Hooked

by DeAnna Browne

  Students stood with their motorized luggage trailing behind as the line to enter the silver registration building crawled forward. The sun peered out through the clouds, warming them as they waited. The immaculate grounds sprawled in both directions with flawless engineered grass and bushes. Massive trees stood along the electric fence.

  They finally entered the registration building, which entailed another line. This time though, they could watch the government news and alerts that ran on screens as the lines inched forward. Details on the current global conflicts played on the screens. The government referred to the various wars as the Continuing Struggle for Human Rights. Most people called it the Never-Ending War. One picture of a soldier stood out as he held an injured child in his arms. Large words appeared underneath him: “Our Democratic Union at Work.” The line moved forward. Up ahead, guards processed the incoming and returning students.

  “You’re next, Ari.” Marco pushed her toward the armed guard standing in front of the scanner.

  She couldn’t help but notice the weapons at his waist that stood out against his pale silver uniform. She placed her luggage on one scanner and walked through the other.

  “Ariana Mendez?” The guard asked looking at his monitor.

  “Yes.”

  “This way please.” The barrel-chested guard motioned for Ari to step to the side. He pulled out a silver electronic wrist HUB.

  “I already have one.” Granted the sleek design would outrun her old HUB, which was battered and slow, but her HUB had all her favorite books, shows, and old contacts. Her life lived on her wrist.

  “Every new student is required to have a school issued HUB.” He waited expectantly and motioned to the desk, which held a pad to rest her arm on.

  She released her old HUB, slid it into her pocket, and extended her hand out. He placed the new device on her wrist and it automatically sealed shut. It would take pliers and a blowtorch to pry it off.

  He must have guessed her thought. “Don’t attempt to remove it. The school would be notified immediately.”

  “Great,” she mumbled.

  “Also, you have been requested to see Advisor Williams. You can request directions from your HUB.”

  Unease tightened her stomach. “What for?”

  “Because he asked.” The guard waved her along and turned his attention back to the line of students.

  Ari turned to say bye to her brother, but he was already in deep conversation with a red-headed girl. Reed stood under the silver full-body scanner and was busy talking to a guard. She turned back around and walked through the doors, stepping into a world that could have been its own VR.

  A variety of modern, polished buildings reached up to the heavens. Every building was different and unique. One mirrored its surroundings, almost disappearing as it traveled up to the sky. When her gaze finally returned earth bound, the grounds were no less stunning. Brightly colored shrubs and flowers were scattered around the greenery. On closer inspection, she realized they were manufactured. Genetic replicas that couldn’t help but be flawless. The picture-perfect landscape sent an uncomfortable chill down her back.

  Activating her new wristwear, she followed its directions. Students brushed by her, talking to one another or some flying by on boards. She couldn’t help but stare at the variety of tech: projected on arms, hands, and glasses with display screens. Other people showed no sign of tech, not even contacts, as they talked with an invisible someone, probably using the new Push implant she’d read about—an implant that connected directly to your tech and was only steps away from a portable VR.

  She was light-years behind these kids and that wasn’t even talking about virtuals. Granted, even if she could afford it, Ari detested the idea of an implant. Why would kids even want an implant here when the school and government monitored all their data and controlled their access to the outside? With a huff, she continued down the path. Ari never felt like she lived in the dark ages at home, until now.

  Once inside the large mirrored administration building, she took the elevator to the fourth floor and checked in with a receptionist.

  “Please have a seat.” The woman directed Ari to white chairs lined against the wall.

  Ari sat stiffly, glancing around the office. Sleek angles and designs were muted with soft colors, but it still had a doctor’s office feel.

  “Ariana Mendez, Advisor Williams is ready to see you.” A mechanical voice spoke from her HUB.

  Ari stiffened. She’d forgotten she wore a new HUB, one that the school was hooked into. She hefted her bag on her shoulder and grabbed her suitcase, wishing it didn’t look so shabby. Unlike the rest of the modern design of this room, the advisor’s door was mahogany wood. Authentic wood doors were a rarity. They cost a lot more to add security to.

  In the center of the gold knocker, a small camera was buried deep within. Since the advisor was ready see her, there was no reason to prolong the inevitable. She tapped the gold knocker and a mechanical voice replied, “You may enter.”

  She walked into a world of old and new mixed together. The furniture was obviously from an older era and a painting—an actual physical painting—of a golden field hung on one wall. Computerized screens covered the other wall, which sat across from his desk. This room had to be the most expensive place she had ever been in.

  The man behind the desk had no trace of age, sitting tall with short black hair. The only thing that gave his age away was the surgically tight skin. Only rich people preserved themselves so well. He would probably be considered attractive, if his lips weren’t pressed into a rigid line.

  “Hello, Ms. Mendez. Please take a seat.” Without looking up from his screen, Advisor Williams waved her to the over-sized leather chair in front of his desk.

  She nodded while she slid into the chair.

  “I have been reviewing your file for the past several minutes, and you have quite an interesting case.”

  Ari shifted in her seat.

  “I can see you are a bright student. Top scores on your written tests. Even an aptitude for programming and advanced problem solving. Interesting that you were assigned Virtual Programming when you didn’t complete the session though.” His voice rose hesitantly as if he wasn’t sure if he dared question the evaluation of the test himself.

  Ari remained silent, the knot in her stomach twisting in worry.

  Williams stared for a few moments longer before turning to Ari. “My responsibility is to make sure you are given the tools to succeed and to weed out any potential problems. Be that as it may, I hope we won’t have any problems with your adaptation into this program. I know coming from your background may pose certain ... challenges, but you’ll need to immerse yourself in the program and strive for the excellence that permeates this Academy.”

  Ari had stayed silent throughout the conversation, but now she realized he expected an answer.

  “I will complete the program, sir.” She had no other choice but to complete. Failure wasn’t an option.

  “Good, good. That’s the spirit. I have your class schedule and some forms for you to read. Sign and return them to me by the end of the day. I can upload them directly to your tablet.”

  When she pulled out her old tablet from home, he tightened his lips. “That won’t be adequate for your classwork.”

  “I can make do.” Ari had rigged enough old gear. She was confident that she could manage.

  Advisor Williams probably wouldn’t consider her old tablet worth killing a rat with. “I’ll send the tech department a requisition form right now, and you can head down there to pick up the new gear. In our student union, you’ll find meals, and a basic shop for clothes and other hygiene items. Your monthly stipend should be adequate to cover your needs.” He didn’t bother hiding the judgmental disdain creasing his face. “You may go.”

  Ari stood and gathered her bags. She left the office as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the cold chill he gave her took longer to leave.

  Her HUB directed
her along a path that weaved amongst the unique buildings. Every building was slightly different in shape, and used a mixture of glass, metal, and synthetic materials. Each dorm housed a different concentration: hardware, electronic security, network systems, and a few others Ari couldn’t remember. This campus was the biggest in the west for electronics. She passed a shorter building with a constant flow of students streaming in and out. After accessing the map on her HUB, she discovered this beige building with arches on top was the student commons, holding the cafeteria, multipurpose stores, and a gym. The student tech supply center was in the rear.

  She pushed back her hair and headed off. The flawless perfection of her surroundings pushed past the ordinary, becoming almost surreal, like she was on another planet. The bright flowers dotting the campus produced a rich, fragrant smell that trailed along the path.

  At the tech center, she headed through the automatic doors. “The attendant will be with you shortly,” a pleasant woman’s voice spoke above her. The entry room appeared small, but behind the counter it extended farther back into a myriad of shelved rows, cubicles, and locked cabinets. An electronic sign-in screen hung from the ceiling. Her name appeared on the screen, indicating she was the next in line to be helped.

  Behind the divide, a guy, entranced in a game, propped his feet up on the counter. He had canary yellow hair, which fell to his ears in a naturally messy style. It clashed horribly with the silver metallic uniform clinging to his slim build.

  “Whatcha need?” He didn’t bother to look up.

  Ari stepped forward. “I need a ... a computer, I guess. I’m in the virtual design program, and they said you could get me what I need.”

  The guy finally paused his screen and looked up at her through gaming contacts. Colors swirled around his eyes. He blinked several times, and his eyes cleared, except for a gold glint next to his iris.

  “You’re a newbie, right? First year?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You didn’t bring your own gear?” The ring in his eyebrow pinched slightly.

  “Nothing from this century.”

  The guy exhaled slowly. “O-kay, so you like antiques.”

  “Like isn’t the right word. ‘All I can afford’ is more fitting.” Ari kept her gaze steady and chin high. She wasn’t going to start the program by being ashamed of being poor.

  “I’m Garrett.” He stuck his hand out and smiled. “It’s okay to be different. Most everything here is new and shiny. I’d rather see something original.”

  “Ari.” She shook his hand and wondered if his meaning went beyond electronics.

  He returned to his computer. “Just pulling up your orders. Okay, Ari, let’s get you hooked up with something that will give those geeks in the VR dorm a reason to drool.” His smile was nice, with a bit of mischief in it.

  An electric cart followed behind as he walked down the rows of equipment, picking up this and that. It kept a steady pace behind him, pausing when he did. He eyed one small piece that looked like memory, before putting it on his cart. It wasn’t until the top of his cart was cluttered with random hardware, that he made his way back to the front.

  “Has someone been good?” Garrett asked in a humorous voice.

  Ari couldn’t help but be excited as her eyes flew over the pile he’d gathered. She’d only seen stuff like this online. “And if I say no?”

  “I’ll ask you out.” The smirk on his face made it hard to tell if he was serious. “I already have your number from the paperwork.”

  Startled by the turn in the conversation, her faced warmed and she adjusted the HUB on her wrist.

  “Come on back and let’s get to work.” Garrett pushed a button and a short door around the side of the counter opened for her. She grabbed an extra chair and pulled it up next to him.

  When Garrett said, ‘let’s work’, what he really meant was Ari could watch and “ooh” and “aah” respectfully while he worked. She didn’t mind and enjoyed watching him fly through the systems. He kept up a running commentary cluing her into the capabilities of her HUB and tablet.

  “Your Advisor’s requisition said to supply you with the equipment needed for your program. I love when they say that.” Garrett turned to her with a large smile. “Then I can do what I want.”

  He turned back to the gear. “Okay, so here’s your tablet that can port into any of the school’s systems or desks. I’ll order you a bigger screen to link to in your room and a backup drive too. Here’s a ring or phone for your HUB. If you’re tired of a ring, it can hook on your ear.”

  “An earring?”

  He flipped the device open. She froze as he moved her hair back to place the device on her ear. He wasn’t big on respecting personal space.

  “I made them in my second year. They are finally starting to catch on around here. Much cooler than those web glasses. You look like a fool reading invisible messages.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to do implants here. Have you seen the new tat implants? They’re amazing. The school claims I need a medical license for that.”

  She cringed at the idea of a permanent implant but kept her thoughts to herself as she didn’t want to dampen his enthusiasm.

  “One last thing.” He reached over her to pick up her tablet and handed her a cord.

  “This will help you record any notes you need while inside the VRs. By the end of the year you’ll have whole classes inside. So, don’t lose it.”

  She stared at the cord that would plug into the VR system going into her brain. Surprise and disgust must have been evident on her face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Ari took a deep breath. She couldn’t freak out here, in front of the one person who’d been nice to her. “Sorry, I can’t stand them.”

  “What? The tech I gave you is pretty sweet.”

  “No, virtuals.”

  He leaned back, confusion flashing on his face. “Really?”

  She pursed her lips together and nodded.

  “How are you going to pull off this program?”

  “Not sure. I will though, because it’s my only option. No one gets two scholarships, so I’ll have to make it work.”

  “Then you will.” He stared off at the monitor in front of him. “Have you tried drinking?”

  She watched him for a moment to see if he was serious and then shook her head. “Yes, but never again.”

  He held up his hands. “Just trying to help. VRs, they’re second nature to me. I’m sure we can think of something.”

  Ari wasn’t sure why that meant so much to her. Why would this boy with yellow hair and a ring in his eyebrow want to help her? It didn’t really matter. She would take all the help she could get.

  With a bag full of her new toys in one hand and her old suitcase in the other, she searched out her dorm. It stood on the edge of campus, glass windows covering it top to bottom. No, they weren’t glass, but some type of clear reflective material. Colors, projected on the front, created the look of an abstract painting. By the time she made it to her room on the fifth floor, she would have sold a kidney for motorized luggage.

  She opened the door to her new sleek dorm room. It was a decent size with two beds, dressers and desks, lining opposite walls. A white comforter fit tightly around her mattress. A laundry chute stuck out of the wall near her closet. Ari bristled at the idea of some machine run by a random person cleaning her clothes, her underwear. Brushing aside the unavoidable, she noticed a short fridge inset in the wall. That would be handy. Even a bright shiny bot hid under her bed. It might be used quite a bit, considering her roommate had left enough clutter to house a small family of mice. Food wrappers and old coffee cups littered the desk.

  The room was painted in neutral blues and whites, probably meant to evoke some feeling of peace and openness. The colors felt sterile and cold to her. She couldn’t wait to add some color and her own flavor to her side of the room. She tossed the old suitcase next to her bed, rea
lizing how out of place it was here, just like her.

  Someone entered the room behind her, interrupting her thoughts of home. “Oh, I wondered when I would get a roommate.” A squatty girl with shoulder length purple and pink hair came bustling in with a small interface in one hand and some type of iced coffee drink in the other. She was pretty, or probably was, under the heavy eye make-up.

  “I’m Ari.”

  “Tessa.” She plugged in her computer and took a quick drink. “Don’t worry. You didn’t miss anything, just the regular losers chatting online.”

  “Good.” Ari sat on her bed, not ready to unpack just yet.

  “So, what’s your story?” Tessa looked over Ari as if her life history was tattooed on her tanned skin.

  “Ummm ...” Was she that obviously out of place?

  “I already know you’re one of the few scholarship students here. Do you already have published virtuals or what?”

  “No.” The level of gossip amazed Ari.

  “Huh?” Tessa shrugged off her lack of response and brushed back a strand of pink hair. “Okay then, about me. My dad owns ... well, too much to name, my mom was trophy wife number three, and I’m the gamer they wish they could remake. Don’t talk to me until I’ve had caffeine and don’t interrupt a game.”

  Tessa didn’t wait for a reply as she inserted ear buds, activating the gaming bands on her wrist, and logged into her game. She blinked repeatedly to activate her contacts. “Tessa here.” After a short pause. “No, no. I’m logging in now. I knew that loser couldn’t hold onto our lead without me. I’ll take him.”

  Okay. Ari turned to her bags. She had no desire to unpack. Once she emptied her suitcase, this whole thing would be official. So, instead, she dug out her old tablet and proceeded to finish her book.

  CHAPTER 5

  The next morning, Ari tugged at her purple shirt as she waited in the classroom. Tessa entered the room with a group of guys and took a seat across from Ari with no acknowledgment. She tried to catch her gaze to say hello, but soon stopped, not wanting to look desperate.