The Reality Engine Ch. 09

"She knew what she was talking about," Dr. Karlov said, as he pulled out his phone. "Alright, send me the pictures and videos you two ladies have, and I will share it some gentlemen I know, and I'll mention your case, but only on one condition: I want to show Scott these materials too."

"Well, sure," Elizabeth said. "That's no problem, just keep them on your phone and don't put them on the internet, and you can show them to whoever you want."

Dr. Karlov told the girls where they could send the promotional materials to, and a moment later, after the girls had sent it, he confirmed the receipt and told the ladies he would be in touch.

"Thank you ladies," Dr. Karlov said, as he showed them out of his office. "It has been educational."

"You have our phone numbers, right?" Elizabeth asked. "Call as soon as you get a nibble."

Three hours passed, and at slightly after 4:30 PM, Dr. Karlov walked into the lab again. Scott was still hard at work on the LAVCM.

"How was your day?" Dr. Karlov asked.

"Rotten," Scott said, with a wide smile. "None of the equations make sense again. Looks like I'm back to square one."

"How do you feel about that?" Dr. karlov asked.

"Terrific," Scott said. "The challenge is back. I'll figure this out sooner or later. I have before, and I will again."

Dr. Karlov stopped to ponder a moment. Every previous assistant had either never advanced to level 1 (they had never gotten past the tutorial level) or, if they had advanced to level 1, or level 2, grew extremely frustrated after the rug was pulled out from under them after all their hard work. Scott was different. Dr. Karlov theorized that because Scott had gotten through the first two levels so quickly, he had never gotten bogged down with weeks on end of no progress, like his previous assistants had. Dr. Karlov was anxious to observe how Scott would react if he was stuck on level 3 for the next week or two. Would his frustration boil over?

"Are you about to head home for today?" Dr. Karlov asked.

"Just about done," Scott said.

"Can I interest you in an amusing story before you leave?" Dr. Karlov asked.

"Sure, what's up?" Scott asked.

Dr. Karlov told Scott about how Lory had spoken to him about Elizabeth and Jessica. This had made Dr. Karlov curious, so he called Elizabeth and Jessica to his office to question them. Then, Dr. Karlov revealed to Scott what the two girl's motive had been in turning him down two days before.

"Wow, I never would have figured," Scott said. "Looks like I missed nailing them by just a few months. What are the odds, huh?"

"Are you okay with their actions?" Dr. Karlov asked.

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" Scott asked. "I got Pepper last night, and she's way better than Elizabeth and Jessica put together. I pray for whatever man draws the short straw, and has to wed one or the other of them."

"They aren't actually that bad," Dr. Karlov said. "Most girls their age I've met are worse. They're at least honest with themselves about who they are and what they want. Those two girls don't think they can have it all, and they don't want to have it all even if they could. They've figured out how hard the real world is, and they're honest enough to know they want no part of that. Elizabeth and Jessica are also willing to commit to marriage, and child-rearing, at the age of 22. They won't go out in life, party for the next decade and a half, and try to settle down in their late thirties. Those two girls are going to have their kids when they're young, and their bodies are more able to bear the strain. That's pretty smart, if you ask me."

"Do you think you can help them find husbands?" Scott asked.

"It will be easy," Dr. Karlov said, with a smile. "Like I said, most girls their age are far worse. There are so many men who would be willing to marry either one of them, and who will forgive their history, so long as they are committed to being wives and mothers. You are trying your best to help Calvin, and I agree with you that we should do what we can for our fellow men and women. Do you want to see the nude pictures and videos I have of them?"

"I thought you would never ask," Scott said. "Hell yes, I want to see the receipts. I mean, out of scientific curiosity, you understand. I wonder what type of pictures and videos a woman makes to promote her reproductive fertility to prospective husbands. It sounds like an intriguing subject, filled with possibilities for exploration."

"Of course, we must always expand the boundaries of science, mustn't we? I have them here," Dr. Karlov said, as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. As he did, he noticed a far-away expression in Scott's eyes, "Something the matter?"

"I was just thinking," Scott said. "Elizabeth and Jessica are two party girls who have gotten a dose of reality, and they've decided that they want to get husbands, and so, wacky hijinks will ensue as they look through every nook and cranny. Does that plot sound familiar to you at all?"

"Do you think it's straight out of a soap opera?" Dr. Karlov asked.

"Close," Scott replied. "It seems like the plot of a Jane Austen novel, when you stop and think about it."

"Are you a Jane Austen fan?" Dr. Karlov asked, intrigued. Dr. Karlov had proven to himself that Scott had the sight from their conversation that morning. The evidence of the horseshoe tattoo on Beatrix's foot was definitive proof. How far along was the feedback loop between Scott and the LAVCM? Could Scott's mind be altering reality in extremely subtle ways?

"Sure, my roommate last year was a gay guy, named Tony Montoya, who loved Jane Austen novels, and I caught the bug from him," Scott replied. "He took me to a theatrical stage performance of Sense and Sensibility, and we went to see the movie version of Emma together. Most of the plots of those novels surround society girls who are desperate to get married to men who can ensure their social standing. It's much the same thing that Elizabeth and Jessica are doing, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is," Dr. Karlov answered.

"Well, anyway, best leave those thoughts for another time," Scott replied. "Let's see those pictures and videos."

Scott and Dr. Karlov spent the next fifteen minutes looking over the photos and videos on Dr. Karlov's phone, before wishing each other a good weekend and separating.

As Scott walked into the lobby of Maybe Dick Hall, he saw Chad, Steve, Kloe, and Sonya waiting for him. He had arranged to go to dinner at the Light Fingers Five dinning commons with his friends that night.

"Where is Cherry?" Scott asked, when he noticed the front desk was unoccupied.

"Probably doing the prep work for having you on her hands in an hour's time," Chad said, as the friends all walked in the direction of the dinning commons. "Now, tell me everything that happened to you last night. I want details."

Scott told his friends every detail of his story, including the strange visions he'd had, and by the time his story was complete, everyone had obtained their dinner, and had sat down to eat.

"Wow, so you saw it happen, and then, it happened?" Steve asked. "That's far out man."

"I'm not convinced by it," Kloe said. "The vision of Pepper is not that far out there. I talked with her for a bit on Sunday afternoon, after you guys played cards, and she thinks you're cute, Scott, so it was never out of the realm of possibility. What freaks me out is the vision you had of the cheerleaders. You saw the foot tattoo on that one girl, Beatrix, and then, you found out she actually has the tattoo you saw. That's weird, if you ask me."

"I agree with Kloe," Sonya said. "The image of the cheerleaders is different. Pepper could just be a very odd coincidence. You know she likes LLA pizza, so you knew how to bribe her. You knew she kind of likes you, so of course you tried your luck. I'm happy it worked out for you, Scott, but that vision seems to me like a combination of really obvious things that just came together. The Cheerleader's foot tattoo? That's different. I've met Beatrix a few times, mostly at school sporting events, and I didn't know she had a horseshoe tattoo on her right foot until you just told me."

"Am I the only one who finds it odd," Chad said. "That Dr. Karlov knew what the website for the University Cheer team was, and also knew that they had a link to their annual calendar on their website?"

"Maybe the old dog has a few tricks in him yet," Scott said. "Wouldn't surprise me if he did. He also, apparently, knows some gentlemen who would be interested in marrying Elizabeth and Jessica. He's been on this campus for 25 years now, which is 25 years more than any of us, except for Sonya."

"I've been here three years now, and this is my fourth," Sonya said. "I have a pretty good idea what path Dr. Karlov would look to if he was in the husband hunting business."

"I'm thinking a dashing, young, assistant professor type," Kloe said.

"Probably not," Sonya said. "Those career prospects aren't guaranteed, and our two girls want a guarantee. Professorships are always on shaky ground, until you get tenure, which doesn't happen until your career is established."

"So what approach would you take?" Kloe asked.

"I'd probably look at the only big business in this entire one horse town, other than the two Universities," Sonya said. "The Farmers' and Swineherds' National Bank has branches all over the Midwest, and its world headquarters is right here, in Frostbite Falls."

"I didn't know that the bank was headquartered here," Steve said. "My parents have their primary checking account with the Farmers' and Swineherds' branch back in our hometown. They are a pretty large operation, and I'll bet there's some real high profile jobs at the headquarters here in Frostbite Falls."

"I've been inside the building a few times over the years," Sonya said. "It's the massive business office to the Southeast of Wassamatta U, and it's all men in sharp business suits employed there. I'm sure Dr. Karlov has a few relationships in that building from his years as a professor. That's the best option if you're looking for husbands, in this part of the world."

"Well, I can't wait to see what Dr. Karlov cooks up," Scott said.

"Hey bro, are we all getting together tonight to hear the news from the front lines?" Chad asked.

"Yeah, after you're done with Cherry, you should come to my room," Steve said. "We'll text with Bridget's mom, who will provide us updates on how the date is going."

The rest of dinner passed by in pleasant conversation, as everyone hoped for the best for Calvin and Shauna.

It was nearly 6 PM, and Scott approached the front desk of Maybe Dick Hall, alone. He saw Cherry there, who smiled at him and told him to come closer.

"You ready to go?" Cherry asked.

"As I'll ever be," Scott said. "What exactly are we going to do?"

"You're a good person, and a decent man," Cherry said. "I see now that I misjudged you. However, you should know that most men are not like you are. Tonight, I want to show you how many women live with regard to other men. I'm not a man-hating feminist, okay? I will try to be fair, and there are good situations and bad ones."

"Okay, let's see what you've got," Scott said.

"Come with me," Cherry said, as she guided Scott to the stair case behind front desk, and the two walked up to the second floor of Maybe Dick Hall. Cherry led Scott down the girl's wing of the second floor, and stopped in front of the girl's bathroom. Here, she sent a text message on her phone, and waited for a reply.

"I feel a little uncomfortable, just standing in front of the girl's bathroom, if I'm being honest," Scott said.

"I know," Cherry said, with a smile. "Tonight is date night on campus. Girls with boyfriends hit the town, and in addition, there are, ahem, other arrangements that can be made."

"You mean sugar daddies and sugar babies?" Scott asked. "I heard about it when I was at the University of Iowa. Everyone knew at least a few girls who had sugar daddies, but the practice was never that widespread."

"It's not that widespread here either," Cherry said. "Other things being equal, webcamming is a better, and safer, way to make money, but there's a lot more competition. Being a sugar baby does have one advantage on open prostitution though: it's an exclusive deal with one John, at least in theory. That makes it safer and more predictable, but not nearly as profitable."

"Can I ask you something that I've been wondering about?" Scott asked. "That swimsuit you were going to model for Chad last week, how come I only saw you wear it once this week?"

"That suit was ridiculously revealing, even for me," Cherry said, laughing. "I used it to tease Chad, and to try to get him to notice me. I had no intention of ever actually wearing it on the job. What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"Oh, well that makes sense," Scott said, smiling.

"I know how much you wanted to see me in it, and I had a bet to pay off, which is why I briefly wore it for you on Monday," Cherry said, with a wide grin on her face. "Chad doesn't really care about it that much, and I think he wanted me to wear it mostly because you wanted to see me in it. You were always that swimsuit's biggest fan."

A text message came in on Cherry's phone. She smiled, and she took Scott's hand, pushed open the door to the girl's bathroom on the second floor of Maybe Dick Hall, and escorted Scott inside.

Scott had his breath taken away by the first sight he saw. He saw four girls, all of them naked except for the pair of panties each of them wore, doing their hair and makeup in front of the mirror and the four sinks that were positioned on the wall opposite the door. Three of them, whom Scott did not recognize, had their backsides exposed to him. The fourth girl was Liandra, whom Scott had played poker with the previous Sunday morning.

"Oh, hi Scott!" Liandra said, as she turned around and smiled at him. Scott looked at her big brown eyes, pearly white smile, and lovely chocolate colored skin, and his penis went hard at the sight of those beautiful, pert breasts.

"You like what you see?" Liandra asked, as she posed for Scott.

"Hell yes," he said. "You are beautiful."

After a few minutes, the other three girls introduced themselves to Scott. Madeline Foster was a green-eyed, red-headed bombshell who stood about 5'4, with a slim waist, powerful legs, and medium-sized boobs. Her dorm was immediately to the left of the girl's bathroom. Rebecca Levi was a tall, willowy, white, Jewish girl (she was wearing her Star of David necklace), with brown eyes, black hair, and above average sized breasts. She had a terrific smile, and a pleasant personality. Rebecca occupied the dorm room immediately next to, and down the hall from, Kloe and Mary. Finally, there was Kalliyan Hong, a tall, Southeast Asian girl, with brown skin, a flat chest, and a very skinny figure. She had black hair, brown eyes, and a lovely face. Kalliyan lived in the dorm room immediately next to Rebecca, on the other side from Kloe and Mary.

"Pleased to meet all of you," Scott said, as he shook hands with his three new acquaintances.

"He's a really nice guy, isn't he?" Madeline asked, with a smile.

"Sure is," Liandra said. "I noticed it when we were all playing cards last weekend. We're all close to naked, and I feel completely safe with him seeing our bodies. I don't have any fear."

"Yeah, and I was a moron for taking Chad's bet," Cherry said, smirking and laughing. "You notice he hasn't asked what most guys would in this situation."

"What question would that be?" Scott asked, genuinely puzzled. "I'm just really grateful to be here, right now, and I'm not really thinking about it all that much."

"Yeah, you were right, Li," Kalliyan said to Liandra. "Not only has he not asked the obvious question, it hasn't even crossed his mind to ask."

"Most men are nowhere near this respectful," Liandra said. "Back home in Detroit, it's the first thing any man would have asked."

"Look at him, though," Madeline said, laughing. "He's just smiling and clueless, and he has no idea what we're talking about."

"Let me help you out, Scott," Cherry said. "There are five attractive girls here in this room, four of whom are mostly naked. Most men would ask when do I take my clothes off too?"

"Oh," Scott said, seeing Cherry's point. "Well, that's okay with me. It's a strange thing, you know? I actually get lucky once in a while now, and that makes a huge difference."

"Hey, that girl you were going to hit on last night, did you score?" Cherry asked.

"Yup," Scott said. "It was Pepper, and it was the best night of my life. If I can get one night with her, I can take a lot of rejection. Even if it never happens with her again, once with her is more than most guys get in a lifetime. I'm already in the bonus."

"Yeah, about that," Rebecca said. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she seemed very cross about something when I bumped into her a few hours ago."

"Oh, that's alright, it just means she hates my guts," Scott said.

"Wait, what?" Cherry asked.

"Same thing happened when I hooked up with Margaret the first night I was here, and with Sonya the second night," Scott said. "Girls are in to me, for a little while, and then, they hate me when we meet again the next day. I remember Sonya a week ago last Wednesday, she was decidedly pissed with me when we had pizza the night after I slept with her. I was confused about it, but it's me, and I know it. A girl feels generous, she thinks that I'm not so bad, then morning comes, there's clarity, and she's upset because she settled for me. To be honest with you, it's frustrating. I want last night to have been good for Pepper too, I truly loved her to the best of my ability, but, maybe I should just give up. What do you guys think?"

"Cherry, there is no fucking way in hell he was disrespectful to Pepper, we all know that, right?" Liandra asked.

"Well, sure, but why was Pepper upset about something this afternoon?" Cherry asked.

"It can only happen this way so many times, before it's a major problem," Scott said. "If women are going to regret being with me shortly thereafter, then there must be something horribly wrong with me, and I should probably quit trying to get women. I had a feeling, deep inside, that this is how it would turn out with Pepper, and I only went through with it with her because it was a once in a lifetime offer."

"Yeah, no other guy I know is like this," Cherry said. "Fuck Chad for knowing that, and putting me up to that stupid bet, and fuck my big mouth for not being able to say no."

"Do you want to get started on tonight's lesson?" Madeline asked.

"Yeah, I figure we'd better, as I don't want you bitches to be late for your dates," Cherry said. "Okay, so the four of you have each had different experiences with being a sugar baby. I'll ask each of you in turn, Li, do you want to go first?"

"Sure," Liandra said. "I'm from out of state, and I grew up in Detroit, and I came to Frostbite Falls University because I was looking to go someplace for school that was the exact opposite of my hometown, and the more opposite, the better. As soon as I finished High School, I moved out to Frostbite Falls, and started taking summer classes and working. I found, after about a month, that money was tight, so I became a sugar baby. My sugar daddy is a late 40-something year old guy named Bernard Young. He got divorced some years back, it was bitter, and he swore never to remarry. He pays me a regular cash allowance, and he doesn't expect that much in return. We go on a date every Friday night, and sometimes, we'll go out and do stuff every so often. Of course, if he has a work or a church function that requires a date, I am obligated to go with him. It's not bad, the money is good, he always pays on time, and there isn't a lot of responsibility."