I awoke within the linking machine. It was dark, quiet. I lifted the lid and swung my legs over the side.
"Ugh, my head..." The back of my head was throbbing as though I were still in my avatar's body. How incredible... My brain had produced the same signals as the avatar's, so the pain transferred. I glanced around. The lab was empty except for a guy from janitorial. My eyes fell on Sean's link. That ass had better take my body back.
"Clay?" I looked up. Augustine was standing in the doorway.
"Hey." Frowning, I met her halfway to the door.
"What's wrong? Didn't you have fun?" She elbowed me playfully in the ribs. "Sean told me you guys had wanted to hang out just the two of you." Winking, she made for a computer. I couldn't believe it. That idiot had somehow convinced her that he and I were...
"No- No, no, no! Grace, he was-"
"Grace? Haha! I was wondering when you'd finally chum up." She shook her head and took a seat in a computer chair in front of a desktop camera. "I swear..."
"No. What? I just-" I couldn't even complete my sentences; the rage that consumed me was enough to blur my reason. "Look, I have absolutely no interest in Sean. C-Can we leave? I'd rather talk about this in private." I was terrified that he would wake any minute.
"Can't do that, sorry. I have to record my video log. You really should too, it's important for good research." She adjusted the camera to face her appropriately. I was completely exasperated. Why didn't she understand? Well, I suppose I didn't really explain... but there was no time for me to linger. I knew I had to get out of there.
"Look, can you come to my room when you're finished? I really need to talk to you." Before she could say another word, I walked with intention to my room. Once there, I sat on the bed to wait. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. A lifetime passed in that room.
Clang.
"Hey, sport. Wouldja let me in?" In she came and took a seat on the bed beside me. "Sooo, what's going on?" She looked serious now. I think she understood the gravity of my frustration.
"Sean... tried to..." I explained, she listened. Saying nothing, she rose.
"I'll go talk to him." A pit collapsed in my stomach.
"No! N-No..." She looked appalled.
"Are you joking? I don't want someone like that on my staff! Don't be an idiot, Clay-"
"I'm not being an idiot, I'm being rational." Her expression increased exponentially in shock. "Look, you spent millions of dollars on this training, these avatars. Why would you tank what's worth millions just because of one case that didn't really... well, turn out?" Her arms dropped to her sides. Clearly she did not agree with me.
"Clay," Hands went to hips, "That sicko tries to take advantage of you, and you're worried about our budget? That's ridiculous and you know it!"
"Grace, if he gets ratted out and we lose the company's money, how long do you think the guys in charge are going to let us keep this experiment going, huh? There's no real reason for them to keep us. In fact, they're looking for reasons to get rid of us. If we fuck it up in the first, what, two days, they're going to shut us down!" And then there were no more questions. In fact, there was nothing to be said at all. We found ourselves in an irrevocable position. She looked as defeated as I felt.
"There's nothing we can do."
Augustine was now pacing up and down trying to think of a way out of this stink. I would have paced myself, but there was no damn space in there to begin with. She paused, walked to the door, and left. Again I was alone, and again an eternity passed before morning.