Consoulia Chronicles: Booting Up [~ read description]

Chapter 4: Exposed

"So," questioned a low, menacing voice, which could send just about anybody into a fit of shivering. "You lost her?" The bass in his voice reverberated all over the massive room even at a low volume, like a sort of tranquil anger was being all but held back. "I'm supposed to have some of the best scientists and security in the facility  How could you have let them be sucked into space?"

A scientist spoke up. "We didn't lose everything. We know where she went to. Our sensors have detected multiple instances of internet connections originating from a single point on a planet of humans."

"Sir!" There was a second scientist who came running into the room, nearly stumbling as she approached the CEO. 

 "What now? Can't you see we're in the middle of a serious discussion?"

"What we're going through is also serious," she pushed her glasses up. "Iris also took Agent Dolphin with her." She saw her superior form a scowl, and fumbled to pick up where she left off. "She is also on the planet of humans, and it's not far from here. With the right recon, we'll have them right in front of you by the end of the week." 

 "Apparently our project found a place to hide, and among humans, no less." A mischievous grin stretched ear to ear. "I'm honestly impressed that they got somewhere like that as fast as she did. This place is full of wormholes, after all." The CEO looked down upon the trio of scientists. "You three will be in charge of looking for them and bringing them back at any cost. Failure  to do so will be met with swift punishment. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir!" The women's assertive response was followed by walking briskly out of the room through an open door that let in light from the corridor, providing the only source of light up until one of the scientists closed the double-doors behind her. 

She's got another thing coming for thinking she can escape me and take our lead scientist. Humored by his thought, he chuckled as he gazed at the vast expanse of space through the massive office windows. 

*    *     *     *     *

"Just how can graphics get any more real than this?" Iris questioned as she sat upon the leather couch with Clover, her eyes glowing blue and green. For the nineteen-nineties, it truly was a realistic driving simulator. 

"Forget the real graphics, how are you running an emulator of an old console on modern hardware?" Zander questioned, "don't get me wrong but wouldn't a choker not  have its own software?" 

"Um, well, I- wait, how did you..?" 

"Oh, your door was open last night and I saw some colorful lighting in there. I didn't see that my console was in use, so I have to assume it's that cool choker of yours. Where's it from?" Zander's eyes lit up in curiosity. 

"Emulation must be popular among her circle of friends," Clover excused. She didn't hear Iris breathe a sigh of relief, though. "I do it all the time since Zander and I can't exactly buy a new modern console on a whim." Clover looked over Iris; she seemed so focus on the television screen. 

"Y-yeah! Emulation, yeah, it's a thing my choker can do. It's called the Choker Console and, uh, my grandmother came up with it? She couldn't get it off the ground so me and some friends have them." Iris had no idea what emulation was, but anything to get the siblings off of her back. She kicked herself mentally for not being sneakier about her abilities around Clover and Zander, but at least he didn't see too much. 

Clover, overcome with curiosity, moved towards the choker. Maybe she could try to remove it to get the weight off of her shoulders. She grasped it and found that there was just the slightest bit of wiggle room that she could see into, to find that the very choker itself had its wires embedded in her neck. Not only that, but wherever they connected into her neck, there was metal plating as if her skin had been replaced in those areas. "Did it hurt when they put it on?"

"Oh, totally, lots of pain. I was like 'no granny don't do it' and she was all 'oh, but Iris, you'd be perfect for testing it' and there was some crying and fear, but it doesn't get in the way and it's fun to use. It requires the human's brain in order to run and it's almost impossible to remove without risking brain damage."