Quantum Katana Online: Websuit 0.E (Archived)

Chapter 4: Ambition or Obsession? (Part 3 of 3)

Chie sat on the couch and held Hayden in her lap. He was exhausted from all the emotional trauma and had fallen into a deep sleep. She clenched her hands into fists. She was incensed at how uncaring and insensitive Ken could be to Hayden, his own son. But it was only thirty minutes. They'd start family counseling and he would start individual counseling for his... addiction. There, she'd said the word: addiction. She'd insist on the counseling. It was the only effective therapy. She knew from first-hand experience. Then the healing could start.

Holding her phone in one hand, she reached over her shoulder and massaged her shoulder blades. They were sure getting sore all of a sudden. Mas sat next to her and faced the living room window that looked out onto the street below.

Chie watched Ken's blurry shadow playing around in the sphere. Well, that's what it was: playing. Still, the technology that could make the sphere was fascinating. Whenever Ken ran into the walls, they flexed, and when he ran, the inner sphere spun with him, but the outer one stayed anchored to the platform on the floor.

Oh shit! Ken fell down on the floor and rolled around. He kicked the zipper and it tore open in a few places.

Then he got up. She heard his muffled voice talking to someone. All of a sudden he yelled out and collapsed onto his knees. Oh my God! She jumped up from the couch, almost dropping Hayden on the floor.

Mas snorted, got up from the couch, and limped around the sphere over to the window, and looked out into the dim twilight. "Hey, I think someone's on top of the church roof across the street," he said. "And I just saw two police officers cross the intersection. Is this area safe?"

"Three blocks away from BART. About what you'd expect." She stared at Ken's figure and her fingers clawed at her jeans. Who is he talking to? Is it that arrogant kappa? Or Aika?

"True, and this complex looks run-down too." Mas picked at the paint peeling off of the window sill. "How about downstairs in the back? I noticed a lot of people going back there. May be an illegal grow operation."

"Oh, I don't know." She watched Ken and then shook her head. I can't help him. If I'm so worried, I might as well join him. And hell if I'm going to do that. Real life is more important. "Mas, come back and sit with us." She patted the cushion next to her.

❄ ❄ ❄

Mas sat down and he immediately started shaking his leg. Ken's shadow caught his eye. Well, there's wasn't much else to look at in the barebones apartment except for Ken playing his stupid game. Why are we even indulging him? On Saturday, Audrey and I argued about the extra hours I was putting in, but I didn't move out.

He looked down and saw Chie's phone lying at her feet on the carpet. The screen was on and apps were flickering. Some were typing by themselves. The air around it shimmered with a rainbow of colors like heat radiating from the asphalt roadway. He caught a whiff of the acrid smell of sparking wires. She must've dropped it when she stood up. Mas pointed at the phone. "Look's like your phone's—"

She reached for it.

He grabbed her arm. "Don't—"

She picked it up. "Ow!" she dropped it, and shook her hand.

"Are you okay?" He took her hand in his and spread her fingers out. "They're red." Wait a minute. He drew her hand closer to his face. "What are the hell are those?" Black threads wriggled within the creases of her palm.

"What?" she said.

"Right there, black lines," he said as he gently turned her palm to her. It was still red, but there were no black lines. "Ha, maybe just my imagination." He scratched his head. "I'll get some ice." He started to get up.