Chapter 57 - Returning to Alterra Corp

Gray hurried back to his quarters and used the incubation pod to log back in to the virtual world that the players still think is the real world. Gray burst out of his old apartment and started running towards Alterra Corporation. When he started running down the street, he saw Jono on a small electric scooter.

"Hey Jono! I wanted to thank you!" Gray yelled.

Jono turned to look at Gray and stopped his scooter. "Uh, not sure what you're thanking me for, but you're welcome?"

"For this..." Gray threw Jono off of the scooter and sped off towards Alterra Corporation being chased a short distance by Jono as he slung various profanities at Gray. Gray would at least make sure to apologize and bring it back after, probably... hopefully... maybe...

The little scooter could hit at least 50 kph, he could barely make it in time at this rate! He got to the last crossroad and could see Felicia standing there, she smiled at Gray and tapped her wrist to indicate he was running out of time.

"7:59!" Gray was waiting for the signal to change so he could cross the street. "Why is there so much traffic?!?"

Gathering his courage, Gray yelled "You only live once!" then plunged his scooter across the street during heavy traffic. Swerving cars and trucks barely missed him and just as he was about to make it, he ended up getting clipped on the back and thrown from the scooter and ended up getting splattered across the windshield of a truck... and here ends our story with the death of Gray...

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..

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Just kidding... Gray waited for the signal to change and floored it across the street, clipped the curb and flew off of the scooter. He managed to catch himself with a hand spring and land on his feet rather impressively.

Felicia did seem impressed as she saw this and was clapping for him, she then smiled and said "8:01, just missed it, good effort though!"

Gray's shoulders slumped and he turned around to pick up the scooter that had been left by the road. "Well, I did get hear as fast as I could! You sure your clock isn't fast?"

"You wish! Come on, I'll at least make it up to you for helping me out." Felicia said playfully.

Gray locked the scooter to a rack near the door of Alterra Corporation and finally noticed that Felicia was wearing a military uniform identical to Major Valen's, but the rank insignia was different.

"I didn't know you were in the military Felicia, and a Lieutenant even!"

"Indeed, so that makes me your superior, and don't worry, Alterra Corporation is really owned by the Alterra Alliance military so you don't need to worry about spilling the big secret. We still choose to meet here in this virtual world because frankly it is just easier." Felicia stated.

"Makes sense, meetings with real people rarely happen anymore as meeting virtually is faster, cheaper, and easier." Gray replied. "So what do you need me for?"

"Well, I think you have the insight the development team needs to fix our issues with the maps that we released for the public launch of Alterra Online. You do have some military experience, but you're also a die-hard gamer and not just one that calls themselves a gamer and only plays trashy games like C**l of D**y, or F*****te." Felicia explained.

"Careful, you might annoy the fan boys and girls of those two games!" Gray said while looking anxiously at you the reader.

"It's fine, they don't read books unless it is some sort of guide to winning at those games." Felicia said "And who are you looking at?"

"Uhhh... nothing... anyways, this does sound like fun! I do agree that the one map we tried felt a little imbalanced." Gray said, then asked "Are you a part of the development team?"

Gray and Felicia entered an elevator and Felicia took out a keycard and held it up to a camera while saying "No, I am more of a liaison between the between the research and development department of the military and the actual forces on the ground. In short, I try to get the R&D folks to make stuff the military actually can use."

"Makes sense, and you want me to help them balance some maps?"

"That, and I want you to help me deal with a certain overbearing lead researcher who if he wasn't brilliant I would probably have given more than just a slap too." Felicia said angrily.

Gray started to chuckle as he felt the elevator started to descend.

"What's so funny?" Felicia asked.

"Oh, nothing, you just said you wanted me and I always knew you did!" Gray said teasingly to Felicia

Felicia blushed visibly and innocently hid her face.

"Uh, hey, it was a joke, I'm sorry, I didn't think you were serious or that I was even in your league to begin with!" Gray said getting flustered at her unusually coy manner.

Felicia looked up, smiled, made a fist and extended the middle finger and pressed it against her cheek while sticking her tongue out. "I was just kidding too! You're too easy to upset!" Felicia said while smiling and walked out of the elevator ahead of Gray.

Gray thought he heard her mutter "Don't sell yourself short" so he asked "What was that you just said?"

"I said 'Don't forget to report', sorry, I'll try and speak clearly next time."

"Report to who?"

"His surname is Ginro and family name is Kurechin, he's from what was formerly Japan and made it over here to the Alliance before Japan was absorbed by what is now, as you know the Terran Hegemony." explained Felicia. "Unfortunately he's the one that is giving me the biggest headache."

Gray walked with Felicia through a security checkpoint and then onward to a large cube farm which reminded him of a larger, and cleaner, version of his former office. Gray spotted a tall man with frazzled hair, a white lab coat, jeans and tennis shoes, and a can of Dr. Pepper who then smiled at Gray and Felicia when he saw them and started walking towards them.

"That's him... what we still can't figure out is where he is hiding that Dr. Pepper." said Felicia.

Gray whispered to Felicia "Challenge accepted"

Felicia smiled and rolled her eyes "Idiot..."

"Felicia-chan! You've come back finally!" Ginro said with a big warm smile on his face as he reached out with both of his hands and held her hands firmly.

"It's like he doesn't even see me..." Gray thought.

"Yes... I'm back... this is Gray... he will be reporting to you and will be the player advisor." Felicia said trying to suppress her urge to hit Ginro.

"Oh? Gray-kun is it? I am sorry, I didn't even notice you, we have a cube for you in the back. I'll have my assistant give you a rundown once you're settled in." Ginro said while trying to shoo Gray away from Felicia.

"Ginro, stop it... Gray is also my boyfriend!" Felicia said suddenly.

Ginro stared at Gray and dropped his can of Dr. Pepper on the ground from utter shock. Gray was in utter shock to as he looked back at Felicia and she looked at him with pleading eyes. Figuring this was the same situation that Verona was in back in the bar before so he decided to enjoy it while he could.

Felicia walked up to Gray and put her arm around his and whispered. "I am sorry, just put up with it until we can leave."

Gray whispered back "Oh, don't worry, this has happened before... but don't blame me for trying to sell it." then Gray gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Eh? You look more like brother and sister with how tense and awkward that was, are you trying to trick me Felicia-chan?" Ginro said while he pulled a cold can of Dr. Pepper out from somewhere.

"What? Of course not!" Felicia said angrily then while Gray was still trying to figure out where Ginro pulled that can of Dr. Pepper from, Felicia grabbed Gray's head and pulled him in for a deep rough kiss, leaving Gray slightly stunned and let him go while glaring at Ginro.

Gray then asked innocently. "So... uhmmm... where is my desk?"