Err0r

Chapter 11: Sentimental

            Pixal heard the contraption spider-like legs clicking and clacking on the tile of the floor. She acted as if she didn't notice as she always did. The tension in the room was only apparent to her as everyone else seemed to go about their business. She heard the clicking stop and looked up to her right. As she expected she came face to face with Borg. She tried to read his expression but failed. He seemed so guarded lately. She hoped that he wouldn't mention her eavesdropping but it would be ridiculous to assume he knew about that. She tried to look casual and apparently it was working because Borg hadn't said anything out of the ordinary yet or anything at all.

"How may I help you? Did you need something?" She questioned.

"I- I just I thought- Nevermind. How are you handling things down here, I see you took care of some of my work for me, thank you. I really appreciate it." Borg's stuttering slowly morphed into his usual tone.

Pixal tilted her head to one side "Of course."

She tried to hide her curiosity from him. Whatever the case he didn't notice anyway. He smiled for a minute at her before turning his head to look at the door. Pixal wondered why he had looked away but she didn't ask. After watching him for a while she came to a strange conclusion. Borg seemed much too caught up in looking back and forth. What he was looking for though Pixal couldn't tell you. He seemed shaky and that was a trait she knew well since he was very uneasy around her in the beginning. She focused her attention on what direction he was facing instead of his face. His facial expression didn't give much away. She turned her head the same direction and her eyes stopped on the screen above the entrance. She looked at it a bit more but saw nothing odd about it. It said the same message as it always did. When Borg turned his head she turned hers. Just like before her eyes found the screen on the wall before you would enter the production room. Pixal didn't know why Borg was staring at the screens so often. He hardly stopped to look at her. Borg looked at each screen so often it almost seemed like if he didn't they would disappear entirely.

"Is something wrong?" She found herself asking.

Borg snapped out of whatever trance he was in. "No no, I was just waiting for someone. I had gotten an email earlier about something..."

"I see. Well if it's any help a worker came in here earlier asking for you."

"Oh I'm sure it wasn't that important if he's not still here. I better get back to my office, I have a lot to work on." Borg hurriedly replied.

Despite previously telling her that he appreciated her help with doing his work for him he seemed to have forgotten what he said earlier. It was odd the way he seemed to forget what he was thinking about. Pixal watched as Borg's contraption seemed to move much faster than it had when he came down. He seemed frantic and she couldn't help but wonder if his panic had anything to do with the blueprints he seemed to want to hide. What was he hiding them from was the question. Perhaps he was hiding something from her. It would explain his rushed behavior around her. Pixal couldn't bring herself to accept that answer. She knew deep down it was something else although she wasn't sure why. A part of her, whatever part that may be kept telling her that. Maybe she just hoped he wouldn't try to hide anything from her, maybe she just wanted his kind and nice nature to be genuine or maybe she couldn't understand what he was hiding. The vague image of the blueprints was inside her mind now. She looked closer to maybe figure out what was going on. She still couldn't piece together what exactly he had been trying to create. The blueprints had weapons she had never seen before on them. Some parts were lighter and they might've been illuminated but she couldn't tell. The handles of the weapons were gold, a metal that she had never seen used on any of the other inventions Borg had created.

That was the issue. Borg had never created or even thought about creating anything like these things before. She knew he hadn't. Many of his project ideas he would share with her. It seemed to be the only time she was able to normally interact with him. He would ask her to digitally render certain pieces and ask for her advice on other parts he wasn't sure about. Pixal remembered helping with several blueprints of his latest projects. He had never once created weapons especially not like these ones. They were strange and how they worked was a mystery to her. Clearly they were technologic but she didn't quite know how. Nor could she tell how they were powered.