"Brita, I'm heading out. Do you have your Halo?" Chandra Holt clipped her own Halo to her right earlobe, then adjusted the waist of her black dress and smoothed the folds across the front.
"I got it, Mom." Brita Holt held up the small device as she strode into the entryway.
Chandra patted the tight bun of her blonde hair, making sure that every strand was in place. She looked Brita over verifying that she was presentable should, unlikely though it may be, someone visits while she was at the memorial service.
A spastic cough echoed from the back bedroom. Chandra fretted.
"Bobbi will be fine," Brita said, tilting her head and clipping her Halo to her ear. Her blonde ponytail bobbed behind her. "I've been baby-sitting for years."
A small voice strained from the back as Brita mouthed in unison, "I'm not a baby!"
Chandra chuckled, then shook her head at Brita's questioning look. "Nothing." She smiled. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"Relax."
"So," she resigned, "the service starts at 8:00. Make sure you are watching," she said, tapping her Halo.
"Yes, Mom," Brita exhaled grabbing the wool coat from the back of a chair.
Chandra turned, extending her arms as Brita put the coat on her, turning back to button it up. She held her arms out and twirled.
"Am I presentable?" She chuckled.
Brita chuckled back, "Are you ever not?"
She grabbed the black leather purse and tucked it under her mother's arm. "You better get going or you will miss the auto-bus."
Chandra frowned. "It doesn't work that way. It's..."
"I know, I was teasing." Brita rolled her eyes. She turned her mother around and nudged her towards the door.
A sharp intake of breath made Chandra turn back around. The ghost of a worried frown evaporated from Brita's brow, as the 17-year-old shooed her on her way.
"I love you," Chandra called as she stepped off the porch. Glancing over her shoulder, she returned Brita's wave as the MagLev auto-bus glided to a stop in front of the block. Three other families boarded the massive auto-bus. Chandra dashed to the curb as the last of her neighbors, Mr. McDonald, stepped aboard.
"Evening Mr. McDonald."
He nodded in response.
Her smile vanished. This was supposed to be a somber occasion.
#
As the auto-bus glided to a stop outside the Holy Tremendum Tabernacle of Peace, Chandra joined the line to enter nodding to each member she knew. As she passed through the doors, Reverend J. R. Dobbs, dressed in a tailored black suit sprinkled water on her. "Bless you, child of God."
"Thank-you, Reverend," she said before entering and finding a seat.
The temple was packed, she found a single seat in the third row off the aisle, stepped in and removed her coat.
#
Brita finished warming a bowl of soup as her Halo announced the ten-minute warning. She placed the bowl of soup on a bed tray and crept to Bobbi's bedroom.
"Soup's hot," Brita said.
"I'm not hungry," Bobbi flopped away from her. Brita put the tray on the side table and sat on the bed's edge. "What's wrong, Bobbi?"
YOU ARE READING
Hard Reboot Episode 01
Ficção CientíficaA strange illness is running through Brita Holt's home town. Her sister is sick; and her mother is missing. She needs to pull herself together to find her mother and keep her family together. When a strange young man is brutalized by local law enfor...
