“Then I’ll do it,” Reed offered.
“Williams barely approved of me going in. Why does it matter?” Being tired, it took Ari a minute to connect the dots.
“I’m worried with your new abilities, that you’ll be tempted.”
“If you’re telling me to hide my abilities and leave my brother in there, I can’t do it.” Ari had to admit she was thankful Reed had suggested it. She hated to tell him that she hadn’t thought of it before. Maybe there was some way to change Marco’s virtual to help him come out.
Reed must have sensed her thoughts. “Can you help him when he gets out if you get shipped out of here?”
“We’re not even sure if changing the VR will help him.”
“I mean it, Ari. I don’t think Marco or I want to finish the year without you. Please don’t.”
“It’ll be fine,” Ari said and placed another quick peck on his lips.
“You don’t know that,” he said. “I have a lab today during your lunch, but I’ll meet you in the wellness clinic after classes.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I’ll meet you there.” Reed cut her off before she could finish and then headed to class.
She watched his tall, slim frame walk away through the crowd. A cold breeze made Ari shiver, sending her inside.
Ari made it to her dorm to find Tessa pulling her purple hair into a high pony tail. She threw her bag on a chair and headed to the closet. She probably should at least change before she headed to class.
“Where have you been?” Tessa turned to face Ari. “I thought if you had a wild night you’d be in a better mood.”
“No wild night.”
Tessa grabbed her hand and made Ari sit down on her bed. “What happened? You’re still in the same clothes, and you look like a walking zombie.”
“Thanks,” Ari said, sarcastically.
Tessa shrugged.
“It’s Marco,” Ari said. She swallowed, not sure the words wanted to come out of her mouth. But after the episode with Reed, she realized she didn’t need to do this alone. “He’s in a virtual coma.”
Tessa pulled back for a moment, surprise painted her face. “Really? I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.” Ari rubbed a hand over her face, wishing she could wake up from the nightmare. “I’m going in this afternoon, to try to get him out.”
Tessa’s brows rose, acknowledging what exactly that meant without saying it. They both knew their room wasn’t secure. “You sure?”
Ari nodded.
Tessa paused for a moment before continuing. “I can ask around and see if anyone knows anything, even do some research for the project we talked about.”
Ari read between the lines and realized Tessa referred to Ari using her newfound abilities in the VR. “Aren’t you worried about people listening in?”
“We’ve had our own code for communicating in games,” Tessa said with a wink. “I gotta head out, but I’ll let you know what I find.”
“Thanks.”
With no time for a shower, she grabbed a new shirt and noticed something sticking out, Dave’s business card. Someone who knew more about her abilities than she did. Calling him might not be a great idea, but she’d passed great ideas hours ago.
She called Garrett on the way to class to ask him about a safe way to call Dave. She would have asked Reed, but he hadn’t wanted her to use her abilities in the VR. Garrett didn’t answer, so she clicked off her ear piece and wrapped it around her finger.
Ari made it to class as the last bell rang. Her teacher, who Ari and Tessa secretly referred to as Dr. Toadstool, was at his podium, already lecturing with the notes projecting behind him.
She opened her tablet and started recording her professor’s lecture. Her concentration was shot, and she knew she needed a backup. Still thinking about her brother, she messaged Garrett.
I need to talk to you on break.
She struggled to follow the lecture on plotting with multiple story lines. She was surprised that she received a return message so soon.
Last time we talked I ended up getting a demerit on my transcript.
Reed and Garrett had gotten into a lot of trouble when the school busted their VR party. It would probably affect their placement at graduation the following year. Reed said they both knew what they were getting into, but that was Reed. She didn’t think Garrett had taken it as well, and she hadn’t talked to him since. Determined to save her brother, she refused to feel guilty, and messaged Garrett.
I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. Marco is in a VR coma.
And I should care why?
Ari bit her lip in frustration. I’ll owe you.
You already owe me.
He was right. She did owe him already and didn’t have any way to pay him back. She pulled her hair into a pony tail, trying to figure out her next move. She would call Dave at lunch. Maybe Tessa would let her use her phone. The school couldn’t be watching every student’s phone, could they?
Before she could close her messaging interface, another message flew across her screen.
Meet me for lunch. I’ll figure out some way you can pay me.
Ari wasn’t sure if she should worry but figured anything Garrett could come up with couldn’t be as bad as things were already. She hoped at least.
Before class was done, Tessa texted that she’d hit a dead end with her research on warpers and VR comas. As Ari exited her class for their lunch break, she realized that moment would be her only chance to talk to Dave. Wrapped in her jacket, she made her way to the student center to meet Garrett. Waiting near a bench, she pulled out the card. Maybe if she called Dave they could talk without giving too much away. She turned the ring around her finger, considering it.
With her distracted thoughts, she didn’t see Garrett approach, soda in hand. “You wanted to talk?” Annoyance and disdain colored every word. “This better be good. I’m dreaming up complex and morally reprehensible ways you can pay me for this favor.”
This so wasn’t worth it. Ari would just borrow someone else’s phone. “I can’t play your games anymore.”
“My game? Really?” He stepped closer. “You dump me, then hook up with a friend and continue calling me for help. Remind me, whose game is this?”
“That’s not how I meant for this to happen.” Ari had to admit, it looked bad.
“But here we are.” He gave her a condescending smile. Ari wondered how she’d ever found that cute.
“I don’t need your help anymore. It’s not worth it.” Ari turned to leave, but Garrett grabbed her arm.
“It is. Trust me.” His voice was softer, and the sneer left his lips. This was the Garrett Ari remembered on the first day of school—too bad he was so often covered in layers of supercilious slime.
With a sigh, she sat on the bench. “I need to make a call, an untraceable call.”
He nodded and sat next to her. “There’s an Internet number you can dial into that will distort your signal. The site changes its IP address frequently to avoid detection. But if you know how to find it, you’re gold.”
“Really?” Ari wasn’t sure whether to believe him.
“Yeah. If they trace you, they will be going all around the world.” He grabbed her HUB and dialed in the digits. Ari slipped in her ear piece and waited for Garrett to push send. “Payment first.”
Ari huffed in exasperation, “Okay. What is it?”
“Sleep with me.”
“What?” Ari’s jaw dropped, and it must have looked ridiculous, judging by the laughter erupting from Garrett. “Get lost.” She pushed him lightly, and he laughed harder.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” He ran a hand through his messy hair.
“Glad I could give you a good laugh.”
Once his laughter died, he straightened up, his face serious. “I want a favor once you’re out of here.”
“What kind?” Ari asked with hesitation, not wanting to leave it open to anything.
“Remembe
r, you’re going to be worth a lot. I want to be able to contact you, maybe ask for an in with a job or something.”
“I’ll do whatever I can.” That sounded easy compared to the other things she had facing her. Thinking of Garrett though, she wanted to make sure she covered herself. “But I’m not doing any weird sexual VR stuff, okay?”
“Don’t worry, you wouldn’t be any good at it anyway.” Ari wasn’t sure if she should be insulted or not.
Garrett hit call and stood to leave. “Good luck,” he said as he strolled off towards the student center.
Ari’s hands shook from cold, or maybe nerves, as the phone buzzed in her ear. She nervously scanned for people who might eavesdrop on her conversation. One couple huddled nearby at a table, but, otherwise, the courtyard was empty. The weather must have chased everyone indoors.
“Hello?” a man’s voice answered.
“Is this Dave?”
“And this is?”
“Ari. We met before over antique books.”
“Where are you calling from, Ari? Is this line secure?”
“My friend dialed through a line that is supposed to be untraceable.”
His voice noticeably relaxed. “Good girl. Are you ready to go to work?”
Ari bristled against being treated like a canine, but she needed help. “Can a warper manipulate a VR to help people in VR induced comas?”
There was a pause in the line. Fear struck Ari for a moment. She had assumed Dave would help. It had never crossed her mind that he would refuse, especially given that he hoped for her employment.
He spoke deliberately, like a father whose child has been caught in over her head. “You better start from the beginning.”
“I don’t have time to explain,” Ari said, which was partially true as lunch ended in twenty minutes. She really didn’t want to go into the details of her family’s horrid past with a stranger.
“Then the answer is maybe.”
Ari straightened up. She could work with maybe.
“See the thing is, people that are hooked are in a sensitive condition and there isn’t any research in the area.”
“But you said maybe—”
“I know. As a warper, you have a special ability to change their surroundings, especially if you know them. This helps you motivate them to realize they are still in the program. The problem is if you push them too hard they might retreat to their own world. Sometimes even if they are hooked in a program with you, they don’t see it. They see what they want to see, and live in the world they want to live in. They don’t want out, Ari.”
It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough. “Thanks for your help, Dave. I really appreciate it.” Ari reached up to end the call.
“Wait, Ari,” Dave’s voice sounded urgent.
Ari’s hand paused over her ear piece.
“Is the medical VR you’re going into secure?”
The pause in Ari’s voice told him the answer.
“Then don’t do it. If you’re caught, this will probably be the last conversation we ever have. If you join our company, you will be in a better position to help your friend.”
“It’s not a friend. It’s my brother, and I can’t wait. The longer he’s in there the more likely he won’t come out. It’s been over twenty-four hours as it is. I’m sorry but I have to go.”
“Please call me again—”
Ari clicked off the phone in the middle of Dave’s reply. For the first time she wished she could run away. Find a job and forget the responsibilities of her family, money, and everything else. That daydream didn’t last more than a second because she had to get to class. Advisor Williams would be keeping a close eye on her.
Ari made it through the rest of her classes, though she thought she would go mad. During class she searched through the electronic library archives about gifted programmers without typing in the name warper. She only found a few excerpts about warpers, even though they weren’t called that. One old text referred to a gifted student using cerebral programming. It didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know. She was surprised to find they even called the practice ‘unsupported’ and ‘lacking enough empirical data to prove it productive’.
After class, Ari hurried to the wellness center. The wind cut straight to her core, and she wished she’d brought a heated coat. The clouds overhead made promises of snow and Ari felt homesick. On chilly days, she would eat popcorn and cuddle under a heated blanket with a book. Even Marco used to join in, acting out the characters in absurd dialects.
She missed Marco and hated herself for letting this happen. While she was off making out with Reed, Marco was hooked up to a machine wishing it was his real life. She found Reed outside the wellness center, holding a bag.
“Hi, I thought you might need something.” He offered her the small bag and a cup.
Ari knew she should eat, but she wanted to see her brother. “I don’t think I could stomach anything,”
“At least try the tea. Nurse Carey said she is finishing up some paperwork and will get us when she’s done.”
Ari took the cup. “Thanks. Is Advisor Williams here yet?”
“No. Should he be?”
“I hope not. I got enough of his pleasantries this morning.”
“I would think so.”
They sat in orange metal chairs outside the doorway of the wellness center. She drank the warm tea while Reed nervously picked at his jeans.
She could tell he wanted to talk. “What is it?”
“I don’t want you to go in there. I can do it for you. I spoke to Nurse Carey already.”
Ari didn’t want to fight. She was too exhausted. “You know I have to do it right?”
“You think you do.” His stubborn gaze bore into hers.
Yes, she would rather not do this, and before starting school, she would have taken Reed up on his offer. But she could do things Reed couldn’t, and despite the unknown consequences, she had to try.
Ari leaned into Reed and wrapped her arms around him, his familiar musky scent enveloping her. She leaned her head into his neck as she whispered, “You know I do.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Once inside the VR, the smell of alcohol and the soft drone of conversation greeted Ari. A mass of people littered the shiny VR bar. It was Reed’s idea, actually. When you plug in a comatose person, the virtual needed to be something that seemed plausible for the patient’s brain to accept. Otherwise, they rejected the scenario and continued in their own made-up world, unable to let others in.
Reed knew that Marco had been to this VR before. The dark bar glittered with tiny white lights hanging from the ceiling. When Ari looked closely, the binary code ran down each light. Eerie shadows scattered on the faces of the people in the bar. It took only a moment to realize the first fallacy, as Dr. Coleman called it. Every one of the programmed people was extremely attractive. All could pass for models, even those that dressed down a bit.
No offense to her brother’s looks, but he easily stood out in the crowd. He sat perched on a stool at the end of a long bar, looking a touch befuddled. Ari took a deep breath then headed towards him.
“A couple more of those,” Ari told the bartender motioning to the colored drinks that a couple of nearby girls were holding. “Even though you don’t look like you need it,” Ari said to Marco.
“I guess.” He shook his head slightly. “Hey, Ari. When did you get here?”
“A few minutes ago. I was held up at school.”
“School?”
“Of course. You go on vacation and already forget about it?” It surprised Ari at how easily the lies came pouring out of her mouth.
“I guess I’m more drunk than I thought.” Despite his statement, when his drink arrived he gulped most of it down.
“Yeah, do you want to head back to campus?” Ari asked kindly as she stifled her desire to hug him and drag him out by his ear.
“Hell, no. I should at least hit another VR before they shut down.” He scanned
the crowd. His gaze lingered on a pair of girls.
“Hey, why don’t we do one together?”
Marco cocked an eyebrow.
“I thought it would be nice to hang out. We never spend time together anymore.” With the way Marco looked, Ari was sure going in a VR to talk was not what Marco had in mind.
“You gonna pay? Because I usually find some needy girl to pay for me.”
Ari couldn’t restrain herself and smacked him on the arm. “Don’t be a pig.”
“What? They want company. I’m low on cash. Nobody complains.”
Ari remembered the missing money from her account. “You’re the one who took my money.”
He rubbed an invisible spot on the table. “I planned on paying you back. I swear.” Lifting his eyes, they held guilt and regret.
Unable to muster the energy to be mad, Ari welcomed the drink from the bartender and took a sip. “Yes, yes you will.”
Ari pushed back the urge to hit him and focused at the job on hand. “If you walk me home, I’ll invite you to Tessa’s condo next weekend.”
“Really?” Marco’s brow creased as if doubtful at first, but then after a moment shrugged and stood up straightening his jeans. Dark, heavy circles hung under his eyes. Despite wearing sharp clothes and hair, he appeared drawn and tired. Ari was surprised that would show in a virtual when in the real world his body was healthy.
“Thanks.” Ari fell in step with him as they headed towards the exit. They cleared the bar and started back towards the school, the empty sidewalks lined with animated advertisements.
“You look like hell, Marco,” Ari stated as she watched him closely.
He shrugged. “Thanks for the love.”
“What’s going on?” Ari bit back her real question of why he wanted to run away from life to some artificial version of it.
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