Hard Wired Trilogy DeAnna Pearce (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📖

Ari wasn’t sure if she should worry but figured anything Garrett could come up with couldn’t be as bad as things were already. She hoped at least.

Before class was done, Tessa texted that she’d hit a dead end with her research on warpers and VR comas. As Ari exited her class for their lunch break, she realized that moment would be her only chance to talk to Dave. Wrapped in her jacket, she made her way to the student center to meet Garrett. Waiting near a bench, she pulled out the card. Maybe if she called Dave they could talk without giving too much away. She turned the ring around her finger, considering it.

With her distracted thoughts, she didn’t see Garrett approach, soda in hand. “You wanted to talk?” Annoyance and disdain colored every word. “This better be good. I’m dreaming up complex and morally reprehensible ways you can pay me for this favor.”

This so wasn’t worth it. Ari would just borrow someone else’s phone. “I can’t play your games anymore.”

“My game? Really?” He stepped closer. “You dump me, then hook up with a friend and continue calling me for help. Remind me, whose game is this?”

“That’s not how I meant for this to happen.” Ari had to admit, it looked bad.

“But here we are.” He gave her a condescending smile. Ari wondered how she’d ever found that cute.

“I don’t need your help anymore. It’s not worth it.” Ari turned to leave, but Garrett grabbed her arm.

“It is. Trust me.” His voice was softer, and the sneer left his lips. This was the Garrett Ari remembered on the first day of school—too bad he was so often covered in layers of supercilious slime.

With a sigh, she sat on the bench. “I need to make a call, an untraceable call.”

He nodded and sat next to her. “There’s an Internet number you can dial into that will distort your signal. The site changes its IP address frequently to avoid detection. But if you know how to find it, you’re gold.”

“Really?” Ari wasn’t sure whether to believe him.

“Yeah. If they trace you, they will be going all around the world.” He grabbed her HUB and dialed in the digits. Ari slipped in her ear piece and waited for Garrett to push send. “Payment first.”

Ari huffed in exasperation, “Okay. What is it?”

“Sleep with me.”

“What?” Ari’s jaw dropped, and it must have looked ridiculous, judging by the laughter erupting from Garrett. “Get lost.” She pushed him lightly, and he laughed harder.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” He ran a hand through his messy hair.

“Glad I could give you a good laugh.”

Once his laughter died, he straightened up, his face serious. “I want a favor once you’re out of here.”

“What kind?” Ari asked with hesitation, not wanting to leave it open to anything.

“Remember, you’re going to be worth a lot. I want to be able to contact you, maybe ask for an in with a job or something.”

“I’ll do whatever I can.” That sounded easy compared to the other things she had facing her. Thinking of Garrett though, she wanted to make sure she covered herself. “But I’m not doing any weird sexual VR stuff, okay?”

“Don’t worry, you wouldn’t be any good at it anyway.” Ari wasn’t sure if she should be insulted or not.

Garrett hit call and stood to leave. “Good luck,” he said as he strolled off towards the student center.

Ari’s hands shook from cold, or maybe nerves, as the phone buzzed in her ear. She nervously scanned for people who might eavesdrop on her conversation. One couple huddled nearby at a table, but, otherwise, the courtyard was empty. The weather must have chased everyone indoors.

“Hello?” a man’s voice answered.

“Is this Dave?”

“And this is?”

“Ari. We met before over antique books.”

“Where are you calling from, Ari? Is this line secure?”

“My friend dialed through a line that is supposed to be untraceable.”

His voice noticeably relaxed. “Good girl. Are you ready to go to work?”

Ari bristled against being treated like a canine, but she needed help. “Can a warper manipulate a VR to help people in VR induced comas?”

There was a pause in the line. Fear struck Ari for a moment. She had assumed Dave would help. It had never crossed her mind that he would refuse, especially given that he hoped for her employment.

He spoke deliberately, like a father whose child has been caught in over her head. “You better start from the beginning.”

“I don’t have time to explain,” Ari said, which was partially true as lunch ended in twenty minutes. She really didn’t want to go into the details of her family’s horrid past with a stranger.

“Then the answer is maybe.”

Ari straightened up. She could work with maybe.

“See the thing is, people that are hooked are in a sensitive condition and there isn’t any research in the area.”

“But you said maybe—”

“I know. As a warper, you have a special ability to change their surroundings, especially if you know them. This helps you motivate them to realize they are still in the program. The problem is if you push them too hard they might retreat to their own world. Sometimes even if they are hooked in a program with you, they don’t see it. They see what they want to see, and live in the world they want to live in. They don’t want out, Ari.”

It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough. “Thanks for your help, Dave. I really appreciate it.” Ari reached up to end the call.

“Wait, Ari,” Dave’s voice sounded urgent.

Ari’s hand paused over her ear piece.

“Is the medical VR you’re going into secure?”

The pause in Ari’s voice told him the answer.

“Then don’t do it. If you’re caught, this will probably be the last conversation we ever have. If you join our company, you will be in a better position to help your friend.”

“It’s not a friend. It’s my brother, and I can’t wait. The longer he’s in there the more likely he won’t come out.