Edge of Humanity: Book 2 in the Saving Humanity Series

CHAPTER 12

White text scrolled across the black screen. Caleb scrutinized the code, looking for anything that seemed out of place. A line of random symbols made its way toward the top of the screen, and Caleb stopped it before it disappeared. Squinting, he studied the line, highlighted a few symbols, and hit the backspace key. Once done, he started the text scrolling again.

The radio softly played classic rock, but Caleb barely heard it; he focused on the code in front of him. His blinks got slower the longer he stared, and the text grew blurry. With a yawn, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes, then scratched his stomach. It gurgled beneath his fingertips, full of dinner and satisfied. He burped, then leaned forward in his chair to scrutinize the code again.

The radio screeched with the familiar tone of the Emergency Broadcast System. Caleb heard it, but he didn't pay too much attention. The station was always running tests. The monotone, unemotional, computer-generated voice followed the screeching. Caleb had it low enough he couldn't make out was being said. When the speech finished, the alarm sounded again, and Caleb expected music to follow. Again, the screeching sounded. Annoyed, Caleb clicked off the radio with authority. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face. He tried not to let his irritation dominate his mood, but the more tired he got, the harder it was to fight. The fact this program still wasn't running didn't help. He'd been through the lines of code numerous times and kept finding errors. It drove him crazy. He was so meticulous when it came to programming; how did so many errors find their way into the code? He growled into his hands.

"Caleb?" The voice was spoken softly into his room.

He dropped his hands into his lap and turned his chair toward the door. His sister leaned against the frame, her forehead wrinkled with worry.

"Mom and Dad want us to come to the living room."

"Why?" The word came out much harsher than he wanted.

Nina shrugged.

"Okay. Be there in a sec." He turned back to his computer and minimized the screen with the code so nothing would happen to it while he was gone.

Perhaps a break was what he needed. Maybe it would clear his mind and help him gain a new perspective. Whatever his parents wanted to talk to them about must have been serious, and it must have just happened. Dinner had ended half an hour ago, and if they had news, they would have shared it then. Concern crept into Caleb's chest.

He stepped into the living room where his parents sat on the couch holding hands. Worry highlighted the lines around his dad's eyes. His mom's face was pale and pinched, as if she fought the urge to vomit. A rock settled in Caleb's stomach. It was as he suspected; something serious and terrible had happened. Whatever was going on, he didn't want to hear about it. He didn't know if he could handle it, but at the same time, he wanted to get this moment over with.

"Did someone die?" Fear and emotion shook his voice. Visions of his grandmothers ran through his mind, and he studied his parents' faces to determine which of their mothers had passed.

Nina stood off to Caleb's left behind the recliner. Her knuckles were white from gripping the back. The rock grew bigger, and he stared at his parents, waiting for an answer.

"Kids, it might be best if you took a seat." His mom's voice was soft, but far from comforting.

The thought of sitting made the hair on the back of Caleb's arms stand on end. He wanted to be able to run. If the news was distressing enough, he wanted to get ahead of it so he could turn back and examine it logically. It was an impossible way to look at it, but the notion gave him comfort. Caleb felt like if he sat, he resolved himself to whatever had happened and wasn't able to protest—as if it would change anything.