Standard Disclaimers, I only get to play here
Shaking herself out of her shock induced stupor Amanda was embarrassed to find herself in Cords lap, with a minimum of fuss she moved back over to her own chair. Still reeling from River's revelations she simply nodded in acknowledgement when Ruth told her that she was taking Simon back to Katie's Pride for some meds that would help River.
James, Chloe and Jules followed Ruth and Simon out the door; Amanda sat there cradling a glass of whiskey between her palms, staring at the tabletop.
She jumped when a warm hand covered hers, "Will you be alright" Amanda turned to look at Cord, and she couldn't understand why he was being so nice and why he had kissed her the other morning.
A smile broke out across Cords' face, Amanda realized that she had spoken aloud; with a groan she placed her head on the table. Her self-mortification was interrupted by the sound of gunfire and a woman screaming.
Amanda flung herself away from the table and ran out the door, screaming her sister's name. She arrived to see her sister and Simonbeing pulled into a hovercar. With a detached part of her mind she saw Captain Reynolds, Zoë and Jayne firing at the retreating hovercar. Amanda sank to her knees in the middle of the road, repeating over and over, my fault; it's all my fault.
A babble of voices converged all asking the same question, what in the gorram hell had just happened. Getting to her feet slowly Amandastarted to explain, only to be interrupted.
"Not here, come on over to Serenity I think we all need to hear this." Mal led the way down the street to where Book and River waitedon Serenity's ramp. River seemed unnaturally calm considering her brother had just been kidnapped. Spotting Jayne, River broke free of the Shepard's loose hold and ran down the ramp. Jumping she wrapped her arms and legs around the big merc, babbling in the strange gibberish that she had spoken to him before.
With a startled look Jayne answered her in kind, this strangeness on top of everything else that had happened the past few hours went unnoticed by all except Kaylee.
Once everyone was sitting around Serenity's mess Mal asked Amanda to explain what she had meant by it being all her fault.
Taking a deep breath Amanda explained, "I have been working for Blue Sun Synth Products for the past five years, this branch produces all their virtual reality products."
Zoë slapped Wash on the arm as he started to outline how much he liked a certain game, in order to shut him up.
Amanda continued as if she had not been interrupted, "I was in charge of a project called Version 7, this is, was going to be the latest in virtual holo technology, it was light years ahead of anything the competition has out there. Right now when you are in virtual reality holo's you know your playing in a holo, with my programs you wouldn't know that you were. It would seem to you to be the same as real life."
"What's wrong with that," Chloe asked, "The holo's all time out, don't they, and this doesn't explain why they grabbed your sister."
"Yes, the holo's do time out, and it isn't a problem for any of the VR holo's except for the one I stole. I thought they would be satisfied with all the games I had left even if I did take my programming protocols with me."
Still not following Mal asked the question that was on everyone's mind, "What exactly did you steal and why is it so dangerous?"
"I stole the Self Satisfaction VR Module, this particular module interacts more directly with the pain/pleasure centres of the brain, causing anyone who plays for more than a few hours to become addicted to it. It will cause a feeling of such great pleasure that you don't want to leave and you will do anything to go back in, your life, your loved ones cease to exist, all you want is to return to that perfect world, where your every wish is granted a hundredfold." Amanda paused to take a drink of coffee, "This is the worst swill I have ever tasted," she noted absently.
"I knew I couldn't let my creation loose on the world, I tried to reason with my superiors and was removed as head of the project. It was given over to my cousin Gerald, who has absolutely no scruples what so ever, only they couldn't complete the hardware that is required to play the VR properly, they still needed me and I refused and handed in my resignation.
That's when the threats started, they were small at first; being jostled when I was out in public, messages left on my public contact number, blank screens of course.
Then they started to bug my apartment and they ran traces on who I spoke to, my friends started being fired, their homes were being broken into nothing was ever stolen just rearranged so security simply put it down to vandals having fun.
Finally one day Gerald showed up at a family gathering, he cornered me in an out of the way room and outlined exactly what would happen to my friends if I didn't go back to work. I went back the next day of course.
I had been naive to think that just because I had resigned the project would end, for six month I kept my head down and worked like a good little drone. The project never actually made any headway because for every problem I fixed, I actually created six more. It was very fortuitous that Ruth announced to one and all that Director Rayelle did not have any idea how to use the equipment the goddess gave him and was summarily drummed out of the hospital."
"Whole planet knows he has a limp dick" River announced from her perch in Jayne's lap, her announcement broke the tension in the room as everyone erupted in laughter.
Once everyone recovered Chloe asked, "So how do we find your sister and Simon? Do you have any idea where they would have been taken?"
Blushing Amanda muttered, "trans dermal tracking device in Ruth's gluteus"
Chloe stared at her in shock, "Your telling me you planted a tracking device in your sister ass?"
Amanda simply nodded to embarrassed to speak.
Once everyone got themselves back under control Chloe continued, "I'm taking a wild shot in the dark here, but I'm guessing that you have the receiver in your bunk, back on Katie's Pride."
Worry over her sister and embarrassment over the fact that Cord had once again pulled her into his lap, flushed Amanda's features. "Actually it's right here, I can track Ruth up to 500 km on planet, I am not sure how far the beacon will go in space."
Kaylee leaned forward to examine the small device, that to the casual observer looked like a wide silver armband, when Amanda pressed on the filigree the surface changed to a tracking map. Whistling in admiration Kaylee ran her fingers over the surface, "Cap'n I think we could patch this into Serenity's comp without to much trouble."
Mal nodded, "Do it, Wash we were in the air fifteen minutes ago"
Chloe held up her hand, "Wait one minute, that's my cousin, I am going after them in Katie's Pride"
"We ain't hit atmo yet, your welcome to leave," with that Mal left the common room calling back over his shoulder, "Jayne I think Vera would like to come out and play."
Grunting his assent Jayne rose to his feet, he moved across the common room, River's voice stopped him at the door, "The bear and the tiger are both needed to fight."
Jayne turned around, "huh, you think so" pointing at Cord Jayne ordered, "Crazy Girl says I gotta give you weapons," muttering how the 'verse had turned on its ear and how he must be just as crazy Jayne led Cord through the ship to his bunk.
Jayne was mollified by Cord's appreciation of all his weaponry, most especially Vera.
Mal's voice came over the com, "They're being held at a space station about 20 minutes from our current position, we have to get in and get out our people without a fuss. Be ready people."