radi laughed, teasing him now, “You might want to brush up on those polo skills, my friend. I think you’re going to need ‘em!”

  More than you realize, Radi thought to himself with a slight smirk. He looked forward to seeing Pele’s face when he realized his competition was a real polo pro.

  “Hah, seems to me your pony had to head for the barn with his tail between his legs after the last beating!” Pele bantered back.

  Radi could not help but laugh at the description, but rebutted quickly, “You might need a memory check on that, Dr. Rosen. There was no slinking back to the barn…unless, of course, it was Cole’s pony.”

  They both laughed at throwing Cole under the bus when he was not there to defend himself.

  The following Saturday, the three of them met at their favorite local virtual reality bar, Another World, aptly named for the escapes from the real world it offered its clientele. The bar looked like a cross between a pool hall and a furniture store with multiple living room sets, each with its own supersized screen and the latest consoles.

  Some of the lounges were themed to match the virtual worlds of the more popular games, like the athletic field lounges where soccer, baseball, rugby, and other field sports were played. The floors were astroturf, the décor athletic gear and sports memorabilia, with a couple of rows of grandstand seating on each side. Then there were the space or intergalactic travel lounges with moon-like pebbled floors, dark starry night ceilings, lava lamps, and space memorabilia from famous shows like Star Trek and Star Wars. Alien battles and outer space warfare were featured in these rooms. There were also the Nature Scene rooms, which had large rounded screens around the front half featuring scenes from breathtaking skydives, treacherous mountain bike rides, fearless snowboarding runs, or other daredevil activities for a virtual wild ride. Various types of equipment could be rotated in. Players could strap into a snowboard, fasten into skydiving gear, slip on skis, or clip into the pedals of a bike depending on the activity of choice. Wireless VR goggles could be rented, or players could bring their own. Customers played or simply watched others. The audiences for the games could either wear goggles for a virtual audience experience or simply watch the screens for the 2D version. All the competitive games had scoreboards that were easily viewed by any fans or bystanders.

  There were typically some big-name local star virtual competitors featured in the central lounge, and tonight was no exception. The central lounge was larger than the outer mini lounges, with extra rows for the fans, and clear viewing from the main bar. The players for the central games sat one on each side, the audience on weathered leather couches surrounding them, cheering and socializing as the games progressed. Center lounge games were intense battles, skilled contests, or popular sports events. Only the very skilled made it to the top rungs and were invited to display their talents.r />
  Typical bar food was the fare, complemented by a wide selection of the latest microbrews and specialty craft cocktails, often named for the latest game hero. Tonight’s pick was the “Apollo”, named for Dane “Apollo” Young, the leading contender in the Crater Wars game, a battle for survival on Mars, with a cast of creepy contenders competing from all over the galaxy, each with their own unusual skills and weaponry, from meteor thrower to slime slayer. The drink, a foaming dark concoction, purportedly made you feel like you could defy gravity, a nod to Apollo’s outstanding ability to nimbly outmaneuver his opponents in a gravitational free realm.

  The mini lounges were more private for smaller groups or individuals. Radi, Cole, and Pele had staked out their favorite field sports lounge in a back corner where they could play and talk without interruption. They sat on stools with spring bases, so they could rock from side to side on their trusty “ponies” in Patron Polo. The growing number of stools available in each of the sports rooms was a clear indicator of the increasing popularity of the Patron Polo game.