The call finally came from Jack. It had been a few weeks now since they'd presented their projects to the Board in charge of the Space Station construction. Despite that little moment they'd shared in the hallway and with the coffee, Zhen was still as cold as ice towards her. Finn had tried everything she could think of to change that. Now, with the failed letters to the serial killer and all the anxiety from the contest to add on to that, she was wound up tight. Confused. Uncertain. What if she had been wrong the whole time? What if, despite all everything, she and Zhen weren't meant to be? Maybe she'd had this whole soulmate thing wrong from the start. Not to mention this craziness with the serial killer. Maybe all she was doing was just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
"...well, I'll see you both in a few minutes," Jack said, closing out the call that Finn had mostly missed.
She looked up to see Zhen stand and straighten her skirt. She looked at Finn and gave a small nod, then headed towards the elevators. Finn scrambled to get up and rushed to join her.
"So..." said Finn, trying to figure out why they were going to Jack's office. "A meeting."
"I guess it's the best way to tell us about the results," said Zhen with a shrug.
Finn felt her stomach sink to the floor. Not this again. Like a virus filled computer, her mind was inundated by memories from the last time the two of them had been up for the same award. When everything had broken apart. And Zhen had cut Finn completely off. It wasn't the same this time. They were up against genuine geniuses and had come into the contest late. Finn was pretty sure she wasn't going to win. There was no way. Still, that's what she'd thought back then too.
Dread turned her extremities numb as the elevator took them up to Jack's office. She couldn't back out, and that made it worse. Like she was willingly walking into the room where the tiniest good thing left between them, the one that allowed for midnight moments in their apartment hallway, was about to be ripped away without a chance in hell to get it back. She struggled to keep the tears back.
"Good afternoon, ladies," said Jack, standing up when they entered his office.
"Hi jack," said Zhen, cheerily.
Finn couldn't speak past the boulder in her throat. She just nodded and hoped they'd both chalk it up to nerves.
Jack gestured to the chairs. "Please, have a seat."
They did.
"Alright. So, like I said, I got the preliminary results, and I've got some good news," started Jack. "You both made it to the short list."
"That's great!" said Zhen.
Finn just nodded and smiled. Whole limbs were going numb now.
"As you both know, this was a prestigious, extremely exclusive contest, with some of the best minds on and off planet invited to compete," said Jack. "I'm sorry if I had a doubt about you making me proud. Before I continue, I want to emphasize again that what I tell you now should not leave this office. Are we clear?"
"Of course," said Zhen, leaning forward.
"Yes," managed Finn.
"Officially, they're at the stage where they announce the shortlist," said Jack. "But I know for a fact that they've already picked a winner."
"What?" said Zhen.
Jack turned to Finn.
"Finn, what you presented was beyond what they expected from any of the competitors. Your work was thorough, detailed and almost perfect enough to be implemented immediately," said Jack.
Finn felt time stop. No. This couldn't be happening again. This was it. This is how it would finally happen. This was how she lost Zhen forever. She would have to accept it. Maybe that other apartment was still available. Twenty something miles from the office wasn't that bad. Not with driverless cars and stuff. The commute would be long, but easy. She could handle it. And they'd just have to see each other only at work. Or maybe she could get another job. Yeah that would be easier.
"However," continued Jack, turning to Zhen. "It was your idea, Zhen, that blew everyone away. It was so out of the box that they knew, from the first time they heard it, they were going to go with it. Sure, it's still a bit rough and needs some polishing, but you did it. Congratulations, Zhen. You are the indisputable winner."
'To the person who rigged that futon in the lobby to trigger the fire alarm when moved and then installed a food printer next to it that only prints tuna and zaps anyone who tries to touch it, I know you think you're being funny, but you're not. That cat can't stay here. Stop this at once! RA'
Finn laughed out loud at that one. She had also gotten a message back from the serial killer engineer. She was yet to decipher it, but for now, she was happy. She felt all light inside. Alive. Ecstatic. Wonderful. It was two days after they'd been told about the contest. Zhen had been in shock the remainder of that day, barely saying more than a syllable, but had bounced right back the next day. She even replaced the can of compressed air that Finn used to clean her PC with a can of bait spray, which meant that Finn's room currently smelt like a bait and tackle shop and would for a few days. It was a good effort, but Zhen had undoubtedly bitten off more than she could chew. Finn's revenge would be grand.
She had a villainous plot to get back at Zhen that would make all her favourite anti-heroes blush. She'd been on a shopping spree and was now in possession of a foldable screen that was the exact shape of their bathroom mirror. Using a few, well placed micro cameras and nano-processors, the screen would reflect the environment back, just like the perfect mirror. However, with a little programming magic, when Zhen looked at the mirror, it would show a booger on her nose. And when she'd attempt to clean it off, it would move around her face after a few tries, then suddenly disappear, as if she finally got it. The mirror would also make it seem like she'd messed up applying her lipstick and other makeup. It would drive her insane.
It was late in the day. Not late enough that Gavyn would have to put on the dark red lights and silence the door, but pretty close. Finn struggled a bit to get the door open while holding all the stuff she'd bought, but she eventually stumbled in. She looked up and almost dropped her bags. Zhen was sitting on one of the chairs around the kitchen island, bawling her eyes out. There was a half-finished bottle of liquor next to her. Finn had never seen Zhen drink. Not once since she'd been here. More importantly, Finn had never seen Zhen be this vulnerable. Not once. Finn didn't think she knew how.
"Zhen?"
"Finn. Hi," came the reply, followed by a chorus of sniffles and hiccups. Zhen looked up at Finn with bloodshot eyes and said, "Finn, I really don't like you. In fact, I think I might hate you."
The words were like sharpened knives, stabbing and shredding through Finn's heart.
"What? Why?" asked Finn, not really sure why she was trying to reason with a drunk, unreasonable Zhen. Maybe because she'd reached her limit. Because she had to know what it all meant. Why she deserved this. "Just tell me that. Tell me exactly why you hate me. Please."
"Because you are so damn perfect, Finn," said Zhen. "That's why."
Zhen tried to get up and leave but stumbled and only barely caught her balance on the island's edge. Finn put her stuff down and walked over to help, even though her insides were being swallowed by molten lava and she herself was on the verge of tears.
"You're drunk, Zhen," said Finn, struggling to speak through the thickness in her throat. "Let's get you..."
"You don't get it!" Zhen said suddenly. She grabbed the liquor bottle and tried to fill a glass. Tried and failed. "Here. Drink this. Maybe if we're in the same liquid state, you'll understand."
"That doesn't make sense, Zhen. Let's just get you to your room," said Finn. Besides, she wasn't in the mood to get drunk. She'd been having a great day and now it was ruined. All she wanted was to go to her room and cry. Ok, so, maybe she was in the mood to get drunk.
"Please, Finn. Just," started Zhen. Then she fell into herself and a fresh wave of tears followed. Finn held her up and tried to comfort her.
"Okay, Zhen," said Finn. She led Zhen to the couch so she wouldn't fall off the stool. She knelt down and looked at her, "I'll have one drink, then we'll get you to bed. Deal?"
Zhen nodded, wiping away some snot with the back of her hand. Finn sighed and went to pour herself a drink.