Spark(4)

“Sorry.”
Bix fell back, fidgeting with the edge of his coat. They joined the queue at the volunteer check-in table, and Aran pushed his friend ahead. Best to let the genuine guy go first. The lady in front of them was wearing sparkly wings. She had to take them off and let the security guard on duty inspect them to prove they weren’t wired as transmitters or something. Finally approved, she grabbed her badge with a loud snort of annoyance and stomped off, wings glittering.
Aran swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, and nudged Bix forward. Show time.






 
    Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure,   Magic
    
 


 

CHAPTER TWO


Aran made himself breathe regularly, despite the sudden speeding of his heartbeat. It wasn’t as if he’d get arrested if this didn’t work—but he’d certainly be kicked to the curb. He didn’t have the cash for a ticket, and he wouldn’t pass any kind of background check. This was his only chance to get into SimCon.
The man at the volunteer check-in table was thin and pale, with a silver stud piercing his left eyebrow. He looked up at Bix with a disinterested expression.
“Name?”
“Bix Chowney. And my friend, Aran Cole.”
“Scan.”
Bix passed his wrist over the scanner, which chirped acknowledgement. The man at the table flipped through his alphabetized box, then handed Bix his volunteer badge. It was attached to a bright red lanyard with VirtuMax printed up and down the entire length, leaving no doubt about who was the biggest sponsor at SimCon.
“Here’s your registration packet. Gofer Central is down the hall. Next.”
With what he hoped was a casual expression, Aran passed his wrist over the scanner. The machine remained silent.
“Not again,” Aran said, putting frustration behind the words. “That’s the third time this week.”
He made a show of pulling back his cuff and inspecting his wrist, letting the man at the table see the glint of the chip.
“Seriously?” Bix said. “I thought you had that replaced.”
He hit the right blend of exasperation and nerves, and Aran swallowed back a smile.
“Yeah, well, my mom’s been too busy.” Aran waved his arm over the scanner again, with the same lack of result.
“Spell your last name,” the man said in a bored voice.
Aran did, and kept himself from looking at Bix in triumph when the man gave him his badge and packet.
“Keep your badge visible at all times,” the man told them. “Both of you, head to Gofer Central. Down that hall, second door on the left. Next.” He looked past them, their names and features already forgotten.
Turning away from the table, Aran let a grin cross his face. That had gone more smoothly than he’d hoped.
“We did it! We got you in.” Bix was smiling like a fool.
“You were good back there,” Aran said. “Ever think of becoming an actor?”
“Not with pros like you showing how it’s done. I never would have guessed that was a fake ch—”
“Hey, don’t shout it to the whole con.”
Not that wearing a fake wrist-chip was illegal. People who couldn’t afford the real thing sometimes put on dud chips for show, but duping the authorities by pretending to be legitimate was a road to trouble. The longer Aran could avoid official notice, the better.
He had his badge now, which would give him access to almost everywhere in the conference. Gofers were the lowest level of con volunteer, and as a result nobody looked at them too closely.
Which was exactly how he wanted it.
Gofer Central was impossible to miss. The big hand-lettered sign was their first clue, along with the volunteers darting in and out of the room. Just inside the door stood a dark-haired girl wearing glasses and holding a tablet. Her badge read Matila—VC.
“Hi,” she said when Aran and Bix stepped over the threshold. “I’m Matila, the volunteer coordinator. Badges, please.”
They held them up and she scanned them with her tablet. A check mark appeared by their names.
“Welcome to SimCon, guys. Ever volunteered at a gaming convention before?”
“Nope,” Aran said, while Bix shook his head.
“Okay,” she said. “Check your packets—you’ll have specific duties assigned, based on the questionnaire you filled out when you applied to volunteer. Since this is the first time for both of you, the jobs will probably be boring, but hey, they’re a necessary part of keeping the con running. You’re expected to put your hours in every day. Other than that, have fun, try to get some sleep, and don’t forget to shower now and then.”#p#分页标题#e#