Mia’s voice came over the line, much calmer than Chloe’s. “Chloe, you managed to sneak away from them and use magic to unlock a hidden part of the prison. How do you think that’ll affect the reputation of the guards? If that news got out, there’d be chaos.”
“But I surrendered. I turned myself in!”
Mia’s voice was sympathetic. Warm. “You have to see it from their side. The NPCs in this game are primitive, conjured by the AI. If they feel there is any danger, they will defend. We know you meant no harm—”
“Hey, Chloe!” Demetri’s voice came from afar.
“Hush, you.” Mia chuckled. “But people attack when they’re scared. It’s the way of things.”
Chloe threw herself into the chair, kicking up her legs and huffing. “Well, that’s just great. Now I have to wait two hours to respawn, only to find myself miles away from where the others are. You know how long it’s going to take me to get back there?”
Mia laughed.
“What? What’s so funny?”
“You’re in prison, Chloe. You really think we didn’t build in functionality to keep the blessed contained? You’ll be fine. You’ll respawn in your cozy little cell, and you can continue your adventure—provided your sentence hasn’t been decided and increased, that is.”
“Has it?”
“I don’t know.”
Chloe took steadying breaths to calm herself. She wasn’t used to getting so worked up about things. In her former cosmopolitan life, she had never felt the drive or passion to get irate about something blocking her progress.
Of course, she’d had phases over the years of collecting items and getting into certain sports, but this was different. For the first time, she felt like coming back into the white room and speaking to the others was the virtual reality and her adventures within Obsidian were the real world. The one where she could see and feel and touch everything.
The world in which she was able to make a difference. Where she had a purpose.
“Calm now?” the doc’s voice came over the line, bringing a smile to Chloe’s face.
“Yeah. I guess,” Chloe said, relaxing. “God, it feels like a long time since I’ve been here.”
“I know. I never thought I’d miss your shrill voice,” Demetri teased.
“Shrill? It’s better than the monstrous baritone of yours.”
Demetri laughed. “Who’d have thought you’d have such a long run without death? It’s felt like ages for us, so we can’t imagine how you feel living in a world that runs twice as fast as this one.”
“Twice as fast?” Chloe asked. “I thought we didn’t know what the time correlated to?”
Demetri blew air through his lips. “Oh, come on. With the game going public now, the forums are alive with information. It hardly took any time at all for people to work out the game’s clock system.”
Chloe’s face went through a mixture of expressions. “Did you say the game has gone public now? How come nobody told me?”
There was a disturbance on the line as the doc handed the phone to Mia. “That’s actually what we wanted to talk to you about. As long as you’re in the game, you won’t get any updates like this from us or anyone unless a player directly tells you in-game. You know we can’t contact you in there, right?”
“Of course. That was rule number one. A weird one to be the first rule, but for some reason, I agreed.”
“Well, a lot has changed out here already. The game has exploded across the US, with several thousand gamers now involved. No other full-immersion subjects yet, but we’re feeling very hopeful with how your experimentation is going.”
“I’m glad I’m a useful guinea pig,” Chloe said. “And the company?”
“Growing. Ahead of expectations, too. We’ve found ways to increase revenue through sponsorships, promotions, and a mixture of online influencers. The lower rungs of the technology world are going nuts for Obsidian.”
“That’s great news!” Chloe said, a look of genuine excitement on her face. “So what’s the bad?”
A pause on the line.
“Come on, it’s me. The youngest Lagarde. I know that when it all looks rosy and sunny, something has to be going down somewhere else. So what is it?”
Chloe heard Mia and Demetri hissing something to each other on the other end of the line before the doc’s voice returned. “It’s about precisely that, Chloe.”
“What? Pessimism?”
“No, about your name. You realize that you said your name in-game, right? Like, your full name?”
“Did I?” Chloe scratched her head, trying to remember the moment. “When?
“Not long after you acquired the greaves from the root room. You said it out loud in a quip to KieraFreya.”
Chloe chuckled. “So what? Big deal. That’s my name. What’s the problem?”
Another disturbance as Mia’s voice came back on the line. “Chloe, the game has gone public. Live. The live-stream function is now available to anyone who wants to tune in, and all players are searchable.
“Right before you died, you had 39 viewers watching your campaign. That has dropped to 6—presumably, people have moved to other channels until you respawn, or those are leaving their screens on until you return—but it is now more important than ever to protect your public identity. Otherwise, we’ll have a PR crisis on our hands, and that’s the last thing your parents want.”
Chloe was flabbergasted. People were watching her live? As she played her game? What kind of strange breed of people were these, who’d waste a perfectly good evening of freedom watching other people play games?
“I know it’s a weird one to digest. Just know that when you respawn, you need to be more careful. You can’t say your full name. You can’t even mention the word ‘Lagarde.’ I’m sorry it’s taken so long to get the message to you. I’ve been trying to reach in to tell you for almost a day, but it was only then that the opportunity struck…”
Mia continued talking but Chloe tuned out, her attention caught by Mia’s choice of words.
“Hold on a sec,” she said, thinking carefully. “What do you mean, you had to wait for the opportunity to strike?”
Mia stuttered, and Demetri was silent in the background. Chloe wondered if he was in on it.
“I meant... Well, it’s just…”
Chapter Fifty-Three
It took a long time for Chloe to calm down after she reentered Obsidian, landing with a soft thud on the bed in her cell.
She couldn’t believe Mia’s audacity, hacking into her game and altering the outcome of the gameplay. After Chloe had sunk thousands upon thousands of dollars into supporting her startup, this was how Mia repaid her?
She laid in bed for some time, ignoring the guards’ whistles and comments about her bare chest—all of her equipment except her bracers, greaves, and shorts had once again been taken when she died—and contemplated what Mia had told her.
People were watching the game now.
Real people.
Everyday people were watching her play live.
39 viewers had taken an interest in her journey and had seen her fight the mutant bugs. Had seen her interactions with KieraFreya and the zombies, and were watching her because she was entertaining.
That was a weird concept to grasp. Even now, Chloe could hardly imagine that she was being watched. Obsidian had become her bubble, her testing chamber, an experimental lab of fun, wonder, and adventure.
As far as she was concerned, she was alone.
And that was a better place to be.
“Pssst. Hey. Nakey girl…”
Chloe felt her blood boil once again as she heard Jesepiah’s voice calling from her cell.
“What?” she replied through gritted teeth.
“Ouch. I guess I deserve a little bit of hostility. Here, I’ve brought you a gift.”
“Nothing you give me can make up for what you’ve done—” Chloe stopped talking as she saw the hand poking through the bar. A thin piece of whi
te material hung out of her fist.
“What are you doing out?” Chloe asked, confused as to how Jesepiah had found her way out of her cell and was now boldly strolling down the corridors. Jesepiah shrugged. “It wasn’t anything personal. The guards needed a magic user to follow you, and I was the one who answered the summons. I can’t believe you found a secret chamber in the prison.” She slow-clapped. “Ballsy move.”
Chloe just stared.
Jesepiah continued, “Anyway, I figured if I helped the guards, maybe I could have a shot at a sweeter life in here. A little bit of freedom to stretch my legs. I haven’t got the patience to suck up every day like you did, but one big act of kindness? That was enough to let them go a little softer on me.”
Jesepiah took a deep, exaggerated breath through her nose. “Man, that’s what freedom smells like.”
Chloe smiled. “That’s the smell of this goddamn dump. Don’t pretend it’s all sunshine and roses.”
Jesepiah’s eyes dropped. “I’ve forgotten what sunshine even looks like.” She winked, showing Chloe that she was only playing.
“Can you get me out?” Chloe asked, holding the bars with both hands.
“Are you kidding? The guards are watching you like hawks. If I was to put my guesses out there, thanks to the stunt that you pulled, you’re facing at least 6 months of extra time in the slammer. You know how bad that was for the guards’ reputation? They’re fueled on ego. You’re screwed.”
Chloe’s eyes widened as she realized the fundamental error she had made. In her mad dash to try to find the missing armor, she hadn’t stopped to consider her exit strategy.
That’s typical me, Chloe said, a photo album of ex-boyfriends and crap business investments flicking across her memory. Dive into the first good thing you find and don’t even think about the consequences. Maybe there’s a lesson to be learned here.
How about, don’t be a slut? And, think before you leap? KieraFreya offered.
Great help, Chloe retorted.
When the guards looped back around again, Jesepiah made herself scarce, sounding sickly sweet as she curtsied to the guards and disappeared from view. Chloe put on the thin shirt Jesepiah had given her, much to the dismay of the guards.
A considerable amount of time later, the lights went out. Chloe flicked through her stats, bittersweet at all the bonuses she had gotten, feeling as though some strange karmic forces were at work, punishing her for something she didn’t quite understand.
She opened her messages, seeing an unread one from Gideon.
Chloe,
Tried getting access to the prison today. No luck, I’m afraid. Apparently visiting hours are 2-6pm (liar!), but even then, they have a rule that only prisoners who have received their sentence can have visitors, and you haven’t gotten yours.
WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?
Tag is growing impatient waiting and has been causing mischief that has been really difficult to talk our way out of. He shoplifted a jar of lizard eyes from the apothecary for no other reason than “I thought it would be funny,” and we only just got away before the shopkeep’s brother turned up to get him.
Ben is whoring himself around, taking a great deal of pleasure in seducing the ladies (did you know there was a skill for that?) I haven’t seen him in a few hours, but I know that, like a bad penny, he’ll keep showing up.
I haven’t seen the wisp for some time. Is he with you?
Anyway, hit me back. I’m just spending time around as many mages as I can find, seeking quests and trying to improve my spells. They’re a friendly bunch, but they’re pretty tricky to find.
Let me know how long you’re in the slammer for. Always happy to arrange a breakout if needed ;)
Gid
Chloe smiled, too tired to reply, and drifted off to sleep.
Morning came around with the dizzying ferocity of a man trying to reach orgasm. Chloe was woken by a harsh sound that made her clap her hands to her ears. When she looked up, the guards were waiting for her.
“Follow us. It’s time.”
They grabbed an arm each, their grip unnecessarily tight. Chloe couldn’t blame them. She had already proven she was as slippery as a fish. The last thing they’d want would be to lose her on the way to her sentencing.
Up the stairs, round and round the spiral staircase until they came to a floor marked Chamber of Judgment.
The room was round, with long rows of raised benches curving around it. Chloe was led before a platform where three official-looking elves with ink-black skin and bright white eyes stood in back of ornate podiums. Carved into the wall behind them was the image of a woman Chloe recognized from a vision she’d had with the shaman back in Oakston.
It’s you, Chloe thought.
I’m the Goddess of Retribution. What did you expect? KieraFreya confirmed grimly. They didn’t catch my best side.
Chloe’s attention turned to the front as the elf in the center cleared her throat.
“Your name is Chloe, is that correct?”
“That’s correct. Er, Your Honor?”
The elf raised an eyebrow, the others looking down their noses at Chloe. There were one or two spectators in the audience, but overall, Chloe thought this whole affair was remarkably underwhelming.
The elf read off Chloe’s list of accusations, from the attempted homicide of Tohken to the destruction and vandalism of his property, added to the attempt to escape confinement.
When the elf asked how Chloe pled, she straightened her back and puffed her chest. “Guilty on all accounts, I’ll be honest. But my motives were good. I mean, I bet you had no idea that there was a hidden dungeon beneath your—”
The elf banged a hammer on the desk. “I’ve heard enough. A straight admission of guilt means an easy sentence to hand down.”
“Hold on, I hadn’t finished—”
“I sentence you to 12 months in confinement. You may keep your cell on level 5.” She turned to the guards. “Chloe is restricted to standard access to facilities, no special privileges, and she must be guarded closely. An eel as slippery as this one has a way to worm back out of its holes.”
“I bet you know all about slippery things going into holes,” Chloe said, finding great pleasure in the expression that crossed the elf’s face.
She was tossed back into her cell with little compassion, winded as her face hit the dirty floor and she coughed out dust. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed the bars, pushing her face against the metal.
“Oh, come on. Please? I’m a nice person, really. It wasn’t my fault. It was Tohken’s. Tohken’s! Chloe shouted down the corridor as the guards walked away. Chloe could see several prisoners in nearby cells looking at her darkly.
Chloe sighed and retreated to her bed.
At least you’ve grown accustomed to the smell, KieraFreya consoled her. There’s that.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Mia busied herself in the kitchenette, scraping butter onto a piece of toast that had unfortunately gone over its preferred time in the toaster. Pieces of blackened ash mixed on the knife with the butter, creating a strange speckled effect on the bread.
Not that Mia paid much attention. She had remained remarkably quiet since her conversation with Chloe, ducking from Demetri’s questions, and keeping herself busy around the house. Fortunately for her, Demetri’d had to take a call, and he’d been speaking in muted tones in the bedroom for the best part of an hour.
When the bedroom door opened and Demetri came back in, he had changed into his leisurewear, something that Mia had once commented made him look slimmer. More agile. A strange combination of words that worked better than the dirty ones, somehow leading to the best sex she had had in her life.
Now she avoided his eyes, instead filling two mugs with instant coffee and waiting for the kettle to boil as she crunched on the toast.
“Are you okay?” Demetri asked, real concern in his voice.
Mia scrubbed a spec of dirt off the work surface. Before she knew it, Deme
tri was standing right behind her, his hands on her hips. She paused, taking a deep breath.
“You can tell me, you know? Stop keeping secrets. I get that you might have an element of mistrust, but if we’re going to keep seeing each other, you need to be honest. Stop hiding things from me.”
Mia swiveled around, resting her hands on the work surface behind her. She stared at Demetri for a moment, eyes glossy.
“I needed to find a way to tell her to be careful.”
“We could have waited—”
“There’s too much at stake,” Mia said, moving away and running a hand through her hair. “Look, when Praxis announced that the game was going live, I was excited. Ecstatic. Something I’ve helped to build is going viral.
“But then I remember that Chloe is inside the game, both as an investor and a player, and her importance hit me. It’s not just on my shoulders to protect her. It’s on yours, too. I’ve seen how stressed you get when you have to go to those damn weekly report meetings with the Lagardes, and I’ve seen how stressed you are after. I just wanted to make it easier.”
Demetri cocked his head, a smile on his lips. “Still, we could have waited. You could get in trouble for messing with the game. You know that, right? What use is it if you just throw it all away?”
He came closer, wrapping his arms around her body as he planted a kiss on her forehead.
“I’d do it again,” she mumbled. “We had no idea when she might find her way back to us. It was important. She’s important. You’re important to me.”
Demetri held Mia’s shoulders, once more returning his gaze to her eyes. “And you’re important to me.” He laughed. “The way you talk about Chloe...it’s like she’s your child.”
“Our child,” Mia grinned.
Demetri’s face fell.
“I’m kidding! I’m kidding!” Mia protested.
They hugged once more, then kissed for a long while.
“No more lies. No more secrets,” Demetri requested.
Collecting The Goddess (Chronicles Of KieraFreya Book 1) Page 38
