Chapter 47
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
They stared at each other for a long moment, a certain familiarity was present, neither could deny it.
"Pardon me, you are saying Great Hair guy is my father?" Quinn continued to stare at the older woman, she barely had any wrinkles, just some smile lines in the corner of her eyes.
"Great Hair guy?" Louise laughed at the phrase, "Quinn certainly has great hair."
"Your sons name is Quinn?" Quinn zoomed in on the Tree program.
Quinn Obreen: Age 49
(Daughter) Emily Moore/Obreen Age 28
(Son) ???? Age ???
"Yes, although he goes by Gus. His full name is Quinn Gustaphas Obreen." Louise smiled at the young man, "you are quite handsome."
"Thank you, I really like your face too." Quinn returned her smile, at least he didn't have that middle name.
"How old are you Quinn?" Louise opened up another hud as she spoke.
"I'm 20, although it will be my birthday in a few weeks." Quinn sat his notebook down, his mind spinning in circles.
"So about 22 years ago, sorry am just checking Quinn's assignments during that time. " She stopped when she found it, "he was handling a marketing campaign for some VR games in Las Vegas, he was there 9 months."
"So it's true then." Quinn hadn't really doubted it, no one would be breaking down his door to claim kinship. He bowed his head slightly, "it's nice to meet you Grandma."
Em returned dragging her dad by the hand. "Dad, come and talk to Quinn."
"What's this about Em? I've met Quinn before." Gus Obreen stopped when he noticed his mother sitting in front of the hud. "Mom? "
"Come in Gus, there's someone you should talk to." Louise placed a hand over her chest, her heart was pounding so hard.
"Hello again Quinn, I hope you are well." Gus stared at the two women who were pushing him to speak more.
"Quinn, tell Dad your Moms name." Em stood behind her Grandma, giving her dad a clear view.
"My moms name was Ella Riley. She passed away when I was ten." Quinn said it easily, but the truth was, since he had found out what HYLO had done, the statement hit him hard.
"Ella Riley's son? Ella has died?" Gus gritted his teeth as he struggled with the news. He didn't know it, but this obvious struggle made Quinn very happy.
"Dad... look at the Tree program on the hud. He's my little brother!" Em's breathe caught in her throat as she said it outloud, "my little brother..." She stared at Quinn who seemed to realize the same thing.
Gus stared at the Tree program, he was well aware of its use.
"Quinn, when is your birthday?" Louise brought up the blinking space below her granddaughter's name.
"It's April 11, 2099." Quinn replied, as she entered his name into the program.
Quinn Obreen: Age 49
(Daughter) Emily Moore/Obreen Age 28
(Son) Quinn Riley/Obreen Age 20
Quinn watched as his dad broke down and cried, "I didn't know. She never mentioned it. I went back to New York and she stopped taking my calls."
"You are in Las Vegas Quinn?" Louise dried her eyes with a flowered handkerchief and spoke to her grandson. "Would you be able to visit us?"
"I would like that, however it is impossible at this time." Quinn would like nothing better then to bring his small family and introduce them to these people.
"It's fine Quinn, I'm coming to see you." Louise stood up and glanced at Gus. "I'm going to break the news to your father."
Quinn smiled, "of course, you are more then welcome to visit anytime."
Quinn spoke with Gus and Em for a while longer before hanging up, the reality was that it had taken everyone by surprise and no one knew what to say. He remembered Anna and Tals sudden departure, "they must suspect something."
He walked down the hall to Anna's room, the door was closed, he could hear them talking. He knocked softly.
Anna answered a few moments later, Tal was sitting at the desk, they had obviously just closed a hud.
"It's fine guys, I already know." Quinn brushed past Anna and took a seat on her bed.
"Wait. What do you know Quinn?" Anna had been investigating Obreen's whereabouts twenty years ago, she hadn't been able to pinpoint it.
"Quinn Obreen is my father. I talked to both him and his mother a few minutes ago." It felt odd saying it, his family was growing.
********
Quinn's short ugly Avatar logged into the gaming hub at Exodus. He walked toward the lamp where he was suppose to meet Jangles. There was a thin blonde haired man standing there.
Quinn grinned when he looked at him. "BJ?"
The thin man returned his grin, "Silas is fine Quinn."
Quinn nodded, "lets take a stroll Silas."
They stopped near an vacant Exodus point. "The Exodus gate to TAP will be here, once they join Exodus, all log-on activity will pass through this point. "
"So TAP NPCs will be able to set up shops here?" Silas followed Quinn as he walked along the future Market Square for TAP.
"Yes, but not just NPCs, you or I could own a shop here as well." Quinn stopped and pointed at three prime future sites. "I"ve bid on two of these, I would like you to bid on the third."
"I could bid, but is HYLO really going to let me or you attain these properties?" He watched as Quinn displayed the numbers on his hud. "It's like I thought, HYLO has bid beyond what you or I could afford."
Q nodded at him, "yep, that's the way of it so far. I would still like you to bid though. Since no one else dares bid against HYLO, if they were to withdraw, you'd win by default."
Silas looked around and then lowered his voice, "are you saying that there is a chance HYLO may withdraw their bids?"
Quinn didn't confirm nor deny it, "am throwing you a bone because you've helped me on a few occasions. Is there any harm in bidding?"
Silas seemed to think about it, "if they don't withdraw then it doesn't really matter. If they do, then I will have attained this property for a fraction of the cost."
"Silas, all TAP traffic will pass through here, not just Fenway or Talon." Once a game joins Exodus, the entire population, both NPCs and Heroes will have access to much of Exodus.
"I usually don't make these kind of decisions without consulting my legal and financial departments." Silas knew without asking, that the risk of exposure was too great to follow normal routes.
"It's a risk on your part, am only giving you a heads-up, what you do with it is up to you." Quinn felt as if this would repay at least part of what he owed Jangles.
Silas nodded, "I'll give you my decision in a few days."
"Sounds good. You have at least two weeks to bid." Quinn noticed the time, "have to run, cya soon."
Silas waved, "cya Quinn."
"Log-On TAP"
TAP Interface Acquired.
Synchronizing character data.....
Welcome Back Q, find your path!
HQ was empty except for Bezri, Q gave him a quick wave and headed out the door. He immediately equipped his Jetpack and slid the control glove on his left hand, he put he grappling bracer on his right wrist. Time to find Zephyr. He had left his people with strict orders to immediately become proficient in the use of jetpacks.
Q fired up the jetpack by making a fist with the gloved hand, it was a simple control method that involved moving your hand in the direction you wanted. Make a fist to start, open your hand to shut it down. He practiced for a few minutes outside of HQ.
"No place to use the grapple here, perhaps up in the cliffs would be better." He headed over to the barracks, immediately Q saw Phoenix dragging Accel around by the ankle. "Damn... she's vicious, I love it." Q was forced to dodge as she released the grappling hook and sent Accel flying toward him.
When Zephyr noticed Q's arrival they stopped what they were doing and joined him, a rather grouchy looking Accel was spitting dirt out of his mouth.
Q opened his hand and landed easily. "Nice to see all of you together finally."
Phoenix shook her head at accel, "Hey Q, we are a bit curious as to what our plans are now that we've left Zohai."
"Easy enough, I plan taking a team to Exodus to participate in their annual championship." Q watched their reaction, none of them were scared of facing the best of Exodus. They had spend years working for them.
"The first rounds start soon, we'll just be able to make it if TAP joins on schedule." Phoenix smiled at her boss, "I don't mind hitting a few of those fools."
"I'll be saving each of you for the final." Q shrugged off their stunned looks, "and I plan on having the final in Zohai."
They all started talking at once.
"In Zohai?"
"Is that possible?"
"Who will fight then?"
"The NPCs will fight most of the rounds in Exodus, we have the advantage on the other games in Exodus, their NPCs aren't AI based." Q closed his fist and fired up his jetpack, "any other questions?"
"Hey boss, is it possible to have the Songbirds spar with us?" Craven said it with a straight face, although Phoenix rolled her eyes.
"Funny you should ask that, Lara Sy specifically asked to spar with you," Q said mimicking his straight face.
"She did?" Craven's face broke into a grin as he stuck his chest out.
"No... now get back to it Romeo." Q accelerated out of there to the chorus of laughter and headed toward the cliffs.
Q opened up his hud and paged Tal, a moment later her blue eyes stared at him from his hud.
"Hey Quinn, what's up?" Tal smiled sweetly, "I'm working on a plan to grab that track."
"If you can take a break, bring your jetpack to my position." Q waited for her respond.
"Really? Yes I can spare some time," Tal gave him a surprised look and then closed com.
It didn't take long, Tal was using the Jetpack, staying close to the ground and moving tentatively.
Q fired up his jetpack and waited. "Looks good, you've got the basics. Let's get some practice in."
Tal focused on her movement and hovered in front of Q. "New things always seem to take me longer."
"Smart people are almost always visual. You're an exception, you learn by doing." Q moved in closer and grabbed her free hand.
Tal squeezed his hand tightly, "how come you know so much about me Little Q?"
"Really? I should know these things about my girlfriend right?" Q slowly started to pull her through the air. "Now hold on and copy my movements as we go, I'll make them slow at first."
Q had only meant to spend half an hour or so practicing with her, but surprisingly she caught on very fast and in no time they were zipping in and out of the bluffs.
System Message: You have learned a new NPC Assassin ability: Basic Flight
"Well, I should have seen that coming I suppose." Q glanced at Tal, "did you get a system message about basic flight by chance?"
Tal nodded, "about 30 minutes ago."
"....." Quinn.
After more than an hour, Q finally stopped. "It's about lunch time, you did great!"
Tal turned her pretty blue eyes on him, "am definitely going to treat you to something nice Quinn."
"I'm gonna log right here Tal."
"I want to talk to Remmy about a few things, so I'm heading back to HQ before I log." Tal moved in close and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Thank you Quinn." She gave him a quick kiss and then jetted away.
Q watched her for a moment and cut power to his jetpack. "I should ask Tal how long these stay powered. Log-Off TAP."
Quinn was in his bed when he logged out, he had made habit of letting Tal use the VR chamber. He walked out of his room, stretching his arms over his head. He stood at the railing looking down at the living room. Anna was sitting backwards on the couch, staring out the window.
"You peeping on someone Nanna?" Quinn slid down the railing and landed solidly on his feet.
"Nice landing, something odd is going on outside." Anna turned back around.
"Oh? " Quinn walked out the front door stopping halfway down his driveway. The for sale signs on the two other houses in the cul de sac were being taken down.
"What are the odds?" Anna had decided to join him outside.
There were two nearly identical black sedans parked in the cul de sac. A group of four people stood in the driveway talking.
"Same group bought both places?" Quinn glanced at Anna, she'd been watchin longer then him.
"Yep, it seems that way." Anna stared for a moment longer, "hey... I know that woman."
The woman seemed to sense them watching. She said something to the group and then walked toward Quinn and Anna.
"Let me guess, they are from Orion Media?" Quinn noted the time on his hud, it had been just over three hours since he spoke with his Obreen relatives.
"Yes, that woman is Ursula Scheer, your Dads personal assistant," Anna said it with a certain amount of distaste.
Quinn had to admit it, his assistant certainly was attractive. She reminded him of a colder version of Tal.
"Mr. Obreen I presume?" Ursula carried a clipboard and wore rimless glasses.
"No, my name is Quinn Riley, Mr. Obreen would be the man you work for right?" Quinn decided he didn't like her.
"Of course, eventually it will be Obreen right? " She gave Anna a cold glare, "could you give me a moment with your boss?"
Quinn crossed his arms in front of him. "Anna doesn't work for me, she's my business partner." He placed a hand on Anna's shoulder and scowled at Ursula, "did my father hire you because you're an ass? Get the hell out of my driveway!" Quinn turned around and walked back inside, dragging a stunned Anna with him.
"Damn, she makes a first impression." Quinn was walking toward the kitchen when he felt Anna pounce on his back.
"I love you Q-Bear!!" She hugged him tight while clinging to his back.
Quinn laughed and sat her down on a chair next to the island. "I don't mind rude ass people, but I won't tolerate them talking to my family like that."
Anna's pretty face split into a wide grin, "I'm going to make you some sandwiches!"
"Thanks Nanna, Tal will be here in a bit, so we'll wait for her." Quinn opened up his hud and called Em. It was only a moment before she answered.
"Quinn!" She had been smiling ever since she had talked with him earlier.
Quinn could see a suitcase on the bed behind her. "Going on a trip Em?" He got the feeling that Em didn't normally smile much, she was a very pretty woman.
She sat down at her desk. "You know I am, going to see my little brother."
Quinn laughed, "I noticed that the houses on either side of mine were recently purchased by Orion Media."
"Oh god, really?" Em sighed heavily, "they are always doing things like that."
Quinn shrugged, "doesn't matter to me, my house is already full anyway."
Em looked a bit disappointed, "oh I see."
Quinn's grinned at her, "but not for my big sister, I'll make room for you."
"You will? Thanks Quinn."
"Hey we didn't get a chance to meet up in Exodus." Quinn had an assignment for her, if she was willing.
"Hmm, a secret mission?" Em had already decided to help him, even before she had found out they were siblings.
"Yep, super secret. Only you and I will know." Quinn noticed that Tal was coming down the stairs.
"I won't let you down." She waved once and then cut com.
Pops came in through the garage entry, he was helping Ren who seemed to be moving rather well with her walker.
"Ren! No more wheelchair?" She usually had it when she came back from physical therapy, since the activity tended to wear her out.
"Nope all done with that!" She sat down at the island next to her mom. Pops joined them a moment later.
They joined hands, "thank you for the meal."
"And god bless Quinn." Tal was staring at him as they started eating.
'Crap.. did I do something?' Quinn scratched his head, 'guess I'll find out soon enough.'
"So Emily is coming to visit?" Anna had been listening to Quinn while she was making sandwiches.
Quinn nodded, "am guessing a few more people then just that. Why else would you need two houses?"
"She can stay with me Quinn." Ren surprised Quinn by volunteering.
"You sure?" He was going to ask Anna, but this would work out also.
"Yep, I want to get to know your sister. It's pretty awesome for me." Ren smiled sweetly, she knew Crow vaguely from TAP.
After lunch Quinn made his way back up the stairs, he could hear the metallic clicking of Tal's walk behind him.
He took a seat on the bed as Tal walked in. "Going to log back in Tal?"
She nodded at him as she shut the door. "In a bit I think."
"I'm going to take a quick nap first, then I will also." Quinn crawled onto his bed and sunk into his pillow. A moment later he felt a warm body cozy up to him.
"Think I'd like to join you for a while." She wrapped her arms around him, kissing the back of his neck. "I could be really quiet this time."
Quinn laughed aloud. "No you can't!"
Her full lips were still pressed against his neck as she smiled. "I suppose not, rain check til later then. Okay?"
Quinn nodded, already feeling sleepy. "Love you Tal."
"Mmm.. love you too Little Q."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
They stared at each other for a long moment, a certain familiarity was present, neither could deny it.
"Pardon me, you are saying Great Hair guy is my father?" Quinn continued to stare at the older woman, she barely had any wrinkles, just some smile lines in the corner of her eyes.
"Great Hair guy?" Louise laughed at the phrase, "Quinn certainly has great hair."
"Your sons name is Quinn?" Quinn zoomed in on the Tree program.
Quinn Obreen: Age 49
(Daughter) Emily Moore/Obreen Age 28
(Son) ???? Age ???
"Yes, although he goes by Gus. His full name is Quinn Gustaphas Obreen." Louise smiled at the young man, "you are quite handsome."
"Thank you, I really like your face too." Quinn returned her smile, at least he didn't have that middle name.
"How old are you Quinn?" Louise opened up another hud as she spoke.
"I'm 20, although it will be my birthday in a few weeks." Quinn sat his notebook down, his mind spinning in circles.
"So about 22 years ago, sorry am just checking Quinn's assignments during that time. " She stopped when she found it, "he was handling a marketing campaign for some VR games in Las Vegas, he was there 9 months."
"So it's true then." Quinn hadn't really doubted it, no one would be breaking down his door to claim kinship. He bowed his head slightly, "it's nice to meet you Grandma."
Em returned dragging her dad by the hand. "Dad, come and talk to Quinn."
"What's this about Em? I've met Quinn before." Gus Obreen stopped when he noticed his mother sitting in front of the hud. "Mom? "
"Come in Gus, there's someone you should talk to." Louise placed a hand over her chest, her heart was pounding so hard.
"Hello again Quinn, I hope you are well." Gus stared at the two women who were pushing him to speak more.
"Quinn, tell Dad your Moms name." Em stood behind her Grandma, giving her dad a clear view.
"My moms name was Ella Riley. She passed away when I was ten." Quinn said it easily, but the truth was, since he had found out what HYLO had done, the statement hit him hard.
"Ella Riley's son? Ella has died?" Gus gritted his teeth as he struggled with the news. He didn't know it, but this obvious struggle made Quinn very happy.
"Dad... look at the Tree program on the hud. He's my little brother!" Em's breathe caught in her throat as she said it outloud, "my little brother..." She stared at Quinn who seemed to realize the same thing.
Gus stared at the Tree program, he was well aware of its use.
"Quinn, when is your birthday?" Louise brought up the blinking space below her granddaughter's name.
"It's April 11, 2099." Quinn replied, as she entered his name into the program.
Quinn Obreen: Age 49
(Daughter) Emily Moore/Obreen Age 28
(Son) Quinn Riley/Obreen Age 20
Quinn watched as his dad broke down and cried, "I didn't know. She never mentioned it. I went back to New York and she stopped taking my calls."
"You are in Las Vegas Quinn?" Louise dried her eyes with a flowered handkerchief and spoke to her grandson. "Would you be able to visit us?"
"I would like that, however it is impossible at this time." Quinn would like nothing better then to bring his small family and introduce them to these people.
"It's fine Quinn, I'm coming to see you." Louise stood up and glanced at Gus. "I'm going to break the news to your father."
Quinn smiled, "of course, you are more then welcome to visit anytime."
Quinn spoke with Gus and Em for a while longer before hanging up, the reality was that it had taken everyone by surprise and no one knew what to say. He remembered Anna and Tals sudden departure, "they must suspect something."
He walked down the hall to Anna's room, the door was closed, he could hear them talking. He knocked softly.
Anna answered a few moments later, Tal was sitting at the desk, they had obviously just closed a hud.
"It's fine guys, I already know." Quinn brushed past Anna and took a seat on her bed.
"Wait. What do you know Quinn?" Anna had been investigating Obreen's whereabouts twenty years ago, she hadn't been able to pinpoint it.
"Quinn Obreen is my father. I talked to both him and his mother a few minutes ago." It felt odd saying it, his family was growing.
********
Quinn's short ugly Avatar logged into the gaming hub at Exodus. He walked toward the lamp where he was suppose to meet Jangles. There was a thin blonde haired man standing there.
Quinn grinned when he looked at him. "BJ?"
The thin man returned his grin, "Silas is fine Quinn."
Quinn nodded, "lets take a stroll Silas."
They stopped near an vacant Exodus point. "The Exodus gate to TAP will be here, once they join Exodus, all log-on activity will pass through this point. "
"So TAP NPCs will be able to set up shops here?" Silas followed Quinn as he walked along the future Market Square for TAP.
"Yes, but not just NPCs, you or I could own a shop here as well." Quinn stopped and pointed at three prime future sites. "I"ve bid on two of these, I would like you to bid on the third."
"I could bid, but is HYLO really going to let me or you attain these properties?" He watched as Quinn displayed the numbers on his hud. "It's like I thought, HYLO has bid beyond what you or I could afford."
Q nodded at him, "yep, that's the way of it so far. I would still like you to bid though. Since no one else dares bid against HYLO, if they were to withdraw, you'd win by default."
Silas looked around and then lowered his voice, "are you saying that there is a chance HYLO may withdraw their bids?"
Quinn didn't confirm nor deny it, "am throwing you a bone because you've helped me on a few occasions. Is there any harm in bidding?"
Silas seemed to think about it, "if they don't withdraw then it doesn't really matter. If they do, then I will have attained this property for a fraction of the cost."
"Silas, all TAP traffic will pass through here, not just Fenway or Talon." Once a game joins Exodus, the entire population, both NPCs and Heroes will have access to much of Exodus.
"I usually don't make these kind of decisions without consulting my legal and financial departments." Silas knew without asking, that the risk of exposure was too great to follow normal routes.
"It's a risk on your part, am only giving you a heads-up, what you do with it is up to you." Quinn felt as if this would repay at least part of what he owed Jangles.
Silas nodded, "I'll give you my decision in a few days."
"Sounds good. You have at least two weeks to bid." Quinn noticed the time, "have to run, cya soon."
Silas waved, "cya Quinn."
"Log-On TAP"
TAP Interface Acquired.
Synchronizing character data.....
Welcome Back Q, find your path!
HQ was empty except for Bezri, Q gave him a quick wave and headed out the door. He immediately equipped his Jetpack and slid the control glove on his left hand, he put he grappling bracer on his right wrist. Time to find Zephyr. He had left his people with strict orders to immediately become proficient in the use of jetpacks.
Q fired up the jetpack by making a fist with the gloved hand, it was a simple control method that involved moving your hand in the direction you wanted. Make a fist to start, open your hand to shut it down. He practiced for a few minutes outside of HQ.
"No place to use the grapple here, perhaps up in the cliffs would be better." He headed over to the barracks, immediately Q saw Phoenix dragging Accel around by the ankle. "Damn... she's vicious, I love it." Q was forced to dodge as she released the grappling hook and sent Accel flying toward him.
When Zephyr noticed Q's arrival they stopped what they were doing and joined him, a rather grouchy looking Accel was spitting dirt out of his mouth.
Q opened his hand and landed easily. "Nice to see all of you together finally."
Phoenix shook her head at accel, "Hey Q, we are a bit curious as to what our plans are now that we've left Zohai."
"Easy enough, I plan taking a team to Exodus to participate in their annual championship." Q watched their reaction, none of them were scared of facing the best of Exodus. They had spend years working for them.
"The first rounds start soon, we'll just be able to make it if TAP joins on schedule." Phoenix smiled at her boss, "I don't mind hitting a few of those fools."
"I'll be saving each of you for the final." Q shrugged off their stunned looks, "and I plan on having the final in Zohai."
They all started talking at once.
"In Zohai?"
"Is that possible?"
"Who will fight then?"
"The NPCs will fight most of the rounds in Exodus, we have the advantage on the other games in Exodus, their NPCs aren't AI based." Q closed his fist and fired up his jetpack, "any other questions?"
"Hey boss, is it possible to have the Songbirds spar with us?" Craven said it with a straight face, although Phoenix rolled her eyes.
"Funny you should ask that, Lara Sy specifically asked to spar with you," Q said mimicking his straight face.
"She did?" Craven's face broke into a grin as he stuck his chest out.
"No... now get back to it Romeo." Q accelerated out of there to the chorus of laughter and headed toward the cliffs.
Q opened up his hud and paged Tal, a moment later her blue eyes stared at him from his hud.
"Hey Quinn, what's up?" Tal smiled sweetly, "I'm working on a plan to grab that track."
"If you can take a break, bring your jetpack to my position." Q waited for her respond.
"Really? Yes I can spare some time," Tal gave him a surprised look and then closed com.
It didn't take long, Tal was using the Jetpack, staying close to the ground and moving tentatively.
Q fired up his jetpack and waited. "Looks good, you've got the basics. Let's get some practice in."
Tal focused on her movement and hovered in front of Q. "New things always seem to take me longer."
"Smart people are almost always visual. You're an exception, you learn by doing." Q moved in closer and grabbed her free hand.
Tal squeezed his hand tightly, "how come you know so much about me Little Q?"
"Really? I should know these things about my girlfriend right?" Q slowly started to pull her through the air. "Now hold on and copy my movements as we go, I'll make them slow at first."
Q had only meant to spend half an hour or so practicing with her, but surprisingly she caught on very fast and in no time they were zipping in and out of the bluffs.
System Message: You have learned a new NPC Assassin ability: Basic Flight
"Well, I should have seen that coming I suppose." Q glanced at Tal, "did you get a system message about basic flight by chance?"
Tal nodded, "about 30 minutes ago."
"....." Quinn.
After more than an hour, Q finally stopped. "It's about lunch time, you did great!"
Tal turned her pretty blue eyes on him, "am definitely going to treat you to something nice Quinn."
"I'm gonna log right here Tal."
"I want to talk to Remmy about a few things, so I'm heading back to HQ before I log." Tal moved in close and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Thank you Quinn." She gave him a quick kiss and then jetted away.
Q watched her for a moment and cut power to his jetpack. "I should ask Tal how long these stay powered. Log-Off TAP."
Quinn was in his bed when he logged out, he had made habit of letting Tal use the VR chamber. He walked out of his room, stretching his arms over his head. He stood at the railing looking down at the living room. Anna was sitting backwards on the couch, staring out the window.
"You peeping on someone Nanna?" Quinn slid down the railing and landed solidly on his feet.
"Nice landing, something odd is going on outside." Anna turned back around.
"Oh? " Quinn walked out the front door stopping halfway down his driveway. The for sale signs on the two other houses in the cul de sac were being taken down.
"What are the odds?" Anna had decided to join him outside.
There were two nearly identical black sedans parked in the cul de sac. A group of four people stood in the driveway talking.
"Same group bought both places?" Quinn glanced at Anna, she'd been watchin longer then him.
"Yep, it seems that way." Anna stared for a moment longer, "hey... I know that woman."
The woman seemed to sense them watching. She said something to the group and then walked toward Quinn and Anna.
"Let me guess, they are from Orion Media?" Quinn noted the time on his hud, it had been just over three hours since he spoke with his Obreen relatives.
"Yes, that woman is Ursula Scheer, your Dads personal assistant," Anna said it with a certain amount of distaste.
Quinn had to admit it, his assistant certainly was attractive. She reminded him of a colder version of Tal.
"Mr. Obreen I presume?" Ursula carried a clipboard and wore rimless glasses.
"No, my name is Quinn Riley, Mr. Obreen would be the man you work for right?" Quinn decided he didn't like her.
"Of course, eventually it will be Obreen right? " She gave Anna a cold glare, "could you give me a moment with your boss?"
Quinn crossed his arms in front of him. "Anna doesn't work for me, she's my business partner." He placed a hand on Anna's shoulder and scowled at Ursula, "did my father hire you because you're an ass? Get the hell out of my driveway!" Quinn turned around and walked back inside, dragging a stunned Anna with him.
"Damn, she makes a first impression." Quinn was walking toward the kitchen when he felt Anna pounce on his back.
"I love you Q-Bear!!" She hugged him tight while clinging to his back.
Quinn laughed and sat her down on a chair next to the island. "I don't mind rude ass people, but I won't tolerate them talking to my family like that."
Anna's pretty face split into a wide grin, "I'm going to make you some sandwiches!"
"Thanks Nanna, Tal will be here in a bit, so we'll wait for her." Quinn opened up his hud and called Em. It was only a moment before she answered.
"Quinn!" She had been smiling ever since she had talked with him earlier.
Quinn could see a suitcase on the bed behind her. "Going on a trip Em?" He got the feeling that Em didn't normally smile much, she was a very pretty woman.
She sat down at her desk. "You know I am, going to see my little brother."
Quinn laughed, "I noticed that the houses on either side of mine were recently purchased by Orion Media."
"Oh god, really?" Em sighed heavily, "they are always doing things like that."
Quinn shrugged, "doesn't matter to me, my house is already full anyway."
Em looked a bit disappointed, "oh I see."
Quinn's grinned at her, "but not for my big sister, I'll make room for you."
"You will? Thanks Quinn."
"Hey we didn't get a chance to meet up in Exodus." Quinn had an assignment for her, if she was willing.
"Hmm, a secret mission?" Em had already decided to help him, even before she had found out they were siblings.
"Yep, super secret. Only you and I will know." Quinn noticed that Tal was coming down the stairs.
"I won't let you down." She waved once and then cut com.
Pops came in through the garage entry, he was helping Ren who seemed to be moving rather well with her walker.
"Ren! No more wheelchair?" She usually had it when she came back from physical therapy, since the activity tended to wear her out.
"Nope all done with that!" She sat down at the island next to her mom. Pops joined them a moment later.
They joined hands, "thank you for the meal."
"And god bless Quinn." Tal was staring at him as they started eating.
'Crap.. did I do something?' Quinn scratched his head, 'guess I'll find out soon enough.'
"So Emily is coming to visit?" Anna had been listening to Quinn while she was making sandwiches.
Quinn nodded, "am guessing a few more people then just that. Why else would you need two houses?"
"She can stay with me Quinn." Ren surprised Quinn by volunteering.
"You sure?" He was going to ask Anna, but this would work out also.
"Yep, I want to get to know your sister. It's pretty awesome for me." Ren smiled sweetly, she knew Crow vaguely from TAP.
After lunch Quinn made his way back up the stairs, he could hear the metallic clicking of Tal's walk behind him.
He took a seat on the bed as Tal walked in. "Going to log back in Tal?"
She nodded at him as she shut the door. "In a bit I think."
"I'm going to take a quick nap first, then I will also." Quinn crawled onto his bed and sunk into his pillow. A moment later he felt a warm body cozy up to him.
"Think I'd like to join you for a while." She wrapped her arms around him, kissing the back of his neck. "I could be really quiet this time."
Quinn laughed aloud. "No you can't!"
Her full lips were still pressed against his neck as she smiled. "I suppose not, rain check til later then. Okay?"
Quinn nodded, already feeling sleepy. "Love you Tal."
"Mmm.. love you too Little Q."
They stared at each other for a long moment, a certain familiarity was present, neither could deny it."Pardon me, you are saying Great Hair guy is my father?" Quinn continued to stare at the older woman, she barely had any wrinkles, just some smile lines in the corner of her eyes."Great Hair guy?" Louise laughed at the phrase, "Quinn certainly has great hair.""Your sons name is Quinn?" Quinn zoomed in on the Tree program.Quinn Obreen: Age 49Daughter Emily Moore/Obreen Age 28Son ???? Age ???"Yes, although he goes by Gus. His full name is Quinn Gustaphas Obreen." Louise smiled at the young man, "you are quite handsome.""Thank you, I really like your face too." Quinn returned her smile, at least he didn't have that middle name."How old are you Quinn?" Louise opened up another hud as she spoke."I'm 20, although it will be my birthday in a few weeks." Quinn sat his notebook down, his mind spinning in circles."So about 22 years ago, sorry am just checking Quinn's assignments during that time. " She stopped when she found it, "he was handling a marketing campaign for some VR games in Las Vegas, he was there 9 months.""So it's true then." Quinn hadn't really doubted it, no one would be breaking down his door to claim kinship. He bowed his head slightly, "it's nice to meet you Grandma."Em returned dragging her dad by the hand. "Dad, come and talk to Quinn.""What's this about Em? I've met Quinn before." Gus Obreen stopped when he noticed his mother sitting in front of the hud. "Mom? ""Come in Gus, there's someone you should talk to." Louise placed a hand over her chest, her heart was pounding so hard."Hello again Quinn, I hope you are well." Gus stared at the two women who were pushing him to speak more."Quinn, tell Dad your Moms name." Em stood behind her Grandma, giving her dad a clear view."My moms name was Ella Riley. She passed away when I was ten." Quinn said it easily, but the truth was, since he had found out what HYLO had done, the statement hit him hard."Ella Riley's son? Ella has died?" Gus gritted his teeth as he struggled with the news. He didn't know it, but this obvious struggle made Quinn very happy."Dad... look at the Tree program on the hud. He's my little brother!" Em's breathe caught in her throat as she said it outloud, "my little brother..." She stared at Quinn who seemed to realize the same thing.Gus stared at the Tree program, he was well aware of its use."Quinn, when is your birthday?" Louise brought up the blinking space below her granddaughter's name."It's April 11, 2099." Quinn replied, as she entered his name into the program.Quinn Obreen: Age 49Daughter Emily Moore/Obreen Age 28Son Quinn Riley/Obreen Age 20Quinn watched as his dad broke down and cried, "I didn't know. She never mentioned it. I went back to New York and she stopped taking my calls.""You are in Las Vegas Quinn?" Louise dried her eyes with a flowered handkerchief and spoke to her grandson. "Would you be able to visit us?""I would like that, however it is impossible at this time." Quinn would like nothing better then to bring his small family and introduce them to these people."It's fine Quinn, I'm coming to see you." Louise stood up and glanced at Gus. "I'm going to break the news to your father."Quinn smiled, "of course, you are more then welcome to visit anytime."Quinn spoke with Gus and Em for a while longer before hanging up, the reality was that it had taken everyone by surprise and no one knew what to say. He remembered Anna and Tals sudden departure, "they must suspect something."He walked down the hall to Anna's room, the door was closed, he could hear them talking. He knocked softly.Anna answered a few moments later, Tal was sitting at the desk, they had obviously just closed a hud."It's fine guys, I already know." Quinn brushed past Anna and took a seat on her bed."Wait. What do you know Quinn?" Anna had been investigating Obreen's whereabouts twenty years ago, she hadn't been able to pinpoint it."Quinn Obreen is my father. I talked to both him and his mother a few minutes ago." It felt odd saying it, his family was growing.********Quinn's short ugly Avatar logged into the gaming hub at Exodus. He walked toward the lamp where he was suppose to meet Jangles. There was a thin blonde haired man standing there.Quinn grinned when he looked at him. "BJ?"The thin man returned his grin, "Silas is fine Quinn."Quinn nodded, "lets take a stroll Silas."They stopped near an vacant Exodus point. "The Exodus gate to TAP will be here, once they join Exodus, all log-on activity will pass through this point. ""So TAP NPCs will be able to set up shops here?" Silas followed Quinn as he walked along the future Market Square for TAP."Yes, but not just NPCs, you or I could own a shop here as well." Quinn stopped and pointed at three prime future sites. "I"ve bid on two of these, I would like you to bid on the third.""I could bid, but is HYLO really going to let me or you attain these properties?" He watched as Quinn displayed the numbers on his hud. "It's like I thought, HYLO has bid beyond what you or I could afford."Q nodded at him, "yep, that's the way of it so far. I would still like you to bid though. Since no one else dares bid against HYLO, if they were to withdraw, you'd win by default."Silas looked around and then lowered his voice, "are you saying that there is a chance HYLO may withdraw their bids?"Quinn didn't confirm nor deny it, "am throwing you a bone because you've helped me on a few occasions. Is there any harm in bidding?"Silas seemed to think about it, "if they don't withdraw then it doesn't really matter. If they do, then I will have attained this property for a fraction of the cost.""Silas, all TAP traffic will pass through here, not just Fenway or Talon." Once a game joins Exodus, the entire population, both NPCs and Heroes will have access to much of Exodus."I usually don't make these kind of decisions without consulting my legal and financial departments." Silas knew without asking, that the risk of exposure was too great to follow normal routes."It's a risk on your part, am only giving you a heads-up, what you do with it is up to you." Quinn felt as if this would repay at least part of what he owed Jangles.Silas nodded, "I'll give you my decision in a few days.""Sounds good. You have at least two weeks to bid." Quinn noticed the time, "have to run, cya soon."Silas waved, "cya Quinn.""Log-On TAP"TAP Interface Acquired.Synchronizing character data.....Welcome Back Q, find your path!HQ was empty except for Bezri, Q gave him a quick wave and headed out the door. He immediately equipped his Jetpack and slid the control glove on his left hand, he put he grappling bracer on his right wrist. Time to find Zephyr. He had left his people with strict orders to immediately become proficient in the use of jetpacks.Q fired up the jetpack by making a fist with the gloved hand, it was a simple control method that involved moving your hand in the direction you wanted. Make a fist to start, open your hand to shut it down. He practiced for a few minutes outside of HQ."No place to use the grapple here, perhaps up in the cliffs would be better." He headed over to the barracks, immediately Q saw Phoenix dragging Accel around by the ankle. "Damn... she's vicious, I love it." Q was forced to dodge as she released the grappling hook and sent Accel flying toward him.When Zephyr noticed Q's arrival they stopped what they were doing and joined him, a rather grouchy looking Accel was spitting dirt out of his mouth.Q opened his hand and landed easily. "Nice to see all of you together finally."Phoenix shook her head at accel, "Hey Q, we are a bit curious as to what our plans are now that we've left Zohai.""Easy enough, I plan taking a team to Exodus to participate in their annual championship." Q watched their reaction, none of them were scared of facing the best of Exodus. They had spend years working for them."The first rounds start soon, we'll just be able to make it if TAP joins on schedule." Phoenix smiled at her boss, "I don't mind hitting a few of those fools.""I'll be saving each of you for the final." Q shrugged off their stunned looks, "and I plan on having the final in Zohai."They all started talking at once."In Zohai?""Is that possible?""Who will fight then?""The NPCs will fight most of the rounds in Exodus, we have the advantage on the other games in Exodus, their NPCs aren't AI based." Q closed his fist and fired up his jetpack, "any other questions?""Hey boss, is it possible to have the Songbirds spar with us?" Craven said it with a straight face, although Phoenix rolled her eyes."Funny you should ask that, Lara Sy specifically asked to spar with you," Q said mimicking his straight face."She did?" Craven's face broke into a grin as he stuck his chest out."No... now get back to it Romeo." Q accelerated out of there to the chorus of laughter and headed toward the cliffs.Q opened up his hud and paged Tal, a moment later her blue eyes stared at him from his hud."Hey Quinn, what's up?" Tal smiled sweetly, "I'm working on a plan to grab that track.""If you can take a break, bring your jetpack to my position." Q waited for her respond."Really? Yes I can spare some time," Tal gave him a surprised look and then closed com.It didn't take long, Tal was using the Jetpack, staying close to the ground and moving tentatively.Q fired up his jetpack and waited. "Looks good, you've got the basics. Let's get some practice in."Tal focused on her movement and hovered in front of Q. "New things always seem to take me longer.""Smart people are almost always visual. You're an exception, you learn by doing." Q moved in closer and grabbed her free hand.Tal squeezed his hand tightly, "how come you know so much about me Little Q?""Really? I should know these things about my girlfriend right?" Q slowly started to pull her through the air. "Now hold on and copy my movements as we go, I'll make them slow at first."Q had only meant to spend half an hour or so practicing with her, but surprisingly she caught on very fast and in no time they were zipping in and out of the bluffs.System Message: You have learned a new NPC Assassin ability: Basic Flight"Well, I should have seen that coming I suppose." Q glanced at Tal, "did you get a system message about basic flight by chance?"Tal nodded, "about 30 minutes ago.""....." Quinn.After more than an hour, Q finally stopped. "It's about lunch time, you did great!"Tal turned her pretty blue eyes on him, "am definitely going to treat you to something nice Quinn.""I'm gonna log right here Tal.""I want to talk to Remmy about a few things, so I'm heading back to HQ before I log." Tal moved in close and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Thank you Quinn." She gave him a quick kiss and then jetted away.Q watched her for a moment and cut power to his jetpack. "I should ask Tal how long these stay powered. Log-Off TAP."Quinn was in his bed when he logged out, he had made habit of letting Tal use the VR chamber. He walked out of his room, stretching his arms over his head. He stood at the railing looking down at the living room. Anna was sitting backwards on the couch, staring out the window."You peeping on someone Nanna?" Quinn slid down the railing and landed solidly on his feet."Nice landing, something odd is going on outside." Anna turned back around."Oh? " Quinn walked out the front door stopping halfway down his driveway. The for sale signs on the two other houses in the cul de sac were being taken down."What are the odds?" Anna had decided to join him outside.There were two nearly identical black sedans parked in the cul de sac. A group of four people stood in the driveway talking."Same group bought both places?" Quinn glanced at Anna, she'd been watchin longer then him."Yep, it seems that way." Anna stared for a moment longer, "hey... I know that woman."The woman seemed to sense them watching. She said something to the group and then walked toward Quinn and Anna."Let me guess, they are from Orion Media?" Quinn noted the time on his hud, it had been just over three hours since he spoke with his Obreen relatives."Yes, that woman is Ursula Scheer, your Dads personal assistant," Anna said it with a certain amount of distaste.Quinn had to admit it, his assistant certainly was attractive. She reminded him of a colder version of Tal."Mr. Obreen I presume?" Ursula carried a clipboard and wore rimless glasses."No, my name is Quinn Riley, Mr. Obreen would be the man you work for right?" Quinn decided he didn't like her."Of course, eventually it will be Obreen right? " She gave Anna a cold glare, "could you give me a moment with your boss?"Quinn crossed his arms in front of him. "Anna doesn't work for me, she's my business partner." He placed a hand on Anna's shoulder and scowled at Ursula, "did my father hire you because you're an ass? Get the hell out of my driveway!" Quinn turned around and walked back inside, dragging a stunned Anna with him."Damn, she makes a first impression." Quinn was walking toward the kitchen when he felt Anna pounce on his back."I love you Q-Bear!!" She hugged him tight while clinging to his back.Quinn laughed and sat her down on a chair next to the island. "I don't mind rude ass people, but I won't tolerate them talking to my family like that."Anna's pretty face split into a wide grin, "I'm going to make you some sandwiches!""Thanks Nanna, Tal will be here in a bit, so we'll wait for her." Quinn opened up his hud and called Em. It was only a moment before she answered."Quinn!" She had been smiling ever since she had talked with him earlier.Quinn could see a suitcase on the bed behind her. "Going on a trip Em?" He got the feeling that Em didn't normally smile much, she was a very pretty woman.She sat down at her desk. "You know I am, going to see my little brother."Quinn laughed, "I noticed that the houses on either side of mine were recently purchased by Orion Media.""Oh god, really?" Em sighed heavily, "they are always doing things like that."Quinn shrugged, "doesn't matter to me, my house is already full anyway."Em looked a bit disappointed, "oh I see."Quinn's grinned at her, "but not for my big sister, I'll make room for you.""You will? Thanks Quinn.""Hey we didn't get a chance to meet up in Exodus." Quinn had an assignment for her, if she was willing."Hmm, a secret mission?" Em had already decided to help him, even before she had found out they were siblings."Yep, super secret. Only you and I will know." Quinn noticed that Tal was coming down the stairs."I won't let you down." She waved once and then cut com.Pops came in through the garage entry, he was helping Ren who seemed to be moving rather well with her walker."Ren! No more wheelchair?" She usually had it when she came back from physical therapy, since the activity tended to wear her out."Nope all done with that!" She sat down at the island next to her mom. Pops joined them a moment later.They joined hands, "thank you for the meal.""And god bless Quinn." Tal was staring at him as they started eating.'Crap.. did I do something?' Quinn scratched his head, 'guess I'll find out soon enough.'"So Emily is coming to visit?" Anna had been listening to Quinn while she was making sandwiches.Quinn nodded, "am guessing a few more people then just that. Why else would you need two houses?""She can stay with me Quinn." Ren surprised Quinn by volunteering."You sure?" He was going to ask Anna, but this would work out also."Yep, I want to get to know your sister. It's pretty awesome for me." Ren smiled sweetly, she knew Crow vaguely from TAP.After lunch Quinn made his way back up the stairs, he could hear the metallic clicking of Tal's walk behind him.He took a seat on the bed as Tal walked in. "Going to log back in Tal?"She nodded at him as she shut the door. "In a bit I think.""I'm going to take a quick nap first, then I will also." Quinn crawled onto his bed and sunk into his pillow. A moment later he felt a warm body cozy up to him."Think I'd like to join you for a while." She wrapped her arms around him, kissing the back of his neck. "I could be really quiet this time."Quinn laughed aloud. "No you can't!"Her full lips were still pressed against his neck as she smiled. "I suppose not, rain check til later then. Okay?"Quinn nodded, already feeling sleepy. "Love you Tal.""Mmm.. love you too Little Q."
