Reality Heist - Geordi Riker (ready player one ebook TXT) 📗

set of ears, sticking a little too far out from his head.

“Hey, Natalie,” he says as he sidles up to the counter, “Any chance that Jake's back yet? Jason said that we could just start without him, he probably wouldn't make it.”

“Sorry.” She glances at me quickly before continuing, “I haven't seen him today.”

He turns to me, “Sorry, just had to check. Name's Tyler.” He sticks out a hand, which I shake, “I'm the kid brother of Jason Tuinstra, our leader.”

“You don't say.”

“What's got you all riled up?”

“Your brother has a look-a-like. He told me he was Jason, gave me his book, a card, and left, telling me that I should stop by.”

He's already grinning by the time I've finished, “Seems that you ran into Jake. Him and Jason are identical twins, you know. So he probably was just playing a prank on you. Although you're pretty quick to take him up on his offer. Most people wait  day or two.”

“Yeah, except I left something here.”

“Well, it's probably in the lost and found-”

“Except I left in a members only section. I kind of need my backpack back.”

“Where do you go to school?”

“What? No, it's my backpack, my survival kit. I kind of need it in order to stay at least partially off the streets.”

“Alright, just sign in and we'll go grab it.”

I blink in surprise, “You're serious?” He nods. “Awesome, thanks.” I grab a pen and sign my name in.

Tyler reads over my shoulder, “'Brandee Taylor'.”

“Yep. You got a problem with it?”

He shakes his head rapidly, “Nope. Just curious is all. Let's go get your bag. Maybe Jake will be back by then.”

We start walking, people nodding respectfully to Tyler as they move out of our way, their eyes skimming over me quickly, their faces expressionless. Tyler, to his credit, ignores them all, cutting past security guards as I flinch by each one, wary that at least one of them got a solid look at me. It's not like I've done much to blend in, and it only takes one rent-a-cop to kick me out.

“You know, Jake's odd when it comes to the people that he'll actually talk to. With the majority of us, he just pretends we don't exist. But once in while, he'll run into random people that he meets who-knows-where, and get all excited about them, hoping that they'll come in to the center and join.” He glances over at me as we enter an inner room, the one I had escaped from earlier. “So where did you to meet, exactly?”

I shrug as we head to the far side of the room, past all the sculptures and people, “On the bus. I just happened to sit across form him. Next thing I know, he starts talking with me.”

He nods, “Yeah, that's how it starts.”

“Can I ask you something?”

His eyebrows shoot up, “Yeah, sure.”

“Who exactly started this place? I mean, you guys say Jason runs it, and he wrote the book. But on the bus Jacob was telling me about his daughter.”

He grimaces, “Yeah, that's a little bit messy. See, Jacob's the one who cam e up with this stuff. Jason's the one that actually sold it to the general public. While Jake was more concerned with the 'Elite' as he called them, Jason's more interested in pulling more people in, getting more support.”

“Isn't that the sort of details you want to keep private? I'm not even a member here.”

“Like I said, Jake's basically anti-social. The fact that he talked to you means that you're one of the Elite, so you get an automatic black card, you get to know whatever you want to know.” He smiles at the person behind the desk, “Hi. Is there a backpack here by any chance?”

When no answer is given, I glance up to see the guard from before staring at me, his jaw slack. “Hi,” I say with a smug smile, “How's your day going?”

My voice is enough to break him free of his stupor, but he ignores me and turns to Tyler. “She's the one who escaped earlier, the one I was telling you about.”

Tyler looks at me, then back at the guard, a dubious smile on his face, “Please, you were telling me about some druggie. Brandee ain't a  druggie, Chad. You've got to learn how to tell the difference between a pot-head and a normal kid if you want to be a cop some day, you know.”

“Yeah, sorry.” He shoots me a glare before ducking beneath the counter. He emerges a moment later with my backpack, “This the one?”

“Yeah,” I say as I take it, only to be stopped by Tyler.

“I'll carry it.”  I shrug and let him have the whole weight. It drops to the floor. I try not to laugh as he heaves the bag onto his shoulder, the effort obvious. “What do you all have in here?”

“Like I said, that bag's the only thing keeping me off the streets. I lose that, I lose my ticket out of here.”

“You don't have a place to go? You can stay here if you want. Our doors are always open to the Elite.”

“Would you stop calling me that?” I demand as we leave the inner room behind, emerging on the far side of  where we came in. “I have no idea way your brother started talking to me. That aside, thanks for helping me get my bag back.” I hold out a hand for the back. His shoulders slump and he slips it off, giving it to me. I shrug it one easily. It doesn't feel heavy to me at all. Must be some crazy voodoo the Black did so that we didn't break our backs carrying around our stuff.

“You know, it's funny how Chad had been complaining earlier about a 'teenaged punk' who had somehow appeared in the middle of the Inspiration Room.”

“Is that what you guys call it?” I snort, “I thought I was in some sort of museum or art gallery.”

He laughs, “Yeah, he said you had asked about that. How'd you manage to get past the guard at the door though? You're not in trouble or anything, but if there's  that big a loophole in security, we should probably know about it.” We start walking up  a broad staircase, passing other well-dressed people coming or going from the second floor.

“Believe me,” I start, “It wasn't by the conventional method.”

“So you, what, crawled through a vent or something?”

“That's still under the 'conventional method' category.”

He laughs, “Alright, whatever. Our cameras will probably pick it up anyways. You have to have come from somewhere, right? Nobody just suddenly appears Poof!  out of thin air.”

I duck my head so that he doesn't see the smile I can't stop from spreading across my face. “If only you knew,” I murmur, too quiet for him to hear.

I run my hand through my hair. This morning's shower feels like it's been years, when it's probably been at most sixteen hours. But I'm exhausted. Hanging upside down without any blood rushing to one's head can do that to a person. Suddenly, it occurs to me, “Where are we going?”

Tyler looks at me, a funny expression on his face, “Didn't you want to see Jake?”

I sheepishly scratch the back of my head,  “Actually, I only wanted his help in getting my bag back.”

“And then you would have had to explain to him about how you were fleeing from Mutton-chops and co down there,” he points out.

“Actually, I already did. He saw me running out of the center and onto the bus. He even asked me if I was running away.”

“Tyler!” We both look up to see Jacob at the top of the stairs, “Where have you been? Jason managed to free up some time for a real family meal. The clock's ticking!”

“Yeah? Well where were you when Miss Taylor here came looking for our dearly beloved Jason that she met on the bus?”

Jacob sees me and grins, “Nice to see you again. Wasn't sure if I would.”

“Forgot my bag when I left,” I reply, jerking my thumb over my shoulder to indicate the black mass.

“The thing weighs a ton, Jake, let me tell you. By the way, I invited her to dinner tonight.”

I shoot him a look, “No you didn't.”

But Jacob's already talking, “Alright. It'll be the terrible triple plus someone to keep us in order.”

“I'm sorry, but I can't.” Both stop short and turn to look at me, “The rest of the gang is probably wondering where I am.”

Tyler looks stunned, “You're in a gang?”

“No, but I might as well be. They're just the group of people I travel with.”

Jacob's eyes shoot wide open, “You're kidding.”

“What? Did you think I was some sort of loner? We got separated, I've got to go meet up with them. I've already wasted enough time as it is.”

“You're already in a group?”

“Okay, Jacob, now you're starting to freak me out. Why wouldn't I be in a group, if you think you know so much about me and my life?”

Jacob glances at some bystanders, who are watching curiously, “Not out here. Come, eat with us, and we'll give you a ride home after our little talk.”

I hesitate for awhile, but why not? I have my bag, and Skip didn't exactly give me a time frame, so it's not like he can get me in trouble for not going to the stupid place they're at right away. “Alright. I guess I could stay for a couple more hours.”

I'm led into a room with a larger-than-average coffee table covered in food. A fourth plate is quickly placed on the table, room being made by shoving a plate of rolls closer to the edge. The table also holds plates of rice balls, pieces of chicken, ham, and little sandwiches of cheese and crackers. Little mats are placed on the floor. “I'd pullout your chair for you,” Jacob quips, “Except there aren't any chairs.”

“Where's the idiot in charge?” Tyler asks as we sit down.

A door opens on the far side of the room and Jacob the second steps in, an exact copy of his brother. His eyebrows shoot up as he sees me, and his gaze flicks quickly to Jacob, who ignores him. He smiles at Tyler, “You know what? You should probably not refer to the boss as an idiot. It's not good for PR.” He sits down across from me. “I see we have a guest today,” he remarks, looking directly at Jacob.

He grins, “Brandee, this is the real Jason. Don't mind the grouchy attitude, he's normally like that after a day of slacking.”

“For your information I was-”

“Keeping this place together,” the other two chorus.

Tyler laughs while Jacob responds, “We know, Jason, we know. Don't worry, we get it that someone has to be responsible for the money-sucking.”

Jason just rolls his eyes as he looks at me, “What did you do in your past life to be unfortunate enough to run into these two?”

“Who knows? So this place is into the whole cycle of life idea?”

Jacob gives em a look, “Just how far exactly did you get into the book?”

I shrug, “I was just finishing the prologue and part of the first chapter when I realized that I had forgotten my bag in that room downstairs.”

“So you came all the way back to get it?”

“Kind of need it for my kind of life. Not all of us lead a cult.”

“Don't pay her any mind, Jason, she only read the first few chapters,”Jacob butts in.

I sigh, “Okay, Jacob, we're away from the public eye. Why is it so surprising for you that I travel with a group?”

Jason's head jerks a little bit, the news surprising him too, “You're already-”

“Yes! For the thousandth time, me and six other people travel together.”

“How'd you meet the others?”

“At  an underground club. Actually, I met one at the park, and he introduced me to the rest of them.”

“There are seven of you?”

“Why do you even care? Safety in numbers.”

“Seven's a little low, Jacob, isn't it?”