The Holographic Trickster

Chapter 3 - Apex

I can feel the sun shine brightly on my closed eyes. I open them slowly to meet the sharp light from a window beside me. I realize that I am lying in a bed, but not my own. I don't even have a bed at my workshop, I sleep on a mattress on the floor.

Still laying in bed, I gaze around. There is something that looks like a opening in the middle of the room, and it's big enough to let a human through. Further in the room I spot a dark red sofa in the corner. Beside it, a table with different types of tools like a hammer, screwdriver and a wrench. Various blueprints are covering the walls. This is looking like more than a bedroom, maybe a hobby room or a working place? With relief I see him, sitting on a chair beside the window.

"Have you just been sitting there and watching me sleep?"

Elliott's facial expression is relaxed.

"You taking me for a creep?" He chuckles.

I place my hand on my forehead, a little grunt escapes my mouth. My head hurts.

"What happened last night?" I ask with a hoarse voice.

"Well, you passed out after some drinks," he smiles.

It looks like he is having a good time sitting on his chair, watching me as I feel embarrassed over myself.

"Did I do something, or say something inappropriate?"

"You mean, after you got drunk?" It's back again, that grin of his.

My face turns red out of embarrassment, with a hint of anger.

"Well, you said some things," he says, with a flirting tone.

Elliott looks away from me and over to the sofa. I follow his gaze with mine, and then I turn my look back at him.

"Like what?" For a second I think, do I even want to know?

"Nothing that didn't please me."

I look down at the duvet cover. I feel for no eye contact, not right now. This is too much. I don't even remember anything, except that I had fun at the bar. We were dancing! Yes, I remember that.

"You hungry?" He asks. I make myself look at him. The sun light makes his dark brown hair shine beautifully. I get distracted for a moment and forget to answer him.

"I am making scrambled eggs and toasted bread."

I snap out of it. Feeling like I've been gone for a while, I respond.

"Y-yes, sounds good."

"Great, It'll be done in two minutes."

"Done?" I ask confused.

"Yes, I am making it right now," he smiles.

"But, how? You are here, sitting on that chair," I am pointing at him.

He closes his eyes for a second and opens them. He stands up from the wooden chair. In the same moment I hear somebody. It's coming from underneath the room. A silhouette apperces from the opening in the floor.

"You got bamboozled!"

I recognize that smug face, but at the same time I don't even believe my own eyes.

"What? Uhm, am I still drunk? Because I can see two of you right now."

I hear on of the Elliotts chuckling in the background while I rub my face with my hands, trying to wake up from something that feels like a dream.

"You will be fine, after you've tasted my awesome cooking!"

Both Elliotts lifts their arms and pound their fists together. The one who sat on the chair disappears. He crumbles into pixels, just like that other one at the bar last night.

"Comeon."

Elliott climbs down the ladder he came up with.

"Breakfast is ready!" He shouts from the lower floor.

Making duplicates of himself, how does he do that? I don't understand, but something I have noticed, is that he is still wearing the same black vest and those discs on his arms. That must be the source. Elliott had the same stuff on, when he did that trick on me back at the bar. I have never seen such technology before, but I have an idea of what it might be.

I prepare myself for leaving my comfy position. One foot after the other, I leave the warm bed. Elliott is waiting for me. I climb down the ladder and find him sitting by a round, small table.

"Oh sorry, did I confuse you?"

"You never know when to quit, do you?" I say, while I stretch my arms up in the air.

"Well, I have my moments," he says, satisfied.

"Yeah yeah, where are we anyway?"

"At my place."

"Is your bar far away from here?"

"Not really."

I sit down by the table. He gives me a cup of coffee.

"Here, just for waking up a little bit more."

"Thanks," I say with a soft tone.

This is nice, I like it. Been a while since I've been eating breakfast with someone. I usually eat most of my meals by myself. While we're eating, I remember why I am here in the first place.

"So. Why the discs?" I ask

"I think you already know," he answers.

"I kinda do."

"It is called Holo-Pilot technology", Elliott pushes his meal away and continues, "Devices made by this type of technology lets you deploy holograms, as in my case, holograms of myself. All items I am carrying will be copied as well, with the hologram I deploy".

"Ok, I think I understand. So none of the holograms can pick up anything, or at all, touch items without going through or disappear?"

"Funny, right?" He smiles.

I feel so overwhelmed. This type of technology, I've heard about it before but never experienced it, since recently.

"It's amazing!" I say excited.

"You might say so. My mother and I developed holo devices together. She is an engineer."

"Really? Where is she now?"

"She traveled, told me that she needed some time for herself. My three older brothers went missing during The Frontier War."

"Oh, I'm sorry." My excitement disappears.

"Don't be," he says, "I am gonna make my mom proud one day, I will win the next Apex Games!"

"Wait," I say, finishing my coffee, "What's Apex?"