“They escaped! I can’t believe that we made such a grave mistake! And it’s just a question of time until others may learn of our project. There is just one chance to save my reputation...”

- Research Diary of Ouluk Kelemdar

***V.C.***

***Silith***

The logging-in message gradually fades away and is replaced with a familiar scenery, the Buffer Zone which serves as Antioch's temporary residence. Looking around, I try to adjust myself to the new location, wondering if I'll ever get used to the feeling of displacement when I enter the V.R.

My eyes tell me that I am somewhere else, yet I intellectually know that I am lying inside a V.R. capsule.

The area is neat and tidy, giving me the feeling of a large, endless living space. Antioch has everything he needs to entertain himself, though I truly wouldn't want to switch places with him. I don't trust this world.

Noting the nice furniture, I turn, surveying the area. Jill did a great job in providing a comfortable bed, a pool, some games, and other essentials. She even conjured up a large table, laden with any food Antioch might ask for. The food doesn't spoil and re-spawns at regular intervals. Should he feel the urge, he could eat all day long.

I find it strange that the human mind seems to require certain stimuli, even though there is no actual body which requires nourishment. Smiling, I eye the empty plate which held a large chocolate cake. It seems like he found something that fits his taste.

Wincing, I look up. My problem is the open sky.

All my life I lived in the enclosed space of a space station. Afterwards, I switched to Haven's rooms and corridors. Admittedly, my biodome project requires a large amount of space. The huge halls with my plants helped in preparing me for this situation. Though, I think that I will never get accustomed to the clear, blue sky and a horizon without walls, even knowing that it's just virtual.

Antioch is dealing with the situation completely differently. He even refused to live in a house when Jill offered to generate one. In his mind, having this new experience is fun. Living in the open, I would never see it as fun. I would always miss the protective cover of walls and a ceiling.

Surveying the area, I notice that some things have changed. Instead of an endless plain of cobblestones, there is a shore with white sand to my left, granting me a marvellous view of an endless sea.

My mate is standing there, swinging a metal rod. His muscles flex and a little and a white ball streaks away, propelled by the rod. He laughs and points after it. “What do you think? That was a good one, right?”

Jill, this time an amorphous figure made out of white sand, shrugs. “You have improved a lot, but there are people who are better at this game. Don't forget that you will have to hit a small hole later on.”

“I just started. And wasn't it you who recommended this training as preparation for the real deal?”

“What are you two doing?” I ask, feeling a pang of jealousy welling up inside me. Intellectually, I know that Jill poses no threat in taking Antioch away from me. Maybe it's the fact that she gets to spend time with him while I have to log out to sleep and eat?

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Sam and Min really have to hurry and build a few more refined VR-capsules. Ones in which I can spend a few days without being forced to log out.

On the other hand, being alone on the ship gives me a lot of time to spent with my sister and Fiona. After getting to know the strange woman, I realized why my sister likes her. She is a nice person and intelligent, looks brilliant and her character seems to be okay. She is a calculating one, but I like that. I wouldn’t want my sister to be with a complete airhead. Lisandra needs someone strong at her side.

Antioch turns around, smiling upon hearing my voice. “Hey, Love! Jill introduced me to golf. And it turned out, it's quite relaxing if someone simply wants to waste a little time. It gets boring in here. I really hope that my real body will be ready soon.”

“It shouldn't take much longer,” I assure him. “We threw it into a nutrient tank, and it started growing rapidly. Sam is of the opinion that you could wake up any day now.” Then I realized that he gave me a nickname. A very daring one. “And who told you to call me that?” I feel myself blushing. It’s a first for him to admit our relationship so openly in front of a stranger.

My eyes wander to the Blue. She counts as a stranger. Right? Don’t tell me that the two of them...

“Jill suggested it, since we are an item.” He sighs. “Ah, that's good. About the body, I mean. As nice as I have it here, I can't get over the thought that it's just an illusion.” Then a stupid grin appears on his face. “Though, I really would like to visit the Plain of Lust for a few more pointers. They were really creative there… and the pictures on the walls of that mansion...”

I press my lips together, remembering the quartet of butlers who followed me everywhere. They were pushy and didn't take 'No' for an answer, even trying to crowd me. The worst of all, when I taught them the errors of their ways, they behaved like they were liking the pain. It was the creepiest place I've ever visited. “Better not. The people there had a few too many chairs impact their heads. I don't want you to develop a similar behaviour. One of them drooled when I beat him up with the furniture.”

“They were NPCs, Silith. It’s like beating up furniture with furniture.”

“I know that! But they felt so real.”

“But I need at least the chocolate cake. There must be some way to get it out of this damned dreamworld and back to reality,” he mumbles.

Jill raises a pointy finger. With her appearance not quite human, she seems to be a little lazy when it comes to modeling her body. “It should be possible to use nanotech to print anything from the V.R. at a molecular level. This world was originally created to be a perfect simulation. With all the limits off, every atom is rendered accordingly. Though, I would create an interdimensional gateway if I really wanted to get anything out of here to the real world. It's much quicker.”

Feeling my eyebrows rise to my hairline, I look at Jill. Either, she just said what I think she said, or I misunderstood her. “You can transfer stuff... from here... directly to the real world?”

Jill tilts her head as if she is thinking about the issue. “Yes? Didn't I just say that? This is, in simple terms, a different dimension, hidden in a subatomic fold of the quantum layer. Of course you can transfer stuff back and forth. Though minds like yours are probably incapable of grasping the physics behind it. Am I glitching again?”

Antioch narrows his eyes and studies the Blue. “You could just leave this place whenever you want, probably take over the entire galaxy! Why are you making deals with the lifers? Here, you can just wish for a battleship, then you transfer it to the real world.”

Jill looks at us as if it's something she never considered doing. Her face is without features, but her body language is enough to convey emotions. For a moment, she seems indecisive, then she gives her answer, bringing it down on us like a final judgement. “That would be against the rules.”

“What rules!?” I squeak. She just told us that she could fuck up the stupid G.S.! Why isn’t she doing it?

“My rules. G.O.D.'s rules. The system's rules.” She shrugs. “Every action has an equivalent reaction. That's the case for every reality, for without, there would be no existence. Going down that path won't solve our problems.”

It would! “It would!”

Jill doesn't falter. “It would be boring to end it that way.” Then she wriggles strangely. “There is yet so much to experience. So much to do and to learn. Deals to be made. What can you offer me for destroying the G.S.? If you pay the appropriate price, I might consider it.”

Antioch looks at me, lost. “What’s worth the destruction of our opposition?”

I want to protest, but Jill reaches out, taking Antioch and me by one hand, like a mother would do to two mulish children. “The others are logging in, so I'll take us directly to our appointment.”

The world twists around us, being replaced with a large, generous office. Instead of Sam or Min, I find that Fiona followed my advice and took their place. Together with Lisandra, Antioch, and me, the four of us will be future leaders of the demon race. That’s why it struck me as prudent to show up in force for this negotiation. It means that none of my children are present for this event, but they seem to be the allies of our mysterious benefactor.

It’s not that I distrust them. They proved that they don’t want our demise, but they clearly have their own agenda.