Hunkeryork's citizens had used VR headsets for countless eons, though they were still considered a niche device. Rick's employer had a line of top-end virtual reality headsets, though none were as advanced as the giant prototype that was being prepared under Rick's supervision.

It sat in the center of an expansive room, surrounded on all sides by a web of wires and electronics. It was a gift for Core, and its construction had been underway ever since Rick reported her value as a biological specimen. With it, Core could converse with company representatives face-to-face, a possibility his superiors were eager to bring into reality. They had big plans for Core, profitable plans that were being kept secret, even from Rick himself.

That fact was evidenced by rumors, and the growing number of VIPs which mingled behind walls of glass. Apparently, the construction of the headset necessitated the construction of lavish suites built to please a growing crowd of men and women in well-tailored suits.

Rick's presence there was mostly for show, and he did admit that his sleek form was well-suited for the role. Though the boredom was quite grating at times.

He was used to tedious work, sorting through data and peering at computer screens until his eyes blurred and his mind collapsed into bed, but his mind craved data to ponder and problems to solve. And here there were none. He hadn't even been given a set of blueprints, and had no idea what his men were even saying when they made their reports. He was a specialist in kaiju blood, not understanding the intricacies of niche headsets.

But Rick was a professional, and he knew the importance of faking leadership. So he would continue to play his role.

Rick sighed. It would only be a few days more.

...

Yates had called Core to a meeting, and when she arrived, she saw a convoy of vehicles waiting for her. Yates usually came with a convoy, but there were a lot of vehicles she'd never seen before. It looked like they were hauling some sort of stuff but Core didn't know what it was. There were a lot of small, colorful things wrapped in something clear, and there were a lot of large boxes too.

As Core marveled, she felt overwhelmed, like a dog that was just presented a whole box of new toys. She saw Yates too, down there among all her coworkers; he'd started seeing her in person instead of using the drone, though Core still had no idea what he was thinking most of the time.

She heard a beep through her earbud.

"Hello, Core speaking." she said, answering just like Rick would.

"I suppose you're wondering what all of this is. It's clear on your face." Yates said.

"Are you giving me an early pay day?" Core said.

"Hardly. But I suppose you're not far off. I'm happy to announce that the king has officially recognized you as a foreign nation. Congratulations."

"Does that mean I can come in now?"

"Yes. You have permission to enter Hunkeryork, including staging area 8, where your precious Dr. lives. But I'm sure I don't need to remind you that accommodating you is quite a chore, so please don't show up on a whim. If you want to visit, tell me first."

"Got it."

"These are for you." Yates said. "Gifts from the people of Hunkeryork."

"For me? What are they?"

"Dandies and baubles."

Yates answer didn't clarify anything. Core'd read the words before, but it was a long time since she read the dictionary. The wrapped ones looked like food? Really pretty food. Were they candy?

Core looked over her gifts again, and felt hyped as she wondered what all of them could be. She reached for one of the wrapped gifts, one that looked like a yellow gem. But Yates voice cut her off, and her hand hovered awkwardly, torn between listening and horking down the treat at her fingertips.

"What would you like us to do with them?"

"With them?"

"Would like to take your gifts, or would you like us to store them for you?"

"I'll take them to my camp."

"Are you sure?"

"Why is it a problem?"

"Because this these aren't all of your gifts. I don't think these would even qualify as a sample."

More? How could there be more? There was already a multitude!

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Then, I guess you can store them? I can take these."

"That should work in the short term." Yates said, mostly to himself.

"If we run out of storage space, I'll let you know. As for the third piece of good news-"

"Mmm." The gem tasted like...peaches?!

"...to watch." Yates finished.

Core closed her eyes in contentment at the sweet flavor which filled her mouth, and marveled at the fluffy and chewy texture of the gem as she gently chewed it.

She was caught up in bliss at eating candy again, that she forgot to pay attention to Yates. Thankfully, it didn't look like it mattered. His men were busy setting something up. It looked like a wall, maybe?

Core fiddled with the candy wrapper in her hands. It felt strange; it didn't feel like plastic or paper, and its texture wasn't like other types of plastic she remembered. Core held the wrapper up to her golden eyes. Yes, there was there was some kind of writing on it. The wrapper said it was made of rice paper. And rice was edible, right? That meant...

Core placed the wrapper on her tongue and felt it dissolve with a mild burst of sweetness. Even the wrappers were candy!

Her mom used to make candy. There were giant thorn bushes that grew near their home, and they were full of sweet juice. She used to cook it in a giant pot, but only made a few candies; enough for everyone in her family to have one or two.

She would wrap them in pretty paper, and only made candy for special occasions. Core didn't know what she did to deserve such an extravagant gift.

She would have to ask Rick how to say thank you.

Core felt like eating more candy, but she heard Yates on her earbud again. He sounded...more bored than usual?

"There's one more gift. Does that make four pieces of good news? Look at the screen."

Core did as she was told. What she thought was a wall was actually a screen. A really big screen. It almost came up to her knee when she was sitting down!

As she craned her neck to look at it, a video started playing, and Core could hear some upbeat music coming through her earbud. The video showed images of clothes. Cute girls around Core's age were wearing them, and as they twirled and smiled, Core grew increasingly unimpressed. The clothes were cool, a little cool, but Core really wasn't into clothes. She was more interested in jewelry and cutlery.

Her dad had always called her a tomboy.

But then she squealed. What were those? Those...comfy looking things! She had to know. Why wasn't the video ending? Yates-

The video paused, along with the music.

"See something you like?" Yates said.

"What are those?" Core said pointing at the screen. "I need one!"

"They're called hoodies."

...

Rick finished typing the last data points into the spreadsheet. Helping his team with data entry wasn't necessarily part of his job description, but he enjoyed the work, mostly because it meant that he could collect Core's samples that much sooner.

Now that all the tedious work was finished, they could move on to prepping the testing area. And that included giving Core a run-through of the sample collection process. To that end, Rick tapped his earpiece and heard Core answer immediately.

He'd intended on proceeding with his instructions after a few words of small talk, but Core had a lot to say. He listened patiently as she rambled excitedly, and offered polite interjections when appropriate.

Their one-sided conversation went on for several minutes, until, at last, Core finished breathlessly.

"That was quite an info dump." Rick said "Next time, I would appreciate some warning. Listening to all that took a lot out of me."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Just ask for permission next time. Until we can speak face to face, we'll just have to keep dealing with these handicaps."

"Yeah, there's a lot of me between us." Core said. "You wanted to tell me something, didn't you?"

"We're ready to collect your samples."

"Awesome. I'll tell Yates? But, uh, what should I do?"

"Don't worry, my gregarious specimen, I've created some diagrams."

...

"Whenever you're ready." Rick said.

"Were you waiting?" Core said, her face growing cutely serious. She looked briefly at the wall beneath her, then stepped over it a single, confident step, like an adult stepping over a child's sandcastle.

"I'm heading over to sample site one." Core said.

"Understood." Rick said.

Rick's employer had decided to use a giant projector to help guide Core along her path. But Rick thought those precautions were unnecessary. Even now, Core wasn't looking at the projector at all; she was looking at her destination with a determined expression, completely uninterested in the projection screen which stood like a monument.

As Core came closer, Rick's anxiety grew. It had started when he saw her at the gate; a fight or flight response he felt every time she was close.

But at no time had it felt as severe as it did now. At no time was Core as close as she was now.

Even at their first meeting, when Core was only a voice booming from the dark, Rick was able to feel calm, motivated by an overwhelming desire to ease her worries.

On the other side of a thin wall, Core was waiting.

"I've arrived at the collection site. I'm getting into position."

"Understood." Rick said. "I'll let you know if you need to adjust your descent."

Rick eyes were focused on a new view screen. This one showed a wide-angle view of the sample collection area, allowing him to see the entirety of Core's body as she settled into a sitting position in front of an array of machines.

Her descent was perfect. The only flaw was her expression; a look of seriousness that was intimidating when worn on such a titanic face. Rick felt a spike in his anxiety and suppressed it. The next stage was completely automated; hopefully Core would relax as she made progress.

Yes, hopefully.

"I'm ready. My hair's first, right?" Core said, then swallowed nervously, a gesture that was noticeable on cameras hundreds of feet away.

"It is. I only need a few strands."

"Is a bang okay?"

"That would be plenty." Rick said.

Core pulled out her bone dagger and sliced one of her most prominent bangs and placed it gently into a cylindrical container that was on top of a conveyor belt.

"We're retrieving your hair sample now." Rick said, and activated the conveyor belt which led to a specialized facility built to process Core's samples.

They collected several more samples in the same fashion, and Core was more than cooperative, even though her nervous swallowing became more frequent as time went on. Once her ear wax, fingernails, and other biological tidbits were safely secured, it was time to move on.

"Thank you for cooperating with us. We appreciate your patience."

"No problem." Core said.

"Are you ready to start phase 2?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent." Rick said. "Would you rather take care of it now, or take a break?"

"I can do it now."

"Excellent! Please move to the second testing area. Is it alright if I meet you there? I've decided that I want to oversee it with my own eyes."

"Okay!" Core said, her voice losing most of its nervousness. "Um, I'm heading over there now."

"Please tell me when you've arrived."