Divine Artifact in a Scientific World

"Why is your father trying to keep you a virgin?" Jack asked Naoko.

"He wants to use me in some bullshit marriage alliance. He knows how badly I want to get into nanotech research and is using that knowledge to manipulate me."

"What about your mom? Is she one of his mistresses or his official wife? Would he kick her out if you rebelled and refused to submit to any more virginity tests?"

"She's his official wife. But you don't need to worry about her. She actually approves of his plans and thinks I should be learning how to be a good little wife instead of wasting my time on science."

"So what would your father do if you said you found someone else to pay for your college and refused to participate in his creepy virginity tests?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she said hesitantly. "If he knew it was you, he'd probably try to find a way to force you to give me up. He'd probably start by offering you a lot of money."

"Even if he knew you were no longer a virgin?"

"Yes, I think so. Me still being a virgin is more the cherry on top, pardon the pun, than the main course. I think he'd still try to marry me off, regardless."

"And if paying me off didn't work?"

"I'm not sure, but I think he might try more drastic measures. Nothing illegal, but he'd try to buy out anyone that employed you, or threaten companies that tried to do business with you."

This sounded more and more like a serious headache. Naoko was his now, so he refused to let her father manipulate her. But how could he free Naoko without also incurring the focused wrath of her father?

"What about a trust fund?" asked Madison.

That could work. It would at least free Naoko. He would still have to be careful about how they interacted in the physical world. Otherwise, her father might assume it was Jack who had created the trust fund.

"Trust fund?" asked Naoko.

"Yeah," said Madison. "An anonymous trust fund. Jack already did that for the cashier that sold him his winning lottery ticket. So he could do the same for you."

"You did?!" said Nora.

"Ah, that's so sweet!" said Samantha.

"Really?!" asked Naoko.

"That's not a bad idea, Madison," he said.

Then to Naoko he said, "Okay, so that's how we'll break you free from his chains. But that still leaves the question of what he'll do if he learns we are in a relationship."

"If the money is mine, and isn't tied to a person or business that he can bully, then I'm not sure what he would do. He might still try to offer you money to abandon me, but that's just the kind of bastard he is. I'm not sure what else he might do."

It wasn't ideal. And really, they didn't need to meet in the physical world. He would set up the trust fund, then see what happened.

"Okay, I'll set up the trust fund first. Then we'll keep our distance in the physical world for a while and see what happens."

"But what about..." Naoko started.

"Yes, I can still torment you from a distance, so don't worry about me really leaving you alone. Besides, we'll have plenty of time during second days to get to know each other. And with linked self, I can even take your virginity here, and have it take effect in your physical body as well."

"But it's not the same thing," she complained.

"I hear you," said Madison. "I'm still a virgin because my physical body is in jail. And I don't want my first time to be in his soul space. I want it to be for real, for real."

"Jail?" asked Naoko.

Madison briefly explained what had happened.

"Well, that sucks. At least you'll get out soon. Though I guess from your point of view, a week feels like forever."

Most of the hacker technobabble that Madison had spouted over the years had just gone over his head, but a memory of something she'd said bubbled to the surface of his mind.

"Madison, is it possible her father put tracking software on her phone?"

"Shit, yes. It would be easy. If you copy her phone, I can analyze it and find out."

He made a snapshot, located Naoko, templatized her phone, then instantiated a copy and handed it to Madison.

"Wait, that's my phone!" exclaimed Naoko.

"I told you about my template catalog and create template ability."

"Yeah, but... damn. It's just weird seeing my phone pop into your hand like that."

Madison plugged Naoko's phone into a device she had on her desk, then turned to Naoko and said, "This will go a lot faster if you tell me your PIN."

"Um, it's two, six, eight, four."

Madison face-palmed and groaned in disgust.

"What?!" asked Naoko. "It's not like I picked one, two, three, four."

"Keyboard patterns are just as easy to guess," complained Madison.

"But doesn't your phone brick itself if you enter the wrong PIN ten times in a row?"

"Sure, except at least half of all people use only eight different keyboard patterns. So, half of all phones can be unlocked just by trying those eight codes."

"Oh."

"Don't feel too bad, Naoko. She's basically a cybersecurity expert, so stuff that's super obvious to her is basically voodoo to the rest of us."

Madison stared at her screen for a few moments, watching something. Then said, "Aaaannnnd, done. Congratulations, you've got malware!"

"Figures. Because of course a creepy father would put creeper software on my phone. Can you remove it? Should I just get a new phone?"

"New phone, new number, new carrier," said Madison. "But you should probably wait until after you have access to your new trust fund."

"Does it just track my location, or does it do other things?" asked Naoko nervously.

"Location, calls, video; this is premium shit. FTI Group makes the best spyware. Every oppressive regime on the planet is a platinum-level customer. Even the FIS buys their shit."

"Video?!" gasped Naoko, looking pale.