Jacking In

Jacking In

By J.Malone
(writing as Mia Parker)

I stared into the mirror trying to hide my absolute horror.

With a trembling hand I reached up to just behind my left ear.
It was there all right, just under my hair, five small bumps in a circle.
I started to cry.

Milky, my roommate, looked up from the boy toy magazine she was thumbing through
.
"Angel, it’s really no big deal."
"No big deal!" I turned on her in fury." Don't you realize these things are illegal, I could lose my scholarship if the admin finds out?"

Milky, who never had to worry about such things screwed up her too pretty mouth and tossed the glossy mag away.
"Look, just have it removed."

I looked back in the mirror at the tears running down my plain cheeks.
How do I get myself into these things?
The answer as usual, it was all Milky's fault.


I had been busting for exams and cooped up for weeks, she, as always, didn't even have to crack a book to pass everything.
"Come on Girl." She said. "Let’s get out of here and have some fun."

So we took the Trans pacific shuttle, ended up somewhere in the Far East, maybe Bangkok, I can't really remember.
There were these two way cute guys there, we were drinking and dancing and I think Milky and her guy were popping some Dunk . . . must be nice to be able to afford that stuff.
Anyway, while those two were getting chemically erotic, somehow the conversation turned to Jacks.

Jacks, as almost everyone knows, have been around for years. Used to be you could get one anywhere plug into the nearest portal and plop right into your own custom-built fantasy world.
It started out as a game thing, jump in and play, but people got to liking it too much.
Some started not coming out at all.
Why deal with the real world when you could make your own and run it like you wanted?

So pretty soon there were jack junkies turning up everywhere, drooling zombies, letting themselves waste away.
Most were destitute so the Government had to provide care for them and in no time jacks were ruled illegal.
Democracy at work one again.

Well, the cute hunky oriental guy Milky was sitting on said he knew where you could get a jack installed and if we wanted to try it he could get us in.
I was just drunk enough to think that was maybe cool, damn alcohol.

So next thing I know, Milky says, "Hay, I'll get one if you will."
"I told her she was a wuss and would crap her pants before the guy ever touched her."
So a drunken double dog dare was drawn.
"She even promised to kiss my ass if she wussed out."

How could I refuse an offer like that?

Next thing I remember we were in some back alley knocking on an old wooden door.
A greasy looking guy leads us inside where some medical autodocs were set up around a chair.
"This won't hurt a bit." He says with one of those cheesy oriental accents you hear in the vids.
After that. It’s all just a blank.

You probably know all the gory details anyway.
How they drill a tiny hole in your skull, release those microscopic nanite things in there, and they swarm all over your brain wiring things up with relentless mechanical efficiency.
Yaaa technology!


I woke up in my own bed, suffering from the effects of too much wine, song and tiny robotic cross wiring, feeling suspiciously like I had missed something important.

After staggering to the bathroom to check for telltale signs of rape, I concluded it wasn't anything slipped into my drink.
Damn Virginity, can't seem to lose it even when I'm knocked unconscious in a strange city.

Milky came in with a grin, I'll never figure out how the hell does she avoids hangovers?

"How’s the head girl?" She dropped onto the bed.
"Hurts like hell." I mumbled through a mouth full of toothpaste foam.
"That's to be expected, I guess."
She picked up a magazine and started to flip pages at random.

"Oh by the way, just let me know when you want that sweet ass kissin ."

I almost choked on the mouthwash as the memories flooded back into my aching brain.
"OH My GOD!"
I ran to the Mirror . . .




So here I was standing with a Jack hooked into my brain.

"What the hell am I gonna do now?"
Milky put an arm around my shoulders.

"Well, the guy said you can have it taken out in a few weeks after the implants heal, until then you might as well enjoy it."
"Oh thank you very much, Just the kind of advice I would expect from you."

She stepped back with that hurt look she tries to use whenever someone disagrees with her.
The Sad thing is, on me, it works every time.

So she got out the cable the jack guy had provided and plugged it into my beat up old Pentium IX then I took the end and placed it behind my ear.
I felt the maglok take hold and my world went blank.

I was hanging there floating in space, no up, no down, just endless nothing.
I tried to scream but no sound came out.
Suddenly the void was filled with a grid of endless lines, needing something, anything solid I grabbed one.
It opened up to swallow me, and I fell in.

I was in a green field, blue sky and white puffy clouds above; off in the distance a few buildings rose between the hills.
This must have been what it was like before urban sprawl and smog.
I figured the buildings must be barns as they were painted bright red.

I was also surprised to see that I was now wearing a light white cotton dress that swayed in the gentle breeze.
The Tall grass rubbed delightfully against my bare legs as I walked.

Over by the barn someone was working, tossing hay bales onto a huge stack, he looked somehow a little familiar.
I came to an old wooden fence and propped up on the top rail with my hand over my eyes to block out the bright sun.

It was Benny!
Oh My God what was he doing here? Wait he couldn't be real could he?
Of course not.
I waved anyway.
Even if this was all in my head, it was kinda nice.

I hadn't seen or heard from Benny since I left for University, had it really been three years now?

He was set to go into the general labor pool and I was off on a scholarship, people all said we could never make a life together like that.
I cried when we parted with a kiss at the shuttle station, we promised to write, we never did.

Now here he was in this beautiful place throwing hay as a few fat chickens scratched the ground nearby.
I started to call to him, but everything seemed to turn to water, flowing and merging as if it had become a sidewalk chalk painting caught in a sudden down pour.
My vision dissolved into grayness and then I was back in my room at University with Milky staring at me.

"Well how was it?"
I felt like I had been running for days, total body exhaustion washed over me.
For some reason all that came to me was to mumble "It was, umm. No big deal, really."

Her look of disappointment was almost comical.
"Well damn you were under for like three hours, I expected you would have done something."

Had I really been gone for three hours?
The clock said it was fourteen hundred, damn I was feeling jet lagged now as well.
And I had to make a run for the bathroom.

When I came out Milky was brushing her long brown hair, and had slipped into a floral silk minidress.
"Can I borrow your Black Boots Roomie?
I got to run to that Greek Mixer over at Tau, you know those boys."
I gave her a nod, only half listening.
I really didn't know those boys, never one to date much, just keeping my mind on the books and keeping the scholarship committee happy takes all my time.

She slipped on the boots and grabbed a handbag, also mine, and she was gone.

I watched her go, and after a few minutes, I slipped the cable back behind my ear.





The Sun was warm, the clouds growing dark over on the horizon telling of rain to come later.
A soft wind moved the trees as I came out of the forest.
My long princess dress swished along the ground as I ran into the meadow.

I stopped to admire the beautiful green carpet leading to the foot of the tall tower.
A yellow butterfly settled on my shoulder.
The sound of hoofs clattering along the trail turned my head in that direction.
The Mounted warrior topped the ridge by the forest edge. He sat tall in the saddle of the magnificent charger.
He was . . . he was . . .
The meadow faded.

I was sitting in my room staring at my roommate.
"Damnit, why did you do that?"
"Have you forgotten? This is registration day.
If you don't get your ass over to the admin building and get your schedule the Dean is gonna be all over you."
"Oh My God she was right, how could I have forgotten about registration?"

I tried to jump up from the chair but my legs were stiff and refused to operate.
So I slid out sideways.

"Angel, maybe you better have that thing removed now. It's been weeks."
" Mmm yea, I will, just have to get time to go, can't just go to the campus infirmary ya know."

I grabbed a brush and ran it through my hair. The brush was soon full of blond strands.
Damn was my hair getting thin?
I had to admit that the few pounds I had dropped in the last weeks were not going to be missed though.
Milky still looked concerned, surprising, I didn't know she could do that.

"Hay I'll be ok, just gotta run now."
She smiled half heartedly as I ran out the door.


I sat in the waiting area as nervous as could be.
The door opened and Ms Freeman motioned me in.
She sat down behind her large wooden desk and shuffled some papers until she found the file she wanted.
"Ahh Miss Parks, I see your last review was excellent."
A wave of relief washed over me, until I saw her mouth drop into a stern frown.
"But I see that this quarter your grades have slipped below acceptable levels, very unacceptable."
"But I.."
"No excuses will be tolerated Miss Parks, you know how competitive the scholarship market is.
We cannot allow any substandard performance or your funds will be allocated to another.
Do I make myself clear?"

"Very Clear Ms Freeman."
She stood and I did as well.
Something poked me under my arm, wha . . . Oh . . .
I pulled the shotgun from under my long coat.
"Understand this you dried up old bat."
I blew a nice hole right through her middle, pumped the shotgun and headed for the door.
"Have a nice day."

The clock buzzer brought me out.
It was seven hundred, I lay my head back on the chair, why do I feel so weak?
I had just taken out 90% of the campus police and that old arrogant bitch Freeman. I should be on top of the world.
After about a half hour I managed to get out of the chair and into the bathroom.
Damn, I look a mess.
Dark circles under my eyes, sagging skin under my chin, who is this old chick in the mirror?

Milky is supposed to be by later, wants to do lunch, haven't seen much of her since she moved in with that new guy.

I popped a couple of energy pills and leaned against the wall till I felt them take effect.
I came back out into the dark bedroom, stepped on something on the floor.
A paper, my eyes refused to focus on it for several seconds, I picked it up.

Miss Parks,
Due to unacceptable performance over the last two quarters and your refusal to make adequate academic progress, we the awards committee regret to inform you that as of the end of the present study period your scholarship funds will no longer be allocated to your education account.
Please prepare to pay your expenses with private funds or to vacate University property at that time.
The Scholarship Awards Committee



Damn when did that come?
Last week?
Well nothing I can do about it now.
I slipped off the dirty cotton gown and rumpled in the drawer for a clean one and slipped it over my bony frame.
I'll just have another short session till Milky gets here . . .


Wow!
If I try really hard, I can almost see them with my old eyes.
Milky and the Doctor, standing there looking down at the old me in that bed she looks sad, keeps shaking her head, probably blaming herself.
The Nurse comes in to adjust the feeding tube and checks the machines that are keeping that other body, the withered, wasted one alive.
They say the brain eventually has to depend on the energy from the link to survive, so they keep it connected.
I don't know why they even bother, nothing out there matters.
They think I’m just a poor girl reduced to a drooling zombie in a nursing home, but maybe it's all for the best, they just don't understand.
Who needs that life anyway, now I have this one?
Back there is just a bad dream I awoke from finally.

With a sad shake of the head I turn from them, Milky, the doctor, all of them.
The world dissolves into a green pasture. Those cotton ball clouds floating high up above.
I twirl in the wonderful soft cotton dress, soft smell springtime on the breeze.
I head for the barn off in the distance.
Benny and I will have a hot date tonight.

The End