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Chapter 117: On the Way
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FLUX Chapter 118: Promotion
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
FLUX Chapter 119: The Mall
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
FLUX Chapter 120: Addicted, Part 1
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
FLUX Chapter 121: Addicted, Part 2
"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
FLUX Chapter 122: Riot
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
FLUX Chapter 123: Revealed
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
FLUX Chapter 124: Break For It
Tom went back to medical. His mind churned over the information. Alex had been here, with these people. Lexi was his. He wondered how much more he'd been lied to. He pushed open the door. Medical was empty. He strolled toward the back until he heard the shake of a pill bottle. That particular problem seemed so small now. He followed the sound through a door and into a large room filled with shelves of medications. Brooke's back was turned towards him as she stood counting pills. He suddenly realized she probably knew everything about Lexi, too.He stood watching her and worked to unclench his jaw. Finally, he said, "I need my stitches redone."Brooke jumped and spun around. She clutched her chest with a curled hand. "Geezus, you scared me. And I just told you-" She trailed off as she examined his face. "What's wrong?""Did you know?"Brooke raised her eyebrows waiting for him to continue."About Alex?"She frowned as if she had a bad taste in her mouth. "Why is everything about A
FLUX Chapter 125: Poison, Part 1
With Brooke's guidance, Ellie stitched Tom back up. The look of concentration on Ellie's face was rather amusing, but Tom kept it to himself. He still couldn't forgive her."Just imagine him as one of your electronics. You're just sewing together the edges.""Difference is devices can't feel pain."Brooke shrugged. "Does that really matter? Don't you just want to stab him sometimes?"Ellie looked back over her shoulder. "Do you?""Sometimes."Tom shot her a look. He wondered if that would be what it would take for her to forgive him for the shower incident all those months ago, but he wasn't in the mood for this light-hearted banter. He wanted to get moving. He wanted to see Lexi. And see Alex again, finally. Get all of this sorted out."What are we going to need to pack for this trip?" He asked, staring very hard at the ceiling as Ellie continued to poke him with the needle."Not much. Anything we have here will get discarded before we go to the Undersea. I have to make an ele
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