chapter 2- part 1

Chapter Two- The Island

Both girls looked nervously down each length of the hall hoping to visualize the conversation interloper. When they could spot no one both scurried off in opposite directions. Rory felt his body unclench as they disappeared from sight. He let out a sigh of relief. His fingers fumbled on the floor. His digits moved quickly but the anxious energy was poorly directed. his fingers blindly danced around the chip for several seconds. Immediately after grasping his VR chip he wandered through the winding halls of the cruise ship. Somehow, finally navigating back to his cabin he reached shelter. He felt himself being enveloped by the dark room.

His brain rumbled uncomfortably with the new information. Like a rolling upset stomach. Unhappily trying to digest some of the unsettling things he heard. Each faint slap of a wave against his cabin reminding him he was trapped in the middle of the ocean. Eventually he felt his thoughts calming and drifting. Just as he was beginning lose consciousness there was a loud thud. The neighboring cast members were returning to their cabins. He heard boisterous voices booming from the rooms around him. It seemed as if they were still partying. Groaning he rolled over and tried to block out the noise but it was to no use. He thought about Penny, the cast member he had replaced. His mind wandered to Casey for a moment. He wondered if she’d worked the private VR rooms. Finally, his neighbors quieted and he felt himself drifting again.

There was a knock and Rory stirred. The tired ache of his body told him he had not been asleep long enough to be rested. He poked his head out the door. Andy was stood on the other side.

“Good morning, please get ready we are going to be having a meeting in the cast room in forty-five minutes.” Andy’s tone was less dismissive and his expression was softened.

Rory nodded and shut the door back.
———————

The cast room was divided in two sides. A disheveled looking Sam sat at the front of the right side of the room facing the crowd of her employees. Sat beside her was Andy at her right, and on her left side was Charlie. The crowd on Sam’s side of the room was huge. On the other side of the room, most chairs were empty. However, there were a couple of prop technicians and IT personnel. At the front of the other side was Evelyn. On her left looking into the crowd was Mathew. On her right sat someone Rory recognized. It was the tech who had changed his skin into a seahorse the night before.

Rory had no choice but to sit on Evelyn’s side. The seating on Sam’s side of the room was full.

Sam cleared her throat taking control of the room. “We are here to brainstorm ideas for the simulations we are going to run the rest of the trip.”
In response a couple of employees motioned their willingness to share ideas. Sam pointed encouraging one to voice their suggestion.
“ Mount Olympus dinner show” the first offered. Sam moved her finger to the next.
“Interspecies Alien Gala” another chimed in. “Spy mission in Paris” a new voice put forth. The voices began to blend as Sam moved her finger around the room quicker.
“Masquerade”
“Jurassic Safari”
“Midsummer night dream.”
“Historic Palace of Versailles.”
Evelyn interjected after the last suggestion. “The market research we conducted on current guests suggests we should stay away from any of the historic simulations. All of our guests are highly educated and will be put off by any inaccurately positive portrayal of historic events.” Evelyn looked back down at a tech tablet and tapped on the screen.

Mathew perked up to speak next. “Corporate wants to showcase all the VR capabilities of the island. Sam, please assign a group to the VR bumper cars, the alien petting zoo and ..” his voice quieted and he looked expectantly at Evelyn.

“I just got word from corporate we are running the Jason and the Argonauts quest today in the virtual reality arena on the island,” Evelyn interjected.

Sam got up from her seat and moved behind her chair, revealing a large board. Pen in hand she set up three lists. Alien petting zoo, Bumper cars, and Jason’s quest.
“Charlie you do a good job with Princess Medea. Zach, you’ll be Jason today.” Sam announced. As the characters were assigned to corresponding cast members the board began to fill up. When major rolls had been assigned Sam turned away from the board to face the cast again.

“Everyone stand up.” Sam instructed. Pointing into the crowd and dragging her finger to instruct cast members where she wanted them to move.
“You, you, and you alien petting zoo.” Sam ordered and three cast members moved to the side of the room she directed.
She moved her finger through the crowd instructing as she pleased. When the entirety of Sam’s side of the room had be separated into bumper cars, and petting zoo she turned her attention to Rory.
“And you, virtual reality bumper cars.” She pointed at Rory. He nodded acknowledgment.
Then Sam turned her attention to Evelyn.
“Which dinner simulation will we be running when the guests return to the ship tonight?” Sam asked.
“Mermaid grotto is always a good wow factor at the beginning of the trip. However, I think we should follow it up with something more realistic.” Evelyn responded without looking at Sam.
Rory sensed Sam making a dangerous face at Evelyn and his feelings of uncomfortable disdain from the night before returned.

“A midsummer night’s dream is always a great dinner show.” Sam’s voice curled mischievously over the words.

“No.” Evelyn replied succinctly, “The Masquerade is what we will run.”

Sam smiled with satisfaction. Evelyn’s controlled but visible irritation was enough to energize her. Behind the crowd there was a clamoring noise. Rory turned to see kitchen staff rolling in carts of breakfast food. The crowd became audible as it arrived.
“Alright, breakfast is serve-“ Sam started but was cut off.

“Wait! Before everyone starts eating, please listen to Victoria.” Evelyn called out interrupting Sam. Evelyn motioned to the girl Rory recognized from last night. Victoria was the one who changed his costume from shark to seahorse during the mermaid grotto show.

“Would Rory please come to the front, and follow Mathew? He will take you to design some appropriate VR skins.” Victoria called out. As Rory walked to the front he saw Evelyn look at Sam for the first time that morning. She didn’t smile but she raised an eyebrow. The look was communicative enough Sam realized her pink shark scheme had been uncovered by Victoria. Sam looked away with a guilty expression. The rest of the cast hurried towards the breakfast display. Rory followed Mathew out a door leaving cast room, and down another long cruise ship hall. He noticed Evelyn leaving through the same door. She seemed to be headed somewhere else. Out of nowhere Sam caught up to Evelyn. Rory was lagging a little behind Mathew, he sensed some irritation from the IT specialist’s body language. Rory wanted to avoid provoking him further. Sam took advantage of Evelyn barely being out of Mathew’s ear shot.

“The midsummer night’s dream dinner show is so much more entertaining than the masquerade dinner show. Much more romantic too.” Sam whispered at Evelyn. Evelyn was avoiding visible acknowledgment of Sam.
“But it’s obvious why you picked the masquerade, the paired menu is so much more” Sam paused to pinch the soft side of Evelyn’s belly, “Decadent.”
Evelyn smacked away the offending hand. Rory felt his pace speed up so her could move away from the girls quicker.

“Are you going to join me and have a guest quality breakfast?” Sam’s tone was teasingly melodic. Evelyn turned to her and her lips dipped into a grimaced. Evelyn’s eyes narrowed threateningly but she said nothing. She followed Sam down a different corridor.

Rory felt himself moving quickly until he was directly behind Mathew. He hoped he could avoid witnessing anymore uncomfortable interaction that way.
———————
“How many plates was that?” Sam flopped down into a chair across from Evelyn. She watched Evelyn struggled to swallow her last bite fast enough to respond. Sam smirked watching the heavier girl flounder to clear her mouth.
“Bite off more than you can chew, fatty?” Sam whispered. Now extremely motivated to speak, Evelyn swallowed the last bit of Belgian waffle.
“Stop bothering me while I’m trying to eat. You’re going to give me indigestion.” Evelyn hissed.
Sam reached across the table, and gave Evelyn’s chubby cheek a pinch.
“Just admit it, you like being bothered. Otherwise, you would have requested to be relocated to a different ship.”

Kitchen staff passed by the table with a cart loaded with breakfast food. Evelyn reached for another plate. While distracted she responded, “You know why I haven’t transferred! The management on other ships is not adventurous enough to give me the freedom to create VR simulations and characters that I want. This ship hires cast members that embrace and fulfill their rolls. They’re adaptable, I can create and have up to twenty shows and simulations in my rotation here. On other ships? It’s repeating the same five dinner shows. That’s all I get.“ Evelyn looked longingly at the waffle on her plate as a thick pat of butter began to melt. She jabbed a syrupy section with her fork. “‘If you think you can bully me into transferring, I’m not going anywhere.” Her voice wavered less convincingly. Sam’s lips curved into a sick grin. “What number plate is that?”

Evelyn stabbed another waffle segment “three,” her tone dull and dismissive.

Sam eyes were hyper focused as shiny thick syrup clung to Evelyn’s dusty rose lips.