The Rendezvous
Midnight came quicker than anticipated. Jess, dressed in all black, her digital recorder woven into the fabric of her jacket, stepped off the train into the blinking chaos of Sector D. The woman in the photo was nowhere in sight, but the graphic boards surrounding the platform hummed with anime promos and game advertisements, their electric glow painting her pale face. For a moment, she thought it had all been a prank—that she had been lured into this neon abyss for nothing.
Then, she spotted her. The model from the photo—the perfect Android Zero-9 stood at the far end of the platform, leaning casually against one of the holographic kiosks.
“You’re not what I expected,” the woman said when Jess approached.
“Neither are you,” Jess replied, trying to keep her cool. “What’s this all about?”
The woman chuckled softly, her reflection flickering in the cybernetic features of a nearby advertisement. “It’s about giving you something much bigger than a story. You’ve been covering obscure events for too long. Time to cover a revolution.”
Jess raised her brow. “Revolution?”
“This isn’t just cosplay,” the woman continued. “It’s a movement—one that’s about to change the entire landscape of virtual reality. And we need someone like you to make sure the world knows what happens.”
The sound of footsteps echoed suddenly. Jess turned—three other figures in similar, striking costumes stepped slowly out of the shadows, their presence imposing. This wasn’t just a convention meet-up or a fleeting internet rumor. Something serious was brewing beneath the glamour of the cosplay scene, and Jess had just been pulled right into its heart.
Unveiling the Truth
Before she could ask another question, a nearby screen flickered to life, showcasing her face along with rows of flashing data. Names. Codes. Figures. Her articles had been monitored—tracked for potential leverage. Jess felt her stomach tighten.
“You have a choice,” said the leader, android panels now slowly retracting from her arms, revealing sleek mechanical fibres. “Join us… or expose us.”
Jess stared at the woman, at the others flanking her, all punks dipped in the over-the-top world of cosplay. But this wasn’t about fandom anymore. The air in Sector D shimmered differently now, electric with tension. This was about a parallel reality—a very different kind of war they were preparing to wage in the underground networks of VR. The ultimate question was—was Jess brave enough to write it?
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