Fortnite: Project Mecha

Chapter 16: Fixing What's Broken

"Done!" the Scientist sang.
Everyone was gathered in his room, tightly packed together like bricks. He looked to the person to his right; the Imagined. She looked upset and tired... maybe she was closer to Shanta than Drift thought she was. He hadn't thought about Shanta all day; he was too busy thinking about Raz's powers, which he had no idea existed until just this morning. Really, he had to get to Mothy and ask him but he doubted that he'd get a chance.
There were other things to think about, anyway. The Scientist had finished his plan for the mech. He had gone with the Imagined's mech in the end, a decision which Drift theorised had been chosen by a seething anger which the Scientist wouldn't let go as long as he was in power.
"Do you plan to fly it?" TnTina whispered to Drift on his other side. He hadn't noticed that she was there.
"Yes, actually. There's four seats." Drift explained, keeping an ear on the Scientist.
"So you, your girlfriend, Mothy and Raz are piloting?" TnTina guessed.
Drift shook his head, "You're partially right; me and Mothy are piloting but we're doing it with the Imagined and actually I planned to ask you or Yonder to join us."
"Seriously?!" TnTina's mouth dropped open and her eyes lit up, "Yes! Yes, I want to-"
The Scientist called over them as he could not hear them, "And now it's time to go into the next phase of our plan... finding the Paradigm!"
Oh.
"Tina, I'm..." Drift began but trailed off, annoyed at himself for not having asked the Imagined about this sooner.
"Don't say it. It isn't your fault." TnTina put her hand on his shoulder, acting as if she wasn't disappointed even though Drift knew she was, "I'm going to go check on Yonder. Give me updates as they come, ok?"
The crowd dispersed and TnTina with them. Drift lost her in the masses before he even knew what was going on. Drift knew that, as her friend, he had to try to get the Imagined to consider TnTina over the Paradigm without trying to offend the Imagined, considering how much the Imagined wanted to see her.
The Imagined was stood with the Scientist, just talking. The Imagined looked happy about how things were beginning to go in her favour. Drift's insides churned uncomfortably and he hugged himself, trying to comfort and cushion his fear.
"Hey, Imagined." Drift started the conversation smoothly, trying not to sound guilty, "Can I talk to you, just you, for a minute?"
"Sure you can! Scientist, I'll be back in a minute." the Imagined bounced on over to Drift, giving the Scientist a little wave.
The Scientist nodded, "Ok, I'll see you then."
Drift sat down against the wall outside of the Scientist's room and the Imagined joined him. The corridor was deserted except for them and the air was cold as if they had crossed into the deepest pits of Winter although it was currently Spring. Wasn't it supposed to be getting hotter?
"So, what did you want to talk about?" the Imagined swung her arms around as she beamed. How long would it last?
"So you know that whole thing where we were going to get TnTina and DJ Yonder and get them to pilot the mech? Yeah, is that still happening?" Drift asked weakly.
The Imagined's smile dropped. She hadn't lasted as long as he thought she would, "You didn't tell them, did you?"
"Well... I told Tina. Just before the Scientist announced his little thing about the Paradigm." Drift admitted, shrugging hopelessly.
"Sorry, Drift. You know how important this is to me and now with the Scientist on my side... it's an opportunity I can't not take." the Imagined shook her head, her smile returning a little towards the end.
"I understand." Drift nodded feebly, "What should I tell Tina?"
"Tell her that our plans are too developed to be changed. It's the truth." the Imagined shrugged.
"Ok, thank you." Drift decided that now might be a good time to leave.
"It'll be so good to have the Paradigm back with us. Me, the Scientist and her were like the three amigos!" the Imagined laughed, staring out of one of the oval windows. Her smile seemed so real. Drift wished that he could retain true happiness like that.
Going back on his previous idea, Drift admitted, "I didn't know that you three were so close."
"Yeah! The Paradigm was always the brave one and the Scientist did what he does now; science things which we could never understand." the Imagined described them for what had to be their best qualities.
"And what about you?" Drift prompted.
"I was... there. I don't know, I was never really that interesting." the Imagined stared down from the window to the floor.
"I'm sure that's not true." Drift frowned behind his facemask.
"We're getting off track. I was talking about us because I want you to know how close I was to the Scientist... I'm worried about him. He's not grieving, but sometimes I catch him... twitching? I don't understand." the Imagined stared at the Scientist's bedroom doors before turning to Drift.
"Maybe this is how he grieves. We're all different." Drift said, although in truth he was wondering too.
"Maybe." the Imagined sighed, "But you can see how much I worry about my friends, I can't imagine how much you're worrying about TnTina right now."
"That? I'm not fussed about that. She might be, though, but I'll cross that hurdle when I get to it." Drift laughed, trying to make light of the fact that things could go horribly.
The Imagined looked like she had been swarmed by sadness, "I'm really sorry, Drift. I feel like I failed you. I also failed Lynx and Raz and Mothy when me and the Origin were arguing, and for what? To prove myself right. I'm so selfish, I don't understand how you put up with me. I know I wouldn't."
"You are not selfish!" Drift told her, demanding that she believed it.
"I am. My hankering to have another pilot got Shanta killed and now the Scientist is..." the Imagined trailed off. Drift had no idea what hankering was but it couldn't be good.
"You can't blame yourself for that. It was bad luck and nothing more, it could have happened to anyone." Drift comforted her.
"I tore the Seven apart! I did this!" the Imagined groaned.
Drift responded, "If anybody broke the Seven apart, it's not you. You did nothing wrong."
And when he went to hug her, she didn't resist.

To be continued...