by Box Set
“Not your fight, bitch,” Steven said, turning around.
“Oh honey.” Aiko grinned at him and lifted her hand higher. “You come for my friends, I come for you.” There was an audible click. Katie saw a switchblade open in Aiko’s hand. The silver edge caught a thin beam of the dim hallway light and gleamed as if on cue.
Steven looked taken aback for a second, but then he recovered, flipped them the bird and hurried down the hallway, turning out of sight.
A door opened in front of them, and Katie’s neighbor Mrs. Friedenberg stepped warily into the hall, her Bijon Frise shaking in her arms. She took one look at the weapon in Aiko’s hand and frowned with disapproval.
Aiko closed the blade, stashed it in her pocket and dove into the food bag Katie still carried. She pulled out a paper-wrapped cylinder and shook it gently.
“Egg roll for your silence?” she said, cocking an eyebrow at Mrs. Friedenberg.
The older woman thought for a moment and then nodded.
Aiko tossed the egg roll with a laugh, and Mrs. Friedenberg caught it easily, shuffled back into her apartment, waved, and shut the door.
Aiko grabbed another egg roll out of the bag, tore off the paper, and took a big bite.
“So, what the fuck, Martinez?” she said, as they walked back into Katie’s apartment.
“Steven,” said Katie as she unpacked the bags contents onto her kitchen counter. “Came to gloat about the tabloids.” She turned to Aiko. “Hey, did you know about that?”
“Yep.” Aiko nodded, bits of egg roll falling from her mouth as she talk and chewed at the same time.
“When were you gonna tell me?”
“When I brought you soup,” said Aiko. “Hoped you’d be sleeping all day.”
“Yeah I was. Until jackass woke me.” Katie dug a spoon out of drawer, opened the plastic container of soup and slurped up a spoonful. “I’m trying not to freak out about it Aik, but I need a little pep talk here.”
“I think it’s gonna blow over.” Aiko pulled apart a pair of chopsticks, hopped up on the kitchen counter, and grabbed the box of General Tso’s. “They’re after dirt on Aaron, not you. You weren’t the target. Nobody even knows that’s you in the photo.”
“Except Steven.”
“Yeah, but he can’t prove it,” said Aiko. “And seriously, like I said to the jackass, someone comes for one of my friends, they come for me. Whoever is responsible for that tabloid pic came for two of my friends, so they are in for a world of hurt.”
There was a buzzing sound. Aiko lifted one ass cheek, retrieved her phone from her back pocket, and sighed at the screen.
“Work?” Katie asked, still slurping.
Aiko nodded, shoveled more food in her mouth, then hopped off the counter and leaned down to give Rupert a scratch behind the ears.
“You good?” she asked. “You got your NyQuil and your soup, and if asshole ex comes back–”
“Don’t worry,” said Katie. “I won’t be opening the door again.”
“Call the cops,” said Aiko. “Unless you kill him, in which case call me or Malcolm first, so we can fix it for you.”
“Ha!” Katie laughed and shook her head. “Very funny.”
Aiko stared.
“Aik?” said Katie. “You’re kidding right?”
Aiko still stared.
“Aiko!”
Aiko’s face lit up in a broad grin and she nodded vigorously. “Sure. Yeah. Course I’m kidding.”
The buzzing started again and Aiko cursed.
“Alright I’m outta here. Try not to die, KitKat, and I’ll check on you later.”
Katie closed the door behind Aiko, took her soup to the bedroom, settled in and opened her laptop.
She had a ton of missed messages from Aaron, so she read through them all while she sipped her soup.
Last night was amazing. I can’t wait to see you again. Can’t wait to kiss you again. Tonight?
Text me when you get a chance, there’s been a thing. Better yet call. It’s fine. Everything’s fine. Just call.
You awake yet? Really want to talk to you sleepyhead.
Hey, just spoke to Aiko and she says you’re sick. I’m so sorry! Let me know if there’s anything I can do. Guess that explains why I hadn’t heard from you. Feel better soon.
Aiko says your probably sleeping, and all this texting is waking you up. But I argued that you’re smarter than that, and that if a text could wake you, I would’ve heard from you by now. Since I haven’t I hope that means you’re resting well and on your way to recovery. Because I really want to see you again soon. Call me when you wake up.
I’ve got some marathon of demos tonight with celebrities, so I won’t be available for several hours. I’m sorry. Let’s talk tomorrow? Feel better. Thinking of you. Very fondly.
Her cheeks flushed, and she giggled to herself as she sipped her soup.
Aaron had been thinking of her fondly.
Very fondly.
The feeling was mutual.
Rupert jumped up on the bed and Katie shifted so he could sit in her lap. She’d napped all afternoon and the fight with Steven had left her full of adrenaline. Sleep wouldn’t be happening for a while so she might as well watch Aaron’s show. It would be nice to hear his voice, even if it was part of a celebrity event that promised to be hours of various actors and musicians and athletes stumbling around HyperLyfe with newbie avatars while Aaron played host. Probably pretty painful to watch, but still.
Aaron.
Grabbing the remote control she turned on the flat screen on her bedroom wall and tuned into the gaming channel. They were broadcasting Aaron’s VR stream and she thrilled when she saw his avatar on screen chatting with a reporter.
Katie set the soup on her nightstand and pulled the laptop closer. Logging into HyperLyfe she had a thought; maybe she’d see if she could find them in world, stop by and say hello?
Unfortunately, as soon as she logged in she saw that would be impossible. The celebrities were almost quarantined, herded off in a section of HyperLyfe that was closed to other users. They were in-world, but there was no way anyone could get to them. Probably the requirements of overzealous security teams that didn’t quite grasp that their clients couldn’t actually be physically hurt in a virtual reality.
It was okay. She could always find work to do.
Katie teleported her avatar to Celestia City and decided to spend a little time working on a new high-rise she’d been building for the residents. Twenty minutes into the project she realized the penthouse on the top floor looked a lot like Aaron’s.
She could almost hear him in her head, looking over her shoulder at the build and whispering in her ear. “Good old subconscious, filling in the blanks.”
Inspiration hit, and the idea was irresistible. She chewed her lip for a minute, debating.
On the television, Aaron’s avatar was talking to more reporters.
“He looks tired,” Katie said to Rupert. “I don’t know how an avatar can look tired, but he does.”
Rupert meowed and Katie nodded.
“Yeah he’s been really busy. With HL, with me. Not getting much sleep, and no alone time.” Rupert nudged his head under her hand and Katie massaged him absentmindedly.
“And spending a month in VR…” The hamster wheels started turning. “That’s gotta be draining.”
Aaron’s office in HyperLyfe was empty and boring. Blank. And, as she’d seen last night, so was his real life home. So she was thinking…what if she built him a home in HyperLyfe; a place to hang out and relax during his month of exile in the virtual world. A place that wasn’t his over-the-top castle, or a nightclub, or even her place. A place of his own that felt comfortable and relaxing, and real.
Weird? Or the best idea ever?
She picked up the soup, took a big chug, and decided.
What the hell.
A quick Google search provided the real estate broker’s promotional listing of Aaron’s property from before he purcha
sed it. Using the photos and blueprint as a guide, she worked in her 3D modeling programs, and in a few hours she’d built a realistic replica of Aaron’s penthouse.
White walls. Empty rooms. Yep, just like Aaron’s place.
Still boring. Not homey at all.
Rupert purred in her lap and pawed the screen as if expressing his disapproval at the lack of decor.
“Good idea,” she said, giving him a scratch under the chin. “Let’s decorate it for him.”
Chapter Nineteen
The celebrity-filled VR stream had lasted all night and well into the morning. She’d tried to stay up until the end but succumbed in the wee hours with the help of another dose of medicine and finally fell asleep to the sound of Aaron’s voice.
Rupert pawed her awake, demanding his breakfast or else. She fed him, then noticed that the gaming news show, Game Hour, was on in twenty minutes. They might have some coverage of the bits of Aaron’s stream that she’d missed. There was just enough time to brew some coffee and take a shower and cross her fingers that the combination of the two would breathe new life into her aching bones.
No such luck. Climbing out of the shower, she felt so crappy she tripped, hitting her shin on the edge of the sink cabinet.
“Shit!” She said the word aloud but it came out in a croaky whisper.
Great. She’d lost her voice.
Katie wrapped one towel around her torso and another around her hair, then padded into the kitchen for a giant mug of coffee.
This had happened before. Something about her body liked to kick out her vocal cords whenever she got the flu. When she was still living at home, it wasn’t an issue to communicate without a voice, since she was fluent in American sign language, she already communicated that way with her mother.
But the rest of the world was another matter entirely. She was supposed to call Aaron this morning. He’d have to settle for a text instead.
Grabbing her coffee and her phone she headed back to the bedroom, texting Aaron a quick message.
Still sick, she wrote. No voice, so I can’t call. But I already know about that tabloid photo. Don’t worry. :) I bet you’re sleeping in after last night. Text me later?
She figured the tabloid wasn’t the only reason he wanted to talk to her, but the urgency in his texts suggested it was on his mind. Which was nice, he was looking out for her, cared about her feelings–
Game Hour’s opening music started and Katie settled back on the bed with Rupert and her coffee. Rupert kneaded around in her lap until she criss-crossed her legs, then he settled into the space and propped his chin on his paws as if watching along with her.
As soon as the music stopped, she knew this episode was going to be a good one. Breaking News flashed across the screen, and the hosts forwent their usual banter, diving right into a story about HyperLyfe.
“Surprising developments this morning,” said the male host. “CEO Aaron Eldridge of Eldridge Innovations, the parent company of Virtual Reality MMO HyperLyfe, appears to have a virtual mess on his hands.”
“That’s right Jim,” said the female host. “Looks like Celestia, one of HyperLyfe’s most popular in world game destinations might be jumping ship. A document leaked to us last night suggests that ZumZum Games is in talks with Celestia’s creator to port the game out of HyperLyfe, and make it available on competitor’s platforms.”
“What?” Katie croaked. “That’s not true!” She jerked and a splash of coffee hit Rupert on the nose. He meowed in protest and swiped at her as she reached for the remote to turn up the volume.
The host continued. “But Game Hour has learned that EI is actively attempting to block the sale to ZumZum, in order to prevent what would potentially be a huge loss of traffic and revenue for HyperLyfe.”
“But there’s turmoil at EI over the matter,” said the female host. “Insiders have alleged that Eldridge is allowing his complicated personal life threaten the stability of his company and the future of HyperLyfe, the company’s biggest game property. Sources suggest that the CEO’s personal relationship with Celestia’s creator is to blame.”
“The fuck?” Katie whispered as Rupert nudged her hand.
“Game Hour isn’t a gossip show,” said the female. “But since these details are an integral part of the story, we decided to share them with our viewers and let you decide.”
A photo popped up on the screen, and Katie groaned out loud. It was the tabloid shot of her and Aaron in Lux, the one Steven had goaded her with.
Katie’s phone buzzed with an incoming text and she checked her screen while the hosts explained the theories behind the photo.
Aiko: Turn on Game Hour. Now.
Already watching, Katie texted back. WTF?
“That’s Eldridge in the popular New York City nightclub, Lux,” said the male host.
“Well nightclub isn’t entirely accurate Jim,” said the female. “Lux is a well-known sex club that caters to prurient appetites and an elite clientele. While Eldridge’s camp hasn’t confirmed it’s him in the photos, our viewers should know he has little motivation to do so, since the woman he’s seen with in the photo is obviously not his current girlfriend, supermodel Carly Carpenter.”
“That’s correct, Jill, and here’s where things get really sticky. Sources who have reached out to Game Hour suggest that the woman in the photo is, in fact, the HyperLyfe gamer that goes by the handle Catalina Celestina, the creator of Celestia.”
“So Jim,” said the female reporter, holding up her hands. “Help me out here, because we’re going back and forth in this story, between the virtual world and the real world. It’s confusing.”
“It is,” agreed Jim. “Which is why we did a little digging. Turns out, the real world identity behind Catalina Celestina is…”
Katie’s stomach rolled, her hand shook and she set her coffee on her nightstand then began texting furiously.
What the fuck is happening right now Aik? This is insane!!!!!
“…Katie Martinez,” continued the male host. “A game designer who was fired a few years back from Galaxus Games.”
Fired‽
She wanted to puke.
“Sources have confirmed to Game Hour that Eldridge has been having an affair with Martinez for some time now, and that it’s this relationship that is corrupting the CEO’s historically good judgment.”
More photos flashed on the screen. A photo of her in a bikini on vacation, one under the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center. Those photos had been uploaded by her mother to share with her family. The realization made her feel sick all over again. They stalked her mother’s social media for photos to hang her out to dry! What kind of bastards?
Another photo flashed on the screen and Katie tried to scream out her anger but her raw throat wasn’t cooperating.
The guy in the bodega, he hadn’t been a weirdo or a street artist, he’d been paparazzi, and the photo he took of Katie was hands down the most hideous thing she’d ever seen in her life. Red nose and watery eyes, dressed in her rattiest clothes and yelling angrily at the cameraman. She barely recognized herself.
“I don’t know about that last one Jill,” the male host snickered. “I think I prefer the bikini shot.”
Katie threw the remote on the bed, and Rupert jumped away in indignation.
“Well it’s not your shitty photo on the TV!” she shout-whispered when he meowed resentfully.
The video chat on her laptop chimed. It was Aiko, so Katie answered, then pointed to her throat when Aiko’s face appeared.
“Lost my voice,” she whispered.
“Shit. Okay I’ll do the talking,” said Aiko. “Don’t bother watching the rest of that show, those two are morons, and marketing just pulled all our advertising.”
Katie nodded.
“The story is wack and hard to follow, mainly because it’s bullshit, and whoever is behind all this has another agenda.”
“Which is?” Katie croaked.
“We’re on that now Kit K
at, I promise. I’ll let you know what I find out. In the meantime, rest, and don’t talk to the press.”
“How can they do this?” Katie swallowed and tried to whisper loud enough for Aiko to hear. She was really pushing things now, her throat was on fire from the strain of talking. “How can they just make up all these lies like this?”
“Well it’s not lies is it? I mean it’s just the spin that’s crap.”
“But it is.” Katie wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never heard of ZumZum Games. I’m not in talks with anyone, and Aaron wouldn’t try to block–”
“Um.” Aiko winced and frowned. “I think you better talk to Aaron. He bought ZumZum about an hour ago.”
Aaron hadn’t slept all night. There was an urgent message waiting for him when his celebrity stream in HyperLyfe ended. Gwen’s contact at ZumZum had been found out, and the owner had panicked and caused a shit-storm.
As it turned out, ZumZum was just two twenty-something siblings in Illinois who’d wanted to start a gaming company and got their uncle, a car dealership owner, to put up the capital. One of the siblings had been Gwen’s leak, and the Uncle had been none too pleased.
Aaron had to fly out in the middle of the night to shake the guy’s hand and convince him that there had been no grand conspiracy to steal his company and make him a fool.
Even though there sort of had been.
The siblings, Corinna and Joe Zumowski, wanted out from under their uncle’s iron rule. The guy was nice enough, but had no knowledge of the gaming industry. So sister and brother had conspired to attract a buyer.
While Aaron wasn’t pleased he and Gwen had been manipulated, he had to admit that the Zums had real talent, and would be an invaluable part of EI. So, after an hour of reassuring the Uncle he didn’t want to buy the company…he made an offer to buy the company.
To his surprise, the guy accepted. Handshakes were exchanged, lawyers called, and all that was left was to sign the paperwork next week.
