Page 260 of Light Leech

She smirked. “Yeah, I’ve spent my time. Takes a good neuroset to tap in.” She pointed at the desk. “But once you’re in, you’re good until you return to the neuroset to disconnect. The world has digitized emotions. It shouldn’t surprise you that it has figured out how to digitize consciousness.”

“What if something happens to you on the outside?” Boyband asked. “Does the mind continue in the neurospace?”

She nodded. “If what I have heard is true. The mind continues as a file but loses memories with a disconnect from its host. The inverse though, that’s worse.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your mind can survive without the outer body, but if the inner mind dies, it’ll break a part of you. Met a couple of dus who went psycho after they died in the core, another who lost his memories, and a few who flat out died.”

“Zeg… so you’re the one going in for us, right?”

She shrugged. “Maybe you will. We’ll see.”

He turned to Kalacia. “I say we chat with her. The fewer risks, the better. You plug?”

Ralia cocked her head at me. “Whatddyou think, Pet?”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re the only one who’s seen the god in the ocean. You’ve seen both assassination attempts. You’re one of the oldest Imps. I’m not leading because I’m too responsible holding things up in the background. BB isn’t leading us, Akna’s too new, Abbas betrayed us and once was enough, Naoma’s too precious–”

“Hey!”

Ralia grinned but kept her attention on me. “Haven’t we gone over this before? We need direction, Pet. You’ve gone the deepest into this hell.”

Again, the burden of their livelihoods weighed on me. I was a flawed man who felt he was failing to lead himself towards success, let alone others.

I had feigned confidence. Knowledge. Joy. All had proven themselves somewhat true on occasion. If they needed my direction, the least I could do would be to try.

Ralia was right. I had seen hell revealed. A hell. I would see it again if it meant saving them the pain.

Perhaps that was what they needed. Not an all-knowing leader, but someone who was willing to sacrifice himself for them.

“Let’s do it.”

“Pulse–”

He held up a hand. “But I want to say, if anyone has to risk themselves in this neurocore thing, I think I should do it. I’ve seen that feral god. If this has anything to do with the tide, I want to be the one to risk it.”

“If I can come with you,” Ralia said. “I think it’s smart to have you go, aside from this whole hero complex, but you should go with someone who knows what the core districts are like. You plug?”

I smiled and nodded.

“Can I wake her now?” Kuni asked me.

“Strap her down then let’s give it a shot.”

Chapter eight

Digitize me Cap’n

Kalacia awoke with a series of expletives and eyes wide as she took a moment to catch her breath and reorient herself.

It didn’t help that Boyband crouched over her, still cut and bruised from their educational encounter.

Boyband patted her cheek as her eyes started to focus. “So, are we gonna start with the false identity or your little joyride with Veren first?”

“W-what?”