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Isavet has been allowed visitors, but she hasn’t allowed anyone in.
She said what she wanted to say to her family, and heard what she wanted to
hear from them. She may see them again one day, but she might not. Until
then, she wants to be alone. That is evidently not an option this time. The
so-called owner of the entire planet is here. He wants to speak with her
personally, which sounds incredibly ridiculous to her. She has to remember,
though, that genuine murder is all but impossible these days, out here in
the real world. The fact that she attempted it probably shook everyone to
their core, so it makes some sense that he would want to meet the killer.
“May I sit?” a man named Hrockas Steward asks. He’s flanked by his personal
bodyguard, Azad Petit, who is the one who warned the family about Talus’
indiscretions.
“It’s all yours, sir,” Isavet replies. The way she sees it, the sentence has
been handed down. She’s going to the same place where her brother is. She
doesn’t have to pretend to be unhinged anymore. She can be polite and
cordial.
While Azad remains a statue next to him, Hrockas sits and adjusts his
outfit. “Has anyone ever explained to you where you’re going in terms that
you understand?”
“A friend of mine told me about Varkas Reflex,” Isavet begins, referring to
Caleb. “It’s not like a regular prison. For most people, only their minds
are there. They convert your thoughts and memories into tiny flashes of
light, and throw your body away.”
Hrockas smiles, and doesn’t quite chuckle, but he clearly wants to. “That’s
one way to put it. If you choose the right simulations, you will one day
understand it even better. And I do hope you do that. I know that Danmörk
speaks to you, but there is so much more out there, and you can have it all
without moving a centimeter. Miss Truett, you’re special. That body you’re
in right now is the only one you have ever had. It is for that reason that
it is illegal for anyone to destroy it. Even if your mind is safely uploaded
to a server, it just can’t be done. So where you’re going, you get to keep
it.”
“Yes, my friend told me about that too, before the lawspeaker explained.”
Hrockas nods and leans forward. “On the planet in question, there are very
few people in quarantine. It’s just not something that needs to be done. The
majority of the population are there for recreation. It’s not unlike
Castlebourne, except you the world can be anything you want, even if it
would break the laws of physics. Honestly, it’s technically better than what
we have. One day, my planet will be shut down. It’s cool, doing all these
things in base reality, but it’s not gonna last forever. In millions of
years, the idea of having a physical body at all will probably seem quaint.
Until then, if you want your pick of VR, you go to Varkas Reflex. The
initials are a very lucky coincidence.
“Anyway, the quarantine zone, as you might imagine, is far separated from
everyone else, and it’s quite small. They anticipated a few guests such as
yourself and your brother, but not many. My primary adjudicator has a
particular affinity for it. There actually are still physical penal
colonies for those who have also not been digitized. She almost sent you to
one of those. I’m glad she chose otherwise.”
“Sir?” Isavet asks. Why would he care where she goes?
Hrockas leans forward even more. “I know what your plan is.”
“Sir?” she repeats.
“You are not as opaque as you believe. Don’t worry,” Hrockas assures her, “I
don’t think your family sees it. They’re young. They don’t know what life
was like when we had scarcity. They tend to see the best in people. I’ve
seen the darkness. I see it in you. And you’re smarter than they give you
credit for. I know you knew what would happen when you killed that couple. I
know you wanted to get sent to Varkas Reflex, and I know why.”
“I just want to pay for my transgressions,” Isavet lies.
He doesn’t hold back a laugh this time. “The Viking boy must have told you a
lot about virtual quarantine. When you go there, you will not be in the same
room as the younger Talus. You will not see him unless I let you.
I’ve made quite a name for myself in this galaxy, so I have friends. I can
give you what you need to do what you are hoping to do, but in exchange, I’m
going to need something from you.”
Oh, there it is. “And what’s that?” Isavet asks.
Hrockas turns his head towards his bodyguard, but doesn’t actually look up
at him. “Plausible deniability.”
“Sir,” Azad protests.
“I’m backed up. Go,” Hrockas insists.
Azad clears his throat, and looks at Isavet. “I have a license to kill. I’ll
need it to fight in the war that’s coming, but I’ll use it now if you give
me a reason, even if he survives anyway. So think about that before you do
something stupid.” He disappears.
Isavet is so shocked. Are they already in the mind prison, or is there more
going on with this world than she understands?
Hrockas turns back at her. “You and Talus Junior are not the only people in
quarantine. Most of the people, I don’t care about, but there is one which
threatens every living being in the universe. She’s smart. She was
born in a virtual world, and she is incredibly patient. She will find
a way to break out one day. What I need you to do is break out first. You
can kill your brother, but I need you to kill this other entity as well. It
won’t be easy, but I can give you the tools. Are you up for it?”
“This feels like a trick; like you’re waiting for me to confess to my
intentions so you have a reason to imprison me somewhere else,” Isavet
worries.
“I own the planet. If I want something to happen, it does. I don’t need a
reason. This is real. You don’t have to admit to anything. Just submit to a
simple procedure.”
“What kind of procedure would this be?”
“An undetectable implant in your brain,” he answers. “When you’re digitized,
you become code, and killing code isn’t easy, but it is possible.
With a zero blade.”
Isavet leans back and eyes this strange little man. She has met many strong
and powerful men in her day, but none who owns a planet. Everyone she has
talked to about him says he does. That obviously doesn’t mean he can be
trusted, but he should definitely be respected. Even if there is only a
remote chance that he’s being truthful, she has to say yes. She always knew
that she might need help. Caleb acknowledged only knowing so much about the
prison. “Okay. Show me.”
Hrockas snaps his fingers, and they’re suddenly in a different room. A
doctor there named Telman explains the procedure. He can cut into her brain,
insert a hidden, dormant little bead, then seal it back up like magic. It
sounds crazy, but necessary, and Hrockas says it will help her with Talus
too. As long as it gets her what she needs too, she’ll do anything he wants,
or anyone else for that matter. So she lies back in the chair, and accepts
whatever weird thing they’re going to put in her head. She’s not scared. She
and pain go way back. After she’s settled, she breathes deeply. “Do it.”
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