The Soulmate Curse

PINE (for healing) - Part 2

The uniformed police brought in a hologram projector and played the news. The news reporter was mid announcement.

"...weeks of investigation, an anonymous tip led federal agents to raid a MechSoft compound where they found a prison that held dozens of victims. In a bizarre twist, it was discovered that some of these prisoners were serial killers who'd been under investigation before their cases suddenly went cold. Whether they are all serial killers, with some yet to have been discovered by the authorities, hasn't been confirmed."

Finn grinned. "That was Jesse and her team. The anonymous tip."

The detective shushed her.

"What is even more bizarre is the fact that one of the prisoners confessed to the engineer serial killer murders. It is reported that he was extremely aggravated and upset that the engineer was being given credit for all his hard work. This confession has created enough reasonable doubt to have the charges dropped and the engineer released. This is what he had to say, walking out of the prison a free man this morning.

'There have been forces working behind the scenes to make this happen. People working around the clock to prove my innocence, even without knowing who I was,' he looked straight at the camera. 'And to you, I say, Thank You'

There's still no confirmation to whom the engineer is referring to."

The detective and the cop turned to look at Finn. She smiled and shrugged. Pride swelled in her chest. She'd finally achieved what she'd set out to. The engineer was free. The world would have been poorer for the loss of his brilliant mind.

"And this isn't the worst news for MechSoft. According to our sources, another anonymous tip has just been received at the International Federal Agency for Biopiracy Prevention about an alleged plan by MechSoft to unethically appropriate and patent an alien lifeform discovered in the asteroid metal that they have been mining for the last few years. If this is true, this act of mistrust to all humanity is being heralded as the most significant acts of misconduct by a corporation in all written history. MechSoft's stock has plunged to its lowest level since it went public forty-one years ago."

Finn looked at the detective expectantly.

"Wait here," she said. Before she stood up to leave, she asked Finn, "Do you need anything?"

"I'm starving," said Finn without a second thought.

"Hey sergeant? Please get her a cheese steak sandwich," said the detective. She smiled. "My treat."

A few minutes later, Finn walked out of the interrogation room. She ran into Zhen, who's walking out of a room across hers. Zhen engulfed her in an embrace.

"You smell delicious," said Zhen.

"I got a cheese steak sandwich," said Finn.

"What? I got nothing."

Finn laughed. "What did you tell them?"

"Not a single word," said Zhen, smiling. "Kind of annoyed them, I think."

"Probably why you didn't get a kickass sandwich."

The detective offered to drive them home. Their first step out of the station was met by a sea of reporters and drones. It was extremely disconcerting. Finn looked at the detective questioningly. The detective just shrugged and tried to clear a path for the. How in the world had they heard about the news so fast? How had they even known about Finn and Zhen? The questions were flying past them thick and fast. It wasn't long before Finn realised that they were here because of her. Because she was the superstar engineer designer of Finnegan's Engine and they wanted to know why she'd been arrested.

"So, this is what it looks like to be famous?" asked Zhen. There were questions suddenly being shot at her too.

"Miss Roberts! How does it feel like to be the first astronaut to get actively fired from the GSI since its conception?" came one of the questions.

"How did they...?"

"Once they've got your face, they can scour the net to find you." Finn said with a sigh. "Don't worry. We'll be old news in a few days."

*

Finn tipped her head upwards and closed her eyes as the warm shower water hit her face. Images of rainwater hitting her face while she was stuck under the boulder flashed behind her eyes. First it was the rain. Then the little dam had broken. She was underwater in the blink of an eye. Her lungs burning. Stuck. Alone... Finn gasped and jumped out of the shower, slipping, and only just catching herself on the counter. A few items fell from the counter, clattering loudly as they hit the tiled floor.

"Is everything okay in there?" Zhen called out from the living room.

"I'm fine," Finn replied, a little too quickly.

"Are you sure?" this time, Zhen was speaking from right outside the door.

"I'm sure," Finn said, placing both her soapy palms on the countertop to brace herself as she tried to calm herself down. "I'll be out soon."

Zhen didn't respond immediately. Finn looked at the bathroom door. Zhen twisted the knob from outside. Finn's heart tripled in speed. She wasn't ready for Zhen to see her like this. On the other hand, she was shaking like a leaf and in desperate need of being held. Being told that everything would be okay. That she would be okay. She watched the doorknob twist back. The door stayed closed.

"Okay," said Zhen, her voice slightly strained.

Finn closed her eyes and let the tears fall. She sobbed quietly for a few minutes before she worked up the courage to get back under the shower head and finish rinsing herself as fast as she possibly could. She held her head down. Her tears got lost in the shower's stream. She was happy to be done. All she had to do was make sure Zhen didn't notice her red puffy eyes. It took her a while longer than usual to cover up with makeup, which she rarely put on.