“I thought you loved being here. I always did.”
Every spring, her father would empty the jar of coins on top of the fridge and treat Ari and Marco to a fun day at the carnival. They would fill up on fried bread and cheese curls, watching the night descend into a blur of neon lights. But, unlike her brother, this reminded Ari of what they didn’t have anymore: a father and a jar full of savings. In a VR coma, their dad was more dead than alive, and the chipped jar now sat empty on top of a rundown fridge.
Chest tightening, she pushed back the memories. “I’m sorry. I can’t, Marco. I gotta go.” She clawed at the thick black safety belt as the ride surged forward.
“Are you really going to waste Mom’s money? You know this is your last chance before your tests.” If he saw the fear in her eyes, he ignored it. “Whatever. Go. I’m staying and getting my money’s worth.”
She bit her lip and faced forward, holding back her rising hysteria. The cart picked up speed and pushed her against Marco, who screamed in delight, arms raised high in the air. She wanted this so badly, wanted to let go of reality, to let go of the gnawing sensation in the back of her neck. As the cart continued to spin, Ari closed her eyes, hoping to endure. By the time her cart approached the aged man a second time, she was gone.
Her eyes opened to a water-stained ceiling. The stench of old cigarettes and filthy bodies welcomed her back to reality. She strained to turn her head. Her neck pinched from the cords in her port. Disgust tasted sour as she clawed the base of her neck, pulling at the thick cable.
“Hey, girlie. You’re going to tear your port, and I don’t have the stuff to fix it.” A man’s thick hands turned the cable until a click sounded, and then he gently pulled the wires out. She wanted to scratch at the insertion site, to tear away the mechanical feeling that lingered inside of her. Instead she undid her ponytail and covered the port site with hair, smoothing it down.
Her brother lay next to her in a reclined chair, a smile pasted on his handsome face. His wavy, thick hair, often kept short, curled around his temple. He always appeared more innocent while unconscious.
Glad to see he’s enjoying himself. She pushed back the bitterness boiling inside. He had been trying to help.
The large man, covered in old tattoos and smelling of yesterday’s beer, winked at her. Revulsion rolled around in her gut. Before he could speak, she rushed out of the room. She detested this shop as much as the virtuals themselves. The VR center stood only a few blocks from her house, a permanent fixture in her rundown neighborhood.
Ari hurried through the metal doors, squinting as she welcomed the sun. The real sun.
Her sun.
“Missy, want to catch a trip with a real guy?” A withered man sat outside, his dirty clothes hanging off his body. “Trust me. I look a hell of a lot better on the inside.”
She snapped her head back to the road in front of her, ignoring him.
“Don’t be like that,” the man said.
Someone reached for her, grabbing at her arm, but she swatted it away, quickening her step. Please just leave me alone.
The jeers of the strung-out VR addicts followed her for the rest of the block.
She tried not to imagine how her father had used to be there, hanging out with the bums to catch a free VR. She tried, but it didn’t work.
Chapter One
The next day, Ari’s final exams approached faster than she expected. Leaning back in the vinyl chair, Ari flinched as the examiner slid the cable into her port. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the image of metal claws burrowing in her mind. The cable clicked shut, and she was drawn into another world.
The empty white room gave off a sterile feel. A lone light in the ceiling illuminated the square space with not a dust mite to be found. In the center of the room, a simple table held three objects. As she moved closer, they each took a distinct and unique shape: a silver pyramid, a black oval, and a red square. They must represent some type of puzzle, like the chains of knots she’d often played with as a child.
Ari drew a deep breath. I can do this. She had spent hours at home repurposing and reprogramming tech. This wasn’t much different. She reached for the pyramid, or what looked like it could be a pyramid. Yet instead of only flat surfaces, portions were twisted and inverted. It took several minutes for her to solve the puzzle, but eventually she snapped the last piece in place.
As she completed the puzzle, the image flashed. She jumped, surprised by the bright light. The puzzle slipped through her nervous and clammy fingers. The silver pyramid now morphed into something black with numbers scattered along the surface. An uneasy feeling prickled the hairs on her neck, and her pulse picked up. Was this part of the test? It felt ... off.
Three doors hissed open in front of her. Three separate voids of darkness, each door standing at a different height. Some psychological reason probably loomed behind this choice, but she couldn’t seem to care. Her purple sneakers felt as heavy as lead. She picked at a cuticle as she inched her way toward the nearest door. Every step pushed her closer to the unknown, not only in the VR but in life. Her eyes burned as she blinked back the tears. Dread and terror snaked up her spine and landed in her weighted limbs. Which step was too far?
