Drowning Utopia

Chapter 22: Reunion

After Lonny helped Tessa freshen up, Tessa woman went back down the elevators to the large, vaulted chamber within the tower on the second floor. It was decked out with splendid decorations, gilded chandeliers, and a polished black marble finish. In between curtain dividers were rows upon rows of inventions, concepts, and models from around the world.

Numerous scientists and inventors mingled about, trying to ready their presentations as servants from Utopia tried their best to help and accommodate the inventors' needs. From the way things were going, Tessa did not envy the assistants' tasks, but everything had to be ready to be presented during the World Expo the next day. Reporters, journalists, and the investors upstairs in the ballrooms would tour the space and marvel at all of the outlandish ideas.

If Tessa hadn't been so distracted by trying to find Gray, she might have stopped and spoken with a few of them to see what they had created. But all she really cared about was keeping her nerves under control enough to confront her ex-partner.

Finding one on the servants rummaging through a box near the entrance, Tessa asked, "Excuse me, but where is Gray Meriwether?"

The somewhat toned man dressed in a tailored vest and white servant's shirt stiffened. "I am sorry, but Mr. Meriwether has asked that all inventors be..." The servant turned looking up at Tessa. He stopped. "Tessy?"

Tessa was surprised. "Jeremy Bridger? Is that you?"

"Yes, ma'am." The dark-skinned young man nodded enthusiastically. "Same boy blue, through and through."

Some years earlier, the young man's mother had been a part of Mr. Higgins's house staff. Jeremy was only a small stringy boy of eleven then, always around causing mischief. Tessa remembered the first time she met the young man. Full of spunk and energy, everyone called him little boy blue on account of his unusually tinted skin, even for a Jotan.

He and his family had lived on Saka Island where Mr. Higgins had Tessa first construct and test her invention on his property. Enthusiastically the boy had run up on the docks each morning to greet them, hanging off the side of the shanties like a monkey, swinging down to help the boatman Morti to tie his little Steamboat and unload.

Little boy blue Jonathan Bridger was also one of the first in line to volunteer their home for the test. He had pleaded with his parents to let Tessa install the wireless light bulbs, so that he could stay up and read his few precious books that they had owned.

When the test proved to success, young Jonathan Bridger's face lit up as quickly as the lights did. He laughed and jumped with glee, like so many others, during their first successful test.

That same goofy grin was on Jeremy Bridger's face when he first saw Tessa all those years later in the grand hall of Higgins Spire. However, the grin of his quickly disappeared as he inquired seriously, "But what are you doing here, Tessy? I thought you was gone for good."

"I was," Tessa said, "but then Mr. Meriwether had the nerve to send me a rather forward invite. I am not sure whether he hoped to rub his success in my face, or if he actually has something meaningful to say, but I guess that is why I am here. Do you know where I could find him?"

Jeremy, who had grown a lot since the last time Tessa had seen him, looked apprehensive, "Of all days," he looked back and forth over his shoulder.

"Jeremy, what's wrong?" Tessa asked, disliking his demeanor. It felt wrong for the otherwise carefree boy that she knew. Looking closer, Tessa noted there were new lines that were not there before, lines that attested to a harder life than Tessa remembered him having.

Checking a cheap pocket watch, Jeremy looked ill. "Listen, Miss Copperfield, about Meriwether and Higgins, I, we..." he bit his lip as if trying to decide whether to say something, "Look, I think it would be best if you—"