by Zara Zenia
"Darling, put in the code!"
"Yes, Mother." I stood up and moved to the door. I entered the code and the light flashed from green to red arming it.
"Good girl. Now do stay away from the balcony, dear. I don't want anyone getting any ideas of trying to get to you through there," she said through the door.
I stuck my tongue out at her. The balcony was my only solace. I wasn't giving it up. "Of course, Mother," I said to appease her because she'd never leave if I didn't.
"Goodbye, darling."
I pressed my ear to the door, listening to her footsteps move away and down the stairs. I quickly put the code in and silently opened the door, popping my head out to hear where she was going. She made a stop in one of the lower rooms and then continued on, so I presumed she was picking up her luggage. I heard her muffled voice as she spoke to either Thornbush or Colonel Weiss, no doubt giving them last minute instructions and then the outer door opened. It was the only way in or out of the Tower.
That was one thing about the Tower, sounds carried upwards, but rarely downwards. I quickly reclosed the door, input the code and then hurried over to the balcony. I could see Mother's limo, well the front end of it anyway from my balcony if I leaned slightly out over the edge. It started to pull forward toward the gate and I moved back into my room. She was gone.
A grin lit my face. I'd learned a while ago how to get around Thornbush and his security protocols. Well most of them. I still couldn't get out of the Tower without alerting him, but I could get through the firewalls on the computer and avoid his snooping into my activities online. All it took was a false feed. Every time I logged on, I had a background program running so that it looked like I was on a Mother approved site, while I surfed the internet and did whatever I wanted. I'd even set up an email address so that I could play games online without her knowing.
I'm fairly sure she wouldn't mind if that was all I was doing, playing games, but I liked to join those world building games, meet people, and talk to someone other than Colonel Weiss. Some of the games even let you have virtual sex… not that I'd done more than allow my character to kiss another character. I was pretty certain I wanted to wait and experience that for real before I learned any more than what I read in novels. If I ever got the chance to leave my tower for real.
I got out my laptop, settled on my bed, and pulled up World of Dragons. Reaching down the side of my bed to where I hid the items I didn't want Mother to know about, I pulled out my headset. There wasn't much I kept there, mostly just the headset and a couple little trinkets I'd gotten from Colonel Weiss when he brought me various fast food meals. I logged in and checked my gaming email.
Most of it was trash, but there was a curious message in the middle of all the junk mail. The subject line read, Is this the Laura Morse who — nothing else could be seen beyond that, but it was unusual, especially since I never put my name in my email. It was always either L. Morse or Laura M. I did my best to keep my name offline, so Mother didn't discover it.
Hesitantly, I clicked it. It opened up and I began to read.
Hello Miss Morse,
I am currently searching for a Laura Morse who was in the background of her mother's interview in front of a place called the Tower in Miami. Would this happen to be you? I promise I am not attempting to contact you for any nefarious reason. It is only that I saw you on tv and thought you extraordinarily beautiful and wished to get to know you.
If you are the Laura in question, and you wish to get to know me, please contact me at:
[email protected].
I await your answer anxiously.
Rawklix
I bit my lip. Someone thought I was beautiful and wanted to get to know me? My breathing sped up and my heart began to race. No one had ever attempted to contact me, nor tell me that I was beautiful. Mother would be pissed off were I to reply. That made me smile. I hit reply.
Hello Rawklix,
Yes, I am the Laura Morse of which you spoke. You think I'm beautiful?
I paused. Did that sound too needy? I didn't want to sound as if I was conceited or desperate, so I was unsure if that was the way to go. I backspaced, deleting that part.
Hello Rawklix,
Yes, I am the Laura Morse of which you spoke. Thank you for the compliment, I do not receive them often. I think I would like to get to know you as well. I wondered about your name. Rawklix is unusual, I don't think I have ever heard a name like it before. Is it the name you were born with or is it some sort of gaming name?
Do you like gaming? Is that how you found me? Through World of Dragons? I didn't think anyone would be able to trace me, you see. It kind of worries me that you were able to and now fear I may need to change my email address for fear kidnappers will find my location. Please tell me you are not looking to kidnap me. Mother is constantly in fear that I will be stolen away from her. I think she worries too much, but she will not be swayed from protecting me.
Forgive me, I do ramble on. I hope you do not mind. I don't get to talk to many people. If you don't wish to speak to me again, I understand, but I hope you do.
I look forward to hearing from you,
~L.
Before I could change my mind, I hit send. I kept my email pulled up as I logged into my game. I played for a little while, interacting with players I routinely saw on the game, no one stood out to me or told me they were Rawklix. I was in the middle of a battle when my computer flashed a little 'you've got mail' box on the screen. With my heart in my throat, I finished the battle, ignoring the loot as I switched back to my email. It was there. He'd written back.
Laura,
That is a shame, you should receive compliments daily upon your beauty. I want to answer your questions, however, I worry about your concerns and want to assure you that I am not planning to kidnap you, not unless you wish me to come kidnap you.
Yours,
Rawklix
I quickly wrote him back.
Rawklix,
Thank you for your concern! I appreciate it. No, of course I do not wish to be kidnapped. It is just one of Mother's fears. She is always worried about someone taking me away again. I suppose like most people I have happy days and sad days. Don't you? For the most part I suppose I am content. I just wish I had more freedom at times. I would love to be able to go out into the world and meet people, but Mother worries too much to let me do it.
~ L.
I went back to my game as I waited for his reply, but he must have been sitting close to his computer because I wasn't in the game for more than five minutes before the logo showed up saying I had mail again. I switched over again and clicked on it.
Laura,
I'm glad that isn't your wish, did you say you've been kidnapped before??? How? By Who?
I am also glad that you are content for the most part, though I too wish you had more freedom.
Rawklix is my given name. I'm named after an uncle on my mother's side. I'm not a big gamer, no. What games do you like to play? Maybe I will give it a try.
As to how I found you, I had a little help from my sister-in-law. You are very difficult to find! I could find no trace of you. You should not worry about being compromised online, I assure you, my sister-in-law left no trace behind. I have no idea how she did it, but she assured me that what she did was untraceable.
Tell me about you. So far, I know you are beautiful, have hauntingly lovely eyes and the sweetest smile, you like to play computer games, you've been kidnapped before (Still want to know how and when and by who!), and you have a positive attitude about life, seeing as you are content even though your mother keeps a close eye upon you.
Yours,
Rawklix
I hit reply and then sat there for a minute trying to decide what to type back. After a moment, I decided to be honest. This w
as like having a confidential secret pen pal and I wanted to be as honest as I could.
Rawklix,
I like it, your name I mean. It's unique.
It was about four years ago. I don't remember much, actually. Whoever it was who took me, wiped my memories. I don't remember anything of what happened before Mother found me and brought me home. That's why she's so protective of me. She's afraid they will find me and wipe my memories of her again.
I'm glad your sister-in-law was able to find me without leaving a trace behind. If you have a sister-in-law, you must have a sibling? I have often wished I had siblings. Maybe it would have kept Mother from focusing so hard on me, but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, wouldn't they?
There isn't a whole lot to tell about me, really. I'm nineteen. I've been home schooled by Mother and Colonel Weiss, he's an android, one of Mother's that's pretty advanced. He's got AI tech and if you didn't know it, you'd think he was sentient. He looks like a Medieval Knight. He keeps me company when Mother goes off on her business trips. Anyway, he plays chess with me, and looks out for me. I like chess. I also love to read. I guess because it helps me live outside of the world I'm sequestered in. Does that make sense?
I think I would love the beach, but I've never been. I don't know if I ever went as a child. If I did, those memories are gone now. Okay, enough sad stuff. Tell me about you?
Anxiously awaiting your reply,
~ L.
Chapter 5
Rawklix
I couldn't believe it! I'd found her, well Kelly and Mei had found her. It'd been two weeks since my meeting with Jinurak and Lortnam. I had almost given up hope and then Mei had tapped into the Tower's biometrics and discovered an account hidden deep in the database. It didn't match any of the employees listed who worked for the Tower, Laura wasn't among those listed employees either.
The email account, [email protected] was linked to several online games. Mei had gone into one of the games and monitored the activity looking for the player attached to the email. She had been about eighty percent certain that the player was Laura, so I took the chance and sent out an email.
We'd been emailing back and forth for the past hour or so.
I read her last email over again. Her words about her kidnapping had me seriously concerned knowing Nora. I had this worrisome feeling that Nora was the one to do the kidnapping and had wiped Laura's memories of her family. Still that wasn't something I could bring up to her, not right now. Not just as we were getting to know one another.
I hit reply.
Laura,
Thanks, I've always liked my name as well.
I am deeply sorry that happened to you. It must have been a horrible experience.
Yes, I do in fact have several siblings. Six brothers, all of them married now, some with kids of their own. I am the youngest of the lot at twenty-three. There have been days that I wished I were an only child, mostly on the days my older brothers were picking on me, but those days were few and far between. For the most part I enjoy my brothers and their families. We are pretty close, at least in spirit, if not in location.
You mentioned that Colonel Weiss is AI, does he monitor your communications? Is this going to get you into trouble with your mother speaking to me like this? I do not wish to cause you any kind of trouble.
I too like to play chess. It is a game of strategy that I find strangely relaxing. I have not been much of a book reader, not for fun at any rate. When I am not engaged in work, I tend to enjoy my leisure time meeting new people or watching tv. Baseball has become a favorite pastime for me as well. Watching that is, not playing, though I wouldn't mind giving it a try. Do you like sports?
As for books and reading for fun, I shall have to give it a go, is there a book you'd recommend? Also, it does make sense that if you aren't able to go out into the world and meet people that books would allow you to experience the world in a sense.
The beach is quite lovely, I hope that one day we can go there together. It is one of my favorite and most relaxing places to be. Currently my home is directly on the beach. I can see the ocean from my front deck. It would give me great pleasure to share the view with you. In fact, I shall attach a picture of my view.
As the thought just occurred to me, I called out, "Fellnix?"
"Yes, sir?" He came into the living room.
"I need you to go take a picture of the beach from the front of the palace."
"Very well, my Prince. Any particular view?"
"No, just from the entrance is fine. I want to attach it to this email."
"As you wish, sir. I will be back momentarily."
I returned to my email and read it over. I then added:
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Yours,
Rawklix
When Fellnix returned, I uploaded the image and then attached it to the email and hit send. As I waited for her reply, I ate lunch. An anxious couple of hours passed, and I still hadn't heard back from her. I feared that she had been compromised and I'd not hear from her again, but just as I was about to close my tablet, it dinged, telling me I had a new email message. Eagerly, I opened it.
Rawklix,
I'm sorry, I was interrupted by Colonel Weiss who brought me lunch and insisted on a game of cards and then chess before he returned to his duties. I think Mother instructed him to keep me busy. Anyway, it took me a good minute to assure him I was fine and just wanted to read for a while.
Six brothers! Wow, such a big family! You are lucky to have them, even though they picked on you occasionally. Somehow, I think you may have given as good as you got! LOL I'm just teasing. It is hard at times to express emotions I think in emails. Still, thinking of you being part of a large family makes me smile. It just dawned on me that you know what I look like, but I haven't the foggiest idea what you look like!
Oh, and no, this email is not monitored, I've found a way to break through the firewalls and bury my activity online in the system so Thornbush, that's Mother's vicious security dog system, can't detect anything I do online. Colonel Weiss doesn't monitor my activities online either, thankfully. Now had you come to me via my Tower email, then yes, it would have locked me and you both out and Mother would probably send an attack team to your house. LOL
I am laughing, but that might actually happen, she's a computer genius and has her own security team of AIs. I have no doubt that she would defend me even if I didn't want to be defended. So it's better that we keep to communicating through this email.
The view from your house is lovely. I would love to see it in person one day. Can you see the sunsets over the water from there? Where are you even located? I never asked!
Let's see, a book I recommend… I like to read so many different genres but right now, I'm … well I fear you'll think me silly. But right now I am into reading sci-fi fantasy romance novels that have happily every afters. There is a series of Alien Dragon shifter romances that I particularly like. However, I am betting that might not be your cup of tea. What kind of things do you like? You mentioned sports, is there anything else you like? Any particular genre you are drawn to? Do you like fact or fiction? Mysteries or Dramas, Romance or Thriller? Fantasy or Reality? Answer that and I might be better able to recommend something that you'll actually like.
Speaking of sports, I do like to watch them on tv occasionally, but I don't follow any particular team. Sometimes I just put the baseball game on for the noise. It can get lonely around here with just me. Watching the games at times can make me feel not so alone in the world.
Anyway, I will let you go for now. I am expecting a colleague to arrive sometime soon to work on something for Mother. Since you watched the interview Mother did, you must be aware that I do also work for her. So if I don't answer right away, that may be why. I look forward to hearing from you again soon.
~ L.
The relief I felt that our communications weren't being monitored was palpable. Grinning, I set
about answering her questions and then asking some of my own.
Chapter 6
Laura
Thirty minutes after I sent off my last email, he replied. This was the most excitement I'd had in a good long while. I almost felt like I was living dangerously, but I was so glad that Mother had gone away on that business trip, leaving me able to carry on this wonderful email conversation with a real live person outside of my round walls. I knew my time was getting limited now, since Mr. Planter was due to show up anytime now, but still, I opened his email with bated breath.
Laura,
I've attached a picture of me, forgive me, it's not my best, but it is recent, I took it only moments ago.
I stopped reading and clicked the attached file, opening it. I gasped as I gazed at it. Rawklix was hot! His light blond hair was shoulder-length and messy, like he'd just dragged his hand through it. He had bright blue eyes, like sapphires, they twinkled in the image. His smile was sexy and made my heart race. His skin, from what I could see, was deeply tanned, and he looked slim but muscular. I couldn't tell his height from the image as it was just from the chest up, but oh God, what a chest! I felt like one of the heroines from my books, ready to swoon!
Once I got my breathing back under control, I returned to reading his precious words to me.
I am glad that you wrote back, I thought perhaps you had been caught out talking to me. I'm glad that was not the case and that you are able to communicate with me without fear of being monitored.
I am actually not too far from you, just a little south, on Miami Beach. I would really love to come visit you. Are you allowed visitors at the Tower?
