“Never mind.” The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in the foyer. Even with my face covered, I didn’t want to be seen. “I’ll grab one in the suite.”

The attendant lowered her head graciously. “Enjoy your stay,” she said in a melodious voice. “Rockaroke has everything you want and anything you need.” She flashed another flawless smile at me before gliding away.

I made it to the golden elevators without further interruption and punched in from memory the access code Victor had messaged me earlier. The mirrored interior was as opulent as the rest of the building, its ceiling gilded with the Chinese symbol for prosperity. The bell gave a pleasant ding after a fast trip up to the twenty-third floor. I searched the numbers on the red doors, passing a drunk teen you boy with indigo hair tottering down the wide hallway. He waved enthusiastically at me and shouted, “Hey, party!”

I didn’t bother to reply, but he didn’t take the hint.

“Room twenty-three-sixteen! All paid for, man!”

By your parents, I thought as I turned the corner and jogged down the hallway, an exact replica of the one I had come from, finally stopping at 2338. The door pulled open before I could punch in the access code, and Vic dragged me in by the arm. I tripped into the room.

“Gods, Victor.” I straightened. “I’m happy to see you too.”

“Why didn’t you reply to my messages?” Victor hissed. He twisted the silver cuff link on his perfectly ironed shirt and glared at me.

“My Vox ran out of juice.” Good thing I had already memorized the access codes. I glanced around the large suite with a plush sofa and matching chairs. A smaller chandelier, similar to the ones that hung in the foyer, illuminated the rich, wood-paneled room. Two cylindrical enclosed pods were set on either side of the wall screen. I’d never tried it myself, but Vic said combined with the sim suits, gamers who were in pod had a completely immersive experience. Two sim suits were draped over the back of the sofa. It couldn’t be more different than the spare, concrete studio I’d been renting for the past month. “Why?”

Victor grabbed me by my shirt collar and shook hard. I shoved him off, more surprised than angry. “What the hell?” I asked.

He smoothed his hair with a hand, but not one carefully styled lock was out of place. “There are four men wandering Rockaroke asking about you.”

“What?”

“I was trying to warn you not to come tonight. To stay the hell away.” He cracked his knuckles in frustration. “But you, nitwit, couldn’t be bothered to recharge your Vox.”

“Who are these guys? Did you talk to them?”