For once, Indie was awake when her phone rang. Only two people in the world called her, both of them her parents. This week it was Mom. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she picked up the phone. Another lecture, another long talk about how she needed to get a job. At least she knew they loved her, at least it was coming from a good place - she thought.

After, there was little point in avoiding the day.

“I know Mom.”

She always knew. She pulled on sweat-pants and a hoodie and grabbed her phone, stuffing it into her front pocket. It was Saturday at least, she could ignore the nagging for today.

Outside her room was quiet, the kitchen was little more than a microwave, a sink, a fridge and a plastic table better suited for outside. The small house she lived in with her sister and her sister’s friend was at least liveable. Her sister Skye sat at the table with their headphones on, watching something on their laptop. They looked up at her when she entered, smiled and pulled down the headphones.

“Mom call?”

Indie made her way to the kettle, “Yeah.”

“Listen, me and Scarlett are going out tonight-”

Indie pulled her phone out as the kettle boiled, “Can’t.”

“Why not?”

Indie shrugged, the kettle whistled.

“Indie…”

“Mooom,” she made herself a coffee and contemplated heading back to her room.

“This isn’t about that game is it?”

Her phone chimed, she was already getting messages from her guild-mates, “It’s fine, you don’t get it.”

“You never come out with us.”

Indie tapped away at the keys, “You know I raid on Saturdays.”

“Miss one for once.”

Not like it mattered, most of the chatter was about them having no heals for tonight’s raid. Fucking breeders having lives.

“Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Indie went to protest when Skye’s phone rang and they had to jump up to get it from the charger.

“Skye Carmine.”

They leant back against the counter, listening intently.

“It’s the weekend Gary… Mister Waller. No, I know I’m… but I…”

Indie looked down at her own phone, she reluctantly called raid off - no point without enough people - before opening up Egress Stopped. This game was addictive, even without doing the walking around and having friends part.

“I can’t come in and work today, my sister’s sick.”

Indie coughed loudly, Skye gave her a thumbs up.

“Alright, I’ll finish the report from home… Bye.”

Skye hung up and screamed at their phone before threatening to hurl it across the room.

“Fucking asshole.”

Skye plugged their phone back in and fumed, making themself another cup of coffee. Indie turned her attention back to the game, it wanted her to go outside and find that relic.

The front door open with a loud bang, Scarlett was home and Skye gripped the bridge of their nose and breathed out calmly.

“Hey guys!”

Scarlett strolled into the room with a cigarette between their lips, “How’s the morning going?”

“Hello Scar, but can you go outside with that… thing?”

Scarlett grabbed the cigarette, their face crimson, “Oh right, shit sorry.”

Skye had recently given up, part of the job requirements of being a whipping girl for a big law firm. Scarlett made their way out into the backyard through the glass doors and sat in the garden. Indie grabbed her untouched coffee and took it outside with her. Might as well grab that relic before it disappeared.

Scarlett was sitting cross-legged like a monk, foot on knee. They had their eyes closed but kept puffing on the cigarette.

“Hey Indie.”

She crouched down, “Here.”

They opened their eyes and saw the cup, taking it with their free hand, “Thanks.”

Indie went back to her game.

“You coming out with us tonight?”

Indie tapped her screen, “Nope.”

“You should, your sister would really like to spend time with you.”

Indie tapped impatiently as the relic slowly uncovered.

“She misses spending time with you, you spend so much time in that game she doesn’t feel like she sees you any more. I know it’s your game night but, just this once you should come out with us.”

Indie sighed, “Raid’s off anyway.”

Scarlett sipped the coffee, “We’re leaving at six, wear something nice.”

Indie left for the kitchen again, she’d finished what she came for. Heading back to her room she sat down at her desk, turned on her computer and logged in. No-one was in game, so she tried to get into something else. The only thing that interested her was Egress Stopped, she was so close to being strong enough to take over that fort nearby, but that required walking.

Instead she settled on whiling away the day fixing code - leaving it to pick out something to wear and shower.

***

The Khamsa Casino was a night sight in downtown, a large blue tile and glass eyesore made up of pyramids and minarets. Blue stone paths lead them through a garden entrance and into the main foyer. Staircases and escalators lead the crowds in three directions as the stones gave way to blue carpet.

Indie felt distinctly out of place. Everyone out was in their finest and she had pulled on a skirt, a jacket and some sneakers. Even Skye in their blue jeans and checkered shirt seemed more in place than she felt. Scarlett always wore dresses and cheerily drifted up the stairs to the right.

It was incredibly busy, passing by restaurants and cafes, boutique stores and trinket shops. The urge to go and explore this strange new addition to downtown almost lured her away from Skye, but they were bee-lining for something. As they rounded a corner and found it, Indie’s insides turned to cement.

It was cabaret.

The cabaret bar was almost as red as the casino was blue. Garish, horrid levels of red. At least it wasn’t quite as bright, the lights were dimmer and ready to go down as the stage hands finished whatever they were preparing for.

They sat down the front, Skye and Scarlett tingling with excitement. She took the menu, bar food was always the worst part of going out with her sister. At least this one had decent sounding food. Scarlett ordered for them, and returned from the bar with the drinks. When the food arrived, Indie finally had something there to distract her from the stage. Her phone wasn’t getting a signal inside and when the lights dimmed it was too dark to see anything but the stage. The bright white lights over the stage blinked on.

“It’s starting!” Skye excitedly whispered.

The entire feel of the room changed, a new energy thrummed through the crowd. A woman emerged onto the stage in a white dress, a microphone in their hand.

“I was in a fog, I didn’t notice everything… everything… was coming all apart inside of me.”

Indie watched intently as the woman sat down in the centre of the stage, “There wasn’t a way for anyone to settle in, you made a slow disaster out of me.”

Indie grabbed a buffalo wing and stuffed it in her mouth, her eyes unable to escape. She knew that song, but couldn’t place it.

“There’s a radiant darkness upon us, but I don’t want you to worry. I was careful but nothing is harmless, baby you better hurry.”

A second woman emerged onto stage, they rushed to the first’s side and offered a hand to help them up.

“You were a kindness when I was a stranger, but I wouldn’t ask for what I didn’t need.”

The new woman raised a microphone, “Everything’s weird and we’re always in danger, why would you shatter somebody like me?”

“It doesn’t work that way, wanting not to want you won’t make it so. It doesn’t work that way.”

The room suddenly felt darker, warmer, she couldn’t breath.

“Don’t leave me here alone.”

She needed air, so she whispered to her sister before slipping away from the show. Even just outside of the bar was cooler, easier to breath.

She chided herself, what was that? It was… too much. She looked at her hands, the grease and sauce still staining her fingers. Maybe it had been the sauce, yeah, lets go with that.

***

The Casino was massive, easy enough to get lost in that by the time she had found the bathroom and washed her hands she had gotten herself lost. Walking past the gaming floor, she lingered for a moment to watch the rich people playing. She wondered about how it’d feel to throw away money. Leaning against the railing overlooking the floor, it was tempting to wonder about how good her chances could be at winning enough to pay her debts. Zero was the most likely number, even the whisper of a dream of anything more made her turn tail and flee to the confines of what she thought was the hallway connecting the gaming floor with where she wanted to be.

It wasn’t. Passing by a glass windowed booth she thought nothing of it, then she emerged into a room with several tables, chairs, a microwave, a lounge and a TV hung on the wall opposite. A fridge beside her and the ominous feeling of trespassing. Worst of all, standing right in front of her were two women; one in business attire and the other in a knee length white dress. They had seen her, but kept talking between themselves.

The white dressed woman asked, “Is it still getting installed?”

The business woman shook their head, “No, they finished a few days ago, but now we’ve got other problems.”

“Well that ruins my plans.”

“Why?”

The Blonde looked at her as she tried to back out, “I need someone from tech to install something for me. You.”

Indie froze, turning scarlet but facing them.

“Who are you?”

The business woman waved her off, “Let her go Kriem, she’s clearly harmless.”

“Or she could be useful, you look like someone who knows code.”

“H-how’d you know?”

They gestured to her shirt, her black Ironman t-shirt she’d thrown on at the last minute. She hadn’t even realised she left her jacket back at the cabaret.

“Are you a coder?”

“Programmer,” she nodded, “yeah.”

“Can you install computers?”

She’d built her first PC from parts, not even whole parts, “Yeah.”

The business woman gently grabbed the Blonde’s shoulder, “You have fun, but hire a professional - she looks like she plays more than she builds.”

They left her alone with the blonde, who examined her with a stern look on their face.

“You’re a programmer, and you can install computers. Correct?”

Indie nodded, meekly. Was she having her first job interview?

“What kind of programmer?”

“Netsec.”

They threw up a quizzical look, “Netsec?”

“Network security.”

They smiled, “You’re a hacker.”

Indie nodded, a bit bolder, “White hat.”

They didn’t seem to get the concept.

“I look for bugs and exploits and report them so the bad guys can’t use them.”

“Perfect,” the Blonde reached into their purse, “how’s five hundred an hour sound?”

She nearly choked, but steadied herself - not her voice - before answering, “Y-yeah, sounds f-fine.”

They offered her a card, it only had an address on it.

“That’s my place, show up tomorrow and prove you know a processor from a stick of ram and you’ll get the job.”

“D-do, do I have to bring anything?”

“No,” the blonde waved a hand, “I have all the parts and tools, I hope… unless you know a lawyer, or a bartender. Then you’d solve all my problems.”

They laughed, Indie cringed. They stopped dead when they noticed.

“You do, don’t you?”

Indie nodded.

“Bring them, I’ll give you a thousand dollars if they both show up. That’s how much I need them.”

Indie swallowed, unsure how she’d get Skye and Scarlett to show up. She looked at the card, then back up to find the blonde walking off down the hall. She should probably get back to her sister.