signals on simsense recordings within legal limits. With those circuits pulled, there was nothing to protect the user from the raw power of uninhibited sensory input. Days ago, in his Manhattan apartment, she'd claimed not to know what BTL chips were called, but Cara Villiers apparently knew exactly how to use one.
He sat and watched her for some time, listening to the creaks and groans of the cheap house as the unbearably hot midday became simply a hot afternoon. Chase was afraid to turn the simdeck off or to unplug her, not knowing enough about how BTLs really worked. He'd known other users, and had even tried the legal, signal-dampened simchips commercially available, but he knew nothing of the effects of a true Better Than Life. Instead, he sat and watched her for any signs of physical danger.
Just before her left hand lashed out to yank the cable from the deck, her body stiffened and she began a long, sharp intake of breath. Chase jumped to his feet and was ready to move faster than he had in years to unplug her when she did it herself. Though jacked out, she continued to breathe hard as her body compensated for the loss of whatever flood of artificial sensory signals she'd been experiencing. Her eyes had closed as the plug was yanked, so she hadn't seen him. He carefully returned to the corner where he'd been waiting.
She sat still for a time as her body calmed. Finally, her eyes opened, she licked her lips, and reached for the deck. Her hand stopped just short of it as she caught a glimpse of Chase seated in the corner. Looking at him, the fear in her eyes was almost overwhelming.
"How long?" he asked.
She didn't answer, but instead pulled her hand back slowly from the deck.
His legs were pulled up in front of him, knees spread and his feet touching. His arms, hands clasped, rested gently on his knees. From where Cara sat she could see only his eyes past the hands. "How long?" he asked her again from the shadowy corner.
Cara blinked and looked quickly around the room so as not to look at him. She blinked again and her mouth opened as if to speak, but first she reached up and unplugged the cable from her head. Free, it fell to the ground and coiled up into its natural shape.
"How long what?" she said evenly.
"The chips."
She tilted her head. "What about them?"
"Don't play dumb."
Cara actually met his gaze this time. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her eyes had grown hard.
He shook his head and said nothing.
She reached out to pick up the deck as well as a soft red and gray case Chase hadn't noticed before. Cara slipped the deck into the case and put the gray chip into one of the outer pockets. He caught sight of a number of other chips also in the pocket, but all of those were marked with the bright, cheerful labels of commercial simchips. The cable went into its own pocket on the other side of the case. She pressed the cover down and set the case beside her.
"I'm a little surprised," he said.
"About what?"
" Don't , Cara, I may not exactly have clinical experience, but I know what I'm looking at."
Her eyebrows furrowed and she tilted her head again. "I told you I don't know what you mean."
Chase shifted his position and let his hands unclasp. "All right," he said. "I'll say it. You're using BTL chips."
"What?"
"We've already had this exchange, remember? You know what I'm talking about."
She glanced over at the case holding the deck and then back at him. "You mean that?"
Chase watched her for some sign of the unease she'd displayed a minute ago. Pulled from somewhere, her poise had returned. He thought that was a bad sign. "Yes, the simdeck."
She surprised him and smiled. "Those aren't what you think."
"Oh?"
She shook her head. "No. Straight legal."
"Even the unmarked one that says 'buzz'?"
She blinked and confusion flashed across her face. "Oh! That's a British compilation chip, from the cable show. It slams you through lots of different things in sequence. It's really a
He sat and watched her for some time, listening to the creaks and groans of the cheap house as the unbearably hot midday became simply a hot afternoon. Chase was afraid to turn the simdeck off or to unplug her, not knowing enough about how BTLs really worked. He'd known other users, and had even tried the legal, signal-dampened simchips commercially available, but he knew nothing of the effects of a true Better Than Life. Instead, he sat and watched her for any signs of physical danger.
Just before her left hand lashed out to yank the cable from the deck, her body stiffened and she began a long, sharp intake of breath. Chase jumped to his feet and was ready to move faster than he had in years to unplug her when she did it herself. Though jacked out, she continued to breathe hard as her body compensated for the loss of whatever flood of artificial sensory signals she'd been experiencing. Her eyes had closed as the plug was yanked, so she hadn't seen him. He carefully returned to the corner where he'd been waiting.
She sat still for a time as her body calmed. Finally, her eyes opened, she licked her lips, and reached for the deck. Her hand stopped just short of it as she caught a glimpse of Chase seated in the corner. Looking at him, the fear in her eyes was almost overwhelming.
"How long?" he asked.
She didn't answer, but instead pulled her hand back slowly from the deck.
His legs were pulled up in front of him, knees spread and his feet touching. His arms, hands clasped, rested gently on his knees. From where Cara sat she could see only his eyes past the hands. "How long?" he asked her again from the shadowy corner.
Cara blinked and looked quickly around the room so as not to look at him. She blinked again and her mouth opened as if to speak, but first she reached up and unplugged the cable from her head. Free, it fell to the ground and coiled up into its natural shape.
"How long what?" she said evenly.
"The chips."
She tilted her head. "What about them?"
"Don't play dumb."
Cara actually met his gaze this time. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her eyes had grown hard.
He shook his head and said nothing.
She reached out to pick up the deck as well as a soft red and gray case Chase hadn't noticed before. Cara slipped the deck into the case and put the gray chip into one of the outer pockets. He caught sight of a number of other chips also in the pocket, but all of those were marked with the bright, cheerful labels of commercial simchips. The cable went into its own pocket on the other side of the case. She pressed the cover down and set the case beside her.
"I'm a little surprised," he said.
"About what?"
" Don't , Cara, I may not exactly have clinical experience, but I know what I'm looking at."
Her eyebrows furrowed and she tilted her head again. "I told you I don't know what you mean."
Chase shifted his position and let his hands unclasp. "All right," he said. "I'll say it. You're using BTL chips."
"What?"
"We've already had this exchange, remember? You know what I'm talking about."
She glanced over at the case holding the deck and then back at him. "You mean that?"
Chase watched her for some sign of the unease she'd displayed a minute ago. Pulled from somewhere, her poise had returned. He thought that was a bad sign. "Yes, the simdeck."
She surprised him and smiled. "Those aren't what you think."
"Oh?"
She shook her head. "No. Straight legal."
"Even the unmarked one that says 'buzz'?"
She blinked and confusion flashed across her face. "Oh! That's a British compilation chip, from the cable show. It slams you through lots of different things in sequence. It's really a
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