Page 52 of Light Leech

“I’m merging over, Pet.

A new message appeared.

User Ralia Esparai is requesting link access. Accept or Decline?

I selected accept.

“Oh, Pet, the urge to wander around your neurospace is almost too hard to resist.”

Boyband scoffed. “All you’ll find his storages full of are fixes and anything and everything to do with the Neon Idol.”

I was glad to be in my neurospace where I didn’t have to face Naoma after that comment. Everyone, including me and her, knew there was something between us, but that something was yet to be defined. Our instalove had evolved into something more patient. I wanted to be with her. I thought she wanted to be with me, but she needed time. My only worry was that my time alive would end before she was ready.

Ready for what?

I decided to flip Boyband off, hoping my hand pointed towards his voice. I got that he jabbed me with comments about fixes to keep me off of them, but it didn’t help constantly bringing it up to the group. Perhaps it did, to keep me in check, but I still wondered if they saw me as something lesser. I hadn’t used as many socitabs this week as the weeks before, but the desire to satiate my vain need for affirmation was ever present. Still, it wasn’t as loud as the growing anxiety that called to worrytabs, regardless of their withdrawals.

“Ease off, BB.” She continued to speak over his attempt to defend himself. “Merging for entry. Pulling you into the neurocore right… now.”

I felt myself disconnect from reality, while still recognizing that I had left a part of myself there. I stood with a violet outline, though the form didn’t match my own.

Ralia. We moved in sync down a wide corridor with dark, pixelated walls. They matched the pattern above and below us with red light lines along the corners of the walls, floors, and ceiling. Each step pulsed with subtle light.

“Welcome to the neurocore, Pet.”

Chapter nine

Mecha-beef

My vision returned as I looked around the room. Everyone was waiting for a response.

Ralia disconnected me from the neuroset.

“It didn’t work?” I asked.

She disconnected her own. “Oh, it worked. We’re in. Check your interface.”

I did as she replied and saw a small outline of myself in the bottom right corner.

Accessing core. It read, pulsing with a faint blue light.

“See it?” she asked.

I nodded and exited the neurospace.

“As long as that is blue, you’re good.”

“And if it’s not?”

“If there is nothing, you’ve merged your minds back together. If it’s freaking out like some kind of a glitch, one of us has zegged up.”

“So don’t do that,” Boyband said.

I glared at him. “Like you have any say in it?”

Footsteps entered the monastery.

“Do you want to share with more people than us?” Ralia asked.