focused. Maybe while doing the mundane, he’d come up with a solution for everything else. He glanced up at the screen on the wall. Still a half hour until the pod was delivered.
He didn’t want anyone else to see it. He’d asked for a call when the delivery left the warehouse so he could put on the special effects. Special effects he’d set up after Milo’s genius started to show. And the lines he started to cross.
Innocently of course. Yeah, right.
Just as he took the scrambled eggs off the heat, his comp buzzed.
He checked the message. The pod was en route. Good. “Milo, engage the privacy mode setting out front.”
“Woohoo.” Milo jumped up from the table and raced over to the control unit. “I never get to do this.”
“Well, this time, it’s necessary.” He checked the digital readout on the screen. “Good, it’s all working.” He set the plate on a tray. “Take this to Dani. I have to go and accept the delivery.”
Milo looked at him. “Are you sure about this?”
Levi stopped, the plate in his hand, then laid it down on the tray. “It’s a little late to be asking, isn’t it?”
Milo’s lively features twisted in regret. “I’m just realizing that this is all my fault.”
Levi stared at him. “Really, just now?” He leaned on the counter to stare at him. “You really don’t get it, do you? This isn’t some game. This isn’t a rush to beat the technology. This isn’t something you can just do then forget about.” His temper fired as he thought about all he had to deal with. “You have damaged lives – in ways we can’t begin to know about. And you have ruined Dani’s.”
“I haven’t ruined Dani’s at all. Don’t you see this is beautiful? She has a great life waiting for her here. We’ll make it great.”
“But you didn’t give her any choice. You did this to her. You made her a victim of your mechanisms. And that’s just wrong. She should never have been brought into our world. You didn’t ask her if she wanted this. You didn’t care.”
He stopped and stared, wondering what it would take to get through his head. “What you did was wrong. On so many levels. And you’ve left me to deal with your mess again.”
“She’s not a mess. She’s a miracle.” Milo stepped in front of Levi. “Look, I’m sorry for the problems right now. I’m sorry for any that might still come, but damn it, Levi, I did something that no one else has done.” His eyes glittered with excitement. “Can’t you see the greatness here?”
Levi choked. “And that’s all this means to you, isn’t it?” Would Milo ever see what he’d done? “And what about Dani? Do you think she’s going to consider this greatness?”
A buzzer sounded.
“Damn it. They’re early. I hadn’t expected them so fast.” Levi raced to the door, leaving the food behind on the plate. He opened the door to see his delivery.
“Bring it in here.” He stood by as the pod was floated toward him. He led the way to where it would stay. He’d planned on getting one a year ago but had a hard time with the registration requirements. “Thanks.”
“No problem. You’ll pay through the nose for this, but hey, it’s worthwhile.”
“I hope so,” he muttered. He took the paperwork, glanced at the bottom line, and said, “So we’re good?”
“We are. As long as I get that software, we’re done.”
“It’s already in progress.” And it was. Levi smiled at the man who would prefer to not be named. He knew him vaguely. He’d had to go to a friend of a friend to make this happen as it was. So he’d taken his first step to the wild side. Then again, Milo had pushed them all over there already.
But Dani needed healing. He couldn’t leave her like she was.
Speaking of which, he went through the simple process to open the pod and check it over. “Dani,” he called out loudly, “Do you think you can walk over to me?”
He didn’t hear an answer. He walked back over to her room to see her
He didn’t want anyone else to see it. He’d asked for a call when the delivery left the warehouse so he could put on the special effects. Special effects he’d set up after Milo’s genius started to show. And the lines he started to cross.
Innocently of course. Yeah, right.
Just as he took the scrambled eggs off the heat, his comp buzzed.
He checked the message. The pod was en route. Good. “Milo, engage the privacy mode setting out front.”
“Woohoo.” Milo jumped up from the table and raced over to the control unit. “I never get to do this.”
“Well, this time, it’s necessary.” He checked the digital readout on the screen. “Good, it’s all working.” He set the plate on a tray. “Take this to Dani. I have to go and accept the delivery.”
Milo looked at him. “Are you sure about this?”
Levi stopped, the plate in his hand, then laid it down on the tray. “It’s a little late to be asking, isn’t it?”
Milo’s lively features twisted in regret. “I’m just realizing that this is all my fault.”
Levi stared at him. “Really, just now?” He leaned on the counter to stare at him. “You really don’t get it, do you? This isn’t some game. This isn’t a rush to beat the technology. This isn’t something you can just do then forget about.” His temper fired as he thought about all he had to deal with. “You have damaged lives – in ways we can’t begin to know about. And you have ruined Dani’s.”
“I haven’t ruined Dani’s at all. Don’t you see this is beautiful? She has a great life waiting for her here. We’ll make it great.”
“But you didn’t give her any choice. You did this to her. You made her a victim of your mechanisms. And that’s just wrong. She should never have been brought into our world. You didn’t ask her if she wanted this. You didn’t care.”
He stopped and stared, wondering what it would take to get through his head. “What you did was wrong. On so many levels. And you’ve left me to deal with your mess again.”
“She’s not a mess. She’s a miracle.” Milo stepped in front of Levi. “Look, I’m sorry for the problems right now. I’m sorry for any that might still come, but damn it, Levi, I did something that no one else has done.” His eyes glittered with excitement. “Can’t you see the greatness here?”
Levi choked. “And that’s all this means to you, isn’t it?” Would Milo ever see what he’d done? “And what about Dani? Do you think she’s going to consider this greatness?”
A buzzer sounded.
“Damn it. They’re early. I hadn’t expected them so fast.” Levi raced to the door, leaving the food behind on the plate. He opened the door to see his delivery.
“Bring it in here.” He stood by as the pod was floated toward him. He led the way to where it would stay. He’d planned on getting one a year ago but had a hard time with the registration requirements. “Thanks.”
“No problem. You’ll pay through the nose for this, but hey, it’s worthwhile.”
“I hope so,” he muttered. He took the paperwork, glanced at the bottom line, and said, “So we’re good?”
“We are. As long as I get that software, we’re done.”
“It’s already in progress.” And it was. Levi smiled at the man who would prefer to not be named. He knew him vaguely. He’d had to go to a friend of a friend to make this happen as it was. So he’d taken his first step to the wild side. Then again, Milo had pushed them all over there already.
But Dani needed healing. He couldn’t leave her like she was.
Speaking of which, he went through the simple process to open the pod and check it over. “Dani,” he called out loudly, “Do you think you can walk over to me?”
He didn’t hear an answer. He walked back over to her room to see her
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