“Any idea why? He seemed like a prick when I first met him. Hell, he was quoting Shakespeare at her when they first met. Now that I’ve gotten to know him, he seems all right, but that first day not so much.” Gerald opined as they walked towards the shirt tables.
“You might not see it, but he exudes a sense of confidence. A palpable sense that you will be alright if you stick with him. It can’t be pheromones, it’s virtual reality. But the way he stands, the way he talks…, he just gives the impression he’ll be the one standing at the end. Which makes it funny that I can make him tap out almost every time, but even when he’s beat and tapping he still gives me my sense of pride. He acknowledges that I beat him but also seems to challenge me to do it again.”
“You still got a thing for him? Even with him being with a virtual succubus?”
“Hell yes,” Karen laughed. “Besides, I wouldn’t balk at that package deal. Stacia is a fucking master with her hands, not to mention her tongue, but her massages are heavenly. Her sister Miriam is good, but second best compared to Stacia.”
“You are a little odd,” Gerald chuckled.
“And you two aren’t? Childhood friends who can’t pull the trigger on a relationship.”
“She doesn’t want one,” Gerald half growled.
“Have you asked?” Karen replied, not at all put off by his growl.
“Years ago. She rebuked me. I won’t ask again, she might not want me around if I do,” Gerald answered, seeming to lose a bit of steam.
“Friend-zoned,” Karen sucked in a breath. “Sucks. You have my sympathy.”
“Mary, who are you talking too?” Gerald cut off the conversation with Karen now that they were close enough to the others.
“Gerald, this is Fluffball. Fluff, Gerald is behind you. Why not say hi?” Marysue gently turned Fluff around to face Gerald.
“Hello, Gerald. It is nice to meet you,” Fluff’s voice again was barely loud enough to be heard over everyone else talking around them.
Gerald dropped to one knee and looked up into the hood. Piercing sky blue eyes, clear as crystal were framed with thick, dark lashes. Her skin was flawless porcelain, framed by black hair cut short. She possessed the sort of perfect beauty only ever seen in magazines. His tongue locked up and his eyes went wide. Mentally he agreed with Karen, Fluff was indeed gorgeous. He stared, unaware of the passing seconds. Fluff started to turn crimson and one of her hands darted up to rub at the side of her head for just a second. She turned away from him, trembling as she did.
“Are you okay?” Marysue asked, wrapping Fluffball into a gentle embrace. “Gerald, what did you do?”
Blinking, Gerald looked up at Marysue, who was visibly upset with him. “Nothing…” He paused for a moment then stood back up, “I’m sorry, Fluffball. I didn’t mean to cause you distress. I just wanted to look you in the eye when I greeted you.”
“Told you,” Karen snarked from beside him. She stepped over to Fluffball, laying one hand gently on the smaller woman’s back. “It’s okay, Fluff. Do you like what they did with the shirt? I think your emblem looks fantastic on a shirt.”
Her head barely moved as she nodded, “I’m sorry. I’m not good around people.”
“It will be okay, Fluff,” Karen soothed, gently taking her from Marysue with a smile. “Why don’t we go off to the side and talk for a bit while they deal with the new people showing up, okay? Can I take your arm?”
Nodding, Fluff offered her hand to Karen, “Okay.”
Marysue slapped Gerald’s arm, “Why did you scare her?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Gerald replied. “All I did was meet her eyes. Did you see her face?”
“No, but she’s obviously sensitive about how she looks. I feel bad for her, goodness knows how hard it would be to go through life with a disfigurement.”
Gerald opened his mouth then shut it before shaking his head, “You are going to be in for a surprise, I think. I’ll go round up the latest arrivals.”
Chapter Two
Karen led Fluff to a corner, out of the way of most of the others in the lobby. She got Fluff settled then went and got them some water. Returning, she sat next to Fluff on the ground with their backs against the wall.
“Soon we’ll be in Alpha World for a whole month. Exciting, isn’t it?” Karen said to break the ice.
“Yes,” Fluff replied, her voice still very quiet. “They’ll be offering more than a month, I’ve been told.”
Karen’s eyes widened as her smile grew, “Really? How much longer?”
“Three months and six months, respectively. At least according to my friend. I will be opting for the six-month immersion.”
“Long time to be in game. What about your other obligations?” Karen asked, trying to learn more about Fluff.
“I’ve canceled all my shoots and art contracts. It will cost me, but it will be worth it. I’ll be free,” Fluff’s voice seemed to gain a little more life. “No one to stare at me, no one to put me down. Freedom.”
“Who would put you down, Fluff?” Karen asked gently. “I think you’re pretty awesome, myself.”
Fluff hunched into herself, one hand coming up to rub at her head where her ears were in game. “No one, not for a few years now. But I know my place.”
Karen sucked in a breath, thinking she was getting some inkling of what Fluff had gone though. “You mentioned you’ve had issues in the past, and that Lilith was helping you with them. Can I tell you about my past?”
Fluff’s head cocked to the side slightly so part of her face could be seen as she looked at Karen. “Why tell me?”
“You’re my friend. I enjoy hanging out with you and soon we’ll be spending a lot of time together. Maybe knowing about my past will help us mesh better.” Karen gave the best answer she could while also not wanting to touch on the other reasons.
“Okay,” Fluff looked back at the ground.
“My dad was military for years. We moved a lot, and I mean a lot. Every year a new school it seemed. On top of that, Dad had always wanted a son. I was a miracle child as it was, mom was never able to have another kid. So he raised me as the son he wanted. I was taught how to work on cars instead of playing with dolls. I learned martial arts instead of dance or music.”
Karen’s voice grew a bit distant as memories surfaced, staring into the past. “It’s no surprise I became a tomboy. Dad was happy enough, even when he finally was forced to retire from the military. We settled down in Texas. He opened the dojo I currently own and run. That was right when I started high school. That’s also when trouble started, of course. Teens are always trouble, am I right?”
“The jocks at that school had trouble taking no for an answer. My freshman year I got into a few fights with them. Dad was upset that I usually threw the first punch in those fights, so we would argue and he would thrash me in the dojo. Sophomore year I realized that women held an attraction for me. I brought home a girl, introducing her to dad as my girlfriend. The resulting fight scared her half to death, and she never talked to me again.”
Karen shook her head sadly, “Junior year I started to act out more. I dressed like a slut and once I got someone turned on, I turned them down, unless they could beat me on the mat. Dad caught me and a boy one night in the dojo, screwing like bunnies. I was paying up for losing. Well, the kid got hurt and dad spent a few nights in jail. He thrashed me again when he got home and this time mom sided with him.”
Fluff was trembling slightly as Karen spoke, so Karen reached up and gently rubbed Fluff’s head where her cat ears would be in game. Fluff pushed her head into the hand and stopped shaking. “Senior year, I graduated with honors and had my pick of scholarships lined up for unis on the east coast. My relationship with dad had become a cold war, neither of us speaking to the other. The day before I was set to leave for Duke University, Dad had a massive coronary and fell into a coma. It was a few months before he came out of it.”
“His body was shot, so I took over the dojo. He thanke
d me for it and we started talking again. He wouldn’t accept my views on partners, but we managed to find a way to agree to disagree. He passed a year later. Mom went not long after he did. I ran the dojo ever since, and now I’ve sold out most of my interest in it. Which has set me up nicely for my retirement.”
“You’re not that old,” Fluff mumbled, glancing up at Karen and getting a smile.
“I’m well into my thirties,” Karen told Fluff. “How old did you think I was?”
“Maybe a year or two older than me.”
“How old is that?”
“Twenty-six,” Fluff turned to look at Karen a bit more fully. “Your skin is really youthful for your age, you don’t show any lines near your eyes.”
“I do my best to keep myself in top shape. Never know when I might need to impress a person with my youth,” Karen winked.
Going pink, Fluff looked down, “You look pretty. I wish I was that pretty. Dad always said…” Fluff cut off, turning quickly away.
Karen reached out gently to stroke Fluff’s head, “It’s okay, Fluff. You can talk with me and I won’t say anything bad. You can also keep whatever it is inside, but I won’t treat you badly either way. We’re friends, right?”
Fluff’s head jerked slightly up and down, “You and Alburet have been friends. He was the first to help me in game. I thought it would be easier there, but it’s still so hard. He joked with me and made me smile. He even quoted Shakespeare correctly.”
“Oh, which play?” Karen asked.
“He did Macbeth, Hamlet and even a line from…” Fluff let out a soft sigh as she recalled something.
“Romeo?” Karen guessed, to which Fluff nodded once, vigorously. “Oh, did you like that one?” Fluff started to nod then froze. “But, Soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”
Fluff let out a pleased little meow and shivered slightly, “Yes, that line.”
“I’ll have to memorize that whole scene again,” Karen said, leaning in close to whisper into Fluff’s ear.
Fluff shivered, her head tilted back and to the side so her hood fell back some and her eyes locked onto Karen’s. Fluff’s cheeks flushed, her breath coming faster as she stared into Karen’s eyes.
Before she could say anything, a voice cut through the noise in the lobby. “Your attention, please. It is now time for the main presentation. Everyone please follow the signs to the presentation room. It’s time to begin what you’re all here for.”
A loud cheer went up and people began streaming into the presentation room, following the signs that had been hidden until that moment. Karen stood and extended a hand to Fluff, pulling her to her feet while also pulling her into a light hug. “We’ll talk more later, okay?”
Fluff nodded, her face red. Karen helped put her hood back up to cover her face again. “That… sounds… good,” the hesitation was clear but her voice also held a happy tone.
Smiling, Karen took Fluff’s arm like she had in game a few times and slowly led the beauty after the others. “Well then, M’Lady Fluff, I shall be your guide today.”
A small giggle came from the hood as the duo began to follow all the others. “You do this there, too.”
“Because I like you,” Karen replied, “what is your name, Fluff? I’m Karen Young, currently retired instructor of various martial arts.”
“Umm, Julia Petrov. I draw things and do photoshoots,” Fluff mumbled. “Please don’t tell anyone else, though.”
“So they can’t find your work?” Karen asked curiously.
“No, I use a pen name for the photos and drawings. It’s just I’ve had issues before.”
“Okay, Fluff,” Karen told her gently with a small squeeze on her arm. “I’ll just use the name I’ve come to know. Besides, if anyone wants to give you trouble today they’ll have to go through me first, okay?”
“Just like Alburet,” Fluff whispered. “Thank you, Karen. It’s like you’ve stepped in for him here.”
“Well, he’s a taken man now, mores the pity. Not that I begrudge him much, Stacia is a hell of a woman. I just thought maybe I was going to have a chance, he was easy enough to get along with.”
“He was nice to me, too,” Fluff said as they got into line.
The line was three wide. Copies were being made of IDs and the testers had to sign the hardcopy of the NDA before being allowed into the room. It was a very large conference room decked out in Alpha World promotional banners. An oversized screen took up most of one wall and the seats were almost all filled. Karen spotted Gerald waving at them and led Fluff over.
“Saved these two for you, next to Marysue. Fluff, you can have the aisle seat,” Gerald said by way of greeting as he sat down on the far side of Marysue.
“Thanks, Gerald. Nice to see our second in command helping out,” Karen chuckled as she took the seat next to Marysue, leaving Fluff the outermost seat.
“Thank you,” Fluff added, taking her seat.
Once everyone was seated the lights dimmed and the screen came to life. On the screen was Alvin Brouch. Behind him sat a pod that was a bit different than the ones the players were used to. “Welcome to Mindblown Entertainment’s long-term virtual reality immersion clinical trial. Before we go any further, I’m pleased to announce that we’ve received clearance to offer you further options for your participation. In addition to a one-month immersion period, we now also can offer three- and six-month immersion periods. Those that wish to extend your immersion trial will have access to phones and computers to make the necessary arrangements. You may choose which immersion period you prefer once you’ve completed medical examinations.
The room all but exploded as people all began to talk excitedly. Alvin let it go on for a few minutes before calling the room back to order. “The choice is up to each of you. Now, let me introduce to you the head of our medical team, Doctor Rosenbloom. He and his staff will be monitoring the trial and ensuring that each of you remains healthy. He’ll be giving an overview of the technology behind our most advanced pods, which you see behind me. Doctor, the floor is yours."
An older, white haired man wearing a buttoned up lab coat and slacks came onto the screen. Brouch shook hands with the newcomer, then moved off-screen. Rosenbloom walked to the pod, the camera moving in with him. “Thank you, Alvin. I’m sure you’ve all got questions, and I can make a pretty good stab at the top two or three. I’ll address those first.”
“The big one that’s probably on all of your minds is how we keep you physically healthy while you’re in the pod.” He opened the pod and the camera view shifted so they could all see inside. “The interior is lined with sensors that monitor, well, everything. Blood chemistry, heart rate, brain activity, even your bone and muscle density.” Rosenbloom spent the next hour describing the monitoring and maintenance systems in the pod and how each worked to keep the occupant alive and healthy. “Any pertinent questions?”
He fielded the handful of questions that people had, as most of it had been clear and easy to understand. He smiled broadly at the audience, “I look forward to caring for all of you. Thank you for putting your faith in myself and my team. Mr. Brouch, back over to you.”
The camera shifted to Alvin Brouch, now seated at a desk. “Now for the part you’ve all waited so patiently for. Once the presentation is dismissed, you’ll split up according to gender and follow the signs for the final medical examinations. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have access to phones and computers to make any arrangements needed should you opt for one of the longer immersion trials. From there, you’ll be assigned in groups of three to the pod rooms.”
Alvin sat back in his chair, a broad smile spreading across his face. “You’ll be joined by other long term testing groups based in Europe, Russia and Asia. There are a total of two thousand participants in the initial trials, helping make history with us. We thank all of you for your eagerness to help us get these trials completed.”
The screen went dark and began to retract into the ceiling as the lights came ba
ck up. The rising screen revealed the signs Alvin had mentioned, indicating that women should go through one door that had been concealed behind the screen and men the other. There was a rising murmur of conversation and people jumped up to hurry over to the doors.
Gerald stood up and faced the main part of the room. “Alpha Company recruits, hold your ground.” His voice carried over the noise of conversation, and a number of people turned to look at him. “We’ll take the end of the line. We’ll all have plenty of time to take care of anything we need to, there’s no reason to rush.”
Some of those who’d said they wanted into the guild ignored him, but something like a hundred people clumped loosely around him, chatting among themselves. Gerald circulated through, thanking each of them as they joined the group. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen. I am the second in command of Alpha Company. Our fearless leader is already testing, so we’ll be joining him. How many of you are opting for longer than a month?” Thirty-six hands were raised. “Okay. How many are opting for six?” A dozen hands stayed up.
Alpha Company (Alpha World Book 3) Page 2
