Hard Wired Trilogy

by DeAnna Pearce

  On the plus side, she’d actually had dinner with Marco last week. Tessa and Ari hung out more often, too. Once Ari had learned to ignore Tessa’s brisk manner and brutal honesty, she’d warmed up to her roommate. Both figured that in an industry filled with men, girls had to stick together. Tessa even let Ari play her game once—for free. Granted Ari didn’t last long until an angry dwarf killed her, but the game was impressive. Slowly, she was finding her niche.

  After dinner one night, Tessa and Ari rode the elevator back to their room. “Have you heard from your IT boy?”

  Ari shook her head. “Not lately.” Not after he’d fought with her brother.

  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “Probably a good thing,” Ari answered honestly. “I was never sure how I felt about him anyway.”

  “He did give you some great gear though.”

  “Yeah. He had his moments.” Tired of talking about Garrett, Ari tried to change the subject as they entered their dorm. “I have to finish this code before I go to sleep tonight.”

  “Do you need help?” Tessa asked.

  “Thanks for the offer, but I think I can manage.”

  Tessa kicked off her shoes. “I only have an upgrade on my game to work on, but I’d rather work on my procrastinating skills instead.”

  “Good luck with that.” Ari headed to her desk. She started her computer up and tried to open her coding interface IDE, or Integrated Development Environment. It took longer than usual. She tapped on the file, and the response time seemed delayed. While she waited, she realized there was a program open in the background that she hadn’t recognized. Suddenly, the program closed by itself.

  An uneasy confusion grew in the pit of her stomach as she rebooted her computer and tried to access the IDE again. Her breathing quickened as she calculated how many hours she had already spent on her homework. She kept tapping the screen, swearing under her breath.

  “What’s wrong?” Tessa pushed back from her desk and looked over Ari’s shoulder.

  “Not sure,” Ari replied. “Something is wrong with my system. Seriously delayed response times. One program opened that I’ve never even seen before.”

  “Calm down. I’ll look at it.”

  Ari stepped out of her chair as Tessa sat at her desk. She paced watching Tessa work on her computer.

  “You have a ghost.”

  “What?”

  “Someone is screwing with your system.”

  “Who?” Ari asked.

  Tessa furiously typed on Ari’s computer. “Dunno. A lot of people here could hack into your system.”

  “Could it be Wake?” That jerk had been shooting her dirty looks and making snide comments every chance he could.

  “Maybe, but it doesn’t feel like him. I’d be surprised if Wake is this good.”

  “Great. I just finished Tollingston’s paper that’s due tomorrow.” Ari couldn’t help that her mind went to Garrett next. She didn’t think he’d stoop that low, but how well did she ever know him?

  Tessa spun around in the seat. “I’d see if your brother or his roommate can fix it. If I pry too hard, whoever it is could trash your system.”

  Ari couldn’t afford a missed assignment, not since her performance at the beginning of the year. She briefly closed her eyes, willing herself not to go into panic mode yet. “Could an IT person do this?”

  “You thinking of Garrett? Sure. He probably even set up the system passwords.”

  Anger boiled inside of Ari. Sure, she hadn’t ended things well with Garrett, but did she deserve this?

  “Maybe your brother can help? Set up a new firewall to protect you?”

  “Yeah or beat the crap out of Garrett until he fixes it,” Ari said through her clenched jaw.

  “That works too.”

  Ari disconnected her tablet from her screen, threw her bag over her shoulder, and stormed out of the room.

  “Good luck,” Tessa shouted as the door hissed shut.

  She headed towards Garret’s room at first, formulating every diatribe she wanted to spew at him, but as she approached the turn off to her brother’s dorm, she changed her mind. As much as she wanted to rip Garrett apart, she didn’t have time to deal with their past. Her assignment came first.

  So, instead she found herself in front of her brother’s door. Pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment, she tried to push back the killer headache looming behind her eyes. Lights flashed onto the back of her closed eyelids. She had been staring at her computer for too long.

  When she finally knocked, Reed answered barefoot in a pair of pajama pants. His thin yet muscular physique stole her words for a moment. She hadn’t seen him shirtless since they were kids swimming in the community pool. He had certainly grown up.

  Avoiding his gaze, she looked past him for her brother. “Is Marco here?”

  “No, he’s doing homework in the lab.” Reed opened the door for her to enter. “What’s wrong?”

  Ari stepped inside and pulled out her tablet. “I hate to bother you, but I have a ghost on my computer.”

  “What? A key logger?” Reed took her tablet drive from her hands and hooked it into his system. “Do you know who placed it?”

  “Not sure. Maybe Garrett.”

  Reed’s shoulders tightened, and lines creased his face. “If so, I’ll talk with Garrett.”

  Ari wondered just how much Reed had heard about what happened at the party. Gratefully, she’d taken care of the bruising already with the first-aid kit. Yet, her face warmed with embarrassment. “If you can’t fix it, I may just kill him.”

  “It might take an hour or so to fix, but feel free to kill him.” He glanced up and his face softened. “Pull up a chair, and we’ll see what we can find.”

  Ari grabbed an extra chair and sat next to Reed at the desk. “Thanks so much. I can’t afford another bad grade. I was hoping Marco would be here. I hate to bother you.” Ari couldn’t seem to stop her nervous rambling.

  “It’s not a problem.” Reed placed a hand on top of hers.

  Ari froze and stared at his hand. The touch sent a warmth through her body, settling in her stomach. It went beyond comfort to something else entirely. She fought the romantic notions that threatened to carry her away.

  Their gazes met, speaking more than either could have said, and he took his hand away. “Ari, really, it’s not a problem. I’m glad you came. I can have it fixed in the hour.”

  “Me too,” she said softly.

  Reed sat up stiff in his chair and his fingers flew over the keyboard. “What is this?”

  “What?”

  “This can’t be.”

  Frustrated at his lack of communication, Ari leaned forward to look at the screen. “What can’t be?”

  “Your key logger. The person recording your every stroke you make ...”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” He quickly closed the computer and stood up.

  “That wasn’t nothing.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the hall.

  “What is going on, Reed? Is this all Garrett?”

  He shut the door behind them. They stood inches apart as she searched his face for an answer.

  “It’s not Garrett?” She waited for the answer.

  He glanced down the hall. “It’s the school.”

  “The school?”

  “Yes. I knew they watched our online access, but they normally don’t watch individual students.”

  “Why would the school be watching me? Maybe because of my grades?” Her thoughts traveled to Advisor Williams who had been coming to her classes and keeping a close eye on her, and all of a sudden it didn’t sound so farfetched. What worried her was Reed coming out in the hall to talk, and how he whispered only inches away from her.

  Worry creased his brow. “Not sure. I can’t remove it without alerting them though. You need to be careful of what you do online or even say. I’m not sure how far they went.”

  A cold chill tra
veled up her spine, and she tried to rub her arms for warmth. “This can’t be real. Why would they bother?”

  He shrugged. “I’ll ask around, but until we have more answers, please be careful.”

  She nodded and glanced down the hall, realizing she’d never feel comfortable at school again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ari spent the next two weeks focused on her school work, memorizing code, learning about art design and so much more. On her weekly chats with her mother, she almost admitted that she enjoyed the program, except she couldn’t. Not with the school watching her every step. She tried to ignore it, but the idea of someone spying on her set her on edge. It forced her to be more determined to finish the program. Two more years felt like forever.

  As midterms approached, Tessa and Ari spent hours studying, surfacing only to eat and shower. With two days left until her tests, Ari thought her brain might explode.

  “Do you want anything to drink?” Ari stood, trying to stretch out the massive kink in her back.

  Tessa let out a sound that was half moan, half yes, then clicked off her computer. “I need a break. I think I’m going to break out the chocolate stash in my closet. We deserve it.”

  “I won’t argue.” Ari stood and grabbed a couple of drinks from their fridge. She handed one to Tessa and plopped down on her own bed.

  Tessa tossed a package to her, brownies. Ari’s mouth watered as she set the timer. Less than a minute for steamy fresh brownies. Her mouth watered in the wait.

  Tessa took a long drink. “Are you going to The Grid this weekend?”

  “No.” Most of the campus had been planning parties after midterm tests. The city was a popular tourist spot, often catering to the students. Ari didn’t have the money to go and was still trying to figure out what happened to the cryptos she lost. The bank said they were looking into it.

  “Want to come with me?”

  “Sorry, no money.”

  “My parents own a condo there. It wouldn’t cost a thing,” Tessa offered.

  Ari stalled, knowing that there would be other expenditures besides housing on the trip. Before she could reply, someone knocked on the door. Ari and Tessa looked at each other.

  “I provided the chocolate.” Tessa pointed out.

  Ari stood and pressed the code to open the door.

  Marco leaned against the door frame with wet hair and his goofy grin pasted on. “Miss me?”

  Ari rolled her eyes but couldn’t help her smile. “Come on in.”

  “What are you gals up to?”

  “Not much.”

  Marco turned his attention to Tessa. “This must be the famous roommate, Tessa. Nice to finally meet you. How’s it been living with my sister?” He pasted on a huge grin as he sat on the edge of her desk.

  Ari knew Tessa wasn’t his type, but that fact was irrelevant to Marco, who acted like it was his duty to flirt with all of Ari’s friends.

  “I’m trying to convince Ari to go to The Grid with me for the weekend,” Tessa said.

  “The Grid, huh? Not bad. You might have fun there.” He paused for a moment then turned to Ari, “Is that the problem, fun?”

  Ari glared back at him. “I have fun.”

  “Yeah, but do you like it?”

  Ari grabbed a nearby throw pillow and threw it at him. He caught it easily.

  “You could come.” Tessa offered. “My parents own a condo there.”

  Ari turned to look at her roommate in surprise. This wasn’t like Tessa. It had taken more than a week for her to offer to eat with Ari.

  “Anyone else coming? Or can I invite a few friends?”

  “No, Marco. You’re not throwing a huge party at someone else’s condo.” Ari wasn’t going to let him take advantage of her roommate.

  “Not a huge party. Just a few friends. Reed, and a couple guys from our dorm. We’ll be out most of the time anyway. Just need a place to crash.”

  Ari began to protest again, but Tessa spoke over her. “Sure. Why not? I haven’t pissed off my dad yet this semester.” Tessa’s eyes glimmered with the excitement.

  This wasn’t going to end well.

  “Great.” Marco clapped his hands together and pushed up off Ari’s bed. “I have to go. Ari, walk me out.”

  “You just got here.”

  “I have loads of studying. Exams, you know. See you this weekend, Tessa.” Marco nodded in her direction and headed out the door.

  Ari followed. Before they reached the elevator, Marco turned to her. “Ari, I need to borrow some money.”

  I shouldn’t be surprised. She let out a long breath. This wasn’t the first time he’d borrowed money. “No.”

  “Only eighty cryptos.”

  “Why?”

  “I owe someone, okay? Please, I know you have it.”

  “How can you be so horrible with money?” Ari had already lost two hundred cryptos and wasn’t going to part with more.

  They both had worked part-time jobs on and off since they were twelve. And while Ari was usually fine through the year, Marco couldn’t even make it to Christmas. He said it made for better homemade Christmas presents, but Ari had a dark feeling about where the money went.

  “Please, Ari. I really need it.”

  Ari paused, realizing his jovial face had fallen into something serious, almost anxious.

  The elevator dinged, and two boys exited.

  Marco held the elevator open with one hand. “Please?”

  Her resolve crumbled. “Here’s twenty bucks and get a job.”

  Marco leaned in for a quick kiss on her cheek. “I have one, remember”

  She doubted after Marco’s fight with Garrett that things were going well with their underground VR ventures. “Try a legal one.”

  Marco smiled, the desperation gone from his countenance. “Now where’s the fun in that?” he asked as the doors closed on him. Ari couldn’t help but worry about him, and she found it frustrating. He was the older brother, and she wished he would start acting like it.

  Building up to midterms, her nerves were harder to deal with than her tests. She fell asleep in front of her computer too many times to count, and flashes of code mixed with her dreams. Fortunately, her studying paid off. She turned in her assignments on time and flew through most of tests with no problems. When Ari walked into Dr. Coleman’s VR class, Advisor Williams sat near the back of the classroom, next to Dr. Coleman’s desk. She swallowed and nodded at his steely gaze. Suddenly, Wake’s annoying glares seemed trivial. She wondered if Williams was the one behind the hack on her computer. Pressure built inside her, her chest tightening. She couldn’t afford any mistakes, especially not here.

  She spent over thirty minutes in the VR, double checking every step, carefully and methodically. When she finally left the classroom, the weight on her chest lifted. She’d aced the test, or pretty close. Coleman and Williams would have nothing to complain about. She finished her last class and then spent the night with Tessa gorging on pizza and packing for their trip.

  The next morning, while driving into the city, Ari began to see why everyone from school went there. It was only a couple hours from campus, and this place had everything. Unique restaurants, hotels, and clubs were squeezed into every extra inch of the city. Ari could step into a different world with every door and VR port. Pools, fountains, and even a hot air balloon promised a fun-filled weekend for whoever could afford it. Even without money, Ari was determined to enjoy it.

  She tried to push Dr. Coleman, her tests, and school out of her head as Tessa pulled into a small cream colored five-story building. They left their car to park itself. An attendant came to help with the bags. With a scan of her hand and a simple code, they rode the elevator to the top floor.

  “Welcome, Tessa,” a mechanical voice boomed as Tessa pushed through the front door.

  “Wow.” Ari couldn’t help her open mouth as she scanned the place where she’d be for the next couple days. Her feet sank into the thick carpet and the light scent of vanilla
greeted her as she took her first steps into a side of humanity she’d rarely glimpsed. Rich colors painted the walls, browns and deep reds, with chartreuse accents adorning the doorknobs and drawer pulls. The doorway opened to a room where dark leather couches surrounded a flat wall, completely made out of some sort of screen. It currently displayed a picture of a field of flowers, with a villa of some sort in the distance. Yet, it was fully loaded with sleek keypads discreetly stationed on every wall.

  “First order of business, disable our trusty AI, Max.” Tessa threw her bags on the floor and headed down the hall to a control panel. “We don’t need a record of the weekend.”

  “You weren’t kidding. Your dad is loaded. Is this whole wall computerized?”

  “My current stepmom redid this after their honeymoon,” Tessa shrugged. She threw her large brown bag on the couch. “Tacky in my opinion.”

  Ari slid into the soft couch and enjoyed the scenic view. “The couch in our dorm room will never be the same.” She didn’t want to add her thoughts about her own home which could easily fit into the entry room.

  Tessa twisted her mouth in disgust, her cheeks squishing up into balls. “That’s the one I caught my dad on with his last wife.”

  Ari immediately jumped up. “Really? Thanks for ruining that for me.”

  “Yeah, trust me. It’s a memory I wish I could get rid of. I’m hoping we find a smoker who can burn a hole in it.”

  Ari brushed her pants, though she was sure the couch would have been cleaned. She hoped.

  “Hey, can your brother help me with the security system?” Tessa asked.

  “Why? Are we not allowed here?”

  Tessa played with the interface in the wall. “Relax. I have the code and everything. But my dad is jealous and a bit neurotic, so I’m sure they have some digital record of us coming in and out that I can’t even find. He’s on his fourth wife and never seems to be able to trust one of them.”