Eight reclining gaming chairs formed a circle in the center of the room. Only two of the stations were active, with their glowing sensor panels pulled down from the ceiling. Cassie’s custom helmets sat propped on the leather seats, waiting for us. I said a silent thanks to my mad genius of a sister. Without her tech, I’d be lost.

I picked up the helmet at the station programmed for my specs. Quanta hovered in front of her chair, massaging her arms and casting glances around the room. “Do you need help setting up your station?”

“No.” She jumped. “Don’t.” She dove into the seat before I could move and started clipping on her sensors at breakneck speed.

The gesture needled me a little, but I couldn’t blame her. At least I’d finally have the chance to prove myself.

I tapped at the interface, queuing up the program options. “Do you want zombie apocalypse or elvish archery?”

“Elves.” Quanta shuddered. “No zombies.”

Praying Cass hadn’t gotten creative with the wardrobes again, I keyed in her choice. “Helmets on.” I jammed mine on first, assuming she’d follow along. The visor portion covered my eyes, muffling my sight and protecting against damage during the virtual dive. “Initiating program in three… Two… One…”

White light flared and then the virtual world rendered around us. Beams of light streamed through the leaves of impossibly tall elegant trees that had never existed on Earth. Twisting vines. Birdsong. I could almost smell dew on the air.

Cass’s programs were that good. The best.

Our bodies rendered last. Quanta appeared two meters away from me and I had to stop myself from gaping at her avatar. I’d been wrong about her hair—it did make a difference. Now it hung glossy to her knees, braided in decorative swirls and glittering with ornaments. A silvery gem dangled between her brows, casting fairy lights and her ears poked out, tipped in fey points. The program had added simple makeup, giving her cheeks a flushing glow.

Or was that just her?

Radiant.

Well done, Cass.

I was staring, but I realized Quanta was doing the same. Glancing down, I let out a breath. The auto-generated clothes were normal, or at least elvish normal. I wore a brown tunic, pants, and tall leather boots. I tossed my bow to the ground. The stereotypical red and white targets hung from the trees, but we had business to discuss before we got down to shooting. “We can finally talk. The feed’s encrypted.”

“I’ve heard that before.” She tossed her bow next to mine and sat on a mossy log, unimpressed, her gaze still flickering. More visions, even in VR. “Prove it.”

I’d expected that.