My Virtual Darcy 🏆 2021 Wattys Shortlister

19 - Queen Victoria

A sumptuous four-poster bed took centre stage. The brocade of the canopy shimmered as it draped the carved mahogany posts. In front of the curtained windows, two chairs and a table basked in the timid sun rays. A washbasin stand, with matching porcelain pitcher and bowl, faced the nearby wall.

I let out an appreciative whistle. "Not too shabby. Is Victoria's secret space as elegant?"

"She based it on the Batcave."

"Uhm, doesn't InfiCorp have an exclusive agreement with Marvel?"

"It does. Hence Victoria's small rebellion. She's a free spirit, and doesn't like being ordered around." An affectionate smile grew on Theo's face when he mentioned his mentor.

"I'm thrilled to meet her. I read so many articles about her, like how her parents left Poland when they realised her potential, and how she founded her first company when she was a teen, and how she graduated in both IT and neuroscience at sixteen."

His grin widened. "Yeah, she's awesome."

I swished to the mirror hanging above the washbasin, unpinned my hair, and fashioned it into a ponytail. "How do I look?"

"You look fine." He rolled his eyes, unabashed by the perspective of meeting one of the greatest minds alive.

"Just fine? Oh, darn. Should I wear a skirt suit and blouse? And tie my hair in a bun?"

"Leah, stop it. You're stunning, as always. And this is not a job interview. We're only visiting Victoria, and she's never been one for formal clothing."

I brushed off my clammy hands on the jeans and straightened myself. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Awes--"

"Wait, I'm not ready. Do I have something between my teeth?" I forced a grin, allowing an astonished Theo to inspect my smile.

"Nothing to report. Can we go, now?"

"Yup."

Theo strode to the unlit mantelpiece and gestured towards a walnut balloon clock. "Victoria needed her backdoor to be accessible from every Bridge edition, so she hid it in grandfather clocks and all types of clocks and watches. Like Bruce Wayne, I'll set the hands on 10:48 PM, which is the time his parents were murdered. Then, we shall be transported to her secret space."

"Right, right. I'm ready." I squealed, clapping in elation.

With a chuckle, Theo delicately turned the hands of the clock until its dial indicated 10:48.

Grey stone popped on the panelled walls, before spreading to the ceiling and floor. The wooden furniture morphed to rocks, and the four-poster exploded in a myriad of bats that flew past our heads, causing me to scream in terror.

Theo fumbled in the darkness to find my hand. "Sorry. I forgot to warn you that Victoria loves dramatic entrances."

A chilly draft propelled us towards the depths of the cave, where a blue rectangle of light indicated the existence of a door.

"Hello? Victoria?" Theo knocked before pushing the panel. It gave way with an eerie squeak, revealing the supercomputer that Batman used to survey Gotham City and his enemies. The twenty-something monitors connected to it were black, except for the red V pulsating in the middle of the screen.

I trudged after Theo, fascinated by the swift shapes flying between the stalactites, and bumped my nose against his shoulder when he stopped in his tracks. "Ouch."

"She's not here. Should we leave a note, or something?"

I spun around in search of a pen and paper, moving folders and pictures on the desk until I found a notepad. Theo took it and started scribbling a message.