Page 53 of Tapeworld Induction

“Hi, friend.” Isaak put special emphasis on the word, with a grin. He looked particularly good in here, under the array of multicoloured studio lights. She bit her lip and then stopped immediately, trying hard not to give away how attracted to him she was becoming.

In the end, she didn’t even get a chance to answer Isaak’s taunt, as Sacha walked back into the room.

“Okay then,” he said. “Let’s get you on the couches.”

19

Further Pain

Isaak

He hadn’t been at Sacha’s since they’d fallen out, each promising not go back to that other world. It was a stone’s throw from Shoreditch, where Elodie lived and did business. But the memories of his friend, what they went through, the days gone by without sunlight other than the light of the Tapeworld, had all kept him from making the short walk to Sacha’s place for the last six months. It hurt him now, to be there with him, thinking about the lost time, and all their fights leading up to it.

Sacha led them to the same room where they’d taped in back then. Two couches and a chair, all in white faux-leather. No cables in sight.

“You guys set yourselves up. I’ve got a feed up there.” He pointed at cameras on the ceiling. “I’ll keep an eye on what your bodies get up to IRL.”

He left them to it. Shortly after he disappeared, the clanging of metal resumed from the room next door.

“He really hates your guts, eh?” Dylan said quietly. “But he seems like a good guy. What really happened between you?”

She sat on the couch beside him. Her blue-on-blonde dyed hair shone under the room’s bright lights. She took off her deep-green imitation wool maxicoat, revealing the white minidress underneath. Gorgeous. But her being here, getting ready to stride tape with him… He couldn’t deny it left him uneasy.

Lost in his thoughts, both admiring and anxious, he suddenly noticed that she was waiting for an answer from him. She frowned and nodded at him, prompting a reply.

“Uh, sorry, got distracted.” He smiled apologetically, and she looked amused but nonplussed. “When I was fired, Sacha stopped playing for the team as well. I never really understood why. He told me he felt it was just his time to stop. We were damn good together. Getting him up to speed, training him for five years. Don’t get me wrong, the whole team was fantastic, but seeing Sacha grow in leaps and bounds…” It was on the verge of making him emotional, thinking about how he’d thrown their relationship away. And for what? Spending more time in the Tapeworld, working for that bloody woman, getting paid peanuts. The rush of taping in had never faded away, but was it worth it, if it meant losing a friend?

Dylan nodded sympathetically. “It sounds like he was so used to training with you, he couldn’t imagine himself playing with another captain.”

She was most likely right. Goddess, it twists my gut. His knee injury meant that Sacha stopped believing in the sport and got embroiled into the Tapeworld with him. I couldn’t stop running in that game. I ran until my body gave up. He couldn’t change the past, but he could try to fix his and Sacha’s futures. He stared at the floor, not sure how to say any of that.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up.” Dylan put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not your fault.”

“How do you know?” He raised his voice. “I played that game the best I could and it still wasn’t good enough.” He slid his shoulder out from beneath her hand.

She stared at him, eyes wide.

“And then when Astrid got me into the Tapeworld, after a few strides, she asked if I knew anyone else.” He hunched his shoulders and sat with his hands on his knees. “It is my fault. He would have returned to ReSports if I didn’t bring him in.”

Dylan moved to force him to look into her eyes. “Isaak, he’s a grown man. It was his choice! Just like it’s my choice to be here with you now. Let me help you.”

Her voice softened his insides. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get angry.”

“It’s okay.” Dylan grinned. “I’m used to much worse at my job.”

He smiled. He appreciated the reassurance she gave him. “You’d think I was the most popular on the team because of my skill, but half of it was Sacha’s work. It was the social media team, with their vlogcasts, the posts done during matches to make it look like I was somehow commenting during battles, when in reality I was busy shooting down sweaty teams, completely encased in that white plastic VR gear… All done to increase my ranking. Sacha was essential, but only the people paying attention realised it.”

“Oh, so you were actually shit then?” Dylan grinned again.

“Hey!” He laughed. “I’d say I was the shit.” His chest stiffened with pride and embarrassment at their playfulness.

She crossed her arms. “Okay, Mr The Shit.”

They both laughed now. It was great, feeling at ease with her. He didn’t know why she was so adamant about helping him and lifting his mood, but he appreciated it. He longed to be with her, as more than friends, but that was the word she’d used to describe their… relationship… to Sacha. Footsteps came from the corridor. Sacha’s tool jacket was now further stained with more black spots, oil of some sort.

Isaak rubbed his knee, as if in anticipation of further pain, but knowing full well he wouldn’t feel any pain in the Tapeworld. It was the instinct that came from feeling a twinge every time he simply got up.

“You guys set up good?”