All Chapters of FLUX: Chapter 121 - Chapter 130

"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

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

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

Tom and Brooke wove quietly through the darkened hallways of the base until they broke into the dimming light of the Surface."It's been a while since I have been out here. Although, I don't feel like I'm missing much," Brooke said as she peered into the twilight."It may not be much to look at now, but during sunrise and sunset it's quite spectacular.""If you say so. It just looks like a bunch of clouds and dust to me. But it looks like the stars are coming out tonight. It's so odd how the clouds only hit in the daytime."Tom shrugged. He never really thought about it before, but she was right. It was always cloudy during the day and almost always clear during the night."How far to the docks?" Brooke asked."About twenty minutes or so."She nodded. "Can you believe all of this used to be underwater?""Shh-" Tom hushed her and grabbed her hand. "The less we talk, the less likely we'll be found."Brooke nodded and let him lead her.After winding a way through the old streets

He looked out on the pseudo-sunlit area which included a driveway on the left and a fake grass area on the right. Some people chose to put in real grass and mow it, but it cost water and power to maintain. There was a small area to install a flower bed between the lawn and the house. Small steps led to the porch he stood on which extended to both sides of the door. On one side was a two-seater porch swing. After seeing the ruins on the Surface, he could almost imagine what things used to look like hundreds of years ago. This imitation didn't really do it justice.He went back inside and checked the package drop. Packages were delivered in their own tube right to the inside of the front door. Huge packages were delivered by freight pods. Tom opened the tube and took out the large cylinder. He opened the top and found a starter meal package. Most food was bought online and delivered this way. Penina must have had it sent over to get them started. Tom took the food and put in in the kitc