“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.
“Remember, 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 26
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.
He stopped and stared at her. “I don’t feel like a lecture from my little sister. Okay? So, if that’s what this is, then walk yourself home.”
“Sorry. I’ll stop.” As Marco stared at her, Ari searched for something, anything she could say that wouldn’t push her brother away. “It’s Reed.”
“What about Reed?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay with us going out together.”
Finally, Marco started walking again, and Ari let out a heavy breath.
“I was a little shocked at first,” Marco said. “But he’s Reed. He’s a great guy from our old neighborhood. Better than shacking up with one of these geeks.”
“Thanks, Marco.” Ari had never asked for his blessing or permission, but it was nice to know he approved.
“Don’t end up making out in our room, okay? I don’t think I can handle walking in on that.”
“Don’t worry, my bed is fine,” Ari joked, prompting an appalled look from Marco.
“Better watch it. I’m not past calling Mom.”
“Yeah, that’ll be the day. You actually ratting me out.” Growing up it was always Marco getting into trouble and getting called into the principal’s office. Marco was always the wild one and Ari the scared one, according to the neighbors.
They finally crossed through campus security and headed onto the pristine campus as the lights flickered on.
Ari slowed as they approached her dorm. “You know you have to go back to school, right?”
“We’re already at school.”
“I mean really be at school.”
His gaze lowered with a heaviness that made Ari realize that reality was slowly setting in for him.
“I know,” he said with a pained expression that soon turned angry. “I have to graduate and get a job that I hate for the rest of my life to support my poor mom and crazy dad.”
“Would you rather stay hooked and let your sister and mom take care of your withered body?” It hurt Ari to imagine Marco becoming like her father.
“At least I’d be happy—blissfully happy—not in a career, doing a job I never wanted to do in the first place.” His eyes filled with tears. Tears Ari hadn’t seen since him cry since he’d broken his arm when he was ten.
“Are you happy?” she asked. “You know you’re still in here, right? Hooked to a program and still feeling the guilt from it all.”
Marco remained silent, unable to answer. His lips formed a strong crease as if he could hold everything in.
“You have to leave here. Mom needs you. I need you.” The fear grew in her. She would change this whole virtual into a living inferno that even the devil would be impressed with, if she had to. Anything to get Marco back.
He wouldn’t speak to her. He turned his back, and for a moment Ari thought she was going to lose him. She watched as his shoulders heaved with a burden Ari couldn’t see. Then he slowly disappeared before her eyes.
Ari thought she would be happy that she’d been able to pull him out without using any of her warper abilities. Instead, a hollow ache grew in her stomach after seeing her brother so depressed and discontented with his own life. He was supposed to be fun and crazy Marco. She willed herself out of the VR and wondered what kind of Marco would be there when she returned.
He didn’t have much to say when Ari went to his bedside. Reed tried to joke with him, but Marco ignored his attempts. Nurse Carrey kept the atmosphere in the room positive as she buzzed around taking his vitals and ordering his meal.
“Hey, why don’t I go grab some dinner, and we can eat here with you?” Ari offered.
Reed stood. “I can get it.”
“No,” Marco said firmly, avoiding their gazes.
“It wouldn’t be much trouble. We can be back in a bit,” Ari said, a bit confused at Marco’s new attitude.
Nurse Carey interrupted, “Why don’t we let our patient rest for a while? You two can come back in the morning.”
Ari looked to Marco again to see if that was really what he wanted. He lowered his eyes, starting at his hand, the one with a needle attached.
“We’ll check in with you later, bro,” said Reed. “You have your HUB in case you need us. Call, okay?”
“Sure.” Marco kept his eyes lowered. Reed had to pull Ari’s arm to exit the room. She wanted to stay, to fix him somehow. She thought getting him out would be the hardest part, but now she wondered if that was true.
“I’ll get your dinner and be back in a minute, sweetie.” Nurse Carey followed Reed and Ari out of the room.
Ari stopped her once they were out of the wellness center. “What’s wrong with him?”
The woman took a deep breath and adjusted a curl in her hair. “Hon, why do you think people get hooked in the
first place?”
Ari tried not to resent being spoken to as a child. “Because they don’t want to live in the real world.”
“Yes. And even if they come back, it doesn’t mean they want to be here anymore. It’s usually because of guilt that they return.”
Ari flashed back to her conversation with Marco, knowing what the nurse said was true.
Nurse Carey continued, “He’s depressed, which is a common symptom of what he has been through. He will need counseling and will probably be suspended for a period of time.”
“Suspended? But he did nothing wrong.”
“He abused the VR systems. And being here with an open VR facility for students like him isn’t good. Advisor Williams will inform your mother of the specifics and advise her if there is a chance of his re-admittance.”
Ari took a step backwards, not wanting to believe what the nurse was saying. Marco was getting kicked out of school?
Nurse Carey put a hand on her arm. “It’s like a lot of other addictions. They are not cured in a day.”
Ari knew Nurse Carey was right. She’d watched her father for years as a little girl, but she couldn’t believe it was happening with Marco. She couldn’t watch another family member slowly deteriorate into a life that wasn’t even living.
CHAPTER 27
The next morning, Marco was quiet over breakfast, finding his eggs more interesting than talking to either Ari or Reed. His friend started to give him a hard time, but Ari silenced him with a hand. Marco didn’t know what Ari almost risked, and he didn’t need to. Not then.
Ari leaned down to hug him goodbye, a gesture he weakly returned. “Give a hug to Mom for me.”
“Sure,” Marco mumbled. It killed Ari to watch her brother like this. The life he always had in him, the joking, the love, was gone. Was it even real?
He barely looked Reed in the eyes as he patted his arm. “See you soon at Christmas break.”
“Okay.”
They left with Nurse Carey’s reassurances that this post-VR depression was normal, and he should be feeling better by Christmas.
“Want to meet up for dinner?” Reed asked, once they exited the wellness center. “I have my study group at lunch again. Everyone’s stressed about end of term exams.” He was finishing his third year, and Ari knew how important his scores were. The tests determined where he would be placed for his internship, and eventually how much money he could make.
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