Forget It (ONC 2024)

Chapter 7 - Authorized Visitor

My muscles tensed like an overextended high-voltage cable. "In my apartment? Why are they inside?"

"The visitor is authorized to enter the apartment."

That may be my mom or brother, or Arch's oldest sister, but it may also be an Inno-Tech employee. Or had Ash found a way around the security system? What if it was someone out to get me like Ash had suggested in their message?

"Who is the visitor?" I asked.

"Kaitlyn Mintz."

I let out a breath of relief. But why was my mom in the apartment? I hadn't asked her to take care of anything, and she rarely stopped by uninvited. Had something happened? Was she okay? Dots of sweat formed on my palms.

Arch glanced at me then turned to the welcome bot.

"Can you show current footage of the apartment?" Arch asked.

"Selene, would you like to see the current video feed of the apartment?"

I raised an eyebrow at Arch, and he mind-spoke. "Just to be sure. Most of this neighbourhood houses Inno-Tech employees with enough knowledge to override an AI welcome bot. With your connection to Mem-Armour, it's best to be safe."

The thought sent a shiver down my spine and I addressed the security AI. "Yes."

The video footage projected before us showed a woman with light brown hair like mine digging through my pantry. Her face was not visible from that angle, but as the camera circled, the person resembled my mom and sounded like her as she muttered, "Where is it?"

What the hell? My mom was not the sort of person to rifle through my possessions or take anything that wasn't hers. She already gave me everything she could to repay me for the apartment I'd gotten for her, even if I told her again and again that I didn't need it.

"Show footage from five minutes ago," I said.

The video jumped to my mom looking around my living room and calling out, "Gears! Come on sweetie, where did you go?"

Her words made the blood in my veins halt like a malfunctioning production line. I had to have misheard.

My voice trembled. "Please replay with transcription."

My hands clasped each other in useless reassurance as the replay confirmed my fears.

"Did you get a new cat?" Arch asked.

A tear slipped out of my eye, then another as I shuddered, my chest collapsing in on itself. Gears had passed away two years ago, which meant my mom had lost two years of her memories.

"Stop footage," Arch called out and stepped closer to me. "Selene, talk to me."

This wasn't happening. He couldn't be right about my mom's deteriorating health. Not on the same night he'd stolen my invention and turned it into an unhelpful mass-market commercial product that wouldn't help her at all. She was supposed to have more time, and so was I. Hadn't the doctors done brain scans and confirmed it?

And how would I be able to help her now if I couldn't stop crying? Was there anything I could do tonight besides get her to rest? I'd have the meet with her doctors as soon as possible.

"Can I do anything? We can make sure she's alright and get her back to her place. I'll leave the second you ask me to."

That was the vulnerable Arch I knew and fell in love with. But that man had also doomed my invention and now my mother, who needed it more than I'd realized.

My mind screamed at me to say no, but my lips wouldn't move. Unlike earlier, there was no external force at work, it was just pure exhaustion, especially after sleeping so little over the past weeks while getting the Versa-shoe prototype ready for tonight. Perhaps I should have stopped by 24-Hour-Power on the way back. But that caffeine would have only amplified these feelings of hopelessness.