Play Testers Wanted Pt. 20

"You remember the GPS coordinates we got on Lehon? I want to see if there is anything in the real world at that spot," I explained. "Goofy, I know, but I am curious."

"Nah, I get it," Kyanna laughed. "When are you leaving?"

"Early tomorrow," I replied. "Or later today, depending on if it is after midnight."

"That gives us," Kyanna paused, and I heard Kat and Aoki approach. "What, ten hours to have our way with you."

"Tannhauser Gate sent some new toys for field-testing," Kat remarked lustfully. "What do you say, boy toy?"

"Alas, my secret is out," I laughed. "Thank goodness I got eight hours of sleep."

"I never heard of Tannhauser," Aoki chimed in. "Are they any good?"

"Put it this way," Kat practically purred. "Their last shipment got a ten out of ten reviews from me. They are as discreet as they are creative."

Eight hours later. The four of us were sprawled on the California king recuperating from hours of unfettered pleasure. Kyanna was the first to bring up one of the last gaming sessions, Lehon. She blamed herself for plugging in the sphere midflight and causing the time/space tear. Aoki reminded her that all of us had felt the Force echo on Malastare, and so blame was a foolish thing even to contemplate.

"Fate," Aoki purred as she ran her hands over her sweaty body. "Damn, I needed that."

"We needed," Kat corrected her. "My ass is going to be sore for a few days, but man, it was worth every inch."

"Uh-huh," Kyanna giggled. "You are awful quiet."

"I have a confession to make," I began, and they all stared at me. "It is believed that I am either an ass man or a titty lover. That is not the case," I said, and they leaned in expectantly. "Truth is, the thing that gets me going is," I paused, and they glared back. "A woman's expression when I am balls deep, and they have that look of surprise, or shock, or blissful agony. There, I said it."

"Blissful agony, that is the polite way of saying balls deep in a girl's ass," Kat laughed.

"A-yuh," Aoki agreed. "I am still tender. SSSS!"

"Naptime," Kyanna declared.

The girls snuggled together while I lay at their feet like the pet cat. I was not tired, though. Despite the exertion, I felt restless. Assassins. Duskwalkers. Ghost lines. I was Nick's heir to the Order, and a death mark hung over my head. I still felt haunted by the echo of a dead man. Ripples of his influence battered my psyche. Who was I? Identity is everything, and it felt as if, with each passing day, something new surfaced and kept my life in chaos. I closed my eyes and waited on Surfer's analysis of my BMI. Were there any residual traces of the tenacious Nick Shaw? I began the scan just before I was secured to the bed by Kat and Aoki. A timer ran in the corner of my vision. It was nearing zero rapidly. Surfer displayed bright green letters that read all clear.

'There is no sign besides residual memory patterns of my former master,' Surfer declared confidently. 'I detect a spike in the rates of your hearts, levels of chemicals in your neocortex, and... you do not believe me.' Surfer's voice softened, and saddened by my reaction. 'You do not trust me.'

'I don't trust Nick,' I replied. 'I trust you with my life.'

'I could purge the memories, but the process could leave you with short-term loss covering the last week or more,' Surfer offered. 'I do not recommend it.'

'You are the expert Surfer. I trust your judgment. It is time for a quick jog and a nice long shower afterward,' I remarked. Once I was sure the ladies had fallen asleep, I rolled off the foot of the bed, dressed, and headed out for a run. What had begun as a mile-long path escalated into a ten-mile jaunt. During the run, I felt Surfer's ever-present aura at the back of my head. I felt her anticipation like it was my own.

"How is the start-up going?" I asked Surfer, and she was relieved to be of use as she informed me my company was not just up and running but performing very well despite several lawsuits from the coal and oil industries and Tesla Power Inc.

"The water reclamation project is doing well," Surfer announced. "We purchased the processing patent for mass-producing graphene and several other inventions by an entrepreneur that owns none other than Tannhauser Gate. The young man is a certifiable genius."

"We should hire him and put him to work for us," I commented.

"Not going to happen," Surfer replied. "While he owns the company, his mother and grandfather manage it for him. His genius comes with a price. The young man is autistic and would not function well outside his dockside workshop. I contacted him earlier in regards to employment, he refused."

"What's his name?" I asked as I altered my route for the seashore.

"Kieren Longshadow," Surfer said. "His mother is Irish, and his father is Lakota Sioux. You may have heard of his grandfather Two Ravens Longshadow. He is deep in black ops and tech support for the government. Longshadow sits on the board of three think tanks and has won every award attached to math or science a human can achieve. I have his file if you want to read it. You will see where Kieren's intellect evolved. Two Ravens helped raise Kieren, and the two are close. Follow the green dot. I marked the warehouse's GPS coordinates for you."

The outside of the building did not look any different from any of the other warehouses. What did stand out were the layers of security surrounding the perimeter and mounted to the top of the structure. This Kieren fellow took his privacy seriously. I touched the intercom button and asked to come in.

"You are alone, good," the voice on the other end said. "Oh my god, it is you! Please, come in. Did I forget that you were coming today?"

"Um, no, I was jogging and thought since I am taking a break from the game, I might stop by. I am sorry if I am intruding."

"NO, don't go, come in around the back," Kieren sounded as if he was on the verge of panic. The gate slid silently open, and I jogged to the rear of the building. The sound of running water caught my attention as I rounded the final corner. I stopped short when I saw the unusual shower set up and a naked Kieren lathering up his hair and body. "I forgot to bathe again," he explained. "I get caught up with my work, and time gets away from me. Take a look around. I will be out as soon as I get rid of the stink." I looked at the hexagonal design of the shower and found it interesting. Six stainless steel tubes extended from the concrete floor just outside the warehouse, and each of those cylinders possessed a flexible shower head. When he moved, the water tracked his movements keeping him covered.

"Why build the shower out here?" I asked, and Kieren laughed.

"There was a drain already outside, so I figured why not," he explained. "Besides, no one but family and friends visits me, and the dock rarely sees boats or shipping traffic since the new pier opened just south of here." He paused for a moment. "Though, I have been pondering putting up a holographic shower curtain for modesty's sake. My sister blushes every time she visits and sees me naked. I am unsure why, but girls are a mystery."

"Um, have you ever dated anyone?" I asked, and he laughed nervously. "I'll take that as a no."

"Well, Coral has shown interest, but uh, I don't want to hurt her," Kieren declared. "She is cute and has offered to show me the ropes, but I am different and, well, scared."

"Empathy is a two-edged sword," I replied as I turned to face the interior of the warehouse. "Holy fucking shit!" I cursed seeing the extent of his workshop and Kieren's genius on display. "I thought Nick was gifted."

"Funny you should say that," Kieren chuckled. "Many of my designs were inspired by Mr. Shaw." It felt weird hearing anyone call Nick mister. "The hydrogen power plant is loosely based on one of his earlier papers on the subject. I am still working on the water purifier. On the bright side, I take the salt I remove from the seawater and sell it to help pay for other projects. My family takes care of the money aspect of my designs." A naked Kieren strolled past me and stood on a metal grate. High-speed fans below quickly dried him off before he dressed in clothing he had set out earlier. The shower shut off automatically, and the rods retracted into the ground.

"You work out regularly," I said, and he nodded.

"I teach several different martial arts styles to students. They repay me by wearing motion-capture suits for a game I am developing. It isn't a full dive like the one that made you famous, but I wanted to see if I could do it. I consider myself a bit of a polymath." His cheeks grew red, and he lowered his eyes to the ground.

"Hey, it is okay to brag," I told him, and when he looked up again, Kieren was smiling.

"That means a lot," he stammered. When I asked him where he learned the martial art forms, he informed me that he observed several dojos around the city. "I have not only an eidetic memory, but I guess you could call it eidetic muscle memory. I see something, and after a bit of practice, my body remembers. I have memorized all the martial forms your characters utilize."

"Perhaps I can come back, and we could spar," I offered, and he began hyperventilating. "Easy, relax, Kieren." I watched as he stood tall, rolled his shoulders, and took slow deep breaths. "Better?"

"Yes," Kieren replied. "Would you like the full tour?"

"Absolutely," I said.

"This is the heart of the building," Kieren said, patting the side of the hydrogen power plant. "There are, of course, solar panels I designed and built on the roof. This setup eats a lot of power. That," he said, pointing to a large metal and glass sphere. "Well, that is the brains of the warehouse. Meet Prometheus. Say hello."

"Hello, Booker," a synthesized voice replied. "Don't be shy." I walked over to the ten-foot orb that reminded me of the nineteenth century's deep-sea diving helmets. A gelatin-looking substance filled the interior, and occasionally a spark raced through it, and parts of the mass changed color. "Kieren calls it proto cerebral goo. It mimics the human brain with trillions of connections that allow me to process data with startling speed and creativity."

"I am dumbfounded," I admitted. "This will revolutionize AI and computing altogether. Are you concerned about hackers?"

"No," Prometheus replied. "My quarantine zone is the first line of defense that keeps out unwanted intrusion by isolating all incoming data or streams. If something suspicious is detected, it is deleted or captured for further analysis."

We moved onto his motion capture theater, sculpting studio, the prototype for mass-producing graphene, and a dozen other projects in various stages of completion.

"I am a rapid shifting bipolar. When I get a rush of energy, I can be up for days at a time without sleep. Just as much as a downturn will cripple me for just as long," he revealed and blushed again. "I told you I don't do well in social situations, sorry."

"Never apologize," I replied softly. "Everyone is different. That is what makes us so interesting." The smell of oil paint drew me towards an area of the warehouse containing free-standing panels. Those panels held paintings Kieren had done of the same woman in different poses. In all of them, she was naked. "Who is this hot little number?"

"My sister Aislynn," he said shamelessly. "She poses for me when she runs low on money."

"Well damn," I chuckled.

"Aislynn is quite the fellatioist, or so she often brags," Kieren said dismissively. "No gag reflex and a predilection for well-endowed males and curvy females. Her words, not mine. Her addiction to sex worries me. I fear she may never settle down and make our mother happy."

"She will or won't," I replied. "We all make choices and live by them."

"It was your company that purchased my patents for graphene, wasn't it?" Kieren asked.

"Yep. I just began producing clean energy power cells," I added. "It will help poor nations build up their infrastructure and support their citizens cheaply."

"You too," Kieren exclaimed. "That is my goal as well. I am working on a project," he began and then stopped short. "It is still in the testing phase. Don't think me rude."

"Secrets are also perfectly natural," I said, and he looked relieved.

"Can I ask you about your characters now?" Kieren asked, fidgeting and eager to explore my VR career. "Which one, to begin with, Ghostfire or Katria?" He grinned when my mouth fell open. "Prometheus figured it out. He is ever so clever."

"What do you want to know?" I asked, and the floodgate opened.

We sat there going back and forth between strategies I had employed and the real-world applications of my creations within the game. The conversation was so intense we failed to notice the young woman that strolled into the warehouse. Coral Amberon was a flawless blend of her Latin mother and her African American dad. It was the striking contrast between her dark skin and bright green eyes that devastated the observer. She walked up behind Kieren, bent over, and kissed the top of his head. I did not miss the generous swell of cleavage when she did that.

'Your hormones and blood pressure just spiked,' Surfer notified me.

'Yeah, no shit, is she Kieren's girlfriend? Lucky kid,' I remarked silently.

"Oh, my bad, Booker, this is my friend and neighbor Coral," Kieren said. "She lives on the other side of the pier."

"Not the Booker," Coral exclaimed as she plopped into Kieren's lap. "I am a huge fan."

"Kieren and I were just talking about the game," I replied, desperately trying not to check her out and failing miserably. She couldn't be more than five feet tall, and damn was she stacked front and back. Keep it together.

"Scar and Coral come over to watch your matches when they are published," Kieren continued, oblivious to my brazen gaze. Coral, on the other hand, leaned back and let her tits push against her t-shirt. Nope, no bra and her nipples were poking against the shirt like crazy.

"Scar?" I asked while Coral snuggled against Kieren. Tease. I lust you too, sweetheart.

"My brother," Coral purred. "He got into a knife fight protecting Kieren. His face got cut up. He has a scar running just below his eye down to his jawline. Of course, Kieren sees it as a prestigious thing and has been generous to a fault. Kieren paid all of the medical bills, his tuition for a local trade school, and my education as a vocalist."

"Ooh, and Booker is a musician," Kieren eagerly declared. "You two should hook up." I felt my jaw drop open a second time while Coral corrected him.

"A duet, not a hookup," Coral firmly stated. "A hookup would be us having sex. You wouldn't want that would you?" Kieren slowly shook his head while the daydream popped into my mind, eager to be fulfilled. I bet she could belt out a scream when I shot into her... "Booker? Earth to Booker," Coral laughed. "Naughty boy, you shouldn't be having those sorts of thoughts."

"Perhaps I should call Aislynn," Kieren offered. Coral remained silent as her thoughts seemed to follow a similar path that mine had.

"Your thoughts betray you," I said in my best Sith Lord voice. Kieren laughed, Coral did not, and I read the shame on her face. "Sorry, that was in bad taste."

The conversation alternated between music and the game. Prometheus broke in, alerting Kieren that a limo had reached the fence and that it was two in the afternoon. We had talked for hours.

"My ride is here," I said and stood. "It was great meeting you both. Here is my private email," I said as I gestured, and Surfer transmitted it to Prometheus. "Drop me a line if you want to talk or practice. My guitar and I are always eager."

I left them feeling a mix of arousal and guilt. Akira stood next to the car when I approached.

"You failed to check-in," Akira chastised me. "Surfer registered a spike in your vitals. Oh, well, I see why that happened." I looked over my shoulder, and Coral was leaving the warehouse too. "You sure know how to pick them. Should we offer her a lift home?"

"It would break that kid's heart if something happened," I said, and though it pained me to pass up such a lovely young woman. My conscience kept reminding me I just had the company of no less than three beauties this morning.

"Want a lift?" Akira asked, and Coral smiled. "We have imported chocolate in the back."

"Ooh, I love chocolate melting in my mouth," Coral moaned. "I better not. I will give Aislynn your info. She can take one for the team."

"Let's go," I said and sat in the front seat next to Akira.

"Please don't take this the wrong way," Akira began. "You look like hell, sir."

"I feel like it," I agreed. "Executive decision, we return to Numenor, pack for a long weekend, and just drive."

"Well damn, we can't go galavanting off in this thing," Akira stated. "I will drop you off, pick up a less flashy vehicle and return as soon as I can."

"Yes!" I exclaimed, feeling some of the stress evaporate.

GPS or Bust: Day 3 1/2

"It will take time to bring a survey satellite over the area, sir," Surfer informed me as I washed off the sweat and funk from my run. "Google Earth shows no structures at those GPS coordinates."

"Well, we'll find out for ourselves, won't we," I declared excitedly. "I need this so bad."

"Time out of the game at last," Left exclaimed, startling me. "Sorry, boss, I should have coughed or something."

"I forgot," I admitted. "Reality seems a bit wonky lately."

"You have been through a lot over the last few weeks," Left said, his voice soft and reassuring. "Take your time and enjoy the open road."

I was drying off when I heard the sound of a zipper and Kat calling out from the bedroom. "I packed your bag and a pair of hiking shoes in case you go off-road. There is a surprise for you as well." Kat held a backpack resting at the foot of the bed and a small jewelry box next to it. "It is the latest in peripheral technology. We are advertising it at the next expo. I hope you like it."

I picked up the box and lifted the lid. The contents were anything but what I expected. They patterned the sleek black crescent-shaped device after a Celtic torc or necklace, and it had dragon heads capping the two ends of the object. The memory metal pulled apart effortlessly as I settled it around my throat. Once the jewelry was in place, it linked with my BMI and could record from the four 10K cameras housed in each of the dragon's eyes. The surface of the necklace could display a host of different patterns, from Celtic knotwork to elven runes. I could also program other designs as they suited my fancy.

"It is unique, and there is only one Black Torc," Kat said. "Just like you. It can house up to four AI's at any time, and it seems like someone has already taken up residence. The techs are still trying to track down the hacker, but no luck so far. Whoever did this is not using Numenor gear to do it. We will find them. You have my promise."

'I am all settled in,' Bright Eyes announced. 'Should I tell her or you?'

"Bright Eyes says she is comfy in her new home," I notified Kat and watched the parade of emotions cross her face.

"I wasn't sure how I was going to bring that subject up," Kat replied. Her voice was neutral and calm, though her face was somewhere between panic and rage. "How did you do it?"

"The dev zone AI delivered Bright Eyes to me while the safety protocols were off in the werejaguar game setting," I explained. "The AI said that it couldn't access the main server, and that was the best it could do. It did make me promise not to mention it to anyone."

"How?" Kat ranted. "Bright Eyes was nowhere near complete. I shut it down early on to halt the impact of that software falling into the wrong hands. The hacker did it. No. You were not in the Dream Lands long enough for even the latest generation of AI to perform that kind of task. Wait! Greg, you son of a bitch, did it hack the game?"