You would think I would grow numb to how fucked up corporations are and not react every time I learn some new way they screw with the normal folk. But then they do something new and even more fucked up, and I just see red.

  Well, i see red daily, but that red is normally fluffy.

  -Vanguard Laser Lasso on Red Menace's stream, keeping chat entertained while Red Menace is away.

  The night was uneventful. Baba Yaga and Buddy pilfered so much food. After their first trip to the new building to drop them off, Morrigan upgraded our old van with the expanded rear in order to save time. Rogal, Leman, and Outsider were still doing something outside the city, and I still hadn't bought a range extender to talk with them. I asked Synaptic to remind me once I had the points to unlock the Class II Swarm Utilities and a range pylon to prevent this from happening in the future.

  Roger started to tease me, but Jill shut that down hard. Plus, Synaptic actually had deleted the videos and memes, defanging him pretty hard.

  And so, before going to bed but after my shower, I was sitting on the edge of the bed trying to write a message.

  “Ugh. How is this so difficult!” I shouted while rubbing my head with both hands.

  I could write it for you. I could even do it as you very convincingly.

  I shook my head, “No. I have to do it. Otherwise next we meet, she will know you wrote it, or someone else did it. I have to be the one to break this off.”

  Wow, look at you. Breaking up with a girl over text. How heartless.

  “Bite me, Synaptic,” I snapped. Then released a deep breath. “I just know if I call her at this time, she would make it a video call, and I would see something far more than I could handle right now and that would defeat the purpose of this whole exercise."

  I refocus on the message, which only had ‘Ms.Doma’ written on it. “Fuck it, stream of consciousness it is.”

  Ms.Doma

  Good evening. I know we only saw each other a few hours ago, and it was a very productive meeting, but I have a complaint about your conduct between the official business. While I understand I have “interesting” reactions, I am not a toy. I have just recently escaped what was basically slavery not four days ago and am only now exploring who I am.

  While I am flattered by your attention, I know that your attentions are similar to how a child plays with a doll. So, going forward, please refrain from acting that way again. I would like to keep our relations friendly as we will be working together for a long time, but if you decide to ignore this request, I will have no choice but to only interact with you through proxies and other mediums.

  Thank you for your understanding.

  War Games.

  I didn't look over it after I wrote it and just hit send. I knew that if I didn't, it would never go out. I collapse onto the bed, feeling my heart thump in my ears.

  Well done. You did a very good job doing something very difficult.

  I felt my clothes compress slightly in a pattern reminiscent of a hug. I chuckle. “Should I make you an avatar so you can interact with the world in a more physical manner?”

  I wouldn't object, but you do not need to make it a requirement.

  As I lay there watching the rain fall on the screens above, I received a new message. It was from Doma. I felt my anxiety spike as I grew hot, feeling that heat rise from my chest to my head. I opened the message.

  War Games

  Good evening. I was pleasantly surprised when I received a message from you at this time of day, yet, once I read it, my surprise grew to respect.

  You are right, of course, in the root of my attentions. It is a habit of mine I have long since stopped trying to change. That said, I have failed to take your recent situation into account. I was taking advantage of a child who just found freedom, and that realization leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I would ask for your forgiveness in this matter, and I assure you that I will refrain from looking at you like “a child plays with a doll” again.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  In the matter of my respect, I recognize that this message must have been extremely difficult for you to have written, and I am very proud of you for setting strict boundaries. I look forward to a long and healthy relationship going forward.

  Doma

  My heart rate slowly died down over the course of the next few minutes, but the heat hadn't gone away just yet. Adrenaline was a hell of a drug, and I was growing to hate it.

  “Is there a hormone controlling aug or something? Something I could use to control my own adrenaline production?"

  There are numerous Bionic, genetic, and cybernetic options available, however I would caution their purchase and use.

  “Yeah, yeah, you're probably right…. Can I get something to just let me go to sleep now? Instead of having to wait for the adrenaline to wash out of my system.”

  While I could, you do have the ability to do that yourself. Your mind is a Class II muscle with numerous Class II cybernetics. So long as you focus your mind on the concept of sleep, you will naturally fall asleep. You can also set the time you wish to awaken using your augs. You did something similar when you disassociated earlier today.

  “Oh. Neat.” So I did just that, thinking of falling asleep and waking up at seven am. Instantly, I felt a wave of sleepy wash over me, and in seconds I was out.

  *********************************

  I regained awareness above an ocean of green once more, but this time, I could feel others here. Five points of light, spread out in the distance. One very close, siting atop the green ocean with me. One a bit further, siting on its own green ocean. Two more were grouped together on another, and one more was moving rapidly further away, but on their own green ocean.

  I focused on the closest light, and I saw it shift into a pile of things. Coins, boxes, bottles, sticks, and various other random items. The pile was on alert, but not because of me. It was focused on the cluster further away.

  So, I looked that way, but I was unable to get closer, unable to leave the green ocean I was on to move to the others.

  I grew annoyed, but quickly calmed down. Nothing to be done. So, I looked down into the ocean. It wasn't churning this time, nothing below was being destroyed, but the depths were still there, the darkness below holding something. I remember last time I tried to dive fully into the ocean, what was below stopped me. So this time, I only tried to dip a part of me into it.

  It felt cool and comforting. A wave of satisfied caution washed over me, and an eye opened below. It smiled at me.

  Good. Small exposure. Not quite ready yet.

  A tendril of force pushed against me. Softly, cautiously, as if afraid I would shatter. I might, for all I knew. So, I let it push me back.

  ******************************

  My eyes opened with a snap. I felt refreshed once more as I rose from the bed. The room was now showing the desert at dawn instead of rain.

  I walked out to the kitchen, seeing everybody else shuffle out of their rooms.

  “Morning, guys. Ready to move to our new home?” I ask.

  Roger looked excited, “Of course! That's the whole reason we stayed up late last night stealing food from this place. Come on, last breakfast in this hotel, then a whole new home.”

  Gathering around the island, Baba Yaga had already fixed us up a very hearty breakfast. Dozens of eggs, thick slabs of bacon, toasted banana bread, various waffles and pancakes with various Berries either cooked into them or on the side, French toast, sausages, ham slices, and various juices of different fruits.

  As we dove into the feast, Cody asked an interesting question.

  “So, if you are fucking over Bestlé in a week, what's going to happen to this place? Like, fuck Bestlé, but this place has tons of normal people working here. What happens to them?”

  We all paused. Well, all but Jill. “Do you want to buy this place? Or just steal it from them and continue to run it?” She said between bites of sausage, looking at Cody.

  “Well, I mean, we could, right? We have Hydroponics better than what this place has, so we could easily upgrade this place a bit. Keep it high class, maybe upgrade the defences a bit, but lower the price a bit since we don't have shareholders we are beholden to.”

  Roger raised an eyebrow at Cody, swallowing an egg. “You've put some thought into this, haven't you?”

  Cody shrugged, biting into a waffle. “I mean-” Baba Yaga slaps him with a wooden spoon. “Chew, swallow. Then talk. You are not cute like cow.”

  Jill snorts while Buddy tries to stifle a laugh. Cosy swallows, glaring at Jill, “Yeah, I have. I asked Babushka to help me dig into the systems here and figure out what happens once Bestlé fucks off, and it's not good for them. No severance, no letters of recommendation, no offers to transfer. Just an email saying you're fired. It's fucked.”

  “And you want to run the place in their stead?” Roger asked.

  “Not quite run it. Just back it, bankroll it you know. We have so much money, we could afford to help these people keep their jobs. It wouldn't even take much effort to take this place. Change the account payroll takes from, block that email, and make a small announcement once Bestlé gets fucked. ‘Don't worry, you're under new management. There will be some slight procedural changes, a pay bump, and the name of the hotel will change, but you still have a job.’ You know, something like that.”

  Roger just grew a big smile, then looked at me, “You good with Cody here snatching this hotel as we leave? It's going to be backed by your name, after all.”

  I just nodded, “Sure, go ahead. I'm going to own a PMC eventually, what's a luxury hotel. If you want to utilize Morrigan to overhaul the place, you will need to work out a deal with her, however. Other than my name, I have no intention to interfere with your good deed, Cody.” I say, then take a bite of pancake.

  Cody smiles, nodding his head.

  We finish breakfast and head down to the lobby. As we walk out of the elevator, we take in the lobby one last time. The stars of the galaxy twinkle and turn, the nebula lights up the lobby, the people move to and fro.

  Entering the van, we set our destination to our new home.