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Blood

"Morning beautiful . How's life?"

Renan smiled slightly as she felt the familiar tones of Harry's voice. His carefully modulated tone pleasantly vibrating through the interface.

"Oh, you know, the usual same'o. Anything I should know before you log off?"

She projected her reply into the vast emptiness that seemed to surround her while she finished logging into the system. The interface had already melded into back of her neck, her body totally motionless in the reclining control chair. For a moment, she felt a slight discomfort, and then her awareness of the outside world receded, as the system took control.

As she began to acclimatize Renan brought up the stats and began to check who was on-line. Each procedure was second nature, so she was able to gain control of the system while waiting for Harry's reply. She had worked as a controller for almost fifteen years, carefully monitoring users of the virtual universe that made up the system. However, in recent months Renan had begun to feel uncomfortable with corporate policy. The job was changing but Renan was not sure she could make the transition with it.

Harry's relaxed voice broke into her thoughts.

"Nothing much to report, it's been pretty quiet so far. A few kids almost totalled themselves by trying to jack out of the system without using the proper exits. One of them's been sent to emergency to check for brain damage. But hey, didn't damage the system, so everything's pretty much running to normal. You want to take over the controls? I've got a date with some serious flesh and blood."

As he spoke the room began to slowly solidify, the system merging into more comfortable three dimensions.

She tried not to wince at his words, his casual tone showing no more concern for the date he had lined up than the possible brain damage of some unknown kid. All of it was outside the system so it didn't matter. Another face swam in front of her eyes for a moment, the face of a kid that did matter. She pushed the image away, there was time for guilt later.

Harry flashed her a smile, literally. His teeth appeared first while the rest of his torso materialized just as the room finally solidified around them. A mist of glowing particles receded majestically into the floor. Eventually all that remained was the golden haired form of a twenty-something twentieth century look male, clothed in a garish T-shirt and designer jeans. She had no idea what he really looked like because he logged in from another control centre. Controllers often took extra care in designing their icon and Harry was known in particular for his skill in producing realistic but quirky VR forms.

Renan on the other hand preferred something more subtle. Her own icon was carefully designed to give nothing away about her true identity. Average height medium length mousy hair. The girl next door. Someone who could merge into a crowd without anyone really noticing her. The icon had its uses, allowing her to slip into a virtual scene without anyone noticing her arrival. If she needed extra authority a few careful twists to the design created a more striking image. She valued her privacy in a world where privacy was so difficult to retain.

"Well, got to go. Have fun with the day shift." He gave her a casual wave as a glowing entrance appeared in the wall opposite.

"Harry can I ask you a question?" Her voice made his pause for a second.

"Do you ever feel that you are living your live through a series of windows. You know vid screen car windows windows out onto the street. Do you ever feel lonely"

Harry stared at her for a moment his icon blank. Then he grinned.

" You better be careful girl, all that thinking is going to get you in for a psych test." He paused for a moment as if not sure whether to speak.

"We're all independant spirits, it's the nature of this great new world we live in."

Harry turned abruptly the light enveloping his form and then collapsing in on itself to leave Renan alone.

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