CRONUS

Part 10: The Chip

Raindrops pound against the concrete, the million bits of sound blurring into the constant hum of the city.

After hours of wandering, water soaks into my clothes, weighing down every bit of me.

I trudge for cover under the closest roof, press my back against the wall of a shop and sigh. Colossal drops pour from the sky, punishing everything and everyone. People squeeze together on the sidewalk, trying to escape the fierce downpour.

Hours of being bombarded by a million different ads for a million unnecessary things, but not a single sign for a builder. Nothing useful.

What now?

I sigh and wrap my arms around myself.

It's time.

I glance up at the projected sign in front of the shop, watching it glitch slightly from the piercing raindrops. The sidewalk is flooded by the glowing words Donnie's Diner, coating the world in neon green.

Approaching the door, it slides open. Immediately, the smell of sizzling bacon hits me.

The diner is dim, with slow-changing neon lights lining the walls, booths and tables. Purple, blue, green and red slowly grow and fade as each color transitions from one to another. Harsh yellow bulbs hang low over the countertop in the very back, brightening the area like a spotlight.

My shoes squeak, water squishing with every step as I leave a trail of water from the front door to the counter. Six people make light conversation in the booth to my right while a couple lean towards each other in a booth near the back. Slumped over the end of the countertop, a man rests his head next to his mug.

I glance up at the small window behind the counter and stop. A robot bustles in the kitchen, cooking and preparing food orders. No one else notices it, like it's an old picture hanging on the wall.

Watching the robot move rhythmically, the world begins to melt away and I'm back at one of the most expensive restaurants in the Elite.

Jackson is next to me, his face a tomato, when I refuse to go back home and change clothes. The house manager takes a step towards me and points at the exit, his eyes following the length of my body with a look of disapproval.

"Not even to celebrate my promotion?" Jackson asks.

"Especially not to celebrate that."

The memory of the only kitchen robot I've ever seen melts away and I'm back in this diner in the middle of Mhinto.

"Go ahead and sit anywhere," a young man calls over his shoulder. He shuffles supplies behind the counter, his back towards me.

I make my way to the counter and lean against it. Water drips from the tips of my hair down onto the counter top.

"Actually, I need to ask you a question," I start, feeling a knot form in my throat.

"If you're not going to order something, you should leave," he groans. Turning around, his eyes slowly take in my appearance. Shaggy blonde hair falls messily over his forehead and sweeps over round, green eyes. 

He leans his forearms on the countertop just across from me, his lips curling into a sly grin.

"Need to borrow an umbrella?" He chuckles.

"Do you know of any builders close by? Someone highly recommended."

"I've never seen you in here before," he continues.