Annoying prick. {rewritten}

Chapter 7

I waited in our office for hours. I tried to stay awake but it was at one in the morning I passed out at my desk.

I was woken early in the morning by a crew of people coming in. Instantly I was surrounded by them and was being asked if I was okay.

It was a rescue crew. They had been going all around Hyperion searching for injured people and taking care of everyone.

As they fussed over me and did a general check up I asked about jack. No one new anything. I went with the crew trying to distract myself until he got back.

I helped clean people up and deal with injuries. People were passing by on stretchers and I was injecting someone with a health syringe when a familiar voice called out to me.

I spun around to see Rhys coming toward me. I excused myself and went over to him. His face was bandaged up and it seemed to be that he was missing an arm.

"Rhys, I'm glad your okay kid. Did you stay safe?" I asked trying to avoid the subject of his arm.

"Kind of..." he replied.

I raised an eyebrow and he launched into a story about how there was this guy who was interning in accounting and a solider had found the other guy so Rhys stepped in.

I wanted to tell him how dumb that was but before I could another guys ran up shouting Rhys name.

Rhys was instant to introduce us. "Y/n this is Vaughn!"

Vaughn spoke up. "I know who she is. She's one of the higher up coders. How do you know her?"

The two went back and forth and it made me smile a bit. I slipped away from them to go back to helping people.

I kept checking my echo and sending messages the whole time I worked but I never got a response.

After a few hours of helping with medical someone came to replace me. I decided to go home when they did.

I walked down the halls praying my house wasn't wrecked in the invasion and for once my prayers were answered. When I walked in everything was exactly the same as before this whole invasion fiasco.

I stepped into the bathroom and stripped my bloody and torn clothing. I stood in front of the mirror and gently peeled the bandage off my face.

It was my first time looking at my face since my near death experience.

Shallow and deep cuts littered my face the worst being the deep gash that went from the top of my forehead down my eyebrow ending right above my eye.

I stepped into the shower and turned the hot water on before sitting down and letting the water wash over me.

A week after the invasion I stepped back into the lobby of the coding department. I saw a few familiar faces and some new ones. I walked toward my office shakily.

I took in a deep breath and pulled the door open.

My heart dropped as I saw all of jacks stuff gone. My desk replaced the spot his used to be. I stepped forward and stared blankly at the empty feeling office.

I walked to my desk hoping to see some sort of note or anything but it was empty. I cleared my throat and sat at my desk quietly.

I tried working but before I knew it I was shaking violently. I stormed out the office toward the fast travel.

"Where are you going?" A random kid asked.

"Lunch." I muttered coldly.

"But it's not even-" I cut him off by walking up to his desk and swiping everything onto the floor.

"Anyone else have something to say-" I snapped feeling my frustration reaching its peak.

I fast traveled to the food court and looked around checking some of the regular places before heading towards my last hope.

I opened the door and stepped out into the platform. To my devastation nobody was there.  I lit a cigarette with shaky hands and inhaled deeply.

I didn't know why I was so upset about being unable to find him. I guess part of me genuinely began to see Jack as a friend.

That same part of me was shriveling up and my chest hurt. I looked out at Helios and it was right on the platform that I really got to see the damage that had occurred to Helios.

As I looked between elpis, Helios and the platform we had spent so many lunches on I felt myself break.

I took a large puff of my cigarette and wiped a tear off my cheek.

Two weeks after the invasion I was given a promotion. I was made head of programming. At first I missed my small projects but the workload provided a nice distraction from my emotions.

When I wasn't at work I went to the pool and swam. I swam until I was so exhausted I could just go home and pass out.

Some days people tried to talk to me at work but it was just pathetic small talk. Never interesting conversations about hating our boss or what I was thinking about.

I felt pathetic missing someone I was just work friends with but I had never become friends with someone that easily.

Somedays we're easier than others. Rhys visited every once and a while. He had gotten an echo eye and robotic arm due to the attack. He always had something dorky to say and it made me smile.

Once the kid went back to work though, it was just me working on projects in silence.

Three weeks after the invasion I was sat at my desk tapping my pen and foot simultaneously. I was finishing up a project when someone knocked gently.

"Come in." I called out.

A nervous looking woman poked her head in. "Ma'am I hope your not to busy but the ceo wants to speak with you about a new gun..."

"The ceo? Tassitor?" I questioned standing up and brushing myself off.

"Uh no ma'am tassitor died during the invasion...the uh new ceo wants you." She corrected.

I nodded. "Alright I'll go ahead and head up, is it the same place?"

"Yes ma'am."

I headed through the door following her to the fast travel. She punched in the code for us and soon I was at the end of a hallway. At the end of the hallway was a large set of double doors that seemed to have all kinds of servility measures.

The lady led me to the door and typed something into a keypad. "Your good to go in...he knows your coming."

"Thank you." I told her softly.

As I opened the door I swore I heard her say good luck.