Debra

I was coming to the end of a tunnel of flashing lights. It felt like I was moving without moving. I realized just as I came out of the Virtual simulation and I realized I was wearing a headset decker. I took it off blinked several times as I looked around a very that I was sitting in Sergio’s office. He was seated by the window staring off as the sun set behind the blue tower buildings of Newark City State. I tried to get up but then fell back because my head was spinning.
“How long was I in?
“It should have only been a year.” Sergio said. “How much time do you remember?”
“Twelve months. Thirteen days and seven hours. I counted.”
Terry nodded. “What did you do? Did you get any reading done? Did you learn anything?”
I glared at his profile. “I read twenty books at the library on business management and trading and even got a certificate in trading and personal finance. I was looking to apply for Corpo trading license to buy and sell in the market. Now I got shit all because it was all a fucking VR SIM. Bastard. All that work for nothing but to fuck with my head.” I said and threw the headset at him.
Terry sighed, shaking his head. He reached inside his pocket and removed a datapad. “The VR SIM is an official device from the PIN Warden. All time served inside the set counts as a prison bid, and all certificates earned count as special education accounted to your personal ID account. Here, look,” he said and threw it to me.
I caught it and looked at my ID profile and information on my education to see, I had still had my certificates I had earned in the SIM and they counted as real in the real world. I shook my head. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before. Did you call in a favor for me and-“
“The PIN is full at the moment with inmates. This is Authority and the Kings have been looking into expanding into other forms of imprisonment for special cases like yourself. You were lucky in away though from your expression you may don’t feel that way. You were in for full day in real world time but the VR experience made it real enough. So. You did your time. You now have a bit of education and experience of what the PIN feels like. Once you go Corpo you won’t be bound by constraining Nomad laws that limit your freedom. Congratulations. You can leave now.”
I started to say to something then something accrued to me. I had his Datapad. I quickly brought up Sergio’s file and stared at the long list of his digital education in business finances, programming and the military information that listed all the weapons he was traded in doing and his main focus in his past life being hunting and detection.
Sergio smiled at me. “Are you done being a busy body about my ID history. I would like my Datapad back. Please.”
I got up carefully this time and when I was sure I could walk without throwing up. I walked over to Sergio and handed it to him. “I made a promise to you.”
“Thanks. You better be getting on your way. You have a life to make for yourself. Oh. I’m loaning you 25k ebs for you start yourself out. It’s also the standard fee the Corpo business offices desire for you to join into the business guild. It’s already been forwarded to an account in your name. The password is Serg991b. You can change it at your pleasure. No. No. Don’t look at me like that. I’m loaning the ebs. Your still damn well going to pay me back little sister. On your way. I’ve got to find some jobs tonight.”
“Your an asshole.”
Sergio shrugged. “What about it? Everyone has to be one to someone and you have to have one at the end of their own ass so are you going to cry about me being one to you? Because I don’t give a damn either way. Go away. Miss West.”
I shook my head. “No. I’m not. I’m Debra Sergio now. You got a job to do okay. I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be applying for a trader position today. I’ll take the floor of your office as a bed and I’ll pay you back by being a good daughter to you.”
Sergio glared at me. “I would prefer my 25k ebs back.”
I shrugged. “Tough luck. I didn’t promise you I would give you the money back and I didn’t ask for it. So it looks like your out of 25k ebs and bough yourself a daughter. Congratulation.”
“Fucking hell!”
END OF SERIES 1…..


















