2.11 – It Could Be Nothing…

This chapter is mostly filler since I’m having some difficulty completing the Egyptian adventures.  Or rather, adventure, just one, incredibly long, adventure chain.  Donovan’s been run ragged, as has Chloe to keep us in shower-in-cans.  The good thing about it is that it’s given me an idea for an actual plot.  Plot?! I hear your say!  Yes…maybe…distinct possibility…>.>

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Chloe’s PoV

It was late at night…or early in the morning, depending on your perspective.  Everyone was asleep in their tents.  Except for me, that is.

I was putting the finishing touches on a project I’d started in Shang Simla.  I wasn’t kept entirely busy with ancient translations and the inner workings of nasty traps.  I’d had some free time every now and then.  Enough to grow bored.  I’d started building my own computer.  Shang Simla was pretty limited on electronics, but enough explorers broke phones and such that I was never wanting for parts.

And now, it was almost complete.  I decided to try a test run.

Not as fast as I was hoping.  And there seemed to be a memory leak somewhere, but I’d deal with that later.  For now, I had a working computer for the first time in over a 16 months.  It was heaven!  I started writing worms.  Landgraab Labs will never catch me off-guard again.

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Thomas’s PoV

“And where are you two off to?”

Donovan turned around, ‘guilty’ written all over his face.  Lucy smirked up at me.

“The pyramids,” she said sweetly.  “I got a few shots in yesterday, but I haven’t got any interior photos.  And I want a black and white sarcophagus shot!”  She smiled softly and tucked a lock of sandy brown hair behind her ear.  To say ‘no’ was to kick a puppy.

“Fine,” I said.  “But be back by sunset!”  They ran out of camp, giggling the whole way.

“You’re such a push-over,” Chloe muttered, staring after them.

I shrugged.  “Lucy’s a careful kid and they’re both smart.  They’ll be fine.”

I started thinking about the fishing trip I had planned for later that afternoon.  I still need to figure out that net thing.  Egyptian fishermen didn’t use fishing rods, but a net strung between two poles.  I’d been struggling with it for almost a week now.

“I need to talk to you,” Chloe whispered beside me.

My heart seized up.  “About what?” I asked, as casually as I could, keeping the squeak to a minimum.

She cocked her head to the side and considered me.  I started to fidget.  “What?”

She shook her head.  “Nothing important,” and she walked away, hands in her pockets.

“God, she’s annoying.”  It could have been a thought from my own head, except for the voice.

“She’s got a lot on her mind,” I told Medea.  Maybe this time I can bring her around.

“Yeah, and she doesn’t share it with anyone!  She just expects us to go along with whatever she says without any explanation whatsoever!  I hate it!  I hate her!  I hate life!”

I didn’t have anything to say to that.  It was something I’d always thought about Chloe.  Hearing it said out loud though…I felt really guilty all of a sudden.  “Chloe’s…”  I groped for a suitable word.  None came to mind.  “…complicated.”

“But she doesn’t have to be!”  The teenager in front of me seemed hellbent on staying angry.  She stomped her foot for emphasis.

I shrugged.  “And you don’t have to be angry.”  Confusion overtook Medea’s face.  “But some things can’t be helped,” I continued quickly, knowing an opportunity when I saw one.  “We all are the way we are.  And there’s no changing that…at least, not easily.  Chloe’s got her reasons and a method to her madness.  You’ll just have to wait and be patient with the rest of us.”

Medea looked up at me, lips pursed.  Then she turned, walked over to the nearest wall and kicked it.  But at least she didn’t scream and immediately tackle the nearest adventurer.  It’s progress…if only I could make some with Chloe.

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Chloe’s PoV

I’m…confused.  I wandered to the back of the campsite.  I was tired, but I couldn’t sleep.  Last night’s discovery weighed heavily on my mind.  And I can’t tell Thomas…he’s finally starting to relax again.  I bit my thumb, thinking.  What now?  MorcuCorp…It could be something…it could be nothing.  Just because a business was greatly invested in Landgraab Labs didn’t necessarily imply that it was evil.  “Why did it have to be here?”

“Damn!”  I kicked a handy palm tree and immediately regretted it.  I leaned against it and sighed.  I’ll keep a close eye on all transactions.  If anything suspicious pops up, I’ll act.  When, and if, that happened…until then, I’d have to keep quiet and watch.  I sighed again and rubbed my ankle.  I could see the sleepless nights stretching ahead of me.

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Note:  First of all, I apologize to any computer-savvy person who might read this and cringe.  I’m incredibly sorry, I’m not a computer scientist, I don’t know these things, and, quite frankly, am too lazy to look them up.  At least right now.  So…sorry, again.  Depending on what feedback I get on this chapter, I may or may not fix minutia details.  Meh.

Second, you might have noticed that there is now a sidebar displaying follow buttons, recent posts, a blogroll, etc.  It’s always been on the Home page, but now its on chapter pages as well.  If people prefer it the way it was, I’ll revert it, but if people don’t mind (read: don’t speak up), it’ll stay.  Just want your guys’ opinions.

Thanks for reading!  ^_^