Angeclass="underline" It’s hard, Chas, I know. But people are like that in SL. Maybe not just SL. Maybe it’s the Internet. People are never face-to-face or eye-to-eye. And somehow they seem to think that frees them from all the usual social obligations of politeness and tact. Look at any of the online forums. Bloody, brutal battlegrounds sometimes, where bile flows freely and people give expression to things they would never say to your face. Here they have their AV’s to hide behind. They are anonymous and say what they like.
The sun was sinking low in the sky now, and red light fell in long slabs across the arena floor, light reflecting in the large pool of blood, steam still rising like smoke into the evening light. Through the window, Chas saw the sun almost on the horizon, sending yellow diamonds sparkling across the broken surface of the ocean toward them.
Chas: Maybe that’s true, Angel. But I don’t have to put myself in the firing line.
Angeclass="underline" Don’t be so touchy, Chas. The group approach is a very different kind of therapy. You need to let go. Of whatever emotion it is that’s messing with your mind. Whether it be anger, pity, hurt... Let those feelings out. Direct them at others. Because they will direct theirs at you.
Chas: I noticed.
Angeclass="underline" But don’t you see, Chas, it’s a release for everyone. Of all that tension that builds up inside us. It’s all we ever really need. Tension is like pressure contained without any means of escape. If we can’t find a release valve, in the end we will either blow up or implode. And remember, these people don’t know who you are. And you don’t know them. You would pass each other in the street without recognition. So there is no past, no future, only the present, when we are all together in the group. Give it a chance. If you’re still not happy after the third of fourth session, then call it a day. But you’ve come this far. Don’t turn back at the first hurdle.
Chas noticed a blue banner flashing on and off the foot of his screen. Twist had just come on line. He decided to change the subject and looked around the vast interior of the black metal building. For the first time, he noticed a grilled staircase spiralling up to another level and wondered what was up there.
Chas: What is this place, Angel?
Angeclass="underline" It was owned by a group of graphics programmers, Chas. Used to be a Goth club, I believe. I bought it from them. It was ideal for my purposes. They wrote the scripts for me, for the pools of blood and the claw marks. Pretty realistic, huh?
Chas: Scarily so, Angel. And I’ve seen some blood in my time.
Angeclass="underline" LOL, Chas. So you have.
A teleport invitation appeared from Twist.
Chas: I have to go, Angel.
Angeclass="underline" You’ll come to the next session?
Chas sighed.
Chas: IM me with a day and time, and if I can I’ll be there.
Angel Catchpole smiles.
Angeclass="underline" Good. Well, TC then, Chas.
Chas: TC?
Angeclass="underline" LOL. Take care.
Chas clicked to accept Twist’s teleport, and in a rush of sound his screen went black.
Chapter Eighteen
Chas dropped to the ground, crouching to keep his balance, and then stood up as a grey figure before him rezzed into the grinning Twist. He still hadn’t got used to seeing Janey as a man, with long red and blond hair and a bare chest. He looked around, as a large floor area divided by tall partitions took shape around him. Promos for combat systems and teleporters and object scanners covered the walls.
Twist: Hiya.
Chas: Hi. Where are we?
Twist: The TalTech Weapons store at the Galleria.
Chas: What are we doing here?
Twist: I got your IM. About the geckos. LOLOLOLOL. Very SL. Hahahaha. If you’re planning to go to Sandbox Island to talk to Nevar Telling, we need to get you some protection first.
Chas: I’ve got a gun.
Twist: Not enough.
Chas: And a radar system. Doobie made me buy that yesterday.
Twist: Who’s Doobie?
Chas could almost feel the jealous aggression in the question.
Chas: Doobie Littlething. She’s one of the dancers at Sinful Seductions. She was the one that dealt with Tommy Tattoo.
Twist: And the one you took to dinner?
Chas: Yeh.
Twist: Hmmph. Well, you still need more than that. What you really want is a shield and weapons system combined.
Chas: Do I?
Twist: Yes, you do. And I’ve found two things here that I think you should buy.
He turned toward the wall.
Twist: These two. The Immortals Combat System, and the gKill HUD. They should provide you with protection against just about anything, as well as giving you a whole range of attack options. A blinder, a trap, a trasher and several kill versions. You’ll need to familiarise yourself with it all before you go in the field, though. Don’t want to be fumbling with a menu when someone’s bearing down on you all guns blazing.
Chas: I’m not sure I like the sound of any of this, Twist. Doobie took me to a beautiful island yesterday, with mountains and trees and waterfalls. Not a weapons system in sight.
Twist: Yeh, well, just like the real world, Chas, SL has many sides to it. But if you want to go to Sandbox Island you need to be prepared. Just like when you have sex for the first time, it’ll be helpful if you have a dick.
Chas looked at the weapons systems that Twist wanted him to buy. The gKill HUD claimed that it would break through shields and attack a target from anywhere on the grid until told to stop. The Immortals Combat System allowed you to deform avatars with a trasher. He sighed.
Chas: How much for all this?
Twist: A grand total of twelve hundred and fifty. Cheap at the price.
Chas: I don’t have that much Twist. I haven’t had a chance to set up a credit card yet.
Twist: How much you got, then?
Chas glanced at his green Lindens total and frowned. And kept staring at it for a full fifteen, maybe twenty seconds.
Twist: Well?
Chas: There must be some mistake.
Twist: How much?
Chas: According to this I have 780 million Lindens.
Twist: Hahahaha. Yeh, right. Must be a screw-up with the server. That would be around three million dollars. You don’t have three million dollars, do you, Chas?
Chas: No, I do not.
Twist: Hey, I thought you were rich.
Chas: If I was rich, I wouldn’t be back at work having to put up with people like you.
Twist: Hahaha. So what happened to all Mora’s money?
Chas: Gone, most of it, Twist. And Mora’s first husband’s family look like getting most of the balance. The house is worth a few million, but there’s a home loan on it that I can’t pay, and the bank’s foreclosing. So chances are I’m going to walk away without a penny.