07 - Inside Matrix

Dante's bomb shelter looked this way:

From the entrance door at ground level, there was a flight of metal stairs leading three levels down. The main door to his secret lair led directly in front of the stairs, but a smaller door was visible on the left side of the short hallway. It was probably a utility room of some sort.

Once you entered through the main door, the rectangular space was occupied by the living room. There was an L-shaped sofa without armrests. Beside it was a mini side table with geeky decor. A rectangular coffee table sat in front of the sofa.

On the right wing, which the sofa faced away from, there were two large rooms. The rightmost side was the master room, and the other was Dante's recreation room. Dante's master bedroom had a bathroom complete with a shower and tub.

On the right side of the sofa, straight ahead from the main door, there was a small dining area, and beyond it, the kitchen. The kitchen had its own toilet–probably for guests.

It was smaller than a typical bungalow but larger than a cabin in the woods. The place was neat and polished, with white-painted walls and neutral-colored decor.

---

Buzz!

Someone was at the main door–it was probably Mische. No one else could pass through the ground-level entrance without approved access.

Since I knew how to open the door with Ottera AI's help, I took the honor of unlocking it. I pulled a lever and swung the metal plank in.

"Hello, Mi–!" I was flabbergasted–it wasn’t Mische! It was a man!

I heard Dante's footsteps from behind me, getting louder and louder. He reached my position and stood beside me at the front of the door.

"Why are you here?" Dante sounded irritated; it was also obvious in his expression.

"I brought what she told me to give to–uhm, what’s that name again–Lia?" He looked doubtful when he mentioned my name.

I looked at Dante. "Dante, what’s going on? Who is he?"

Dante didn’t respond. Instead, he grabbed the guy’s collar with his fist. The man wore a dark brown shirt.

"Did anyone spot you?"

"No–no! Chill, bro. I did exactly as Mische told me."

"Oh, Mische..." Dante massaged his glabella with his eyes closed.

"She told you I was coming. She screenshotted your convo and sent it to me."

Dante was busy checking the security cameras, scanning within a one-kilometer radius. He sighed in relief when everything was clear, without any trace of spies.

Dante regained his composure and said to the guy, "Since you're here, Jared, might as well give me a hand."

Jared looked relieved that Dante’s anger had tapered down. He nodded. "Yeah, sure. My pleasure. What do you need me to do?"

"Hey, you were saying earlier? Something for me from Mische?" I butted into their conversation, and Dante squinted his eyes, glaring at me slightly.

"Oh, right. Your clothes and, uhm–other stuff." He pointed behind him. "There. That’s why I tagged along with my wife. She can’t carry everything here."

"Mische is here?" Dante asked.

Mische appeared from behind Jared. "Hey, guys." She was smiling the whole time. We hugged each other.

Jared followed up on Dante’s request. "So, what were you saying, Dante?"

"Let’s go inside the room. Man the control center."

Jared’s eyes lit up. "Aight, cool!"

"Am I invited? What room?" I was curious, smiling slightly.

Dante nodded toward the door beside his bedroom. "That room. Inside the Matrix."

***

Dante opened the Matrix door and gestured for me to go in. As I stepped inside, I couldn't keep my eyes from widening and my mouth from gaping open.

In the middle of the floor was a padded area, with a few wires and straps dangling at the center.

Electrically wired devices rested on a black table beside the padded floor. There were VR headsets, but they looked discreet and lightweight, almost like goggles.

"Woah, is this some kind of gaming room or something?" I glanced at Dante, who stood behind me.

There was an obvious smirk on his lips. "Kinda." Then he walked to one corner where another black table sat.

In the right corner, a high mezzanine area–almost like a loft–was built on a metal frame foundation. It housed the control room. Jared went up a few steps and sat in one of the chairs at the control center.

The room was dim, but a combination of blue, purple, and white neon lights illuminated the space.

I furrowed my brows. "What exactly do you play in here?"

"I made this as my personal grind zone in case the world blows itself up," he explained while setting up the VR headset. Dante slightly jerked his head, signaling for me to stand beside him.

The VR goggles lit up, and he tried to put them on me. I flinched slightly.

"You scared?" He reassured me, "You'll get eye strain and feel dizzy, but you'll be fine."

He tried again, and this time, I was ready.

I was amazed, stretching out my hand to feel the virtual sakura petals falling on me. "Wow, and it's wireless. Wonder how it works down here."

"It has its own intranet."

Dante turned to Jared. "Jared, the Kannes Tower."

"Got it," Jared replied.

A few minutes passed, and Dante and I were ready to enter the simulation zone. We both had our own harnesses on.

Jared shouted from the control room, "You guys ready?"

I could see Dante facing me inside the simulated world. He wore a headgear that resembled a sleek motorcycle helmet.

We were standing on the ledge of a rooftop.

"What's this for, anyway?" I asked.

"To practice your reflexes. Squirm your way out in the crowd. And for your escape. Like a true-blue assassin would."

I shook my head. "Crazy–how it sounds."

"Too many eyes inside the building. Not much outside the walls." Then Dante mumbled, fast but dryly, "well, you're my sexy murder weapon."

"What?"

Then he jumped off the ledge.

I looked down and stretched out my hand for him. "Dante!"

I saw him squatting on a window-cleaning platform. I let out a relieved breath.

Dante looked at me. "Let's go down. Follow me."

I carefully followed him, taking my time to ensure my foot landed on solid mounts.

Dante was annoyed. "Lia, what are you doing?"

"I've never done this before!" I had to shout. Even the sound and wind were simulated too well.

He looked up at me. "You said you did!"

"I said I know how to kick ass, not climb up and down a damn skyscraper!"

Dante touched his right ear. "Jared, abort the mission. Override the operation."

Jared's voice crackled. "Roger, dude."

My view went black. I struggled to take off my headset. The first real-world object I saw was Dante’s face–up close. I cheeks flustered.

"I need to teach you the basics." Then Dante knelt down and adjusted my harness, securing the latches around my hips.

In my periphery, I saw Jared’s reflection on the glass panel. He was fumbling with a small handheld console, but then he stopped and stared at the monitor.

Jared didn’t glance at us; he was busy juggling his attention between the vitals monitor and his retro game.

"Uh, Dante, I think something's not right with her."

Dante didn’t look at Jared, still focused on my harness. "What?"

"You guys okay in there?"

Dante was utterly puzzled. "Yeah, totally. Why?"

"Strange. She's stationary, but her vitals are spiking. It's erratic."

"Like?”

Jared shot the details at Dante. "Heart rate, temp, breathing. Is she exhausted already?"

Dante frowned. "I don’t think so. We just started."

"Ah, her skin temp is also high. She's getting hot. Must be your cooling system. Should I cool down the room?"

Dante looked up at me, his brows furrowed. His head was level with my groin. I looked away, unable to meet his gaze.

Jared, now more concerned, walked down from the control room to check on us.

He had an aha moment when he saw us. "Oh, haha! Sorry, hope I’m not interrupting anything." Then he quickly went back to the control hub.

Dante stood up and asked me, "Lia, is there something wrong with you? Are you sick or something?"

Dante was clueless. I didn’t know he could be this dense sometimes. It was a good thing for me. His denseness saved me from huge embarrassment.

I shook my head. "Uhm, no, none that I know of."

"Mische is a doctor. I'll let her check you up. Let’s stop training for a while." Dante’s voice was serious, monotonous.

We exited the Matrix, and Mische welcomed us.

"So, how was your little fun? Lunch is ready, by the way."

Dante replied, "Mische, I think something's wrong with her. Jared monitored her vitals." Then he walked to the kitchen to drink water, leaving Jared to explain.

Mische turned to her husband, surprised. "And?"

Jared grinned. "Yeah, I did. And I think she’s normal. That’s just a reaction."

Mische squinted her eyes. "From? What exactly happened back there?"

Jared gave Mische a knowing look. "You're right, Mische. I saw it with my own eyes."

Mische giggled. "Told ya."

I knew what they were talking about. I just facepalmed my way out of embarrassment.