Shattered
Part One: Byrne
Chapter Five
The MCCI
Dojo Deliveries dropped two points in the rating during that first week.
When we were 'home' we were almost never together.
Fizz was locked in her work room almost all the time, tinkering. I don't know what deeps was doing. Loogie was the only one of us who stayed. . .the way were before.
I locked myself in the Laser-gheddon game.
I think the only time we all saw each other was when we had a Drop.
And I'll admit, I was lonely.
I could never find Deets, and Loogie got on my nerves. So did Old School.
That was when I started to see Fizz.
Knock. Knock.
I rapped on the door to Fizz's work room.
No answer.
"Fizz?" I called softly. "Fizz, lemme in."
There was a popping sound and the door opened just enough to let me slide in. Fizz didn't look up from what she was tinkering with.
"Hi, Ed." She said. "What brings you here?"
I shrugged. "Boredom. Lonliness." I looked at the machine she was tinkering with. "What is this?"
"A Medullian Crystal Consciousness Interface." She said. "Or an MCCI for short. It's supposed to interface to Byrne's mind using the crystal as a conduit. So he can talk to us.
"Cool." I said. "Can I help?"
She looked up at me, startled, then smiled. "Sure."
She gave me the plans and let me study them.
After that we took turns sleeping in corner of the work room.
It was my turn awake when it was finished.