Aerik cursing the Server for going down again looks at his watch and things he should get ready for his meeting with John, Mark and Mimbles.   Grabs his jacket from the back of his chair and heads out the door.

 I didn’t take him long to get to Joe Joe’s, walking inside he glances around seeing if any one had gotten there ahead of him.   Aerik waits for the rest of his group to get there.

 Mark is the first to enter the dinner followed close behind by John.  Aerik greets them warmly; “ glad you guy could make it.

 The hostess smiles and asks how many.  Aerik answers explaining they are waiting for one more person.   The hostess nods and shows them to their table.

 Getting comfortable and getting small talk out of the way and ordering their lunch, Aerik begins to explain what kind of help he needs from them.

 Aerik looks across the table at his friends, “ You both may think I’m nuts, but I met this girl on the net.  I think she is the experiment that they are doing at the university.”

 John and Mark look at each other then back at Aerik.  John trying to stay serious but finding this a bit odd, “ really?  What do you base this idea on?”

 Aerik responds, “ because, and no I wasn’t doing drugs you know me better than that, she came into my room through my computer.”

 Again the two friends look at each other in disbelief.  Mark not being over diplomatic busts out laughing, “ yeah right.  Tell me how do I get a gorgeous women to come out of my PC.”

 Aerik smirks and shakes his head, “ honest guys, I’m telling the true.  Any way she needs help.  If what she tells me is true, which I after what I have seen I have to believe her, her real self is in the university experimental hospital dying.   I have to find her.”  Looks at his companions searching their faces.

 John shrugs, “ well there has been some weird shit going on around there.  I have heard reports of ghosts and a strange scent in the rooms that the happenings had been going on.”

 Aerik sits up straight; “did they say the scent was sweet and flowery like honeysuckle?”

 John nods, “ yeah, how did you know?”

 Aerik smiles broadly, “ That is Emeralds scent.  When she came into my room I could smell that sweet scent.”

 Mark sitting in disbelief with mouth dropped open, “ No shit… really?”

 John nods, “ weirder yet, I was called in to check the main frame one day because of a suddenness increase usage of RAM.  I was told by the hospital that they were doing some kind of major down load through the net.  I thought it was very odd, but who am I to question the powers that be.”

 Aerik sighs, “ they are downloading Emerald memories.  I think her dad is trying to put her mind on the computer.”

 Mark looks at John then Aerik, “ you’re shitting me… Didn’t they do that in a science fiction movie?”

 Aerik shakes his head; “No I’m not shitting you… you think you could find out what the ISP (Internet Service Provider) for the University?”

 The waitress comes with their food as Mimbles waddles over to them, taking a seat and smiling at the waitress.   The waitress retrieves her order pad and asks Mimbles if she can get him anything.
 Mimbles looks around over at the others food and orders a big burger and fries with a soft drink.  The waitress smiles and leaves.   “What did I miss”, Mimbles asks.
 Jon chuckles, “ not much just talking about Aeriks girlfriend.”

 Mimbles nods and grins at Aerik, “ oh Emerald, pretty little thing.”

 Mark mouth drops open, “ you meet her?”

 Mimbles says, “ yeah, this morning Aerik introduced me to her.”

 John shakes his head surprises a chuckle, “ did she come into your room?”

 Mimbles looking questioningly at John then Aerik, “ my room?”

 John smiles, “ yeah, Aerik said she came into his room.”

 Mimbles looks at Aerik and grins, thinking he may like having this elf more than he thought if she can come into reality as well as fantasy.

 Aerik nods, “ as I was saying I need to get to her before she dies… I must see her.. I don’t know what if anything I can do for her…”

 Mark pats Aerik on the back, “ hey, man I understand.  I remember when your wife died.  You can count me in.  Let me know what I can do and you got it.”

 John always up for a good spy mission smiles broadly, “count me in too.  You will need a pass to get into the hospital.  There is a ton of security there. Let me see what I can do.”

 Mimbles sits quietly and absorbs the conversation.  He smiles at the waitress as she brings him his food and fights the temptation to smack her bottom.

 Aerik excised about the prospect of getting closer to finally seeing his love says, “ you think you can get me a pass in there?”

 John thinks and smiles, “ I can get you through the main gate after that I’m not sure.”

 Aerik smiles brightly and smacks John on the back, “ great.  Now the next problem is to find out where in that place she is.”

 Mark chimes in, “ I can help there I could trace down the PC sending the signal. With that John can find out where that system is in the complex.”

 John nods and looks over at Mark, then back at Aerik, “ I could meet you inside the main gate with my clearance I should be able to get you fairly close to where you want to go.

 Mimbles listens intently and formulates a plan of his own.  He laughs silently; thinking he will be saved some work if he lets them to the legwork for him.

 Speaking up for the first time since he got there with a mouth half full of fries, “ let me know the type of locks in the area you can’t get into and maybe I could hack in the computer to get you access.”

 John nods ands looks at Mimbles wondering why Aerik asked him in on this project.  He never really liked him something about him just didn’t set right with him.  As far back as he can remember knowing Mimbles he never trusted him, he was too sneaky.   He knows that Mimbles had to have been the one that hacked into the computer and screwed with his and Aerik’s grades.   Looking at his watch he looks for the waitress to get his check, “ well, as soon as I get the waitress I got to get back to my office.  Let me know what the computer number you looking for is, Mark.”

 Mark nods, “will do.”

 Aerik says, “ don’t worry about the check this is on me.  Thanks for all your help John as soon as we get things narrowed down, we can get started.”

 Mark pipes up; “ me too… got to get back to the coal mines.”

 John says, “Thanks for lunch, bud, talk then.”  As he and Mark stand to leave, he pats Aerik on the back.

 Aerik catches the waitress attention and get the check, turning his attention to Mimbles, “well what do you think?”

 “I think it could work, but once you find her then what?”

 “No sure, all I know is I have to see her before she dies.”

 Mimbles nods and continues to eat, thinking of possessing this enchantress of Aeriks.

 Aerik grabs the check and stands, “ well I got to go back and slay the sales demons so, talk later.”

 Mimbles nods, “ yep, you know here to find me.”

 Aerik smirks, “yes, I do.”

Wanders out of the diner, into the sunny spring day and heads for his car, Aerik happy with the way things were starting.