She paused to regain her balance. A quick glance down showed her she still had what looked like ten feet to go. The blood on her hand made her head spin. This is not real. I’m almost there. Glancing down again, she wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. The ground appeared closer. What was ten feet looked like one or two. She ignored the anomaly and jumped off. Her feet landed softly on the sand beneath. Could Garrett’s drugs affect my perception inside the virtual?
She dismissed any worries and headed to the sea. She kicked off her shoes in the sand and waded into the icy water until it reached her calves. Her toes squished deep in the sand as goosebumps covered her arms. Starring out into the great abyss, Ari hadn’t felt so alive, so at peace, since her father left. The crash of a nearby wave sprayed her, leaving drops of salt water clinging to her skin. She lifted her arm to taste the ocean.
A small voice crept in the back of her thoughts, distracting her. This isn’t real. You’re in a machine with cable coming out of your neck.
Lifting a hand to her face, she was surprised at the tears she found. Unsure whether to laugh or cry at the irony that she couldn’t quite enjoy the virtual even with a drug in her system, she decided it was okay to do both.
Squinting against the bright lights, she found herself back in the class room without remembering that she left the VR. For the first time, Ari experienced what others called ‘coming down’ after a VR. Her body sagged in the chair, void of any energy or desire to come back to reality. The sandwich sat heavy in her stomach.
Hands soon found her and unhooked the cable from her neck. Ari turned around to thank Mica but instead found the large hands of Dr. Coleman putting the cable back in its spot at the terminal. Anger etched the sharp lines in his face. Glancing around, she found the rest of the students still hooked into their chairs.
Ari lowered her gaze and focused on her hands. She rubbed her fingers together and marveled the numb feeling, like rubbing silly-putty. Focus, dammit. Dr. Coleman grabbed a nearby chair and sat across from her.
“Ms. Mendez.” Dr. Coleman waited until she lifted her gaze. His jaw clenched, his cold eyes held an undeniable anger.
His silence unnerved Ari. “Sorry, I didn’t understand the assignment.” Which was an understatement.
“You show up two days ago only to leave in hysterics, and today you come in high. Is this really the way you want to start out your career?”
She shook her head, not trusting her voice.
“You got nothing, huh?” He stood walking over to his desk. “I’ll mark down a demerit in your file and talk to your advisor.”
“No, it’s just ...” She froze, unsure of where to start.
He stopped and turned around. “It’s what?”
“I have a ... problem with virtuals.”
“I don’t think ‘problem’ begins to cover it.”
“I don’t like them.”
“Then leave.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Leave. Grab your bags and head out that door, because there are plenty of kids wanting to get accepted here and they actually like virtuals. Love them, to be honest.”
Leave, I could just leave. Standing there, every cell in her body ached to go back home, to the comfort of her room, her mom, her life. But that was why she was here, to make a better life for her family, for herself. Lifting her chin, she resolved to do better, be better, to remember why she came here.
“Your tests show you have a lot of potential, but so do a lot of people. You have two days to get over it. The first test is on Friday, and you will need at least a C to continue in the program, especially since you have failed your last two assignments. I don’t care about excuses.”
“Okay.” Ari grabbed her bag to leave. She wasn’t sure how she was going to do it, but she’d worry about that when she was sober. All she wanted was to bury herself somewhere.
“If you show up high to class again, you’re gone.”
“I understand.”
“And, Ariana,” Dr. Coleman added. “Did you mean to jump down off the rocks? Even if the pain is muted, it is there to keep you safe.”
“The jump wasn’t that far. It didn’t hurt.” A brief look of confusion crossed Dr. Coleman’s face, but Ari dismissed it, getting out of there as fast as she could.
Chapter Seven
Ari walked around the school grounds aimlessly. Her thoughts meandered, trying to see how she felt about Garrett’s actions. He drugged her and, on every account, that was wrong. On the other hand, she experienced a VR for the first time without the stress and panic that drove her to flee. Being tabbed every day at school was not an option though. Mr. Coleman’s threats made that clear. He didn’t have the patience for hand-holding or incompetence—his words at their first class.
Finally, thirst steered her towards a drink machine, and she grabbed a coffee to help sober her up. It probably had as much sugar as coffee, but it would help. She found a nearby bench, and as soon as she sat down her HUB vibrated. It was a message from Garrett.
How did it go?
Still deciding whether or not to kill you for drugging me.
WRU?
It took Ari, a moment to reply, unsure if she wanted to meet him. Finally, she opened her satellite location to Garrett.
See u there soon.
While on her HUB, she sent a message to her brother, but she
