“No,” I say. “Thanks.”
He mumbles something in response, and I push through the door into the room. Inside, most of the chairs are full already. The stage is all the way up in the front, the guests just taking their seats. Some guy up on the podium, bald and full of tattoos, is fiddling with a few papers and making small talk with one of the male panelists sitting at the table. Another dude is next to him, looking at his phone, and then...
I squint.
But it can’t be.
There’s a young woman sitting there, but her hair is a mixture of colors. Blood orange, with splashes of yellow and dark red, like her hair is on fire, with golden glasses and...
She looks up and across the room.
Green eyes.
I can see them from here. Bright, piercing.
D1V.
She must have changed her appearance after everything, something I certainly can’t blame her for. Must have made navigating the convention floor much easier, but now she’s onstage. Everyone can see her; they all know who she is. I feel my breathing grow short and heavy, and I look around for a seat, settling on one between the very back and very front. Smack in the middle, where hopefully she can see me if things go poorly.
I think about the security guard and turn around to spot a bunch of people just wandering in. I think I can make out his outline by the door, still on his phone, but I pretend that I’m not seeing that. He’s paying attention. He isn’t being careless. Everything is going to be okay.
My heart is hammering in my chest. All these people. All those threats. The threads upon threads and comments upon comments from people who have no idea who this amazing girl is. Or how amazing she is.
I glance over at the walls, the loose paneling connected with hinges and broken up with seams, easily foldable and movable to make the room bigger or smaller or—
And there they are. Vox Populi stickers.
Just a few, but they’re scattered all about the sides. I stare at some of the people lining the walls. Did one of them put the stickers there? Did several of them? How well were they searched?
Damn it, I should be doing security here.
More attendees shuffle in, filling the rest of the seats, and before I know it, the hall is full, with a bunch of people standing in the back, leaning against the flimsy walls. I’m one seat away from the middle row, with a short kid filling the chair in front of me.
Perfect.
I reach down for the plastic tube I brought, and the contents that are rolled up inside. Everything looks innocent enough, like posters or swag you’d get at any convention.
I’m ready.
The bald man at the podium blows into the microphone a few times and looks over at the panelists. I can’t take my eyes off D1V, who sits there, so strong, so resolute. I don’t see a single crack in her bravery, and my heart soars.
I wish I could shout something.
Tell her that I’m here for her.
But I sit back. And I wait. I don’t want one of these security guards misconstruing my actions and kicking me out of the place. And besides, after watching Laura at the booth...maybe D1V doesn’t actually need me here? I look at the plastic tube again and start to feel a little silly for even having it with me.
“Hello, and welcome,” the bald man says into the microphone, and the audience quiets down. I see a few people pluck phones out and hold them up, recording. “I’m Thad Folkward, author of The Dangerous Lives of Men.” There’s a smattering of applause from people up in the front, and I can’t help but scowl. This is the guy they chose to moderate a panel about women in video games?
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be here today, speaking to these fine creators. I’ll introduce everyone, starting directly next to me. First, we have Solomon Gray, the art director over at Ravenfox Games.”
He drones on, introducing Solomon as my gaze darts around the room. Everyone looks... I don’t know, not suspicious? Normal? I’m not really sure what I’m looking for here, other than people who look angry. But they’re all fixated on the stage. Some with cameras, others with phones, some just watching, entirely caught up in the moment. I note a few guys who are dressed rather plain, like the dudes who pestered me and Ryan out in the corridor, but they aren’t really any different looking than anyone else.
I turn my head slightly, and there, leaning against one of the walls, is Rebekah, D1V’s streaming partner. I wave in her direction, and for a moment, she breaks focus with the stage and sees me. I wave a little more and point at myself, mouthing “Aaron” at her.
She scowls and gives me the finger.
I smile.
Rebekah from the Angst Armada just flipped me off.
That was awesome.
“Next to Solomon we have Arthur Reginald, lead programmer at Shiftcore Games. Some of you might know his work from titles such as Armor & Sleep, or perhaps his even more famous work, The Fall Out.” The applause is a little louder this time, more intense, and I shift my attention to the stage to see what the big deal is. The man holds his hand up and says thank-you into the microphone.
I catch my breath. It’s time for D1V.
“The young lady who follows, many of you may have spotted in the news lately. It’s my great pleasure to introduce streaming and Glitch sensation—in her first appearance ever, I believe—D1V!”
Applause thunders in the hall, and my heart races. A few people in the front stand up, clapping, their hair an array of colors. It looks like a small army of girls, each with patches emblazoned on their jackets. I can’t quite make them all out, but there’s something uniform about the logos.
I can already tell I want to be friends with every single one of these people.
“We’re here for you, D1V!” one shouts over the roar of the audience.
“Commander!” another cheers, raising her hands in the air.
“Okay, okay,” the MC says, a smile bright on his face. “Let’s get started.” He pulls out some kind of remote and pushes a button, and a large screen lowers behind the panelists. D1V and the men turn to watch as a bright blue splash of color appears.
“Before we officially begin,” he continues, and everyone on the panel turns back to face the audience. “We have a special bit of footage from Solomon and Ravenfox games. Who is ready to see the first bit of gameplay from...Twenty Thousand Leagues?!”
The audience roars again, and I can’t hide my smile, despite the circumstances. The much-hyped ocean exploring game inspired by Jules Verne has been making waves in the press for months, and I’ve been dying for some more ocean exploring ever since I played through the BioShock series on Steam.
I lean back a little in my metal folding chair. I’m allowed to enjoy a little of this, right? I find myself wishing Ryan were here. He’d love this preview.