The next morning, Jet noticed April was already geared up and ready to play.
“Hey, weren’t you going to wait for me?” Jet said.
April froze and gave Jet an embarrassed expression.
“That looks funny!” Jet said.
Jet and April shared a laugh.
“Wow, these Dark Denizens are powerful in the game!” April said.
“Yeah, that was a close call. Let’s get geared up for the battle of the Dark Denizens,” Jet said
“Yeah!” April said as she put on her VR gear and jacked into the ’verse.
Jet was about to do the same when she noticed Jeremiah entering the room with Ash.
This can’t be good.
“Josephine!” Jeremiah called. “A word, please.”
“April is already logged into the game. I need to be in there to guide her,” Jet said.
“This won’t take long.”
“We’re concerned at the rate at which Delta is learning. You promised that her progress would increase, but the improvement so far has been marginal,” Ash said.
“When I started working with her, the rate of progress was more than forty-four days away from optimal. I checked this morning, and it is less than twenty,” Jet said.
“That rate of progress is not acceptable. We need to try more advanced methods,” Jeremiah said.
“What does that mean?” Jet said.
“It means that your work is finished here,” Jeremiah said.
“I can go home?” Jet said with some excitement in her voice.
“Not yet. We need to ask just one more favor.”
“What is it?”
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“A subversive group called Black Iris has been attacking us, and we need your help in shutting it down,” Jeremiah said.
“Why should I help you?” Jet said.
“Because they want to hurt April. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to her, would you?”
“No!”
“Then, we need your help.”
Jet gave Jeremiah a sullen nod as she put away her VR gear.
April screamed.
“Jet! Where are you? A Dark Denizen is biting me.”
Jet put on her gear in record time, then jacked into the world of the Colossal Machine. As she entered, she saw several creatures surrounding April. They looked like dogs, but had the heads of other animals. One had the head of a pig, and another had a misshapen parrot head. Jet cast a shield spell on April. The Dark Denizens turned on Jet.
“You . . . awk . . . have no chance of saving . . . awk . . . her,” the parrot-headed thing said.
The pig-headed Dark Denizen leaped into the air, and Jet raised her staff. Lightning shot out and hit the pig-headed creature on the snout, making it squeal in agony. The parrot creature threw a barrage of claws at Jet. She was able to deflect most of them, but one impaled in her side. She lost over half her health.
I cannot take any more hits from these things. I need to cast something quick!
The parrot creature was preparing for another attack.
“Un-Por-Vet-Hem,” Jet said as she cast the “mass hemorrhage” spell.
The creatures started bleeding. The parrot creature tried to say something, but Jet just heard a gurgling sound. The pig-faced creature’s face imploded. April ran to her. Jet noticed that she had several nasty cuts and bites, and she was poisoned and losing health.
Damn, these creatures had leech!
Jet healed April. It was a low-level spell, and it didn’t require mana.
“Are you able to teleport us?” Jet asked.
April opened a portal back to her microcosm.
“We are safe now. We should log out,” Jet said.
“That was quite the battle, little one!” Jeremiah said to April as she took off her VR gear.
“Jet saved me. I don’t know what I was thinking, going in without her. Next time, I will be more prepared,” April said.
“I’m afraid that the next level of training has nothing to do with the Colossal Machine,” Jeremiah said.
“Well, we can play after we complete our work,” April said.
“We’ll see. Jet’s new assignment will keep her busy for a while.”
“But . . . Grandpa!”
April stamped her foot on the ground and threw the VR headset at Jeremiah. Dr. Ash moved in and injected something into the back of her neck. April fell to the ground like a stone. Jet snatched April before she hit the floor.
“Let go!” Dr. Ash said.
Jet held April close. “No, I’m not letting you take her.”
“Now, Jet, I know you don’t want to hurt her. Please let us take her. It’s for her own good,” Jeremiah said.
Jet backed up. April was heavy, but Jet held fast. “I’m not done training her.” Her vision blurred, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I thought we would have more time.”
Dr. Ash put a hand on Jet’s shoulder. “I understand, dear, but April has outgrown these . . . games.”
Jeremiah grabbed April. Jet’s grip was like a vise. “Ash, a little help here, please.”
Dr. Ash grabbed both of Jet’s hands from behind. That was all the leverage Jeremiah needed. He carried April away. Jet turned around and struck Dr. Ash in the jaw.
Dr. Ash grimaced. She looked horrendous with blood dripping from her mouth. “I suppose I deserved that.”
Dr. Ash walked away, leaving Jet to her thoughts.