Versus (Parts I and II)

Chapter 4- Adrenaline Rush

Calista finished editing the SociaLights' broadcast and closed the app. It had to be one of the most grueling broadcasts she'd ever gone through; forcing herself to smile and say things that she didn't mean at all. The whole thing was dedicated to caching on the Versus, making fun of its fighters and relying on hacky visual articles claiming the Versus had originally been created to lessen the population through fights to the death.

No one had died in a century, and the one time it happened, it was a proven accident. Calista had to resist showing her true feelings, lest she wanted the other three to kick her off the broadcast and tarnish her image all over the Hub. Their fans would be after her like rabid dogs if she ever said anything in slight support towards the competition.

"Catalina Medley requesting to enter."

"Let her in." She breathed out and leaned back in her hover-chair.

Her younger sister entered, seeming sheepish. "Hey..."

"Hey, what's on the Hub?"

"Um..." She sat on Calista's sleep capsule, kneading her hands. "I need to tell you something."

"What?" Calista sat up, concerned.

"I have a... secret."

Excitement lit up Calista's emerald green eyes. "What is it? Is it a boy? Someone from the museum?"

"Yeah... but no. It's something you cannot tell Mom and Dad."

"Cat, I keep secrets all the time. You can trust me."

"Okay." The younger Medley girl blew her hair out of her face. "There's a Socializer coming to where I work. I saw him yesterday. And I know you're a huge fan, so... you want to come over and see him?"

"Who?!" Calista stood, her cheeks immediately flushing.

"It's, uh... Devon Arfi-"

She was interrupted by Calista's ear-splitting squeal. "DEVON ARFIMEZ?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! AT THE MUSEUM?!"

"No, not at the museum."

"Then where?!"

"I don't work at the museum," Catalina confessed.

Calista's excited bounce paused. "Wait, what?"

"This is the secret part. I work at a bar on Genesis X." She winced, waiting for the scolding older sister rant. "I couldn't get a job at the museum last year because I needed a higher degree. I lied about it. I registered, but that was just for a part-time job that I honestly hate, so I just left my name in there so Mom and Dad wouldn't ask any questions, and I have a fake name I use for Genesis because I'm underage-"

"Wait-wait-wait." Calista stopped her, pursing her painted lips. "You mean to tell me... that since last year... you've been working at a bar on Genesis X?! The space station?"

"An... illegal bar."

"WHAT?! ARE YOU GLITCHING CRAZY?! WHAT THE GLITCH ARE YOU THINKING-"

"If you don't shut up, I won't take you to see Devon!"

Silence. Calista's face had turned pink, her fingers flexing as she tried to calm down. "Why would he go to a bar like that?" she wondered.

"I don't know, but I know it was him. I talked to him... a-about you."

"About me?!"

"Yeah, I told him about the SociaLights, and how you're so-"

"I have to tell the girls!"