Parallel by K.T. Seto

Author:K.T. Seto [Seto, K.T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: A Collection of Science Fiction Short Stories
Publisher: Katryna Seto

II

I looked at the clock and realized hours had passed without me noticing. My brain was always an interesting place. I could lose myself in my work, so this wasn’t unusual. I wish I could say that I had been working, focusing on the numbers and my project, but a quick glance at my screen disproved that. It came back to the blood. Seeing it had clicked some switch. The merry-go-round of sound had started up, churning out its tinkling repertoire of greatest hits. Delia finds a body. Delia runs for help. Nothing’s left but blood. Mr. Black is missing. So is Tia Bee. The ride is spinning faster now, and I don’t see my desk or the window into the tank room anymore. I zoned out, not noticing until Jay said something about lunch to Gloria that I was sitting blank-eyed, chewing my nail down past the quick. It was the hint of copper in my mouth that stopped me, knocked me free. The taste of blood from the finger I’d mangled lost in the sea of my mind.

I got up and went to the break room, found the first aid kit, and took care of my wound. Then went to my desk and opened the drawer, pulled out my tendonitis gloves and slipped them on, thus preventing myself from doing it again. It was always hard when things were so close. But that was the way grief worked. It didn’t go away; it just took up less room until something broke the glass on the container holding in all your thoughts and everything spilled on the floor. Why wouldn’t it be harder to lift the things that were heavier and put them in place again? The clock said I had time to get lunch and get back before the rep came, so I rose, told my team I was going to grab a bite, and headed up to the food hall on 17.

Each floor above 20 had a common area like the Centrum on ten, with shops and restaurants, only without the open-air park setting. Like an old-timey strip mall just down from the elevators. The ones on 19 and 20 barely had anything. The options didn’t get good until 17, which was where IT had its offices. I rarely went higher than that in search of food unless supplies were low. The higher you went, the more you found folks who liked to socialize. I knew I had to interact to some extent. It wasn’t like I could forget, especially since they reminded me via my watch, tablet, phone, and the ad tickers running at eye level along every corridor wall. Oh, and the posters. Couldn’t forget the posters, like the ones next to my favorite lunch stand. ‘Healthy Choices Make Happy Meals’ and ‘Up-V your Eats!’ They served a bowl of protein and veg over rice that had just enough flavor that you probably didn’t need the dressing they offered on the side, but I always used it anyway.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.