Chapter one - Home

"Finally!" Trudy said as the Mallrats saw the mall in front of them.
"Home, sweet, home" Jack said happily satisfied. Amber sighed. Home. Home. The mall was their home. For some years ago she'd thought would end up with a little child living in a shopping mall with some very different people. But those were her family now. At least some of them. But they were back home again. The long days on the boat and on the island had been rough.

The island was called Techno Island because the Technos had most of their prisoners there. Ram said he didn't really know about that and Jay did seem to believe him, so did the others as well. But they couldn't find any of the Mallrats there, just the little picture and the text "DELETED". Amber's last hopes of seeing Bray alive someday was now gone. She didn't find him. At least she had her son. Ellie really hoped to find her sister, but she didn't. At least she had her boyfriend Jack. Lex was searching for Tai-San, but he couldn't find her either. But he had no one. Well, he had the rest of the Mallrats but no one really special. Everyone he ever cared more about had died or were gone.

Seeing the picture of Bray and the text "DELETED" over and over again made Amber understand. In this world it didn't matter if you did good things or not. There was no justice in this world. This world wasn't gonna change - not for a very, very long time. There wasn't sides like good or bad that mattered. There were just survive or die.

The rumors were that the virus in their city were gone. Though the most of the Mallrats had something back home that made them not wanting to get back. Seeing the places made them remembering everything they've been through. So many memories. Painful memories.

But they all agreed that it would be better go get back then to live on the boat and search for a new home for - they didn't know how long. But they did have one option more. Split up. They could go different ways. Try to find a better life. The ones who should have anyone to share their new life with did think about the option. But they decided not to. Even Ebony. There was some sceptical thoughts about that. Probably she couldn't stand loosing the power she had in the city.

But suddenly they were home again. The inside of the mall looked the same. They were surprised that no one had crashed the place. The fresh food had rotten but the rest of it were still eatable. The old Mallrats took their old rooms and the new ones took the remaining rooms. It felt good to be home again. Finally some privacy again.

She and Jay was no longer a couple. He had found some old Techno friends, stayed with them on the island. Actually she didn't miss him at all. She didn't felt anything. Well, that wasn't true. But at least not for Jay. The new feelings made her a little bite frightened. There wasn't much things that frightened her but things that she in no way could control did. And the worse thing was - she liked it.