top of it. On the displayed show, two talking heads argued about the near-riot at the Main Hub. "Nah, she ended things yesterday. That's three for three in seven years of trying. I'm starting to think the problem is me, that I can't have kids."
Ed gave a sympathetic frown. "Sorry, kid. Guess you really do need a blonde."
"Yeah, if better statistics can even help me…" He held up a hand, examining his gaunt forearm, cursing the limitations of the flesh. "If there was just more food…"
The older man laughed heartily. "Yeah, if only."
Sitting in silence for a bit, he glanced up at the show again. Curious, and desperate to think about anything else, he brought a copy of the stream directly to his vision. Gazing down at his liquor, he watched the two commentators argue over the events of the hour before, their words flashing by in text underneath as they spoke.
Showing a link to highlights from Mjögen Ragnisson's lifelog, the first man argued that this, here, was a great young man with good intentions. The other commentator seemed to be fixated on the arrogance of Scientists trying to decide things for others, as if they believed themselves a government…
Closing the stream, he grunted in disgust. "Yeah, like we Scientists have got no concerns of our own… or time to bother with that nonsense…"
Going over his memories - the chunk of cricket bread placed in his fingers by small hands, the confusion and rapid near-violence, how it had felt to stand there in that small group and face down the crowd, how that little boy had apologized, looking so much like the son he'd always imagined he would have had…
He began to wonder why nobody was debating whether or not Ragnisson had actually been right.
"What do you think?" he asked.
Ed finished the last of his water and lowered the metal cup down on the bar. "About what?"
"About what he said, at the near-riot today. Should we actually change the way we handle thieves?"
His mentor suddenly seemed hesitant. "Um… it's all opinions, Jason. Let's not go there. Things are the way they are for a reason." He looked around nervously. "Hey look, it's your lucky day."
Peering through the crowd, surprised, he saw familiar faces - among them, Elizabeth. "No, it's alright, I probably shouldn't bother her."
Ed shrugged, tapped on the bar, and refilled his cup from the roving robotic spout that came over in response. "Thanks, barkeep," he joked, visibly relieved at the change in topic.
Following Og into a low space awash with loud conversations and competing musics, Elizabeth held her arms crossed, constantly scanning the faces and postures around her in a manner she realized was much like Rolf's usual vigilance.
For his part, Rolf seemed oblivious to the press for once, bumping into people as the three of them moved toward a small open space in the back, his attention focused on ignoring Kitna's pestering.
The four stood against the back wall in a row.
"Um, what now?" she asked.
Og moved his head with the light beat dominant in their section of the Hangout. "Fun!" he declared. "We have fun!"
"Is this… your scene?"
"You could say that. I did grow up here. Maybe we'll see some people I know."
"Oh… cool."
"Want to get some drinks?"
"Sure."
Wending their way between close-set tables, the two made for the bar, leaving Rolf and Kitna by the wall.
Leaning on the bar, Og grabbed four little metal cups from the rack.
Elizabeth held herself a little closer and anxiously stood behind him, waiting.
"They're talking about you," a brown-skinned older man with slicked-back white hair stated in surprise, turning.
"Me?" Og asked, surprised.
"Both of you, actually." He sent over a link.
Finishing the pay transaction and filling the cups with liquor, Og followed the distant conversation, an odd feeling fluttering in his head whenever they talked about him in the third person. "So weird… hey, are you a Scientist?"
"Yeah. Edmundo, over in solar. They call me Ed."
The tall Nord smiled. "They call me Og."
"Yeah, had to be honest, I didn't know how to pronounce your name when I read it."
"It's old Nordic, it's actually pronounced -"
A clattering cup interrupted him.
"Sorry," the Anglan man on the other side of Ed apologized, seeming to snap out of some heavy distraction as he picked up his cup. "Oh, hey."
Elizabeth jumped slightly. "Hello…"
"Hey, you were out there with us! You guys all work in solar together?" Og asked.
She took her cup and squeezed forward to the bar itself, putting herself on the opposite end of the group from the man who'd greeted her. "Yeah."
Oblivious, the Nord raised a hand in greeting. "Og."
"Jason."
"That got intense very quickly. Thanks for the support out there." He glanced back over the crowd at Rolf, a shadow of unhappiness crossing his features.
"Sure…" Jason turned back to staring at the bar.
"Check this out," someone in the bar interrupted with a mass message, sending them a video link. "Kid does funky dance - this is hilarious!"
Interested in any distraction, Elizabeth took a look, watching it at the same time as Og. It showed some guy in another Hangout, down south under the Rain Belt, attempting a complicated dance and failing miserably. The crowning moment of the video came in the form of a painful-looking faceplant, followed by a quick recovery and embarrassed smile - as if he hoped nobody had noticed.
Og burst out laughing, and, despite herself, she cracked a smile. It was just stupid enough to hit her through her anxiety.
In the background of the recording, she could see an overlay with an image of their two faces, taken from a perspective in the crowd during the near-riot. She checked the video time - the failed funky dance had taken place twelve minutes ago.
Ragni had been right. The eyes of society were on them… her lifelog was almost constantly accessed by strangers, so she'd grown used to it, but she now realized that even more attention had been heaped upon her - and upon Og.
She hunched down a little further against the bar, a sense of growing pressure constricting her heart.
"It's him!" someone said behind them.
Two girls approached with drinks in hand, their shirts set to the indicative light red of availability.
Og turned to face them, a wide grin crossing his features as he saw their colors, his old bravado returning quickly. "Why, yes, it is me."
"That was really brave of you," the dark-haired Nord girl said, touching his arm.
"Were you scared?" her friend asked.
"Not a bit," he boasted, eyes locked with his obvious favorite.
Both girls noticed Elizabeth at the same time, hesitating out of obvious intimidation.
He waited a beat, and then gave a subtle cough.
"Oh." She blinked. "Um, I'll be over there."
"Thanks. Oh, give these to Rolf and Kitna, will you," Og said, making space at the bar for the girls. "Ladies…"
Suddenly on her own in the crowded space, but unable to really blame Og, she began heading to the back wall. She moved cautiously, feeling exposed and vulnerable, avoiding eye contact with those watching her as she passed.
"Hey," a stranger greeted her, moving in her way. "You here with anyone?"
She shook her head and pushed past by a different route. She'd purposely left her shirt passive grey at all times, but few seemed to care. She repeated her avoidance twice more before she reached the wall again.
Rolf remained in nearly the same position, absently flicking his irises back and forth, working on something and visibly ignoring Kitna's aggressive stare.
As she took up her spot on the wall again, Rolf held out his hand, saying nothing, not even glancing at her.
She handed him the extra cup Og had given her. Kitna took the other.
They stood in silence for some time, ignoring each other.
&n
bsp; Her thoughts traced the pounding music as she let herself relax, shedding the harrowing stress of her lone passage through the crowd.
Her thoughts lingered on that boy, floating face down in the water. None of it made any sense. She glanced at Rolf, wishing she had the chance to talk about it - but he just kept working, his eyes moving back and forth rapidly.
"Check this out," she overheard someone to her left. "Girl attempts funky dance fail -"
Frowning, but unable to resist looking, she accessed the link the two had exchanged. This one was ten minutes ago, up north, copying the first funky dance… despite herself, she laughed again. The terrible phantom pressure around her heart seemed to lift somewhat.
A few hours later, they began walking back to East Residency, now numbering five.
Og walked ahead with the Nord girl hanging on his arm, both talking and laughing about nothing and everything.
Elizabeth watched them, annoyed. Kitna would have to find her own place to stay, but that still left two cots and four people… frowning, she looked over at Rolf. He walked alongside her, but hadn’t spoken much all night. He hadn't even made a barbed comment about having to share a cot with her now that Og would be with someone else. He'd just been blank - even more so than usual.
"What are you doing?" she suddenly demanded.
He turned his head sharply, and, for the briefest of moments, she thought she saw something unprecedented in his eyes… fear. Nobody else would have noticed the fleeting glimpse past his mask, but she knew. His usual blank expression returned almost instantly.
"Just working," he offered.
"Well… stop it…" she repeated the common dark humor mantra about overworking, only half-sincere. "You'll burn yourself out…"
He said nothing, turning his