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

to let Niomi monitor every heartbeat and pulse. These VR’s were different from normal for her. The program connected to an illegal market, which cost plenty, but let them contact VRs around the world. And breaking through the barriers Ari’s government set up wasn’t easy either.

“You ready?” Niomi greeted her as Ari entered the VR lab.

“Have been for weeks.” This would be only the second time she had spoken to her family in months.

“Get on it.” Niomi motioned to the seat. “I’m just finishing the connection. Any setting you want in particular? Better to not use your powers if you can help it.”

“How about an island or beach? Like what we have here?” She’d love to show her mom what her view is every day. Even her brother, Marco, might be jealous.

Her trainer shook her head. “I can’t do the exact location. Too dangerous, but I’ll find something exciting.”

Ari rolled her eyes as she sat in the leather seat. Exciting to Niomi could be a volcano or something. Ari leaned back and reached for the cord.

With her hair already in a high pony, Ari slipped the cord in the base of her skull, where her port resided. The metallic click still sent a cold shiver down her spine. She’d never get comfortable with a machine invading her mind, and she never wanted to.

“You have thirty minutes,” Niomi said from the computer. “We’ll be monitoring for eavesdroppers.”

“Thanks.” Ari tried to relax, closed her eyes and let herself go.

When she opened her eyes, she stood at the edge of a great canyon. One step forward and there was at least a hundred-foot drop. Her muscles tensed as she stepped away from the edge. Exciting was one way to look at it. Stepping back, Ari took in the landscape. Browns and reds colored the canyon walls, with a clear blue lake carving a path down below. Tall bushes surrounded her and set in the middle was a wood bench.

She sat down and didn’t have to wait long before her brother appeared—alone. He wore a black buttoned up shirt and jeans, his hair a bit long and starting to curl around his ears. Every day he looked more and more like their father. Her heart ached at their loss. Last time she saw her father, he was babbling to himself inside a VR program, one which he’d never left for the last seven years.

She shoved those memories aside and rushed to give her brother a hug.

“Good to see you too, Ari.” He returned the hug, his arms wrapping around her waist and lifting her in the air. “Putting on some poundage, sis.”

Pushing back, she whacked Marco on the shoulder. “Shut up.”

“Ouch. Muscles too.” He rubbed his arm, over-exaggerating.

“I’ve been working out, so watch it.”

He laughed. “It’s good to see you’re doing well and can fight off unwanted advances.”

She ignored the dig at Reed. “Where’s Mom?” She turned, hoping to see her mother join the virtual.

“Couldn’t make it.” His eyes lowered, a soberness falling on his usually jovial features.

Ari grabbed his arm. “What happened?”

“What didn’t? The government tried to put her into a labor camp, saying that she needed to pay back for your education. I was underground at the moment—”

“She can’t be at a camp.” Ari had constantly worried about the backlash for running away from her schooling, but people reassured her they would be safe. “I’m coming home, now.”

“Whoa, slow down and let me finish.” He led her over to the bench. “Don’t worry. She’s not at a camp. I broke her out and she’s hiding off-grid with me.”

Ari slumped against the bench. “Good. But what does that mean exactly? Why isn’t she here?”

“They only told me about this meeting an hour ago, for security reasons they say. I’m out on business and had to find a place to hook into an off-country network. Not the easiest thing to do with an hours’ notice. And it’s not the most upstanding establishment. Mom would have to clean this machine for an hour before using it.”

“Probably.” Their mother was a clean freak that hated VRs to begin with. “So how is she doing with everything?”

“Given the alternative, good. I think she’s finally come to see the value of the black market.”

“Are you getting the money I send you?”

“Yeah. Dave makes sure I get it in cash. It helps Mom’s conscience. She looks down on my methods to earn money.” He grinned the same naughty smile from when he was eight.

“Good. Is everyone else okay? Reed’s mom?”

“Yeah. I give her cash on the side, but she refuses it most the time, saying to save it for Reed. How is he?” Marco had been best friends with Reed since they were kids.

“Good. He’s learning a ton and gets to do his art and graphics at night.”

“Is he keeping his hands to himself?”

“A bit too much, actually. Could you talk to him about that?”

“Gross, sis.” He pushed her slightly. “Also, Tessa wants you to say hi soon. I have a couple messages for you to download off the server when we’re done. And that idiot Garrett from school keeps posting on all the gaming boards for you. Saying you owe him or some trash like that.”

Her stomach sank at the idea of Garrett. She did owe him a favor but didn’t see how to return it here in the middle of the ocean. She’d worry about that later. Maybe Tessa—her old roommate—would have an idea. “What else have I missed?”

Marco continued updating her on all the neighborhood gossip and when done grilled Ari on what she was doing, eating, and playing. Her brother loved gaming as much as anyone. She told him what she could while remaining as vague as possible. The minutes flew by and took her back to the time when they last lived in the same house. They would sneak into each other’s rooms and talk until they fell asleep. Except this time neither came close to tired, and Niomi’s voice signaled three minutes left.

“That