Page 80 of Dark Destiny: A New Thread in the Tapestry

Fenella leaned away and cast Mattie an appraising look. "There are opportunities in the village you might not be aware of. Have you heard of Perfect Match?"

Mattie shook her head. "What is that?"

"Virtual fantasy you can actually live in for a few hours. The company has studios in most major cities now, and it's owned by people living in the clan. You go in, lie down on something that looks like a fancy dentist's chair from space, and for a few hours, you live inside a story of your choosing that feels more real than real life. While you're inside, you don't remember who you were before entering the virtual adventure. You are whoever you choose to be. When you wake up, you remember everything." She braced a hip against the table. "We have two machines right here in the village for residents, and there are dozens of adventures you can enjoy, but there is a long waiting list, so if you want to try it, I suggest putting your names down as soon as you can."

"What kind of adventures?" Anita asked.

"There are solo adventures, like skydiving, deep-sea diving, race car driving, escaping from a Russian prison in Siberia, and expeditions into the past or future, among others. There are also couples' adventures, which you can do with your romantic partner or a friend, depending on the type of activity you are after. In the outside world, it's mainly about hooking up with your perfect counterpart. That's why it's called Perfect Match."

Petrov's mind went into overdrive. "How does that work?"

"Artificial intelligence on steroids," Din said. "And the surprising part is that the tech was invented by humans. The immortals helped, but the original idea was conceived by two human engineers. Before you go in, you have to fill out a massive questionnaire, and that alone is an education. Then your answers are fed to the computer, and it builds a perfect adventure made to order based on your specifications. If you do it to find your perfect match, it sifts through the large database of other applicants and finds you the most suitable play buddy."

"Who watches the bodies while the minds are busy adventuring?" Petrov asked.

"A medical tech monitors each participant throughout the session," Fenella said. "Nobody goes in without one." She turned to Mattie. "Someone has to build those dream scenarios. The worlds, the story, the way it all unfolds so it feels organic. What is a scenario if not a film for an audience that lives inside it? You wouldn't be directing one camera. You'd be directing all of them, plus the weather, the planets' orbits, and everything else. The company moved one of its development departments to the village, and I know two lovely ladies on the team, Margo and Frankie. You can get in touch with them to see if they have openings."

Mattie's eyes were shining with excitement. "Where do I find them?"

"They're on the village contact list, like everyone else."

Mattie's face fell. "They'd want experience, and I don't have any."

"According to them, they didn't have experience before joining the team either. I think they're more on the user interface side than the creative, but I'm sure they know who to refer you to."

Mattie pulled out her phone and started scrolling. "Found Frankie." She kept going. "And Margo." She stared at the screen. "What do I even write?"

"Dear Margo or dear Frankie," Anita dictated. "I am a filmmaker who just moved to the village and have many exciting ideas for Perfect Match adventures. Can we meet to talk about them?"

"I can't write that. I'm not a filmmaker."

"You are a filmmaker in the making," Anita said. "Write it."

"Not now." Mattie chickened out and slipped the phone back into her pocket. "I need to figure out exactly what I want to say to them and how."

"As you wish." Anita turned to Fenella. "I would love to invite you and Din to dinner at our house this Saturday. Are you free?"

Fenella scrunched her nose. "My shift starts at six p.m., so it will have to be an early dinner or lunch."

"Lunch it is, then."

"Bring vodka," Petrov murmured.

Fenella laughed. "I will."

31

LOSHAM

The dining table Losham had been using as his desk was finally serving its intended purpose.

The stacks of files and construction blueprints had been cleared, a white cloth had been spread over the wood, and three place settings had been laid with proper silver and fine china. The hotel kitchen had prepared roasted chicken, a rack of lamb, spicy rice, grilled vegetables, and sliced fruit for dessert.

Rami had brought a bottle of Bordeaux from Losham's private wine collection.

It was meant to look like Losham was hosting a dear friend, and that was the point. Bertram would be lulled into a false sense of security and suspect nothing.

The general had arrived at the hotel about an hour earlier and had been escorted to his room to shower and change into a clean uniform before dinner.