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

school. She wasn’t as worried about what was on her call log as she often spoke to agents or people in the industry. Thankfully, Tessa was going with Ari. Between Tessa’s father’s business and her own gaming experience, she had expertise Ari desperately needed.

Ari focused on her project while she waited for the meeting. She’d been inspired by a picture she’d once glimpsed online and decided to recreate a fantasy world based on it. She was in way over her head but loved the challenge.

Ari worked in the VR library on Wednesday night. They had systems where she could visualize a 3D version of her program while working on the code on a nearby screen. It made work easier, even if she had to do it in the lab instead of her dorm room in her pajamas. The lab was empty, except for the lab techs and Wake, the jerk from class, who sat at the next station. Ari had no problem ignoring him. She focused on her program, needing to pull at least an A from Dr. Coleman on the project.

Thinking about a troublesome spot, she stared off in the distance for a moment. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Wake’s gaze, but turned her attention back to the images in front of her. Ari tried to block him out. He might be great at programming, but his features reminded Ari of a chubby rodent.

Her HUB vibrated with a new message from Reed. Unfortunately, it seemed as short and cold as he had been for the last week.

Can we talk this weekend?

Ari typed back. Sure. Saturday night?

Tessa and Ari were meeting with Dave on Friday night.

Sounds good. I’ll pick you up at 5pm.

She tapped her fingers on the table, excited for her date with Reed. He was worried about her, but she also knew he would come around. He sucked at holding a grudge. Otherwise he’d never have been friends with Marco.

She hurried to throw her stuff in her bag before rushing out the door. She’d made it to the elevator before she realized she’d left her drive for her VR hooked in the system. Swearing silently, she walked back to the library. Thankfully, it was right where she left it.

On the way to her VR class, Ari nervously picked at a nail. Dr. Coleman planned to give each student feedback about their project, so they could finish up any changes by the end of the week, which was the last day of classes as well as finals. Walking into the classroom, the snowy landscape outside stole Ari’s attention. Gray skies hung heavy, dropping snowflakes in perfected chaos. She didn’t believe anyone would ever be able to recreate that in the virtual world.

As students filed into the room, someone ran into her from behind, knocking her bag off her shoulder and spilling its contents to the floor. When she reached down to collect her stuff, she looked back up to find Wake chuckling with his buddies. Ari thought of a plethora of names to call him, but caught sight of Advisor Williams, watching everything and not making a single move. Stifling her anger, she finished gathering her bag and took her seat.

Dr. Coleman stood at the front of the class ready to begin. “Please come in and take a seat. We have a lot to do today so we need everyone to please go quickly into their programs.”

Ari pulled her long hair into a messy bun on top of her head and thought briefly about Tessa’s hair, shaved underneath for easier access to her port. It was tempting. Like her mother, though, Ari had long wavy hair that she wasn’t eager to part with.

She slid down in the seat, plugged in the drive that held her program, then inserted the cable in the back on her head.

Walking around the classroom, Mica stopped by Ari, “Good luck.”

Ari hoped she wouldn’t need it.

Before she could even open her eyes in the program, Ari knew something was wrong. Darkness surrounded her, a void that had no end. A blinding pain went through her mind as she struggled to see her program. The lush landscape highlighted with purples and blues that she’d spent hours creating was all gone. She couldn’t even see the code. Where had it all gone? Despite the intense pain, she tried to concentrate on the background and bring into focus the picture she had worked on for so many hours. She couldn’t lose everything, not when she had worked so hard all semester. Her efforts resulted in a stabbing sensation in the back of her eyes.

Ignoring the nails pounding into her temple, she focused on codes she’d spent hours typing and re-typing. She pulled some of it from memory and pushed it into the program. She hoped to have something there, light even, before Coleman showed up. Green grass and a basic light flickered on and off for a couple seconds before it all went black. Pain exploded in her mind, and she screamed out in agony.

Then it ended.

As Ari struggled to open her eyes against the blinding light, she found a worried Mica hovering over her. “You okay?”

“Not really.” She had a piercing headache. Her hand blocked out the florescent lights in the room as they seemed to only amplify the pain. It was only a few seconds before Ari recognized Dr. Coleman standing next to her. Ari struggled to sit up and Mica grabbed her arm to help. Advisor Williams stood several feet behind Coleman but kept his gaze locked on her.

“What happened in there, Ms. Mendez?” Dr. Coleman asked.

“My program ... it’s destroyed,” she said between pained gasps.

Mica turned to the computer. “It looks like the one you downloaded to our server is empty. Maybe a virus wiped it.”

“Really?” Coleman’s impatience at this delay was obvious. “Just what I needed. Shut down her computer.”

“Do you have your backup?” Mica asked.

Ari nodded. “In my bag.”

Dr. Coleman motioned for Mica to