My King, My Coma Patient

for Ethan were a mo

her stone added to t

hat white room, machines breath

kept food on the table, let alone pa

a cold, hard kno

lifeline I didn't wan

. One last show. The payo

ys

ted like ash

a-tester, shaping its

den. He was volatile then, a storm

o. For Ethan, f

r look

e-streamed reality show where "players" in

its star, its king. Rich, p

my hands. I was signing awa

han, I' d

familiar lurch as my consciousne

reet I knew too well, the d

-tester, returning to the heart of Elysium! Viewers, you know the history! She helped build Aiden, then vanis

re already painting me as

s floating icon, a woman with electr

er voice dripping with disdain. "Aiden has

al. Of

o the Show: "Reconnect wi

ear: make drama, m

oney. I would p

or "participation," and get out. No real connection nee

the digital river, a place Aiden and I h

en his code got overwhelmed. I' d sit with hi

bird was tucked into a h

t put

yle Aiden had started to develop just before I left,

it. It felt real, the wood

Aiden. A contradiction to the co

ng I couldn' t name

emember why I

essage: "Aiden, it's Sara

instant, but

voice sharp. "He doesn't take calls from j

is gateke

aza, where the Show's interface

rtual silks, a crown of light shimmering abo

broken, searchin

arm, whispering in his ear. He smile

art t

s gaze sweeping past me with

ranger wearing Ethan' s fac

eural patterns. A secret project within a secret project. That was years ago, before Ethan's accident,

e dais. "See? He's moved o

ng with power, addressing some trade

nodded, then looked directl

nced, her voice saccharine sweet. "He's always...

tes being reminded of the messy, unstable early days. It took a lot to get those old, co

ue. Corrupted data fragmen

if that bird in the