Echoes of Control

Chapter 5

The next few days flew by like the countless days of her routine life: breakfast, work, lunch, work, dinner, home, sleep, punctuated by occasional calls and messages from her family. Lira's mother, a dedicated scientist, almost lived in the laboratory, consumed by her experiments and investigations. Her father, though he visited occasionally, was often lost in the world of new innovations and technological advancements. Despite the absence of their physical presence, Lira never felt lonely. She was accustomed to it, having grown up in a home where her parents took turns caring for her in their labs. By the time she was six, she was left alone, learning to navigate her world independently.

At first, she would chatter loudly, calling for them to come back. But as she grew older, she understood that her parents were engaged in work that could impact not just her life, but the lives of countless inhabitants of Echo Prime. This realization made her determined to be a responsible child, one who understood the weight of their responsibilities.

"How's it going? Any tricky codes giving you trouble?" Her father's voice came through the screen, his usual furrowed brows relaxing and his mouth formed into a smile.

"Everything's going well! No issues with the codes."

"Your mom and I will be home tomorrow night. She just wrapped up her extra workload," her father said, tilting the screen slightly to reveal her mother in the background, focused intently on bubbling chemicals, her gloves and eyewear in place.

"Oh, really?" Lira's excitement bubbled over. It had been two weeks since she last saw them face-to-face. Their nightly calls had become scarce, swallowed by the relentless demands of productivity that the Voice dictated.

"I still have one more experiment," her mother chimed in from the background, barely lifting her gaze from the sizzling liquids. "But it'll all be done soon, so don't worry."

Lira grinned, warmth spreading through her. Despite their limited time together—often just twice a month—they remained incredibly close. The scarcity of their encounters hadn't led to distance or misunderstandings; instead, it made each reunion more precious, deepening their appreciation for one another. As she hung up the call, Lira felt a mix of anticipation and nostalgia.

The night sky was dark, littered by clusters of stars, some stars were big; some stars were small; some shone brightly in the night sky; some twinkled shyly. She scanned outside her apartment, skyscrapers were tall, touching the sky like it once did before the Collapse, pods traveled through the sky restlessly, and people below her walked on the streets chattering happily. Although the Mid Sector was gloomy at times, people always find ways to make the atmosphere cheerful. For example, her neighbors sometimes organized parties in the parks, where people could dance together, sing, and celebrate the end of a day and the start of a new one. She sighed at the beautiful scene, a smile secretly crawling across her face.

Deciding to embrace the peaceful evening, she set her tea aside and picked up her sketchbook from the coffee table. Drawing had always been her sanctuary in the tight and busy city. As she flipped to a fresh page, her pencil danced across the paper, capturing the silhouette of the skyscrapers against the starlit sky outside.

The rhythmic tapping of her pencil was soon joined by the soft melody playing from her old record player. She leaned back in her chair, eyes following the progress of her drawing, feeling a sense of calmness washed over her.

A gentle knock on the door interrupted her tranquility. She glanced at the time—11:15 PM—and wondered who could be visiting so late, everyone had to slept before 11:45 if they did not want their points deducted. Opening the door, she was greeted by her neighbor, Mr. Lin, a retired engineer with that used to be acquaintances with her father, who has a small garden on his balcony.