Page 119 of Neon Flux

“Right, I’ll send you the details.” I practically ran out of his apartment. As I closed the door, I heard him mumble, “Fuck. I liked that window.”

CHAPTER 42

EON

My hands were still shaking as I got ready to meet Hiromi. All I could think about was Cy—the way he’d looked at me, how panicked I’d been when his heart had stopped. The ebb and flow of his Flux with mine, a primal rhythm that spoke to the baser parts of me.

As I went to change my hair back to that safe, natural brown, I hesitated. That wasn’t who I was anymore. I watched sparks and stars swirl in my eyes, my Flux dancing in a way I usually suppressed.

It had felt good to let it all go in the Den, to let nothing but anger drive me as I exploded with power. Even on the data center job, I’d never let myself release like that. I’d never hadhimto show me how good it could feel.

I threw on the only light-colored outfit I owned, the pale creams and silver edging of the structured dress felt like a lie. I left my hair lavender with the two little buns I preferred at the top. I was getting tired of hiding the real me.

I met Hiromi at a ritzy, trendy restaurant in the Sky District. They’d ditched the saturated colors of the other districts, opting for polywood veneers and sleek white marble. Every light was asoft, warm white, hiding the filth that permeated everything in Neo Stellaris. Even the Sky District was tainted, no matter how much they tried to scrub it away.

I scanned the crowd until I saw Hiromi stand from a table in the corner, smiling as he approached. His dark hair was perfectly tousled over his forehead, and he towered over the crowd.

“E, your hair! I almost didn’t recognize you. It looks fantastic.” He reached for my hand, and I offered it. He squeezed my fingers lightly before leading me back to our table. I shrugged off my coat and hung it on the back of my chair. He waited to sit until I was seated.

“I ordered some of that new corn-based wine, I hope that’s all right?”

“Of course.” I heard a grunt over my Vysor’s comms.

“You’re here for the translation. That’s it,” Cy said.

I couldn’t help my grin. I tapped a message to him on my thigh under the table.

Me: Jealous?

“In your dreams. We don’t have much time left.”

Me: Oh, Cy. If only you knew.

I echoed his words back to him, and I heard him choke.

“What made you smile like that, E?” Hiromi asked.

I looked back at him. “Just always happy to see you. Besides, you have something for me, right?”

Hiromi nodded. “You should know, this wasn’t easy. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. “That’s what made it fun, right?”

He chuckled. “Yes, but you should know I don’t do this for just anyone, E.”

I held his stare until his dark eyes flicked to my lips and the faintest flush crept up his neck. He cleared his throat.

“Right. So, the translation.” He pulled his palm device from his pocket and flicked the data to my Vysor. I watched as the words scrolled across my screen, the illuminated characters painting a very unsettling picture.

“So, it didn’t have roots in any model language. I had to use a model based on Proto-Afroasiatic before I could even get results. But once I did…”

He tapped his device and the results changed. My mind was racing. How was this possible?

“It looks like—”

“Code,” I said, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, how’d you recognize it so fast?”