“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 clothes.
“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 11
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. Despi
te 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 turned 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.
Mica approached with a sympathetic smile and a new ring in her left ear. “You okay?”
“I got it.” Ari was really getting tired of that question.
Ari inserted the cold metal cable into the back of her head. No matter how many times she had to be in virtuals, she would never like that feeling. Closing her eyes, she headed towards the void.
Before she could gather herself in the VR, a cacophony of sound assaulted Ari. She spun sideways as a gush of air and neon lights raced by her.
“Watch it,” someone shouted as they pushed past her.
Standing on a busy sidewalk, buildings surrounded her and rose higher than she could see. Lights blotted out the night sky. Horns blared as cars sped by, ignoring the mass of people flooding the walkways. Distant music carried through the night, but Ari couldn’t say from where. Foreign words flashed on the side of the building. The Chinese symbols told her she was far away from home.
The chaos fed her fear. She clenched her hands against her thighs and focused on what needed to be done. She hadn’t traveled enough to be sure, but this appeared to be a major city in Asia. Never having been there before might make it harder. She ignored her doubt and searched for the problems.
Dr. Coleman’s voice cut through the noise, reminding them of their assignment. “Your test will be to find the limitations and errors in the program. You may have to push, but there are over twenty. You will have thirty minutes.”
Thirty minutes. That would be the longest Ari had ever been in the VR. Hopefully, she wouldn’t need it. A man on a bike raced by, forcing her back. She pressed up against the wall of a building. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breath. I can do this. It’s only code, little numbers floating through my brain.
When she opened her eyes, the scene in front of her flashed in gray and black as if a 2D movie had been scratched. Blinking, the scene returned to the busy street in some city in Asia. Time to work.
Ignoring the twist of nerves in her gut, Ari completed the task in front of her. She pushed in stores, talked to people, searching for any error. It wasn’t as easy as it looked. Searching down the crowded street, she noticed the same Asian man on a bicycle forcing people out of his way. That in itself was an error, but Dr. Coleman would want more than a repeating bicycle. She realized if she really wanted out of this VR, she needed to think outside the box. This was fake, right?
When the bicycle approached, she grabbed a nearby woman with a bag full of groceries and shoved her into the man’s path. Ari braced for the worst, spilled fruit and a bleeding woman. Instead, the scene in front of her flashed black for a moment and then returned to normal as if the bicycle had never hit the woman.
The woman still held her bag of groceries and turned and shouted at Ari. Thankfully, Ari didn’t understand the streams of what was probably Chinese swear words, and she turned to continue down the sidewalk. As she navigated the noisy street, she easily spotted many of the characters in the time loops. The freeze or glitch when each one started over appeared almost too easy to find. It took her more time to memorize them. Mentally she ticked them off: man on bicycle, woman selling flowers, man calling for the same cab, another young man selling tickets, and the list continued.
Coleman would want more thorough specifics on the coding problems. Anyone could pick out repeater loops. She pushed into a nearby store and found herself in a tech shop. A young salesman greeted her at the door in a language Ari didn’t understand. She ignored the man. He was only numbers, she reminded herself. She touched a couple of computers, tech, and other personal links as she headed to the back. Once Ari passed the sales desk, the associates began shouting at her. She knew the problem before she even went into the back. They put the supposed back rooms around a corner. Dark and downplayed, they didn’t want anyone going there. Another associate hollered something and grabbed for her.
Ari made it around the corner and found the door. She reached for the knob and pulled it open. Then in a fl
ash, her world was turned upside down. Colors morphed into a drunken swirl. She closed her eyes, her stomach rolling with unease. When she opened them, she found herself standing back on the sidewalk. The program had spit her back outside. I guess, that’s one way to get rid of unruly customers.
Dizziness still plagued Ari, and she wished for a bit of peace and quiet. She thought she had enough to pass the test and for a moment was tempted to leave. A group of girls headed down the sidewalk towards her. With fluffy crowns and open drinks, it appeared they were part of a bachelorette party or something.
Ari decided to get one more error for the test before leaving. Determined to stay still, she hoped to watch the girl’s glitch at running into her. Maybe they would go around her and then Ari would be out of luck. The girls didn’t even notice her as they laughed and carried on. When they reached Ari, one stumbled into her, actually stumbled into her, shoving her out of the way. Surprised, Ari fell awkwardly off the sidewalk. Someone shouted, and she reflexively turned to face an oncoming car.
She didn’t have time to move, and the car slammed into her. Ari flew through the air, pain bursting in her body.
Ari woke in the classroom with a gasp. Her hands trembled as she reached for her stomach. Just a second ago, there had been so much pain and darkness. Her breath came out in harsh gasps as her adrenaline raced. “I’m back.”
“You okay?” Mica appeared at her side.
“Yeah.” Ari tried to rein in her emotions. It wasn’t real, but her racing heart wouldn’t listen.
Ari removed the plug and rubbed around her port. Dr. Coleman sat at his desk in the corner of the room, not even bothering to glance her way. The majority of the class remained unconscious, plugged into the VR. Without speaking Ari logged onto her tablet and completed the test by writing down her observations and errors in the system. She prayed it was enough and headed to grab a drink before her last class.
Her last class blurred by as she waited numbly for her future to be decided. With no appetite, she headed to her room, checking her HUB every couple minute to see if Dr. Coleman had posted grades. Her whole life had been spent in fear of VRs, and now she wanted to stay in a program for them. Funny how life worked sometimes. She had finally began seeing a future here, not only for herself but for her family. She could make enough money for her mother to quit both of her jobs.
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