Glitch'd - Ch.5 - Buffer Overflow (Patreon)

** content warning: brief lewdness **

We must have bounced through more than two dozen public and private mesh portals before finally stopping in what appeared to be some old run-down private server. According to my HUD the hardware was based out of Aotearoa, and from what I could tell by the low-rez surroundings it probably hadn't seen a software update since it was first connected to the global mesh.

"Is this the place?" I asked, while trying to keep from sounding too sceptical.

The server was running a warehouse UI, where null and I had appeared in the middle of a long aisle. Metal racks to either side of us were loaded down with hundreds of old skids packed with thousands of dusty faded boxes, representing long-forgotten archived data. Judging by the age of the code I seriously doubted anyone had accessed this stuff in at least a decade.

The catkin was still holding my hand as they replied, "Almost. They use this as a gateway, the only route into the chat room is through this server. Now c'mon, and let me do the talking."

We started walking, and it only took a few seconds for me to realize that the warehouse UI had been compromised. Someone turned it into a giant maze, with countless dead ends and seemingly endless identical aisles.

Fortunately null knew exactly where we were going, and a minute or so later we reached a rugged-looking steel loading door and an emergency exit. A large metal sphere was floating in the air next to the portals, where it looked so out of place it was obviously some form of security system.

The orb was about a meter in diameter and its surface was completely featureless. It appeared to be made of silver-coloured metal, polished to a mirror finish. My initial assumption was some kind of automated security software, probably voice-activated. I expected it to issue a challenge, then null would provide the correct response and the doors would unlock and let us through.

It turned out I was wrong.

"Cubey?" my feline companion asked the floating sphere, "Is that you?"

"Hey null," the orb replied in a femme-sounding voice with a Kiwi accent. "I'm not going by that name anymore. I changed my handle to TeeCee a little while back, same time I updated my avatar."

TeeCee went on to explain, "I wanted something a little more soft and rounded, you know? Oh and I'm using new pronouns as well. Instead of it/its I'm trying out she/her."

That put a smile on the nyanby's face, "Oh wow, congrats TeeCee!"

"Seems like there's a lot of that going around lately," null added as they looked at me. "TeeCee this is a good friend of mine. Her name's Wisp, pronouns are she/her. And I'm personally vouching for her, Wisp is ok."

There was no apparent movement or change in the sphere but I somehow knew she was looking me over. And while I never imagined that someday I'd have a giant metal marble checking me out, knowing she was doing it left me feeling slightly flustered while my tail swished back and forth behind me.

"Super cute avatar you got there Wisp," the orb commented in what almost sounded like a flirty tone. And once again I was grateful for the soft purple and white fur that kept everyone from knowing I was blushing.

Then TeeCee's attention returned to my companion, "Is Wisp looking to become a regular, or are you just showing her around?"

null replied, "Neither. Wisp's looking for someone, and I figured we might get a lead here."

Without moving a millimetre the sphere somehow gave the impression she was nodding, "All right null, you and Wisp are good to go. Just remember, she's your responsibility while you two are in there."

"It was nice to meet you Wisp," the orb added.

"Same," I responded, before I turned my attention towards the big steel doors.

Except instead of the doors opening or unlocking, one of the skids behind me de-rezzed to reveal a staircase that led downwards into total darkness.

null held my hand again as the two of us headed down the stairs together. A moment later we found ourselves on an empty landing with no way out, and as soon as we got there that dusty old skid rezzed into place again at the top of the steps. We were suddenly trapped and plunged into total darkness.

Before I could question my friend the two of us were automatically routed elsewhere, and at long last I got my first look at the secretive black-hat chat room.

"This is the place," null announced with a grin. "It's called Buffer Overflow."

I'd been expecting something small and ramshackle, not unlike the triplets' hangout.

Instead I found myself standing just inside the entrance of a bar or nightclub out of some old classic hacker movie. The ambiance was like someone took a dark seedy underworld hangout and filled it with too many neon or LED lights, while a throbbing electronic soundtrack from some oldies trance playlist ran loud enough to ensure any conversations would remain private.

Where I expected to find a couple young wannabe delvers, there had to be almost two dozen avatars scattered around the place, and they came in all shapes and sizes. Some were sitting alone, while others were in groups of two or three.

Normal humans were definitely the minority here. At a glance I'd say most were demi-humans like null or myself, with feline, vulpine, canine, and bovine being the most popular varieties. I even spotted a pair of full-on quadruped pony avatars standing next to a table, one in cute pastel colours and the other with a darker edgier look. There were also some more exotic avatars in attendance, from the inanimate like TeeCee or my old smoke-puff to robotic or android types.

Finally I noticed a large beefy minotaur-looking person standing behind the bar, which was another surprise. I hadn't expected to see virtual drinks here, much less someone actually serving them.

In fact the whole experience was a little overwhelming. From the quiet dusty old warehouse to the silent darkness of the stairwell, then suddenly finding myself surrounded by myriad glowing lights and colours, thumping sounds, and a veritable crowd of strange avatars, it was definitely a jarring experience.

"C'mon," null raised their voice over the music.

As we moved past tables and booths the occupants all stared at me. Some openly checked me out or gave me appraising looks, while others were more dismissive.

At the back of the bar we stopped in front of what appeared to be an antique data entry terminal, complete with the glowing green CRT and big chunky keyboard. The whole thing was fastened to the wall like it was meant to be used standing up, and luckily it was adjustable so you could move it to whatever height was comfortable.

The nyanby gestured to the terminal as they leaned closer to speak directly into my left ear, "You can leave a message for Glitch here, then we'll grab a table and wait for a bit to see if she shows. We can get drinks too if you like?"

I pulled the terminal down to where I could see the screen then started to type while asking over the noise, "Seriously? Do you actually eat or drink in the mesh? I know some norms do that, just to experience exotic delicacies you can't get in meatspace anymore. Like beef, or chocolate? But it doesn't sustain you, it's just an overpriced luxury. So what's the point?"

null grinned and shook their head, "The beverages here aren't about drinking fake alcohol, although they do taste good. They're actually delivery mechanisms for illegal code, they load data or subroutines directly into your neural interface."

I'd never heard of any of that stuff, but I wasn't surprised anymore. By that point I'd realized that for all my experience as a delver there was still so much more I had left to learn. Like I'd only just scratched the surface when it came to what was out there. It reminded me of something nil said last night, straddling the fence and being part of the corpo crowd meant I was usually excluded from places like this.

Meanwhile null continued, "Some are pure recreation? They get you drunk or high, or mess with your senses and perception for a while. Others can give you new experiences, stuff you wouldn't normally do because of fear or embarrassment. Or because it's too dangerous."

"Needless to say, sex or porn are very popular options," the catkin added with a smirk, while their tail twitched mischievously behind them.

That got me blushing again, although I could feel my tail swishing around in curiosity while my ears perked up. For now I tried to push all that out of my mind, and focused on the message I was trying to type.

"Ok," I said after another half minute, "Message sent. You really think she'll see it?"

I was careful not to leave too many identifying details on their public message board. I'd basically just said that a certain wisp of smoke needed to get in touch with an elusive green-haired delver, to discuss some files the delver had recently shared. I was confident Glitch would know how to contact me, assuming she actually saw the message.

null nodded, "I think there's a good chance? If you want to wait a bit we can get a table. And if you're feeling adventurous we can try some of those drinks."

"Right," I grimaced as I followed them to a booth.

I slipped into one side while null sat down across from me. It took a few tries to find a comfortable way to sit due to my tail, and I ended up sideways with my back against the wall and my left leg up on the bench, so my big floofy tail could wrap around my right hip under the table then onto my lap. I soon found myself idly stroking my floof and playing with my tail a bit as the catkin and I continued talking.

"So out of curiosity, what drink would you recommend for a noob like me?" I asked.

null grinned as they responded with a question of their own, "Depends on what kind of 'noob' you're referring to. New to alcohol and want to try it? I can suggest something that'll let you feel drunk without having to worry about a hangover."

"Or if you're referring to your new gender," they added as their grin became more of a leer, "I know a drink that'll very quickly familiarize you with just how amazing your cute new avatar can feel."

I managed to bite back a surprised squeak, but I could feel my cheeks heating up yet again. I meant to act disinterested, but once again I was betrayed by my tail. It began wagging in anticipation while my ears angled forward, and null obviously recognized what that meant.

The catkin smirked as they stood up, "I'll be right back."

"Ok," I mumbled as I watched them head away with their tail flicking around behind them in amusement.

Fortunately I didn't have to wait very long, it was only a minute or two before they returned with a pair of glasses in hand. null placed one on the table in front of me, then sat back down across from me with the other still in their hand.

The one they were holding was shaped like a wine glass, with a deep bowl atop a thin stem that flared out to a base at the bottom. It was filled with a clear liquid that seemed to have a faint green glow to it. The glass they'd set before me was entirely different, it was shaped like a tall thin cylinder with a thick base, that was half full of a neon pink fluid that was also glowing slightly.

"Yours is meant to be taken all at once," null explained, "You drink it down in one go like a shot? Although you can sip it if you prefer, but the effects are better if you just knock it back."

I frowned as I carefully picked up the glass. It felt cold to the touch, like the contents were chilled. I sniffed it experimentally and noted it had a slightly sweet, fruity aroma. I couldn't tell what exactly it was supposed to be, but then I hadn't had real fruit in over a decade.

"Is it safe?" I finally asked.

After taking a sip of their drink my friend nodded, "Absolutely. The effects are short-lived, but the experience will stay with you."

"And what are you drinking?" I asked after watching them take a second, deeper gulp from their glass.

null's expression was suddenly a lot softer, while their pupils seemed much larger than normal. They gave me a wide sloppy smile and replied, "S'essense of catnip. S'the good stuff right here, cutie pie."

"Oh," I nodded slowly.

Then my attention returned to my own glass. I wasn't really sure if I wanted to experience this stuff, but I was definitely curious. And apparently what they say about curiosity and cats also applied to foxes, because a couple gulps later my glass was empty.

It was sweet without being sickly, and while I still couldn't identify the flavour I was sure it was some kind of berry. Something sweet and red, maybe raspberry? Or no, actually I was thinking of strawberries...

"Oh holy shit," I gasped as it hit me, and it was like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

Suddenly I remembered that night when I was a fourteen year old foxgirl and I discovered how sensitive my nipples were. I'd been brushing the soft white fur that covered my chest and belly when I accidentally bumped one of them, and was surprised to experience pleasure along with the pain. While the top pair were the largest and most developed, the other three pairs were just as sensitive and it wasn't long before I had all eight of them standing out rock-hard while I pinched and rubbed them.

That led to the next memory, when I went a little further and learned the joys of masturbation. That was the night I discovered my clit was like ten times more sensitive than my nipples. Next came my first experience with a sex toy, and I remembered with crystal clarity exactly how good it felt every time I thrust that long powerful vibe deep inside myself.

From there my thoughts skipped ahead to my first sexual encounter. I'd blossomed from a cute foxgirl into an attractive young vixen, and I'd been on a date with my girlfriend. As soon as we got back to her place she was down on her knees with her face buried in between my legs, and when her tongue hit the right spot it was like I'd died and gone to heaven.

Several more memories followed, more sexual experiences and encounters. I remembered the first time I had intercourse with a hot trans girl, she was also my first time performing fellatio. Then there was that wolfgirl domme I let collar me for a while, she could make me wet with a single word or an arched eyebrow. Aftercare with her was amazing too, the pets and scritches were just as wonderful as the sex.

The trip ended shortly after that, and by the time it was over I was slumped back and panting hard. My body responded in other ways too, like my nipples were all rock-hard again while I felt a hot wet need deep between my legs. And thanks to the new memories I was suddenly very familiar with both of those sensations.

I ended up sprawled across the bench recovering from all the drug-induced erotic visions, while my very high friend sat giggling across from me making little grabby kneading motions in the air like they were trying to catch dust motes with their hands. And naturally that's when someone decided to join us.

"Hey Wisp," the stranger greeted me as she stood next to our table. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

Although I didn't know the avatar I definitely recognized her voice. Fortunately I was still a little overwhelmed from my drink, otherwise I might have died of embarrassment at being caught in such a compromising position.

Glitch didn't seem to mind though. She just smiled as she looked me over and added, "Welcome to Buffer Overflow."

** This chapter was brought to you courtesy of Lucy, who commissioned it! **