Bright Lights & Dark Secrets: A Sci-Fi Anthology

Seeking Sensation [Part 4/5]

Saturday had come. The news on the hotel television sent a shiver down Trinette's spine, allowing her to justify never stepping foot inside a concert after that evening.

Bathed in the screen's deep blue glow, Trinette watched footage of fights breaking out on the festival grounds, security guards pulling away young men and women, every pair of eyes glowing a neon color. It appeared that everyone felt like publishing their perspective of the festival that year, and some of the injured concertgoers laughed as they made their way out with bloody noses and black eyes, claiming they'd gotten what they were searching for.

Please tell me there's just a lot of VIPs this year, she thought.

Her phone buzzed against her leg. She raised it to her ear.

"Hey, Trinette, I'm here," answered David. "What's your room number?"

"Wait for me in the lobby," said Trinette. "I'll be down there in a second."

"Okay."

She'd sensed the disappointment in his voice upon turning down his self-invitation, confirmed upon seeing him slouched in an armchair in the lobby, his distant eyes pondering how many shots he had left before he'd irreparably turn invisible. Once he'd heard her steps growing closer, he forced himself back to life, springing out of his seat and flashing a generous but manufactured grin.

"Hey!" he said, wriggling his fingers as his hands rested by his sides. High-five, side-hug, real hug, the options were cards shuffling around in his head, but in the end, he refused to play any of them. "You look great," he said.

"Thank you," said Trinette, who wore black skinny jeans and a green long-sleeve knit top.

"You ready?" said David.

Trinette nodded, and the two made their way out of the lobby. A limousine awaited them beyond the doors. Once the image became clear to David, his smile became genuine.

"Holy shit, is that what we're riding in?" he said.

"Seems like it," replied Trinette. Once she approached the limo's open door, she leaned her head in and called, "Bash?"

She found only an onyx-colored box resting on one seat.

"Mr. Mercado wasn't able to join us tonight," said a robotic voice, and Trinette jumped back, crashing into David.

"You okay, Trinette?" he said, his hands gripping her shoulders. She nodded and slid away from him, knowing he wouldn't let go anytime soon.

"Forgive me for startling you," said the voice again, emanating from the limousine's interior. "I am this vehicle's automated driver. Sebastian Mercado paid for your transportation to and from the Cameron Bigelow Convention Center. Additional destinations can be added for no extra charge as long as they are requested within the eight hours this vehicle has been rented for."

"That's cool as hell," said David. Trinette climbed into the vehicle, and David followed.

The door slid shut. Seatbelts clicked into place. And the vehicle proceeded out of the hotel parking lot with a faint whir. The rest was a haze as Trinette watched holographic advertisements shimmer above the skyscraper tops, beam off the sides of vehicles. Looksy. Brightsight, Povie stars, every so often a musician performing at the showcase. Masks and facades everywhere. Trevor could be hiding behind any one of them, Trinette thought.

"Hey, Trinette?" said David, and Trinette blinked, returning to the waking world, though she didn't look at him. "I haven't seen you since we met that guy from Looksy. Do you still work at the White Rabbit?"

"Yeah," she said. "I'll come back again soon."

"So you did quit?"

"I'm taking a break from it."