What had changed between Raccoon and me? He seemed so adamant about helping so I didn't have to learn programming. Perhaps he thought I had abandoned him while I was paralyzed. That or he may have been concerned for me. He did sit at my bedside for a long time.

Either way, I couldn’t chase after him so I stared in the direction he had gone.

“That Zix needs to be connected to the Qweb,” Ellen said.

She had a good point. “How do we do that? We're not technically connected to your servers anymore.”

Raccoon was clearly struggling and I didn't want him to suffer.

“You need a network specialist to enable an open connection for your Zix. I asked Euslin if he made the program so you can access the city's servers but he said Alec took over the project.”

I'd heard Jason mention Alec before but I didn't know his role at the company.

A mass of windows popped in and out of view in front of Ellen. “And his Zix says he's going through the netcode to see if he can see why you had access to the Qweb for an instant,” she said.

I recognized most of what she was talking about. A lot of the terms she mentioned were in the brain implant stuff I'd studied. The word netcode, in particular, stood out.

Raccoon blinked into existence in front of me. “Do you mean that?”

“Mean what?” I asked.

He stood placing his hand-shaped paws on my knees putting enough pressure on them I could feel it. “You really don't want me to suffer?”

“Of course not!” I said and meant it.

His eyes met mine. “It’s hard for me to tell if what you're saying is true or not.”

“What do you mean? You can just read my mind,” I said.

Raccoon shook his head as his breathing increased. “Your emotions are…” His eyes fluttered for a moment. “They are… overwhelming.” He moved away, breaking contact while gasping in relief.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

He shook his head and gazed at his little hands. “I lose myself in them.”

That sounded similar to what my Drain ability did. “Is that why you avoid my touch so much?”

“No, I don't like being touched. I can cut off the emotional effects but so many of your memories are tied to them,” he said.

There was a term that blazed in my mind. It was something from my studies about AI from the other day but I couldn't remember its name. “How do you remember our conversations?”

“Our programming is based on the combination of Neural Nets and Large Language Models. We use LLMs to remember—”

“Don't simplify it,” I said. “I studied this stuff in the—” I glanced at Ellen. The Chronofield the other day.

Raccoon sat down. “We use something called Dilated—”

“Attention!” That was the term. “Try using the same process to mediate the effects of my emotions,” I said.

“That… might work actually,” he said.

A wave of nausea flushed through my system causing me to squeeze my shell. It held up to the pressure but I didn't realize what I had done until the sensation had passed.

He stared at me as I tried to catch my breath.

“Can I see that again?” Raccoon asked.

I extended a shaky hand.

When he took the shell it immediately began to glow. It brightened until I had to look away. Ellen did the same.

The light faded and I turned back to him. He held out the shell which hadn't changed except it had a beautiful silver chain around it. We have programming that allows us to use the Chronofield without damaging us. This will hopefully do the same thing for you.

Hopefully? I asked.

He held it out.

I hesitated and gazed into Raccoon's eyes. He gave me a slight upnod. As I put it around my head I felt different, stronger even, as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Then I noticed something, or rather someone, was missing. I was still getting used to the Zix being sentient. “Where's Ferret?”

“She's in training,” Raccoon said and his little head sunk.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Another flurry of windows popped up and disappeared in front of Ellen. “Your parents will be here soon. Want to go inside?”

“Sure,” I said.

She held her hand out and I took it.

To my surprise, I didn't need her help to stand. What did he do to that shell? The exhaustion and nausea I felt was gone.

“Where's the portal to the game?” I asked.

She pointed toward my sphere. “It was on the other side of the house but your mom had her Zix move it to the closet in your living room while we were out here.”

“In the closet?” I asked. That was weird. I wondered if she turned it into an object or something.

“Yeah, they made a new room in there,” she said.

That closet was way too small for a room. It would have led directly into my bathroom if there was an exit behind it. That left only one incredibly cool option. I grinned. “It's bigger on the inside!”

Ellen squinted her eyes at me and shook her head.

The fourth female Doctor was my favorite. Probably because she was Chinese.

I used the hidden space technique in my builds to hide items or small animals I generated before a showing.

“So how does the portal work?” I asked.

She shrugged. “You walk through and you end up at the log-in area, just like the other Dreamer's portals.”

“That's not what I mean—,” I said then paused. “—Dreamers? What's that?”

Ellen led me to the front door. “People like you, in a coma but also in VR.”

“Ah.” We went inside and I walked over to the couch and took a seat. “I don’t think I need help anymore,” I said.

Raccoon peeked around the corner before leaping onto the seat next to mine.

“I guess—”

Jennifer ran into the living room so fast she practically flew inside. “Oh, you’re in here.”

‘Hi mom,” I said.

She shooed Raccoon out of the way and sat next to me. “I can make it so that you don’t feel bad anymore.”

Raccoon didn’t look too happy about being forced to move.

I tapped my new necklace. “Raccoon, already helped with that.”

Jennifer turned to him. “You can do that?”

“Don’t shove me away like that, I’m not a pet,” he replied.

Both Ellen and Jennifer's mouths dropped.

“S-sorry?” Jennifer said.

Ellen crossed her arms. “That thing really needs training.”

“I’m not a thing!” he yelled then dashed into my room.

We all shared a look.

Goosebumps cascaded down my arms. “I’m going to talk to him.’

When I stood up I stumbled but caught myself.

Mom was up in an instant and placed her hand on my shoulder, steadying me. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Just a little dizzy,” I said. The shell was definitely helping though. I took a few steps toward my room and felt nothing out of the ordinary.

Mom removed her hand. She had a worried look on her face.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. I glanced at the closet and turned to Ellen. “Is all of my loot from the fight with Koffer still in my character’s inventory?”

Ellen and my mom gazed at each other. Ellen then dragged her eyes from her to me. “It should be.”

“Cool, free teleport!” I said.

As I walked to my door Mom said, “Autumn doesn’t want—”

“I’m not going to sit on this server and do nothing all day!” I yelled.

I certainly wasn’t going to get any of my classwork done with Raccoon. At least till he could read my thoughts without my emotions interfering.

She didn’t say anything else as I left the room.

Raccoon was on my bed in the same position he had been when I wasn’t able to move.

“Hey,” I said.

He didn’t react.

I took a seat on the floor. My head was right next to him.

His back was to me and his face was hidden.

We sat there for a while. It was very quiet.

I saw my mom through my door on the couch crying.

They think you're going to die, Raccoon said.

“W-what?” I said.

I overheard your parents talking to your doctor, he said.

“What?” I said again.

Does that mean I'm going to die too? he asked as he faced me. Tears welled in his eyes. They eventually fell leaving wet trails down his hairy face.

I shook my head. “Not gonna happen. I can't die, you're going to keep me alive.”

He swallowed hard. I can't access your—

“No excuses, find a way,” I said.

That feeling of dread I'd experienced in the Chronofield crept back into my bones. I couldn't die, I wasn't even seventeen yet. I stood, slower this time, waited a moment, and then walked into the living room.

Mom looked at me tears still fresh on her cheeks. “Why is he acting like he’s sentient?”

“I’m not going to die,” I said clenching my hands into fists.

Ellen’s eyes widened. “I’ll be back later.” She passed me and dashed outside closing the door behind her.

Jennifer stared at me.

“Say something!” I demanded.

Raccoon padded into the room his eyes on me.

She reached toward me. “We were going to tell you.”

A seething pit of rage built up in my stomach.

Careful, Azerail, Raccoon cautioned.

I glanced at the closet door only a few meters away.

“You’re not going to find answers in there, honey,” she said lowering her arm.

Raccoon pulled on my pants. Don’t leave me alone in here.

I picked Raccoon up and walked to the closet door.

This probably won’t work, he said.

Mom and I made eye contact for a second. My heart beat a few times before I opened the door and walked into the new room pulling the door closed behind me.

It was empty in there except for a swirling blue vortex.

Raccoon dove into my chest and my hands were suddenly free.

We won’t die, Raccoon. I promise, were the last words I thought before running through the portal.

***