She shakes her head, looking uncertain. “Not that. I need something out of game.”
I remember my stomach tightening at the words.
“I hate to bring you into this, but I’m in trouble.”
My avatar stands there, firm and strong, but I suddenly feel shaky.
“Let’s go to a private room where we can talk,” she says.
Seconds later, we materialize next to the expensive-looking oak desk in my virtual office at our guild headquarters.
She fidgets with her headband.
“I know we haven’t talked much about our personal lives, but we’ve talked every day for a year, and I feel like we’ve become good friends.”
I wasn’t as sure, but the suggestion warmed my heart. “I love our time in-game, and no one has more programming tips than you.”
Her holographic face lights up, then dims a second later. “I…” she says but hesitates.
My avatar taps nervously on her arm.
“I recently went through something…it was terrible. It’s why I haven’t been in-game lately. I…want to tell you, but I can’t relive the details right now. I’m in a bad spot because of it. I lost my home and income, and I have medical bills to pay.”
My heart wrenches again from the anguish in her voice. I know what it’s like.
“Now, you don’t have to help me. I don’t want to bring you into trouble, but I need you for a hack. It’s the only way I’ll survive.”
My stomach twists at hearing the words again. Do I help her or not?
“You’re the legendary hacker, Blaze. You taught me tons in the last year. Why would you need me?” my avatar asks.
She looks down. “It’s embarrassing, but I don’t program in SAS, and part of the attack needs that code. I know you can do it. This is risky for me, and if you don’t help, I might fail, but I’ll try anyway. If it helps you decide, my plan won’t hurt anyone. I would never do that. I don’t want to pressure you, and if you decide not to help, I’ll understand. It’s on in one week.”
My avatar starts to open her mouth, and I remember not knowing what to say.
“You don’t have to answer now. Just think about it.”
The hologram fades away.
I turn to Sunny. “You were in sleep mode when she asked me. I know you didn’t want me to hack anymore, so I didn’t want to bring it up.”
“Still, you’ve done it many times since I told you it was risky,” he says. “Why not just help her?”
I swallow. “I did something else you missed.”
“What?”
“It was an impulsive hack,” I say, feeling sick at the memory. “I didn’t even think it would work, but it went badly.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“No, it doesn’t seem like it,” I say.
“Then what happened?”
I shiver at the memory. I swear I’ll make amends someday. “I don’t want to get into that now, but I don’t want to hack anymore.”
“What’s the problem then? Just don’t help her.”
I sigh again. “It’s not that easy. You heard her. She’s in bad shape.”
“So you want to help her?” asks Sunny.
“Yes, in a way.”
“You seem confused.”
I stand and pace around my small bedroom, dragging my bare feet on the high carpet. “I am. I don’t want to hack, but Blaze needs me.”
“I don’t think you should do it. You’re too important.”
I run a hand over my face. “Thanks, but I can’t decide that easily.”
“I wonder what happened to her?” he asks.
“Who knows, but it sounded bad.”
“Is she your good friend like she said?”
“She’s something, for sure. We’ve been on a thousand missions together. She’s taught me tons of programming and hacking tricks. Plus, we talk every day about our gaming exploits. She’s like a friend, and I call her one, but I’m not sure if it’s true. We never even met in person, and you know my second law.”
“Then why consider trusting your foster mother? That would also break the law.”
He’s right. I drop back onto the bed. Sunny bounces and falls to his side.
“Oops, sorry.” I reach out to help him up.
A static shock jolts my hand, and I jerk it back. Oww.
“You always drag your feet and shock yourself,” he says. “But we should get back to Barbra and the second law…”
I sigh, preferring the temporary distraction. “You’re right,” I say, pulling at my shirt. “I created the law for a reason, but she’s not like my other foster demons. She treats me as well as my real mother did.”
“You always speak highly of your mother. I wish I could have met her.”
“She was everything to me. The only person who ever cared. You would have loved her. Can you get me my dad’s letter?”
A small compartment on the side of his chest opens, and he hands me an envelope. I open it and take out my mom’s picture, the only picture I’ve ever had a physical copy of. I smile at the image of her in front of our red and blue family home. I keep the side with my father on it folded over. I never knew him, but I definitely don’t like him.
“You think Barbra could be like your mother?” he asks.
The thought of it sounds crazy. I’ve wanted someone in my life for years but never thought it could be possible. “I don’t know. I’m going to have to feel it out.”
His glowing green mouth dips down. “So you’ll use intuition to decide? I can’t help you then. I’m not human.”
I know he can’t get upset, but it seems like he does whenever he talks about not being human. “You’re just as human to me.”
“Then why do you always
