Something had gone disastrously wrong on her end. Lying on the floor, he tried to rip him and Vee out of the game entirely, but nothing worked. His body struggled to cope with the sudden change. Gritting his teeth, he realized he wasn’t even human anymore—but bear.
While he crawled his way out of the darkness and heated miasma, Vee’s cries for him abruptly stopped. His claws tore the ground, and the pain keeping him immobilized faded.
“Vee,” he muttered, but the words never sounded.
Forcing his eyes open, he found her standing next to the alien commander overlooking the planet Laprencia.
Hatred erupted.
All the aggression built up inside him surged to the surface to lash out and murder the Trentian, but his body remained paralyzed. The smell of Vee’s fear replaced all other scents in his nose.
Get to her.
Get to her before he touches her.
If she touches a Knight of Xanteaus, she’s bonded to him forever.
Even in a simulation, Cypher couldn’t let that happen. The thought alone drove his systems wild with pain.
Lotrin’s hands twitched at his sides.
Vee, move away, he urged.
“I’m as real as the game is, Vee Miles,” the Trentian said. “Part of Terraform Zero’s updated AI when edition 19 comes out. Does that settle your question?”
Vee’s voice wavered. “I don’t like this. I don’t like what you’re doing. Is every team going through the same scenario?”
“It’s against the rules to ask about the other teams. You may see their data afterward.”
“But you and I are talking about something that shouldn’t even be made aware of by you, as a simulated being. You shouldn’t even know about what’s happening, only reacting to my choices. That’s the point of the whole thing. And Cypher…” Vee turned back to look at him.
Cypher tried to speak, but she didn’t react.Does she see that I’m here? I’M HERE!He wanted to shout.
“If you killed him, he should’ve reloaded.” Her voice was filled with pain.
“He was never killed,” Lotrin said.
“Let us go then. I’m done. We’re done. It’s obvious that Cypher and I are being used for ratings or for something else, I don’t know. But doing this to us is wrong, and not what I signed up for. I’ve been used a lot since this all started, and I’m so freaking sick of it.”
“So be it,” Commander Lotrin said. “But not a few minutes ago, you said you’d do anything for the wretched malformation behind us.”
“I meant it,” Vee snapped. “Now end this!Please.”
“All you have to do is take my hand.”
Cypher’s eyes widened.
“Why? That’s not how this works?”
He heard the slide of leather and armor being removed. Cypher groaned.Don’t.The words wouldn’t come.Don’t touch him.
So far in the distance that it almost seemed like a dream, the crowds in the stadium roared.
“Consider it a new addition to the game, like the simulation you’re experiencing now,” the Trentian said. “Unless you’d like to join me on Laprencia and help me colonize a world both our species could benefit from? The choice is still there.”
Vee shook her head, staring at the commander’s outstretched hand.
The commander continued, “You pressed your hand to my chest. You did it without fear of what that could do to you.”
