20:59, February 23, 2295

  Front Desk, The Quantum Pour, 1820 Maple Avenue, Evanston, IL, 60201, Terra Alliance territory

  "Relax, Xin, it’s just a drink." Lorna's boots, a slight heel adding an edge, clicked against the floor, her voice a playful lilt. The midnight blue of her sleek jumpsuit, trimmed with a shimmer, hugged her toned physique just right as the blue orb socketed into a Nordic pendant on her neck complemented it. "Or are you afraid I'll outpace you again?"

  Aromas wafted through the air — exotic cocktails mingling with the subtle hint of aphrodisiac and the scent of her lavender perfume.

  Beside her, Xin's nervous flutter was palpable, his eyes scanning the crowd. He'd donned a dark olive green shirt under a winter jacket, fumbling with its cuffs, and relaxed-fit jeans. The worn-in leather shoes gave him a somewhat hipsterish charm, his black-rimmed glasses reflecting the light. "I’ve been, well, practicing all day."

  "Practicing?" Lorna repeated, raising an eyebrow and tracing her finger along the silver Nordic pendant hanging from her neck. Its deep blue core sparkled in the light. She looked down at Xin, feeling empowered by his slightly shorter stature. "I didn't know drinking required so much dedication."

  "Oh no, not drinking," Xin blushed slightly under her gaze as he raised his Quantum Watch. "I meant practicing 10mm shooting and driving the Space Rover. You've taught me well, so I thought —"

  "No work talk tonight," Lorna interrupted, placing a finger on Xin's lips. "Can you do that for me?"

  Xin's eyes widened before he nodded eagerly, relieved. "Yes, I can."

  The entry scanner beeped as they walked by, an unassuming sentinel, until a soft chime disrupted the rhythm of their approach. Red lights blinked lazily as she stood.

  "Excuse me. Miss Weiss, correct?" a staff member said, stepping forward with a professional smile. "Your scan indicates an infection — protocol dictates we can't allow you inside."

  The words crashed into Lorna like a rogue wave. Her heart clenched. "I’m — this — there must be some mistake," the edge to her voice betrayed her unruffled fa?ade.

  "There’s no mistake," the staffer continued, holding up a tablet. ‘NV Fenris 1‘, it cryptically wrote. "Due to your carrier status, I can’t allow you inside. There’s been talk about the Radi-Mons across the Inner Sol. We must consider the safety of other guests in this venue, where intimate encounters happen frequently."

  Anger flushed through Lorna's body, a gnawing sense of vulnerability she loathed to acknowledge. She had wanted an evening free from the weight of her existence. This wasn’t it.

  "Perhaps we can find another bar?" Xin's hand brushed hers, seeking to soothe.

  "Easy for you to say," she spat back, though as much as she wanted to rage against this indignity, she knew the fault wasn't his.

  Through the bar's glass walls, she could see the establishment's own fusion core nestled in the basement level, its massive crystalline structure casting shifting patterns of blue-white light across the gathered patrons. The Helionite waste product from the core was filtered through an elaborate network of tubes that traced geometric patterns through the walls - part of the bar's aesthetic, transforming nuclear waste into trendy decor. But to Lorna, those glowing green tubes now felt like accusations, their light exposing what she desperately wanted to hide.

  With a heavy sigh, Lorna eyed the blinking scanner once more, her arms tightly crossed. The music of Quantum Pour seemed distant now. "Eric, I've been coming here for five years. We just need to go to my usual booth."

  "No, Miss Weiss. Please understand!" the staff insisted, raising both hands in the air and speaking loudly. "The Nucleus Virus is highly dangerous and strictly forbidden by Alliance law —"

  "The Nucleus Virus!? Who has it?" A nearby patron gasped.

  "That Valoran girl over there?" Another patron chimed in.

  "Eagle News said it's airborne. We need to leave!" More frightened comments followed.

  "Hold on," Xin stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Lorna, raising his voice. "Don't the Terra Alliance laws protect confidential medical information? Only the person themselves can disclose it in public."

  "I apologize, but it was necessary to ensure your cooperation," the staff member said, tilting his head in embarrassment. "I hope the message is clear - you're not welcome here anymore, Miss Weiss."

  "You didn't have to mention the virus publicly!" Xin's voice rose as he gestured towards the staff.

  "What do you know about laws, Imperial? You’ve got Alliance citizenship?" A patron retorted as a crowd began to gather around them.

  "Hey, maybe that guy's infected too? The blonde must be his bitch, right?" Another patron added with a rough and aggressive tone.

  "Come on," Xin said gently as he turned, his voice steady despite the uncertainty on his features. "Don’t let these people ruin your mood."

  Lorna looked at him, really looked, and saw not pity but a shared resilience. In another life, perhaps they would have met without these barriers, without the specters of viruses and vendettas between them.

  "Yeah. This place isn’t for us," she acquiesced, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. The weight of rejection pressed down, as tangible as the chill of the silver-white pendant against her skin as they both walked away, murmurs and skeptical banters mixing the clinking glasses and distant laughters behind them.

  It was a few moments later that they arrived at the parking lot, the snow falling from the sky bore witness to the hardship befalling them.

  Lorna managed a caustic smile, her voice laced with derision. "Well, isn't this a cosmic joke. Banned from my favorite bar like some unruly teenager."

  Xin shifted uneasily beside her. "You didn’t deserve that from those bigots," he offered. Lorna could hear the undercurrent of his protective desire.

  "Five years," she spat, her words slicing through the veneer of calm that had once cloaked her evening. "Five years I've come here, and not once did they care about 'safety' until now." Her fingers traced the Nordic pendant at her neck, the cool metal a lifeline amidst the roiling sea of anger. She wondered if Xin had noticed it yet. "Just my luck, I guess."

  "Lorna. Are you still up for it?" Xin ventured a whisper. "Maybe we could turn it into, well, an outdoor adventure."

  Lorna's gaze snapped to his — those deep, earnest pools that seemed untouched by the taint that marked her existence. He didn’t see her as tainted; he saw her. And in that moment, the walls she had so painstakingly erected began to crumble.

  "An outdoor adventure?" she mused, her voice a ragged edge.

  "Exactly," Xin said as he pointed at the SIMU vehicle beside them, a flicker of relief passing over his features. "We'll find our own quantum pour. In there."

  Their rugged rover sat in the dimly lit parking lot, its hulking white form against the soft glow of the city’s neon blue signs. Snowflakes drifted lazily down, catching in the ridges of its thick, knobby tires. The mounted Gauss Cannon on top added a looming presence even while dormant.

  "In the Space Rover?" she asked, her breath misting in the cold air as her boots thudded against the pavement.

  "Yeah," Xin nodded, a smile blooming on his olive countenance. "In the Space Rover."

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  21:30, February 24, 2295

  Near Raymond Park, Evanston, IL, 60201, Terra Alliance territory

  The world outside was a canvas of white serenity, punctuated by the silver reflection of Osram's luminescence off the distant hills.

  "I love the winters in Valoran countries, you know. The snow feels like magic," As Xin maneuvered the vehicle, sSnowflakes swirled in the glow of the Space Rover's headlights, weaving a veil over the rugged landscape.

  "Is it not like this where you come from?" Lorna nestled in the passenger seat. Her eyes, sharp as daggers carved from winter ice, traced Xin’s profile, noting the subtle furrow of his brow as he grappled with the rover's advanced systems.

  "My hometown is tropical. The first time I saw snow was in an ice planet simulation by ZenFusion Terraforming. Was all artificial, so to see the real thing now — " Xin replied, his eyes focused on the road ahead as he sped up. "I like it."

  "Ease up on the throttle," Lorna murmured, her voice a velvet caress against the hum of the engine. "Let the machine adapt to the terrain." Sshe leaned closer, her breath ghosting across his earlobe as her fingers brushed against his, guiding his hand with a featherlight touch.

  Xin glanced at her, a wordless acknowledgment passing through his gaze, before redirecting his attention to the path ahead. He adjusted his hold, mirroring her suggestions with the reverence of a disciple to his mistress. A faint smile tugged at Lorna's lips, not quite reaching her eyes.

  "Good. Now, engage the stabilizers gently…like this." Her tone was soft as her hand momentarily cupped his, steadying the control and imbuing him with her strength.

  The rover responded, gliding over the snow-blanketed ground. Xin's shoulders relaxed marginally as Lorna’s hand withdrew.

  "Thanks," he stole another glance at Lorna, admiration and something deeper flickering in the depths of his dark brown eyes. "Maybe I could make up for..."

  "Stop," Lorna cut him off, her voice laced with an authority that belied her inner turmoil. "You owe me nothing."

  They drove on in silence, the only sound the crunch of snow beneath tires and, dare Lorna think, the shared beating of two hearts syncing in the quiet of the winter night. The intimacy of the moment stretched out like the ice-covered road winding its way beneath Osram’s watchful gaze.

  Up ahead, a small structure came into view, glowing softly in the distance. Its sleek, modern design stood out against the surrounding trees, curved metal arches illuminated by faint blue lights that reflected off the fresh fallen snow. The overhead canopy was dusted with a layer of white.

  "Hey, let's stop here for a bit," Lorna suggested.

  "A Fusion Battery Station," Xin glanced over, his brow furrowed as he eased the rover to a stop beside a small vendor machine standing under the station’s sleek canopy. "Need to recharge the rover?"

  Lorna smiled, that cryptic curve of her lips carrying amusement. "You'll see."

  The station's holographic interface panels flickered, indicating their services to passersby. The machine was a minimalist, cylindrical structure. A glowing blue interface pulsed gently at its center.

  Like all Alliance fusion facilities, the station thrummed with carefully controlled power. Beneath its sleek canopy, crystalline Zephyrium processors hummed in perfect synchronization, their blue-white light diffused through frosted panels that kept the raw energy contained. Unlike the industrial-scale reactors that powered most Midwest cities, these roadside stations were marvels of miniaturization - each processor no larger than a coffee cup, yet capable of charging multiple vehicles simultaneously.

  Through gaps in the snow-dusted floor grating, Lorna could see the station's Helionite processing system at work. The waste product's characteristic green glow was barely visible, filtered and contained by advanced recycling technology. This was how the Alliance preferred to handle fusion power - clean, efficient, and hidden from view.

  Above them, status displays showed the station's power metrics in hovering holographic detail - current draw, Zephyrium efficiency ratings, projected Helionite accumulation. The numbers danced in precise patterns, monitored by AI systems that ensured every joule of energy was accounted for. It was a far cry from the crude dumping grounds they'd encountered earlier, where corporate greed had turned the Midwest into a breeding ground for Radi-Mons.

  The cold bit at Lorna’s skin as she leaned out of the Space Rover, her breath misty in the night air. "I don’t know what it’s like in the Imperium, but the FB Stations in the Midwest have these. One of them literally saved my life."

  "Saved your life, huh?" Xin echoed. On the machine, multiple compartments lined the lower half, their translucent panels hinting at the snacks and drinks stored within.

  Lorna tapped her Quantum Watch deftly, holographic menus blooming into existence above its dial, signaling connection with the vending machine.

  "So, what's your poison?" she asked, a playful edge to her voice.

  "Uh, a hot drink. FusionBrew Matcha. Do they have that?" Xin replied, his words a little too quick.

  "A lot of Imperial immigrants order that one," Lorna nodded, selecting his drink with a flick of her fingers over the floating interface. Then for herself, she tapped on the icon of ‘GlacierMist Blue Lagoon’ before moving on to tap two servings of french fries and chicken nuggets.

  As the machine compiled, her hand unconsciously traced the pendant at her neck, the silver crescent cradling a sapphire orb that harbored memories of a life unpolluted by viral taint. Surely Xin would have noticed it by now.

  With a beep signifying the seamless exchange of currency, a string ‘Paid: $15.20 Atomic Dollars’ appeared on the vending kiosk. It whirred as it dispensed their order. She took the thermal bottles and self-heating boxes in hand, feeling the immediate comfort of the hot drink that Xin ordered against the chill of her GlacierMist.

  "Welcome to America," Lorna quipped, handing Xin his Matcha. "Fast food’s still fast, like the old days." A small grin crept onto her lips.

  "Thanks," Xin said, his eyes holding hers as he leaned in and took the Matcha. Without another word, he took the other containers off Lorna’s hands and placed them down.

  She felt the scratch of the fabric of Xin's sleeve against her arm as they settled back into the rover’s electrothermal heated seats.

  As Lorna closed the window on her side, the electrothermal seats activating beneath them. She took a long sip of her GlacierMist, the cold tang of vodka sharp against her tongue, contrasting the heat of the fries resting in the box between them.

  "This isn’t so bad," Lorna teased, breaking the brief silence. "Of all the things to do on an average evening."

  Xin chuckled, nodding as he took a sip of his Matcha. "The snow’s got a charm to it. Among other things."

  And as Lorna turned to watch, Xin paused, his gaze meeting hers again before trailing down toward her pendant, glinting softly in the dim light of the rover. "You know, that pendant really stands out."

  Lorna's fingers instinctively brushed against the blue crystal, trying to sound casual. "Yeah. It’s a souvenir. A reminder of better days."

  Before Xin could respond, a soft whirring sound interrupted the moment. Lorna’s golden brow furrowed, her instincts immediately on alert, though the sound was too delicate, too faint to be a threat.

  She looked down as something small — no larger than a lightbulb—floated out of the pocket of Xin’s winter jacket. It hovered mid-air, almost weightless, its smooth metallic surface catching the dim light from the rover’s dashboard. Lorna’s sharp gaze flicked over its form, instantly recognizing it as an Omni-drone, but this one seemed sleeker than the standard field models she’d seen some field scientists in SIMU using.

  The Omni-drone body was a mix of reflective green and polished black, its frame made of what looked like lightweight carbon alloys. A pair of thin, spider-like appendages folded neatly against its rounded chassis, tucked away like a dormant insect waiting to spring into action. Beneath its glossy surface, faint pulses of soft light throbbed rhythmically, like the slow, measured beat of a heart, casting a gentle green hue onto Lorna’s ivory countenance.

  The central dome was a gleaming glass orb, transparent. Inside, she could see the faint glow of circuitry and micro-processors working. The green light within it flickered, absorbing every detail with the same analytical curiosity that Lorna now felt.

  It floated in mid-air between them, its green lights blinking softly as it spun in a lazy circle. Leaning back with a smirk, Lorna’s lips curled in amusement rather than alarm. "That Omni-drone doesn’t look like a standard one."

  Xin blinked nervously. "Oh — Pawan! Sorry," He reached out and gently tapped the Omni-drone, which responded with a light bobbing motion. "He tends to activate when there's too much activity in my pocket. I guess he’s curious."

  Lorna’s eyes traced the tiny modular compartments beneath its main body — slots likely reserved for various attachments or tools. Tucked underneath its curved wings was a small, almost hidden nozzle.

  "Pawan, huh?" Lorna repeated, her eyes narrowing playfully. "You named your Omni-drone?"

  "Yeah. He’s a prototype right now. Might get better with time — upgrades and all that," Xin’s voice was laced with pride as he carefully let Pawan rest on his lap. "I built him while you were asleep in St. Elara's. Equipped him with a Medi-Vap dispenser — should be good for healing small injuries. Plus some detection systems."

  Lorna studied the small robot as her fingers idly tracing the rim of her drink as she listened. There was a quiet confidence that belied his nervousness. She could see the care he’d put into his creation.

  "You built this? On your own?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of admiration.

  "Mostly. Diego let me use the spare parts and the workbench at the Stardust Command. I should buy him a drink sometime." he nodded, glancing over at her before tapping on Pawan so it moved up and hovered at shoulder height, its glass dome facing Lorna. "Pawan, this is Lorna. Say hi."

  The small robot tilted slightly, and then extended two of its thin, spider-like appendages in a delicate wave.

  Lorna smiled, the edges of her guard softening a bit more. "Hi, Pawan,"she murmured, her eyes watching as the drone hovered obediently near her. A soft, melodic series of chirps followed, like the sound of a curious bird. Lorna found herself relaxing.

  "You're full of surprises," Lorna said, leaning back into her seat with a sly grin, feeling tipsy. "Maybe I'll have to keep you around after all."

  Xin chuckled, his nerves easing as the playful exchange resumed. "I’ll take that as a win."

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