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
A week passed. Tom was assigned to patrol the south section of the city from midnight until noon. Sabin took his place from noon to midnight. It was an easy job, even if it was a long one. It was nice to take the time and sit in the peace and quiet. As he patrolled, he explored numerous broken buildings and searched for useful materials.The wind rolled off the coast throwing dust in the air. Tom looked out over the sparkling water. It was starting to grow humid and the sun was approaching its peak. He started heading back to the meeting point. He spent a lot of his time out here clearing roads. He knew a few people were working on getting vehicles running and a supply of fuel. Eventually, they would need the roads to make patrols.Vultures flew overhead cawing. He followed their path with his eyes. They'd come from a nest by the docks. He was surprised by the number of animals he had seen. With the radiation, he thought nothing would live up here. He'd checked in with Ellie describi
Tom traversed the tunnels towards Ellie's new lab. The stitches in his side pulled at his skin, but the anesthetic had taken the pain away making it feel wooden and foreign. Thoughts of Brooke's pills tumbled through his mind. He kept rolling it over, one side trying to justify her need, the other accusing her of an addiction. Yet another part still blamed himself. If it was her hands causing the pain, he should have been there for her. He shouldn't have listened to her and left in the first place.He looked up and found himself standing in front of the lab doors. He sighed in relief. Maybe talking this out with Ellie would help him ease his mind a little. He pushed against the door, opening it to the hectic lab space. Monitors, computers, electronics, and other bits of equipment engulfed the room in an organized mess, but the genius brain behind it all was nowhere in sight.He leaned against a counter stacked with files and eased himself into a bent position to check beneath the tab