Synched
A Hard-Wired Novel
DeAnna Browne
To my family for their love and support.
This book wouldn’t be here without it.
Acknowledgments
I’m so grateful for my writing tribe: Dave Bennemen, Jami Gray, Tom Hansen, and Betsy Love. They help me hone my craft and keep me sane when the voices threaten to take over. Thank you!
Also, a big thanks to my early readers that gave valuable feedback to make this a better story including Tom Hansen, Betsy Love, Eleanor Bowers, and Lorelei Mote. I’m also grateful for a brilliant editor, Tyson Pink, and wonderful cover artist, Bukovero.
Also, a never-ending thank you for my family, especially Spencer, Eleanor, and Kathy. They are my biggest cheerleaders and help me manage my chaos, watch kiddos, and keep me on track. This book wouldn’t have made it out into the world without their influence and support.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Demon Rising
Also by DeAnna Browne
About the Author
Chapter One
Ari ducked to avoid the oncoming strike and spun away from her opponent, only it wasn’t enough. The staff hit her in the stomach, her breath escaping with a grunt. Thankfully, her suit absorbed most of the hit, and she carried the momentum though into a backward roll, her own staff still in hand.
“Faster.” Niomi drove Ari off the mat and into the sand.
Spinning the staff, she drove it towards Niomi, but Ari was a second behind. Again. Niomi countered, striking out at Ari. This time she blocked the attack with a mirroring forward cut, but Niomi kept coming at her, stronger and faster than Ari ever hoped to be.
Ari retreated.
“Think offensively. Make a plan,” Niomi ordered, with a steely determination in her eyes.
My plan is to avoid using my healing kit again. Ari couldn’t manage a response between her jagged breaths. Her arms burned with exhaustion, but she struck out. At the last second, she switched directions, hoping to catch Niomi off guard—like that was even possible.
Ducking low, Niomi avoided the hit and countered. That’s all it took. Before Ari knew it, Niomi had her staff in the back of Ari’s neck and a foot on her lower back.
Spitting out a mouthful of sand, Ari managed to speak. “Give.”
Niomi let go of her immediately and stepped back on the mat. “You can’t give an opponent that big of an opening.”
Ari pushed up on her hands and knees, struggling to catch her breath. Lifting her gaze, she squinted into the partly cloudy sky. “What opponent? You act like I’m going to be a gladiator in the VR programs. Remember, I was hired to program, not fight. I don’t need this.”
Since she joined VisionTech six months ago, she found the training was nothing as she imagined. Hired as a warper, she thought she’d be focused on programing inside the virtual reality world. Warpers were about as rare as conjoined twins. Why waste time on this? Ari still hadn’t figured out why the need for the intense cardio and martial arts training.
Niomi’s bright red lips sucked on her hydro pack. She said she was in her forties, but Ari didn’t see it with Niomi’s muscular body and fierce features. Niomi’s hair was shaved all around except for a strip of long blond hair on top of her head, currently wrapped in a bun.
Done drinking, she focused on Ari. “You also need to step up your cardio. You shouldn’t get so winded this easily.”
Sitting up in the sand, Ari laughed, not even trying to make it back to the mat. She took in the exercise area set up in the middle of this island paradise. Hell in the middle of heaven, she called it. “I think jogging five miles a day is plenty.”
Niomi offered Ari a hand and pulled her up. “Being in top physical and mental health will aid you in your abilities inside the program.”
“But I haven’t even spent that much time in the program.” Ari had been doing classes on logics, problem solving, world history and politics, in addition to her combat and physical training.
Niomi narrowed her eyes, her dark tattooed eyeliner knife sharp, matching the intricate tattoo on her ear.
“Okay, okay.” Ari raised a hand in defeat and reached for her own hydro pack.
“Finish your strength exercises and meet me in my room by one. We have something new to go over.” Without another word, Niomi took off at a jog towards their section of the Wave.
Mind turning with what Niomi meant by ‘new’, Ari was tempted to skip the exercises, but Niomi would know. Her required uniform, a sleek navy Fit Suit worth more than her old apartment, constantly read her vitals and reported everything back to Niomi. Heading towards the weight set, she re-braided her long brown hair. She may have the tanned skin of an islander, but her already wavy hair turned into a fizzy mess with the humidity on the island.
Nothing she could do about it now, unless she wanted to shave it off like Niomi. She wiped off the sweat with a nearby towel and went to work. By the end of the next hour every muscle ached with fatigue. Instead of running, Ari slowly walked, wishing she would have brought a board for the ride back. Maybe with enough boards she could just float black in a sublime position. She’d have to work on that.
Sweat continued to drip down her neck as she headed towards her secluded rooms in the Wave. Small monkeys chirped in the trees as they jumped from branch to branch with ease, as if almost mocking her. Niomi said working outdoors made training more realistic. Ari loved the view but hated the air. It made her feel like a human sponge, always damp. Watching the sky, it looked to her as if another storm was going to pass through tonight.
The Wave appeared in front of her, the main building of VisionTech. Constructed out of a crystalline photoelectric material that curved and rose like a ribbon waving in the wind, it could project a variety of images to blend in with the surroundings, though from the inside it was clear. It melded a perfect balance of nature and technology.
Her rooms were on the west end of the building, a small annex of sorts. An annex with high security clearance. The doors opened on command, a gush of air greeting her and cooling the sweat on her brow.
“Welcome, Ariana Mendez,” her AI said as she entered the building.
“Hey, Henry,” she answered her ever-present assistant. Having a computer track her every step didn’t sit right with her. She not only had her uniform, but the implant in the base of her neck, right below her VR port, tracking her physical location too. She understood the reason: she was expensive to obtain and worth a lot more. The threat of her being taken by another company or government was real, but it never felt natural.
Ari headed down the silent hall, past the empty communal kitchen, coffee shop, and theater area.
It took a while to get used to the isolation, especially when she knew there were hundreds, probably thousands of people working on this island. These rooms, actually the whole wing, were reserved for warpers, but she was the only one. Niomi also had rooms nearby but usually kept to herself.
On entering her own suite, the lights flicked on, and her playlist blared through the halls. Mostly electro songs, they seemed to fit the sterile environment, but every now and then she’d listen to some old Latin tunes to remind her of home.
Walking into her bathroom, she stripped down and jumped into the shower cubicle. Warm water massaged her muscles, and she had to fight the urge not to linger. Today, Niomi had something new for her and Ari still couldn’t guess what it was.
With a command, Ari shut off the water and turned on the full body, floor-to-ceiling dryer. Like a silver doorway, it warmed her up and dried her off in no time. Once her hair was mostly dry, she dressed in a clean Fit Suit. Ari didn’t always wear these electronic suits, but Niomi preferred them for work, especially if she was going under, so they could monitor their vitals. Fingering the expensive material, she wondered how much these suits helped while in the VR.
If her father had one, would he have still gone into a coma? Probably. His VR coma was of his own making. Not wanting to face reality, his subconscious chose to never wake up. But they could maybe help her brother, Marco, who had the same tendencies.
Thinking of home, she wished she could call Reed, but he worked until five. Her boyfriend was the one thing she was able to bring with her. VisionTech gave Reed a job and opportunities that he couldn’t find back at home, opportunities that kept him just as busy as Ari. Pushing aside her distracting thoughts, she headed out to find Niomi.
The hall shone with its pristine white floors and large floor-to-ceiling windows leading out to a view of lush jungle life making the beauty feel alive. A colorful bird soared down into the dense foliage. Surreal.
Ari continued down the hall as a knock sounded from her suit. With her hands tangled in her hair she was unable to see who was calling. “Answer,” she said. “This is Ari. Who’s it?”
“Only your most brilliant friend that you will adore and worship forever.” Ari recognized his voice of her technical liaison.
“So, why are you so brilliant today?”
“I finished your personalized modification for your VR suit. You’ll be flying through your program.”
“Flying, huh? Pretty sure humans conquered that in the 1800s.”
“Not like this. Trust me, you’ll love it.”
A grin stretched wide on her face. Vinh’s job was to assist with her gear and anything else she needed. In the past months, he quickly grew into a friend. A quirky friend with no people skills, who loved to socialize.
“Is that part of what Niomi wanted to do today? Try out my gear?”
“Think so. Not sure. Aren’t you cutting it close to meet her? I don’t want to hear you complaining about Niomi busting your butt in training.”
Ari checked the time on the HUB built into the forearm of the suit and realized she was late. “Flip. I better go.” She rushed down the hall.
The annoying AI called out. “Remember your meeting with Niomi in room—”
“Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses, Henry.” Her artificial personal assistant’s name changed weekly, sometimes daily, depending on Ari’s mood. Henry was the name of Ari’s first pet, a pissy old cat. And it fit, today.
Ari hurried down the hall. If she was a minute late, Niomi would require her to run some serious mileage with her tomorrow. And Niomi could run for miles on end. As it was, Ari had never been so fit in her life and never wanted to be. It’s her luck to be stuck with a full-time trainer that thinks muscles outside a virtual are just as important as in.
“You have thirty seconds to—”
“Shut up, Henry.” She quieted her AI as she sprinted around the corner, her feet sliding on the floor.
Metal doors appeared, and Ari hurried to her usual training room, sliding to a stop. While the door read her chip and scanned her cornea for clearance, she tried to slow her breath. Then, she walked into an empty training room.
Once inside the room, her breath caught in her throat as she took in the bloody face before her.
Chapter Two
Two men fought on the screen in some type of office. The fight was shown from the point of view of a of man wearing a black suit of some kind. He was attacking another man dressed in long cream robes. The man in black obviously had the advantage as he pressed forward, striking repeated blows with his fists. Ari cringed as she watched blood drip off the robed man’s chin. His dark skin couldn’t hide the crimson color staining his face and dripping onto his beige robes.
She had seen violent movies and games, even played a few herself. But with this oversized screen, she didn’t hear a soundtrack in the background, only the dull thud of hit after hit punctuated with the moans of pain. It not only looked real, but felt real, like she was the attacker. The Suit spun around, using his elbow to strike at the man’s jaw. A sickening crack echoed through the room as the robed man fell back; Ari turned from the screen unable to stomach any more.
She noticed Niomi standing further in the room with the director at her side. Ari had only met him one other time, when she first signed her contract. She remembered how generic and perfect his looks were, with dark hair, pristine pearl skin, and purposeful brown eyes. Now, with the dim light of the room, Ari thought her first impression was right—attractive yet nondescript.
Niomi glanced over her shoulder. Narrowing her eyes, she motioned for Ari to watch the screen, her lips pursed together with a firm silence. Ari didn’t dare speak and turned back to the screen.
The suit straddled the robed figure, whose fight appeared to finally die out. The robed figure spoke with the accent of an elite, “I don’t have the answers you seek. Killing me won’t help.”
“Oh, I don’t plan on killing you.” The suit slowly bent forward and grabbed the man’s forehead.
The screen blanked out, replaced by lines and lines of code in teal stripes. Code flew by faster than Ari could read it, and she had been practicing. After a moment, things slowed, and she caught bits and pieces. What was this, and where was this coming from? It looked like they were scanning a drive of some kind, but if so, that meant the suit was in a virtual world.
She had hundreds of questions, though with a quick glance at Niomi, Ari knew better than to ask. Whoever was running this, it appeared they were looking for something. They followed certain trails of code, then abandoned the trail and began with another. The lines slowed down. When Ari could finally read what he was after, she thought she’d be sick. Small children… couriers for information… She couldn’t figure out all the details, but there was something about them going insane and there was a slaughter…
“What the hell?” She reached for a nearby table, not trusting her legs to do their job at the moment.
“Pause feed,” the director spoke to the screen and then turned to Niomi, his condescending tone evident in every syllable. “You sure she is ready for this?”
Niomi watched Ari closely, as if accessing her reaction. The reaction beyond what the smart suit recorded. She turned back to the director. “No, but I’m sick of hearing her complaining. And we don’t have time for it.”
Ari snapped her head towards Niomi. “I don’t complain.” Okay, that maybe wasn’t technically true, but she did all Niomi asked.
“Let’s not get into that now.” Niomi’s dark red lips pulled up into a smile. “The director wants you pulled into your next level of training.”
“I didn’t think beating up politicians or clergy would be part of training. With as much money as you guys have, I would have thought you could hire some thugs for that.”
The director walked towards Ari, seemingly unbothered by her accusations, like they were too beneath him to address. His pressed white uniform held a small silver clip on the pocket. It didn’t say a name
or anything as mundane as that, but Ari was sure it held something a lot more important. “Arianna, we don’t expect you’ll fight anyone. Your training for Niomi is merely for your health and protection in and out of the virtual. But we need to make sure you are ready for whatever gets thrown at you.”
“If I didn’t watch that guy get beat to a pulp, I’d feel better about it.”
“That agent was always a bloodthirsty type,” Niomi said.
Niomi must have trained him.
“We soon plan to introduce you to VLEX and want you prepared.”
“VLEX?” Ari took a seat at the nearby silver table that she often worked at with Niomi. After her workout, her body couldn’t take any more hits.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about it. Even whispers in your school?”
Ari shook her head.
“It’s the elite virtual world created for diplomatic meetings and international business cooperation,” the director explained like a lecturer on circuit.
“I assumed those types of worlds existed, but never heard of the name.”
“VisionTech has quite an investment and active participation in VLEX.”
“I see.” Ari couldn’t get the bloody image out of her mind.
“VLEX is nothing like what you just saw. That event didn’t transpire inside VLEX and that agent wasn’t ours. Someone released it to expose people. We just needed you to see what type of people are out there and what could happen if you’re not careful.”
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