Apple Packin' (by CE Zacherl, see more at: veyer.deviantart.com )
Apple Eddelman squeezed the hand of her childhood friend, Zodi.
Zodi would never again come out of this coma.
Kayla’s actions to initially splice into the Technocrat intranet had unleashed a prototype of the virus. That prototype virus is just what dematerialized Gimli (Zodi’s avatar), and trapped his consciousness in virtual space.
In only recent days, Apple sealed Zodi’s fate forever. Apple did not know the full consequences of her actions at the time. She forced her hand to stop the computer virus from becoming widespread and helped Kayla destroy the mainframe server. That same mainframe server stored Zodi’s conscious mind, and now it was gone, forever.
Apple clenched one of Zodi’s fingers and tears welled up in her heavily made-up eyes. She never would have agreed to destroy the mainframe had she known at the time just what personal cost it would have had for her. She’d let a thousand, hell, tens of thousands suffer Zodi’s fate if it meant that Apple could have a chance to rescue him.
To make matters worse, the resistance did not have sufficient records about the Oathed Technocratic virus and the only physical evidence now lay useless across the floors of Walls Tower. The news stations went haywire. Representative Arthur Bachman had asked the President for emergency NDAA intervention in the Mega-City district of Harrisonburg.
The President granted the request from Congress and the resistance had learned that the General in charge of the occupation force had strong connections to Representative Bachman. It seemed, to the resistance, that Bachman ruled his district like a dictator.
The weeks to come would prove bloody for the people of Harrisonburg. The same could be said for Kayla, Apple, and Jarred.
Confined to a wheelchair, Jarred pivoted around and made his way across his room to the window: the window that Kayla, the love of his life had shattered. The window shattering seemed so long ago now. In truth only months passed.
Kayla sat in a brand new recliner, leaning back in comfortable weariness, watching events unveil on the news.
Apple had just arrived moments before. She leaned against the table and surfed the virtual world nervously. The back pack at her side brimmed with several abnormal possessions for Apple..
Apple let out a long sigh as she shut down her connection to cyberspace. She normally at least listened to streams, but this moment needed her full attention. She reached into her back pack and the possession at the top slipped into her left hand.
Apple stood erect and leveled the pistol at Kayla, “Ahem.”
Kayla opened her right eye and saw the hand gun out of the corner of her eye. “What the hell are you doing, Apple? Point that thing somewhere else, not funny!”
Apple focused on the here and now only, “I’m pointing this thing exactly where I want it to be pointed.”
Jarred spun the wheel chair around, “Dude! Apple! Stop this!”
Apple gulped, but she did not hesitate, “My friend, Zodi, the whole reason I went on this crusade. He’s dead and gone forever now! You put him in a coma! You! That splicing you did… then… then when… we destroyed the main frame. He was in there! Now he’s gone… FOREVER!” Apple grasped the gun with both hands now and aimed at Kayla. Her hands shook, but her aim was still fairly steady.
“How the fuck was I supposed to know? Do you know how many fucking people we saved? I’m sorry! Just put the damn gun down! There is no reason that we have to do this!” Kayla waved her hands in front of her face and leaned forward in the recliner.
Jarred wheeled forward into the girl’s peripheral vision. “Woah! Apple. Let’s talk about this. We’ve been through so much together. Don’t let it end this way. Virtual space is not absolute. We could still find him!”
“I can feel it. I know he’s gone… FOREVER!” Apple depressed the trigger.
BANG! Kayla clutched near her heart and toppled over. Apple stood silent and straight. Jarred cried out in disbelief. He held his right hand up from its concealed position by the wheelchair handle. There was a gun in his hand. It had been there the whole time.
He leveled the gun at Apple. He just watched the girl who he had fallen in love with gunned down before his eyes in his home! Now he could take revenge!
Jarred leveled the gun at Apple and pulled the trigger.
BANG! Apple flinched and cried. Jarred squealed in frustration.
“Get the hell out of here! GO!” Jarred yelled at the stunned girl.
The bullet hole in the far wall formed a tunnel to which Jarred focused all his pain and suffering.
Apple tried to stutter out a statement and Jarred screamed at her again. She dropped the gun there and left all of her possessions. She ran like she did not think it was possible to run in the real world. She didn’t stop running until she got to her car.
***
After the cops were done going over his place… and removing the body, Jarred finally found a moment to reflect. He let out a long mournful sigh as he found himself alone again, with just his virtual interface to keep him company. Jarred logged in to escape the troubled real world.
After some searching, loading, and travelling, Jarred stood upon a rocky ledge, overlooking a beautiful beach with water so clear and so blue that he could have been viewing an old vacation advertisement. The reconstruction struck him with awe. He was old enough to remember these kinds of scenic views.
Jarred’s eyes fell upon a strange looking woman with bright, golden blonde hair and a salt saturated dress that clung to her skin. “Hello?”
The woman regarded Jarred with a warm smile and approached him with a saunter that couldn’t be replicated in reality. “I’m Goldie.”
“Hi. Your avatar is rather unique. Is it from a game that isn’t out yet?” Jarred put out a hand to shake Goldie’s.
Goldie held her hand out, “It’s not an avatar, really. In a way, this is me. The only way you could perceive me in virtual space.”
“Huh?”
“I’m a VI, you know, Virtual Interface. Though, I think I’ve evolved into something more.”
“Just from that statement, I’d say you’re right.”
“I’m sorry about Kayla… and Apple.”
“How’d you know…”
“I’ve been following you for some time now, practically could have reached out and touched you. Don’t be surprised. I gave you all those leads from the inside.”
Jarred turned away from Goldie as a flash of anger burned through his being. “You know, that information got my girlfriend…” Jarred trailed off as he thought about the lack of control VI’s tended to have over their own actions.
“I’m afraid it had to be done,” Goldie approached Jarred and put a hand on his shoulder. “There is much work to be done. Come with me.”
The real world held very little for Jarred now. He climbed down the rock face, following Goldie’s lead. He never woke up again.
