Hard Wired Trilogy

by DeAnna Pearce

  “The girl in your room.”

  “That was work,” Reed protested.

  “The work you do with Garrett?”

  “Yes.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I never knew you needed help.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Reed. You don’t have to tell me anything.” Tired and hungry, she wasn’t in the mood to fight anymore. “I’m going. Thanks for your concern. Tell my brother I say ‘Hi’.” Ari walked off, leaving Reed behind.

  She made it only a couple steps into the cafeteria before Garrett found her. She smiled, relieved. He lightly brushed her arm as he approached, and, just like that, the anger dissipated. Reed worried like an older brother, or like an older brother who actually was around, nothing to be taken seriously. She wouldn’t have been able to make as far as she had without Garrett, and she still had a way to go.

  “Ready for tonight?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Depends.” Ari’s phobia of VR hadn’t died after one night.

  “Depends? A date with me isn’t something to look forward to?” Garrett smiled with mock sincerity.

  “You do make virtuals bearable.”

  “I have to run a couple errands, but I’ll try to be more than bearable tonight.” He squeezed her hand and headed off.

  Ari’s face warmed, and she hoped her tanned skin hid any blush.

  She grabbed food and headed back to her room. Over lunch she scanned a message from her mom, checking up on her. Ari took it as a reminder that as bad as school was, things could be worse, like working in a warehouse for the rest of her life.

  Ari kept her return message brief, not wanting to say much when the threat of coming home still hung in the air.

  A message flashed from her advisor, Dr. Williams.

  Your VR teacher, Dr. Coleman, has reported your recent behavior, and I decided it would be best to place you on academic probation. We have high standards and expect all students to follow the school’s code of conduct. I will be periodically sitting in on your classes to see if any further action is needed.

  Ari let her breath escape in one big rush, and she leaned back in her chair. Probation. What did that entail? She had until Friday. She felt sick.

  Tessa entered in a bustle of energy, tossing an empty coffee cup in the trash.

  “Thanks again for this morning.” Ari closed her screen and spun in her chair.

  “No worries. You going to Coleman’s class today?”

  “Not sure.” Ari bit her lip, not sure if going today would help or hurt. Freaking out might make her situation worse. Maybe she should get her fear under control before returning, and she had until Friday to do it. Would Coleman buy the excuse that she was sick? “I’m not feeling great. I’ll probably skip Coleman’s class today.”

  Tessa kicked off her shoes. “Not to pry, but I don’t get your problem with virtuals. You do great in all of your other classes.”

  Ari shrugged. “Not sure. I just prefer to read pages than live them.” She didn’t feel like going into the problem with her dad. That would take a therapist to truly understand.

  “Then why did you come here?”

  “Beats the alternative.” The memory of her advisor’s message tightened her gut as she considered that alternative.

  Thick clouds promised rain and blocked out any chance of moonlight. The campus’s emergency lights lit the path a pale orange as she left her dorm to meet Garrett. The perfected landscape took on an eerie frozen appearance in the shadows.

  Despite the quiet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t alone. With all the technology and cameras on campus, how could they be getting away with this? Yet, they were.

  “Ari.” Garrett’s shadowed figure stepped onto the path and continued walking by her side.

  “Where to tonight?”

  “If I told you, then you wouldn’t be surprised.”

  “I’ll fake it. I swear.” Ari smiled. Her mind traveled the globe of possibilities. If she was going to risk her mind and body to these contraptions, it might as well be worth it.

  “Sorry, still not telling you.” Garrett opened the door and led her through the empty building.

  The quiet darkness curdled the fear lurking in her stomach, and she focused on her breath. In and out, nice and even. She took the same seat as the previous night and gripped the arm rest.

  Leaning back, Garrett helped her plug into the device, and then leaned over. “You ready?”

  “No, but since when does that matter?” She smiled and nodded for him to continue.

  She tried to remember the glint in his eyes when she turned to face the ceiling and shut her eyes tightly. This time he didn’t have to pry her eyes open. Water roared in the distance as the air turned hot and heavy with humidity. Her eyes flew open to find a waterfall. It fell over a rocky cliff face into a small pool of water. In this tropical forest, greenery grew everywhere while flowers of every color dotted the landscape, so wild and beautiful in its own unique way. Turning in a circle, she found green jungle surrounding them.

  Her breath picked up, nerves fighting their way out. This place seemed so real, so visceral. “Where are we?”

  “Another island.” He pointed to the mountain in the distance. “This one even has a volcano.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, but we’ll save that for another time. Come on.” Garrett took her hand and pulled her towards the waterfall.

  “One minute.” She held up a finger. Like in the previous VR, she searched for the errors, digging past the surface. She bit the inside of her cheek. There had to be something. A new pair of hiking shoes hugged her feet. She scratched a shoe along the rocky path she was on, but nothing moved. Not the rocks, not even the dirt moved. This isn’t real. Above, the sun shone bright in a clear sky, but as she looked at it, it didn’t burn her eyes, it just stayed a fuzzy yellow color with no true warmth. There was more still off about the world, she could feel it. Before she could investigate the deep vegetation, Garrett pulled on her hand.

  “Are we gonna stand here all day, or are you ready for an adventure?”

  At the word, ‘adventure’, she cringed internally. I can do this, she reminded herself. “Okay. What is this adventure?”

  Garrett’s mouth lifted into a mischievous smile. “Race you.” He disappeared on the narrow trail through the trees. Was he purposely being flippant or maybe he was trying to distract her? If so it was working. Almost.

  She swallowed her fear and took off up the hill after him. By the time she made it to the top, she was out of breath and her legs burned. “I know this isn’t real, but my legs hurt.”

  “Just because this is happening in your mind doesn’t make the experience any less real.” Garrett reached out and took her hand.

  While his action appeared extremely casual, Ari couldn’t help but wonder what it meant. He tugged her to the edge, to a breathtaking view of water below. Vegetation surrounded the pool with a variety of colored flowers. Their tropical smells drifted up to greet her. He stepped closer to the edge, pulling her with him.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Jumping, of course. You’ll love it.”

  “I don’t think so. What if I died here? I know I won’t really die, but it still has to hurt. Right?” Unable to control her nervous ramblings, Ari pulled against his hold.

  Garrett must have seen the panic in her eyes, because he pulled her into a hug. “Don’t worry so much, Ari. Remember I said it’s all about trust?”

  They were at the edge of the cliff. She didn’t know if she trusted Garrett. Granted, she was there with him, and sneaking out in the middle of the night required some trust. While the mental war waged on, Garrett held her tighter, and before she could say a word, he stepped off the cliff with Ari screaming all the way down.

  Ari tried to hit Garrett several times after she recovered from the jump, but he ducked under the water out of range. Struggling to fight while staying afloat, she swam to the side and sat on the rocky deck in her wet cl
othes.

  “Don’t be mad. I really thought you’d like it.” Garrett floated in the water in front of her.

  Ari could almost admit that it had been pretty fun, but she didn’t like him making choices for her in the virtuals. She needed to learn how to do things for herself.

  “I promise no more cliff jumping without your permission.”

  “Oh, so cliff jumping is a regular thing for you.”

  “Bungie jumping also. You should try the Eiffel Tower.”

  “No thanks. I’d love to see Paris, but not in a blur as my life passes in front of my eyes.” Ari’s anger receded as her heartbeat finally slowed. The panic hadn’t left her, but it took up less residence hiding in the recesses of her mind. She didn’t know if it was Garrett’s surprises or his casual flirty behavior and she didn’t care. If she could play in here, she could work. She had to.

  “Ready?” Garrett swam towards her and climbed out.

  “No, but I don’t have a choice, my test is tomorrow.” Ari grabbed a small rock on the ground and threw it in the water. “I need to try this on my own.”

  “Go during lunch then. It’s pretty empty.” Garrett’s wet hair dripped into his mischievous eyes.

  “Garrett,” Ari swallowed unsure of what their relationship was growing into. “Thanks for everything. I couldn’t have done this without you. I owe you.”

  “I can think of one way you can repay me.” Garrett eyed her in a manner that made it obvious what kind of payment he was hoping for.

  She stood, nervous about what had happened the last time he tried to take things too far. “I can think of one too.” Ari shoved him back and watched as he tumbled into the water.

  Chapter Ten

  Living on a constant caffeine drip, Ari slept for only a couple hours and woke up early the next day. She read the school policy and learned that every student was allowed two absences a quarter, and she was cashing in that day. Coleman’s deadline was up. Messaging Tessa, Ari asked her still sleeping roommate to take notes for her morning classes and headed off to the VR lab.

  Despite her lack of sleep, anxiety and fear kept her awake and followed her every step. She had to do this, before she talked herself out of it. The open lab in her dorm was next to her VR class with Dr. Coleman. The glass door slid open with a whoosh as she approached. Ari’s normal teaching assistant, Mica, wasn’t in the room, but another tall lanky guy sat behind the counter, his head in his hands.

  “Wanting to check in?” His brows lowered as if wanting to ask, instead, why she was here so early.

  “Yes.” She gave her full name so that it would match her HUB and waved her wrist over the black pad on the desk. Her name and picture popped up onto the screen.

  The guy looked over her info and then typed something. “I’m Toby. You must be getting some last-minute cramming in for Dr. Coleman’s test. Number eight is open. What do you want to run?”

  As determined as Ari was to come to the lab, she’d never thought about what VR to choose. She wanted to conquer the last one she’d run from. “Can I do the one from the first day of his class?”

  “Sure. Give me a second to find it.” He focused on his screen. “Most teachers use the one from the Never-Ending War to scare all the newbies away.”

  Well, it worked, but not this time.

  “Okay, you’re all set.”

  Ari made her way through the small cubicles filled with leather reclined chairs and VR stations. A few of them were filled with unconscious students. The smell of cleaning solution filled the air, and it reminded her of a hospital, and her father. She was determined not to lose her nerve so easily, so she continued down to number eight. She set down her bag and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. It took a moment to get settled.

  “You can do this,” she reminded herself and dove into the program.

  The familiar dust and noise bombarded her instantly. Voices screamed, calling for help. Bombs exploded in the distance. Her first reaction was to flee. She scurried back to the shelter of a nearby building and struggled to draw in a clean breath.

  This isn’t real. The dust and smoke suffocating you isn’t real.

  Squeezing her eyes shut, she drew in a breath through her nose. When she reopened her eyes, the noise and chaos continued to attack and disorient her. She clasped her hands over her ears to block out the craziness. With the world in front of her muted, it helped her pounding heart to slow. This VR put a lot focus on the sounds of war, but as she scanned the horizon, there was something missing.

  While bullets and bombs sounded overhead, there wasn’t any evidence of any of their destruction. No explosions of dirt or debris in the landscape or people being struck down. Several injured people littered the dirt path along the building, but their wounds were bandaged already.

  Down the block, one injured woman cried out. “Help me. Dear God, help me.”

  Watching the woman, Ari lowered her hands and approached.

  The woman’s image scattered ever so briefly, and then reformed. “Help me. Dear God, help me.”

  This woman’s script must run in a loop, repeating for whoever walked past. Several other errors stuck out so obviously that Ari wondered why she’d never seen them before. Granted, she’d never stayed in a VR long enough to find them. Out in a nearby field, the same soldier kept running a similar path every minute or so. The explosions, still loud and annoying, sounded like a pattern that could be predicted.

  This was a flawed program. Dr. Coleman wanted them to see these flaws, so they can do better. Be better. With a world so complex, every little detail mattered. For the first time since coming to this school, a kernel of hope burned in her chest. She just might have a chance here.

  After scanning the horizon one more time, she pulled out of the VR, not out of fear, but because she had another class soon. The sickening noise of unplugging herself from the machine, still churned her stomach.

  Grabbing a drink from her bag, she realized that her class had already started. Despite the nausea building in her stomach, she had to go back in. She completed a couple of easier VRs, not lasting over fifteen minutes. But it was enough. Exhausted, even though she didn’t move a muscle for most of it, Ari picked up her bag and headed out of the cubicle.

  Walking down the hall, she read the screen in the wall flashing student reminders. Then the screen glitched. Numbers and letters sprawled all over the screen. Ari blinked again, and it was gone. She rubbed her temple, not sure what she saw in the first place. Maybe I need to get my eyes checked again. She’d had corrective surgery once already for her vision.

  Turning the corner towards the exit, she paused. Reed stood in front of her talking with the lanky TA that had checked her in. Reed finished his sentence and glanced her way. “Ari.”

  “Hi. What are you doing here?” She worried that he would give her another warning or lecture to avoid Garrett. He had never given her a tough time about boys she dated at their old school. Granted there weren’t many when most dates took place in the virtual realm.

  “Just helping Toby with a last-minute assignment.”

  Toby took the small drive on the counter and inserted it into his personal device. “I owe you one.”

  “I think it’s more than one.” Reed turned to Ari. “Walk you to your next class?”

  Taken back, it took Ari a moment to answer as she tried to figure his true reason for being there. He could have transferred data electronically to Toby. Couldn’t he?

  “Are you going to class?” He tilted his head slightly in question.

  Pull it together. Ari shook off the awkward surprise and exhaustion enough to answer. “Actually, I’m headed to my room.” She figured she should sleep for an hour or so before Coleman’s class if she was going to make any sense.

  “We can ride together.”

  They walked down the hall. The inches between them felt heavy, like miles filled with uncomfortable silence. In the elevator, they were alone, which was rare. He pushed her floor and then turne
d to her.

  “I wanted to say sorry about yesterday.” He glanced down. “It’s not my business who you date.”

  She had been thinking about it a lot since their run in. “If Garrett is so bad, why do you work with him?”

  “He’s not bad. He’s just more ...” He appeared to struggle to find the right word. “Let’s just say he has a reputation.”

  The elevator opened, and Ari wasn’t sure how to take his comment. Was Garrett a male slut or did Reed think she was naïve? She didn’t have time to worry about it and stepped out of the elevator.

  With a hand, he stopped the doors from closing behind her. “So, are we okay?”

  She turned back to Reed, his hazel eyes the same eyes she often lost herself in since she was twelve. He was trying to watch out for her. Even if he thought of her as a little sister, he cared. She couldn’t blame him for his behavior before. “We’re good, Reed.”

  A smile lit up his face as he stepped back into the elevator. “Have a good class.”

  As she headed to her room, an elated feeling grew in her chest. It felt good to settle things with Reed. Walking one staggered step at a time, her bed called to her like never before. Inside her room, she dumped her gear and kicked off her shoes, ready to sleep in her clothes. Before she could collapse on the bed, a message vibrated on her HUB.

  It was from her bank. They confirmed her withdrawal of $200. She hadn’t taken any money out of her account. On a tight budget, she planned her money from her part-time jobs to last her all year. But there it was on the bank record, removed this morning at 9:52am. It was clearly an error, but she’d have to deal with it later. She fell onto to her bed and closed her eyes.

  A few hours later, Ari’s hands gripped the arm rest, and she couldn’t stop chewing her bottom lip. She thought she was ready but wondered if she’d ever feel ready. Dr. Coleman didn’t speak to her but gave her a look of expectation that told Ari he was serious about her performance. She ignored the looks from the other students, especially Wake glaring at her.