One Last Time

Rain violently pelted the shop as thunder rolled and shook its foundation. Each strike gripped Audra's chest in an echo.

She curled up further in the VR pod.

Her eyes were closed, her breaths were deep, and her heartbeat raced. To say that she was anxious would be an understatement, but Zeph deserved to know.

She thought back to where everything had just poured out. A part of her was embarrassed for it all, but at the same time, it was a relief to get some of this pressure off her chest.

To think that it'd happened because she sucked at making egg sandwiches.

She felt her cheeks heat up at how ridiculous it was. She'd ended up screwing up something so simple. Yet, even with that and all the crap he must've been going through, he'd been patient—beyond that really.

"…" Hadn't it been like this since the start, though?

Ever since he'd found her in the scrapyard, he'd done nothing but help her. He'd given her a place to stay, food to eat, and even comfort when she needed it, all for someone he'd only just met.

She smiled at the thought. It was stupid. He had no reason to do any of this, but he did. She still couldn't figure out why, but she wasn't going to question it too much anymore.

Perhaps he didn't even need a reason.

"Hey, Audra," Zephyr's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "I'm ready to go and the debug console's set up. Whatever you see and hear, I'll be able to as well. So if anything goes wrong, just call out. I won't be able to respond, but I'll pull you out."

"O-okay." Her voice quivered slightly. "You'll… be with me the whole time?"

"Yeah. I'll be right here, and I won't leave until you're safe."

She nodded, steeling her resolve.

With the last of their words said and done, Audra began interfacing herself with the machine.

She took one last look at the pods insides as she felt the connection kick in. A brief sense of vertigo washed over her, and the world went black.

***

She was back in the void of the startup sequence, but this time she didn't have to go through the setup again. It remembered her last attempt—at least partially.

Once everything loaded, she opened the menu and selected the custom scenario option.

She did her best to brace herself and keep her mind occupied.

It took a few minutes to tweak the settings to what she'd originally wanted to make, but otherwise it was quick. Once she'd finished, she started the simulation before any doubts could pop up.

She closed her eyes and held her breath.

Everything shifted to the day before it all happened.

The darkness around her gave way to buildings, sounds, and lightness. One by one her sensations kicked in until she was immersed in the colors of a sunny day.

It was Portland. Her hometown. The sounds of cars rumbled in the distance, and the familiar scents of the city drifted with the breeze that ruffled her hair.

It was honestly impressive. The description she'd inputted into the scenario had been general, but the AI extrapolated things extremely well. If she didn't know better, this could've felt like she'd been teleported to the real Portland.

After marveling enough, she looked up.

In front of her was the antique shop, an unassuming little building nestled between two other storefronts. A sign hung above the doorway with the name 'Past Tense' painted in faded gold letters on a weathered wooden background.

It looked just how she remembered it—quaint and intact.

Immediately, she felt the tightness in her chest loosen slightly. She was home the day before it all happened. Even though it'd barely been a month since then, it felt like forever since she'd seen the shop like this.

She took a few tentative steps forward, and her legs shook slightly. When she got to the glass door, she saw a reflection staring back at her.

She stopped.

The person looking back wasn't the same girl that'd left. She still had her bionics of course, but her hair was long again. Her favorite blue jacket was back too, the one that she'd bought at a thrift store a few years ago.

"…" She ran her hands across the fabric. It was soft, and its scent was so familiar. It wasn't burnt or cut up into scraps on the hospital floor.

Tears welled up as she reached out to touch the glass. For a moment, she could pretend that everything was okay. That nothing had happened. That everything hadn't broken.

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

No, she shouldn't use this time to pretend. Rather, she would use it to move on. To show Zeph. At least, that's what she had to keep telling herself.

She stepped inside.

The ring of a bell greeted her. Comfort flooded back in an instant. Everything was exactly how she remembered it too.

The walls were covered with old paintings, photographs, and a few vintage posters. Shelves upon shelves of various knick-knacks lined the room. Tons of twenty-first century electronics and devices were scattered about, as well as a plethora of old video games that her granduncle had insisted be put there.

Floorboards abruptly creaked.

"Audra~ You're finally home!"

Warmth tackled her, almost sweeping her off her feet. Arms wrapped around her securely, pulling her close.

Audra froze, stunned by the rush of comfort.

"H-hi, Mom…" she eventually managed, hugging her back. It felt surreal as it left her lips.

How long had she wanted to say that again? To experience this again?

Her mom pulled away to get a better look at her. She was petite woman with light skin, amber eyes like Audra's own, and dark hair that fell in soft waves down to her shoulders.

She wore a flowy, light blue skirt and a white blouse under an apron with a name pin that said 'Jada'. A small pendant hung around her neck, and she wore a number of silver rings and earrings that were bought for her by Dad.

"Welcome back." Her mom smiled, standing up to put her hands on her hips. "You were gone for a while. Did you get held up at the store? Meet a cute guy or gal? I still remember the way you stared at that barista girl with the biceps."

Audra sputtered.

"N-no! Nothing like that! I just uh, took a scenic route."

Amber eyes went from a glint to a squint.

"Run into any trouble on your way back?"

"N-no, not that either. I just… lost track of time, I guess. Sorry."

"You sure? Because if those jerks were bothering you again—"

"Mom. It's fine—"

"I swear. They bully you out of your old school, and still won't stop? If I see them again, I'll—"

"Mom! It's fine! Really!"

Her protest was enough to give her mom pause.

"You sure?"

"Y-yeah. I haven't seen anyone in months."

She shot Audra another doubtful look but didn't press any further.

"If you say so. But if anything happens, make sure you tell me, alright?"

"…I will."

Her mother smiled again and gestured behind her.

"Great, now. Why don't you come on upstairs? Your dad managed to get off early today, and he'll probably be back soon. I'm just finishing up dinner now, and it'll be ready in a bit. You can go over the list of places we were planning on visiting behind the counter. Our Japan trip is just three months away. Gotta lock things down now."

"R-right. Sure, I'll be up in a minute."

Another quick hug squeezed her before Jada walked towards the stairs.

Tears were welling up once more.

She knew this wasn't actually her mom. It was just a product of the simulation, and yet… it didn't feel that way. The way she'd spoken, the way she'd moved and hugged her, it'd felt so natural—just like the real deal.

"…" But she couldn't lose herself. Not when she was here for a reason.

She swallowed as her hands clutched over her heart.

"…Just one more goodbye."