breath.
“This is crazy,” he whispered to himself. He half-expected the green line to lead him onto a stage where everyone would laugh at him, the naive newbie who put on the freak suit without questioning anything. “See what people do just because they’re told?” someone would announce. “We need to learn how to question everything. Question everything and never cease searching for new ways to contribute to VG’s success …”
He pushed the daydream out of his mind. If that was what was about to happen, so be it. He’d get through the ritual and someday he’d laugh about it with the other execs while the newcomers put on suits to amuse him.
Chris trudged through a long corridor following the green line. The gear altered his stride making him feel clumsy. He passed one other person, also wearing gear, walking the other direction. He didn’t say anything. The green lines directed him down a connecting side passage. He glanced at a directory through his link. He saw a map of one hundred quarters, swimming pools, racquetball courts, and other facilities. He noticed there were no public eating areas—a bad sign. The manual said you eat your meals in your quarters. If this was a joke, someone had gone to great lengths to feed his link the bogus map with all the right details.
At last, the green line came to a door. It was arranged on a long wall with a lot of other equally spaced doors, like the entrance to a hotel room. The door opened for him.
Chris stepped into the room uncertainly. Through the visor feed, he saw a luxurious albeit low-ceilinged room. Plants grew from elegant tile vessels built into the corners. The walls were lined with mirrors, presumably to give the feeling of a larger space in the limited volume available.
Then he realized these were his quarters. The rule about the gear didn’t apply here. He pulled off the thick helmet and looked around the room. It didn’t appear any different from what he’d just observed through the visor. Other than the low ceiling, he decided the room looked as nice as any five-star hotel on Earth. His link registered a wide set of options. One was a control for changing the color and decor of his room, but he decided he liked the space as it was. He dropped his helmet onto a long, soft couch and pulled off his sleeves and torso armor, which he put on the couch next to the helmet. He decided to look around more.
He stepped into the bathroom. The walls and floor were decorated with a substance like dark gray marble. The same material formed a large sink in front of another mirror. He reached out and touched the sink. It felt smooth and cold like real polished stone.
A black-haired girl wearing blue appeared in the mirror, standing behind him.
“Shit!” Chris exclaimed.
“Sorry, sir.”
The girl dropped to one knee, her head bowed.
“Uh, oh, that’s okay, you surprised me.” Chris waited a moment, but the girl did not move. “It’s okay. You can stand up. Who are you?”
“Your servant, sir,” she said. Slowly, she stood. She wore a simple silk robe. Her beautiful eyes and dark skin spoke of Chinese lineage. Chris found her attractive.
“Oh. I didn’t know we had any help here. You in the manual?”
“What?” she asked, looking up at him with innocent brown eyes.
“Never mind … you’re young. What’s your name? Do you work for VG?”
She looked flustered. Her gaze dropped to the floor. “I am your servant.”
“Oh. What’s your name?”
She kept looking at the floor. “I am your servant … Cinmei.”
Chris thought she seemed reluctant to part with her name. He suspected she had a strict set of rules to adhere to much as he did. He hadn’t read anything about any personal servants in the manual.
He walked to the main room. The young woman followed.
“This is a nice place. It’s quieter than I expected here,” he said. Chris stepped toward the bedroom entrance. He saw a large, low bed and a set of dresser
“This is crazy,” he whispered to himself. He half-expected the green line to lead him onto a stage where everyone would laugh at him, the naive newbie who put on the freak suit without questioning anything. “See what people do just because they’re told?” someone would announce. “We need to learn how to question everything. Question everything and never cease searching for new ways to contribute to VG’s success …”
He pushed the daydream out of his mind. If that was what was about to happen, so be it. He’d get through the ritual and someday he’d laugh about it with the other execs while the newcomers put on suits to amuse him.
Chris trudged through a long corridor following the green line. The gear altered his stride making him feel clumsy. He passed one other person, also wearing gear, walking the other direction. He didn’t say anything. The green lines directed him down a connecting side passage. He glanced at a directory through his link. He saw a map of one hundred quarters, swimming pools, racquetball courts, and other facilities. He noticed there were no public eating areas—a bad sign. The manual said you eat your meals in your quarters. If this was a joke, someone had gone to great lengths to feed his link the bogus map with all the right details.
At last, the green line came to a door. It was arranged on a long wall with a lot of other equally spaced doors, like the entrance to a hotel room. The door opened for him.
Chris stepped into the room uncertainly. Through the visor feed, he saw a luxurious albeit low-ceilinged room. Plants grew from elegant tile vessels built into the corners. The walls were lined with mirrors, presumably to give the feeling of a larger space in the limited volume available.
Then he realized these were his quarters. The rule about the gear didn’t apply here. He pulled off the thick helmet and looked around the room. It didn’t appear any different from what he’d just observed through the visor. Other than the low ceiling, he decided the room looked as nice as any five-star hotel on Earth. His link registered a wide set of options. One was a control for changing the color and decor of his room, but he decided he liked the space as it was. He dropped his helmet onto a long, soft couch and pulled off his sleeves and torso armor, which he put on the couch next to the helmet. He decided to look around more.
He stepped into the bathroom. The walls and floor were decorated with a substance like dark gray marble. The same material formed a large sink in front of another mirror. He reached out and touched the sink. It felt smooth and cold like real polished stone.
A black-haired girl wearing blue appeared in the mirror, standing behind him.
“Shit!” Chris exclaimed.
“Sorry, sir.”
The girl dropped to one knee, her head bowed.
“Uh, oh, that’s okay, you surprised me.” Chris waited a moment, but the girl did not move. “It’s okay. You can stand up. Who are you?”
“Your servant, sir,” she said. Slowly, she stood. She wore a simple silk robe. Her beautiful eyes and dark skin spoke of Chinese lineage. Chris found her attractive.
“Oh. I didn’t know we had any help here. You in the manual?”
“What?” she asked, looking up at him with innocent brown eyes.
“Never mind … you’re young. What’s your name? Do you work for VG?”
She looked flustered. Her gaze dropped to the floor. “I am your servant.”
“Oh. What’s your name?”
She kept looking at the floor. “I am your servant … Cinmei.”
Chris thought she seemed reluctant to part with her name. He suspected she had a strict set of rules to adhere to much as he did. He hadn’t read anything about any personal servants in the manual.
He walked to the main room. The young woman followed.
“This is a nice place. It’s quieter than I expected here,” he said. Chris stepped toward the bedroom entrance. He saw a large, low bed and a set of dresser
Similar Books
