Fire
Cheng’s hands were sweating as he placed the explosive. He wondered if synthetic people ever had this problem, if they got sweaty when they were nervous. Then he felt guilty - this was the sort of thing he really ought to know.
Sunny whispered at him. “Hurry up. I want to get out of here.”
“Hush. I’m almost done.” He finished setting the remote detonator and stood up, brushing off the knees of his jeans as he did so.
“Are you sure that’s enough?”
“We want to burn the building down, not leave a smoking crater. It will be fine. SynthMate won’t know what hit them.”
They strolled off the grounds - not sneaking, never sneaking. No need to look guilty, even if they were - and back to his car, where Sunny called Andrew and gave him the two minute signal. Cheng glanced back at the building again and again as he drove away.
“Eyes on the road, mister” Sunny chastised him. It was just a design lab, a squat rectangle perched on a small hill. There wouldn’t be anyone there this time of night. It would be fine.
He went to Jake’s apartment, and they hurried upstairs to watch the news. Jake squeezed Sunny into a hug, gave Cheng a high five, and then ordered people off the couch so they could sit. The cramped apartment felt even smaller with so many of the group there, chattering about the night’s activities and planning the next big move for the rights of synthetic people.
His mom had bought a SynthMate when Cheng was just a kid. He’d really loved Paul; he was a great dad. Mother had traded him in for Liam two years ago without even a word to Cheng or his sister. She was over it, said that Paul had never been a “real” dad anyway, that it was mom’s money to do with as she pleased. Cheng wasn’t over it.
“Breaking news: the fire at the SynthMate facility on Pine and 7th is still raging.” There were cheers all around him, and Manuel mussed Cheng’s hair as he laughed.
“Fire and rescue are at the scene fighting the blaze and report that at least two people were inside the building at the time of the explosion. No word yet on their conditions. The company has not commented on the -”
Cheng leaned forward. “What was that? Did you hear that?”
People were still chattering, but Cheng felt like the world had gone deathly quiet all around him. Sunny obviously hadn’t heard - she was sitting on Jake’s lap, flirting like nothing had happened. Jenny was bringing in popcorn and sodas. Lucas was messing with his phone. This couldn’t be happening.
Then Manuel leaned over and slapped him on the back. “Sounds like you got some of the bastards. Good work.”
He felt his heart sink. This wasn’t what Paul would have wanted. Cheng struggled up from the sagging couch, carefully stepped over and around the people on the floor, and made his way to the door. He had to get out, to think. To figure out what to do.
He left, and this time he didn’t look back at all.
Sunny whispered at him. “Hurry up. I want to get out of here.”
“Hush. I’m almost done.” He finished setting the remote detonator and stood up, brushing off the knees of his jeans as he did so.
“Are you sure that’s enough?”
“We want to burn the building down, not leave a smoking crater. It will be fine. SynthMate won’t know what hit them.”
They strolled off the grounds - not sneaking, never sneaking. No need to look guilty, even if they were - and back to his car, where Sunny called Andrew and gave him the two minute signal. Cheng glanced back at the building again and again as he drove away.
“Eyes on the road, mister” Sunny chastised him. It was just a design lab, a squat rectangle perched on a small hill. There wouldn’t be anyone there this time of night. It would be fine.
He went to Jake’s apartment, and they hurried upstairs to watch the news. Jake squeezed Sunny into a hug, gave Cheng a high five, and then ordered people off the couch so they could sit. The cramped apartment felt even smaller with so many of the group there, chattering about the night’s activities and planning the next big move for the rights of synthetic people.
His mom had bought a SynthMate when Cheng was just a kid. He’d really loved Paul; he was a great dad. Mother had traded him in for Liam two years ago without even a word to Cheng or his sister. She was over it, said that Paul had never been a “real” dad anyway, that it was mom’s money to do with as she pleased. Cheng wasn’t over it.
“Breaking news: the fire at the SynthMate facility on Pine and 7th is still raging.” There were cheers all around him, and Manuel mussed Cheng’s hair as he laughed.
“Fire and rescue are at the scene fighting the blaze and report that at least two people were inside the building at the time of the explosion. No word yet on their conditions. The company has not commented on the -”
Cheng leaned forward. “What was that? Did you hear that?”
People were still chattering, but Cheng felt like the world had gone deathly quiet all around him. Sunny obviously hadn’t heard - she was sitting on Jake’s lap, flirting like nothing had happened. Jenny was bringing in popcorn and sodas. Lucas was messing with his phone. This couldn’t be happening.
Then Manuel leaned over and slapped him on the back. “Sounds like you got some of the bastards. Good work.”
He felt his heart sink. This wasn’t what Paul would have wanted. Cheng struggled up from the sagging couch, carefully stepped over and around the people on the floor, and made his way to the door. He had to get out, to think. To figure out what to do.
He left, and this time he didn’t look back at all.