It's been three days since they took her into Reality Space. Ever since the first time, she hated it. In her eyes, it was a pathetic mirage that was supposed to look like the world had been. It was an illusion that, to her, was like giving up the real thing for something that wasn't as good; an unfair tradeoff for the slugs who avoided the real world, making their own.
Instead of tasting the real world, it was bits and pieces of something else, something not real at all. Reality Space was not how it sounded. It was a false imitation that was not 'Reality'. She hated what people were using it for, and, especially, what it was. Bitter and fake.
Leigha had been in reality space only three times. Once with Ram, once, although brief, with her friend's brother, Ved, and once in her dreams, against her will, as was every time.
She had almost grown accustomed to sitting in that chair, wires touching her skin. She thought she'd become disoriented when she came out of Reality Space, but she didn't. She knew exactly where she was. Every time.
After the first few hours of the second day, she knew that she wasn't leaving, well, at least, not leaving soon. Either Ram's forces were too strong, the Mall Rats have backed off, or both. She knew what the Mall Rats would decide on. It was too dangerous and too risky.
She sighs and lightly closes her eyes. She's tired. She hasn't let her guard down. She doesn't know what could happen whilst she slept. She didn't want to take the chance and end waking up somewhere other than where she had fell asleep.
She blinks her eyes quickly, stretching her arms in front of her, then over her head, arching her back. Leigha let her arms fall to her side before crossing them over her chest, tucking a strand of loose brown hair behind her ear as she does.
She takes a deep breath and looked around the room. Nothing had changed. Leigha wonders how long it would be until she was a full blown 'lab rat'. She almost winces at the thought. Being Ram's experiment. She shudders.
Leigha walks over to the wall and turns her back to it, sliding down the cold hard surface to the floor. She pulls her knees to her chest, gathering her hair in her hands behind her head, thinking, resting her elbows on her knees, looking down.
The door opens. 'Great, another Reality Space Adventure,' she thinks in mock excitement. She stands up, smoothing her shirt down as she looks up.
It was some guy she knew as Ved. He looks around quickly, he is jumpy, he appears to be twitching. He was guilty of something. Leigha frowned.
Ved doesn't say anything. Leigha takes another deep breath and steps towards him, opening her mouth to say something, but even she doesn't even know what she is going to say.
Ved quickly pulls a finger to his lips, holding it there.
'If he's in charge of this thing right now, why does he want me to be quiet?'
Ved withdraws his hand from his quivering lip and motions for her to follow him. Leigha, continuing to frown, steps past him into the hallway. She looks back just as Ved pulls the door closed, very quietly, behind them.
He brushes past her so that he is beside her. He places a hand on the back of her shoulder blades, keeping her close as they walk. With every stride, Leigha is getting more and more suspicious. Especially with a hand pressing into the back of her torso.
Ved continues to look around, hoping no one is in the vicinity. He looks behind them and hears light footsteps. The owner of those feet were not wearing heavy Techno boots. It was someone important.
Lucky for Ved, they were nearing his destination. He clumsily grabs a doorknob nearest to him. He pushed the door open, hoping, ever so hoping, that it is the door he wants. It is.
He quickly, but silently pushed Leigha inside before he goes in himself and closes the door. It's dark and a light isn't seeming to go on. Seconds pass in the soundless darkness.
Leigha sees light as the door is slowly opened. Ved sticks his head out and looks around quickly. He says a silent thanks to whoever should hear him, God or who ever could read his mind at the moment, that no one was in the proximity.
He closes the door before he flips on the light. Leigha groans as her hands shoot to her face, tightly clamping against her eyelids, blocking the light. She slowly withdraws her hands, getting used to the light.
"Oh, sorry about that," Ved says sheepishly.
Leigha doesn't say anything but nods, her eyes still aching from the light. As her eyes begin to focus, she feels something cylindrical being pressing into her open hand. Her fingers grasp it, but it takes two hands to hold it there.
Leigha looks down at it. Water. She smiles and begins to drink, but not before she notices that Ved is watching her inattentively. She swallows then slightly frowns, not understanding.
Ved takes a deep breath and lets it out evenly. He shakes his head and stuff his hands into his pockets, looking to the floor.
"I don't get how he can do that to people," Ved thinks aloud.
Leigha knows without asking that he's talking about Ram.
"Do things like what?" she finds herself asking carefully.
Ved shrugs and his face shows confusion. "Testing people like they are guinea pigs"
This almost makes Leigha laugh. She doesn't know much about Ved, but what she has learned is that he is: 1) One of Ram's 'techy' guys, 2) He was Jay's brother, 3) He also tested on people, and 4) He was manipulative.
"Ved?" Leigha says, "You are as guilty as Ram for those things,"
Ved looks up at her and slowly nods. "I wish I wasn't," he mutters.
"Then how can you continue to do it?" she asks after taking another sip of water, "You know these people, you know me"
It takes Ved a little while before he says something.
"No," Ved says softly, "I don't"
Leigha looks down and away. 'What is he getting at?'
"I don't even know you anymore. When we moved to the city, it was because of you"
Leigha remembers those days when she, Jay, and Ved went down to the lake, then, later, Ved leaving with his friends, leaving Jay and Leigha alone. Leigha was surprised when Jay wanted to include his little brother in their plans, but she didn't mind. Ved had been a cool kid. He had actually introduced Jay and Leigha when she moved there, believe it or not.
Ved continues.
"When we left, it was like Jay was mad at me all the time. Mad because he was leaving his friend. Saying it was my fault you two even met in the first place. He was angry that you became friends."
Leigha felt something in the pit of her stomach.
"I don't think Jay ever forgave me. He once accused me of making sure that you guys got in trouble that day, forcing you to take the blame for him.
"When I found out that you were here, I almost didn't even tell Jay. You were the reason my brother hated me. Why would I help either of you? When I told him anyways, he didn't even thank me, just rushed off the be your knight in shining armor.
"When you came back after Jay got you out, we both knew you changed. I stopped hating when Cloe talked about you and that you weren't here for your benefit or Jay's. I stopped hating, but I don't think Jay ever did. It was like he cursed me, like it was my fault that you brought yourself back in danger"
'So, Ved does have a conscience after all,' Leigha thinks.
Then Leigha thinks of it again. Cloe.
"You're doing," she pauses, "this to get back in favor with Cloe?"
"And my brother, surprisingly" Leigha smiles. She never thought Ved would ever care about Cloe enough to do something to get her back. She was impressed.
"So, you got me out of that room, to tell me all this?"
Leigha looks at him questionably. Ved chews on his lower lip as he thinks of how is he going to say it.
"I was going to get you out of here, by helping Jay. But if we get caught or Ram finds out it was him in the end and gets fired, he'll blame it on me. And anyways, I can't find him.
So right now, I'm going to tell you all that I know. Starting with Ram" Leigha swallows. 'Great. Ram' "He's trying to get me to make this new program. I've already created it, but he wants to improve it, because we've had, well, problems. We can't seem to get people out of the program" He doesn't mention that it's Cloe.
"He want's to improve it and make it harder. But it won't be a game, he's thinking about trying to make it a, well, a, um, a 'fear' program. It downloads your worst fear from your imagination and you have to take it on, no matter what it is. Ram doesn't believe in conquering your fear, just facing it. He thinks that this program will be popular because, it's like a horror movie, people like to be scared" Leigha swallows. She tries to get her mind away from the idea.
"Did you tell Jay yet?". Ved shakes his head but he is not yet done.
"Ram intends to use you" Leigha takes a deep breath. Her worst fear.
"Ram knows that by using you, he'll force Jay to do something. He's already looking for an excuse to let Jay go. Letting him go while almost torturing you, is the best way he can think of"
Leigha shakes her head.
"Jay had better not do it"
"Do what?"
She puts her hands in her pockets.
"Do something"
Leigha knows that if she gets Ved to bad-talk about her to Jay, that won't help, he'll just be angry with Ved, he is the master programer after all.
"Ved, you have to make that program, we both know that, just don't tell Jay and, please, do anything you can to prevent him from finding out"
He nods.
Ved leans over to the door and opens it carefully, still making sure no one is out there. He motions for her to leave. Leigha goes over to him, and, before leaving, leans over to him.
She places her hand on his shoulder.
"You're a good guy, Ved. Cloe will be happy"
Ved grimaces. Cloe.
Ved takes her back to her room, certain no one has seen, or so he thought. Neither of them had seen the shadow at the end of the hall, watching. Back in the room, Leigha, again, slides down the wall onto the carpet. She pulls her knees to her chest and tilts her head back, resting it against the wall, looking at the ceiling.
Her worst fear. She will never be able to do it.
