Valens was walking quickly. He'd parked his car outside Erin's place, and walked inside. He met a tan man with a suit at the door, who held it and said, "After you."

He thanked the man, and went to the elevator. He held out his arm for the man to keep the door open.

"Seven, please. Oh, I see that's where you're going already."

They rode quietly up the elevator. Once again, the man gestured for Valens to go first. Feeling his neck hairs prickle a bit, he went ahead of the man.

"You aren't going to 712, are you?" The man asked.

"I am," said Valens, feeling nervous. Erin's last message had just told him to show up. That's when his phone went off with Erin's text alert. Confused, he checked it. It was a video file. What the hell? He knocked on the door.

"Erin? What's going on?" No response. He opened the video, feeling his hair stand on end as he recognized the location. "Erin, this isn't funny, what is this?"

"I'd say probably cause for entry," the man said, apparently looking over his shoulder. He looked about ready to kick in the door.

"Wait, I have a key," Valens said.

The officer cocked an eyebrow, "And what is your relation to Miss Elendir?"

"We used to date. We parted on good terms, and sometimes I water her plants when she's out," Valens replied.

They opened the door. All was as it had appeared in the video, no sign of struggle. A baggie in the bathroom. And, gutwrenchingly, a body on the bed.

Ginson quickly went up to take vitals while Valens stood stock still in shock.

The detective began to perform CPR, carefully removing Erin's headset with a handkerchief. After a time he shook his head.

Valens could feel tears leaking out of his eyes but he still couldn't move.

"I've gotta call this in, and they're probably gonna take the case away from me. Is there anything outside that video that you can tell me?"

Valens swallowed. "Last time I saw her, she had this crazy story..." He trailed off.

"I've about the man stuck in the computer," the detective prompted. "Is that what she told you?"

"Yeah... but I think he *was* the computer. They turned him into a platform for their game."

That's when Valens got another text notification. It was Erin.

It's a lot to take in, I know. But I'm kinda still here, with Jonah.

Who is this? Valens texted back furiously. Erin's phone chimed from the side table.

It's me. We went to high school together. I wrote all your essays for 12th grade History.

The detective was back at Valens' side. Completely unabashed at his own eavesdropping, he asked, "Does anyone else know that fact?"

"I never told a soul. I need more proof."

When was our first kiss?

January 3rd, 2029, in the library. I lured you under the mistletoe under false pretenses, saying I couldn't reach a book on the top shelf.

Valens wasn't sure what to think.

"Is it possible? The whole story?" asked the other man.

"Maybe... I work in a life extension company that puts people in stasis. They're still alive, but they live out their lives virtually. Ive never heard of someone being persisted after death though."

It's really me, Valens. Come to the coordinates 05000, 0, 26000 in the game Suboceanus. I know you've got the hardware. And bring that detective guy with you.

Startled, Valens asked, How did you know about him?

Doorbell camera. I'm dead not blind.

Valens went to relay this to the detective, but he was already at his shoulder.

"I've gotta call this in. Can you send me that video? I'm Ron Ginson, here's my phone number," he said pulling it up on his phone.

"Sure." Valens did. Then something weird happened. The moment the upload finished, there was an error.

"I didn't get it," Ginson said, frowning.

Valens went back to re-upload it. It was gone. A trickle of cold sweat went down his back.

"Shit. They put malware in the video. It probably logged who we are as well as deleting itself."

"Why didn't it do that when she sent it?"

"Must recognize the company server IP, she sent it from there."

"Fuck. My colleges are gonna come in here and eat the story right up. Lonely girl with money for drugs, overdose. It'll be rapped up in an afternoon."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I still gotta call it in. You're a witness, so they'll need your statement. Maybe don't bring up any sci-fi stories. The last thing we need is for you to become a suspect."

"Are you still going to help me?" Valens asked.

The other man nodded. "I've got some leave that they've been telling me to take. Didn't have much reason to, till now. You realize I'll just be investigating this as a civilian, right?"

Valens shrugged helplessly, "At this point, I'll take all the help I can get. At least you can tell me if I'm going crazy."

Ginson called dispatch. The two went outside the apartment. They waited wordlessly as the police arrived, then the detectives. They were questioned summarily, and dismissed.

Valens wasn't sure what to think. His friend's murder was being glossed over like it was nothing. But he could tell nothing he said would be listened to.