Грань будущего
Chapter 6
Actually,we-"
"Yes?"
"We’donlyjustmet."
"Ofcourse.We’donlyjustcometothebase.Itwasastupidthingtoask."
IleftShastaandmademywaytotheSkyLounge.Iopenedthedoorgently,eventhoughIknewIwouldn’tbedisturbinganyone.
Yellowtapewiththeword"BIOHAZARD"printedatregularintervalscrisscrossedtheentryway.Therewasafireextinguishernearmyfeet,andagrainyresiduecoveredthefloor.IguessedthiswasShastabeingresourceful.ThebasewasstillcoveredinconductivesandfromtheMimics,anddecontaminatingnon-vitalfacilitiesliketheSkyLoungewouldn’tratehighontheprioritylist.Clever.
Isteppedinside.Theairwasstale.Rita’ssmellwasalreadyfadingfromtheroom.Nothinghadbeenmovedfromwherewe’dleftit.Thecollapsedvinylbag,coffeegrinder,andportablerangeunderscoredjusthowshortherstayherehadbeen.Theyweretheonlytracesshe’devenbeenhere.Almosteverythingelsesheownedwasmilitary-issue.Thecoffeesetwastheonlypersonalbelongingsshehad.Ofcourseshehadn’tleftmeanote-thatwouldhavebeentoosentimentalfortheFullMetalBitch.
ThemugontheglasstablestillheldthecoffeeRitahadmade.Ipickedupthemug.Thecoffeewasdarkandstill.Ithadcooledtoroomtemperaturedaysago.Myhandsshook,sendingtinyripplesacrossthejetblacksurface.ThiswashowRitahadfacedhersolitude.NowIunderstood.
Youwerejustapieceontheboard,andIwasthepiecethatreplacedyou.Nothingmorethanthefalseherotheworldneeded.
