Before Us (The Abyss Book Two) by Nathan Hystad

Before Us (The Abyss Book Two) by Nathan Hystad

Author:Nathan Hystad [Hystad, Nathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Woodbridge Press
Published: 2023-08-28T16:00:00+00:00


7

“That was the best sleep of my life,” Wyatt said.

“I couldn’t stop tossing,” Isabel proclaimed. “I kept having dreams about Daddy.”

Isabel looked like the old version of herself. The woman he’d wake up next to on a Sunday morning, her hair in a topknot, no makeup on, clutching a cup of coffee to her chest. It suited her.

“I hope Clarke figures this out, because we need to reach Boulder.” Wyatt finished his coffee, glancing to the garage where Clarke had made a workshop.

“Verne didn’t deserve this,” she said.

“He’s a robot.”

“You treat Clarke like a friend, so how can you say that?”

“Very true. I couldn’t have done it without him.”

“What about the rest of your group? The girls?”

“We separated from them yesterday to find you. I bet they’re at Boulder by now.” Wyatt wished he could talk to Darcy and learn what they’d encountered. “Darcy’s a good guy, and his children are something else.”

Isabel lifted both eyebrows. “You enjoyed being around kids?”

“What? You don’t think I enjoy children?”

“Anytime I brought it up, you hesitated, then changed the subject.”

“You know what my childhood was like.”

“That doesn’t determine your future. Look how far you’ve come.”

Wyatt stood up, his fists clenching. “Isabel, I literally did nothing. You paid for my education. Then you broke my heart and I was out on my own again. You have no idea what that apartment in Harlem was like, or how much I hated being alone in a strange city with no one to talk to.”

“I didn’t know—”

“Because we were over, and I had to forge my own path.”

“Why does it matter now?”

“Not all of us can forget our past as easily as you,” he said, more caustically than he’d intended.

“Go ahead and yell at me, Wy. I made a mistake and deserve to be punished for all eternity!” Isabel shouted.

That took the wind from his sails, and he slumped to the couch. “Nah. You’re right. It doesn’t matter. The world’s as doomed as our relationship.”

“Always the cynic.”

Wyatt prepared a retort when Clarke entered the living room, holding an arm. He stared at Wyatt. “May I have your assistance?”

“For sure. We’re done here,” he said, grabbing his empty cup. “Have you found anything useful?”

“Yes.” Clarke’s Rings powered on, the gentle whirring growing louder as they walked into the garage. Wyatt almost tripped on the handful of steps when he saw a thousand pieces of robot strewn about.

“I take it you can’t repair him?” Wyatt asked.

“Not without more tools.” Clarke showed him a circuit board on the workbench. “I will build him a body when we arrive at the Preserve.”

Wyatt laughed and glanced at Isabel, who’d joined them. “You found it!”

“Yes. I have the location of the Preserve.” Clarke passed Wyatt the arm. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve salvaged the limb and would like to honor Verne by using it.”

Wyatt smirked at the robot. “I thought you were capable enough with only one.”

“I am.”

Clarke guided him through the assembly, and within ten minutes, Clarke was rotating the arm at the shoulder.



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