The Annihilation Code

Chapter Thirty-One ➹ Atlas Contreras ➹

One month later...

I sat at the kitchen table, sketching on my Holopad. I was conceptualizing a painting design for one of my clients. Lately, the shop has been so crowded with customers we can barely fit them all inside the workshop. Ever since Chase started posting about my art on social media, cyborgs have been coming from far and wide to commission my work. I took a bite from my bowl of Fruity Cinnamon Chocolatey Choco Chip Crunch™ cereal. "This is gross! How can anyone eat this stuff?"

Marisa glanced up from her tablet. "It's the top-selling breakfast item in North America, the UK, and New Zealand. Someone out there must like it.

I tossed the box aside. "This is probably a Bionic Corp plot to poison me."

Venus pounced on the table and began lapping up the milk from my bowl. I pushed it towards her. She can have it.

Patch rolled his eye in our direction. "You know, in my day, it was considered rude to use your Holopad at the breakfast table. My father never would've allowed such bad manners."

"But I'm working," I signed petulantly.

"Hey! Don't be disrespectful. Put it away."

I let out a deep sigh and powered off my Holopad, but Marisa continued typing on hers.

Patch crossed his arms. "That goes for you too, young lady. Shut it off."

Marisa hesitantly glanced between Patch and the screen.

"Care to tell us what's so important you can't stop for a breakfast break?"

Marisa took a deep breath. "I'm looking for Katrina."

The whole table went quiet.

Patch let out a long sigh. "Marisa, you saw the explosion. There's no way—"

"She's alive, I know it! I have proof!" She spun her Holopad around to reveal two messages from Katrina, both sent within the last hour.
Hey Marisa.

Is it really you? How did you survive?

Were you worried about me? That's cute. It warms my cold, dark, heart.

"Anyone at Bionic Corp could've gotten access to her messages after she died. We can't prove it's her," I signed, disapprovingly.

"It sounds exactly like something she'd write," Marisa argued.

She wasn't wrong. It did sound like Katrina. "Just don't do anything reckless, okay?"

Marisa waved her hand dismissively. "Of course not. You know me, I stay out of trouble, I don't go running into it like you."She pasted a false smile onto her lips, but something in her tone gave it away. She was up to something.

Before I could call her out, a loud knock sounded from the front door. My fight or flight response activated, and I jumped to attention, preparing to use my spoon as a weapon.

Venus perked up and sauntered towards the door.

"You should go answer that." Patch took a long sip of his coffee and did what I think was a wink, but it was hard to tell with the eye patch.

I tiptoed to the door and hesitantly twisted the knob.

To my shock and delight, a familiar face shot me a toothy grin.

"Chase Huxley."

"Atlas Contreras."

I tackled him into a tight hug. "I missed you."