Interphase (4 page)

"Shalaron?" Analara frowned. "Why would he say anything at all?"

"The laws about strangers serve a purpose, Analara. They exist for Ilinar's protection." Rupu pinned her with a steady look, and she nodded. She knew what he meant. "If he
is
a wandering sage, which I still doubt," he continued, "that means he could be dangerous. They wield so much power. If this David is as untrained as you suggest—"

Analara burst out laughing. "Since when do you know so much about sages anyway?"

Rupu blinked, momentarily speechless, before his face lit with its usual grin. She smiled back. The sudden seriousness hadn't suited him at all.

"What I am
trying
to tell you," he said as he grabbed her in a quick hug, "is be careful. I trust that's not too much of a challenge, 'Nala?"

Charmed by his use of her childhood nickname, Analara slipped an arm around his waist. "Your 'Nala forever. Now don't start worrying yourself to death over me. I do know how to look after myself."

"No thanks to me, I'm sure."

She laughed with him, and they fell into a comfortable silence. She was glad to have Rupu's friendship and advice. He was a calming presence, even though he still pretended to be an unruly youth.

His warning about David faded into the background. "Varlath would never object to any of my friends," Analara whispered to herself. And Shalaron… if he ever met David properly, then David wouldn't be a stranger and therefore no threat to Ilinar.

Analara was mildly surprised by how much she hoped Shalaron would get the chance to meet David. She gave one final look over her shoulder as they walked through the city gate.

If she ever saw him again.

***

David awoke with the sun in his eyes. He glanced at the clock. 3:07 PM. With a groan, he sat up and stretched. Six hours of sleep wasn't much, but it was more than he'd gotten recently. He stared at the walls and tried to get a handle on the events of the morning.

His mind felt hazy, unable to focus on any specific thought. He remembered racing, a girl, trees, but nothing beyond that. His gaze wandered to his sword, lying in the middle of the floor. He recalled tripping over it on the way to bed earlier. Setting aside his thoughts, he retrieved it and inspected it for damage.

The blade was unsharpened and notched, the silver lion's head on the pommel tarnished. Despite its condition, it was an ancient family heirloom, and David was relieved to find no new wear from the tumble.

He set the sword back on its stand and was struck by a fierce hunger. As he walked toward the kitchen, he resumed parsing through his memories. There'd been an accident. Someone had helped him. Even as he drew close to a name, his thoughts slipped away.

David was almost to the kitchen when he suddenly remembered the hover-bike module and his blackmailer. Had something gone wrong during the demonstration? Did he just sleep through his own trial and sentencing? He raced to his computer.

Two new messages. One was from the V-Net Health and Safety Department responding to an alert of severe physical distress logged the previous morning.

David stared blankly at the screen. He hadn't slept for a few hours; he'd slept more than a day away.

"Citizen, medical drones were dispatched to assist you; however, the emergency was resolved without our aid. To ensure your health and well-being, please meet with a qualified medical technician within the week. Thank you for using V-Net."

The second message didn't list a sender, which told David exactly who it was from.

"I don't know what that crazy stunt was all about, but this little game you cobbled together is adequate. You got off easy, Harris, real easy. Don't let me catch you digging into things you shouldn't again. I will be watching."

He sighed in relief and deleted the message.

Good riddance. I hope the unbuffered g-forces give you a heart attack.

With that crisis resolved, David decided to do some investigating. He headed to the link alcove and climbed into his chair, but instead of logging into the network he retrieved the system records. The lights in the room dimmed, and a display screen lowered in front of him.

He thought about the medical notice and checked the personal monitors. The first notable hover-bike entries made sense: heightened levels of adrenaline, blood pressure fluctuations from the g-forces. The next entry tracked an abrupt surge in heart rate.

Me doing my eagle impression.

Then, signs of system-wide shock. The next couple entries were scrambled, but the following lines made his mouth fall open.

Respiratory arrest. Heart rate zero. Death imminent. And then… all systems register normal.

A face hovering above him.

David sat back, stunned. "She really did save my life." A name finally connected with the image in his mind. "Analara."

He opened the activity log next, hoping to find the module he'd broken into. Given that the hover-bike game was illegal, its location was masked and the trace data came back garbled. He was disappointed, but not surprised, when the traces after the accident returned with errors.

David paused in thought. No one had ever physically broken through from one module into another. There was no material space in V-Net. To top it all off, the hover-bike module was sealed from general V-Net traffic.

Still, the recall trace had found him, wherever he'd gone. There had to be a record of it somewhere in the network. David furiously typed in commands, sorting through every database he could access. He couldn't find anything.

With a sigh, he exited the program and stood up. His body still clamored for food, but his mind remained preoccupied. He was determined to find the mystery module again, if only to thank Analara for everything she'd done.

If the system couldn't tell him where to locate her, then he would find someone who could.

Finally succumbing to hunger, David made a sandwich and tackled it with abandon. He grabbed a few snacks from the kitchen, slipped on his earphone and made a call.

"Hey, Jessica," he said between bites.

"There you are! I called you several times yesterday to find out what happened. You're not off to the Reformer's Hall, I hope?" she asked.

David rolled his eyes and took another bite. "As if I'd let them send me there again. I'm not calling about that though. I wanted to see if you were familiar with a fantasy module I found yesterday."

"Fantasy module?" Jessica sounded surprised.

"Yeah. I only saw a bit of it, but I hoped you could recognize a description, or know someone who would. I'm pretty sure it's a persistent module."

"Hold it.
Yesterday
you were terrified that an entire squadron of V-Cops was going to descend on your apartment, tear you out of the network and completely destroy your life. Now you're asking me about a fantasy module?"

David heard the thread of suspicion, but despite the warning sirens blaring in his head he plunged on. "From what I remember, it's something you'd really like. There was a massive forest of willows, and I'm pretty sure there's a green sky, or at the least a green sun."

"I only visit one persistent module. What you just described could be a
thousand
different fantasy worlds." Jessica paused, and he could feel curiosity radiating from the other end of the line. "What makes this particular module so special?"

Oh hell. "Well…"

"
David
."

I really walked into this one.

"Okay. Something happened yesterday while I was giving my demonstration."

Chapter 5

"We're meeting at the Firebird Tavern, Song of Eternity module, around eight tonight. I need your help with this, bro. Don't be late." David removed the earphone and set it down. He hoped Lucas would get the message in time. A quick glance at the clock told him he had thirty minutes until the meeting. There was time for a quick dinner; the search could take awhile.

While he ate, he thought about his earlier conversation with Jessica. She had alternated between horror at the description of the accident, relief that the V-Cop had let him off the hook, and curiosity about the identity of his rescuer. He hadn't known what to make of her thoughts toward Analara.

As he pondered, David realized he had been expecting a different reaction. Jessica's ready agreement to help him search for the mystery module was surprising. She hadn't seemed jealous at all, which saddened him. Their relationship had never become romantic, but he'd always wanted things to develop further. Now, it startled him to discover a feeling of relief hiding behind the sadness. Analara had certainly left an impression.

David finished his meal and decided his musings could wait. He headed to the alcove and sat in the link chair. The sensors imbedded in the headrest registered his thought patterns, and a soft electric current gradually relaxed his muscles. He closed his eyes, giving the mental interface full access.

When he reopened them, he was inside VERA's Network. The entry platform floated high above a metropolis of lights and energy, stretching to the virtual horizon. A cloud of blue particles coalesced in front of him and formed a glowing butler, complete with suit and monocle.

"Destination, sir?" the transitor intoned.

"Song of Eternity module," David replied. "Load avatar: Sorcerer Daveth. Equipment set: travel. Entrance point: Firebird Tavern."

"Request acknowledged." The transitor vanished with a bow, and the platform faded away. David watched the city rush by as he soared toward his digital destination.

With a shimmer, the interior of the module materialized around him. He gathered his bearings and inspected his equipment. One hand held an ebonwood staff, topped with a lion head of burnished silver, and he could feel his favorite traveling outfit underneath an enchanted robe. He raised the hood of his heavy cloak to ward off a light rain and walked toward the lit courtyard of the tavern.

A familiar presence touched David's mind. He smiled and opened a tell-channel.

=Early as usual,= Jessica whispered in his thoughts. =Thomas and I are finishing up a quest. We'll be there in a few minutes.=

=Thomas is coming too?= David asked with false cheer.

=He knows the realms even better than I do. Ah, excuse me. I'll see you soon.=

The channel closed, indicating she was likely in the middle of a battle. With nothing to do but wait, David turned toward the entrance.

"Master Daveth, good to see you this evening," a cheerful voice shouted when he stepped over the threshold. Several faces looked up at him in acknowledgement. He pushed his hood back and headed toward the source of the greeting as whispers of his past deeds drifted through the room. Though it was crowded, people opened a path to the bar where Rovert, the innkeeper, stood waiting.

"Good evening, master," Rovert said. "If you're seeking tasks for someone of your prowess, I just heard tell that Old Beven in Frostdell has had trouble—"

"Thank you, Rovert," David replied quickly, "but I'm here to meet my party. They'll be arriving shortly."

Rovert nodded. "As it please you. Let me know if I can be of any service." He ambled toward the other end of the tavern.

David lounged at the bar and listened to the patrons' muted chatter. After several minutes, a rousing cheer drew his attention. "Lady Celas! Captain Kalath!"

Jessica beamed and raised her bow in triumph. A large man in full silvered plate mail stood at her side. He removed his helmet to reveal light brown hair crowning a rugged face and a pair of blue eyes that surveyed his surroundings intently. David suppressed a surge of jealousy.

"The village of Springwall may once again sleep peacefully," Thomas announced. "Grimsbane the Foul has been slain, and his army of undead routed."

The room erupted in louder cheers.

"For three long years," Jessica continued, "Grimsbane sowed terror and strife among these lands. Now we shall finally return the sacred treasure he seized." She drew a multi-faceted crystal from her belt purse. "The Arkstone of Meissa, stolen from the altar of the Temple of Seasons."

The crowd's roars nearly deafened David. When the noise faded and the throng of admirers dispersed, he stepped forward and bowed. "I hope I'm not interrupting?"

Jessica laughed and tossed her braids over her shoulder. "Not at all. We are here for an important quest." She hugged David tightly. "I'm glad to see you in one piece."

"Indeed." Thomas stepped forward and offered a hand. David shook it for politeness' sake. "Jessica told me of your peril, and of the mysterious maiden responsible for your recovery."

"Did she?" David gave him a thin smile as he sent a private tell to Jessica. =You didn't tell him
all
about it, did you?=

=David, you know me better than that,= she chided.

There was little to discuss before Lucas arrived, so they settled at a table to wait. Jessica did most of the talking, filling David in on the recent highlights of her various quests. Thomas watched her and made an occasional comment while David listened silently.

After several more minutes, he grew impatient. He excused himself from the table and walked outside. The rain had let up, but the only people visible were a pair of adventurers chatting near a flickering torch. A leather-clad fellow was clearly flirting with a red-haired female warrior.