“A deal with a Cyber has to be kept, a deal with a Demon costs a lot, and a deal with a Blue is pure madness.”

- Index of intelligent species.

***V.C.***

***Lisandra***

“So, where do we go first?” Min rubs her hands together. “I suggest giving them a quick overview of the largest cultures. What do you think, Jill?”

The Blue changes shapes, seemingly to show its indifference. “I can take you anywhere you want, or recreate a perfect mirror image right here in the Buffer Zone. There is no real need to switch servers. We could start off with a few instanced zones for our friends to explore. There will be no risk, as their avatars will only be projected to the locations in question.”

“Then let’s do that!” Min nods. “Jill, do your thing.”

For a moment, nothing happens, then Jill blurs, going through several forms at once. The empty landscape around us changes, forming into eight vastly different scenes. They range from a desolated landscape which is populated by machines, to lush nature and big, populated cities. There is also an underwater city made out of bubbles and corals, floating among gigantic leviathans. It’s like someone dreamed all these places up!

Min hops up and down like a little child, clapping her hands. “Oh, I see! Great choices, Jill. I missed some of these places.” She does a cartwheel, positioning herself in front of us. Gesturing behind her, she seems like a street merchant who is trying to sell her wares. “This is the Plain of Lust! A place of absolute depravity, rated for adults only! Be it games, sex, food or sports, your imagination is the limit!”

Furrowing my forehead, I study the landscape behind her. It’s a city… or maybe it would be more accurate to say that it’s a carnival. People, humans, humanoids of all forms and sizes are dancing in the streets and laughing. Others are performing, showing off all kinds of skills. In the middle of a large plaza is a fountain which utilizes some white liquid instead of water and on a pedestal in the centre is a naked woman, dancing in an erotic manner, bouncing her plentiful assets and swirling them around.

The performance simply has to draw one’s attention, and I feel a pang of envy that I am not that well endowed. Blushing, I avert my traitorous eyes, reminding myself that I have Fiona. I notice Antioch gaping at the same scene, which causes Silith to puff up her cheeks. She reaches up and pulls on his ear, clearly miffed about the blatant manner in which he is ogling the girl.

Minerva continues on to the next scene. “And there is Fantasyworld, a medieval place where heroes still exist and princesses have to be saved. Magic, swords and sorcery are the rule, where the survival of the fittest matters.”

I turn my attention to the next landscape, which shows a small valley. Next to a forest is a little town among generous cornfields. An army of monsters and, strangely enough, demons is trying to conquer the town, while winged humans and other more human-like humanoids are trying to defend it.

“We would fit right in there,” Silith chuckles, seemingly unfazed by the scene of carnage.

A huge catapult launches a large rock and breaches the city’s wall, crushing several defenders in the process. I blanch, wondering who would willingly live in such a world.

“Yup. I actually hope that we will get some assistance from that realm. Most of these guys fought in the war, and they have no issues with dying and being reborn.” Min shrugs and goes on to the next scene.

It’s a futuristic city, looking pretty normal and boring. Skyscrapers are lining the horizon, and a park allows for some greenery among all the steel and concrete. A perfect example of a spacefaring culture.

“This is ‘Normal’. It’s a place for those who want nothing more than to live a normal life, and the origin of the Lifer-faction. It’s a haven of sanity within a world of insanity and impossibilities.”

“What’s that?” Antioch points at a large screen, where some kind of movie is displayed in a very public manner. His eyes narrow, clearly disapproving of what he is seeing. Looking closer, I notice that it’s showing him, running along a corridor, pulling me with him. My eyes widen in horror when I realize that it’s the scene from back then when he saved me.

Stolen novel; please report.

Min clears her throat. “Ahem, yeah. I think that I already mentioned that you guys are famous? D- d- don’t look at me like that! It’s not my fault.”

Oh, but it is. Up until now it didn’t feel real, but seeing it like this… “That’s just sick. We fought for our survival back there, and these people are watching it to entertain themselves because they are bored!?”

Min sighs. “Please don’t judge us before you have spent a few centuries in this place. As you said, it gets boring. Living through people like you and others is the only option to make some of us feel alive again. Unless we want to join the Aquatics, Survivalists, Environmentalists, or the dreaded Cybers, we don’t have a lot of options.”

She touches her chest with both hands. “Isn’t that what all of this is about? If we succeed, most of the people who are following your streams will join us. They will jump at the chance of joining their heroes, the ones who gave them an option in life.”

Silith raises her finger, wagging it threateningly at Minerva, her eyes narrowing. “One moment. I am starting to understand where this is going. You evil little Minx! This isn’t about us getting to know the V.C. This is about the V.C. getting to know us. You are sending us on a tour, showing us off to our fans. You want to campaign for our cause!”

Jill lets out a trilling laughter, as if thousands of people are cackling like old wenches all at once. “I really like this one, Min. She is smart, perceptive, and can make connections where most others do not. I want her to be ‘it’.”

She flickers back to a being of shaped light, clearly a preferred form of hers, and floats over to Antioch and Silith. Her attempt at hugging them with ribbons of light is immediately repelled with waving arms and curses, though Jill doesn’t let that discourage her. Or should I call Jill 'it'? Her name suggests a female origin.

“Don’t be so cold.” Jill huffs, sounding genuinely annoyed. “I just want to bond with you two. It’s important to bond with family.” The aemoba-like being of light reaches out and entangles the two of them in her ribbons of light.

“Let go!” Silith struggles helplessly against the constraints. “Min! What’s wrong with her?”

The little girl runs around them, waving her arms. “It’s okay! No problem. Jill is just having one of her episodes. She won’t hurt you. Jill, let go of them. People don’t bond like that. You got something mixed up in that head of yours.”

“You said that I could choose.” Jill rebuffs Minerva with a flailing ribbon. “The deal was that I get to choose one of the first free places.”

“Yes, yes. But you have to let go of them. You are frightening them.” Minerva catches a ribbon and pulls – to no avail.

Not knowing what’s going on, I step forward and try to help her with untangling my sister. Jill’s ribbons seem like nothing more than floating silk, but they are incredibly strong.

“What is she talking about,” Antioch muffles between gnarled teeth, trying to bite through the ribbon that’s holding him.

“We made a deal with Jill, promising her to take her in and allowing her to choose her parents. In return, she is helping us.”

Suddenly Jill lets go and unfurls like a blooming flower, enclosing me instead. “Then I choose her. Hey, you don’t have any problems with me, right? We can become great pals!”

Gasping, I try to push her away. “I haven’t planned to get children anytime soon!” Besides, that would be quite the feat, considering that I am with Fiora.

“Oh, don’t worry. I know about your preferences. Don’t worry, such things have solutions.”

Can she read my thoughts!? “I don’t like the sound of that! Calm down and let go!”

It takes Min several minutes to get Jill to calm down and let go of me. Though, during the process, it gets quite clear that here within the V.C., Jill is the one who has all the power. In the end, the Blue is floating contently next to Min, having coaxed several strange promises out of her. Like a day of playing with each other. I have my doubts about giving the Blue such promises. Who knows what the Blue’s idea of ‘playing’ is?

Silith’s daughter returns her attention to us. “Sorry, Jill can get quite exited when she has an episode.”

Silith points at the girl. “You promised her that she can become my daughter? Is there something like a list of people who I have to give birth to?”

The corner of Min’s left eye twitches. “No?” she answers with an insecure tone in her voice.

“Lie!” Silith replies immediately, showing off her ability to read the girl perfectly.

“It’s not an official list! But there are people, powerful people, who want to assist us and who don’t want to be born as mere commoners! It was bound to happen. When we made the deal with Jill, you weren’t even born. It has nothing to do with you as a person. Don’t be offended,” Min babbles with Silith looming above her.

“Oh, I can tell that I am about to get whacked.” Then there is a manic light in Min’s eyes as if she just had a brilliant idea. “Actually, I think that Sam might be better at explaining it! I’ll pop out real quick and get him!”

Silith reaches for her daughter, but the girl disappears before her mother gets a hold of her. My sister looks up at the sky, rage gleaming in her eyes. “MINERVA!”

Having lost one of our guides and being faced with my sister’s anger, everyone prefers to stay quiet.

Only Jill has the guts to float closer and poke Silith’s cheek with one of her ribbons. “I could get her back real quick. If you want. It just requires a few promises.”

Silith blinks and turns to face the Blue. “You know what? Let’s make a deal!”

“I like deals!” The blue rubs two ribbons together as if they were hands.

Stepping closer, I tug at Silith’s robe. “Silith, do you really think that’s a good idea? She is nutso! You heard what Sam told us about her kind. Let’s just wait for him before you make a big mistake.”

Antioch nods feverishly and tries to assist me. “Yes, just think of the possible consequences.”

She ignores us, concentrating her complete attention on Jill. “I only know that it’s my body we are talking about. If there are any deals, or a line of succession, or something like that, then I want a say in it. I want to be the one who profits.”