slumped in a lounge chair aboard his virtual yacht contemplating the battle, it was just a blur of spinning, diving ships. Back when I was a regular pilot I could remember all the details of a fight, now it’s just flashes. Way too much, way too fast. He sighed then brightened. It was nice to see Leena and Jeeter again. Never did find the Major, but Jeeter was sure he saw him drifting out of the fight. That son of a bitch must have a hundred lives. He signaled Maria for a hard link.
^Hi Martin.^ She faded in, but seemed distracted.
^Hi gal, this a bad time?^
^Yeah, some moron just dumped half a cargo hold full of crap when he left a docking bay with an open hatch. I got shit everywhere.^ She didn’t really sound all that upset but was obviously busy.
^Well, I won’t keep you then, just come on by when you get a chance.^
^You bet, oh man get back in here. Hey, I gotta go. I’ll be by.^ She winked and faded out.
Martin smiled, she was a good kid.
The vidphone buzzed.
“Hello, Morgan here.” He responded without thought.
“Martin Morgan?” The unknown man inquired politely.
Martin turned his full attention on the figure. “That’s me, what can I do for you?”
“Sir, I have a delivery from Virtual Companions Limited.”
“I didn’t order anything, are you sure you have the right Martin Morgan?”
“Ah, I think so sir. There is a delivery note, it says; This is a yacht warming gift.” The man looked a little puzzled over that one.
“Oh really, well that sounds right.” Martin smiled at the figure. “Any idea who it’s from?”
“Sorry, no sir. But there is a vid-card attached.” He replied, obviously checking a screen beside him.
“Ok, I’ll accept it, Thank you.”
“Very good Sir, thank you and enjoy your virtual companion.”
The figure disappeared and was replaced by a simple touch screen verifying that he would accept delivery. He poked the yes button, and started laughing. This is too much, using a touch screen system in a virtual reality where nothing actually exists. Who boy, I may be ready for a pillow room before this is over. A virtual pillow room? He laughed at his own paradox. He pressed his palm against the screen as directed for authorization.
The first thing that came up was the vid-card. Maria, the rest of Jester Squadron and Doc in a vid screen, were all waving and wishing him luck. It was just a fifteen second vid-card, he saved it. The next screen asked for a download location and gave him several options; they had his Brayco location listed so he sent it there. The next screen was some technical and warranty information. The only thing that caught his eye was that the companion was a level seven artificial intelligence. The guys paid a few credits for this. And lastly it told him how to establish a name for his new companion. But it never said what the companion was. I’m just glad Doc was involved or they probably would have gotten me a miniature hippopotamus or something equally preposterous. Martin almost jumped out of his virtual shorts when something bumped his calf. He glanced down and sucked in his breath. A gray tiger stripe Manx cat gazed up at him with its huge yellow eyes. Martin started to say something then shut up, as the cat head butted him again. He knelt down and scratched the cats ears, marveling at the realness of the soft warm fur, content purring seemed to fill the control deck. He stopped scratching and studied the virtual cat trying to come up with a name. It wandered off and started prowling around the deck sniffing everything, it looked up and studied the stars outside the port. Martin softly snapped his fingers several times then held out a finger to the cat. It wandered over and sniffed the finger. He gently grabbed its head and looked it in the eyes. “Prowler . . . Prowler . . . Prowler” The third time he said the name the cat blinked and answered with a soft meow. He let the cat go and it resumed its wandering. “Here Prowler, come
^Hi Martin.^ She faded in, but seemed distracted.
^Hi gal, this a bad time?^
^Yeah, some moron just dumped half a cargo hold full of crap when he left a docking bay with an open hatch. I got shit everywhere.^ She didn’t really sound all that upset but was obviously busy.
^Well, I won’t keep you then, just come on by when you get a chance.^
^You bet, oh man get back in here. Hey, I gotta go. I’ll be by.^ She winked and faded out.
Martin smiled, she was a good kid.
The vidphone buzzed.
“Hello, Morgan here.” He responded without thought.
“Martin Morgan?” The unknown man inquired politely.
Martin turned his full attention on the figure. “That’s me, what can I do for you?”
“Sir, I have a delivery from Virtual Companions Limited.”
“I didn’t order anything, are you sure you have the right Martin Morgan?”
“Ah, I think so sir. There is a delivery note, it says; This is a yacht warming gift.” The man looked a little puzzled over that one.
“Oh really, well that sounds right.” Martin smiled at the figure. “Any idea who it’s from?”
“Sorry, no sir. But there is a vid-card attached.” He replied, obviously checking a screen beside him.
“Ok, I’ll accept it, Thank you.”
“Very good Sir, thank you and enjoy your virtual companion.”
The figure disappeared and was replaced by a simple touch screen verifying that he would accept delivery. He poked the yes button, and started laughing. This is too much, using a touch screen system in a virtual reality where nothing actually exists. Who boy, I may be ready for a pillow room before this is over. A virtual pillow room? He laughed at his own paradox. He pressed his palm against the screen as directed for authorization.
The first thing that came up was the vid-card. Maria, the rest of Jester Squadron and Doc in a vid screen, were all waving and wishing him luck. It was just a fifteen second vid-card, he saved it. The next screen asked for a download location and gave him several options; they had his Brayco location listed so he sent it there. The next screen was some technical and warranty information. The only thing that caught his eye was that the companion was a level seven artificial intelligence. The guys paid a few credits for this. And lastly it told him how to establish a name for his new companion. But it never said what the companion was. I’m just glad Doc was involved or they probably would have gotten me a miniature hippopotamus or something equally preposterous. Martin almost jumped out of his virtual shorts when something bumped his calf. He glanced down and sucked in his breath. A gray tiger stripe Manx cat gazed up at him with its huge yellow eyes. Martin started to say something then shut up, as the cat head butted him again. He knelt down and scratched the cats ears, marveling at the realness of the soft warm fur, content purring seemed to fill the control deck. He stopped scratching and studied the virtual cat trying to come up with a name. It wandered off and started prowling around the deck sniffing everything, it looked up and studied the stars outside the port. Martin softly snapped his fingers several times then held out a finger to the cat. It wandered over and sniffed the finger. He gently grabbed its head and looked it in the eyes. “Prowler . . . Prowler . . . Prowler” The third time he said the name the cat blinked and answered with a soft meow. He let the cat go and it resumed its wandering. “Here Prowler, come
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