Flux

24

The doctors grilled Aiya relentlessly for the first twenty minutes of the meeting. After she willingly explained how bacteria from a monster had caused a metamorphic change in her anatomy, they cut her off.

Apparently, they actually had more important business to address than trying to convince Aiya to let them conduct hundred-and-one tests.

Derek stared at his long-time friend and the woman who owned his heart. He wasn't sure how he felt about her transformation.

The light sparkled off her blue-tinted skin when she shifted in her chair, and he felt his guts twist.

Derek knew it was irrational, but she looked more monster to him now than a human. An image of the cute blond from the cafeteria came to life in his mind's eye, and he couldn't stop comparing the two women.

Aiya wasn't human anymore. That's all there was to it.

Shame and guilt ate at Derek's soul as he realized he would never be able to see Aiya the same way he had before. And he felt even worse as he came to accept he would rather the blond's company than Aiya's now.

Aiya had been his dream, a never-ending fantasy that had kept him driven and focused. It had helped him find reasons to survive when he had wanted to give up.

Perhaps fantasies are best left as fantasies. Derek sighed heavily at this thought, rubbing his face with one hand.

He was glad she was ok, but besides the noticeable visual changes, there had also been that weird energy he had felt course through his body when their fingers had touched.

It had left him feeling raw, vulnerable and empty. The look of pity and overwhelming sadness in her eyes had cut him deeper than he could have ever imagined possible.

He now struggled between feeling a bitter sadness and anger. They should never have come here. It was ruining everything.

Suddenly Derek wanted to punch something.

Derek debated getting up from his seat around the conference table and just walking out. He didn't need to be there. He had no say and had only come along to make sure his best friend didn't disappear on him forever without a trace.

However, before he committed to the idea, someone nudged his shoulder. He turned to see Chris giving him a funny look.

"What?" Derek mouthed. Derek tried to make the anger inside quiet. He didn't want Chris to think he was pissed at him.

Chris gave a slight nod towards the front of the room where the doctors stood, lecturing everyone about something vital to the survival of all of humanity that should have concerned Derek but, at the moment, really didn't.

"Do you think they really know how to find this portal thing?" Chris whispered the words leaning toward Derek so only he would hear him.

Derek gave a half-hearted shrug and mouthed back.

"Does it matter?"

"They want us to live in a long mechanical worm, drilling towards the centre of the Earth for three weeks, risking potential death constantly, and you don't think it matters if these old fucks know what they are talking about?"

Chris's eyes were wide with disbelief. Unfortunately, his voice had risen in volume with his doubt. He was genuinely upset with Derek's lack of concern. But in fairness, Chris hadn't been listening to Derek's inner monologue and had no clue he was debating just walking away from everything.

However, the more Derek thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Maybe it was time to find his own path.

He had followed Marvin and Aiya since they had been kids. They were his family, but he couldn't chase them around forever. He needed to build a life for himself that he wanted.