Hacking the Sun [Old Version]

Chapter 22 I haven't had Coffee

A solemn night sky blanketed the world. All Raptor could do was land at the first pitstop, which turned out to be nothing more than an isolated power station in a dry part of the territory. Overhead, a bright white sign and its illuminated hare previewed their point on the map: Hare Raiser Power rotating in all directions, situated on the side of a trafficless road leading to and from New Sumer. Neither Jessica nor her friends knew what to expect in this remote area, where Raptor stopped to recharge the sedan. In so doing, they found two other vehicles parked in the slots. Distant and parallel to the driver's side, an old couple casually recharged their black microcar. Two batteries over lay a driverless sedan. 

Within seconds of their touching down, Raptor hopped out of the driver's seat. "Let's be quick," he said. "Shannon, work the charger while I'm inside?"

"Uhh, alright," she muttered. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to see where we stand in the news." He put on a pair of black sunglasses.

"I'll go with him," added Valerie. "Better to stay in pairs, right?"

Pairs...

While Valerie accompanied Raptor, and Shannon stepped out, Jessica stretched over her shoulder to look at Dexter. His eyelids were aflutter. Now that she had a moment to observe him, he very much resembled his high school self, only more mature. Mature even then, at the age where most boys were clueless and hid their faults with machismo before they changed genders. Dex, however, was the right sort of weird... 

She thought about his potential reaction after regaining consciousness. Shuttering from his charred stump, she tried to imagine life with one arm. Her shoulders scrunched with every second thinking about it. Nevertheless, better that he was alive.

"Ah—sorry!"

A gasp from beyond the rearview window belonged to an Azarean male in slacks and a collared white shirt. His frightful gaze darted every way as he skipped past Raptor and Valerie. Raptor eyed the alien with suspicion, muttering, "No problem." The Azarean pressed on, distracted and anxious, with frizzled blonde hair ready to fall off.

Jessica mirrored Raptor's suspicion and observed the alien with eyes wide open. Though he looked nervous, his worried mug did nothing. Gnashing her teeth together, she felt nothing. "Azareans..." She crept out of the car, fixed on the Azarean as he rounded the charging column and approached the only other vehicle.

Her board was gone, optimism along with it, but she still had tools. With a few circumvention tools, she could launch that car off into space. "Babel," she whispered. Holographic violet enveloped her arm.

After opening the rear door, the Azarean leaned halfway into the backseat to adjust some kind of interior secret. Jessica glared from his blindside, lifted the Vambrace and aimed. Slowly, the space-elf backstepped into the door, widening the gap for a skewed view of the inside.

Her eyes canted back for that brief but clear moment. A small thing lay nestled in the backseat: Red hair, vibrant skin; it was an immaculate curiosity with glowing green eyes that briefly touched her, and there was nothing but innocence. She had never seen an Azarean baby before.

Suddenly, the Azarean glanced backward and flinched. Jessica hid the brace, lips frozen into a purse. The male shut the car door before falling into the driver's seat. In no time, the vehicle powered on with the full energy of the beam rotor then launched in the opposite direction of New Sumer.

Quiet wind.

She reflected on the Azarean's reaction. There was no suspicion, no pity, and no disgust; just plain old fear. That fear had been justified, if for a brief moment. Deep down, though not as deep as she would have liked, a levee cracked and spilled anger.