WHAT LIES BEYOND
Chapter 9- Distortions
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Am I going crazy?
Yeah, I think you made me
Cause I hate the way that you make me feel
Am I going crazy?
"Crazy" by From Ashes to New
Yeah, I think you made me
Cause I hate the way that you make me feel
Am I going crazy?
"Crazy" by From Ashes to New
Day 33
Isolation. Warmth. Water pooling around his feet and swirling, then slipping down the drain. Thin grey shadows split over the equally dull grey walls of the chamber. Thoughtful, he stared up at the basic metal showerhead, passing thought given to the bits of ruddy mildew crusted around the edges.
According to the AI, his wake-up time had been 4:00 AM. He didn't know how long he'd been in the shower, with lukewarm water cascading through his hair and down his shoulders, and he didn't really care. It felt good, and the isolation gave him a chance to think. No distractions, no work, no other voices in his ear but his own. It was just him, the shadows beside him, and the water all around him. This was his moment of perfect clarity.
Mira and Kai lay asleep in their beds, none the wiser to Adam's early start. The shower might wake up one or the other. If it did, they would mention it to him.
"Adam, why were you up showering so early this morning?"
If asked, he would answer, "I just wanted to." But the truth was, he'd had a rough time sleeping. He'd awoken at odd hours, tried to lull himself back to sleep, blanked out for another half an hour to forty-five minutes, and woken up again. Rinse and repeat. Finally, he'd decided that if his body insisted on waking him up at an absurd hour, he was gonna make the most of it. Freshen up, collect his thoughts before the day began. Maybe he'd be so tired by the end of the day that he could sleep!
But for now, he was awake and alert, ready to get kicking as soon as possible. He didn't know where Vanessa and her friends would be today, but he was sure to find out. He had to find out. That was objective number one. Work on the next floor could wait. But what excuse should he make to find out what they were doing? Without Mira by his side, he'd just look like a snoop.
I'm not snooping, he told himself, shutting off the water. I'm investigating.
Adam stepped out of the shower, heaving a refreshed sigh. "What time is it?" He snatched one of the towels from the rack.
"The time is 4:45 AM," answered the AI.
Adam dried his shoulders and barked a quiet laugh. Despite the early hour, he was as energized as lightning. He didn't even feel the need to eat--- there was enough energy coursing through his veins to last him well into the afternoon. He didn't know whether it was the invigorating effect of the shower or his newfound motivation. He finished drying himself, dressed up to his pants, grabbed his shirt, and opened the door.
Mira jumped back, startled. Her eyes flitted over his bare chest, then fixed onto his face. Well this is awkward. Adam hadn't expected anyone else to be up this early.
Mira brushed long strands of messy hair from her face. "Adam! I didn't know you were in there." She clutched a pair of fresh pants close to her chest and smiled awkwardly. "You're up early."
"I was taking an early shower," said Adam. "And I could say the same to you." He slipped into his shirt so he wouldn't cause her any more obvious discomfort.
"I'm going back to sleep. I just have something really quick I need to take care of." Mira gestured into the bathroom. "If you're done in there."
"I'm done," sighed Adam. He brushed past her, heading for the front door. "Do what you want."
"Great!" She shuffled into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
Adam narrowed his eyes. Weird. He didn't know how long she'd been waiting there, but the startled way she'd backed away from the door indicated that she'd known someone was in there. Or... maybe not. Maybe he was just imagining things. After all, Mira had no reason to lie like that. Or maybe she did. She was pretty awkward there, after all. Then again, he'd felt pretty awkward there himself, standing half-naked in front of a girl he didn't want to lead on. He was probably just overthinking her reaction.
Adam shook his head and continued toward the door. Today was gonna be a long day.
It was a fever dream. Everything was echoey and distorted, but not beyond recognition. He was lying in his pod, face toward the ceiling, while two figures--- a man and a woman--- stood over his body. His arms were numb and seemed to be tied behind his back, which only increased the sheer panic of the situation. His feet had also been tied down.
Kai struggled and jerked about like a fish out of water, never taking his eyes off the man and woman. They were here to hurt him, weren't they? Why else would they tie him down like he was crazy? Who were these people and why wasn't Adam stopping them? Was he tied down, too? And where was Mira?
"Kai! Sweetheart! Calm down," said the woman.
Kai's breath stuck in his throat. That voice. He recognized it. It's her! But who...?
"Don't make us have to sedate you," she continued.
"What's going on?" Kai squeaked. "What's gonna happen to me?"
"We just want to run a few tests," said the man. His touch burned Kai's skin. The teen recoiled--- well, as best as he could in these restraints. Kai screamed.
"You'll be fine, kiddo," said the woman. "It's not gonna hurt for long." Her tone was soft--- reassuring, almost--- if she weren't so sinister right now. But for whatever reason, he liked her better than the man.
Kai's breathing grew faster. "Get me out of here! I don't wanna do it anymore!" he yelped.
"You signed a contract. I'm sorry," said the woman, brow knit. She did not sound apologetic. An overwhelming sense of betrayal filled his lungs. She's lying through her teeth!
Kai screamed again and struggled ever harder to break his restraints. "No! NO! Get me out! Get me out! GET ME OUT!" Hot tears welled up in his eyes, and he became distinctly aware of a throbbing pain in his right foot. Something... real.
The dream whisked away and Kai's eyes snapped open. His foot still throbbed--- a bump from thrashing around in his sleep, no doubt. That was gonna leave a mark.
"Adam! Mira! Guys, wake up; I had a weird dream and I think it might---!" He sat up in bed, only to notice that both the other pods were empty. Bright light peeked through the underside of the door--- he'd overslept, big time. His buddies were already going about their day. Kai grumbled to himself and rubbed his aching foot until the pain subsided. Then he jumped out of the pod, slipped his shoes on, and headed out the door. No time to waste in bed thinking about a nightmare.
Besides--- he had a good feeling about today.
Adam's plan was not going as well as he'd hoped. Firstly, Mira had found him and dragged him to work before he'd had the chance to track down Vanessa's crew. Secondly, he was tired beyond belief, and it wasn't even noon yet.
He was right--- this was turning out to be a long day.
At 4:00 that morning, he'd been wide awake. By 7:00, he'd become drowsy. By 10:00, he'd shaken off the sleepy stupor, but his mind was filled with buzzing. Instead of his eyelids drooping, they remained stuck wide open. Every sound was amplified. Every light was intensified. For once, Adam was glad to be working on a floor with such dim lighting.
Mira, of course, was not so thrilled. Adam knew she hated the lower levels, and he didn't blame her. The further through floor 42 they got, the more of a decrepit, spooky mess it became. But Adam couldn't find it in him today to care how disgusting it was. He just wanted to get finished and get to bed.
Mira walked close behind Adam as they made their way down the wrecked corridor. She loosed a sigh. "Tell me we're almost done with this floor," she said.
Adam snorted. "Why? So we can hurry up and get to the next one?" he muttered.
Mira laughed softly. "Well... no. Judging by our track record, the next one is probably in worse shape."
"I don't doubt it," said Adam. "But I wanna finish this as soon as possible. If Kai thinks it'll get us home faster, we'll just have to grin and bear it." He scoffed, a shrug thrown in for extra emphasis. "I still don't see how powering up each individual floor will get this thing moving, but it keeps us busy, I guess."
"That it does," Mira replied. She was silent for a few seconds, as if hesitant. "Hey Adam."
"Hmm?"
"Couldn't we get those other kids to help us? We'd get this done a lot faster if they were working with us."
Adam bit down the sudden surge of anger. "It's not... it's not that simple," he grunted.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well they didn't ask if they could help us yesterday," Adam retorted, aware of the mounting tension in his voice.
"We never asked if they would help us," Mira replied. Adam didn't look at her, but he could hear the smile on her mouth when she spoke next. "If they agreed, we'd all be going home a lot faster."
Adam shook his head. His stomach twisted into some ungodly fusion of anger and resentment. Anger, because he hated the prospect of working with that pack of trolls. Resentment, because he knew Mira may be right.
"It seems like a great opportunity to me."
Adam sighed. "Let's just say I'm not ready to work with them just yet."
"Even if it might get us home faster?"
"I don't trust them." Adam's reply was terse. Blunt. It was all he could do in his foggy state of mind to keep from snapping the words.
Mira folded her arms. "I could tell. You've made that abundantly clear."
"And as of right now," Adam continued, turning to face Mira, "They've done nothing to get me to trust them. Even Kai seems to think they're more suspicious than trustworthy."
Mira sighed. "Fair enough," she conceded.
She had to bring up those other kids. Adam's mood was officially soured. Not that he'd been in a good mood the rest of the day. He'd felt hazy, yet neutral. Now that he had a reason to be irked, that pesky blend of emotions just kept stirring inside, like a hurricane. And with his cooler head lost somewhere in the swirling clouds, his temper remained much closer to the surface than usual.
Adam sighed in exasperation as he tugged the next panel's cover. It stuck in place. "Stupid door," he grumbled to himself. Just what he needed. More annoyances. Drawing a breath, he tugged even harder. Then again and again, with the same result. The winds swirled faster. His breathing intensified.
Mira moved in to help, but Adam blocked her from reaching the panel. Mira folded her arms, brow knit. "Adam. I'm trying to help."
"I've got this," Adam growled. He pulled harder, faster. Something budged. Yes! Adam got the hardest grip he could and positioned himself. And on the count of three... Adam let out a loud grunt and yanked the panel cover from the wall.
The panel lit up, quite to Adam's shock. Electricity crackled. The sound of an oncoming overload, maybe?
The horror of that realization didn't set in until Mira yelled through the fog. "ADAM! GET AWAY FROM THERE!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him aside with such force and suddenness that he tripped over her foot. They both tumbled down, collapsing beside one another. Pain shook Adam's skull--- some fallen debris, no doubt. He cried out. The panel exploded in a series of electric pops and crackles as Adam watched on, gritting his teeth.
Fortunately, it never caught fire. That would have added a whole new set of layers to this mess. The storm inside spun faster still.
Mira sat up, breathing heavily. "Adam? Are you OK?" Her voice shook.
Adam grunted as he sat up, wincing at the throbbing at the back of his head. He reached back to touch it. While it continued to throb, it didn't sting at his touch, and it wasn't bleeding. Good. It wasn't serious. He'd be all right.
Mira stood. "Adam?"
Adam growled. "YES. I'M FINE." Keep your shirt on, Adam, he warned himself, taking deep breaths. He rubbed the back of his head. "I'm fine. It's that panel we should worry about." He sent it a scorching yet sorrowed glare as he stood, dusting ceiling debris from his clothes. A few tendrils of smoke streamed from gaps in the panel, while a residual electric fritzing noise broke the silence every few seconds. He glanced downward, spying the offending piece of skull-shaking metal--- a small pipe. Adam stared at it.
"What was that about?" Mira asked. She sounded frustrated.
Adam sighed. "I don't know. I don't know the first thing about what makes electricity work and what makes it explode." He kicked the pipe as hard as he could, sending it flying a good ten feet down the hall.
"No... not the panel," said Mira.
Adam knew what she was getting at. She didn't even have to say it. He turned to face her. "So you have a problem with me right now." Anger burned in the corners of his eyes.
Mira's response was gentle, but her eyes were dark with concern. "Adam, I know you didn't get much sleep last night. Maybe we should consider taking a break. Let you cool down."
Adam bit his lip, fighting down his still-rising frustration. "I'm fine," he insisted. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head once. "You're right. I didn't get much sleep. But if I sit down now, we might not get this floor done today."
"We don't have to finish today," said Mira, softly.
"I want to get this done," Adam clipped. He bent down and picked up the boxes of tools from the floor. "If you wanna take a break, that's fine. Just go. Have lunch, check on Kai, do whatever. I'll be down here, right where you left me."
Mira stood in silence for a while--- long enough for Adam to march right back over to the panel, ready to repair whatever damage had caused it to blow in the first place. The girl sighed. "Fine." Her response was harsher than Adam had expected. "I'll be back in a few hours. Unless you're done by then."
And she marched away without another word.
Some days, Kai blabbered about his genius to convince himself he was actually smart. Other days, Kai was genuinely impressed with his own genius. This was one of those other days.
"Kai, my dude, you are on a roll," he praised himself, giving his chair a casual spin. Mira and Adam were gonna be so impressed! Well... once he actually uncovered some juicy lost data, which wouldn't be long now. Kai glowed with pride. He'd just achieved a new height in his personal programming skills. It had taken weeks, but the result was worth it.
First, he'd cracked down on that beast (the V-virus... V-rus?) and figured out its hiding places and its habits. Then, slowly but surely (and with a lot of impatient moans, groans, chair rotations, and procrastination in between), he had crafted a weapon to slay the beast! Or at least immobilize it and steal back its data horde. That was what his beautiful program was doing right now amidst all that scrolling code--- mere gibberish to the untrained eye.
Kai cackled. "Try and call me stupid now, Mr. Hargrove," he snarked under his breath. His first grade teacher would be proven so wrong right now... sure, Kai hadn't seen him since first grade, but if he was here, Kai knew he'd be grovelling at Kai's feet and begging forgiveness.
"Hey, Kai."
"Mira!" Kai spun his chair around and smiled up at his friend. "I haven't seen you all day!"
"Adam and I have been working," said Mira. She plopped down into the second spinny chair and sank low with an exhausted sigh. "Adam is still working. I needed a break. Namely, from him."
Kai leaned back in his chair and smiled lightly. "Adam's being a butt, huh?"
Mira sighed. She was plainly tired, though a tiny glimpse of a smile touched her lip. "As usual," she said. Her sad frown returned. "A lot more than usual lately. I'm worried about him, Kai. He just hasn't been himself."
"I know," said Kai. He recalled how quickly Adam had reacted to his sleepwalking the night before. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't sleep."
"Yeah," agreed Mira. "I caught him awake at 4:30 this morning. I wish I knew what was wrong so we could take care of it, but he..."
"Doesn't open up about it?"
"Yeah."
"He's not very good at that," chuckled Kai. He sighed. "I'm worried about him too. And about you."
Mira looked up. "Me? Why me?"
Kai stood up and loosened his shoulders. "You don't look like you've been sleeping either. What gives?"
Mira shook her head. "Like I said, Kai... I'm worried about Adam. It's hard for me to sleep, or focus on anything but him. I've been trying, believe me. After all, I can't help him unless I'm helping myself, otherwise I'd be a massive hypocrite---" Her voice broke.
Kai mentally panicked. Oh no... She was starting to break down. What was he supposed to do? He came closer to her, hands balled into fists and held close to his chest. "It's OK, Mira... you're not a hypocrite."
"Telling me that doesn't make me feel less like one," choked Mira.
"Well what am I supposed to say then?!" exclaimed Kai. "I don't know how to cheer people up, I'm just... I'm trying." He looked her in the eye with a sudden boldness. "You're trying, OK? That's what matters." Mira's lip turned upward for a fleeting second, but she looked down at her feet a moment later, not much cheered. Kai dragged his chair over and sat down beside her. "Have you told Adam about any of this?"
Mira shook her head. "I doubt he'd listen."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Kai blurted. "He always listens to you."
"Not always," said Mira.
"More than he listens to me," said Kai. So much for that. She was just as sad as she'd been before. Well... at least she'd stopped crying, right? That was... worth something, wasn't it?
"Thanks for trying to help, Kai," Mira said. Kai looked up. To his delight, there was a smile on her face--- small, but genuine. "It means a lot to me."
Kai smiled back.
The computer console started to beep. Kai spun around and rolled back over to the console, not sure what to expect. But the words on the screen soon turned his confusion and momentary panic into excitement. "Yes! YES!"
Mira joined Kai and peered over his shoulder. "Did you do it? Did you finally find something?"
"Finally!" Kai could barely restrain himself. He sprang from the chair, both fists in the air, and hollered at the top of his lungs. "I did it! I finally did it! WOO-HOOOOO!!!"
"Well, don't just stand there shouting about it!" laughed Mira, grinning from ear to ear. She squeezed Kai's shoulder. "Let's grab Adam and see what we've got!"
According to the AI, his wake-up time had been 4:00 AM. He didn't know how long he'd been in the shower, with lukewarm water cascading through his hair and down his shoulders, and he didn't really care. It felt good, and the isolation gave him a chance to think. No distractions, no work, no other voices in his ear but his own. It was just him, the shadows beside him, and the water all around him. This was his moment of perfect clarity.
Mira and Kai lay asleep in their beds, none the wiser to Adam's early start. The shower might wake up one or the other. If it did, they would mention it to him.
"Adam, why were you up showering so early this morning?"
If asked, he would answer, "I just wanted to." But the truth was, he'd had a rough time sleeping. He'd awoken at odd hours, tried to lull himself back to sleep, blanked out for another half an hour to forty-five minutes, and woken up again. Rinse and repeat. Finally, he'd decided that if his body insisted on waking him up at an absurd hour, he was gonna make the most of it. Freshen up, collect his thoughts before the day began. Maybe he'd be so tired by the end of the day that he could sleep!
But for now, he was awake and alert, ready to get kicking as soon as possible. He didn't know where Vanessa and her friends would be today, but he was sure to find out. He had to find out. That was objective number one. Work on the next floor could wait. But what excuse should he make to find out what they were doing? Without Mira by his side, he'd just look like a snoop.
I'm not snooping, he told himself, shutting off the water. I'm investigating.
Adam stepped out of the shower, heaving a refreshed sigh. "What time is it?" He snatched one of the towels from the rack.
"The time is 4:45 AM," answered the AI.
Adam dried his shoulders and barked a quiet laugh. Despite the early hour, he was as energized as lightning. He didn't even feel the need to eat--- there was enough energy coursing through his veins to last him well into the afternoon. He didn't know whether it was the invigorating effect of the shower or his newfound motivation. He finished drying himself, dressed up to his pants, grabbed his shirt, and opened the door.
Mira jumped back, startled. Her eyes flitted over his bare chest, then fixed onto his face. Well this is awkward. Adam hadn't expected anyone else to be up this early.
Mira brushed long strands of messy hair from her face. "Adam! I didn't know you were in there." She clutched a pair of fresh pants close to her chest and smiled awkwardly. "You're up early."
"I was taking an early shower," said Adam. "And I could say the same to you." He slipped into his shirt so he wouldn't cause her any more obvious discomfort.
"I'm going back to sleep. I just have something really quick I need to take care of." Mira gestured into the bathroom. "If you're done in there."
"I'm done," sighed Adam. He brushed past her, heading for the front door. "Do what you want."
"Great!" She shuffled into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
Adam narrowed his eyes. Weird. He didn't know how long she'd been waiting there, but the startled way she'd backed away from the door indicated that she'd known someone was in there. Or... maybe not. Maybe he was just imagining things. After all, Mira had no reason to lie like that. Or maybe she did. She was pretty awkward there, after all. Then again, he'd felt pretty awkward there himself, standing half-naked in front of a girl he didn't want to lead on. He was probably just overthinking her reaction.
Adam shook his head and continued toward the door. Today was gonna be a long day.
It was a fever dream. Everything was echoey and distorted, but not beyond recognition. He was lying in his pod, face toward the ceiling, while two figures--- a man and a woman--- stood over his body. His arms were numb and seemed to be tied behind his back, which only increased the sheer panic of the situation. His feet had also been tied down.
Kai struggled and jerked about like a fish out of water, never taking his eyes off the man and woman. They were here to hurt him, weren't they? Why else would they tie him down like he was crazy? Who were these people and why wasn't Adam stopping them? Was he tied down, too? And where was Mira?
"Kai! Sweetheart! Calm down," said the woman.
Kai's breath stuck in his throat. That voice. He recognized it. It's her! But who...?
"Don't make us have to sedate you," she continued.
"What's going on?" Kai squeaked. "What's gonna happen to me?"
"We just want to run a few tests," said the man. His touch burned Kai's skin. The teen recoiled--- well, as best as he could in these restraints. Kai screamed.
"You'll be fine, kiddo," said the woman. "It's not gonna hurt for long." Her tone was soft--- reassuring, almost--- if she weren't so sinister right now. But for whatever reason, he liked her better than the man.
Kai's breathing grew faster. "Get me out of here! I don't wanna do it anymore!" he yelped.
"You signed a contract. I'm sorry," said the woman, brow knit. She did not sound apologetic. An overwhelming sense of betrayal filled his lungs. She's lying through her teeth!
Kai screamed again and struggled ever harder to break his restraints. "No! NO! Get me out! Get me out! GET ME OUT!" Hot tears welled up in his eyes, and he became distinctly aware of a throbbing pain in his right foot. Something... real.
The dream whisked away and Kai's eyes snapped open. His foot still throbbed--- a bump from thrashing around in his sleep, no doubt. That was gonna leave a mark.
"Adam! Mira! Guys, wake up; I had a weird dream and I think it might---!" He sat up in bed, only to notice that both the other pods were empty. Bright light peeked through the underside of the door--- he'd overslept, big time. His buddies were already going about their day. Kai grumbled to himself and rubbed his aching foot until the pain subsided. Then he jumped out of the pod, slipped his shoes on, and headed out the door. No time to waste in bed thinking about a nightmare.
Besides--- he had a good feeling about today.
Adam's plan was not going as well as he'd hoped. Firstly, Mira had found him and dragged him to work before he'd had the chance to track down Vanessa's crew. Secondly, he was tired beyond belief, and it wasn't even noon yet.
He was right--- this was turning out to be a long day.
At 4:00 that morning, he'd been wide awake. By 7:00, he'd become drowsy. By 10:00, he'd shaken off the sleepy stupor, but his mind was filled with buzzing. Instead of his eyelids drooping, they remained stuck wide open. Every sound was amplified. Every light was intensified. For once, Adam was glad to be working on a floor with such dim lighting.
Mira, of course, was not so thrilled. Adam knew she hated the lower levels, and he didn't blame her. The further through floor 42 they got, the more of a decrepit, spooky mess it became. But Adam couldn't find it in him today to care how disgusting it was. He just wanted to get finished and get to bed.
Mira walked close behind Adam as they made their way down the wrecked corridor. She loosed a sigh. "Tell me we're almost done with this floor," she said.
Adam snorted. "Why? So we can hurry up and get to the next one?" he muttered.
Mira laughed softly. "Well... no. Judging by our track record, the next one is probably in worse shape."
"I don't doubt it," said Adam. "But I wanna finish this as soon as possible. If Kai thinks it'll get us home faster, we'll just have to grin and bear it." He scoffed, a shrug thrown in for extra emphasis. "I still don't see how powering up each individual floor will get this thing moving, but it keeps us busy, I guess."
"That it does," Mira replied. She was silent for a few seconds, as if hesitant. "Hey Adam."
"Hmm?"
"Couldn't we get those other kids to help us? We'd get this done a lot faster if they were working with us."
Adam bit down the sudden surge of anger. "It's not... it's not that simple," he grunted.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well they didn't ask if they could help us yesterday," Adam retorted, aware of the mounting tension in his voice.
"We never asked if they would help us," Mira replied. Adam didn't look at her, but he could hear the smile on her mouth when she spoke next. "If they agreed, we'd all be going home a lot faster."
Adam shook his head. His stomach twisted into some ungodly fusion of anger and resentment. Anger, because he hated the prospect of working with that pack of trolls. Resentment, because he knew Mira may be right.
"It seems like a great opportunity to me."
Adam sighed. "Let's just say I'm not ready to work with them just yet."
"Even if it might get us home faster?"
"I don't trust them." Adam's reply was terse. Blunt. It was all he could do in his foggy state of mind to keep from snapping the words.
Mira folded her arms. "I could tell. You've made that abundantly clear."
"And as of right now," Adam continued, turning to face Mira, "They've done nothing to get me to trust them. Even Kai seems to think they're more suspicious than trustworthy."
Mira sighed. "Fair enough," she conceded.
She had to bring up those other kids. Adam's mood was officially soured. Not that he'd been in a good mood the rest of the day. He'd felt hazy, yet neutral. Now that he had a reason to be irked, that pesky blend of emotions just kept stirring inside, like a hurricane. And with his cooler head lost somewhere in the swirling clouds, his temper remained much closer to the surface than usual.
Adam sighed in exasperation as he tugged the next panel's cover. It stuck in place. "Stupid door," he grumbled to himself. Just what he needed. More annoyances. Drawing a breath, he tugged even harder. Then again and again, with the same result. The winds swirled faster. His breathing intensified.
Mira moved in to help, but Adam blocked her from reaching the panel. Mira folded her arms, brow knit. "Adam. I'm trying to help."
"I've got this," Adam growled. He pulled harder, faster. Something budged. Yes! Adam got the hardest grip he could and positioned himself. And on the count of three... Adam let out a loud grunt and yanked the panel cover from the wall.
The panel lit up, quite to Adam's shock. Electricity crackled. The sound of an oncoming overload, maybe?
The horror of that realization didn't set in until Mira yelled through the fog. "ADAM! GET AWAY FROM THERE!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him aside with such force and suddenness that he tripped over her foot. They both tumbled down, collapsing beside one another. Pain shook Adam's skull--- some fallen debris, no doubt. He cried out. The panel exploded in a series of electric pops and crackles as Adam watched on, gritting his teeth.
Fortunately, it never caught fire. That would have added a whole new set of layers to this mess. The storm inside spun faster still.
Mira sat up, breathing heavily. "Adam? Are you OK?" Her voice shook.
Adam grunted as he sat up, wincing at the throbbing at the back of his head. He reached back to touch it. While it continued to throb, it didn't sting at his touch, and it wasn't bleeding. Good. It wasn't serious. He'd be all right.
Mira stood. "Adam?"
Adam growled. "YES. I'M FINE." Keep your shirt on, Adam, he warned himself, taking deep breaths. He rubbed the back of his head. "I'm fine. It's that panel we should worry about." He sent it a scorching yet sorrowed glare as he stood, dusting ceiling debris from his clothes. A few tendrils of smoke streamed from gaps in the panel, while a residual electric fritzing noise broke the silence every few seconds. He glanced downward, spying the offending piece of skull-shaking metal--- a small pipe. Adam stared at it.
"What was that about?" Mira asked. She sounded frustrated.
Adam sighed. "I don't know. I don't know the first thing about what makes electricity work and what makes it explode." He kicked the pipe as hard as he could, sending it flying a good ten feet down the hall.
"No... not the panel," said Mira.
Adam knew what she was getting at. She didn't even have to say it. He turned to face her. "So you have a problem with me right now." Anger burned in the corners of his eyes.
Mira's response was gentle, but her eyes were dark with concern. "Adam, I know you didn't get much sleep last night. Maybe we should consider taking a break. Let you cool down."
Adam bit his lip, fighting down his still-rising frustration. "I'm fine," he insisted. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head once. "You're right. I didn't get much sleep. But if I sit down now, we might not get this floor done today."
"We don't have to finish today," said Mira, softly.
"I want to get this done," Adam clipped. He bent down and picked up the boxes of tools from the floor. "If you wanna take a break, that's fine. Just go. Have lunch, check on Kai, do whatever. I'll be down here, right where you left me."
Mira stood in silence for a while--- long enough for Adam to march right back over to the panel, ready to repair whatever damage had caused it to blow in the first place. The girl sighed. "Fine." Her response was harsher than Adam had expected. "I'll be back in a few hours. Unless you're done by then."
And she marched away without another word.
Some days, Kai blabbered about his genius to convince himself he was actually smart. Other days, Kai was genuinely impressed with his own genius. This was one of those other days.
"Kai, my dude, you are on a roll," he praised himself, giving his chair a casual spin. Mira and Adam were gonna be so impressed! Well... once he actually uncovered some juicy lost data, which wouldn't be long now. Kai glowed with pride. He'd just achieved a new height in his personal programming skills. It had taken weeks, but the result was worth it.
First, he'd cracked down on that beast (the V-virus... V-rus?) and figured out its hiding places and its habits. Then, slowly but surely (and with a lot of impatient moans, groans, chair rotations, and procrastination in between), he had crafted a weapon to slay the beast! Or at least immobilize it and steal back its data horde. That was what his beautiful program was doing right now amidst all that scrolling code--- mere gibberish to the untrained eye.
Kai cackled. "Try and call me stupid now, Mr. Hargrove," he snarked under his breath. His first grade teacher would be proven so wrong right now... sure, Kai hadn't seen him since first grade, but if he was here, Kai knew he'd be grovelling at Kai's feet and begging forgiveness.
"Hey, Kai."
"Mira!" Kai spun his chair around and smiled up at his friend. "I haven't seen you all day!"
"Adam and I have been working," said Mira. She plopped down into the second spinny chair and sank low with an exhausted sigh. "Adam is still working. I needed a break. Namely, from him."
Kai leaned back in his chair and smiled lightly. "Adam's being a butt, huh?"
Mira sighed. She was plainly tired, though a tiny glimpse of a smile touched her lip. "As usual," she said. Her sad frown returned. "A lot more than usual lately. I'm worried about him, Kai. He just hasn't been himself."
"I know," said Kai. He recalled how quickly Adam had reacted to his sleepwalking the night before. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't sleep."
"Yeah," agreed Mira. "I caught him awake at 4:30 this morning. I wish I knew what was wrong so we could take care of it, but he..."
"Doesn't open up about it?"
"Yeah."
"He's not very good at that," chuckled Kai. He sighed. "I'm worried about him too. And about you."
Mira looked up. "Me? Why me?"
Kai stood up and loosened his shoulders. "You don't look like you've been sleeping either. What gives?"
Mira shook her head. "Like I said, Kai... I'm worried about Adam. It's hard for me to sleep, or focus on anything but him. I've been trying, believe me. After all, I can't help him unless I'm helping myself, otherwise I'd be a massive hypocrite---" Her voice broke.
Kai mentally panicked. Oh no... She was starting to break down. What was he supposed to do? He came closer to her, hands balled into fists and held close to his chest. "It's OK, Mira... you're not a hypocrite."
"Telling me that doesn't make me feel less like one," choked Mira.
"Well what am I supposed to say then?!" exclaimed Kai. "I don't know how to cheer people up, I'm just... I'm trying." He looked her in the eye with a sudden boldness. "You're trying, OK? That's what matters." Mira's lip turned upward for a fleeting second, but she looked down at her feet a moment later, not much cheered. Kai dragged his chair over and sat down beside her. "Have you told Adam about any of this?"
Mira shook her head. "I doubt he'd listen."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Kai blurted. "He always listens to you."
"Not always," said Mira.
"More than he listens to me," said Kai. So much for that. She was just as sad as she'd been before. Well... at least she'd stopped crying, right? That was... worth something, wasn't it?
"Thanks for trying to help, Kai," Mira said. Kai looked up. To his delight, there was a smile on her face--- small, but genuine. "It means a lot to me."
Kai smiled back.
The computer console started to beep. Kai spun around and rolled back over to the console, not sure what to expect. But the words on the screen soon turned his confusion and momentary panic into excitement. "Yes! YES!"
Mira joined Kai and peered over his shoulder. "Did you do it? Did you finally find something?"
"Finally!" Kai could barely restrain himself. He sprang from the chair, both fists in the air, and hollered at the top of his lungs. "I did it! I finally did it! WOO-HOOOOO!!!"
"Well, don't just stand there shouting about it!" laughed Mira, grinning from ear to ear. She squeezed Kai's shoulder. "Let's grab Adam and see what we've got!"