She comes alone

Crystal looks both ways before ducking into the coffee shop. She buys a coffee , then sits in the table behind yours, facing away from you. It isn't the look you were hoping for... considering that she is wearing a top with a deep 'V' neck that almost has to have her tits falling out of it.

"What's going on, Mike?" she whispers.

"How's work?"

"It sucks. None of the other programmers have half your experience and everything is taking twice as long as it would with you. And when I suggested bringing you in as a contractor, they threatened to fire me. What did you do?"

"My wife is fucking Bentham."

"Yeah? So?"

"So, I guess they figured... hell, I don't know. They figured they'd show me something."

"Yeah, well they fucked up. And I really don't want to have to fuck the entire management team to keep my job."

You didn't think you would but you find yourself sympathizing. "Maybe I can help you, consult with you on the sly, as it were."

"I don't make enough to pay you."

"You can pay me in other ways."

"Oh, shit, Mike. Here I thought we were friends and now you're treating me like I'm some whore. Maybe I have to flaunt a little ass to get ahead but I don't fuck for money."

"Hey, I wasn't talking about that. I need some programmer insight on a problem I have. I figured, I help you with yours, you help me with mine."

"Fine. But not in public. Do you have someplace we can go?"

"The place I'm staying."

"Let's go. Text me the address. I can't be seen with you."

You text her the address and she leaves. You wait five minutes then head back to Jeremy's apartment where she's waiting outside the door.

"Aren't you being a little paranoid?" you ask.

"I don't think so. They're being crazy."

You wonder if this has something to do with Amber's phone call and the strange job offer. Why would they be so paranoid about you but also offer you a job. There's something strange going on but you just can't think what it could be.

"Okay." She flops down on the couch. "What's your programming problem?"

You give her a brief rundown on the status of your 'hack the sim' project.

"Okay," she says again, stretching the word out this time. "So, is this for real or are you just stringing along the suckers for money?"

Well, hell. You've been trying to have it both ways. Now you have to make a call. Is hacking the sim just something you want to stream about, make some money and hopefully get some girls. It works for those televangelist preachers and those Law of Attraction gurus so there probably isn't anything more ethically wrong with it than with those other assholes. Still, can you really be serious about actually hacking the simulation? If you are, and if you seriously hack it, don't you risk crashing the whole sim... and your life and the lives of everyone else in the universe with it. Sure you may just be a simulation but you feel real and the complete and utter annihilation of every sentient being in this universe seems a high price to pay for getting **** on your ex-wife.