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Chapter 86: Leaving, Part 2
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FLUX Chapter 87: Starting the Trek
After kilometers in the dark tunnel which had now turned into a large water pipe, the landscape opened up to the Surface. Tom stumbled over the lip on to the dusty dirt. The night sky hung over them.Tom offered his hand out to Ellie to help her over the edge. She grabbed it and teetered over. Her footing was looking less sure than when they started, no doubt the burns had something to do with that. Her hand was sweaty in his, but he managed to keep her on her feet.A few meters after the tunnel, Ellie stopped and their hands separated. Tom turned back to look. The whole sky south was lit at the horizon. The glow lit the bottom of thick clouds hanging overhead where smoke poured into the sky."Bomb," Ellie said."It caused the explosion?" Tom asked.Ellie nodded. "Looks like someone found us. That's the whole Sanctuary."Tom felt a pang of anger. Finally, he found a place to feel safe where people accepted him and he could make a difference. Now it was gone. The whole thing. And
FLUX Chapter 88: New Identities, Part 1
Jack sat at the controls flicking in information. "Is the name Maya still okay?"Lexi nodded as she snacked on a bit of dried meat. "Is the story going to be the same as before?"He shrugged. "Is there anything you want to change about it?""What's your job going to be? I don't think you can be Jack the spy or the general's son down there.""And you'd be right. I'm going to go with James. And how about a dentist?"Lexi shook her head. "James the dentist? Definitely not.""You're right. It needs to be something boring. How about an insurance worker?"She raised her eyebrow in question. "What's the plan to get my mom out? Shouldn't it be something that can save her? You could be her chauffeur or her maid or something.""Nah, sorry pumpkin. I don't think it will be that easy." Jack rubbed at his stubble. "We'll need to get close, but not too close. I think we're going to need to work with your father.""He's not my father," she mumbled."I know, but we have to play nice to get y
FLUX Chapter 89: New Identities, Part 2
A few hours later, Jack stared into the mirror looking at a completely different person. His face had been cleanly shaven. His hair was short cropped on the sides and longer on the top. It had been dyed a light brown with blonde patches in it. The biggest change was his newly pointed ears made using synthetic cartilage. It was supposed to be reversible, but it looked pretty permeant to him. His normally steel blue-grey eyes gleamed back green."Now Mr. James Monroe," said Penina's husband, Art. "I'm going to classify you as a Sigma four. High enough to get you that campaign job, but not so high they think you have money. Your attributes will be hearing and sight, that shouldn't get you into too much trouble, as well as strength, hence the sigma part and you seem to fit the bill physically for that, and your last one will be-" He flicked at the screen a moment as he thought. "How about dexterity?"Penina chuckled behind him. Warmth trickled with her laugh. "My dear, you have just made
FLUX Chapter 90: Bunker
Tom jolted awake. He had dozed off in the dining room chair and now his neck ached. Ellie sat upright in the bed watching him, her half-melted glasses askew."You almost fell," she said.Tom smiled. "I'm glad to see you awake. I thought I lost you there."Ellie shrugged, or at least that was what Tom thought it was. The thick sloppy bandages at her shoulders moved a little up and down which was kind of like a shrug. The towel still covered her midsection."I don't really feel anything. It's just a little hard to move. Do you think you can help me find something to wear?"Tom shot to his feet. "Of course. No problem." He reached for the emergency pack and sifted through the contents. He still had no idea what was even in there. The closest thing that came to clothes was a wool blanket and a clear poncho. Instead, he opened up a drawer underneath the bunk bed and found sets of clothing. He handed her a clear vacuum locked bag with a green small adult women's sticker stuck to the fro
FLUX Chapter 91: Bubble Home
Jack gestured the door open to the master bedroom. The door opened silently exposing a neatly made bed and closet. "I don't think it's too bad. Kind of cozy.""It's more room than the cabin on the boat or the one at the Sanctuary. I even get my own bathroom. I won't have to clean up all the hair you leave around." Lexi sat heavily on his bed. "How do we go about getting food? Is there a cafeteria or something in the neighborhood that we all go to when we're hungry?""We have our own kitchen downstairs that we passed on the way up. We do the cooking ourselves."Lexi arched an eyebrow. "Are you certified for that?"Jack chuckled. "I'm a pretty good cook, just rusty. Don't worry, we'll order what we need and it will show up in that tube by the front door. And we need to get you registered for school."Lexi frowned. "I don't want to hang out with a bunch of hybrids.""You forget, you're a hybrid now. Sigma four, just like me, or at least that's what they'll eventually find out if we'
FLUX Chapter 92: Dust, Part 1
Two days after arriving at the bunker, Ellie and Tom packed their gear. Tom realized the second day in that the duffle full of antibiotics never made it with the doctor's group. And even though the stuff he had with him wouldn't be helpful to the women before they left, there was a good chance some of them got hurt on the way out and he was the only one with the medicine to help them. After this thought, he made a day trip out and scouted the area, but found nothing.Tom changed the bandages to Ellie's burns daily. They were brown and waxy and starting to ooze yellow puss. She moved around as if nothing was wrong, though she was sweating a lot and breathing hard it probably wasn't helping the situation. He prescribed her an antibiotic and then had to practically force feed it to her with every meal. Tom wasn't a professional doctor or even a nurse, and if they didn't find some real help soon, there was a chance she wouldn't make it.Nothing he said seemed to make a difference either.
FLUX Chapter 93: Dust, Part 2
"I got separated from the group and picked up this little lady here. It was pretty lucky that we found you of all people, she's got some nasty burns and it doesn't look like they are doing very well.""Luck? Luck! I'm here by all the damn, freaking hell-" She rubbed both hands over her face and started over. "I've had a pretty bad couple of days."Tom reached around her and shut the door closed, then put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry." He gave her a little squeeze. "I'd like to hear the tale if you don't mind, but right now I really need you to look at Ellie.""Ellie?" Brooke's eyes lit up as she looked at the figure on the bed. "Els, Is that you?" What the hell happened to you?" She sighed and sat next to her on the bed.Ellie gave a half-hearted smile. Her face was looking pale and sweat creased her brow. "Hey, Brooke," she said weakly. "The melting point of my epidermis and that of what my mind thinks it is doesn't seem to reconcile.""Is that supposed to be a joke?" Brook
FLUX Chapter 94: Dust, Part 3
Ellie opened up the box and held up the golden device between the three of them. They leaned in. Ellie clenched the device between her teeth. Brooke leaned forward and bit the middle of the device, then immediately pulled back and turned to Tom. She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in towards her clenched teeth. Their lips met, her mouth opened, and she slid the metallic device in with her soft tongue. His tongue met hers and the pearl burst, leaving a metallic taste behind. He ran his tongue over hers and she kissed him back as the metallic taste lingered.He felt his face grow hotter as they kissed and hoped she didn't notice. Energy moved through him, but he couldn't tell if that was something new or just his attraction to her. Finally, her fingers relaxed and she pulled back and turned to Ellie. Her face was flushed too."Did it work?" Brooke asked."I don't know." Ellie held out her burnt hands to each of them. Brooke took one and Tom held the other. Her cream covere
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