Last night, I didn’t sleep well. I still had a lot on my mind, but Kai didn’t call me, and he didn’t ask to come over either. Without Kai to tell me incredibly boring stories, pick my brain or watch bad movies with me, sleep didn’t come easy. He sent a message this morning to Daamin and I stating he was up all night working on modifications and upgrades to the new drone. I suppose that’s important if we’re going to be fighting through AutoSoft security forces.
Absent mindedly, I do what I’ve done a thousand times before. I pull up Kai’s building, a tower of luxury apartments, I give the doorman a nod and enter the lobby, taking the elevator to the 27th floor. I walk to Kai’s apartment, scan my hand and enter. Kai is curled up and sleeping on the end of the couch. I toss a blanket over him and sit on the other end. Kai gave me a key to his place a long time ago, but I’ve never given him a key to mine. I’ve always wondered why he gave me a key but didn’t press me for a key. He probably wanted to show how much better he is at decorating than I am. Color coordinated furniture, strategic placement of wallpaper.
“Wake up,” Daamin shouts through a video message.
“When did you come in,” Kai asks me.
“I don’t know. I saw you were asleep, and I guess I feel asleep,” we ignore Daamin.
“Is Kay with you,” Daamin shouts.
“Why would she be with us,” Kai asks causing me to laugh.
“This is serious, she disappeared last night,” Daamin seems to really be bothered.
“Relax, we’ll meet you at Club Zero and figure it out,” I stretch before Daamin hangs up.
Club Zero, where all of this started. It was the starting point for a lot of our adventures. We picked this place because it’s halfway between my apartment and Kai’s. Daamin has an apartment around here somewhere but he’s usually out in The Badlands or wandering the streets like a vagabond.
“You ever been to Daamin’s place,” I ask Kai.
“He doesn’t have a place in the city. He rents hotels every now and then. He’s a drifter,” Kai takes a drink. “I’d offer you some, but who knows what might happen if we’re both drunk,” Kai winks and lets out a big laugh.
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“Guys I can’t find her,” Daamin rushes in before I get a chance to respond.
“Alright, let’s start with last night. Where did you stay,” I ask.
“Her place, but when I woke up she was gone.”
“She got any other places you know about?”
“None.”
“She didn’t say anything about hidden secrets or quests?”
“Nothing.”
“She’s gone from the party,” Kai interrupts my questioning.
Kai is good with emotions, so I let him calm Daamin while I try to figure out what Kay has done. I don’t trust her to just leave without setting us up for failure. Daamin is heartbroken but I’m not exactly sad to see her go. Luckily it doesn’t take long to figure out what she’s up to as the TV comes to life.
“All right now, for all you boppers out there in Astro City,” Kay appears on the screen dressed in the robe as The Creator again. “All you street people with an ear for action. I’ve been asked to relay a quest from the AutoSoft Corporation. It’s a special request for the disrespectful group calling themselves The Virtual Vagabonds. AutSoft is looking for a real hit, as they’re responsible for trapping us all here. There’s an asshole with a shotgun, a lizard man and a femboy; but be careful, they’re a real live bunch. Some might say they’re warriors. Well, here’s a hit a with them in mind,” a punk rock song starts to play as she vanishes from the screen.
“We have never called ourselves The Virtual Vagabonds,” Kai responds.
“Never ever,” I add.
“I might have called us that a few times when Kay and I were talking,” Daamin looks guilty.
“Hey look over there,” a man points to us as he shouts. “It’s The Virtual Vagabonds, they’ve got a 5 million credit bounty.”
“Oh god,” Kai sighs. “It’s already sticking.”
“We’re going to have a serious talk about this later,” I look at Daamin before tossing a smoke bomb in the bar. “For now, run.”
We make it outside with no issue but none of us can seem to summon a vehicle. Kay set us up, she’s locked our inventories.
“What do we do,” Daamin picks up a trashcan and throws it down.
“First we stop breaking shit and drawing attention,” I punch him in the arm. “Then we run to the subway station and get off at the tower.”
We take off running at top speed trying to avoid anyone getting a good look at us. It doesn’t help that seemingly every billboard and television is displaying our faces and calling us Virtual Vagabonds. Seriously, why would he call us that? Sticking to alleyways takes longer but there’s less people likely to spot us. If we make it to the subway, we should be good.
“Why Virtual Vagabonds,” I ask as we run.
“Because we never stay with one game too long and we only play VR games,” Daamin explains.
“You only play VR games. Me and Dre played lots of games,” Kai argues.
“Well I’m sorry I didn’t get your approval for the merchandise,” Daamin responds sarcastically.