Later that morning Jack woke to a chiming alarm. The lights gradually grew brighter. The screen on the wall set to mimic a window showed the sun rising over a mountainside with green grass flowing over the scenery up to him.He stretched in bed and then slowly pulled into a sitting position. His bare feet hit the warmed floor as he stood and stretched again. His body felt slow and he realized he hadn't done any physical work since the explosion. That was something both him and Lexi were going to have to do to keep their bodies from getting weak. He'd have to put together some workouts for them to do together to stay in shape.He showered, shaved, and dressed in a suit and tie. It was a classic look, not like the ads he'd seen on TV, but he wasn't into the current fashions. He preferred a good pair of denim jeans and a T-shirt, something tried and true for hundreds of years. He put product on his fingers and ran them through his hair, just as Penina had shown him. The tuffs of blonde
He sat back and folded his hands. The orientation program continued. Occasionally it would require a flick of his fingers, but otherwise, it was completely boring. His mind wandered as he watched and just when he thought it would be over, it would continue. Finally, a bell overhead rung. A clamor of people stood and marched towards the exit for lunch. His screens froze and a large "Lunch" flashed across them. Jack ran his fingers through his hair as he stretched. This was no way to live. He gritted his teeth. This was something he had to do. He stood and headed out to lunch.Instead of wasting time waiting for the elevators to open up, he took the stairs. He found the food court easily because it was packed with people. Some were just coming in, like him, but others were leaving, hinting that each building had its own lunchtime. He chose a place with wrapped sandwiches that he could eat while he walked. He wanted to move as much as possible before he had to go back to that chair.The
Tom disentangled himself from the sleeping women. He slipped through the dim light to the showers. It was amazing how quickly this place was starting to feel like home and it had only been a few weeks. Maybe it was the people or the fact that they were human, well most of them. He flicked on the light to the shower room and picked out a stall in the middle of the row.As the steam filled behind the shower curtain, he laid his belongings out on the bench so it would be ready when he was done. Hopefully, the few shirts he had in his possession would last a while. He didn't know when or if there would be trade routes open to get new things. He doubted anyone around here would be able to make handmade shirts that would be as comfortable as a cotton T-shirt.Tom stripped down and entered the hot water of the shower. Scalding rivulets poured down the ripples and edges of his body, energizing the muscles and waking his mind. He leaned his head back and stretched his sore muscles to their li
Alex let Jack lead her around the dance floor. The black lace dress she wore clung to her frame until he spun her. The lower parts of her dress spun away showing off her curvy well-muscled legs. At the end of the song, she clutched his arm. His eyes found hers and she nodded.She fled the dance floor. Her feet carried her swiftly to the nearest bathroom where she vomited in the sink. She was so over this. She'd been sick for a week and it wasn't getting any better. She felt like she'd been sick for longer than that, but vomiting was only in the last week. Maybe she picked up a bug somewhere on their trips doing charity work.Abigail was only a few steps behind her, holding the door closed so no one saw. "Are you doing okay?"Alex nodded and rinsed her mouth out. "I'm fine. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning. Then I can figure out what this really is."Abigail nodded. "Are you sure you aren't pregnant?"Alex nodded. "There is no way. Jack is a GMI and I'm a hybrid. It jus
Jack rubbed his eyes. The bright screens stared back at him. One held charts, another numbers, and yet another one with a campaign debate chattering on between two other candidates. The one he was currently working on was a list of people predicted to attend their next big event. The last screen held pictures of a location where the event could take place. He was in charge of making a list of options of what that event should be. Currently at the top of his list was a meet and greet between Henry and his constituents. He was thinking something like a family picnic at a park that was free to attend. That would show how much of a people person he was, even though he wasn't.He continued flicking at the board until he had just about finished the proposal when the screens went blank. White letters filled one of them. "Please see Mr. Bada." They flashed a couple of times and then held their place.Jack's stomach lurched. He hadn't seen that man since the first day. The manager arrived bef
Saturday arrived all too quickly for Jack. He was enjoying the perks of the promotion, but he felt he needed to work even harder to be better than everyone else. He had spoken with Mazal's mom through voice chat and agreed they would meet at the Arlington Shopping Complex at noon. They would have lunch together and shadow the children while they shopped until sixteen. That would give them four hours to do what they wanted but still be supervised.Jack tapped his fingers nervously on the armrest as the pod zoomed down the glass tube. Their backgrounds were tight and Lexi knew hers by heart, but if she called him Jack even once, there would be questions. Come to think of it, she hadn't called him Jack for a few weeks now. He would probably be the one to mess up. She would always be Lexi and it was so hard to remember to call her Maya. He needed to start doing it all the time.The pod took the tube to the complex and pulled up to the center of the huge sphere. Jack and Lexi stepped out
Tom watched the water swirl down away from him as the tank emptied. He spit out the mouthpiece and breathed a sigh of relief. He wondered if all this tank stuff was worth the trouble. Ronson's people had been working the tracks for months and never needed the radiation flush. They seemed just fine. He wasn't about to get into it with Ellie though, she'd probably go into some scientific argument and something about statistics and experiments. It was better just to keep quiet and do what she said.He stepped from the tube into the makeshift lighting of the stringed LED lights over the locker room. It was surprising how much this place changed in the last few months. Brooke made it clear she didn't want to talk to him, so after helping Jimmy move his people in, he went out west to help lay track. It was nice to feel useful and use his body every day, but it was also nice to be back. He hoped he'd given Brooke enough time to forgive him.Tom dried and found the pile of clothing Ellie lai
"Thanks, man." Tom took his stew to an empty crate to eat. He sat down and within minutes Seaana's voice piped up at his shoulder."Hi, there!""Hello."She snaked her hands around his arm. "Did you miss me?"Tom blushed but continued eating his stew. "It's nice to see you again Seaana.""Ah, you did miss me. I knew it." She planted a peck on his cheek.Tom bit his cheek. "How are you?" He asked."I've been so lonely lately. Jimmy's been off working, but now that you're back, you can keep me company.""I'm sorry Seaana, but I have things to do today."Seaana stuck out her lip in a pout. "Like see pill popping Brooke.""What?"She sniffed. "I don't know what you see in that junkie anyway. Everyone knows addicts are the worst partners."Tom stood abruptly and disentangled his arm from her. "Excuse me." He left Seaana standing at the makeshift table with the half-eaten bowl of stew.She planted her hands on her hips as he walked away. "Rude!" She called after him.Tom barely
Jack woke with a splitting headache. The white tile ceiling above him looked like that of a hospital room. He gave an inward sigh. The last time had been three months. He wondered how long it had been this time.His fingers felt tight and his hand cramped. He looked over to see they were taped together with someone else's hand. He blinked the sleep from his eyes. As his vision cleared, he saw Alex lying on the cot next to him. Their tactical suits had been removed but the tech suit remained. Both of them were layered in blankets strapped to wires. He racked his brain and remembered the nova they had set off. The third one in a row must have taken its toll.He sent heat into Alex's hand. Her eyes blinked opened. She pulled at her taped hand and then used her free hand to rub her eyes. She looked around. "What's going on?""Wish I knew," Jack answered.She quirked a smile, then pushed the covers back. "It's kind of hot in here, isn't it?""Is it? I can't really tell." Jack sat up, l
The rumbling throughout the Sanctuary stilled as the battle above drew silent. Tom turned to Jimmy. Jimmy nodded and the team climbed to the Surface.After the light, the tunnel, and the door, they emptied out onto the street. Their men looked tired but had smiles on their faces. The team leaders directed them on searches to find any survivors, whether they were friend or foe."Has anyone seen Alex?" Jimmy shouted.Several people shook their heads.Jimmy turned to his team. "Let's spread out. Knowing them, they'll be up somewhere high."The team diverged. Tom searched on his own, always keeping at least his pistol at the ready. The sun slipped over the horizon casting the buildings in a deep twilight glow. Tom climbed the stairs on several buildings to the top but didn't find anything except dead bodies and empty bullet casings. After five buildings, the night settled in. The tanks disappeared back down into the tunnel. Jimmy recruited more people to help search. Armor-clad bodies
Someone was calling his name. At least he thought. There it was again. Tom blinked. The room was black and hazy."Tom?" Jimmy's face loomed above him."What happened?""A fireman got to you. Are you alright?"Tom wiggled his fingers. He could feel the skin pulling across his arm as he moved. "I'll be okay, just a few blisters." He pushed back to his feet, climbing up over the top of the dead Alphas.Their power suit clad soldiers surrounded the room with guns drawn. Bullets covered the floor along with bodies of the Alphas and a few of his team members. His stomach twisted at the loss of good men.Jimmy put a hand on the shoulder of his power armor. "They died saving us. We need to get moving. We've gotten ten so far. We'll finish a sweep and then start clearing the level below."Tom nodded. "Let's go."Jimmy led the way. His team fell in behind him as they jogged down the streets checking building to building. The battle had tightened in around the Sanctuary. The noise of it s
The three of them sat dressed in black tactical gear layered over Alpha tech suits. Alex's dirty face watched Jack as he tightened down the straps on her suit."We stick together, okay. No running off and playing hero on your own," Jack warned. He looked at Lexi while he said it."I thought you were going to make me stay in the pod," Lexi said."I would but it won't be safe there.""I don't think it will be any safer with us," Alex said in a low tone.Jack turned to Alex. "At least we will be able to keep an eye on her. She tends to always find trouble when I tell her to stay put."Alex's eyes flashed to Lexi. "Don't I know it."Lexi rolled her eyes. "If it weren't for me, you guys wouldn't be together, or maybe you'd even be dead.""Watch your tone young lady," Alex warned.Lexi grinned. "I know you're trying to be all tough, but it's really good to hear you say that." She stepped forward and gave Alex a hug.Alex melted. She laid her head against Lexi's cheek. "You're so ta
Jack reached over and touched Alex's shoulder. "Wake up, love."Alex squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed at them with the back of her hands smearing the soot across her face. "How long has it been?" She looked over at Lexi sleeping in a reclined chair.He reached his hand out and wiped at a smudge with his thumb. It only made it worse but she smiled at the touch. "About six hours," he said."You shouldn't have let me sleep so long. You need rest, too.""I got a few hours. Don't worry so much."Alex looked out the pod screen. "I can't help it. I'm finally free of Henry's terror, but now I feel like we're on the verge of losing it all."Jack's mouth drew down in a frown. "It's not going to be pretty. Ellie messaged me before we left her range. Looks like the Alphas are ahead of us by a few hours. When we get there, we will have to fight through them to get to the base."Alex nodded. "Did you see much of it when you visited? It's huge.""No, I only really had one thing on my mind at
Tom sat at the table drumming his fingers. "Does anyone actually know how to work these computers other than Ellie?"The five people working the screen didn't look up.Jimmy crossed his arms over his chest. "Just give them time.""General, the ships are in place.""Good," Janice said, leaning over the tech's workstation. "Anyone have a status on the Alphas?""They're closing in. The ships are taking them out now.""It looks like they are floating topside. Orders?""There's nothing the ships can do up there. Tell them to concentrate on as many darts as they can. Send runners topside and tell them to prepare." Janice turned to Jimmy and Tom. "That's your cue. Do your best."Tom saluted and Jimmy nodded. They turned out into the hall. Their teams waited for them, strapped with weapons and power armor. Tom donned the power armor helmet, gave a nod to Jimmy, and led his team away.As they walked down the halls, they passed locked doors to apartments. Their people, the ones that wer
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him as the gunfire continued to rain down on them. She lifted her chin up. Her eyes connected with his and she smiled.He smiled back. They were going to make it. Somehow, they were going to make it. He tilted his face down and pressed his lips to hers. The liquid electricity filled him. He could feel the energy building in them. He held on to it as he kissed her. She parted her soft lips and he slid his tongue inside. Her tongue moved along his, soft, slow, and passionate. He pressed her against him, gathering the energy they created. He could feel the energy sparkling on his fingertips, asking to be released. He held it back until they vibrated. Finally, he let it go.The white-hot fire burst from them. In his mind, he could feel it like an extra sense. He coated the stadium with it. He could tell it what to touch and what not to. Screams of Alphas pierced the gunshots as the white fire flashed into a nova. He could feel the en
Jack turned to Lexi. "You have to stay here. Got it?""But, Dad-""No. Stay. Promise me that you will stay?""Please let me help."Jack shook his head. "There is nothing you can do, muffin. Please. I don't want to worry about you. I have to get your mother and I need you to be safe. So take the pod and go. I will catch up as soon as I can." Jack flicked at the controls, locking them in place.He held his arms out for a hug. She stepped into it, burying her face in his shoulder. He held her tightly."I love you," he whispered. "You've grown into a fine young lady. I couldn't be more proud of you.""Please don't leave me again," she whispered.His heart sank and he hugged her even tighter. "It will be the last time. When this is all over, I will always be at your side. I promise.""You better."He stroked the back of her head. "Please be safe." He stepped back to look at her."Wait." She pulled the sapphire ring off her finger and stuffed it in his shoulder pocket."What's th
Alex stood locked in a small empty room the size of a utility closet. The walls lay bare except for the light switch. She flicked at the walls, but the screens were disabled and didn't respond.She paced back and forth, rubbing the Vice at her neck. Her bare feet didn't make a sound as they worked the white tile of the floor. She had to figure a way out of here. She needed to find Brooke and Tom. They had to be free. They were only here because of her. This was her problem, her world, not theirs. She flicked her palm open and drew a fireball. Her insides were still hot, but the pull of energy from just one fireball was tremendous. The amount of focus it took to wield it was much harder than it had been when she was pregnant.Alex pressed her ear to the door. Two heartbeats from the other side. She had no weapons other than the fire. She may be able to take out one Alpha, but not two. She sighed, then moved to another wall. There was no sound coming from that side. She tapped on it. S