The Destiny Machine by J.L. Aarne

Author:J.L. Aarne [Aarne, J.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J.L. Aarne
Published: 2015-03-22T04:00:00+00:00

9.

For a couple of weeks, Aarom stays away from Jonathan. He stays away from Jonathan’s house and only passes down his street because he has to every night. It’s part of his district and it’s his responsibility. He walks by and doesn’t stop or pause and tries hard not to even look too long at the house where he knows Jonathan is sleeping. Sleeping and thinking his dark, existential thoughts and leaving him behind. He’s sitting there in his chair or at his kitchen table or at his desk when he goes to work and Aarom’s losing him. He feels it like a weight pressing on his chest and he tells himself that he’s letting go, but he’s not. It wouldn’t hurt so much if he were capable of letting go.

One night, Sabra calls him and tells him to meet him at his place across the river. He wants Aarom to walk with him on his rounds. The request alone makes him curious, but things have been incredibly slow, so he agrees and catches the night train over the bridge to the other side of the river and meets him. There have been many nights lately with no supplicants at all, like they got most of them when there was a surge in their numbers the previous month and now there isn’t anyone left. It’ll level back out eventually as it always does. Given a little time to think about it, there will be more.

For now, Aarom stands waiting on Sabra’s doorstep. While he waits, he turns his back to the door and looks out at the city. Here where Sabra lives, the streets are spotless, the cars and houses are expensive, the people work in the high-rise buildings that enclose the sprawl like a fence and look down on the city like gods peering at an anthill. The sky is grey and blue and phosphorescent. It’s going to thunder and rain.

Sabra comes outside pulling the collar of his coat up around his neck, looks at the sky with Aarom for a moment then starts down the steps ahead of him.

“Did you have a problem getting here?”

“No,” Aarom says. “I’m going to need another proxy chip though. Especially after what happened to that guy Matthew.”

“That is a problem easily solved,” Sabra says. He doesn’t comment on Matthew’s murder, which says a lot on its own. He takes something from his pocket and holds out his hand to Aarom. “Here. Sebastian Burge, welcome to the world.”

Sabra scissors his fingers open and a chip falls into Aarom’s open hand. He puts it away in his pocket. “Thanks.”

Sabra smiles. “You’re welcome. You’re safe, you know. They don’t know about you. I made sure of it.”

Aarom doesn’t ask him how. Sabra has ways, he’s always known that and he’s just grateful for it. “Thank you.”

“It could have been handled better, I suppose,” Sabra says.

The first raindrops begin to fall and they are fine, more mist than real rain. Aarom pulls the hood of his jacket up.

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