NEXUS POINTS : Chapter 1-4

Nexus Points: Junctures in Life Where An Individual’s Choice and the Will of His Maker Coincide to Form an Opportunity.

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Chapter 1

It was unseasonably cold for October, even for the crazy climate the Continental State of Virgo experienced these days. Rain clouds loomed on the horizon, a rare sight. The temperature was near freezing. 

Kora was annoyed by the wind. Her long wavy hair tossed wildly about her face. She pulled the short black thermal jacket tightly around herself.

It was taking forever to walk from the crematorium to her transport. Kora scanned her surroundings. The grounds of the cemetery were meticulously maintained, even though cremation had become mandatory and the various types of burial banned since the CTE pandemic thirty years ago. 

The newly-paved cement walkway cut through an expanse of light brown sand dotted with drought-tolerant succulents and the occasional knee-high shrub with dusty, long, needle-like leaves. Large grey concrete blocks formed the perimeter of the grounds. A few blades of yellowing grass peeked through the cracks between them, battling bravely against the biting wind. 

Past the black metal gates, the desert landscape stretched as far as the eye could see. The scenery was an ironic contrast to the 4-meter tall, 3-tier fountain standing in front of the gates. The projection circling the fountain’s holographic trickles read Green Pastures Cemetery.

Anita would have liked this place…

The sound of footsteps from behind drew Kora’s attention. She turned to see Sage Sandberg approaching with her boyish gait. Her pixie-cut blond hair seemed even shorter than she remembered from the last time they met at the State Central Hospital. That was also the last time she saw Anita alive.

Kora slowed her pace, waiting for Sandberg to catch up. She felt small next to Sandberg’s lanky 1.7-meter frame. 

“Thanks again for coming, Dr. Sandberg.”

“Please, call me Sage.”

Kora was grateful. Not all physicians were as involved with their patients as Sandberg was with Anita. “Sage, thank you for everything you did for Anita.” 

Sandberg squeezed Kora’s hand. Her palm felt warm. “It’s my job. Besides, Anita was a special lady. I’m truly sorry for your loss.” 

A stab of pain pierced Kora’s heart. She lowered her head. “Anita... She was special...”

“It was a good service.” Sandberg said. 

Kora thought for a moment, then decided she had done an adequate job with the memorial service. It had been simple, dignified and well-planned, even with only a handful of people attending. Anita would have approved, albeit it was her own funeral.

She used to tell Kora, “If you want to do something, do it right, or don’t do it at all!” But Kora couldn’t help but feel she hadn’t really done it right this time. If she had, there would have been no funeral, because Anita would still be alive. 

It started to drizzle. Perhaps the heavens wanted to help her shed the tears she couldn’t today, at least not in front of Anita’s relatives, most of whom Kora had never met. Anita wouldn’t have wanted her to. “Don’t show weakness in front of strangers!” Another one of Anita’s admonitions.

Kora looked to the sky, feeling the cold and damp of the rain on her face. She tucked her head down and turned up her collar. There hadn’t been enough time to buy a proper outfit for the funeral. She had had to make do with her usual ensemble of skinny black jeans and short black boots, topped off with the black thermal jacket she was huddled into. Since the pandemic outbreak that wiped out nearly 45% of the world's population over 30 years ago, the deceased had to be cremated within twenty-four hours. 

Anita loved rain... 

If only there were some way to warm the chill in Kora’s heart. 

If only I’d had more time… 

Kora felt Sandberg’s hand on her arm. She turned to meet her vivid blue eyes. 

“It’s not your fault. You did everything you could to help her. We all did.”

A wave of guilt and sadness washed over Kora. She lowered her head. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I just wish we’d had more time to find a new treatment for her.”

“Kora, don’t do this to yourself! You know better than anyone the treatments for brain tumors aren’t always effective. If anything, the experimental trial you recommended prolonged Anita’s life.”

“I just... I can’t believe she’s gone... and so suddenly! I wish I’d had more time with her.”

“I understand how you feel. It’s unfortunate she wasn’t herself anymore in the end.”

“She didn't even recognize me anymore. She had no memory of the time we spent together. And all her nightmares and hallucinations, the psychotic episodes…” Kora's voice trailed off.

“I wasn’t going to bring this up, but we’ve decided to run additional assays on Anita’s brain tissues,” said Sandberg.

“What for?”

“Something about Anita’s cause of death troubles me.”

“I thought the stroke was caused by side effects from the DNA therapies she was receiving.”

“That’s what the pathologist concluded. I’m not sure I share his opinion. Where the cerebral hemorrhage originated puzzles me. I have a hunch, but I’m not sure yet. Anyway, I’ve gotten permission to continue my research into her condition.”

“Are you sure the stroke wasn’t caused by the cancer itself?”

Sandberg nodded. “I’ve seen a lot of patients with the same type of brain tumor, but I’ve never seen anything like in Anita’s case, especially the psychosis. I want to make sure I’m not missing anything. I should have the results of the assays by tomorrow.”

The drizzle had turned into a shower. Thankfully they had reached their transports.  

“Will you let me know if you find anything?” Kora asked. 

“Of course.” Sandberg gave Kora a tight hug. “Take care.”

Kora got inside her black transport. She pressed her thumb onto the ignition pad. A slew of neon blue readouts came to life on the display panel. She flexed her cold and stiff fingers in the warmth of the transport, then tied her hair into a low ponytail.

Just then the transport’s AI came online. “Welcome back, Kora. Where are we going?” 

“Work.” 

“According to current traffic conditions, we will arrive at NID Biotech at 200 Fourth Street in District B, 1st Ring, Virgo State Center, in 3 hours, 15 minutes plus or minus one and a half minutes,” the AI responded. 

“Engage auto-drive,” Kora instructed.

The transport glided into silent motion. 

As it passed through the metal gates, she turned and took one last look at the grey crematorium. “Goodbye, Anita...” 

Chapter 2

What little rain there was quickly vanished, and it was a smooth drive into the State Center. 

Kora thought about her conversation with Sage Sandberg earlier. What good would it do for Sage to continue her research into Anita’s death? The more important question was why the treatment didn’t work, despite both of their efforts.

Kora was, after all, one of the leading geneticists at NID Biotech, the largest genomic nanotherapeutics company in the world. In fact, she worked under the very man who had developed the original vaccine for the CTE virus, the nasty bug responsible for the worst pandemic outbreak in recorded history that nearly caused the extinction of all humans on this planet. Scientists today were still battling the slew of mutations stemming from the outbreak, Anita’s brain cancer being the result of one of these mutations.

The treatment should have worked. What did I miss? Kora sighed. She decided to distract herself by studying the aerial map on the holographic display in front of her. 

Today was the first time in almost three years she had ventured out of the inner rings of The Circle. It was fascinating to see the changes in the terrain as her transport passed through the desert belt and entered the State Center limit.

The Continental State of Virgo was built much like the other six continental states. The State Center, commonly known as The Circle, had all its structures contained within a circular area of two million square kilometers. It housed the seat of the state’s central government and its various agencies. It was also the most important commercial center in the state. 

The Circle was planned and built in concentric rings that alternated between commercial and residential use. All the odd numbered rings were designated for commercial purposes while all the even numbered rings were set aside for residential housing development. The farther away a ring was from the center of The Circle, the higher its designated number and the larger the land area it occupied.

The perimeter of The Circle was bordered by desert land that had been a greenbelt once upon a time. There the ring-like developments stopped. The desert belt extended from the limits of the State Center halfway to the coast, where it was replaced by mostly uninhabitable rocky terrain.

Looked at from the air, The Circle formed a circular maze punctuated by super crossways. Resembling spokes on a wheel, they connected all the rings from the very center all the way to the perimeter. Looked at from the side, The Circle resembled a giant tent, with its tallest buildings in the middle. The farther away from the City Center, the lower the height of the buildings as land became less expensive.

As her transport followed one of the super crossways through the outer rings, Kora marveled at the rectangular single-storied homes with their old-fashioned driveways and artificial green lawns. Covered with dark climate-regulating panels, these small black boxes glistened and sparkled under the setting sun. They looked so similar and were so neatly arranged next to one another Kora wondered how anyone could tell which home was whose. 

Approaching the middle rings, the height of the buildings gradually increased and the space between buildings rapidly decreased. Kora could tell when she passed through odd numbered rings. Although covered with the same black climate-regulating panels, the outer walls of commercial buildings also served as billboards for various video advertisements. 

She strained her neck to see the videos being played on the walls. Today these were dominated by promotional campaigns lobbying either for or against the upcoming statewide vote on the new Water Initiative.

Kora couldn’t wait for the day when transports were allowed to fly in interstate airspace. Almost all the vehicles on the roads were already equipped with the appropriate technology, but the State Assembly simply couldn’t agree on what air traffic control system to use. Instead, the aeronautic system that had taken over twenty years to perfect had been reduced to parking thrusters used in certain underground parking carousels. 

As the transport neared the very center of The Circle, the video walls disappeared and the buildings soared to towering proportions. That plus their black reflective fiberglass exterior made these skyscrapers look both awe-inspiring and eerie at the same time. 

The City Center was located in the middle of The Circle and covered a 28-kilometer radius. It was occupied primarily by state government agencies with the State Assembly Building being at its very center. Standing at 250 stories in height, it was also the tallest building in the state. 

Adjacent to the City Center and within the 1st Ring, one could find large businesses that were vital to the state’s economy. The 2nd Ring housed the most expensive residential properties in the state. In fact, the twenty-four innermost rings in The Circle were considered the most prestigious, whether commercial or residential.

It was already dark by the time Kora reached NID’s campus in the 1st Ring. As her transport approached the underground parking carousel entrance below the Advanced Nanotherapeutics Building, a grey security bot no larger than a dinner plate floated up to her window. The “flying saucer” scanned her retina for security verification. 

“Welcome back, Dr. Amelli,” the bot acknowledged. 

The silver blast-proof gate lifted. Kora's transport stopped in front of the entrance to the elevator bank. She got out of the transport, then headed to the elevators. Robotic arms picked up the transport and delivered it to its designated spot somewhere deep within the labyrinthine structure.

Kora accessed the express elevators through a dual fingerprint and retinal scanner. She still remembered the first time she’d taken that elevator. She’d almost emptied her stomach in it. But that was over two years ago. Now her heart barely skipped a beat as she zoomed to her lab on the 86th floor within a matter of seconds.

The soft white ambient light came on as Kora walked out of the elevator and onto the circular hallway surrounding the individual labs in the center of the building. She could hear nothing but the static ringing in her own ears as the imitation marble floor absorbed any sound her boots were making.

Kora passed by Sid Tawfig’s lab, which was adjacent to her own. She peeked through the glass panel next to the door. Tawfig was staring intently at a molecular structure on the holographic display in front of him. 

Kora liked Sid and considered him a friend, but she was in no mood for casual pleasantries today. That, and she was tired of telling everyone she was fine.

It felt comforting to be in her lab. Kora looked around her white-walled, marble-floored sanctuary. This was the one place where she felt at ease and completely sure of herself. 

Modern day geneticists were more like programmers. Their main tasks were to formulate molecular designs. Most lab work was relegated to AI-operated robotic systems such as the one in her lab. Long gone were the days of pipetting stations and electronic centrifuges. Tests that used to take days, even weeks could now be performed in a matter of hours, even minutes.

Kora checked the readout on the holo display outside the sealed robotic chamber. Her experiments had been completed and the results compiled, all while she was having a day off. Her mood lifted somewhat. 

She sank into her black leather swivel chair. The agenda on her computer indicated that Tanya Grover, the Inter-Departmental Liaison, or IDL, between Advanced Nano-therapeutics and NID’s Government Compliance Division, was coming to the weekly protocol meeting on Thursday.

Great! Just what I need. This job would have been perfect if not for office politics, and Tanya Grover. 

A soft tone rang through the lab’s comm speakers. The AI announced, “Dr. Amelli, we have a visitor. It is Dr. Yong Liu.”

“Open.”

The lab door slid open. In walked Liu, carrying a small brown paper box. “Hey kiddo! I brought you something.” 

He laid the box down on the workbench in front of Kora. She opened it to find a small chocolate cake inside, her favorite dessert and one of Yong’s specialties. 

Kora’s mouth watered. She smiled. “Thanks, Yong!” 

“How was the funeral?” Liu sounded more like a concerned father than a boss.

“It... went well.” Or as well as a funeral could go

Liu sat down in front of Kora’s workbench. “You did all you could, Kora. It’s time to stop blaming yourself.”

Kora thought about that for a minute, then decided to tell Yong what Sage Sandberg had said. “Well, the lead physician decided to run more assays on Anita’s brain tissues.”

“Oh?”

“She thinks Anita’s stroke might not have been caused by side effects from the treatments.”

“What do you think?”

“There was no indication that the cancer caused the cerebral hemorrhage. The logical conclusion would be that the gene integrity in that area of her brain was somehow compromised, most likely by the treatments she was receiving. But Dr. Sandberg seems to think it might have been something else.” Kora cast down her eyes. “What does it matter? It won’t bring her back.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure. I know I’ve been taking a lot of time off work lately to be at the hospital. I want to make it up to the team.”

“You’ve delivered your share of the research on time and hit every milestone. You have nothing to feel bad about. What I meant was, are you going to help Dr. Sandberg with her research?” 

“I don’t know.” Kora looked at the small holo projector on her desk. It was looping a short video clip of her university graduation. 

She had never seen Anita happier than she was that day. She’d even gone to a salon to have her hair done before the ceremony. Her shoulder-length, silver curls gleamed in the morning sun. 

Kora was suddenly filled with forlorn nostalgia. “Anita…” her voice trailed off, “she’s guided me all these years, but now she’s gone. I just don’t see the point in all this.”

Liu seemed saddened. He ran his fingers through his greying black hair. “When my wife and daughter died in the pandemic, I blamed myself. I wasn’t able to save them, and I wanted to die too. My daughter would be turning 36 in a few months if she were still alive.”

“But you did save a lot of people in the end.”

“It was my lab partner who convinced me to go on with my research. She said if I didn’t want to do it for the tens of millions of peoples who were infected, then I should do it for my own closure. So I did. I developed the vaccine. After that, I was set free.”

Kora felt sorry for Yong. She knew a thing or two about losing everyone she loved.

Liu got up from his chair. “You need to find your own way now, kiddo, what it is you want out of your life. Don’t end up like me — a boring old man!”

Kora cocked her head. “At least you can cook!”

“That’s true. I do have that going for me. Speaking of cooking, why don’t you come over for breakfast on Saturday? I’m making French toast.”

Kora smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Liu paused at the door. “Go home. Take some time to yourself. Think about what I said.”

Kora raised two fingers to salute Yong. “Yes, Sir!”

Perhaps Yong was right. If she could help Sandberg find some answers, then she’d be able to get closure and move on with her life. Kora reopened her research file on Anita. She could grieve later.

Chapter 3

A bird chirped next to Kora’s ear. She struggled to open her eyes. The time on the alarm clock read 6:30 a.m. She’d only managed three hours of sleep last night.  

The morning sun shone brightly through the windows, drenching the small bedroom with light and casting a warm glow onto the cream colored walls. 

Kora propped herself up. Her head throbbed. Where did that come from? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a headache. 

She looked into the mirror facing her bed. Dark circles framed the bottom of her light brown eyes. Her long, wavy, chestnut brown hair was strewn about her heart-shaped face. 

What she wouldn’t do for a hot shower. Unfortunately, she had almost exhausted her personal water quota for the month. Tonight, she decided. She was going to need one after seeing Peter. She tried to clear the fog in her head. 

I’ve got to do something about this insomnia.

It was barely seven-thirty by the time Kora had cleaned up and gotten dressed. She decided it was time to activate her new ocular implant. 

The prototype had been installed in her left eye a little over two weeks ago, thanks to Peter. It was definitely one of the perks of having a boyfriend who was a product engineer at the hottest implantable device company in the world. By now, the AI had incorporated itself into the neural pathways in Kora’s brain, linking itself to her ocular and auditory nerves.

Kora tried to remember the instructions Peter had given her. “Oscar, are you there?” she asked, thinking about the lizard she’d named the AI after. He was her favorite pet as a child.

“Yes, Kora. I am here,” Oscar replied in her ear. 

“What do I need to do to activate all your functions?”

“You just did. How may I assist you?”

“Tell me about your functions.” 

“I am your personal assistant. I have access to your workstation and database at NID Biotech, and your portable devices and cloud data. I can make and receive audio and video calls, help you with your daily agenda, find information via public cloud records, play news and other entertainment broadcasts in real time using the holographic projector in your eye...”

“Ok, understood!” Is there anything this thing can’t do? she wondered.

“Just a reminder, your monthly research reports are due today. You also have a dinner engagement with Peter Lee at 8:30 p.m. at Le Bistro in the 2nd Ring.”

Not bad for a chip the size of a pea in her head. “Right... we should get going.” 

“Just so you know, I am not human. Technically you will be going to work by yourself.”

Kora burst out laughing. “I like you, Oscar.”

“I have no opinion on the subject, but thank you!”

*

It was a productive morning, for documentation anyway. Kora was glad she had some mundane tasks to focus on. Her headache simply refused to go away.

First, she detailed the research objectives for her project. As part of a team that was working on a new series of DNA nanobots, Kora was tasked with improving the cell penetration and binding efficiency of these tiny molecular robots. Made of synthesized DNA strands like those naturally occurring in the human body, the nanobots functioned as delivery systems to targeted cells in order to initiate drug or gene therapies. 

Next, Kora compiled her research data into the format required by the IDL. By noon, she had finished her report for tomorrow’s meeting. She then started to prepare the protocol memos, something she had always hated doing. She reminded herself that, as the largest nanotherapeutics developer in the world, with access to the DNA record of every single person on the planet, NID had to adhere to governmental regulations and protocols.

The protocol memos detailed each researcher’s usage of any genomic data, the inventory of all relevant resources used, as well as the processes employed to secure such information at the departmental level. They were necessary, but nonetheless tedious and time-consuming.

It was almost two in the afternoon when Kora finally completed the files. She breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a hectic few months, splitting her time between the hospital and her lab. She was glad that she had finally gotten caught up with all her research tasks. Her headache had finally subsided, and Kora realized she was starving. She headed towards the cafeteria for a late lunch. 

“Kora, you have a call from Dr. Sage Sandberg,” Oscar informed Kora in her ear.

“Okay, Oscar.  Send it through.”

Sandberg’s holographic image appeared about half a meter in front of her eyes. “Hi Kora! I want to show you something from the first round of assays on Anita’s brain tissues. Can you come by the hospital today?”

“What did you find?”

“I think you better see this in person, the sooner, the better.” 

What can possibly be so urgent? Kora wondered.

It was hard to focus on her research agenda after that call. Something in Sage’s voice made her feel unsettled. The rest of the afternoon dragged on slowly. Kora finally left for the hospital a little after five-thirty. 

She was amused when Oscar reminded her to pick up chocolate chip ice cream. Peter had said the AI in her ocular implant would pick up on any routine activities on her agenda dating back three years, but it felt strange to realize it already knew her habits so well.

*

The State Central Hospital was a short five-minute drive from NID’s campus in the 1st Ring. After spending countless hours here over the past year, it felt almost like a second home to Kora, only in a not-so-good way.

She went straight to the patients’ ward on the 35th floor of the main building. Kora knocked on the door of room 3C, which was next to the room Anita used to stay in. 

“Hello, Cody!”

Cody raised his bald head from the rice pudding. His deep blue eyes lit up at the sight of Kora. He broke into a big smile.

“Hi, Kora!”

Kora pecked Cody on the cheek. He seemed to have lost weight. The light blue hospital gown looked bigger than usual for his tiny body. He looked tired. It had to be treatment day today. 

Kora put the bag containing the carton of ice cream on the tray table in front of Cody. “Guess what I brought you?”

“You got me ice cream!” Cody beamed, his small hand reaching for the bag. 

“How are the treatments coming along?”

“Dr. Sandberg told me they’re working well for me. But I don’t feel well.”

“Your body’s fighting the cancer. That’s why you’re tired. It’ll get better.”

“I’m sorry about Anita…” Cody's voice trailed off.

“Me too.”

Cody reached over and wrapped his arms tightly around Kora’s waist. For a moment she didn’t know how to react. She hugged Cody gently, feeling grateful for her young friend.

“I have to go talk to Dr. Sandberg. Don't tell her I brought you ice cream.” Kora winked. “You take care. I’ll come see you soon.”

“Promise?”

“I promise!”

Kora kissed Cody goodbye, then headed for the oncology lab on the 80th floor. 

*

Virgo’s State Central Hospital housed one of the most advanced oncology departments in the world. Kora still remembered the first time she had met Sage Sandberg, the head of SCH’s Oncology Department. She thought Sandberg was intelligent, kind and a conscientious physician.

The CTE outbreak thirty years before had prompted an explosion of advancements in how scientists treated infectious diseases, both bacterial and viral. These new treatment breakthroughs, especially in the area of nanotherapeutics, also saw the end of many formerly incurable diseases including many forms of cancer. SCH had been right in the center of these breakthroughs, together with private research facilities such as NID Biotech. 

Kora found Sandberg preparing tissue samples at her workstation.

“Kora! I’m so glad you were able to come today. Here, take a look.” Sage pulled up the lab results on the holo display.

The data from Anita’s tissue assays was puzzling. Kora read through the results again. 

“I don’t understand. The data shows Anita’s stroke was caused by degeneration in her limbic system? That’s nowhere near the tumor.”

“Not only that, there’s evidence the degeneration in her limbic brain started around the time the pandemic outbreak was contained.”

“But that’s over twenty-seven years ago!”

“That’s right.”

Kora frowned. “If the tumor and the treatments didn’t cause the degeneration, then what did?”

“I have to run more tests to find out. My gut tells me the degeneration was somehow linked to the CTE outbreak. If I’m right, more people might have the same condition.”

“Why hasn’t anyone reported it?”

“Probably because the rate of degeneration is so slow. In Anita’s case, it’s taken  twenty-seven years for the degeneration to result in a stroke. I believe her cancer might have accelerated the process, but it didn’t cause the stroke.”

“The treatments might have had something to do with it also,” Kora said.

“Or the stress that was put on her brain from her illness.” 

Kora’s curiosity as a scientist was piqued. “Could the brain degeneration have been the cause of Anita’s psychosis as well instead of the cancer or its treatments?”

“That’s a distinct possibility. I could really use your expertise on my next round of tests.”

“What do you need?”

Sandberg laid out the research plan she had developed. She would focus on the physiological side of the experiments, and Kora would test the drugs and DNA delivery systems, something she did every day at NID. They divided up the tasks and agreed to meet weekly to share results with each other. 

By the time Kora left the hospital it was already eight-thirty at night. She was late for her date with Peter…again.

Chapter 4

Why is makeup sex always so much better? Kora wondered. Her thoughts drifted back to dinner earlier at Le Bistro.

It was already 9:00 p.m. by the time Kora got to the almost-empty restaurant. It had been a while since she had last come here. She’d always admired the old world décor: the mirrored walls, dark wood and antique chandeliers, set off by sparkling crystals on white linen table cloths. 

She found Peter sitting at a booth table near the back of the restaurant facing the entrance. He’d dressed up for their date. Instead of his typical khakis-and-tee-shirt ensemble, he was wearing a pair of black slacks and a light green long-sleeved shirt. His face looked grim, but he stood to greet her with a kiss and asked her politely how she was. Good manners were part of his 2nd-Ring upbringing. 

But when Kora told him she was fine, that everything was fine, Peter lost his temper. “That’s what you always say! ‘I’m fine. Everything’s fine.’ How could you be “fine” when you’ve just lost the only family you had?”

Of course Kora wasn’t fine. But what could she say? How could he possibly understand? Peter was born to the most ridiculously loving parents. He grew up in a tri-level condo in the most expensive residential district in the state while Kora’s childhood home was nothing more than a mud box in the desert. Peter’s life was still filled with people who loved him, while Kora had lost everyone she’d ever held dear.

So Kora stayed silent, hoping Peter would change the subject as he normally did when he couldn’t get a response from her. Tonight, however, he wasn’t going to let her off the hook so easily.

He glared at his water glass. “I respected your wishes and didn’t attend Anita’s funeral. I want you to know that hurt me.”

Kora could hear the pain in his voice. She moved close to Peter on the curved cushioned bench of the booth, putting her hand on his thigh. “I... It happened so quickly, and... there was a lot going on. I was just... overwhelmed. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Peter’s face strained with frustration. He lifted her hand from his thigh. “We’ve been dating for over a year now. I’ve been to your apartment three times. I met Anita only once. I want to know if this relationship is going somewhere. I’ve got plans for my life, you know.”

Kora lowered her head, trying to find an appropriate response, feeling guilty that she simply couldn’t give him what he wanted.

Peter lifted her chin. “Look at me, Kora! What am I to you?”

“I... you... you’re... you’re my boyfriend! What else could you be?”

“Then you need to include me in your life, at least some of the time. I’m tired of this!” 

“Peter, I… Now that Anita’s gone, I...” Kora’s voice choked. How could she include him in her life when everything about his life served as a constant reminder of what she had lost in hers?

Lee’s face softened. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. You’ve had a rough few days.” He lifted her chin, then kissed her gently on the lips. “You must be hungry.”

Kora breathed an inward sigh of relief. She simply wasn’t ready for this conversation. That was the good thing about Peter. He always seemed to know when to back off and not push her too far.

They ordered their food. The rest of dinner was filled with pleasant chit-chat. After their meal, they headed to Peter’s apartment.

It always ended this way. An argument would start when Peter pressured Kora to include him in her life. She would evade his questions, and he would get angry. Kora would then try to appease him with her charms. They would return to Peter’s apartment to make up and to make love. It was no different tonight.

She looked into Peter’s brown eyes. 

He traced his thumb across Kora’s cheek, lifting a strand of her hair from her face, tugging it behind her ear. Peter reached down to kiss Kora on the lips.

She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of his body on top of her, the warmth of his pale skin right next to her light olive one. 

He kneaded her breast, gently, deliberately. 

Kora moaned, coming up for air. The stress of the past few months vanished at that moment. She felt comforted, light. Kora returned Peter’s kiss, with more passion this time. Her hand gently trailed down his back, feeling the muscles on his thighs and buttocks. She reached around, finding his arousal.

Peter let out a deep sigh, as if in pain. His mouth left her lips, moving to her throat, then down her chest. His tongue licked and twirled around her breasts, her belly, until it reached between her thighs.

Kora moaned again. Louder this time, almost a scream. She dug her fingers into Peter’s dark wavy hair. She didn’t want to think about the future, not now, not tonight. Tonight she just wanted to lose herself in Peter’s arms, to forget all her sorrow and loss…

*

Kora decided not to spend the night at Peter’s. She wanted to be at work early. 

It was almost two in the morning when she reached her apartment in the 4th Ring. The streets were deserted. Kora loved the quietude of the night. Her brain usually functioned better at this time of the day. Not tonight, however. The headache that had gone away by early afternoon had returned with a vengeance. She barely made it to her apartment from the underground parking carousel.

Kora stumbled to her small bathroom and fumbled a painkiller syringe from the medical kit. She could feel the opiate coursing through her veins almost immediately. She peeled her clothes off for the second time tonight and stepped into the tubular shower enclosure. The smell of Peter still lingered on her skin. 

Kora soothed her throbbing forehead under the hot water. Strangely, the painkiller only dulled her senses. Part of her was still aware of the mind-numbing pain in her head. Her vision blurred. She felt lightheaded. She slid down the wall until she was crouched on the shower floor, leaning against the cold glass door panel.

Flashes of light flashed before her eyes. Voices echoed all around her. Kora tried to focus her vision but couldn’t. She strained her ears to hear the voices, but they were all jumbled. Her senses soon overloaded. She closed her eyes. Suddenly, everything went silent…

Kora opened her eyes. The shower enclosure slowly faded away, as did the rest of her bathroom. As if emerging from a thin mist, the face of a man gradually appeared in front of her. Then, as quickly as it came, the face melted away.

Kora blinked. The same man slowly reemerged, dressed in a navy blue mandarin-collared suit, standing behind a podium, shrouded in a white haze. He looked strangely familiar. She recognized the thinning light brown hair, those hooded blue eyes, the long straight nose, and the thick chest. 

Kora had seen him before, somewhere. She searched her brain for a name but came up empty. His mouth moved, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying.

Kora blinked again. She felt a disturbance in the air next to her right ear. The man’s face exploded before her in a splatter of blood and brain matter, leaving a ghastly hole in the middle of his face. 

Kora’s jaw dropped. Her pulse raced. Her ears rang. It was as if she were watching a silent horror movie. She could feel the blood leaving her head. She closed her eyes again, and everything went black...

- End of Chapter 4 -