Free Continue Online (Book 1, Memories) by Stephan Morse

finger to
the ARC display she had brought up. The Second Player helm moved out
of my way so I could lean in closer.
    “ Is
that a mage?” I squinted at the tiny projection showing what my
niece was doing in-game. The display showed some weird cat guy
dodging around the screen while Beth’s character chanted a
whole number of things with flashy effects.
    “ I
don’t know, Grant. I guess? She’s always with Sir Fuzzy
over there and doing something. Seems like a waste to me.”
    “ She’s
doing a music thing too,” I remembered the event that Beth had
mentioned. The one she missed while being logged out and doing
whatever it is teenage girls did when they weren’t monster
slaying.
    “ I
figured there was something. She’s been humming to herself half
the time when she’s not plugged in. Thank god for time
restrictions or I’d never know.”
    I
shook my head slowly. ARC was addictive. Adults at least had to earn
money and pay bills in order to stay online. Kids with unlimited
access would be even worse. My sister was smart enough to keep the
restrictions active.
    Thank
goodness food inside the machine wasn’t real. Stuff could go
down a virtual gullet all day and never remove actual hunger.
    “ So
you going to play?” Liz was scowling at the visual display. She
jerked to the side and muttered under her breath as a charging animal
went by. Moments later the fuzzy form of whatever cat man Beth had
hooked up with flew in and tackled the beast.
    “ If
I won what I think I did, sure.”
    “ But
you’d never buy it for yourself.” My sister shook her
head and frowned.
    “ You
know me. I don’t really buy myself things. Not since…”
    “ Right.
She-who-shall-not-be-named. How were things with Elane? Didn't you
date her for a while?” Elane had been a bad idea by Liz. I
wasn’t emotionally stable, and barely into my twelve step
program. Putting us together had been explosive all around. She had
her own issues.
    “ We
didn’t work out,” I said.
    Liz
looked over and frowned by chewing at her lip. That was the same
habit she had since childhood. Normally the cue meant she was trying
not to say something on the tip of her tongue.
    “ How
about you and Jake? He only rated a fine on the performance meter.”
I turned the conversation away from my woes and back to Liz. She was
wearing a tee shirt and pajama bottoms which meant there would be no
further social interaction with people outside the family.
    “ We
won’t work out.” There was no heartbreak in her tone. I
hadn’t even had a chance to harass the guy with a baseball bat.
    “ Already?”
    “ Mind
your business, little brother,” She said.
    “ Uh
huh.” Turnabout was never fair play, according to the sibling
rule book. As the slightly younger brother, I would never win. Still,
it felt nice to talk to someone outside of work.
    “ You
headed home soon?”
    “ I
should.” I flicked my wrist and looked at the default time
display. We had been logged in for two hours. With the perception
dilation inside Beth had been playing for at least eight. Time enough
for sunset to start outside in the real world.
    “ Come
on then, a coffee before you go. We can chat about our terrible love
lives.” Liz gestured towards the stairs up.
    “ I’m
always up for a good pity party with family.” That was a lie.
My father was made of stone and had little sympathy. Mom was equally
flustered and spouted the same five lines whenever confronted.
    I
switched the headset to my other arm and gestured to the ARC.
    “ Has
she done anything,” word choice was paramount. Harassing my
sister was one thing, broaching family issues was another, “to
worry you, in the game or real life?”
    “ Not
that I’ve seen. Why?” We paused the escape from Beth's
room.
    “ Here.”
I looped back the ARC’s feed and tried not to feel like this
action involved betraying my niece. Then again, we were, in theory,
the adults and she was still growing up, even if she turned