Finally, Dad asks me to call Marlow as well, since he apparently misses me, keeps wondering about me, and is bored alone in his dorm room.
Deep down, I decide to bring up the possibility of seeing Marlow next week with Blue, because I feel guilty that my brother, whom I used to be practically inseparable from, is now alone.
He isn’t someone surrounded by a large group of friends, but more of a loner, far more withdrawn than I am, and losing his connection with me may mean more to him than it would to me in the same situation. I’ve always been drawn to people. Even if I stayed in the background of a group, I still managed to find some kind of company, while he struggles with that. Socializing has always been much harder for him.
???
On Saturday, Blue wakes up later than usual.
We head to the lab at 9 am. He doesn’t bring his usual tablet, instead activating a virtual interface through his glasses. During the ride, I can tell he’s reviewing something on the tiny displays built into the lenses.
The lab where Blue conducts his experiments is three blocks away from the tower. He has an entire section there filled with equipment probably worth millions. If Marcel knew about it, he would probably target this place.
When we enter the lab and Blue gets to work, his glasses suddenly emit a soft sound.
He sometimes routes calls through them, but now he takes out his phone and looks at the screen with surprise.
I sit in the main lab area while he goes into a soundproof glass room that houses equipment requiring silence and no vibrations. That is where he takes the call.
When he finishes, about fifteen minutes later, a man enters the lab carrying a large package.
He leaves it on one of the analysis tables and walks out. I watch Blue from a distance and don't approach, since it is not my business.
But after a moment, I see something astonishing. Inside the package is a… mechanical arm!
I cannot hide my surprise. I stand up and slowly walk toward the table where Blue is standing. He notices my interest.
This is probably the only way I can safely engage with him now, through scientific curiosity, because that is something Blue understands.
"Wow, biorobotics? That’s one of the fields that really interests me," I say, unwilling to keep my distance, but Blue doesn’t seem to mind.
"Incredible story," he says, looking somewhat excited. "You will never guess who this arm belonged to."
I step closer and lightly touch the mechanical fingers.
"I don’t know who, but it looks like very high-end equipment."
"Custom-made. Almost two decades ago, I was still only the deputy head of development at Malden Pharmaceuticals. They had just opened a bionics division, Malden Tech. Everything was in its early stages, but we had excellent scientists. A man came to us who had lost his arm… the capo of the largest mafia family in this city, Anzo Ferro."
"Wow! The same one who ordered a hit on you lately? The bomb planted at the Fate’s Choice agency?"
"Yes, the same. But back then, you could say we were almost friendly. I had not yet started the Beta Activation program, which later caused a feud between us. At the time, I was just one of the scientists who helped create this arm for him."
"Seriously? Then why is it being sent back now? Is he not using it?"
Blue gives me a cryptic smirk.
"That is the best part. The arm was delivered to me by the warden of the prison where Anzo is currently being held. He noticed a small Malden logo on it. They did not want to throw it away, since they figured it was valuable technology, and Anzo no longer needs it."
"Wait. Why? If he doesn't have an arm, then…"
"He has an arm now."
I stare at him in disbelief.
"What do you mean, he has an arm now?"
Blue sighs, then picks up a control device, a heavy industrial tablet, and connects it to the side cables protruding from the arm.