82 CHAPTER 81 REUNION

Pinna's emerald green eyes elevated to the tall buildings that touched the blue heavens. It was easy to see the blinking posters and the adverts that lined the two hands of the magnetic rail. The streets still glowed with the evening sun, mucking the moist air that hung on the bridge of her nostrils.

She crossed the street, just before the horn from a Land Tripler echoed. Even though the land Tripler glided on the magnetic rail, it shook the earth with vibrations as it slithered into the city.

The street was alive. Teens laughed as they hovered pass her, and families smiled with the falling sun. Those blue eyes of theirs were angelic and ignited their beautiful faces with a life she was not sure she had seen in any other city.

Embrace the happy tech. One of the blinking boards reads, and Dr. Jakin's face smiled at her from the boards. The board was weeping as what was left of the evening rain trailed from the man's cheeks and fell off to the cobber stone floor.

Pinna shifted her eyes from the boards and searched her bags. The happy tech was the reason she had come to this city for the first time in her life. It pained her as she realized that the smiling faces of the people are merely a manifestation of Dr. Jakin's technology. A technology that has brought peace and harmony to the world and has also carved its evil on the sand of time. Most people know about the dangers of the happy tech, but they accept it anyway. Even though the disadvantages outweighed the advantages, it was one way for them to get rid of addiction and the troubles and anxieties of life.

Steadying her bags on her shoulder, she finally found what she was looking for. A hologram image of the street popped out from her beep device, and she flipped through the blue screens until she came across one that showed the blinking board of Dr. Jakins.

Fifteenth floor. She mumbled and returned the beeping device into her bag.

The street lights were coming on now and music seemed to engulf what is left of the humid air. Pinna hurried towards the elevator and pushed the white fifteen button, which flared with a yellow light. Her heart was racing, not with fright, but with enthusiasm. It's been long since she last saw him or hear his voice. After graduation, they had seen each other for a time until the accident that broke their relationship.

The ding dong of the elevator echoed and Pinna ambled out of it. She covered her nose from the stench of tobacco, which was heavy and seemed to emanate from everywhere. Her feet carried her further and her emerald green eyes walked on the painted walls, taking everything in. Poor white light flushed into the hallway, some bobs were even hanging on their wires, on the verge of collapsing. For someone with his records, she expected more. She expected something different.

Her stomach knotted with frustration and nausea as she landed three soft knocks on the wooden door.

"It's open" Someone yelled from inside.

Pinna heaved and turned the knob.

"I told you, Chris, we can do this…" His fair skin folded with surprise when he saw her.

"Hello, Matt," Pinna smiled. Her stomach leaps up to her chest. She had missed those bright eyes of his and the shaggy blond hair that would not stay true. He looks older now with the hairs that trailed the side of his cheeks.

"What are you doing here?"

"Good evening to you too," Pinna walked past him into the sitting room. His apartment was enormous and had a fresh rose fragrance lingering in the air. Unlike the tobacco stench in the hallway.

"Why didn't you call me?" Matt said behind her.

"Seven times, Matt. And you didn't return any or respond. I had to make sure you have not grown deaf with age or something." She smiled at the frame that hung on the wall. It was the day they had passed the entrance exam back in the Heroes city. Jeff had come first, Ema second, Matt, she and then Ham. The photo reminded her of the perfect union they had. They were the perfect five.

Her eyes left the pictures, but her face fell when she saw the other image that hung close to the first. It was their graduation photo, Jeff and Ema were missing.

"I have been busy," Matt said and dropped the paper he was holding, walking towards the black refrigerator. "What can I offer you?"

Pinna turned away from the picture, afraid that the towel in her handbag would not be enough to wipe her tears if she stared too long at the photo

"Water," She said and took a seat.

"So," Matt said as he handed the glass cup to her. "To what do I owe this humble visit?"

The glass clattered on her teeth as she gulped the cold liquid.

"I just wanted to make sure you are okay." Pinna smiled and dropped the empty cup on the table.

"Well," Matt shrugged, "What do you think?"

"For someone who hardly knows you, it would impress them. But I can read a sad face when I see one."

"I am okay, as you can see" Matt chuckled and raked his blond hair.

He does that when he is nervous. Pinna thought.

"You can't fool me, child."

"Child? Huh, same old Pinna Lin."

"One and only." Pinna giggled, "What's up, Matt? You know you can talk to me, right?"

"I have told you. I am fine,"

"No, you are not. This place you live in, your house. It is too orderly for you to be okay."

"I have outgrown that untidy habit"

"Have you?" Pinna raised her brow, "Where are your gadgets, Matt? The last time I checked, you wanted to become a scientist, an inventor, and not some special agents working with the Keepers."

Matt shifted in his seat.

"I know you miss Jeff and Ema. I miss them too. I also know you miss Sandra. I understand you fell in love with her and your relationship sparked like a living fire. But it's time to let go,"

"I can't forget them, Pinna." Matt's hair dangles on his head as he shook them.

"No one is telling you to. You just have to live on and stop blaming yourself for what had happened."

"It's all my fault, Pinna. I killed Sandra, and I gave Jeff's location away."

"The Happy-Tech made you do that,"

"You know that's not true. The Happy-tech only give you want you desire."

"Jesus Christ, Matt. Can you hear yourself? The Happy-Tech created a desire in you. A desire Campter and Isaac had planted in you."

They sat in silence for a while. The noise from the street was getting louder and louder.

"Come back, Matt" Pinna left her seat and sat beside him. "Come back to us. We would need those magnificent brain cells of yours right now."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Pinna. But there is something I must do."

"What, Matt? Kill Campter? Or is it Isaac? Or King Zack?"

Matt's frown deepened as he shifted his weight uneasily.

"Maybe two of the three,"

"Don't be obsessed with them or they would control your life, this time not with the Happy-Tech. We couldn't save Sandra, Ema, and Jeff. But we can still save others from this Happy-Tech."

"What do you mean," He asked as their gaze met. She held it for a while before looking away. Life was sweeping back into him now, and for the first time since she came into that room, she felt something she had not felt in a long time.

Hope.

"I think there is a way to counteract the effect of the Happy-Tech."

"Is that even possible?" Matt asked.

Pinna did not respond. She picked her bag and collected her beep device.

"Two weeks ago there was this incident in the City of Ama. A Candanian scientist was killed. Heard about that?"

"Yeah, he was corrupt. Tried to run away from the Keepers but was shot in the process"

"Well, that's what the authority told us. Give a dog an awful name so you can hang it" Pinna smiled and flipped through the pictures on her device. "Here," She handed the device to Matt.

"This was what the man was working on. He was building a chip that could counteract the effect of the Happy-Tech. But the authority found out—"

"And killed him" Matt finished. "That explained the fact then. Follow me, you need to see something." Matt hurried to his feet, into a compact room that held a big circular table. On the table were distinct hologram images, from one crime scene to newspaper reports. All of which were associated directly or indirectly to the Happy-Tech.

"There," Matt pointed at the image of a small glass bottle with red fluid inside it. "We caught some illegal merchants trying to smuggle this fluid into the City of Zapper. And from this photo, you showed me. We need that fluid to create this anti-Happy-Tech."

"Nice name," Pinna chuckled, "So that settles the case then, Martin Zonna is coming out of his shell to build the AHT, anti-Happy-Tech"

"Not until I lay my hands on one of those red fluids."

"But I thought you said you have one in your custody"

"I had one in my custody. But not anymore. Anyway, I can still interrogate with the merchant. Find out more info,"

"That settles the case then" Pinna nodded with satisfaction.

"Have you heard from Ham?" Matt asked as he shut down the hovering screens

"Not since graduation. I hope he is alright," Pinna grumbled.

"Me too." Matt heaved. "Let me buy you a drink"

"I think I will need that right now" Pinna smiled.