21. I Spy

Laramie begins learning to control the power of her necklace. She also continues her wry flirtation with Dave.

« 20 A Necklace With a View | CONTENTS | 22. Explorations by Firelight

I step out onto the patio, bare legs tingling in the morning mountain breeze. Dave’s oversized t-shirt hangs loosely on my small frame, workout shorts barely peeking underneath. My flip-flops tap lightly on the concrete as I connect my loquette to the outdoor speakers.

Dave sits slumped at the patio table, still wearing yesterday’s rumpled t-shirt, flannel, and jeans. His disheveled hair and tired eyes tell the story of another sleepless night. He looks like hell, hunched over his laptop, and the necklace is plugged in beside him.

Must’ve pulled another all-nighter.

“Mornin’, sunshine,” I tease, my voice laced with genuine concern. “You look... tired.”

He rubs bleary eyes, managing a wry grin. “Yeah, well. Portaled back to the lab last night. Added some new features to the necklace that might help. You know, make it less overwhelming.”

That perks me right up. “Oh yeah? Like what?” I stride over, peering curiously at the string of metal and lights.

Dave stands, holding it gingerly. “Can’t fix the language switching, but I added haptic feedback. It’ll buzz when you slip outta English. Train yourself over time to know when it happens.”

I nod, intrigued. He continues, “And check this out—we’ve built in an olfactory sensor, too. It’s this larger bead with the little holes. You’ll be able to smell again.”

My non-existent jaw drops. Scent, after almost a year without... “Dave, that’s... I don’t even know what to say. Thank you. Really.” I reach out to squeeze his hand, noting how it lingers in mine a moment too long.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” I can hardly contain my excitement now. “Let’s fire this baby up!”

Dave chuckles at my enthusiasm. “Alright, alright. Hold your horses.” But I can see the twinkle in his tired eyes as he unplugs the necklace. “You ready?”

I nod vigorously, standing tall. “Lay it on me, tech boy. I was born ready.”

With a final knowing smile, Dave steps close, gently draping the delicate web of electronics around my neck. I shiver slightly as his fingers brush my collarbone. This is it. Thanks to this wonderful, geeky, thoughtful man, a whole new world of sensations awaits.

As he makes the final adjustments, I meet his gaze, hoping my gratitude shines through. Maybe it’s just the charged moment, but I swear I see something more than friendly concern flickering there. He leans in, lips parting as if to speak—

“Isos, eikona, fotos!” I blurt. Ugh, not now! The necklace vibrates on cue against my throat. I shake my head, marshaling my focus. “I mean, ‘sounds... image...bright!’”

Dave laughs, too, seeming to snap out of the intense moment. “Easy there, Glitchy!”

“Roger that.” I flash a wry grin, steadying myself. “I’ll try to stick to English.”

The necklace hums, accepting my intention. I look to Dave, to the glittering city beyond, to the vast desert sky, ready to experience it all anew.

Smells!

The breeze carries scents I haven’t experienced in ages—earthy sage, creosote, and wildflowers I can’t name but somehow recognize. It’s almost too much. I wobble slightly, but Dave’s steady hand finds my lower back.

“You good?” His voice is soft with concern.

“Chai...da. Yes,” I manage, correcting myself as the necklace purrs another reminder. “It’s just... a lot. In a good way.”

“Thought it might be.” He gestures at the view with his free hand. “Figured you might like to ease into things somewhere peaceful, yeah? Before diving into the sensory overload of civilization.”

I nod, appreciating his thoughtfulness more than I can say. We stand in companionable silence for a minute, just drinking it all in together.

“Thank you,” I say finally, quietly. “For this. For...everything.”

“Hey, I live to serve.” His tone is playful, but when I glance over, his smile holds real warmth. “You want the full tour?”

“Hit me, Kreuzberg.”

Slowly, carefully, Dave guides me through my expanded senses. The 360-degree video feed is disorienting at first, and the urge to spin around and look at everything is hard to resist. But he talks me through narrowing my focus until the input resolves into something more like normal vision—albeit much sharper and farther-reaching than before.

Colors and textures pop in vivid detail. I can make out individual leaves on distant trees and tiny lizards scurrying between rocks a dozen yards away. It’s incredible. Like living in a high-definition nature documentary.

And the smells—God, the smells!

Desert air unlike anything in my memory, dry and clean with a medley of subtle notes. Wafting from the kitchen, coffee and something savory—breakfast, maybe? Plus an undercurrent I tentatively identify as eau de Dave—hints of male musk and yesterday’s aftershave, oddly appealing.

“De mo, this is... mpanw, it’s amazing,” I breathe, the compliment slightly garbled. The necklace vibrates once or twice. I swallow. “It’s amazing. You’re amazing.”

Dave ducks his head, a bashful gesture at odds with his stubbled jaw and solid frame. “Nah, I’m just the science guy,” he demurs. “You’re the one brave enough to be my test subject. Guinea pig, if you will.”

“Oink oink,” I retort, startling a laugh out of him. The sound sends a pleasant shiver down my spine. When did this scruffy guy start affecting me so strongly?

I shake off the thought, determined to focus on the moment. The miraculous here and now, made possible by the brilliant man at my side and the astonishing device he crafted.

For me. Because he cares. Maybe as more than a friend?

No, don’t go there. Too much, too fast.

I clear my throat. “So what else can this thing do?”

Dave grins, eyes sparking with what I’ve come to recognize as his “mad scientist” gleam. He opens his mouth to speak—

But I hold up a hand, trying to look stern even as my lips twitch. “If you say ‘the possibilities are endless,’ I’m revoking your geek card.”

“Curses, foiled again.” He sighs theatrically. “Okay, let me rephrase...”

As he launches into an enthusiastic rundown of the finer points of my necklace’s programming, I let the technobabble wash over me, warmed by his presence and the sheer potential stretching ahead.

Here, now, anything seems possible. I can’t wait to find out.

A Childhood Game

The breathtaking view of Las Vegas and the distant mountains stretches out like a grid in the distance. I can see wispy clouds drifting past.

Dave’s voice breaks into my reverie. “I spy a little red bird.”

The words tug at something deep in my memory. I blink, momentarily disoriented. “My mom... we used to play that. When I was a girl.”

“Oh yeah?” He smiles, inviting me to share more if I want.

I shrug, pushing down the sudden lump in my throat. Those carefree days feel like a lifetime ago. Before... well, everything.

Shaking off the melancholy, I focus on the here and now. The necklace’s camera zooms in on the cityscape below as I scan for the specified target.

“Red bird?” I crow triumphantly. “Cardinal in the park, 13.5 miles away. Boom.”

Dave whistles, impressed. “Niiice. Okay, let’s see...” He taps his chin, pretending to think hard. “I spy a loaf of bread.”

I can’t help but snort at his “stumped” expression. Dork. An adorable dork, but still.

Directing my enhanced gaze across the valley, I quickly spot a bakery window display. “Sourdough boule, 14 miles out. Rosemary and sea salt on top. And...” I squint. “Looks like they’ve got challah and brioche, too, based on the sign.”

“Whoa.” Dave stares at me, eyes wide behind his glasses. “That’s... wow. The detail you can pick up is just...”

He shakes his head, momentarily at a loss for words. I preen a bit, enjoying his gobsmacked reaction.

Then, a mischievous glint enters his eye. “Okay, Miss Eagle Eyes. Let’s see how you handle this one...”

As he throws out his next challenge, I grin, rising to meet it. The thrill of discovery, of pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. It’s electrifying. He’s electrifying. And maybe, just maybe, the buzz building between us isn’t solely intellectual.

Dave leans in, his arm brushing mine as he points to some landmark on the horizon. My skin tingles at the contact.

Focus, Laramie.

More Play

“I spy a satellite,” Dave says, his eyes twinkling with a hint of challenge.

I tilt my head back, scanning the vast expanse of the night sky. There, just above the horizon—a faint glimmer of metal reflecting the city lights below.

“Got it. GOES-18, a geostationary weather satellite. Approximately 22,236 miles out.” I rattle off its functions: “Monitors atmospheric conditions and provides high-resolution imagery for forecasting...”

I trail off, noticing Dave’s slack-jawed expression. “What?”

He lets out a low whistle. “Damn, Laramie. I knew the necklace had range, but this... this is next level.”

Pride swells in my chest, along with a flicker of something else. Something warm and fluttery, kindled by the open admiration in his gaze.

I feel suddenly bold. “Why don’t you give me a real challenge, then?”

Dave’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, you want to play hardball, huh?” He smirks, crossing his arms. “All right, hotshot. I spy a red Tesla with a 6 in its license plate.”

“¿Eso es todo? Pfffff, demasiado fácil,” I scoff, the words tumbling out. The necklace buzzes gently against my neck—a reminder to rein it in. I refocus, keeping it in English.

“Got it. Red Model 3, parked on the Strip. Plate number... NVB61T.” I squint, zooming in further. “Registered to a Robert Paulson, age 42, lives in Summerlin—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Dave’s eyes go wide. “Let’s maybe not dig quite that deep, yeah? I'm pretty sure that crosses a line or ten.”

Shit. He’s right.

I got carried away, caught up in the rush of unfettered access. The floodgates opened, and I just... let it all pour out.

“Crap. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Hey.” Dave’s hand finds mine, his fingers interlacing with my own. “It’s okay. We’re still figuring this out, remember? Bound to be a few hiccups along the way.”

I nod, throat tight. His touch grounds me, settling the jittery energy thrumming through my circuits.

“I’ll be more careful. No more playing Big Brother.” I squeeze his hand. “Scout’s honor.”

“Pretty sure you were never a Scout, but I’ll take it.” Dave grins, bumping his shoulder against mine.

And just like that, the tension dissipates. Replaced by something softer. Something that feels suspiciously like...

No. Don’t go there, Laramie. Not yet.

Further and Further

“Right then! How about something a little more... colorful?” Dave’s eyes sparkle with mischief as he surveys the neon-streaked cityscape. “I spy with my little eye... something orange.”

I follow his gaze, my enhanced vision zooming across miles of desert until—there! A tiny, distant figure dribbling an equally tiny basketball. I focus, the image sharpening, details emerging like a photo in a darkroom.

“I got it. A kid with an orange basketball shooting hoops in his driveway.” I tilt my head, calculating. “It looks like Boulder City? About 26 miles southeast of here.”

Dave shakes his head, amazed. “Unbelievable. You know, if this whole ‘magician’s assistant’ gig doesn’t pan out, you’d make one hell of a spy satellite.”

“Gee, thanks,” I deadpan. “Because that’s not problematic at all, is it?”

But he’s not wrong. This necklace... it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The sheer scope of it. It’s as exhilarating as it is terrifying.

“Okay, okay, my turn.” Dave rubs his hands together. “I spy... something cold.”

My infrared filters kick in, and suddenly, the world is awash in hues of blue and violet, its heat signatures blazing white-hot against the cooler backdrop.

“Oh, wow...” I breathe, drinking it all in. “There’s an ice rink over at the Cosmopolitan, just off the Strip. Temp inside is... 24 degrees Fahrenheit.”

I pan my gaze upward to the rooftop lounges studding the skyline like glittering jewels. “And a couple enjoying cocktails on the roof. His drink’s already half-melted, but hers...” I probe the wisps of frosty vapor curling from her glass. “Mint julep. Bourbon, simple syrup, and... yep, fresh mint leaves.”

Dave makes an appreciative noise. “Okay, color me impressed. Booze and air conditioning in this heat? No wonder they call it Sin City.”

“Among other reasons,” I smirk, shifting closer until our thighs brush. His warmth bleeds through the denim, sending a pleasant tingle racing up my spine. “Speaking of sinful...”

He turns to face me, one eyebrow arched. “Why, Ms. Strong, are you trying to seduce me?”

“Maaaybe.” I’d waggle my eyebrows if I still had them. “Porquo no los dos?”

And there it is again—that telltale buzz at my throat as the necklace gently corrects my linguistic slip-up.

“Porque no los dos,” I amend with an exaggerated eye roll. “Ugh. Apparently even flirting en Español is off-limits.”

“Well, I suppose I could always install a ‘Seduction Subroutine’ in the next firmware update,” Dave muses, tapping his chin. It might come in handy.”

“You are such a nerd,” I inform him fondly.

“Ah, but I’m your nerd.” His arm slips around my waist, tugging me flush against his side. “And don’t you forget it.”

I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. The desert breeze whispers across my skin, the distant sounds of the city a gentle susurrus in my ears.

Everything’s Better With Vino

All this high-tech perception is invigorating, but my throat’s parched enough to make the Mojave look like Niagara Falls. Since it’s already past noon, it’s time to switch from caffeine to alcohol.

“Any chance a girl could get something to wet her whistle around here? Preferably of the chilled Chardonnay variety.”

“Your wish is my command, m’lady.” With a wink and a mock bow, Dave heaves himself up and disappears inside.

I take the opportunity to stretch languidly, twisting this way and that until my vertebrae crackle like Pop Rocks all the way up to where my C4 became my C1. The necklace shifts against my collarbone, smooth and slightly warmed from my skin. It really is exquisite craftsmanship—leave it to Dave to make augmented reality stylish.

He returns, bearing a bottle, two glasses, and a plate piled high with an assortment of cheeses and crackers. He’s also got my little eating box and its coiled-up tube. I rub my hands together in gleeful anticipation.

“Ooh, we’re getting fancy! What’s the occasion?”

“Do I need an occasion to spoil my best girl?” He grins, pouring a generous measure of pale golden wine into each glass.

“Hmm, buttering me up, Kreuzberg?” I tease. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were after something.”

“Who, me?” His eyes widen in faux innocence. “I’m as pure as the driven snow!”

I snort so hard that the necklace buzzes in admonishment as if it thought I was speaking Pig-Latin. “Yeah, and I’m the Queen of England.”

Speaking Globalect

We spent the whole afternoon up there by his firepit, talking laughing, testing out the capabilities of necklace. He’s curious about the new language the necklace helped me invent yesterday, which seems to be a mish-mash of every human tongue fast-forwarded a thousand years. I’ve been calling it Globalect.

“How does this Globalect work?” Dave asks, curious as always. If he didn’t have his hand on my knee, I’d think I was still one of his survivor lab test subjects.

“Well, take all of today’s languages and put them in a blender,” I attempt to explain. “Imagine saying, “I’m utterly exhausted and just wanna crash,” except it sounds like, “Zynt-dexfall.”

“Zynt-dexfall?” he asks, leaning forward to stir the coals.

“Yeah, so zynt is deep exhaustion, like the kind you feel after you’ve hiked 12 miles. Dex means rest or sleep and fall is an immediate, urgent desire. Three syllables, 100% of the meaning.”

“But wouldn’t the compact phrasing rob the sentence of its nuance? Part of the expressiveness of human language is how meaning gets delayed or enhanced by modifiers and articles. How does the morphology and syntax of Globalect support this?”

I am always swept away when Dave shifts into full-tech mode and explains things to me in his endearing but dense engineering technobabble. With the necklace on, though, I can meet him toe to toe.

“So, Globalect uses a dynamic structure where word placement can totally change the meaning. It’s modular, like a motherboard. Depending on what you want to emphasize or how you’re feeling, you swap parts in and out.”

I splay my fingers then make a fist, trying to get my point across. “Words are like little packets of data. One simple word can convey meaning that an entire sentence in English wouldn’t be able to replicate. They carry emotional weight and context depending on how you pronounce the word. Tired could mean physical, emotional, or just deep-in-your-bones done.”

“Wow, so kind of like Chinese tones?”

“Yes, but even more varied and dense. Plus, phonetics, wow!” I say enthusastically, my necklace weaving in graduate-level linguistic insights. It’s got clicks, tones, and guttural stops—all sounds humans can produce with their mouths. It also has some electronic sounds that only an audio processor like the one in my necklace can produce. And as you use Globalect, it evolves, constantly updating itself rather than staying fixed in tradition.”

“And the necklace did all this by connecting and remixing human languages shared in the collective layer by all living minds,” Dave whistles in awe. “Simply amazing. Want to give me a demo.”

I pull Dave closer, my loquette facing his eyes, which seem alive in the flicker of firelight. “Okay, here goes. Let’s say you care about someone deeply, and you don’t want to let them go. But you also don’t want them to be tied down by your own needs. You want to tell them how you feel, but you don’t want to be manipulative.”

Dave puts his arm around me, encouraging me to continue.

“You might say something like: ‘I really care about you, more than I thought I could care about anyone under these bizarre circumstances. But here’s the thing—I don't ever want to hold you back, you know? If you need space or whatever, that’s totally cool. Just know that you mean a lot to me, and that’s not going to change. But yeah, your happiness, that’s what’s really important to me, no strings attached.’”

“And how would this hypothetical person say it in Globalect?” he says, grinning dubiously, getting my meaning but pretending to be oblivious.

I slap my hand on his knee and pause, caught off guard by the intensity of my feelings. Finally, I keep going.

“One might say, ‘Pyāra-gahri. No-kufunga, thay-yes. Nee-arzhan, tali-nashi,’” I explain, popping a candied walnut into my eating box.

“And how would the other person say, “I love you, too, and I’m never letting you go.”

The words rise into my awareness:

Ana-ai you-ma, jānā-nahi relees-zha.

But, I am not ready to say this out loud.

Time for a Recharge

We settle into a comfortable silence, sipping our wine and grazing contentedly. Well, Dave grazes—I have to finesse a bit more, snaking my tube into the glass and dropping pieces of Monterrey Jack into my box.

Suddenly, a fiery streak burns across the twilight-kissed desert sky. “I spy...” Dave begins.

With a smirk in my voice, I interrupt him, “It’s a meteorite, about 12 inches across and mostly iron-nickel composition. It’ll burn up completely over the Mojave Desert.”

“Wow,” he says, scooting closer and holding my hand.

I remember when guys would make their moves, and it would just feel awkward. With Dave tonight ... it just feels right.

Natural. Easy.

I turn my body towards Dave, the beads of my necklace catching the moonlight. “Heads up, I’m running low on juice. Down to five percent battery.”

He frowns, setting his wine glass aside. “Already? Damn, I thought I’d calibrated the power consumption better than that.”

“No biggie. I can always switch to the loquette for a bit.”

“I know it’s frustrating,” he sighs, running a hand through his rumpled hair. But I’m working on it, I swear. Better power efficiency, smoother language transitions... I won’t stop until it’s perfect.”

“My hero,” I deadpan, but there’s no bite to it. “Seriously though, I appreciate you putting up with all my glitchy bullshit. Lesser guys would’ve rage-quit by now.”

“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing you got stuck with me.”

His grin is crooked, boyish. It makes me want to do something stupid, like kiss him.

Instead, I settle for resting my hand on his thigh, tracing idle patterns with my fingertips. He tenses, just for a moment, before relaxing into the touch.

“Guess so,” I murmur, letting my hand drift higher. “Though I still think I got the better end of the deal.”

Dave clears his throat, his cheeks flushing pink. “Uh, well, you know... it’s like I always say. One man’s glitch is another man’s feature.”

I can’t help it—I burst out laughing. “Oh my god, that was terrible! I’m revoking your geek card on the grounds of excessive cheesiness.”

“Hey, don’t hate the player. Hate the game!” He grins, unrepentant.

We lapse into companionable silence, watching the distant city lights twinkle and dance. Dave’s hand finds mine, our fingers intertwining.

It feels good. Just right.

Seeking Warmth

A shiver ripples through me as a chill mountain breeze gusts across the patio. Dave notices, scoots closer, and drape an arm around my shoulders.

“Getting cold out here,” he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear. “Maybe we should go inside. Get a fire going...”

There’s a note of suggestion in his voice. I tilt my gem camera up toward him, my shoulders rocking playfully.

“Why. Mr. Kreuzberg, are you trying to get me alone?”

“"I mean, I do have a pretty sweet fireplace in the bedroom,” he grins sheepishly. “Be a shame not to put it to good use.”

“Mmm, you drive a hard bargain,” I purr, toying with the collar of his flannel shirt. “Okay, you’re on. But fair warning—if this is all some elaborate scheme to get in my pants, I expect to be wooed first. I’m talking wine, mood lighting, the whole nine yards.”

“Your wish is my command, m’lady,” Dave says with an exaggerated bow. “Prepare to be swept off your feet!”

He stands, pulling me up with him, and we make our way back inside hand-in-hand. The temperature shift is jarring as we leave the glowing embers of the fire pit and walk into the chilly evening air. Goosebumps rise on my bare legs.

“Ooh, fancy,” I tease as Dave leads me into the spacious master suite. A huge, rustic stone fireplace dominates one wall, and a plush bearskin rug is spread invitingly before it. Candles flicker on the nightstands, bathing the room in a soft, intimate glow.

“What can I say? I’m a man who appreciates the finer things.” Stooping, Dave begins piling logs in the grate, humming tunelessly under his breath.

I settle cross-legged on the rug to watch, enjoying the play of firelight over his features. He looks softer and younger in this light, and the sleep-deprived circles under his eyes have smoothed away.

As if sensing my gaze, he glances up, flashing that crooked grin that never fails to melt my insides. “See something you like?”

“I don’t know,” I drawl, letting my eyes travel slowly over him. “Jury’s still out. Ask me again after that wine you promised.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Dave snaps a cheeky salute and disappears through a side door. Moments later, he returns with another unopened bottle of chardonnay and two glasses. He pours with a flourish, presenting me with a glass before sprawling out beside me, long legs stretched toward the crackling flames.

“To... glitches and features?” he suggests, raising his glass.

“To glitches and features,” I agree. “And to the King of the Nerds who makes them all worthwhile.”

Our glasses clink together, and I dip my tube, savoring the notes of oak and citrus. Outside, the wind picks up, rattling the windowpanes a little. Here, cocooned in the warmth and light, I feel only peace. Contentment.

Joy.

Dave sets his glass aside and pulls me into his arms, nuzzling into the curve of my neck. I sink into the embrace, reveling in the steadying thump of his heartbeat against my back. Idly, I marvel at how well we fit together, two puzzle pieces clicking seamlessly into place.

“This is nice,” I murmur, lacing my fingers through his. “I could get used to it.”

“Yeah?” There’s a hopeful lilt to the word. “I’d like that. A lot.”

“Me too,” I whisper, tilting my neck to brush across his stubbled jaw. “Me too.”

The fire pops and hisses, shadows dancing across the walls. I burrow deeper into Dave’s arms, letting myself utterly relax.

« 20 A Necklace With a View | CONTENTS | 22. Explorations by Firelight