THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR
What Lies Beyond: Kai Brain
Kai is very easy to lose track of if I'm not careful.
As his mind rambles, so does my writing. It's an unfortunate side effect of writing the character.
More of an addendum than a scene.
I worked the second paragraph into a scene with more punch.
It wasn't really going anywhere and certainly would have made the already-bloated Chapter 13 just that little bit worse.
Don't be surprised if more material vanishes from that chapter; it could still use some trimming and reworking.
If something does vanish, look for it here!
-Cy
As his mind rambles, so does my writing. It's an unfortunate side effect of writing the character.
More of an addendum than a scene.
I worked the second paragraph into a scene with more punch.
It wasn't really going anywhere and certainly would have made the already-bloated Chapter 13 just that little bit worse.
Don't be surprised if more material vanishes from that chapter; it could still use some trimming and reworking.
If something does vanish, look for it here!
-Cy
Kai snatched a roll of toilet paper from the closet and headed down the hall for the neighboring room's toilet; they'd stripped that room of its valuables two weeks ago, after their own room's stash had run out. Kai had determined that if the other rooms were stocked, and if the food generators kept working, they could survive here for years... if necessary. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.
Yet Kai's hopes had begun to slide over the past few days. He hadn't shown it, hiding himself away in areas where Adam and Mira didn't often visit--- but his self-esteem was at an all-time low. What kind of "genius" couldn't think outside the box for a solution? And here he'd thought he could finally make himself worth something.
After finishing in the bathroom, Kai made his way down to the kitchen, head hung low. "Let's see... I should grab breakfast, and... well, the laundry's piling up again..." He sniffed his shirt. "Yeah, I'll be good for another day..." He sighed, cramming his hands down his pockets. "And uh... go upstairs, maybe dig up some more files..." But the thought of climbing all those stairs, the way he felt right now... He didn't think he could manage it. "Or I could work on my peanut butter recipe!"
That sounded like a plan! A good peanut butter sandwich could cheer anyone up. Perhaps even Adam? A guy could hope.
It was as good a plan as any.
Yet Kai's hopes had begun to slide over the past few days. He hadn't shown it, hiding himself away in areas where Adam and Mira didn't often visit--- but his self-esteem was at an all-time low. What kind of "genius" couldn't think outside the box for a solution? And here he'd thought he could finally make himself worth something.
After finishing in the bathroom, Kai made his way down to the kitchen, head hung low. "Let's see... I should grab breakfast, and... well, the laundry's piling up again..." He sniffed his shirt. "Yeah, I'll be good for another day..." He sighed, cramming his hands down his pockets. "And uh... go upstairs, maybe dig up some more files..." But the thought of climbing all those stairs, the way he felt right now... He didn't think he could manage it. "Or I could work on my peanut butter recipe!"
That sounded like a plan! A good peanut butter sandwich could cheer anyone up. Perhaps even Adam? A guy could hope.
It was as good a plan as any.
What Lies Beyond: Another Useless Kai Scene
I removed this section of text nearly a year after the publication of the chapter.
It was messing with the flow.
There's not much of consequence here anyway, just a different POV that lets us in on Kai's thoughts from the previous chapter.
Much of it entirely restated... none of it truly necessary.
-Cy
It was messing with the flow.
There's not much of consequence here anyway, just a different POV that lets us in on Kai's thoughts from the previous chapter.
Much of it entirely restated... none of it truly necessary.
-Cy
By the time Kai stirred, he was the only one left in bed. The lights outside were on and the door had been left open--- probably to make sure he didn't sleep all day. A classic Mira move. He groaned and hauled himself into a sitting position. He'd gotten up late again, much to his own chagrin--- though he wasn't about to complain about the extra sleep. He had to pee really bad, but someone was in the shower. If Kai had to guess, that someone was Adam.
It was in Kai's best interest to avoid him this morning; the last thing Kai needed was a bombardment of demands and questions so soon after waking. Nothing like a hot, steaming cup of stress in the morning, after all! That was Adam's current specialty--- and he drank quite a bit of the stuff himself.
Sadness jolted through his stomach. Kai may have been giving Adam a hard time lately, but he was truly concerned for the guy. Adam hardly seemed to take care of himself anymore, which was bad enough on its own. Whether that was the cause or effect of Adam's mental state, Kai didn't know. What Kai did know was this place might be capable of driving anyone crazy given enough time; the AARC was a total mindwarp and a half, and it was only a matter of time before someone snapped. He just hadn't expected Adam, of the whole trio, to be the first to go.
The guy was always so straightforward and logical, only losing his cool once in a while. He loved to be the leader. Although he was admittedly good at it, his natural assertiveness often drove Kai up a wall. While Adam was still straightforward and very much acting as the leader (albeit a far less capable one), his logic seemed to have short-circuited.
His theory about the other kids, for example, had been unfounded from the start. His latest theory stood heads above as the most absurd of all; even Kai could see it was illogical. And unless Adam's memory of the tipping point moment was vastly different from Kai's own, there was no way the circumstances should have given him such a bonkers idea.
Adam had been thoroughly agitated about it, that was for sure. Kai remembered that moment in a way similar to Adam's order of events, but for the life of him, he didn't know where his friend had gotten half his details.
Kai remembered standing beside Adam, all three of them still shaken from what they had seen outside that window. Kai had calmed himself down enough at that point to begin paying attention to his surroundings again. He'd just finished explaining his knowledge of the SmartShield technology. Everything had been calm and quiet--- composed. Even Adam, who had been cold--- if tetchy--- with the other kids until that point.
And then Reeve had cut in with his own two cents.
"Why does this even matter?"
Adam had exploded, his face knotted with absolute fury. "THAT WAS OUR LAST CHANCE TO GET HOME!" he'd roared. Kai had backed away, startled--- Adam's volume had been deafening. Reeve's words had flipped some sort of switch inside of Adam, changing him from frozen to ablaze. And for that brief but heated moment, Adam's mask of composure had snapped in half and revealed something ugly. He'd always had a temper, but that had to have been his worst outburst yet.
Kai had tried to calm his friend back down in the moment, keeping his distance. "There might still be a way. You never know." Adam's only response had been a shadowy frown, which had only served to scare Kai all the more. He'd turned his gaze back onto Reeve and Skeet at that point. Now came that part Adam had blown out of proportion.
"Yeah!" Skeet had interjected. "If---" Reeve had coughed into his arm. Skeet, then interrupted, had paused to make sure Reeve wouldn't cough again before he'd continued. "If... you guys can find another lead an' all. You got anything, Kai?"
Of course, Kai had nothing--- and he'd told Skeet as much. He'd noticed a brief smile on Vanessa's face, which he now confessed had been a little out of place. But how Adam had interpreted Reeve's cough as some sort of cover-up for an elaborate escape plan Vanessa supposedly didn't want anyone to know about... it was beyond Kai. Smirk or no smirk, the context for that conclusion was simply not there.
If there was such a thing as thinking too much, Adam was beyond guilty. He'd started to big-brain himself into stupidity.
Speaking of thinking, another night had passed--- and Kai still had not thought of any new solution to their problem. And with each new day that came, Kai lost more and more of his motivation to try. Yeah, he still wanted to get home; that was true of all his friends. But to trudge up the stairs every day, with no hope of escape to push him forward... it sucked.
Kai sighed and dropped from his pod, tugging up the waistband of his pants. He needed to get some work done today; sitting in bed moping about the situation wasn't going to get them home any faster. He was a man now, and men dealt with their problems... like men. Whatever that entailed.
It was in Kai's best interest to avoid him this morning; the last thing Kai needed was a bombardment of demands and questions so soon after waking. Nothing like a hot, steaming cup of stress in the morning, after all! That was Adam's current specialty--- and he drank quite a bit of the stuff himself.
Sadness jolted through his stomach. Kai may have been giving Adam a hard time lately, but he was truly concerned for the guy. Adam hardly seemed to take care of himself anymore, which was bad enough on its own. Whether that was the cause or effect of Adam's mental state, Kai didn't know. What Kai did know was this place might be capable of driving anyone crazy given enough time; the AARC was a total mindwarp and a half, and it was only a matter of time before someone snapped. He just hadn't expected Adam, of the whole trio, to be the first to go.
The guy was always so straightforward and logical, only losing his cool once in a while. He loved to be the leader. Although he was admittedly good at it, his natural assertiveness often drove Kai up a wall. While Adam was still straightforward and very much acting as the leader (albeit a far less capable one), his logic seemed to have short-circuited.
His theory about the other kids, for example, had been unfounded from the start. His latest theory stood heads above as the most absurd of all; even Kai could see it was illogical. And unless Adam's memory of the tipping point moment was vastly different from Kai's own, there was no way the circumstances should have given him such a bonkers idea.
Adam had been thoroughly agitated about it, that was for sure. Kai remembered that moment in a way similar to Adam's order of events, but for the life of him, he didn't know where his friend had gotten half his details.
Kai remembered standing beside Adam, all three of them still shaken from what they had seen outside that window. Kai had calmed himself down enough at that point to begin paying attention to his surroundings again. He'd just finished explaining his knowledge of the SmartShield technology. Everything had been calm and quiet--- composed. Even Adam, who had been cold--- if tetchy--- with the other kids until that point.
And then Reeve had cut in with his own two cents.
"Why does this even matter?"
Adam had exploded, his face knotted with absolute fury. "THAT WAS OUR LAST CHANCE TO GET HOME!" he'd roared. Kai had backed away, startled--- Adam's volume had been deafening. Reeve's words had flipped some sort of switch inside of Adam, changing him from frozen to ablaze. And for that brief but heated moment, Adam's mask of composure had snapped in half and revealed something ugly. He'd always had a temper, but that had to have been his worst outburst yet.
Kai had tried to calm his friend back down in the moment, keeping his distance. "There might still be a way. You never know." Adam's only response had been a shadowy frown, which had only served to scare Kai all the more. He'd turned his gaze back onto Reeve and Skeet at that point. Now came that part Adam had blown out of proportion.
"Yeah!" Skeet had interjected. "If---" Reeve had coughed into his arm. Skeet, then interrupted, had paused to make sure Reeve wouldn't cough again before he'd continued. "If... you guys can find another lead an' all. You got anything, Kai?"
Of course, Kai had nothing--- and he'd told Skeet as much. He'd noticed a brief smile on Vanessa's face, which he now confessed had been a little out of place. But how Adam had interpreted Reeve's cough as some sort of cover-up for an elaborate escape plan Vanessa supposedly didn't want anyone to know about... it was beyond Kai. Smirk or no smirk, the context for that conclusion was simply not there.
If there was such a thing as thinking too much, Adam was beyond guilty. He'd started to big-brain himself into stupidity.
Speaking of thinking, another night had passed--- and Kai still had not thought of any new solution to their problem. And with each new day that came, Kai lost more and more of his motivation to try. Yeah, he still wanted to get home; that was true of all his friends. But to trudge up the stairs every day, with no hope of escape to push him forward... it sucked.
Kai sighed and dropped from his pod, tugging up the waistband of his pants. He needed to get some work done today; sitting in bed moping about the situation wasn't going to get them home any faster. He was a man now, and men dealt with their problems... like men. Whatever that entailed.