Page 40 of The Fall

Kerr realised her eyebrows were also raised. Apparently, she copied people when she was drunk. “Right.” She frowned in an attempt to balance it out. “We didn’t talk about that.” She needed her blood filters to work a lot faster. “Everyone left you alone after, didn’t they?”

“I guess.” Lusa still looked sceptical, but maybe with a hint of a smile. Or maybe it was the alcohol conjuring it in her head. Maybe.

“You hate me, remember?” Lusa added.

“Yes.” Kerr took a deep breath. “I’m clearly drunk,” she admitted. She stared at the ground, swaying. “Maybe I don’t hate you as much anymore.”

Lusa blinked slowly. “Why?”

Kerr waffled. “I dunno.”

Lusa raised an eyebrow. Kerr reminded herself not to copy her this time.

“Honestly?” She swallowed and stared at her knees. “You’re not as shite as I thought you’d be. Considering, you know,” Kerr gestured broadly. “Everything, yeah?”

“I’m not?” Lusa tilted her head in a way that reminded Kerr of a seagull. “Look.” Lusa reached out to take her hand, but stopped short. “I don’t do relationships.”

Kerr exaggerated a scoff, as if the idea of a relationship with her was preposterous. Which it was, but now, the idea had been spoken and it was lying there, like a corpse on the table that they were both trying to ignore.

“Iss grand. All of my relationships go arseways,” Kerr said. That much was true. “I dunno why I said that. Being with anyone right now would be a fool thing. Less move on.”

Lusa looked relieved.

Kerr couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed, which she absolutely should not be feeling. “I’m heading home.” She swayed a bit. “You coming or not?”

To her surprise, Lusa got up. Kerr craned her neck to look at her. “How did you get so tall?”

Helping her out of the booth, Lusa made a noise Kerr hoped was positive. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

Even with the Thermabulle, the cool air outside helped to sharpen her senses. The music faded to a muffled throb behind them, growing quieter against the gravel crunching beneath their feet. Kerr couldn’t believe how unabashedly forward she’d acted, like her libido had taken over. She should run a scan on her hormone regulator.

And yet, she still couldn’t tear her eyes away from Lusa’s arse, swaying like a hypnotist’s watch in front of her. She needed to end this dry spell, even if it was with someone out of her league and prone to provoking her jealousy. Just not with Lusa.

And then, Lusa’s helmet was on her head, her arms around Lusa’s waist. The universe had thrust them together to delight in her torment. She should relax her grip, but she couldn’t. She needed to feel the flex and twist of her muscles beneath the fabric of her tank top.

The universe wore a perverse grin.

Tis Much When Sceptres Are In Children’s Hands

Agroup of restless-looking teens lounged around outside her modest high rise. Filthy snow piled up against the corners that rarely, if ever saw the sun. Like the buds of early spring, discarded food wrappers and Chem RDCs poked through to bask in the meagre light.

She nodded unsteadily to the group, all of them sporting something prosthetic and most of them missing parts. They nodded back and moved to allow them to pass.

In the flickering light, ads for Chem, guns and penis enhancers played through a film of graffiti and streaks of excrement. Lusa covered her nose as discreetly as she could, but even through the fog of alcohol, Kerr noticed. Where did she live where this sort of human detritus didn’t exist?

Kerr unlocked the door, though not without apprehension. Caring what other girls thought of her place wasn’t something she did. One more reason why she shouldn’t be entertaining those sorts of thoughts about Lusa. “It’s not much, but no-one will bother us. This area is our turf.”

Kerr allowed Lusa to go first and then did a quick scan. Her room smelled considerably better than the hallway – artificial vanilla and disinfectants. She thanked her past self for cleaning the lav and making the bed. The only thing to be concerned about was the worn sofa, but if Lusa noticed, she didn’t show any sign of it.

“You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“Are you sure?” Lusa asked.

Surely, she was joking. Lusa would require limb removal to fit on the sofa. Kerr raised an eyebrow that almost knocked her off balance.

Lusa appeared to understand that politeness couldn’t overcome physics. She changed the subject. “I should wash first. I smell like a laundry bag.”

Kerr leaned forward to check before her brain reminded her that smelling her would be creepy. Her blood filters must be working overtime. “Lav’s over there.” Kerr pointed, blinking the remaining haze from her vision.