“Hey, Cale, how do I save a chat log?” I asked, trying to figure it out for myself and eventually giving up after my avatar appeared to be having a seizure from all the random inputs I made.

“Main menu has the option. There’s also a help menu for all of your questions. Might be easier.”

“Mm-hm, thanks, that worked. Yeah, I know there’s a help menu, but asking you is faster. Thanks. I’ll be right back, gonna see if Viv is all right,” I said and searched the UI for an exit button. “As soon as I figure out how the fuck I can get out of this place.”

Viv’s sudden departure raised a steadily growing alarm in my head, but I couldn’t put a finger on exactly why. Other than this entire trip had been her idea, and she hadn’t shut the hell up about it over the last four months.

Why would she have logged out already?

The fantasy world flickered away and the pod holding my body opened on its silent pneumatic hinges. I had to blink away at the sudden blinding light of the room before the other pod came into view behind dark blotches in my vision.

Viv’s pod had already opened, but she remained inside.

My heart skipped a beat. She was too still and her color was wrong, almost sallow.

I moved closer, tripping on what felt like everything possible between our two pods. “Hey, Viv?” I asked and tapped her cheek, receiving no response. Tiny breaths raised and lowered her chest, but that was the only sign of life. “Shit.”

My brain threatened to give in to a building panic that wouldn’t help a goddamn thing. I took a few quick breaths of my own to steady myself, tossed on a pair of torn jeans over the neoprene suit and grabbed my phone. While I spoke with the emergency operator, I tossed a pillowcase over Viv’s fire crotch.

I used the in-room phone to inform the front desk of what was happening and banged a fist against the door that separated my suite from Cale and Salvo’s; not even sure if anyone would answer.

Desperation caused me to knock harder. More accurately, I punched the door a few times. The skin on my knuckles split and a sensation easier to process washed over me. Physical pain I can handle, it’s all the other shit I try to avoid at all costs.

There was a knock at the front door. Two paramedics pulling a stretcher waited patiently for me to allow them inside. A twentysomething dark skinned man with a friendly face nodded. While his partner, a thirtysomething white blonde woman, barely acknowledged my presence.

“Did you call for help?” the handsome man whose name tag read Taylor asked.

“Shit, that was fast. Yeah, I’ll lead you to her,” I said and ushered them in. A nagging voice in my brain worried that I wasn’t showing enough emotion. Did it make me a terrible friend that I wasn’t despondent or panicked? Would the appropriate response be to cry hysterically instead of fighting against a growing numbness? I’d have to worry about that later. “I’m not sure what happened. One minute she was fine in the game world and then nothing.” I pointed into the room that housed the two pods.

“She was like this when you found her?”

“Yeah,” I said and crossed my arms protectively across my body. “Well, I tossed the pillowcase so her snatch wasn’t hanging out.”

The blonde woman, nametag Fisher, said some numbers as they checked vitals, shone a light in Viv’s eyes. All the things I’d watched paramedics do on television.

“Is this normal?” I finally got the nerve to ask. “Is this like a side effect of the game or something?”

“No, ma’am, this is far from normal,” Fisher said and frowned. “My kid plays these things, too.”

Taylor looked at me, his face stern, “Did your friend take anything today?”

“Take anything? Like drugs?” I asked and nearly laughed in his face. “No. Viv has one cocktail and her skirt grows wings. Daddy’s girl doesn’t do those kinds of things.”

He nodded and scratched something into a notepad. “Have you made contact with any of her relatives?”

“Not yet but I’ll call her dad now.” I took one last look at my friend and left the room while I called, letting the paramedics do their jobs without me leering over their shoulders. By the time I hung up, they were wheeling her out of the room. “He’s on his way but he’s coming from a meeting in New York. They’re getting his jet ready now, whatever that means.”

Taylor nodded again. “All right, only relatives ride with, so you can meet us at Oaklawn General Hospital. That’s where we’ll be taking her.” His gaze drifted down to my battered knuckles. “Might want to get that hand looked at while you’re there.”

“I’ll head that way shortly,” I said and closed the door behind them. By the time I’d grabbed some ice from the kitchenette for my hand, there was a knock from the other suite. “Fucking finally, assholes,” I groaned and opened the door before throwing myself into an overstuffed sofa.

Cale stood in the doorway with a questioning look, his hands shoved deep in his pant pockets. His dark brown hair had grown out nearly to his shoulders, and his face had the beginnings of a beard. The thick lenses on his glasses accentuated his dark hazel eyes. “What happened?”

“Come on in. Where’s Salvo?”

“Getting dressed,” Cale took an uneasy step towards me. “I was told no men were allowed in this room. Where’s Viv?”

“On the way to the hospital.”

“What do you mean?” Cale sat heavily beside me.

“Just that.” I turned to face him, tucking my legs underneath me. “You were in the beta for this, yeah? Did this type of thing happen before? Were there any rumors that you’d heard of?”

“What type of thing? Liz, I’m still in the dark on what’s going on.”

As I explained, Salvo appeared in the doorway. Think Dave Navarro meets vampire elf and that’s his everyday appearance, down to the meticulously groomed Mephistopheles facial hair.

When I finished, Cale blinked at me, his eyebrows lowered into a frown and said, “That’s not something that happens. Maybe she had an allergic reaction to her nutrients.”

I shrugged. “I doubt she was eating already.”

“Did you call her dad?”

“Yeah, he’s on his way. Let me get decent and we’ll head up to the hospital to see what’s going on.”

My phone rang just as I was putting on a t-shirt. The screen lit with the name of the caller, Mark Williams, Viv’s dad, and I briefly considered calling him back. It didn’t feel right talking to my friend’s father while I was half-naked, but missing the call would be worse.

“Hello?”

“Eliza, yes, hello. Hear me all right? I’m flying there as we speak.”

“Perfectly clear. Have you heard anything from the hospital?” I made a face at myself in the mirror and puffed out my stomach.

His voice broke, and he had to clear his throat. “They’re running tests, but she’s still unresponsive.”

“I’m getting dressed now to head over there,” I said, digging through my bag while holding the phone with my shoulder.

“Don’t bother. Stay where you are.” He sounded broken. After four years of hearing the man’s icy cool tone, it was uncomfortable to hear such raw emotion in his words. “There’s something I need you to do for me.”

“Anything.”

“I don’t think this was an accident. I’ve been hearing rumors floating around that I need you to confirm. Get back in the game and find the little fuck that did this to my baby girl. Can you do that?”

His parental f-bomb meant something catastrophic happened, but my mind reached for a different, easier to accept solution. “I mean, are you sure it wasn’t the nutrient paste?”

“The resort is well aware of Vivian’s allergies. This isn’t a fluke. This is sabotage.”

That sounded horribly dramatic. “There’s no way I can afford-”

Mark snorted into the phone. “No, you couldn’t. None of you could. But if you’ll stay, all three of you, I’ll continue to pay and extend your lodgings for as long as you need. If you’d like, I’ll even give you each an allowance. How does 500 credits a week sound?”

“It sounds like too much,” I said, holding back the part where I would have gladly stayed for free. “I don’t even spend 500 credits a month on myself.”

There was a long exhale from his side of the phone.

“But, I’ll see what I can do. If this takes longer than the time we have… I mean I’m supposed to start at Vegas Land soon and…” I didn’t want to ask, but it wouldn’t be right to not show up on my first day of work and I was on the phone with someone who had the ability to make things happen. What did Mark do over there anyway?

“Everything regarding Vegas Land will be taken care of. If needed, I can speak with the owner of the establishment that employs the last of your merry little band of misfits. The one Vivian is so fond of.”

“Salvo?”

“Mm. That one.” His voice took on an unpleasant edge.

I bit my tongue to contain a harsh response, defending Salvo came naturally. It wouldn’t be great to lash out at a man worried about his daughter enough to keep spending a small fortune to get some answers. Especially when I was one of the benefactors. Granted, Mark wasn’t the type to accept no as an answer and I was willing to bet my friends and I didn’t have a choice, even if it appeared there was one. “I’ll talk to him. And to Cale.”

“Excellent. I’ll drop by when I’m able.”

“I’m not sure what you mean by rumors…” I started but the other line had already disconnected. I stared at my wide eyed reflection. “Fuck me, Liz. What are we about to get ourselves into?”

Mirror Liz didn’t have any answers but ultimately, that didn’t matter. I’d offered to help however possible. If that meant chasing make-believe ghosts in a make-believe world, why not?

I grabbed a pair of cut-off shorts from my bag and tossed some Chuck Taylor’s on my feet without socks. Cred-chip and ID in my back pocket, I was ready.

“All right, boys,” I said, emerging from the bedroom. “Change of plans. Let’s go get some supplies. Sounds like we’re gonna be here for a while.”

Before we could head to the store for junk food and energy drinks to prepare for a long gaming session/beginning of our investigation, we were surrounded by a sea of strobing reds and blues at the front of the resort. We gave statements, drank burnt coffee from the lobby, and answered the constant barrage of the typical questions. There was talk of moving me to another room but eventually they decided they’d searched it thoroughly enough and hadn’t found anything besides my booze and a legal amount of pot in my bags. They would be taking Viv’s pod, however, and asked for me to stay clear of the room for another hour or so while they finished their inspections.

I didn’t like the idea of a handful of pigs digging around in my shit, but it was too late now. Besides, what else would they find? My old granny panties?

Salvo made some calls and offered a half-assed apology to the owner of Club Dissension where he worked. He hadn’t attended Vegas Land University like the rest of us, but was co-manager and bartender of the busiest nightclub in Detroit. He also made some side cash promoting and booking local musicians. Salvo was known in the area, and some of the business in the bar was from men and women hoping to catch his eye. The owner wasn’t pleased with his walking meal ticket taking longer than expected. But he’d have to manage.

With the errands out of the way and time to kill, the three of us sat in the lounge, drinks in hand. Feeling more out of place than we had when we’d arrived. Or maybe that was just me.

An older woman flashed a come-hither glance at Salvo and he obeyed, leaving me alone with Cale. My awkward schoolgirl reaction to his presence returned and I pressed my lips together tightly; glancing everywhere but his general direction.

“Tell me when we’re having fun,” Cale said and sipped at a blue, game-themed drink. Aptly named Mana Potion.

“Sure,” I replied, and let out a soft chuckle as the scene took shape around us. In a sea of cocktail dresses and smart slacks, he and I had both opted for comfort instead of style. We stuck out like a sore thumb.

The two of us started sentences at the same time. I groaned and Cale waved a hand for me to continue.

“Let’s ditch this place and go upstairs. They gotta be done by now,” I said. “Maybe you can show me the ropes?”

His back went stiff. “Um…”

“In-game, dumbass. We can’t do a lot to help Viv down here. Besides, I get the feeling that’s the last we’ll see of Salvo for the night.”

“I knew that’s what you meant,” he said, his face turning a slight shade of pink. “But that sounds good. You need all the help you can get.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Let’s go.”

Before long, I was back in the empty room, one pod missing since the last time I’d been there. It felt wrong to be there, alone in Viv’s world. One as normal to her as it was alien to me. Hell, our friendship was a study in opposites in more ways than just social status. She was outgoing and ever the optimist, and I’m… well… me. That’s how we hit if off so well our first day in the dorm together. She gave a shit about the people around her, and I saw someone that would get taken advantage of if she wasn’t careful.

So, we took care of each other. Or at least had taken care… It was hard not to feel like I’d let her down somehow.

I stripped and pulled on my ass-less suit before settling back into the pod. Everything moved into place and the calming female voice welcomed me back to Age of Arcadia.

“Greetings Eliza. You have one unread message since the last time you’ve visited. Would you like to read it now?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t understand you. Would-”

“God dammit no, I don’t want to read it.”

“Okay. Would you like to continue with your last avatar?”

I sighed and agreed. The screen flashed and dimmed before returning me into the world of Arcadia. My height grew, my eyes sharpened, and my back grew heavy. I looked down and said hi to my big ass titties. AKA, Rose and Blanche.

More people were milling about at this hour than before and I eventually found Cale leaning against a sign in the road, his overall apathy reflected in the elf’s silvery eyes.

“Thanks for waiting up,” I said and jogged over to him. “If you get bored, you don’t have to wait around for me. Go ahead and kill shit or whatever.”

“It’s fine,” he said, and forced a smile. “We’ll get there eventually. I’m just getting antsy. You know that feeling when you’re just past the gates of the amusement park and all the rides are waiting for you? But the people you came with insist on using the bathroom or finding the lockers. Maybe even going to the shops and looking around. All the while you hear the screams of excitement…”

“Not really, no. If someone tried pulling that shit with me, I’d just wander off.”

He scratched behind one pointed ear. “Yeah, I mean, so would I.”

“I get what you’re saying though, and I’m sorry. There’s just so much to take in, it’s all just insane, isn’t it? I mean look, that little guy is riding on a motorcycle,” I said, pointing at a figure coming up a little too fast and not making any attempt to swerve.

The chopper engine revved as a gnome on a tiny motorcycle drove by and clipped my side, sending me sprawling. He extended a stubby middle finger over his shoulder. High-pitched squeals of laughter echoed alongside the sputtering engine as he sped off.

“You little nugget-sized piece of shit,” I yelled after him, rubbing my leg. The pain wasn’t quite as intense as it was in real life, but it was there. Only dimmer than normal and not quite as scary. Some part of my brain realized it wasn’t actual pain, only a coded response to injury.

A red health bar appeared in the upper right corner of my view with 40/50 written on it. Then the following text flashed:

Achievement Unlocked: Roadkill

Cale offered a hand. “We need a few levels before we gain some healing spells. Are you okay?”

“You can get run over in this game?”

“If the person is a douchebag and has it enabled, yeah.”

A human with golden blonde hair that spilled over her shoulders and aquamarine eyes ran over to us. Her white robes rustled around her legs.

“Let me help with that.” Her hands shone with divine light and her lips moved in silent prayer before the pain disappeared.

My hit points refilled to 50/50 and the red bar vanished.

“Thanks,” Cale said and nodded his head. “Can I get a buff, please?”

“You got it,” the woman said with a wink as she raised her hands towards the sky. A tower of blinding light encased first him and then me.

Nothing popped up in my vision to tell me what it did, so I had to find out the old-fashioned way. “What’d that do?”

“Absorbs the first hit you take. Just in case there’s another gnomish drive-by,” the woman said and smiled. “I’m Ang3lB4by, by the way.”

We made our introductions and Angel told Cale she’d added him to her friend's list three times before finally we parted ways. A brief gleam sparkled in her eyes when she waved goodbye to him.

“She’s totally into you,” I said, pushing aside a hint of jealousy.

He glanced at me sideways and shook his head. “Let’s start with the basics of UI control,” he droned.

Another hour went by before I felt like I’d gotten my bearings. We dueled a few times, Cale not attacking at first, just letting me cast on him. He patiently answered my questions, which were more than I’m normally comfortable with. If it meant helping Viv, it was worth the humiliation.

By the time we were both exhausted, Salvo finally logged on.

V4mpyrL0rd Speaking: “Lucinda sends her regards.”

Cale rolled his eyes. “Congratulations, you had sex. I’m going to bed now.”

V4mpyrL0rd Speaking: “That’s not why I logged on. What happened tonight has happened before. Lucinda was drinking away some bad juju feelings after visiting her daughter in the hospital. The same thing that happened to Viv happened to her last weekend. The day the game was launched.”

“No shit?” I asked, feeling my eyes widen. “Can I talk to her?”

V4mpyrL0rd Speaking: “She’s heading back home in the morning. They’re transferring her daughter to a hospital in LA.”

“And I doubt you got her number to stay in contact?” It was a dumb question. Salvo didn’t have long term relationships. He had flings.

V4mpyrL0rd Speaking: “Nope. I don’t even know her daughter’s avatar name so there’s not much to work with. Just thought you’d like to know it happened again.”

“Well, thanks for that,” I said, frowning at Cale. “Guess it’s something.”