As they reached the group, Ari noticed Tessa dancing with a guy. When the song ended, Tessa headed over.
Her eyes fell on Ari then Garrett, his shirt in his hands.
“Have fun?” Tessa’s sarcasm spooned on extra heavy.
“Nothing happened. I promise,” Ari snapped.
Garrett nudged her with his shoulder. “You can’t say it was nothing.”
“Shut up,” Ari replied.
“Whatever. You’re not the only fish in the sea.” He started to leave but made it only two steps before he dissolved right before their eyes—something Ari had never seen before.
Ari turned to Tessa, whose eyes widened in surprise.
“Run, get out!” Tessa shouted as she closed her eyes and disappeared.
Ari opened her eyes to the darkness of the lab. People were unhooking and rushing out of the room. Before she could reach her cable, swift hands unplugged her.
“Hurry.” Reed pulled her out of the chair. By the time she stood, bright lights filled the room.
A stern voice carried throughout the room. “Please stop or you will be restrained.”
Ari froze, her grip tightening on Reed’s hand, while several armed security guards filled the lab. Tessa stood next to the door with a guard at her side. Several other students were scattered throughout the room. Ari felt like she was falling, though her feet remained glued to the floor, and all she could think was: What did they see?
CHAPTER 23
Ari stood in front of the large wooden door that she remembered from her first day. Even then, she knew she never wanted to come here again. She stared at the brass knocker in the middle, knowing he was watching her. All the students captured had to speak to their advisors to receive their punishment, even if it was two in the morning.
“Come in,” Advisor Williams’s voice boomed from a speaker in the door.
Ari entered and eased into the old leather chair farthest from him, the same chair as last time. Even though it was the middle of the night, Advisor Williams was wide awake and impeccably dressed. He continued to work on his computer for a minute while Ari waited in silence, studying his painting. Golden wheat swayed in the wind as an old house made of wood stood in the corner. Back when they made houses of wood. The falling sun cast shadows of golds and purples on the landscape. When the advisor finally spoke, it made her jump.
“Do you know why I have an antique door?” His lips pressed in a grim line.
The question startled Ari, who held back what she really thought that he was vain and old. Given her silence, he continued.
“It’s to remember, Ms. Mendez. To remember. Before this age of automation, wireless living, and virtual reality, we had to open doors, usually with keys. They didn’t slide open with a scan of your finger.
“This age has made many lazy. Why open doors when they fly open? Why read a book when you can watch one? Why work hard when you can go into a VR to reap all the benefits you never have earned? Why work hard at school when you don’t have to pay for it?” He leaned forward, palms pressed together. “But you will have to pay for it, Ms. Mendez. Trust me, you will pay for it.”
Pushing back the anger at his insults, the fear of her skills, and tired emotions, she responded. “I do work hard, very hard.”
“Really?”
He turned back to his computer. With a click of a button, video filled one wall. Screens bigger than Ari flashed up with a video of the VR lab. There she was with Reed, kissing him goodbye before plugging in. Garrett seethed in the corner, watching them. Ari’s stomach tightened, angry at Williams for watching this, watching them. If there was a camera in the lab without the students’ knowledge, where else had cameras been placed? She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d seen everything that had happened in the virtual.
“Sneaking out at one in the morning for this,” he motioned to the screen, where Reed gave her one last kiss, “Isn’t what I’d call working hard, Ms. Mendez. I will put a demerit in your file, and I will increase security in your dorm as well to prevent future occurrences. Remember, more than one demerit and I can submit your name to the review board for expulsion. You are dismissed.”
Ari stood to leave, part of her grateful he didn’t see her inside the VR and part of her angry at how he had treated her. Yes, she deserved to be punished. She’d snuck out, and broken the rules. She understood that she had to pay for that decision, but he didn’t have to treat her like a third-rate citizen, watching her and Reed like a peeping Tom. Her fatigue loosened her tongue as she turned back.
“By the way, I work hard, harder than you know.” She left his office not waiting for a response and hoped she didn’t regret that later.
By the time Tessa and Ari were released the sun was on the rise. Ari couldn’t remember the last time she watched a sun rise and wasn’t too excited to see that one. Before reaching the dorm, Tessa motioned with her head and turned onto the path towards the lake. Ari let out a sigh. Her body was not in the mood for a walk at that time of the morning, but the guilt from the previous night hung over her. She shouldn’t have invited Tessa, especially with what was at stake.
Tessa’s dark wrinkled clothes looked out of place in the morning light as she sat down in the grass near the lake. Tessa crossed her legs in front of her, putting one large multi-colored boot on top of the other. The freezing morning wind pushed at Ari and she zipped up her jacket. Sitting next to her friend, Ari pulled at a stray bit of fake grass, playing with the plastic perfection.
“We need to talk in private.” Tessa glanced around as if checking for others. “Who knows where they put recording devices.”
Ari shivered, thinking back to the video she watched in Advisor Williams’s office, and the key logger on her computer. She knew her roommate was right to be paranoid.
“What happened last night?” Tessa shoved an angry hand through her purple hair. “I thought something was wrong when you walked off with Garrett while Reed stayed out of the program. But I never thought it was bad enough to get us all caught.”
Tessa had a right to be mad. Ari shouldn’t have invited her. “I’m sorry you’re in trouble. I didn’t know that would happen.”
“I don’t care about the demerit. What happened with you?”
Ari swallowed realizing she needed to tell Tessa the truth. “I’m a warper.”
Tessa froze for a moment and then narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
Ari struggled to find the words to explain. “I see code. Everywhere in the VR, running behind the optical illusions they present. Even the smell, though those are harder to nail down as they float everywhere.”
“You see code?” Tessa spoke slowly.
“Yes. I first noticed it at the Grid. I met Garrett in the game and stripped his powers from him. That’s probably why your dad was mad at you. Sorry.” Ari glimpsed at Tessa’s expression of disbelief, and then turned back to the lake. “I went in last night to confirm what I thought. Not only do I see code, but I can manipulate it as well. I’m able to change it at will, though I’m still working on that.”
“You can change code from inside the program? It’s true? Warpers are real?”
“I guess so. I’m not sure what I am.” Ari threw the fake piece of grass into the lake. “I had someone approach me after our game on the strip. Someone must have seen what happened in the game.”
Tessa gave a hearty laugh from deep within her belly. “No wonder my dad was so pissed. Random people have been questioning my stepmom. That’s a good one.”
“Glad to help you out. Problem is, now what do I do? The school is watching my every key stroke. Do I wait until they find out? What happens next?”
Tessa’s face fell, all laughter gone. “I’m not sure. I’d lie low. I think there is a reason we don’t know about warpers.”
“I agree.” Ari planned on talking to her mom over Christmas break since she didn’t trust her computer. She prayed the recruiter was wrong, and she could lie low for long enough.
>
CHAPTER 24
Ari welcomed Monday’s classes along with the homework that kept her busy all week. It gave her mind a break from worrying about the future. Unfortunately, after tests were completed on Friday, the thoughts that had been lurking in the back of her mind returned with full force.
She couldn’t get out of school, and she was required to work for the government after her three years of schooling in whatever position she was assigned. It could be at the North Pole. And there was no declining a government position. If she quit her schooling, her wages would be garnished at any other position she took. If she defaulted on payment, her mother’s wages would be garnished, which her mother couldn’t afford.
On the other hand, if she informed Advisor Williams of her gift or used her abilities in class, then she would be immediately transferred, leaving her friends and family. There was a reason no one really knew any warpers. Her other choice was to ignore her abilities in the VR. Not just for her schooling, but possibly for the rest of her life. And while it might not be the smartest choice, denial was the easiest choice.
If she didn’t change, nothing else did either. She could stay at school with Reed and ignore the recruiter.
By Friday she was exhausted. The teachers gave them extra assignments to prepare for their end of term final before winter break. She was laying on her bed, reading her tablet, and trying to keep her eyes open, when she heard someone at the door. With headphones on and absorbed in her game, Tessa didn’t hear their AI announce the visitor.
Ari answered, surprised to find Reed holding a flower. They had texted a lot throughout the week but hadn’t talked since the night they got busted. Before he could speak, Ari wrapped her arms around him, breathing him in. She thought he had to study tonight, but she welcomed the surprise.
“I’ll take that to mean you’re happy to see me,” Reed said.
“Definitely.” She pulled him inside. Next to him, the stress and uneasiness of the past week melted away. All that mattered right now was the present.
Reed laid the flower on Ari’s desk and then turned to her roommate. “Hi, Tessa.”
Tessa pulled her headphones off one ear. “Hey, Reed. What are you up to?”
“Nothing, sick of studying. We all don’t get to play games for class.”
“I wish,” Ari said. Marco and Reed often teased her for getting a placement that allowed her to be in VRs most of the time. Ari had never realized that playing was so much work.
Tessa stood up and stretched her legs, covered in silver jeans today. “I’m going to grab more caffeine. Want me to get you anything?”
“No thanks,” Ari said shaking her head. Tessa was being polite, giving her space with Reed, and she appreciated it.
As soon as the door closed, Reed playfully tackled Ari right onto her bed. After a few minutes of doing her new favorite thing in the world—kissing Reed—he pulled back to lie next to her. Reed’s lips pressed together as if he had something to say.
“What is it?” She placed a hand on his face, loving the touch of his skin.
He leaned in and nuzzled her neck. “Have you decided what you’re going to do?” he whispered, knowing that there was probably an audio bug on Ari’s computer as well.
She kept him close, wishing they didn’t have to have this conversation. “You mean besides pretending that it’s not real and hoping it will all go away?”
“I was talking to some people about what the recruiter told you.”
“Who?”
“Some friends that I’ve met online, gamers that I’ve known for years. It was untraceable.”
“And?” She had a feeling he would be a lot happier if the news was better.
“They only had rumors, nothing too concrete. But they agreed that warpers are never acknowledged because they are too valuable. Companies and governments will kill to have a warper. They said if you have an outside offer, you should take it.”
“But I can’t.” Her body tightened in frustration and she struggled to keep her voice down. “I have to pay back my loan, and I can’t leave it for my family. I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
When Reed didn’t answer right away, Ari pushed him to tell her what he’d discovered.
“Most warpers drop off the grid in various ways, but it appears that those that go into government work are erased off the grid—permanently.”
Ari stared blankly for a moment trying to understand what he meant. The government wouldn’t kill warpers. They were worth too much. “Maybe they don’t stay in touch with old nerdy gamers anymore,” she reasoned.
“Maybe. It’s the not knowing that is driving me crazy.”
“Me too.”
He tightened his hold on her, his body pressing against hers. His firm grasp grounded her.
She leaned into his chest. “I’ll be careful in the VRs. We have time.”
“Maybe we could talk to that guy again? You never know what he could work out.”
“Maybe.” Ari didn’t want to think about it. Reed was acting more like a big brother than her actual brother who she hadn’t heard from all week.
He tried to object, but Ari silenced him with her lips. At first, he resisted her attempt at distraction, but then surrendered and kissed her back with gusto. Her belly burned with desire. Every touch, every kiss ignited her senses, making her want more. It must be what a junkie felt like, never getting enough.
In between kisses, Reed mumbled, “We have time.” Ari prayed they were right.
Over the next couple of weeks, she realized how difficult it was going to be to hide her gift for the rest of the year, much less for the years to come. In the VRs, she didn’t have to search for the code anymore, it stood out plain as day, and the actual virtual easily faded in the background. When she spotted errors, she had to resist the urge to fix them right away and then remember to fix them in the program.
Her favorite class turned out to be art design with Ms. Mienka. Ari didn’t have to create the drawing, but just manipulate the images. She thought of all of the drawings and sketches Reed had hanging in his room, and how amazing it would be to see those drawings brought to life. Her thoughts of Reed were interrupted by a message on her HUB asking her to go to the wellness clinic after class.
Wellness clinic? Ari had never needed to go there before and wasn’t sure what they wanted with her.
Professor Mienka continued to lecture while Ari’s thoughts raced. Ari checked her HUB again and messaged Reed.
Wellness clinic asked me to come by after class. Any ideas?
Her foot tapped nervously against the floor. It was probably an annual checkup, she told herself. Her HUB flashed Reed’s reply.
Girl stuff???
Ari rolled her eyes, even though he might be right. Maybe it was to check her implant for mandatory birth control—required for all underage girls and boys. Embarrassed, she wished she hadn’t brought it up to Reed.
After class, she made her way to the student center amid the noisy and hungry students fighting their way to the cafeteria. Soft flakes fluttered around her. The first snow of the season seemed to add to the excitement. Ari smiled as she turned heavenward to the white chaotic sky. At home, snow was rare. It was more ice and sludge, lining the sidewalks early in the winter and hung around like a muddy border outlining everything during the cold bleak months. But here, the grounds were always kept immaculate. It might turn into a beautiful winter.
The snow distracted her from her curiosity about the appointment. As she walked through the entrance to the wellness center, she was caught off guard when greeted by Advisor Williams.
“Enjoying yourself?” His lips curled up into a cruel smile, while his eyes remained fierce.
“It’s snowing,” Ari answered, a bit thrown off. What was he doing here?
“I’m glad you noticed. Have you spoken to your brother recently?”
“No.” Ari shook her head, trying to think back to their last conversation. They’d messaged several times bac
k and forth since the weekend they were busted in the virtual. He’d given her a hard time about turning into a rebel. They’d even talked about going home over break. She tried to tie him down for dinner to tell him about being a warper, but he was always too busy. Ari assumed it was another girl, or just hoped it was.
“Follow me.” Williams turned briskly and headed down a hall.
Her stomach tightened in fear as she plodded after him. Where was Marco? Was he hurt? He was always the one to be reckless.
Williams wasn’t giving anything else away as he stepped inside the room and waited for Ari. When she walked in, there was Marco, lying peacefully on a bed as if he was asleep.
Ari bit her lip and blinked back a burning feeling in her eyes. She stood there not wanting to move closer. If she touched him, reality would slap her in the face.
“He’s in a virtual dependent coma.”
Ari knew, deep down she already knew, that this would happen one day, but as Advisor Williams said those words, her heart broke. Her family was shattering into pieces, and she stood helpless. Darkness crept in, and it wasn’t until strong hands touched her that she remembered her surroundings.
“Advisor Williams, grab that chair.” A stout nurse helped Ari sit down. “You really could have been a bit more tactful when telling her.” The nurse spoke over her head to Advisor Williams.
“We have treated these children with white gloves for long enough. They are expected to be adults and need to start acting like it.”
“Even an adult wouldn’t handle this well.”
“Her father has been hooked for years. This is familiar territory for her.”
The nurse’s voice was softer than before. “It may be familiar, but it doesn’t make it easy.” The nurse turned to Ari. “Ms. Mendez?”
It took a few moments, but she blinked and turned her head towards the nurse. She had an older face, a kinder face, with bright pink lips.
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